A Support’s Support [Closed Starter for @red-bonesaw]

“Hello, Dr., uh, Medic? I um, I’m sorry if, if you’re busy I can…come back later.”

The Messenger had never been inside the Red Base before, let alone anywhere near Medic’s laboratory. To say it was intimidating would be an understatement. It had taken Messenger five minutes of standing outside the door to finally get the courage to knock and open it just enough to pop her head in, hatbrim catching on the edge and mushing said hat down over her eyes. She’d had to step in to adjust it, and seeing the madgenius doctor for the first time froze her rehearsed greeting in her throat. She’d managed to queak out the above, if not just a bit too quietly. 

“I, uh, I’m your new backup, the uh, The Messenger. I don’t know if Miss. Pauling… told you about,” she gestured absently, heart thudding as she fought the instinct to ramble or bolt, “my assignment. But you, uh, sorry for…barging in.”

Messenger gulped, her fingers tapping against her leg. She knew well that intruding unannounced on any scientist’s workspace was less than welcome.

Some Notes on Messenger’s Early Relationship With Her Dad

This has evolved a LOT since I first conceived of David and Barbara’s relationship as I developed my interpretation of him and will probably continue to do so, but I’m at a point where some things are pretty solid and explain a lot about Messenger’s way of interacting with others. I’ve mentioned some of this before, but here’s a mini masterpost that’s canon for both Prime and Mercenary Verse Messengers.

David was not a universally bad father

Messenger has an older brother 5 years her senior who remains in contact with and is somewhat close to  their dad. He and David had a much different relationship that was kinda strained, but not for the same reasons. Daniel was relatively independent and easygoing as a kid, a bit of a troublemaker sometimes, but also the kind who preferred to figure stuff out on his own. It might have been different if David didn’t travel as much for work, but we’ll never know. Dave saw a little too much of himself in his son for their relationship to not be awkward, but he tried and was clear with praise and approval. Which wasn’t hard to give as Dan just kinda… did stuff. He wasn’t perfect, but he was a smart kid, got relatively good grades, was able to ask for help with college and finances and stuff so David felt like he was actual useful. Dan was just a mostly easy kid to interact with once they established common interests. 

On the other hand.

Young Mess was just so cheerful and full of excitement and curiosity, along with being a much more physically affectionate and chatty child who looked up to and hung on to his every word that the two were actually extremely close for the first decade of her life. He taught both kids to fish, but Mess was the one much more interested in learning to hunt- despite being an animal lover. Dan outpaced David’s knowledge in an academic sense pretty quickly, but Barbara was more tactile and experiential so he could teach her stuff like how to break a man’s hand or what plants were edible in survival situations how to find water etc and stuff and she was always so JAZZED about this. Not that her mom didn’t also teach her about nature- they were a camping and hiking family-, but David taught her how to defuse a landmine so like. 

Messenger is actually a good shot with a bow, which helped her later in life aim wise.

Again, if David hadn’t been away so often, maybe he would have seen and understood her challenges better. Maybe they could have stayed close, but issues started around when she was 10.

‘ YOU! *whispering* Messenger, who is this? ‘

“Uh he uh…”

It was one of those very lovely uncomfortable situations where both parties were badly out of place. Messenger was supposed to be in California as a secretary. David was supposed to be…well she didnt keep tabs on him but probably NOT in Teufort. At least, she super didn’t want him to be. They’d recognized each other almost simultaneously after literally bumping into each other on the street, but David was the one to verbalize it first.

Scout’s reply to the giant man’s shocked ‘you’ had broken Messenger somewhat out of her shock.

“Sc-Scott this. Is my…this is David. My father. A completely ordinary… respectable business person. Like. Us.”

She stealth elbowed Ben slightly to emphasize the last point. Her acting skills were much shakier and more blatant than usual. Messenger stuffed her hands in her pockets, and smiled through gritted teeth. Oh boy. What the fuck was he doing here? Had mom told him she worked for Mann Co?

David stared down “Scott” in stony silence.

memecollation:

Sentence Starters —
TEAM FORTRESS 2; Comic #1 “Ring of Fired” – Part 1

( Change pronouns as needed! )

—  ‘ (name), is everything alright? ‘
—  ‘ It, uh… sounds like something’s tearing the plane apart in there. ‘
—  ‘ It’s stuffed, (name). ‘
—  ‘ I was asked to remind you about our new Insurance policy: no more jumping out of planes. ‘
—  ‘ What if there was engine trouble? Could we jump out of the plane then? ‘
—  ‘ Here, hold these engine parts. ‘
—  ‘ How’d that whole “under attack by robots” business go, anyway? You and the others sort it out? ‘
—  ‘ YOU! *whispering* (name), who is this? ‘
—  ‘ This is (name). The one attacking us. With robots. ‘
—  ‘ Our war has somehow turned into yet another intractable stalemate. ‘
—  ‘ I will NOT repeat the mistakes of my idiot brothers. ‘
—  ‘ The war is over, (name). You win. ‘
—  ‘ I’m here yo offer you a NEW proposition. All or NOTHING. Winner… takes… all. ‘
—  ‘ What is wrong with your desk?! ‘
—  ‘ I think you’ll find your hands have been seared to a perfect 135 degrees. ‘
—  ‘ MY FLESH! IT FALLS OF MY BONES! ‘
—  ‘ Don’t fill up on (food), now! Save room for steak and eggs! ‘
—  ‘ I’m not here for… eggs, (name). ‘
—  ‘ I’m here for the challenge! ‘
—  ‘ The CEO of any other company can take over our company legally if they beat you in unarmed combat, sir. ‘
—  ‘ That is a FANTASTIC policy. ‘
—  ‘ You wrote it. ‘
—  ‘ Wait. So is this sallow-chested old mummy saying what I sincerely pray to God that he’s saying? ‘
—  ‘ Not ME, you idiot! ‘
—  ‘ You… you want me to beat up a little girl? ‘
—  ‘ Ooooooh, you rotten old son of  bitch, I’ll -… ‘
—  ‘ HOT SAUCE! I can’t do it! I will not fight a child! ‘
—  ‘ I’m hardly going to fistfight a child just to get a promotion. ‘
—  ‘ Finefinefine. (name), you’re fired. ‘
—  ‘ Non  —  violence mode, eh? We’ll see… about… THAT! ‘
—  ‘ SOMETHING FIGHT ME! ‘
—  ‘ Behind me! Between those two cows! Three hundred brave men died! ‘
—  ‘ If it was not for these brave men, you would all be speaking English right now! BRITISH ENGLISH! ‘
—  ‘ It will be a dark night tonight! Because all the stars are buried in this field! ‘
—  ‘ YOU! This wig is going to get you killed! ‘
—  ‘ If your pacemakers have any alarms, turn them off! Because we are moving out! ‘
—  ‘ SHE IS DEAD, (name)! FOCUS! ‘
—  ‘ I am fully within my legal rights as your old roommate  to kill your stupid new roommate! ‘

—  ‘ I was sad! You were happy! So I killed Tom Jones. ‘

—  ‘ The heart makes its own rules, (name). ‘

—  ‘ I have lived for six thousand years… and agreeing to be your roommate is my ONLY regret! ‘