“I totally forgot you were comin’ by today.”, the smile was clearly forced, his voice too low compared to his usual cheery self. “I got no surprises for you today. I’ll make it up to you next time, okay?”

“Hey, it’s alright, bud, I’ve told you, haven’t I? You really don’t need to do anything for me. You have enough to do and worry about, I’m just happy to get to see you.”

Her demeanor went soft instantly on reading his voice and posture, knowing a fake smile when she saw one. Especially on someone who smiled so naturally the majority of the time. Of course, now there was the question of pride. Something was up, but Messenger wasn’t sure if or how to address it. The guys tended to not be big on feeling pitied or like they were being read as weak…

Technically, she didn’t have to make the pickup until tomorrow, but…

“Uh, that being said, I have a favor to ask if you’re willing? I’m supposed to be picking up some puppies to deliver to m-a pet rescue after I finish drop off here, but I could use another pair of hands to steady the crate on the back of my scooter?”

Classy Gal

One of Messenger’s duties is going to fancy business parties with the upper crust business assholes Hale has to associate with. Since Saxton Hale is not exactly the small talk and shmoozing type-unless you’ve come to purchase a gun from the elite suite-, he tends to uh… not do GREAT at these type of social gatherings.

In order to keep up appearances for the company and gain allies/associations blah blah social connections, Messenger gets to dress up fancy and pretend to be Saxton’s companion to mollify his peers. Well, and, most importantly, to distract them while he steals booze, and to interject when someone tries to talk to him so he can escape out windows to rip his suit off and/or hook up with someone.

She fuckin loves it.

It’s essentially three hours of making fun of the one percent to their faces under the guise of personality while also uncovering information that can be used against them.

The best part, though, is to play the field like it’s a high school cafeteria. She has pickpocketed and planted jewelry, planted her own (borrowed from Hale) jewelry, spread rumors, spread confidential/drunken information, and been the direct cause of at least one (1) lethal pistols duel between Oil Magnates.

“Oh! Yeah a’course.”

Messenger’s eyes lit up as she reached behind her and, in a very obviously thoroughly practiced move, flipped her cannon over her shoulder then loaded, pointed (away from Medic), and cocked. Her goofy grin faded back into an attempt at a serious face with a bit of pink darkening her cheeks.

“Well, see, I, uh, I’m a ranger. I mean, ranged assist…er? Deliverer? Uh, like sort of a sniper but not a Sniper? Oh, right, this”

-Her goofy expression came back, a little more sheepish this time, against her will as she tapped the side of her gun’s wide barrel-

“This is my dear sweet gun buddy MailCall. And thiiis,” she unloaded the ammo which was an odd, small (American) football sized capsule, “is a subspace storage capsule. The current models have a carrying capacity of approximately 200 lbs worth of heavy fire ammunition, or, at least, they don’t do great past that because ahah, hoo that backfire nearly took my arm off- but! It should be fine with the regular restock allotment, and the medi-boost caps are vapor or injection if they’re…” she pulled a tiny version of the capsule, the size of a sniper bullet and held it up, “full range. These bad boys are more potent. I have ammo versions of minicaps too… problem is my supplier can only make so many so I’m on strict rations…but! They’re re-usable so I just gotta collect the burst ones from the field and-“

She stopped dead and her face flushed in embarrassment. Aw shit, she’d been trying so hard to avoid rambling, and it had been a simple question too. The doctor hadn’t asked for this whole…spiel. She stammered for a moment before getting a bit of a grip to try again. She looked downwards slightly.

“I, uh, what I mean is… I um shoot teammates to deliver what they need to shoot people good for longer. Is. Well, that’s my primary. Thing”

She spun and cranked a lever on the side of MailCall which tightened and extended the internal barrel into rifle mode.

“I, uh, forgot to explain what full range meant. Sorry. This is that.”

“Holiday season!! You know what that means: Discounted adoption fees at the Mutt’s Land Animal Rescue! We gots dogs, cats, donkeys, sheep, but mostly dogs. We had chickens, but they’re mine now. The pigeons don’t see a difference.

Come by and pet our dudes, maybe fall in love and take a lil, or big, dude home today!

”

“Oh! Good, I uh, I’m glad I’m not just uh, a surprise.”

Mostly, anyway. When people knew you were coming, they tended to have expectations. Messenger wasn’t entirely sure she could meet them. Even with the last year of conditioning and training since the operation…she still felt brand new. And now she really was new, to nine people much more experienced and skilled at fighting…let alone killing.

She was especially aware of the fresh buzz cut already itching against her implants. Messenger went to put a hand on the back of her neck, but flinched as she felt the metal there fused into her spine. Her hand went back into her pocket. She made an effort to offer Medic a smile though, even if it was pretty clearly a nervous one.

At the same time that the team would have been talking and wondering about her, Messenger had been reading up on each of them. Medic, she’d already heard a lot about. Her fear toward him was more a logical “this man has a body count and penchant for human experimentation so maybe don’t piss him off” sort of precaution.

In reality, she was trying very hard to make a good impression and not immediately give away her intense excitement and curiosity about his work. This was her chance to establish herself as a professional instead of devolve into some annoying, bouncy puppy dog.

That being said, she took his assurance not to worry with a slight grain of salt. She did make an effort to relax her posture a bit, at least.

“I had my last checkup two days ago as my last exam for clearance,” she nodded and rustled around in her bag for a moment, “My updated files…”

Messenger approached Medic and offered him the packet.

“The cerebral and nervous implants weren’t detailed in your last briefing in case I failed or died during the last couple tests. Security measure, ‘parently. But, well, at least The Administrator is being forthcoming on my…secondary purpose. As her, uh, personal intel proxy.”

She looked away from him with an embarrassed grimace.

” It’s too cold outside — ‘ere, take my jacket. You can give it back the next time you drop back at RED. “

“Oh, uh thanks! You sure you won’t need it though? I mean, I really appreciate it Scout, but I don’t want you t’get cold on my behalf.”

She did slip the jacket on, though, knowing he wouldn’t offer unless he meant it. Still…

Messenger fished around in her bag for a minute then pulled out:

“You wanna borrow this as a trade off? Might keep your ears a little warmer than a baseball cap.”

Things Both Main Messengers Have- In no particular order

– ~~cool guy syndrome~~ ADHD inattentive and so much prefers tasks with physical stimuli

– NVLD- Nonverbal Learning Disability which is ~~IN MY OPINION BECAUSE PROFESSIONALS KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH BUT IT HELLA IS~~ a disorder on the Autism Spectrum

-Eczema/very dry skin. If I have to suffer so does she.

-The ability to understand and talk to long animals: worms, snakes, eels etc. Ferrets always lie so they aren’t easy to talk to

-Chronic Bronchitis which doesn’t do much except make her sound like a dying goose if she laughs too hard

-Too many mugs

-A snowglobe collection

-Daddy Issues but not the sexual kind I don’t like that I feel the need to specify

-Left-handedness

-A flock of carrier pigeons

-Lotta blankets

– A fear of down escalators specifically

-An inferiority complex probably

-At least one hive of cursed bees

-General Anxiety Disorder that occasionally edges into ptsd territory

-A GED

-Black and white morals that she p much only applies to herself because otherwise she doesn’t feel in a position to judge

-Gullibility

-A big appreciation for erotica

-Several arguably demonic friends

-Warrants for her arrest in several states and countries

-Depression

-A gun that looks like/works somewhat like a teeshirt canon but can transform to a longer ranged rifle mode: Mail Call

-A yellow Vespa Scooter

-A marriage proposition from a Russian Mob Boss named Dmitri in case she is still single by the age of 40/ decides to settle before then.

-Friends in several mafias

-Enemies in more mafias than that

-A pretty high bounty in Guatemala specifically

-A citizenship in Iceland

-Generally bad hand/eye coordination and depth perception

-Either skeletal or nervous/cerebral implants/enhancements depending on which fork

-A Milk addiction

-Spite and Compassion in about even amounts

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.