My TF2 Kintypes Are Ruling The Shifts Rn

There was RED Team and BLU Team, as usual, as I believe there is in every timeline, but there was also a third team, whose default uniforms consisted of neutral tones and shades of grey instead of bright iconic colors. This was my “original” team.

Currently unknown:

Third team’s official title, if there was one (for the sake of this post, I’ll refer to them as “Gray Team”)

If “Gray Team” had any association with Gray Mann

Where the team was stationed/held until needed

The way “Gray Team” worked wasn’t like RED or BLU. We didn’t fight on the battlefield like a collective team like the other two did. Instead we were a standby/reserve team of (I’m assuming all) clones, and our mercenaries were assigned individually to RED and/or BLU when needed, either as temporary stand-ins if teams were short any members (for one reason or another) or as additional reinforcements if teams needed extra mannpower, switching our uniforms for our new teams’ colors. Because of this, “Gray” mercs could be fighting alongside each other in one match, and then against each other in a later match. Outside of matches, we were supposed to remain neutral and only keep team alliances for the duration of our assigned time with those teams to prevent unfair imbalances.

…So I might’ve…not kept my neutrality. 👉👈

Currently unknown:

If we were assigned to teams by the Administrator (or whoever was in charge) directly, specifically requested by the teams, or something else entirely

If the teams were informed of “replacements” by “Gray” mercs (provided the teams didn’t request us for stand-ins), or if they even knew of “Gray Team”’s existence in the first place* (<- important asterisk for later)

I was a chill Sniper clone on “Gray Team” who valued teamwork and camaraderie more than being a lone wolf, and was probably the most “normal/human” on the team. I still took time to myself sometimes, but I actually got lonely easily and thus disliked to be alone, so if I was off by myself it was either because I actually wanted to, or NEEDED to. But even so, I was still, admittedly, a little socially awkward. Couldn’t help it.

Outside of my standard “Gray” uniform, I don’t think there was anything too special/out of the ordinary about what I wore on RED and BLU and dressed pretty canonically. I lived through the scene in Meet the Spy when the RED Spy ambushed and stabbed the BLU Sniper (which was me, assigned to BLU at that time). I did have the scar across my left cheek from his knife, but I also acquired another scar at I believe a later time, closer to my jawline. Pretty sure it was caused by a Spy as well, but uncertain which one. Here’s a doodle to show what I mean.

(First time actually drawing any TF2 character ever so plz forgive me, ik it’s not good, I need to practice more, can't even get the hat right imo)

Additionally, the whole time I was dead during that timeframe I was following behind BLU Spy in “ghost form”, worried for my teammates’ safety and a little pissed that I died. Mick “Carry-My-Bloody-Arse-Back-To-Respawn-Or-The-Damn-Medic-Already,-Spook” Mundee*.

I’ll explain the ghost thing a little more when I talk about respawning.

Currently unknown:

What my eye color was

The actual spelling of my last name (*Mundee feels the most “right” to me, but I’m still not entirely sure what it actually was)

If I did respawn after the events of Meet the Spy or if Medic had to bring me back

As for my timeline’s Scouts, there was definitely some slight Speeding Bullet going on, but my dynamic with each Scout was a bit different. Overall, though, I felt a slight polyamorous attraction to both the RED and BLU Scouts, but not for the Gray Scout. …And I had a tendency of being a bit oblivious at times.

The RED Scout was definitely into me. I think. He was bold and would sometimes flirt with me, sometimes even during a match. I usually got a little flustered at his advances (when I picked up on them), and I did like him back, but knew how risky it was with me being “Gray Team” and not being allowed to form any real connections with anyone. As far as I recall, he dressed like canon.

As for the BLU Scout, I don’t know if he liked me in that way or not, but I do know that I kinda liked him. We got along great as teammates and good friends, and I greatly respected that and didn’t want to ruin that. I get contradicting memories for how he dressed, though. Most of my memories are of him dressing like canon (in battle typically), but in other memories he’s wearing slightly different clothing, so there’s a possibility either he would switch out his uniform, or all my memories of the canonically-dressed BLU Scout are actually of my Gray Scout while he was assigned to BLU Team.

And as for Gray Scout? I don’t think he liked me, but I know I didn’t feel that same attraction towards him either. We were teammates at most. Earlier memories of him I recall him smiling and laughing and being more like the RED Scout, just less reckless/rambunctious. But that changed. Most of my memories of Gray Scout he was actually quiet, cold, sarcastic (when he talked), and grumpy. It became rare if he spoke to me, and sometimes he’d give me the cold shoulder/silent treatment after rough matches and I’d be left feeling confused. We were often assigned to BLU Team together, but there have been plenty of times we were on opposite teams too.

I used “Roo” as a friendly affectionate term/nickname for the RED and BLU Scouts (I don’t think I called them that very often though), but I don’t think I’ve ever called my Gray Scout that.

Currently unknown:

If I ever told either of the Scouts how I felt

If either of them ever knew it was me specifically, and not their respective teams’ Snipers (refer back to the important asterisk above)

If Gray Scout did actually like me and was jealous and I was oblivious, or if there was another reason for his shift in attitude towards me

The only other “Gray” merc I currently have memories of is, unfortunately, the Medic. I’d say he was a mix of RED Medic’s craziness and BLU Medic’s calmness, but I don’t mean “calm with a little crazy”. No. I mean this guy was absolutely terrifying combined with an eerie calmness that only made him a thousand times scarier. He enjoyed getting his gloved hands dirty way too much, and he was horrifyingly good at what he did. He could make things look like an accident or caused by something else entirely. I only trusted him enough as a healer when absolutely necessary, but I HATED going to him for anything because he gave me the god damn creeps so much. I especially remember in particular something he told me after (if I remember correctly) a medical examination. I might not be remembering his words 100%, and yes I know it sounds painfully like a meme, but basically he told me something like “You have a very strong heart, Herr Sniper.. Be a shame if something were to happen to it,” with that unnerving smile of his.

I spent maybe the next hour or two after that hiding in I think a dark supply closet, shivering in a corner hugging my knees in paranoia and avoiding everyone (primarily Medic).

Maybe he was just really fascinated with my anatomy and couldn’t help his usual creepy tone of voice. Maybe he knew something. Or maybe I’m just being paranoid now and overthinking his twisted little sense of humor.

And like I mentioned earlier, I didn’t keep my neutrality. I started to favor BLU Team, and found myself doing so too easily. They were just…more “normal” than the RED or “Gray” Teams imo, and I just felt…right with them, I suppose. Felt kinda like “home”—or close enough to it, anyway. I would stay longer than required, and I believe I ended up staying on with BLU. Being with BLU made me feel more like a normal human being.

As a clone, I don’t have the memories of any “real” Sniper, but I could still feel nostalgic about things I’ve never experienced or places I’ve never been to (and I still do in this life, like when I saw a red house irl that looked like the RED Sniper’s adoptive parents’ house and felt bittersweet nostalgia despite never actually living that part of RED Sniper’s life, so it’s not like I was missing living there because as Gray Sniper I never knew what “home” was).

Currently unknown:

If the feelings I felt (nostalgia, attraction, attachment, etc.) were actually a cloning defect and I wasn’t supposed to feel those things

If anyone else on “Gray Team” felt these things too

If I did actually replace the original BLU Sniper at some point and remained as the new BLU Sniper

I also happen to remember what respawning was like. I’ve died in battle before, like I’m sure we all had at some point. After dying in a match, I remember being in what was basically “spectator” or “ghost mode”, hovering near my body as a ghost. We weren’t bound to our death spots, though, and we could move around the battlefield to spectate until we got respawned. But the time it took to end up back at Respawn wasn’t consistent. Sometimes it’d be damn near instantaneous, sometimes it was longer, and more often than not the wait felt longer than it actually was. One time, Gray Scout didn’t respawn for a full few minutes. Don’t know if this was from the same moment or not, but another memory I have is when Gray Scout and I were both assigned to BLU and we both died at about the same time next to each other on the battlefield, and in ghost form he gave me a dirty look of disappointment as he crossed his arms like it was my fault we died, then he moved away without a word while we both waited to respawn.

Currently unknown:

What that was all about :(

I also know that major injuries were obviously healed upon respawn, or things that Medic's medigun could heal, but there were also technicalities in which certain injuries wouldn't fully heal and instead scar over, like the scars on my face for example.

Currently unknown:

If scarring from certain injuries was from respawns, medigun healings, or both

My luck ran out one day, though, and I didn’t respawn after a death. I was with BLU, the match was almost over, but sometime during the match I was blasted good in the chest, and I staggered a little before collapsing onto the ground. I didn’t die instantly, and I struggled to breathe and couldn’t move. It was painful. Right before I blacked out for good, I felt someone or something grab my legs and start to drag me away. I didn’t see who it was.

The memories end there.

Currently unknown:

Who actually killed me

Who started to drag me and where they were taking me

If my former “Gray” teammates had anything to do with my death (wouldn’t be surprised if they planned it as I was technically being “traitorous” for favoring one of the other teams, but I’m not certain)

Why I didn’t respawn or go “ghost mode” like in previous match-related deaths, or why I wasn’t brought back to life by any of the Medics

And since I know @blu-random was wondering if we shared a timeline (and I’ve been trying to figure that out too), here’s what I can recall (as of right now) in terms of Lil Pootis-specific things:

I don’t (currently?) remember Pootis, Blootis, or Medimedes

I also don’t recall where the BLU Base actually was, but I do recall a lot of memories of being in the warmer dryer parts of New Mexico, like 2fort, closer to or on RED turf, and then vaguer fuzzier mems of inside the team bases, but not anything specifically of outside the BLU Base, so it could’ve been somewhere colder, but not sure

I might’ve had a scarf, but not certain

• My fox tail broke. On the trip up. So I was unable to wear it out and about like I wanted to, but it ain’t the end of the world. Now that I’m back I’ll work on fixing it (and probably my coyote tail while I’m at it).

• Merasmus cursed me and projected his period cramps onto me (not the first time. still sucked though. hate it).

• Took a few meditative naps in the back seat with my spy crab and got another wave of horribly-clear Sniper memories, mainly of the Gray Team Medic (BAD), but also a likely possibility now as to why I died (still don’t know why I didn’t respawn though). I'll write everything down in another post cuz that’ll be way more detailed than my kin Carrd when I get around to updating it.

• Stopped back at the Hudson River to say hello and shake my fist at it again (iykyk).

• Aaand of course, Patty was in his element the whole trip. Good book to read, no stress plagues his crustacean mind, and keeping Scout’s hat (figuratively) warm for him. You can have it back now @blu-random don't worry lol.

As stressful as this trip was, it was actually a bit of a spiritual journey for me as well. Might go into that into another post, might not, probably not, but just also gonna add that I carried my moonstone heart and Patience soulstone in my vest the whole ride up and back, so ig you could say I carried the heart and soul of BLU with me (get it cuz they're both blue and special).

And also for the record, best damn chips I've ever tasted (that I somehow never found before until this trip), and my absolute favorite soda ever right here. Sent the soda pic in a discord server and someone called it the Speeding Bullet beverage and. honestly yeah now that they mention it it literally does taste like Speeding Bullet as a soda imo.

And here’s some extra photos:

Apparently, even across time and space, they still never patch all the glitches. smh.

I go all the way to bloody Scotland and Demo wasn't even there 😔

Haunted house looks so much better now that it's all cleaned up and taken care of.

So many industrial, dilapidated, military, agricultural, railroad, etc. locations in NY and PA reminded me so much of TF2 locations tbh, especially 2fort.. Only photo I was really able to grab though, unfortunately. Difficult to photograph when you drive by fast.

wAIT, STOP THE VAN-