Synopsis: The Administrator has decided to finally give Medic some much needed help on the battlefield, despite the male insisting he doesn't need it. But what happens when the Mad doctor finally meets his match?..
Pairing(s): Medic x 10th Class! Reader focused
Pairing Name?: Medical Malpractice (Medic/The Nurse),
Length: 3.4k words
A/n: GUYS GUYS I HOPE YOU ENJOY THISSSS, I was inspired by some of my fellow writers who are writing fanfics where they make the reader a specific class!! (Speaking of which I HIGHLY suggest the Respawn Malfunction Fic by the lovely the-teufort-nine)
"Ach, I don't really need help Miss Pauling, vhile I appreciate zhe thought—"
Medic was caught off by Miss Pauling's sheepish grin and hand raise. "I know I know, but think about it. You'll have help with surgeries, everyone wouldn't be screaming your name on the battlefield.. unless you like that—"
Medic tapped his glove to his chin. While he didn't necessarily need the help, it would be a great assistance to not have hear everyone screaming "MEDIC" on the battlefield. And to have someone who was on his level, that thought just like him when it came to medicine and other scientific discovering's?
It didn't sound that bad.
But then again, what if this person could be just as annoying as his teammates? What if they didn't help him out as he thought they would? He couldn't risk that!
However, on the flip side...what if they are perfect? They help him on the battles field, they help him with studies that he wanted to conduct. They might even let him experiment on THEM!
He hummed and sighed before dropping his hands to his side.
"Fine, Fine. I vill accept zhis..'help'."
"Good! Cause she'll be here tomorrow!"
Medic didn't have time to process what Miss Pauling had said because she left so quickly, rambling off about finishing finalization before their newest member gets there.
"She?.." Medic trailed off before he left his office to go and join the others in the dining area. Dinner was just being prepared when Scout called out to Medic.
"Ayyeee Doc! You heard about that newbie we getting? Hope he can keep up wit ya!" The rambunctious Boston yelled and Medic only rolled his eyes as he took a seat.
"I can only hope zhat SHE can deal vith the daily stupidity zhat I deal vith each day." Medic corrects Scout and that draws attention from some of the others.
"Oh? So our new help is going to be a Woman?..I pray for her." Spy muttered as he takes a drag from his cigarette. "Wonder what made zhe little lady chose here?"
"Don't kno', but it's best we treat her wit' respect fellas, she could be mighty useful round here when Medic is busy." Engineer chimed in. "Best to have two docs than one."
"Da, Engineer is right. Little lady can make big difference in life or death in battle. We treat her like we treat Doctor." Heavy adds on making Medic nod along.
"Zhere should be nothing to vorry about~, she'll be trained under zhe best!"
"That makes me worry even more, I hope she's not a nutcase like you are-"
"Vhat vas zhat Scout?"
"Nothin'! Nothin' at all doc…"
Medic huffed as he fixed his labcoat. "Zhat's vhat I thought." He muttered before he walked back to his lab. When he walked in, he already saw a second door already installed in his medbay, kinda of similar to the one that led to his private quarters. But it had a different medical like logo. ‘Zhey work fast..” he thought as he decided to go into his room.
He needed to prepare for the new guest coming tomorrow
The mercs were all sitting together after another successful day of kicking BLU ass.
Scout, Soldier, Demoman and Pyro were sitting together, Spy and Sniper were playing cards, Engineer was moving around some things in the kitchen and Heavy was with Medic at a separate table.
Soft humming could be heard coming down the Hallway, along with a suitcase being dragged behind light footsteps. The click of heels against the hard floor of the base echoed, they didn’t really pay any attention to the sounds assuming it was Miss Pauling bringing something that they needed to go over.
That was until they heard the voice.
"Hello there fellas~!"
The guys all lifted their heads to see a woman, dressed in long nurses dress with a pretty white apron over it. She had a matching logo patch to Medic's with a syringe over the cross, she wore pink gloves that went up to her elbows, her hair was neatly tucked back into a low bun with the nurses hat on. She had a big smile on her face as she walked further into the room drawing all attention to her.
"My name is Y/n, and I will be your new nurse around these parts~! Now could someone please kindly tell me who is your head Medical specialist.?"
Scout rolled his eyes before he allowed a sly smirk to come across his face. "I wouldn't call him a professional toots…but he's ova there wit the large guy."
The woman, Who they now know is Y/n, thanks Scout with a pretty smile that had the young male blushing already but Spy knocked him in the back of the head.
“Oi! What the hell was that for??”
“You’re making googoo eyes at zhe new hire.”
“What? She’s cute! Ow! Seriously man! That hurts!
“Zhen stop being such an idiot.”
Medic and Heavy were engrossed in a conversation when Y/n walks up next to them and starts to introduce herself.
“Hello! I was told that one of you was the doctor here, I’m going to guess it’s you sir..” She says pointing to medic. Medic looked her up and down and his heart felt like it was doing tricks already.
She was…beautiful.
She was everything that he had imagined in his head last night. Her beauty, her kindness, and Medic could already tell that a little something…unhinged lay right beneath the surface.
Heavy had to nudge the male because he was just staring at the beauty in front of him. Medic quickly cleared his throat before giving a grin to her.
“Ah yes! Zhat vould be me! I am guessing jou are zhe nurse, yes?” He finally managed to get out, making the woman infront of him giggle as she sits down across from him.
“Yes that’s me! I’ve heard such good this about you! I can’t wait to work alongside you in the field!”
Medic nodded as he leaned on his hand as he listened to her ramble on about how much she loved nursing and how her experience on the field was sure to lighten his load and help him the best way that she could.
As she continued to speak, Medic just nodded along and occasionally added to the conversation. He was so focused on her, he was imagining the two of them in battle together, covering in the enemy teams blood. He couldn’t wait to do the uber heart surgery on her so he could see and feel her from the inside out…
“Medic.”
Oh how beautiful she would look beside him.
“Medic?”
Oh how beautiful she would look underneath him—
“MEDIC”
Medic jumped as he shook his head, Heavy shook his head as he looked at his fellow merc. “You spaced out, Little nurse said she was going to bed.” Heavy states and Medic sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he apologized to Y/n.
“Oh no no! You’re fine! I know you’re probably tired after this long day..”
“Ja..The battle was very…tough.” Medic quickly says, making her giggle.
“Oh well I'm not going to stop you, please go and get some rest for tomorrow!”
Y/n then backed away from the two males as she bowed and gave them a gentle wave.
"Goodnight fellas! Can't wait to be beside you on the battlefield!" She happily exclaimed before she turned on her heel and left the room finally.
Once she left the room, Heavy looked over at Medic. “Medic is infatuated with little nurse.”
Medic looked at his friend and colleague, rapidly shaking his head. “Vhat? No! She’s just…really..amazing I guess. It’s rare to see someone as interested in the pursuit of science as I am!” He quickly says as he looked away from Heavy, pulling at his collar.
Heavy only chuckles as he pats Medic on his back. “You are terrible liar.”
Was all he said before he left Medic at the table alone to think. And of course, his mind went to the beautiful nurse that just graced their presence. He HAD to get to know her better.
He couldn’t just let her get away with messing with his head like this!
He will do it tomorrow! He would get to know her after working alongside her for the first time! After all, He had to know why a lovely lady like herself would come and work here and let alone be excited to work with someone like him…
Oh Boy, Did he quickly realize why he was so drawn to her.
She. Was. Crazy.
Once the Nurse set foot on the battlefield, that adorable and charming personality that she displayed to the others at dinner the other day was quickly replaced by a wicked bloodlust.
She was taking down the enemy teams left and right, assisting their teammates with a scary accuracy.
And she was smiling while doing it.
Her main weapon? A large syringe, one that he witnessed her stab and spear the enemy team, harvesting their blood and using it almost as some sort of wicked power source. He could've sworn that hearts formed in his eyes as he looked upon her on the battlefield. She didn’t care that she was getting blood on her at all, the way that it splattered across her clothes and she wore it with excited glee.
He was so busy day dreaming that He wasn’t paying attention, leaving him open for a backstab from the enemy Spy when he heard her call out to him.
“DOCTOR BEHIND YOU!” Medic didn’t have time to turn around before he saw the enemy spy...with a syringe needle through his back.
He stood back watching as his body turned to goop, and was collected by the Nurse, seeing it go into her own medivac.
“Are you alright? I followed the bastard after he tried to backstab, Engineer.” Y/n said to him as she offered her hand, helping Medic from the ground.
She holds his hand for a little bit as she checks over him, making sure that he wasn’t injured at all. She places her hand on his chest, making Medic jolt as she did it so suddenly. “Are you alright? Your heart is beating quite fast..”
Medic coughs into his hand before he backs away, nodding at her question. “Ja, I’m okay..Guess my heart rate is up after almost being backstabbed…”
Y/n gave him an eyebrow rise before she accepted his answer.
“Alright..if you say so. Then, Let’s go Doctor. I can hear our teammates screaming for us now.” Y/n turns to leave, expecting Medic to follow.
And follow he did, intrigued as he watched as she pressed a button on her MediVac, watching as she placed her syringe into a slot, and watched as the blood started to bubble and boil, turning into a molten weapon.
Y/n looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a wink before she ran off to go and cater to their injured teammates. Leaving him once again, speechless. He could feel a shiver trail down his spine as a smile broke out across his face.
“Mein..Gott..she's perfect…” He mumbled to himself.
He watched as Y/n reached over to Scout, shooting him with a syringe, the Bostonian yelled in pain before feeling a surging feeling. He suddenly cheered and gave Y/n a high five before running back into battle. Healing syringes, he remembered her talking about it briefly the night before.
She was so giddy and excited to have someone to ramble about her work, that Medic stayed nearly all night with her despite knowing that they had to be up the next morning. But that didn’t matter, seeing her happy, talking about a subject that most would squirm and ignore was all he needed.
God...was he falling in love with his colleague?! She had only been here for a few days, yet the bubbly and giddy nurse had managed to worm her way into his heart in less than a week.
Never has someone made him so weak in the knees whenever they would look his way.
Mein gott was he embarassing—
“ Medic! I need you!” “Coming Mein Nurse!~”
Y/n giggles as she shows off to Medic. Her main weapon, the syringe was used to collect samples, blood samples of the enemy and turn that into boiling liquid, almost like scalding water, giving the enemy team a burning and scalding effect that worked perfectly alongside Pyro.
She had a syringe Gun as well, filled with different syringes of various effects, some that could heal her teammates, some That could burn and melt the enemy skin, it all depended on who she aimed it at, as he saw earlier with her little display on Scout.
“Ahh..could you believe i almost lost my medical License because of this technology, I guess they didn't like me testing on murderers..” She mentioned sparking Medic's interest.
“Vait, jou made this yourself?” He asked and she nodded proudly. “Mhm! Did all the research Myself, I was a bio-chem major before I turned to nursing.” Y/n answered. “Took me a couple months to perfect, nearly burned a hole through my lab floor.
The two of them were walking together and just talking About previous experiments and things that they have done.
“Wait, you stole a skeleton?”
“Several actually, it's how I lost my medical license.”
Y/n giggled at that, before reaching for his hand. “You know, I could use mine, if..you ever needed..help,”
Medic froze a bit, her hand felt small in his as he grasped her hand, the two of them ended up facing each other.
“Jou..vould do zhat? For me?”
“Of course~, Ya know , it's not everyday when you find someone who's so persistent in the pursuit of science like you.”
“Oh really now?”
“Yes really! It’s the least I could do for making you listen to my rambling about needles for two hours.”
Medic couldn't stop the smile that spread to his lips. “Jou know, I could listen to you read zhe most boring book in zhe vorld and I vould never get tired. “
It was Y/n’s turn to blush as she felt his hand come up to caress her blood soaked cheek. “Oh Medic..you’re just saying that..”
Medic chuckles and he was about to speak again when a loud yell broke through.
“Oi! Doc! Need some Help ova here! Could you stop makin’ googoo eyes wit the nurse!?”
Oh right, they were still in battle.
“Ve'll continue zhis later.”
“We shall.”
The two of them readied their gear again as Y/n grasped his hand tightly turning to him with a smirk.
“Let’s go practice Medicine~” She says to him and Medic feels like his body was just lit on fire by pyro as a wolfish grin appears on his face.
When they would reach the enemy team, Y/n would signal to Medic that she was ready and he would nod to her before he would turn on his uber charge. He had only done the surgery on her yesterday, and while he was excited to see how it would work on a new host…
He hoped that it wouldn’t harm her.
Once he activated it Y/n jolted a bit before she started that boiling mass of liquid in her backpack. Medic watched as it was almost like she was spraying hot oil onto the enemy, They moved through the enemy, mowing them down like they were nothing but bugs underneath their feet.
...God did she look like a glowing red goddess...
The entire time Y/n was…laughing, giggling as she used her weapon on the enemy. Giddy as she saw how their bodies basically melted into nothing but BLU goo. It sent a shiver up his spine when she turned to him and gave him that award winning smile with a wink
He watched as the rest of their team came in to help capture the final point, most of them careful to step over or around the various piles of goo around the point.
The Uber charge wore off and Y/n squealed with glee before she ran up to Medic and grabbed his shoulders. “Oh my GOD that was AMAZING!!” She screamed with delight, once again catching Medic off guard.
“Ach..it vas nothing, it vas most—” Medic didn’t get to finish his sentence before he felt himself being dipped, and a pair of lips being pressed against his own.
Medic turned a bright red as his glasses fogged up. He felt light headed and when she finally let him up, they were declared the winners as they had successfully claimed the last point.
When he regained himself, Y/n was standing infront of him with a big smile on her face as if she didn’t just KISS HIM.
“Did jou just–”
“Yes i did. Would you like me to do it again?”
Medic looked back as he saw his teammates already heading back in, talks of celebrating and what they were going to eat in the air. Medic chuckles as he lifted the nurse into his arms.
“Ja, I vould…but if forgive me if i’m greedy and vant more~”
Now it was Y/n’s turn to blush as Medic carried her back inside to continue their own little form of celebration for winning.
“Man, I don't know if it's a blessin’ or a curse we got that nurse!”
Scout groaned as he knocked back a bonk! Atomic Punch, Engineer, who was playing cards with Demo and Soldier, tilts his head.
“What makes ya say that boy? I think it's great the Doc has himself A lovely lady that can keep up with him.” He chuckles as he turned back to the card game, watching as Scout took a seat with them.
“That's the problem! They are both nuts! I overheard them talking about doing surgery on each otha’ to put their hearts in each otha's body! That's weird!”
“Well, Son, that might just be their form of love-”
“Then i pray dat form of love neva finds me!"
Engineer laughs as Demoman pats His back. “Aye lad, are ya still mad that the doc almost let you die because he was flirtin’?
“No! I'm just sayin’! They are weird!”
“He's definitely still upset!”
“I agree with Engineer!”
“Course ya do Soldier! You prolly don't even know what we're talking about!”
Y/n and Medic were definitely closer after that battle, they were wrapped around each other's fingers. Always around each other.
When they had mission debriefing, she was sitting in his lap.
When it was time for their checkups? They were definitely giving PDA.
Speaking of which, the duo walked past them heading to the door.
Scout groaned in frustration before he looked up seeing Medic walking with Y/n. “And where are yall headin’ Out to? Ain't dinner about to start?”
Y/n smiles as she hugs Medic's arm. “Luddy has prepared a picnic for us~! We're going outside to enjoy each other's company, and talk about medical stuff~”
Medic nuzzled her forehead. “Ja, mein liebling and i vill be busy for the rest of the night, so please don't have any medical emergencies, jou might not like what you walk into.”
The duo laughs together as Medic leads her outside, opening the door and closing it behind them, leaving their coworkers To go back to what they were doing.
“Ugh..disgusting!”
“Sounds like you're jealous sonny.”
“How!? Jealous of what?”
“Affirmative! Sounds like you are jealous that he has a proud American woman!”
“Is she even bloody american?”
“Course she is! That woman is a pure blooded American soldier!”
The four men ended up bickering about this, while Heavy who was coming from the kitchen quickly interjected.
“Lets just be happy Doctor has met match.” He started. “Means no more experimenting on us when he has a willing participant. She is perfect for him. Just a crazy as doctor.”
The others went quiet and Scout, the main one who was making a fuss crossed his arms. “I guess tons of fun ova’ here is right.”
Heavy rolled his eyes at Scout before taking a seat. “Deal me in. Besides. Tomorrow is ceasefire. Doctor is gonna be busy with little nurse.”
“What do ya mean by dat?”
“I think you know what I mean.”
“You could've jus’ Left us in the dark with that info Son.”
“if I had to suffer listening to doctor ramble about it, you do too.”
"NONSENSE THEY ARE JUST DISCUSSING BATTLE STRATEGIES"
"Yea if strategies included fucki- OW WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM YA SPOOK!?"
"I've been here zhe entire time, could you all please just deal zhe cards and not talk about what our doctors are doing."
GAHHH FINALLYYY ITS DONNNEEE
I plan on writing more with them, so be prepared for more Medical Malpractice— but until then, please be safe and take care of yourselves!
So about free will, oppressive systems, and the ending of Good Omens 3...
OK let's talk thematics.
Because one of the reasons Good Omens resonated with so many of us is that Crowley and Aziraphale were like us, people who've been traumatized by oppressive systems that forced us into corners and destroyed our sense of self, ability to love, our free will, everything about us.
Good Omens taught us that we can find healing and bravery to overcome that trauma by bonding with other traumatized souls and DEFYING those systems of oppression.
Adam in GO1 wanted to destroy the world to remake it better, but that's not an option for us, is it? We can't eliminate homophobia or transphobia, we can't eliminate the abusers in our lives, we can't eliminate corporations that pollute our environment and we can't eliminate religious institutions or political corruption or fascism or racism and every other awful thing out there.
But we CAN take their power away from controlling us, by banding together and declaring NO. YOU will not define me. That is what Aziraphale and Crowley represent.
As angels and demons, they represent revolting against the systems that birthed them and telling those systems that they REJECT the identity foisted upon them.
That is why Good Omens 3 doesn't make sense thematically. Because it takes this metaphor and says instead that the only solution is to eliminate the entire system and start again. Something that is virtually impossible to do without mass destruction on a global scale (for example, an extinction event that takes us back to before civilization and the patriarchy began). This is exactly what Adam thought:
Adam: “We'll get rid of everything stupid and start all over again.”
But Good Omens 1 tells us that this thinking is wrong. It is wrong to nuke the world to forge a better one, because individual lives matter and we can try to fix it.
Brian: “You're going to burn all this away. Why? Because some adults mucked things up? That's a reason to fix it, not destroy it.”
Good Omens was always optimistic about how, despite the fact that humans can destroy the world, we can also make it better.
Everyone in Good Omens 1 made choices, created their own free will, by defying god. Not eliminating god. Defying god. Adam, by rejecting his birth and parentage. Anathema, by rejecting her inherited role. Crowley and Aziraphale, by choosing to love one another (and what a queer metaphor that is, to choose to love as your form of rebellion 🏳️🌈).
This works beautifully as a metaphor because we in the real world can also choose to make our own free will, despite the oppressive systems we live under. Even if it's difficult, even if maybe we need therapy and support to do so, we can choose to reject the abusive systems in our lives and forge our own identities outside of them.
So when Good Omens 3 comes along saying the only solution is to remake the world entirely because apparently there is no hope under ANY oppressive system?? It's basically a pessimistic outlook. It's saying, no matter how much support and love we find, we will never have freedom from those abusive systems. (and maybe that's true on a social level, but on an individual level?)
Saying the only solution is to remake the world entirely removes the power WE have to do something within the broken systems we live under.
I get how Good Omens 3 works (sorta) from an atheistic perspective, and I fully believe it's the ending Terry would have wanted, but it just does not work from a Good Omens (or a realistic) perspective.
About the atheistic POV, just to say briefly: Does removing god actually fix all the problems in the world? Well, Good Omens already told us that humans are the primary drivers of evil. So god wasn't even responsible for that. And plus, it is humans who created god, and what we imagine god wants, and why we fight religious wars.
It's not god's existence that ruins society, it's the idea of god, and that's all humanity's creation.
So, no, eliminating god does not create a perfect world.
But!! Having free will to defy the oppressive systems that will invariably plague humanity is how you find freedom. Not a perfect world but free will, and the ability to act on it, is still how you define Who you are, that is how you defeat everything society wants you to be, how you CHOOSE who YOU want to be.
That is why Good Omens is so inspiring, because it speaks to all of us who feel oppressed and traumatized. It tells us there is hope despite what happened (and is happening) to us.
Good Omens 3 does not share that theme though, and that to me is the primary reason I can't get behind the ending.
Can I have a oneshot simon x reader where reader gives cuddles to the poor man. He's been through so much I just want to lay his head on my lap and stroke his face. God knows he needs it. 😢
Yesss I'm still thinking of that movie and the horrors bro went through :(
So here's some self indulgent fluff/comfort I cooked up around midnight last night
.......
Simon once believed that his last view of humanity was destined to be through a tiny porthole, staring into the angry faces of people he accidentally doused with copious amounts of radiation.
People who only knew him as "Convict"--someone expendable; a throwaway prisoner who was told over and over again that the mission was "bigger" than him.
Bigger than his life, sanity, and freedom.
But that wasn't it.
His story didn't end there. Not in that submarine. Not at the bottom of the blood sea.
No.
It was just another horrific chapter in his life that had concluded.
Right now, at this very moment, he was staring up at the face of someone gentle, kind, and rather handsome/beautiful....that was you.
There was no disdain, hatred, nor disgust in your eyes.
Just love, plain and simple.
Your expression never wavered, not even once as you listened to his stomach-churning tale of his "expedition" into AT-5's ocean. How he was promised freedom. How he kept seeing ghosts and hearing things that weren't really there. How terrified he was that something was alive in the blood with him and nobody had listened to his pleas...
All while you allowed him to lay his head down in your lap and simply rest.
It was soft, cathartic. And it was absolutely what he needed considering how many times he was thrown around inside the submarine, his head slamming into the walls, floor, and ceiling relentlessly. His brain had been rattled with concussions that made him see stars...and even complete darkness when the line broke and he plummeted down even further, lost for days.
"...and that's when I received your signal....and you saved me from that casket. The....the tomb they were just gonna let me fucking lie in.." His teeth instinctively gnashed together, bandaged fingers curling into the fabric of your pants.
They have been cracked, bruised, and felt a bit scaley, even. Almost appearing inhuman.
No different from how he, the "Butcher" was portrayed to be when they blamed him for Filament Station's destruction.
An inhuman monster who worshipped a tree. A crazed maniac who wanted to decimate humanity's population even further---that's what they all made him out to be.
But you knew the truth.
The man in your lap was not some wretched, unforgivable beast.
He was not the cold-hearted "Butcher". Not a nameless "Convict".
He was Simon: your partner in the cold, vast emptiness of space. The one whose release you've waited days, weeks, months, and years for....until you found out where they sent him and ultimately said "fuck it", deciding to rescue him yourself.
You almost got caught a few times, even as you were rising out of the blood ocean and fleeing to a safe haven...
But this moment right here made it all worth it in the end.
You gave him his freedom. Not the bastards at the C.O.I who kept demanding samples and certain tasks from him, giving him no choice in the matter.
"I had a feeling you'd refuse to." You finally speak, your fingers stroking at his hair and beard absentmindedly. "You don't quit easily. The one before you might've been content with that fate...but not you."
"It's because I had someone worth fighting for....th-the only one who stayed with me....through everything."
His fingers curl tighter, his breath hitching with a small sob, mixed in with a pathetic gasp. "I can't believe you waited for me. All this time, when you could have been with somebody else....you....y-you never abandoned me...?"
"Of course I didn't. How could I ever do that to you, Simon?" You brushed away the tears that slipped down his cheeks.
For a man who had been so isolated from people, who was so brutally tormented to the point that he initially had an aversion to any sort of physical touch.....he was swift to melt back into your gestures of comfort.
He was desperate for any reassurance that this moment was real. That you were real, and not just his oxygen-deprived mind trying to generate an illusion of safety, struggling to cope with the loneliness and fears he'd never make it back alive.
Yet somehow, he didn't feel a hundred percent convinced he got out of that submarine, and it was giving him renewed anxiety.
You blinked when he decided to sit up all of the sudden, and for a second...you began feeling tense, worried you were coming off as too overbearing and touchy.
Maybe this was too much for him right now. Maybe you should have waited, or asked him for permission before--
"Lie down with me...please." He whispered pitifully, a hand shakily grabbing your wrist. The tears didn't stop as more began welling-up in his exhausted eyes. Like he was going to fall apart if you didn't respond to him right away.
You smiled and obliged, and together you cuddled on the bed, with your arms around him as he buried his head into your chest. His own arms were constricting your body, but you didn't mind it. He needed this more than you did.
It turns out, he just wanted to feel and hear your heart beating---it was the only way he knew for sure this wasn't a hallucination.
It was there.
This was real.
And only then did he relax in your hold, content with being close to you like this. Surrounded by warmth instead of the damp darkness of those iron walls.
You simply continued petting his hair, not speaking another word...for nothing more had to be spoken. Not now, at least.
Eden talked far too much about religion for him to admit, even to you, but this moment right here...it felt like heaven to him.
You were the heaven he so desperately craved, needed...
This request will be for when you do see iron lung but i needed to request it before it left my brain
So the ahwm worms kicked in, so my request is that Simon gets into Yancys jail as a prisoner and reader and yancy try and help him acclimate to prison life.
I imagine that yancy tries a choreographed song to welcome Convict, but it kinda puts him off because this is a prison and a punishment, not a ymca. Meanwhile reader is more normal about this and shows him that its gonna be okay, so Convict latches into them first as his friend.
Yancy: aw come on, eyes was gonna bes his first friend!
Yeah the AHWM worms got back into my head too <3
I'm imagining this as an AU where Simon/Convict ends up in the M(ark)CU before shit goes seriously wrong
.....
"So....you think you can just waltz on in here like we ain't notice yous??! Think you were so "big" and "tough" in that bulky outfit of youses??!"
"Um...no?" Simon's gaze shifted awkwardly between the prisoners in front of him, still trying to make sense of who these people were....
Or even where he was to begin with.
Last time he checked, he was still welded into that iron casket of a submarine by the C.O.I. No windows, no doors, no escape--he wouldn't have been able to get out without compromising the hull integrity.
They insisted that the mission was "bigger" than him. Bigger than his concerns about having any kind of exit.
They weren't going to let him go unless he earned his freedom: by doing the dirty work of scavenging the blood ocean for signs of life, or anything else that could aid humanity's continued survival.
He was told that he only had to go down there once...
But he was lied to.
They dropped him back down a second time to collect a sample of the unknown entity that he found--something he previously assumed to be the skeleton of a giant mutated fish, now coming to terms with the fact that it was very much alive, consistently stalking him, talking to him..
After spending an eternity steering blindly, charting out the map, getting several concussions, dealing with radiation poisoning, and being severely dehydrated and deprived of oxygen to the point of hallucinating some batshit crazy things--
He passed out and winded up here, at a different kind of prison complex that wasn't aboard a rusted space station drifting amongst the dead stars.
Here, there was warmth.
Here, there was...light.
Somehow, the air didn't feel so heavy.
Despite the more welcoming environment, he had no idea how he got here in the first place. Did they transfer him while he was unconscious? And if so....why?
Were they finally satisfied with his discoveries? Was it enough to give humanity hope? Would they live on without ever knowing the name of the criminal scumbag who risked everything to save what little remained of it?
Or was he just another cog in the machine? Merely replaced by a new one to further explore that dreaded ocean?
His head was swimming with questions, and nothing here could give him the answers he wanted. All he could do was get accustomed to this new location the best he can.
But he quickly realized...these inmates acted very different from those he's served time with.
They seemed to be quite the sociable bunch, being allowed to mingle and eat with each other in the cafeteria. None of them were clad in heavy uniforms stitched together haphazardly, nor were any of them shackled to the point where they can't move without a guard's escort.
In fact, he noticed some have made "fashion statements" out of their chains, as if they were proud to wear them. As if they accepted them as part of their identity.
What prisoner would want that? Surely not him..
They did make him remove his original uniform during processing, which he was thankful for as all those layers were so goddamn heavy. But at the same time, it felt so...strange to not have them on when he's worn them since his incarceration.
Despite being dressed like everyone else here at HTP, he still felt extremely out-of-place....and it didn't help matters when a small group approached him, their apparent "ringleader" being an man of slightly shorter stature, with slicked-back hair, tattoos on his arms and knuckles, and a white shirt and striped pants.
He had barely spoken a word since he came here, and this guy was already taunting him, either trying to intimidate him...or trying to goad him into a fight.
He's no stranger to violence, nor being treated as less-than-human. So he remained on his guard.
"You have any idea what we do to newcomers??"
"Let me guess..." He scoffed, a deep scowl written on his face. "You like to beat them senseless? To prove that you're better than---?"
"Woah, woah, woah wait! Wait."
Unexpectedly, the tattooed inmate's demeanor completely flipped on its head as he put his hands up, eyes comically wide and frantic at the mere suggestion of violence. "No! Th-That's not...yous got it all wrong, pal! We ain't barbarians!"
Now Simon was confused. "You're...not?"
"Of course not! You sees, what we like to do here is welcome new family members...in song!"
"....song?"
"Yeah! Yous gonna love it, trust me! We'll make ya feel right at home!" There was a huge grin on the ringleader's face as he turned to the people behind him "Okay guys and gals, just like we practiced." He whispered, snapping his fingers.
The room became dim, with two spotlights appearing to shine down upon them both. Nobody else.
The convict flinched at the sudden brightness, putting his hand up to shield his eyes. "What the f--"
"Five, six, seven, eight!"
Before he could process what the hell was going on, his interrogator--a man who previously acted like he was ready to fight him--jumped onto a nearby table, wearing white gloves and a top hat. That same spotlight began tracking his movements as he danced around.
Music was coming from nowhere in particular, as well as colorful lights shining on the floor and walls while he sang about how excited everyone was to have a new prisoner in their midst, assuring him this was the "best place" to be.
What?
How did that make any sense?
What kind of prison allowed this behavior? This was supposed to be a place of punishment, right?
And where did he get the hat from???
Simon could only stand there, dumbfounded, certain that he was only imagining all of this...
Yes. He had to be.
There's no way he could have truly escaped from that submarine.
It was only a matter of time before he regained consciousness and woke up back in that hot, rusted, irradiated tin can...forced to complete his mission and be haunted by that fucking sea monster for the rest of his journey--with nobody except his own company.
Once again, he'd be yelled at for wasting time and damaging equipment, treated as nothing more than a tool to further their own-
"Hey!!"
A loud voice suddenly rang out over all the music, and just like that.....everything stopped.
A record scratch was heard somewhere as the singing and dancing ceased, as the lights returned to normal. The prisoners looked around, bewildered, their ringleader no different as he removed his hat.
Simon thought it was a warden or guard coming to shut down all the noise, so he was surprised to see that it was you instead--another inmate with a rather...handsome and/or beautiful visage that almost caught him off-guard for a second.
But you look like you meant business, as you stormed over to the man on the table, scowling up at him like a disappointed parent.
"No. We're not doing this again, Yancy. Get down from there."
'Again? What do they mean by "again"?'
"Wha--bu...but we have a LOT more fun welcomin' new people this way!" The man--Yancy, as he was apparently called--stammered, gesturing wildly to Simon. "Look at 'im! He was starting to-!"
"I don't wanna hear it. Just..get down, please. Before you scare off another one."
A series of mumbles and grumbles left him as he relented, stepping off the table while everyone went back to what they were normally doing. He hung his head low, acting like a child as he shuffled to your side, pouty and silent.
You sighed softly, patting him on the back. "Look, I'm sorry. I love all the songs you make, alright? Just...let me handle this one. You've already had your turn anyways."
Nodding, he shuffled away, while you turned back to the newbie with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about him. He gets...a bit overexcited whenever we have new arrivals."
"Yeah, um...I could tell." Simon cleared his throat. "It was...certainly a lot to take in."
"He's a dance major, but his career hasn't exactly taken off since he's been incarcerated. So he loves to show off his talents here." You chuckled. "Come on. Allow me to show you around the place."
.......
"This grass? It's....It's all real?"
"Yes, um..all of it's real." As odd as the newcomer's question was, you said nothing more as you watched him fidget with the blades of grass poking through the courtyard's chain link fence, twisting them between his fingers.
He was seemingly...mesmerized by them, for reasons you didn't quite understand. But you chalked it up as him being locked away and isolated from the outside world for so long that he couldn't believe the grass here was real.
That was...a rather depressing notion, making you wonder what crime he could've committed to warrant such a sentence.
Then again, he did say something about being held in a space station prison, so maybe....he just missed Earth a lot.
But you were happy to help him readjust and get acclimated with life here.
This guy was clearly scared and confused. It'd take more than just a silly musical number to help him feel at ease. It would take patience, kindness, and understanding---all things that were apparently foreign to him, given his refusal to leave your side ever since you interrupted Yancy's performance.
Sitting down beside him, you cleared your throat. "So...you said that one moment, they sent you on this death mission in a submarine that's barely holding itself together, and the next...you're here? Seems like they just gave you a transfer."
"But here's the thing...I would have known if they were going to transport me." He uncoiled his fingers from the grass. "They made it pretty damn clear that I wasn't leaving that sub until they were satisfied with what I found. They were getting more specific with their demands...even when I was losing my fucking mind trying to find my way around."
"Jeez. All of that sounds...awfully harsh for a punishment. If you don't mind me asking...what exactly was-?"
"You don't wanna know."
That single, blunt sentence silenced you immediately, and you could see just how uncomfortable he was becoming, as he began messing with the pendant attached to his left wrist. One that held the seed of a plant or tree sapling of some kind.
You faintly recall seeing him throw a fit with the prison guard who tried to confiscate it during processing. But they eventually let him keep it (mainly because they were a timid rookie who'd surrender if a prisoner so much as glanced at them in a threatening manner).
"Okay, I understand." You nodded. "But I'll tell you what I did. Because I think you'll get a kick out of it."
He remained quiet, although his eyes were now focused on you.
"My friend and I broke into a museum to steal some ancient box. It...mostly went off without a hitch, but then I stupidly suggested taking a helicopter as our getaway vehicle. And that's when I realized....neither of us knew how to fly one."
Part of you expected him to be humored. To at least crack a little smile at the punchline, but his face never changed. He was still wrapped-up in his own thoughts. You weren't sure if he was even listening.
But you shrugged and continued. "Soooo now we're here. He tried breaking us out, though one of the guys here beat him up. Dunno where he went after that, but that's when Yancy showed up and convinced me to stay. And he's got a point....there's nothing really for us out there. Not for me, at least. You have anyone waiting for you on the outside?"
"....no." He muttered. "There's...no one left in my life. Not since..."
He wanted to speak of the Quiet Rapture, but he didn't know if that would make him look even more insane.
Here he was, talking to you about space stations and blood oceans.....how could he possibly tell you that every person on every planet vanished in an instant?
The answer was simple. He couldn't. You wouldn't believe that. Because you're here. You and so many other people who may have friends and families waiting for them.
This place was just like the Earth he read about.
"Well that makes two of us, then." You sigh, looking around to see if Yancy was nearby. And you did spot him chatting with some people, somehow not noticing either of you.
For now, you'd rather keep it that way.
"I was part of a rebellion."
"Hm?" Glancing back at the convict, you tilted your head. "You were?" It's surprising that he was willing to open up to you this soon, but it seems your story motivated him enough to share his own.
"Resources were scarce..and..we..my brothers..." He stopped himself to exhale a shaky breath, trying not to get so choked up. "I've...gotten a lot of blood on my hands. More than any of them. They called me the Butcher. But...I-I wasn't proud of it. I didn't want...I....I didn't mean to-"
"Hey."
Feeling a pat on his shoulder, he looked up and saw your sympathetic expression. No fear. No disgust. Just understanding. "You don't have to tell me anything more if you don't want to."
"...thank you." He sighed in relief, rubbing a hand across his face. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this. I guess I'm just...I'm still trying to figure out how I got here and why that guy decided to break out into song....this is prison, right?"
"It is. Just...a very different one, obviously. But it's leagues better than that shithole up in space, I'm sure. They take good care of us here....as long as we don't try to stab the guards." You gave him a reassuring smile. "The worst punishment we get here is solitary confinement or bathroom duty."
"Really? Even....killers?"
"Yancy murdered his own parents, and he still gets meals daily and takes showers that are hours long. I don't like him hogging all the hot water, though.." You grumbled.
"What?" His eyes widened slightly. "He just...told you that?"
"He tells everybody. We sorta have this...pact where we're not supposed to talk about his parents unless he brings it up. It's a pretty sensitive subject."
"And you feel safe around him..even though he's got blood on his hands?"
"Of course. But don't be fooled...underneath all that toughness is a soft heart." You chuckle. "I apologize again for that crazy first impression he left...but I promise you'll like him a lot. He was an asshole to me too when I first arrived, but now we're best friends."
He continued to be astonished by the lax system of this jail. No convict aboard the C.O.I would ever be permitted to sit with other convicts in a cafeteria...or even be allowed to address each other by name.
To the wardens, using their names at all would be seeing them as people, and a killer like the "Butcher" didn't deserve that.
Why attach a name to someone who's gonna be welded in a submarine with a minimal chance they'd make it out alive?
You, on the other hand, wondered what kind of terrible prison system he was shoved into that didn't look out for its inmates as well as it should have.
This poor guy had no friends. No family. Nobody whose names he knew. No convict to share his struggles with.
But you could be the first.
"Ah! I can't believe I didn't ask for your name yet. Shame on me. You know mine already, but you are...?" You put your hand out, waiting patiently.
"Simon." He reached back, clasping his gloved fingers with yours, the handshake firm.
God, he hasn't heard or spoken that name in a long, long time. It felt like a breath of fresh air--especially as your smile grew tenfold.
"Simon. I like that name. I think you and I are gonna be great--oh!"
You were suddenly pulled against his chest, wrapped in the tightest hug known to mankind. You were surprised, but welcomed the gesture nevertheless as you hugged him back.
But you grew worried when you heard his breaths become shaky again, feeling his whole body tremble...as if he was trying his hardest not to cry.
"Hey...you're okay." You consoled him with a pat on the back. "I got you. It's all gonna be okay."
"Is this real..?" A small whimper escape his lips. "Am I really safe here? God, please let this be real. I don't want to go back there. I...I can't..." His voice cracked in desperation.
It broke your heart even further, knowing his punishment must've been so torturous, so emotionally and mentally scarring that he couldn't tell what was reality anymore, even with you right here in his arms.
All he knows is that he didn't wanna go back in that goddamn submarine ever again. He only endured it because he wanted to survive long enough to see humanity carry on. To atone for the great sins he committed in the name of Eden.
But after you assured him everything here was real, you included, he realized.....he was finally free.
Not from imprisonment, yet free from them.
They can go and complete that stupid mission if they wanted to. They likely would have forgotten his name anyways.
Whatever brought him here, into this strange universe where the Quiet Rapture never took place and humanity flourished....he was eternally grateful for it.
How it happened didn't matter to him anymore.
"S-Simon, you're uh...kinda crushing me a little..."
"Huh? Oh! I am so sorry." He suddenly let you go, embarrassed by his actions as he looked the other way, his demeanor sheepish. "I-I don't know what came over me...sorry..."
"It's okay. I didn't mind it. You probably needed it after whatever you've been through." Your smile returned, softer. "You look scary, but you're just a big ol' softie who ain't use to our ways. But you'll fit in soon enough. We'll make sure of that."
Simon glanced back at you, a tiny smile of his own appearing on his face. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Not all of his burdens were put at ease...but many of them were.
For the first time, he felt like he could truly live.
And that's all he ever wanted.
"Thank you.."
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"So how's our new buddy?"
"He's cool. His name is Simon, and.....wait, what do you mean OUR buddy?"
"Wh...he's told yous his name first? Oh come on, that was supposed to be me!" Yancy pouted, slumped in the chair as he looked at you with sad brown eyes. "He was likin' our lil' musical ditty! We spent hours rehearsin' it! And then you come and rain on our parade!"
"Yancy, I warned you that one day, this whole YMCA shtick was gonna scare off a new inmate. And guess what? It almost did. I expect you to say sorry to him later."
Small Rant: The Mischaracterization of Tripitaka in the fandom
I've noticed some fans who express their hatred for Tripitaka and ask questions such as: "Why doesn’t Tripitaka allow Wukong to kill the demons before they attack?" or "Why is it that Tripitaka never believes Wukong when he insists that the person they encounter is a demon?" Some even go as far as to label Tripitaka as evil or abusive.
I felt it was important to clarify some misunderstandings surrounding Tripitaka's character:
The reason Tripitaka struggles to fully trust Wukong is that Wukong sometimes lies. He isn't the most reliable guy, often twisting the truth or manipulating others to get what he wants. When someone has lied to you repeatedly, it’s natural to have difficulty believing them even if they are being truthful this time. Additionally, Tripitaka is very naïve and tends to trust others too easily—after all, he was raised in a temple for most of his life. The lack of experience makes it hard for him to recognize when he’s being tricked. (In other words, Tripitaka may have book smarts but he does not have street smarts.)
And it's not just Tripitaka who doubts Wukong; Pigsy, Sandy, and Bai Long Ma often question his word as well. So why is it that hardly anyone criticizes them for their lack of trust?
For those who are upset with Tripitaka for placing the golden band on Wukong's head, which causes him headaches, it's important to understand the reasoning behind this decision. Wukong had committed murder, which is strictly against Buddhist principles. Tripitaka used the band to ensure that Wukong wouldn’t kill again. The text even mentions that Tripitaka is reluctant to use the band but feels he has no choice, as it’s the only way to make Wukong listen to him.
Some may ask, "Why didn’t Tripitaka talk it out with Wukong?" He did! However, Wukong, being stubborn, refused to listen and ran off. Tripitaka giving Wukong headaches is not an act of abuse; rather, it is a form of discipline. If Tripitaka hadn't taken this action, there likely would have been a lot more bloodshed. Tripitaka only ever used the band whenever Wukong misbehaved. While yes there were times when it was used on Wukong even though he did nothing wrong, that only happened because Tripitaka was tricked into doing so. Again, you have to remember that Tripitaka is very gullible and naive and Wukong does have a history of lying and murder.
Also, why is no one ever upset with Guanyin? After all, she is the one who gave Tripitaka the band in the first place and instructed him to use it on Wukong. I often see people directing their anger at Tripitaka, but very few seem to hold Guanyin accountable. She is the one who provided him with the band initially! Why is the blame all placed on Tripitaka?
Additionally, Wukong experiencing severe headaches is one of the least serious issues he has faced. He has endured much worse, such as being put in a boiling pot for days and having his home and monkeys destroyed by the gods. Complaining about Wukong's headaches seems trivial compared to what he has already gone through.
I've even seen some fans in the LMK community suggest that Wukong is traumatized by the band. I disagree. If Wukong were genuinely traumatized by them, he wouldn’t have a positive view of Tripitaka. Furthermore, he would likely display symptoms of trauma, which is not the case. This idea simply doesn't hold up.
I have more that I want to say, but I'm going to end it here for now. Sorry for the long rant, this thing has been eating me up for a long while now and I needed to get it off of my chest.
I understand that not everyone will like a certain character, and you are entitled to your opinion. But can we please stop spreading lies about Tripitaka being evil or abusive when he clearly isn't? I will agree that he's not a saint, but he's not this monster that some people try to paint him as. He's a guy that tries to do the right thing but often makes mistakes.
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