have a heart equal parts wrath and love 🫶

He kinda keeps it private though. Why, you might ask? Most of his drawings are simply copies of comic panels and even a photography he might find in a magazine and decided to draw it too, and it’s honestly quite impressive! But there is a more private notebook he hides somewhere in his rooms were the drawings are way more… self indulgent. If you know what I mean (and no I’m not only referring to porn if that’s what you’re thinking) He’ll rather die than knowing somebody found THAT notebook.

Overall he usually sketches and doodles, but when he decides to lock in he can actually make really good pieces!

Baseball: To no one's surprise, he's a big baseball enthusiast! Not only playing, but everything related to it: watching a match, collecting cards, knowing the players as if they were his favorite rockstars, you name it. He played in his school's team and the other team's kids got annoyed and tired of how many home runs he was able to do.

It probably holds a special place on his heart too, because in one of these matches he remembers turning to look at the staircases searching for his mom, and between all the people shouting and clapping Jeremy's eyes found on hers, and the woman was smiling proudly while looking directly at him, that kind of expression that screams "that's my son, and I’m proud of him". That's probably one of his core memories that comforts him on a bad day.

[ bonus! Videogames: If nowadays videogames were invented back in 1960 he would definitely be one of the main hobbies he would have had, especially multiplayer games so he can play with the rest — he's a really social guy after all! And in the not so normal days he’s not in the mood of socializing for whatever reason, it’s an activity he can do on his own without being bothered by anyone.

Dunno if this is too meta, but I think he would actually love “Team Fortress 2”. xD ]

[ bonus 2! …well more like a side note, about running: I don't think he considers running a hobby though, I think he does it mostly by habit nowadays. You know those people who go to the gym not because they really enjoy it, but to stay healthy? Same as him. He has been doing it all his life, for survival, and because it's one of the few things he can say for sure he's good at, without doubting. And, uh, well, his job depends on that. ]

★ SOLDIER

Doing exercise: Jane is a really energetic person who also loves anything related to war, that means he’s always ready for anything. If he’s not in the battlefield or hanging out with some other merc there’s a really high chance he'll be in the base's gym burning some energy. He usually trains every morning, at least a bit; he considers it a bit of a warm up before the matches.

If someone wants to join he’s really happy about it too! But don’t be fooled: his exercise sessions are hard, really hard. You’ll end up exhausted to say the least, but looking at the bright side you’ll end up ripped!

Fighting: As said adobe, you know what’s funnier and more gratifying than doing exercise alone? Doing it with someone! The thing is, Soldier can be REALLY unfair sometimes, so you have to be ready because an entertaining wrestling session can escalate and turn into a real fight really quickly. But, in his perspective, it’s still a friendly wrestling session! Just be careful. That’s why the mercs avoid it, the ones more willingly to agree are Heavy because he’s way stronger than Soldier and Demoman, because they’re good friends. He will understand if the other part wants to stop, but will take it as a victory and that they surrendered though.

While looking for a way of calling what I was trying to say I found out (according to Wikipedia) what I was trying to say it's called “rough-and-tumble play”. I dunno if adults do it too as little kids or animals do though.

Overall, fighting, but not in a “Fight Club” way, but in a rough-and-tumble play but a bit rougher way considering Jane can be a bit… intense.

Anything related to the army, but specifically the rules and protocols: My group of friends has gotten into Warhammer 40.000 these past years, but there's this guy who has an hyperfixation about it, but not only with painting the figures or the lore, no: the RULES of the game (pd: I am not into Warhammer nor know anything about it besides a few things my friends have told me about... but for what one of them told me the rules of the game itself is the worst part of it). I think Soldier is similar but changing Warhammer with the US military: he knows everything about it… but in his own personal way. He can spend a lot of time rambling about it without getting tired of whoever is willing to listen… and unwillingly too.

[ bonus! History: Watching documentaries, reading books, visiting museums, he loves it! Maybe he can even collect stuff about it, I can see it. The thing is that, related to the last point, he also learns history in his own personal way. As a cook would say, he gives it his own personal twist! Lowkey gives me the vibes of someone who learns history only because of Reddit memes he sees at 3am, but he does not get informed only because of memes, that’s the thing: he actually watches those documentaries, but only sees the bright part of it. Honestly I don’t want to get too political, and this point is.Also strikes me to believe in the most absurd conspiracy theories because the book he read looked a bit too professional. ]

★ PYRO

Drawing: Pyro really enjoys drawing! It’s easier to put their words onto them, can use pretty colors and it’s soothing. But they don’t draw when they’re feeling bad, they usually draw when they’re actually feeling pretty well, because when they are not in a good mood there are other things they might prefer to do, like rotting in bed or burning things.

Another cute detail about Pyro is that they will give their drawings to someone who they like, it’s one of their ways to say they like said person! The pyromaniac might not have the prettiest artstyle compared to other mercenaries, but they put all their soul onto them, and everything means something. When you look at one of the drawings you can literally read Pyro’s soul… well, maybe not entirely if you don’t know them that much, but they pour all their emotions onto every little detail.

Every merc has received a drawing from Pyro at least once. Some have it pinned in the wall like Engineer, others have simply folded it and placed it between some books and others have simply forgotten about it. Hell, even the enemy team has received drawings from them, but they’re not pretty, not pretty at all.

This rarely happens, but sometimes Scout and Pyro draw together. Scout rambles as Pyro listens, as they both focus on their own thing (this happens rarely because Scout does not feel completely comfortable being next to the pyromaniac, but probably as more time has passed the more he gets used to them).

Playing with toys and imagination: I am kind of scared of writing this point — I don't want people to assume I infantilize Pyro or treat them as a kid, but I do think they might have more childish interests, and that's perfectly okay! There are a lot of adults who love collecting plushies (me, hi hello it's me), but then they're working as, I dunno, scientists (no that's not me anymore OTL). Still, if you’re not comfortable with the idea let’s say they just like to collect figures and plushies and move on to the next point.

As I was saying, this point has been influenced by “Lil’ Pootis”, as if it was not obvious enough. Maybe it’s a way to cope with a trauma, maybe they simply find it entertaining and do not give a shit about social standards of what people expect from a person their age. Let a person enjoy themselves! Are they harming anyone? No! …well, unless pyrovision is making them see they’re in a cute picnic when in reality something more horrible it’s happening, but still!

Fire: Anything related to it. Simply watching it and being mesmerized by the warm feeling of the flames dancing, Pyro themselves burning something, etc. Whatever it is, they love it. Does it count as a hobby though? …I guess? Yes? No? I honestly don't know. The idea of someone asking “What are your hobbies?” and they stare at the other person’s eyes and say (mumbling) “Fire” or “Burning things” is funny to me I dunno.

Pyrovision involved or not, they love fire in an indescriptible way no one that isn’t them understands.

★ DEMOMAN

Drinking, but especially with friends: Demoman loves drinking, sure. That 's no secret. But doing it with someone he’s friends with? Ohh, that 's another story. Either in a “let’s have a good time together” or in a “let’s cry together” way, he’s up for it. And if you add a few card games? Ohh, you’re talking his language now!

Tavish is a good man who’s easy to get along with; funny and cheerful, good listener when he’s just tipsy and not entirely drunk, ready to have a good time with his favourite beverage. The team wins? Let’s celebrate it with a few beers! The team lost? Let’s drink a few drinks to lighten up the mood! Sure, not everybody is comfortable since he actually has a drinking problem to the point he’s at the verge of passion out in the middle of the battlefield more than what he’ll admit (the only reason they let that slide is because surprisingly he does a good job).

When the team does not want to engage? Well, he’ll go to a bar. In a bar there are always people willing to at least have a conversation, or ramble about their problems, even someone who might get flirty with him.

For him, every occasion is worthy to accompany with a drink. The only moment you might kill his mood is if you actually worry for him and try to reason with Tavish about how unhealthy his lifestyle is. Unhealthy? Baby, he’s a mercenary, don’t you think that’s way more dangerous than a little bit of drinking? The only moment he might hear you is when he has his head in the toilet, and he’s spiraling in the worst thoughts his head can put him on. That’s the only moment he would agree with whoever is trying to help him, even in the next morning hangover where he’s unable to get out of bed with how much it hurts just to be alive he will agree. But in a few hours he will be drinking again.

Deep down he knows people who tell him to stop are just worried about him, and he wishes he could listen and stop. It’s not that easy, if it was he would have gotten out of that shit a long while ago. He hates it, but he can stop, he’s too deep into this shit and, to a degree, he does not want to.

Watching movies and TV shows: When the team agrees to have a movie night and Demoman is the one proposing the movie it’s for sure going to be a good movie. One of the less energy consuming activities is sitting on the couch and turning on the TV, and for someone who is constantly exhausted due his jobs, in plural (and mentally too) this is a good plan.

Demo has watched a lot of shows and movies, he could consider himself a cinephile. From all genres and types, he does not discriminate at all. His favourites though are comedies, because who does not like to have a good time? If they were invented at the time, 90s/2000s would be his specific fixation. Also those horror movies that are so shitty you can laugh at due to the shitty effects.

Want to know another thing? Chick flicks. Yeah, he’s not the target and cannot relate to them either, but they have something that makes the Scottish love them! Contrary to other mercs he’s way more open with it about his preferences. What will they do, laugh? He’s been through worse, and deep down he knows a lot more of them appreciates these movies, or have way more embarrassing secrets anyways.

Playing the piano or the bagpipe: Note for the future: this point is the opposite from Sniper. Demoman was probably forced by his parents to learn those. I don't really know why, maybe they thought that for the future it might be helpful for getting a new job, maybe it was part of his training, who knows. Knowing the TF2 universe maybe learning how to play the bagpipe is an obligatory subject in Scottish schools. I dunno man, but the fact is that he didn't really want to learn how to play those in the first place. But, as he grew older, he became more and more fond of it.

Maybe to the disappointment of his mother, but to the pleasure of the mercs ears, prefers to play the piano more than the bagpipe — not saying this because Tavish is a bad bagpipe player, he’s actually quite good at it! What I was trying to say is that maybe, after returning from the battlefield, tired and with a need of a shower and sleep, you’ll prefer to hear a piano than a loud and shrill bagpipe melody (no disrespect to anyone who plays the bagpipe, I find it pretty cool and fascinating).

Returning with the piano, it’s not something he does often but when Tavish does it it’s a hell of a good pianist.

He has a really sharp ear, the kind of ear where you can show him a song and after a few minutes he can kinda play it (not in the best way, but hey, not everybody can do that). Contrary to other people he actually likes taking requests! As seen in Expiration Date he might hype Sniper up to play together. It’s hard to make the bushman agree, but when they play together god, they’re so good at it…

★ ENGINEER

Studying: At this point it has to be a hobby, because there's no way you have 11 PhDs for pleasure. Maybe there's family pressure behind too, maybe not (if you ask me I personally believe he's putting this pressure on himself more than the Conagher family does, but that's besides the point), but he loves to have knowledge. And I mean, who doesn’t? It strokes his ego in the best way possible.

He’s used to studying and is one of those people who can’t stop, really. And since he’s good at what he does, he wants to be the best! All his PdH are related to engineering too because he’s what he likes and it’s easy for him.

If Engie is locked in his workshop and is specifically studying you better not bother him with stupid shit because he will get pissed. Some people train his body, he trains his mind. Would you bother a Soldier when he’s training, or Heavy? Or Demoman when he’s fabricating his bombs? No, right? Then leave, and please close the door while you do. He will be polite at first, but if the person keeps insisting he’ll quickly get angry.

Studying is easy for him; since it’s a subject he likes he has no issues in focusing, writing, reading, doing the exams, etc. The kind of dude who would retire and would start another career or master just because he likes to keep his brain active. It’s honestly admirable.

Creating and making new inventions: Dell likes to play god just like Medic, but instead of biology he uses technology. The only reason he comes off as "sane" and Herbert as insane it’s because he's eloquent and less eccentric, but he's the "there's no way that's possible" and he’ll go "no? hold my beer" of the team, even more than the doctor.

Just mention it, say that silly idea you have and, if he’s too bored, he might create it unless it’s too stupid. He loves what he does, Dell can be considered an artist, a sculptor, instead of pouring his emotions into them he pours his brain onto it — his heart too, but it’s not as big as his intelligence.

But you want to know the best part? When he and Medic team up to create something. Biology and engineering. If they’re on your team you don’t have to worry much, but if they’re your enemies? They’re terrifying. Like, no joke. Medic’s ideas don’t freak Engie out, and Medic is fascinated with his work, it’s the best and worst duo ever.

Playing the guitar: Finally, a “normal” hobby (normal in the sense it’s more average). The Texan learned to play the guitar when he was pretty young after probably watching his father or grandfather play it, and they taught him. That’s why he also likes to play it nowadays, because it kind of reminds him of the figures he always has looked up to. And, also, because sometimes he does not like to be THAT productive. He does a lot for his team, hell even from Mann Co. and The Administrator herself. And even if his mindset is also focused on constantly being productive and keep working there’s a moment he has to stop.

He likes to play simple tunes, even if he can do much more, sometimes the simplest things are the best. Something he will not admit though is that before he cut his arm off he played the guitar better; sure his robotic hand can do wonders, but it’s simply not the same. He does not think too much about it though, he did it voluntarily after all, nobody forced him to do so at gunpoint. He valorated all points and concluded a robotic hand was the best option.

All the team likes when Dell pulls out the guitar. Besides Pyro nobody will really hype him up to do so, but if he does everybody’s ears will be pleased with a chill tune. It’s the contrary to the guy who plays Nickelback songs just to impress his date.

One thing he really enjoys is playing the guitar near the fireplace or bonfire if they're in a camping zone, especially if Pyro is there as a spectator, because it’s his biggest fan. As Pyro draws they will look at him in awe and even clap happily after the tune is finished too.

★ HEAVY

Reading: I mean, he has a PhD in literature, he has to be at least a bit interested in reading. Besides what most people might think of him when he’s on the battlefield, laughing and screaming and shooting, Heavy likes quietness too (if he also pretends in the battlefield just as he does to fool people into thinking he’s dumber than what he actually is then it’s up to you). Heavy has already gone through so much that when he has free time most of it prefers to spend it on his own, reading in his room where nobody can bother him.

Honestly? He would read pretty much anything that he encounters, any genre is okay if it’s a book worth reading. And even if it’s not worth reading he will finish it either way. But he has a preference: crude, realistic books. The ones he can relate too to a degree. Why would he love to have a happy ending when his life has been filled with suffering? If life has not been merciful with him he does not want the main character to have their happily ever after either. And I don’t even mean it in a sadistic way that he loves to see people suffer, because he would feel bad if the main character is a good person and is going through hell, no, believe it or not Misha has more heart than that. It’s a “misery loves company” kind of situation. Just like when you’re sad and decide to watch a sad movie.

I also feel like he would prefer if the book is starring a man instead of a woman. It does not come from a misogynist point of view I think, it’s because first, he can relate better to the character. Second, books that portray women going through realistic yet horrible situations usually involve other stuff he’ll rather not think about, and I’m not talking about casual feminine struggles as period or insecurities. Misha has three sisters and a mother who have suffered as much as he has, and does not want to think too much. He likes suffering on himself, not on others who do not deserve it.

Would not like to participate in book clubs either, feeling slightly uncomfortable to let people know what he has been reading. In the best case scenario the person who he’s talking to would look at him in the eyes and pat his shoulder with sad eyes, then either say “I’m so sorry” or “do you need someone to talk to?”. He knows his taste is depressing, he does not need someone who also reminds him thank you very much.

On a lighter note, someone who also reads a lot is Spy, so occasionally they talk about it, recommending each other books that the other might like based on their tastes.

Cooking: Okay, yeah. Heavy can make sandwiches. But did you know he’s a pretty good cook too?

When he was in Russia, times were rough, especially after he had to hide in the mountains if they wanted to live. Besides the meat they were able to hunt they probably had the most basic ingredients to work with: eggs, milk, floor, etc. You know, the essentials. He could not waste these in trying to cook new things or experimenting being in such a precarious situation.

Now that he’s in the USA and he has money he can spend, he started to experiment more and more, starting with easier stuff and now being able to make more elaborate things. From a simple egg omelette to a stew.

He has started to experiment too, adding his own twist to the recipes instead of following them step by step. Sometimes they turn good, sometimes not that good, but that’s the fun of it too, isn’t it? Sure, he’s not as good as his mother, but he’s a close one! And when he writes to his mom about how good he has gotten at it she gets so proud of his not-so-little boy anymore.

When he was still in Siberia, Heavy and his sisters usually hunted the bears and his mother cooked, but of course they also helped his mom. But before his sisters were able to take care of themselves he was the older, and he was always behind his mom, trying to help her in whatever she needed.

He saw her cook, and shortly after began to do that too.

The team LOVES when Misha is in the kitchen. Out of all the mercs he’s the best cook, but he does not like cooking for the team actually. Not because of anything in particular, he just does not like it, usually making simple sandwiches for them and probably preparing a five stars meal for himself, maybe another merc who has the privilege of being liked by him, like Medic, for example.

He also likes when someone offers their help in the kitchen. He loves having a helping hand, but if someone who is not willing to listen or is too chaotic will be banned from the kitchen. Engineer wants to help? He’s perfectly cool with it! Pyro? The last time he almost lit up boiling water on fire. Don’t ask how, he does not know either.

[ bonus! Hunting and fishing: He does not do it anymore, at least not so often. He did it for survival purposes, and now he can simply buy the meat in a local butcher’s shop (because he does not like buying it from the supermarket, the quality is not as good). The hours he would spend in the woods trying to hunt can be spent in the kitchen trying new recipes or relaxing.

What he still likes to do is finishing! He just has to sit in a chair, set up the rod and wait, and while waiting he can do a lot of stuff too. And it’s also the perfect excuse to get away from the base, because let’s face it, it can get annoying at times, more often than not honestly.Sniper and him share in common this, his liking in fishing and hunting. He rarely joins the Australian on his hunting trips because he usually wants to go alone, but Sniper joins Heavy’s fishing days more often than what you would expect! ]

★ MEDIC

Taking care of his doves: Yes, of course. Even if he became a father of his feathered children by accident he still loves them. He probably did not have an interest in birds before he stole that catering wedding van, but now? They fill the hours he’s not experimenting!

The moment he realized it he simply tried to get rid of them, simply by opening the cage and expecting them to fly away. Did they do so? No, they actually flew at him, laying on his head and shoulders. And it didn’t have to pass more than 10 minutes before taking the impulsive decision of adopting them. Herbert quickly bought a book about how to properly take care of them and was surprisingly pleased when he realized how lovely these animals are! Pigeons are really social and enjoy being petted. And he would for sure bring a lot of attention to them.

They fly freely around his lab. They have their own bigass cage where they usually go to sleep and eat food, but the door is always open and they fly freely around the base. And if somebody dares to complain or even hurt one of his precious birds they’ll be the next subject of their experiments without hesitation.

Talking about hurting birds, he also became that person who feeds pigeons on the street. He hates how people can be so mean to these animals, especially after he learned how bad humans have been to them. If he sees someone hurting one of these flying creatures well, let’s just say he’s got a few new organs and bones he might find useful! If he sees a hurt bird will probably bring it to the base and take care of it until they can be okay on their own. Not like he’s a veg or anything, but biology is biology for everybody.

Malpractice, inventing and experimenting: It has been his passion even as a kid. I have a friend who’s now in the microbiology career because he has been a fan of Resident Evil and other zombie movies/games since he was a kid, no joke. He’s the same. I have no idea what was the detonator for him; a documentary, a book, an horror movie character he looked up at and was like “I want to be like them when I grow up”, who knows, maybe a combination of all these, but the thing is that he also had a fascination about knowing how were the insides of human beings. The photos of a book weren’t enough, he needed more. He found a dead animal? He would grab the animal, hide in the forest and cut them open. He never really dared hurting an animal himself, he would have felt bad probably. Same as an adult, he likes the organs, not wanting to kill them personally. Still, he always did it in secret, because he knew if somebody catched him he would have been seen as weird. And I mean, he already was a weird kid; nobody expects a small child to know so many morbid facts about the human body. But oh well, his grades were good, so the adults around him didn’t care too much.

As he grew up he decided what he wanted to be: a doctor. And look, even if he does not align with the 1933 to 1945 Germany’s politics at all, he took advantage of it. He was a prodigy, and of course these people took an interest in him, and he played along finishing his studies and graduating. And then he started to experiment in the hospital with the patients. Not the poor casual people, but with the Nazis themselves. There’s where he started, and the weirdest thing he has done is stealing someone’s skeleton while leaving the person alive. He knew he was going to get caught, so he ran away and left everything behind.

Okay, that last part sounded as if I’m trying to write him as some kind of hero who hurt Nazis, and look as much as I would love that I don’t think this goes this way. Again, Medic is not a nazi and I really dislike people who headcanon him as such, if he was he would not be comfortable working with Demoman or Heavy, for example. But he’s not a good person either. But I also like to think he has morals, maybe not as strong as other members, but definitely would not hurt a completely innocent person out of nowhere. And Nazis are not in his definition of good people.

Now he’s happier, Mann Co. gives him the freedom he never thought he would have, and has fun experimenting and trying new things! He’s really useful both on the battlefield and outside the battlefield. His passion for biology is what has gotten him so far, even if what he does is not considered legal. At this point who the hell cares for the legality of things? They kill, and that’s the least worrying thing they do.

The best part about experimenting though is modifying humans. It’s fascinating and horrible what science can do. But Herbert does not hurt his teammates, birds or whoever they like in any way. Experiments with them? Sure, but just to improve them somehow! The proof is the übercharge modified heart. He likes his teammates a lot more than just being guinea pigs, some more than others. And these two are mainly Heavy and Engineer. Engineer because he can help him with the experiments and Heavy because he does not mind the chaotic German doctor for some reason, call it love, call it friendship.

Birdwatching: An old people's hobby for an old person like himself, isn't it? Just kidding, saying this as if I didn’t bring my binoculars every time I go to the mountains to observe birds myself. Jokes aside, after he adopted his doves he quickly got into this world.

Maybe he goes with Heavy and Sniper fishing trips just to sit there, relax and observe the different birds nature can offer. And for some reason it is like they sense Medic is not a threat, because they actually approach him! He offers some food, sure, and I’m not saying he’s Princess Snow White where he sings and all the birds come to him, they just find him approachable, from a safe distance, but it’s a lot more than what they would approach other people.

[ bonus! Playing the violin: No, he does not know how to play the violin. Probably went to a few classes as a kid before he quickly gave up. If it were any other instrument he would not have minded, but do you know how hard it is to play that thing? No thank you. He still has it though, and sometimes he plays it to everybody’s bad luck, because holy hell. I’m sorry, but it’s… interesting. Not entirely bad, but definitely not good. ]

★ SNIPER

Wood carving and knitting: I put them together for one reason: his mother used to knit and his father used to woodcrave. Sniper did not have a lot of friends while growing up, so probably spent a lot of time in his own house and farm. That’s when he observed his parents do these things, and they taught him. He genuinely enjoys these activities, but also makes him feel closer to home, even if he’s in another country from another continent. These two are activities that soothe him when he’s not having the best day too.

Now, in parts; let’s start with knitting. Not a lot of people know about it, it’s lately that the mercs got to know the Aussie a bit better. Knitting is a pretty touchy subject for him: it’s not considered manly (a think he probably got bullied over considering how hypermasculine Australia is in this universe) and it’s also a passion he and his mother share. If somebody laughs at him over that he’ll feel deeply hurt, especially if he trusted the person enough to tell them. He likes to knit, it’s relaxing and rewarding. What do you mean that with hard work he made himself a sweater? Or a beanie for the winter? It’s both gratifying and makes him feel like home too. Does not only warms his body with the pieces he has made, but also his heart. Most of the things he has made have been sent to his parents, and his mother sends him a pair of new jerseys when the cold arrives. Mick is a simple man, so are the things his hands make; don’t expect a lot of experimentation or different patterns. He likes it simple, a bit more colorful it’s all he has made as experimentation. Would he knit someone for someone he likes (either platonically or romantically)? If he has made a sweater for the enemy Scout as a threat he would make something for someone he appreciates, especially as a Christmas or secret santa gift and he has no idea what to give to said person. Maybe not a sweater if it’s for a loved one; he really wants to believe the curse of the love sweater it’s ridiculous… but just in case he will make something else instead of a sweater.

Then there’s the woodcraving. Again, probably something his father did while he was herding the sheep and everything was quiet, not having to worry about them for a while because the dogs were taking care of them. As a kid, again, Mick loved the figures his father did, and probably after requesting a few Jonathan decided to teach him so he stopped asking for silly things he could make. What he likes to do the most are animals, rarely he makes humanoid figures. He’s not as good as his father, but at least you can look at the figure and tell what it is. I don’t think he would make them as gifts just as the crochets though. Maybe yes, maybe no, who knows. Another thing is that his relationship with his father is complicated. Not bad, they really love each other, but since he joined Mann Co. they bricker more than what Sniper would like. So making these little figures is a way to also keep his father close, in a way. As if hoping that, maybe if he does not approve what his son works in, he’ll appreciate that he picked up his hobby too.

Hunting: This was expected, wasn’t it? He was also taught it when he was a kid. He would go on hunting trips with his father on weekends. I don’t think the Mundys were especially wealthy so one good option was hunting their own food. One thing said: they did not hunt for sports, they didn't find pleasure in the suffering, it’s something that had to be done quickly, and also make the most of said animal: food, fur, bones, etc. I headcanon Sniper as a person who loves animals and bugs, so he’s quick to end their suffering. At first he felt bad, but quickly got used to it. It’s not a pretty thing to do after all. He feels way less remorseful when killing an enemy than when killing an animal.

Sometimes he goes on those trips with Heavy, and they both make a hell of a good team. They’re both experienced and have the patience. Also, for people who see Sniper older, ignore the next point; wrote this little headcanon that Sniper still being in his 20s, so maybe having someone older around him is also comforting, in a way, especially since his parents are not close (and the relationship he has with his father is not the best either) — he does not open up to Heavy and talks about his family issues, Heavy does not do it either, but even when they’re both in silence , it’s comforting, in a way.

Camping: When the Aussie is overwhelmed, stressed or in a general bad mood, he gets in his RV, turns on both the engineering and the radio with his favourite cassette and drives away. That’s on a casual day, but if he has a few free days? He disappears, and then comes back as good as new. The magic of camping, he will say (and as someone who also loves camping and has been doing it all her life in both tends, caravan and comanche trailer tend, I completely agree with him).

He’s alone, that’s already a good starter, and in nature? Oh, now we're talking about. He’s completely natural to it, and he can be himself freely and do whatever he wants: hiking, hunting or fishing, sleeping, etc. Or do absolutely nothing because that’s an option too.

If he gets comfortable having someone around then he might consider proposing to them. Sure he loves his solitude, but every once in a blue moon does not mind having fun with someone else too, and if he had fun with said person it’s not only every once in a blue moon but more often if they’re up to it. For example, Scout and Demoman. They’re good friends, and Sniper doesn’t mind going onto these camping trips with them. But do you know who I think he would also have a really good time with, if not ever better? Heavy. They’re both quiet but share a few interests, so maybe going together would be a hell of a good plan too. But I don’t think that would happen, for some reason.

Another thing: mushrooms. Sniper canonically does mushrooms according to the tone of Miss Pauling’s voicelines. I don’t think he does it often, maybe once every 3 months or so, and he really has to be in the mood for that, especially and specifically to not have a bad trip. He knows which mushrooms he should pick and which not, how to prepare them (if they need any preparation at all — I’m sorry I haven't tried mushrooms yet, I don’t really know how it works) and have a good time. Again, same as mentioned when bringing someone on his camping trips, he might offer some if the person is willing too. Note aside, he’s really helpful too if you’re having a bad trip too, knowing by experience what to do.

[ bonus! Playing the saxophone: Contrary to Demoman, Mick was also forced to play the instrument, but he did not like it and still is not the biggest fan of it – maybe their parents forced him as a way to socialize with other kids his age, maybe it was mandatory in his school. Whatever, but he hated every class, every band play. Everything.Now he rarely plays it, usually if he’s alone and nobody can hear him. He has a complicated relationship with the instrument, growing up on liking a bit but also being a reminder of how much he hated those classes. ]

★ SPY

Playing the piano: Maybe he learned when he was little by his parents/tutors, maybe he learned when he was older and could afford the classes himself, or maybe (I doubt, take it as a “what if”) he was forced while he was still a spy in training and it could be useful in missions.

Whatever the reason was, he knows how to play it and it would be a lie if he said he actually dislikes it. He’s not the best at it, but he’s really good; a person who’s going to the conservatory would see way more mistakes than what an average person would be able to notice.

Spy usually plays the piano when he’s alone in the smoke room, either out of boredom or when in need to put his emotions onto something. Hey, at least it’s a healthier way than drinking an entire bottle of wine while also finishing a pack of cigarettes.

Note aside, we have two mercs who play the piano, and you might wonder who’s the best one at it. And the answer is Tavish — he has the talent, Spy has the hard work. But what they both share in common is passion.

Reading: Either a book, the newspapers or even a magazine. Whatever keeps his mind distracted and active. And it’s a quiet activity too. After living in a base where the chaos and loud noises are the daily basis and the battlefield is filled with explosions, shouts and cries, Spy wants to not hear a thing for once. That’s usually at night. If he’s not doing the worst coping mechanism to deal with his feelings and he’s having an okay day he will distract himself reading.

Yeah, in his line of work (specially before Mann Co.) he had to read a lot of documents, now not as much, but it’s still an activity he enjoys.

His favourite genre? Romance. If it involves erotica then even better. But want to know his guilty pleasure that would rather kill himself than people knowing he likes these? The equivalent of Wattpad/AO3 fanfic in books. Scout might hide playboy magazines under his mattress, but this man hides these kinds of books in better places. Probably has them hidden in a hidden secret compartment in, again, his smoke room, but if for some reason somebody found that compartiment? He created a system that burns said books if somebody dares to open it. Light Yamagami style. Come on, this man has spent most part of his life reading all sorts of boring stuff because of his job, let him have some fun with his shitty written romances/erotic books. Probably he does not find it appealing in that way either, they’re just so badly written that he finds them comedic more than arousing. RIP Spy you would probably have loved being a teenage girl reading fanfics at 3AM and then logging on Twitter to get in fights with a fake account.

Also, not gonna lie, Spy is a pretentious man who likes to show off. He probably has read books he did not like nor found interesting just to mention it in casual conversations to let people know he’s actually intelligent. Probably has read “All tomorrows” and “Blood Meridean”, disliked the books, but just to keep his snob appearance talks about them greatly. Unlike some people who have watched 3 tiktoks with edgy music and feel extra intelligent about it Spy can at least talk about them.

Shopping: Again, this man is pretentious. Maybe he grew up in a poor family and now that he can spend his well earned money will fill that necessity, maybe he simply likes to show off. Whatever it is, he loves going shopping.

Reading a magazine and marking what he would buy, going to the fanciest store and Teufort and getting a new tie that costs 5000 dollars, etc. It’s an activity he does when he wants to get out of the base and not hear anyone’s bullshit. Getting in his car, getting into a city, entering the mall and the fun begins. Probably goes alone too, because if he went with someone else would not feel as good.

He’s also REALLY picky when it comes to his furniture and clothes. Yeah, expensive, but also pretty and that has quality. The amount of rich people who buy the ugliest shit just because it’s expensive pisses him off too. He’s not like that, or at least he hopes he’s not like that.

Crossdressing: At first he did it because some missions required it… and it was an excuse to explore a side of himself without any kind of shame of being called a slur because hey, he’s technically  working, and he’s damn good at it. Maybe even better than other female spies around the world. If he’s having more fun at it than he should it’s another thing.

Ignoring if you headcanon Spy as cis and straight or queer, my point stands. I can see him as a kid climbing on a chair and getting his little hands onto his mother’s makeup and dresses. Just, you know, curiosity. And he liked putting on his lipstick, playing with the different eyeshadow tones and trying to find the best color combination with the different pieces of clothes he could get his hands on.

He knew he liked it, but of course, could not say it out loud, so it was his little secret; when Spy’s parents weren’t at the house he experimented, danced and posed.

A few years later, when he became a spy, found out the importance of becoming someone else - pretending. Duh, of course it’s important, but would not his job become easier if he could be… both?

Again, I don’t know if he was trained to also know this or if he learned on his own (if you ask me I think it was the latest), but he began to practice just as he did when he was a kid… and there he is now. Blending perfectly well being different men and women.

Spy does not have a place where he feels completely safe, but the closest thing to that would be his smoke room. And sometimes he locks the door and simply plays with his clothes and makeup, now with far more experience and grace. He’s not even practicing for a job, he’s just playing, again, just like when he was a kid and not even on his tiptoes could arrive to the bathroom sink where his mother kept the brushes and blushes.

Again, you can take this as him being queer and part of the community or a cis and straight guy simply enjoying crossdressing, whatever you prefer.

EXTRA!

★ MISS PAULING

Listening to cassettes, especially and specifically true crime podcasts and audiobooks: You know those people who say people who listen to true crime podcasts are weirdos because they might get ideas? Well, most of the time that’s not true, but Flo is the exception. No, she will not kill anyone who isn’t in the Administrator’s way. She really does not find pleasure in it, really; for her, killing it’s just part of her job. But, as she listens, Miss Pauling might takes notes on how to hide corpses or other things that might make her job easier.

That’s one of the reasons, but not the main one. She also finds it quite entertaining, or even might think how stupid the killer was, thinking of how she would have done it to not get arrested. Overall our favourite purple lady is… REALLY busy, and, since she has practically no free time, one good option while doing other stuff is put one headphones on and keep doing whatever she has to do with a voice narrating the worst crime committed by a human being. while the other is high alert in case somebody is about to interrupt her completely legal job. She would even tell you it helps her relax!

Some of the mercs think that’s even more unhinged than what they, people who are killing each other on the battlefield on a daily basis, do to relax or entertain themselves outside the battlefield.

Okay, this was the main point yeah, but I don’t know (and I’m sure not) if true crimes fans were a thing during those times, especially since most podcasts and youtube videos I’ve seen about true crimes focus around 1970 to 1990 since there was an increase of violent crimes. Whatever, I just know she would love them.

Leaving aside the true crimes aspect, she would also listen to audiobooks for the same reason: multitasking. I think she might prefer genres like fantasy and sci-fi to keep her mind distracted as she keeps working and working and working.

Dungeons and Dragons: Important note before continuing: I have only played Dungeons and Dragons three times in my life (the time our campaign durated before my friend tragically died due a fireball appearing out of nowhere) and I’m also not into it, so excuse me if I say something that it’s not correct. That said, let’s continue.

As I said in the last point, Miss Pauling loves fantasy and sci-fi! Roleplaying and getting onto a character’s skin and getting into whatever quest they’re up to. But do you know what she likes the most? Being the dungeon master. And honestly, she’s really good at it! Will prepare everything to make the ambiance accurate to what they’re doing: playing thematic music, lighting candles or putting the right lights, the board and figurines are immaculate, etc.

She really puts her heart into it, it’s kinda sad she has little to no time to play, and when she does have the time it’s with the mercs, which aren’t the best DnD players either.

Note aside, I know the Halloween comic only showed Heavy, Scout and Soldier playing, but I get the feeling that Sniper also likes DnD. Has he ever tried? Nope, until he saw them playing at Halloween night and another day decided to join to at least try it another day. And well, he liked it!

Warhammer 40.000 and Magic: The Gathering: And you will tell me, “they’re two different things, why are you even putting them together” and I will put my hand on your shoulder as I say: if I already had no idea about Dungeons and Dragons, I know even less about these other two.

Just wanted to mention them to say how much of a nerd she is. All my friends are nerds (and I love them for that) and I see them playing/hear them talk about it and even if I don’t know what’s going on the ninety percent of the time it strikes me as the things Miss Pauling would enjoy doing in the little free time she has. I can see her going to events and clubs to play with other people too.