THERE ARE PEOPLE UNDER FIRE.

MIKHAIL PETRAS, son of Director Petras

He grew up quite aware of Overwatch, both their hero status and the difficulty of their existence––as they were a paramilitary group beyond the scope of governance of any one country, and thus were subject only to the United Nations. When it fell apart, he was unsurprised. [ Such an organization could hardly be expected to function in the way that it must when under the thumbs of so many. ]

Unfortunately, all that outlawing Overwatch seemed to do was allow more chaos, more violence, more destruction. Mikhail was yet another victim of this––though he would be the first to say that he was one of the lucky ones. During an attack in Egypt where he was living at the time, Mikhail was critically injured in an explosion. Hospitalized for some time, he survived the ordeal, but with permanent scarring and nerve damage due to the severity.

When Overwatch recalled, at last Mikhail had his opportunity to follow the path he had intended for himself: he offered his aid to their newly reformed organization, to supply them with his knowledge, assistance, and guidance in winning the public’s trust once more and navigating the political and legal issues that would arise. Though soft-spoken both by nature and by necessity with his injury, still he is an oddly compelling and charismatic speaker who is always very articulate and precise in his work.

Some other random facts about Mikhail:

Since the attack that left him scarred, he has been tirelessly working to gather the case for Overwatch being reactivated. He was already silently in support of the idea, but he has since gathered every bit of information, every instance of mismanagement by the UN and its members—largely through the unwitting assistance of his father.

He has a contact within Talon though he does not know who they are. Only that they dead drop information to him.

Though he often seems aloof and reserved, Mikhail is very kind-hearted and cares a great deal for others—a trait learned from his mother rather than his father. He hates the part his father played in everything that happened and intends to do whatever it takes to right it—even at great risk to himself. He knows what he is doing is dangerous, but if those heroes could risk their lives for people, then why shouldn't he?

Mikhail collects Faberge eggs. His mother died when he was young and he asked for her collection of them because she loved them so much and even then he knew they would likely simply be packed away or gotten rid of otherwise. He continues to add to the collection.

He also collects odds and ends from his travels around the world, usually items unique to the various regions around the world that he has visited.

He also collects books. He is particularly fond of old books, especially those of great literary significance. Again, he has collected some from all over the world, written and printed in many different languages. When he has time to himself, he can often be found reading from books—not holopads.

"I can't believe this is happening! What are we going to do?"

"Take a deep breath. We'll figure it out. We always do."

"I feel like everything is spiraling out of control!"

"We need to stay calm and think logically. Panicking won't help."

"I can't think straight."

"My mind is racing!"

"Focus on one thing at a time. We'll tackle this step by step."

"I'm afraid we're running out of time!"

"I feel so overwhelmed right now. I don't know where to start."

"I understand, but we can't let panic paralyze us. Let's prioritize."

"What if we make a mistake? What if it all goes wrong?"

"I'm scared. I don't want to mess everything up."

"I can't handle this pressure anymore. It's too much!"

"Take a moment to breathe. We'll find a way to navigate through this."

"Try to ground yourself. Focus on your breath and find your center."

"I feel trapped, like there's no way out of this mess!"

"Let's take a step back and gather our thoughts. We'll find a solution together."

"I can't handle the uncertainty."

"I'm afraid of making the wrong decision. What if it's a disaster?"

DIALOGUE PROMPTS

that thing you just stepped on? yeah, that was my foot.

you've never danced like this before, have you? i can tell.

you're rather good at this.

where did you learn to dance like this?

i'm sure i'm not the only one you've danced with.

i don't know what i'm doing.

just follow my lead and i'll help you.

you're a lousy dance partner.

is that your perfume i smell?

i'll be with you the whole time. follow me.

it's an honor to dance with you.

i could kiss you right now.

i never thought i'd get the chance to dance with you again.

i like to keep things spontaneous.

mind if we dance?

you clean up nice.

figured it was time i stepped in.

what were you doing, dancing with them?

i've waited my whole life for a moment like this.

if you dip me, i'll kill you.

i think the song's over.

well... that was nice.

you look lovely in that dress, by the way.

can we go again?

just put your hand on my shoulder.

i didn't know you could dance!

do you remember the last time we danced like this?

you're doing wonderfully. you look like an expert.

when's the last time i danced with you?

you deserve this, you know.

everyone's watching us.

what would you do if i kissed you?

just keep your eyes fixed on me.

ignore the staring. they'll get over it.

take hold of my hand and let me guide you.

may i have this dance?

i was hoping i'd meet you out here on the dance floor.

dance with me. don't make me go out there alone.

is this the part where we kiss?

ACTION PROMPTS

[ cut in ] sender interrupts receiver as they dance with someone else and requests to dance with receiver, instead

[ dip ] sender dips receiver at the end of the song

[ guide ] sender places receiver's hands in the correct position for a formal dance

[ slide ] sender's hand slips down to receiver's hip as they dance

[ stumble ] sender and receiver make a mistake in their dancing and stumble over each other

[ laugh ] sender and receiver attempt to dance, but can't help themselves from crumbling into a laughing fit

[ private ] sender encourages receiver to dance with them in the privacy of their own home with no one around

[ silence ] sender and receiver start dancing without any music

[ groove ] sender and receiver perform funky, silly dances together, overexaggerating to make each other laugh

[ oops ] sender keeps stepping on receiver's feet and apologizing each time

[ almost ] sender and receiver finish their dance and stare into each other's eyes, transfixed, nearly about to kiss

[ teach ] sender gives receiver a proper lesson on how to dance

[ classes ] sender and receiver meet at a dance class

[ slow ] sender and receiver slow dance together

[ tender ] in the middle of a dance, sender reaches out to fix receiver's hair/clothes

[ interrupt ] someone tries to interrupt sender and receiver as they dance

[ forbidden ] sender and receiver are not supposed to be seen together... but they end up dancing together anyway

[ sensual ] sender and receiver participate in a sensual, romantic dance

[ cooking ] while cooking with music on, sender and receiver humorously dance around the kitchen (using utensils as microphones in the process)

[ first dance ] sender and receiver share their first dance at their wedding

for muses who need to share some intimate thoughts with one another. can be platonic, romantic, familial ... works with any kind of dynamic really. feel free to change pronouns, descriptor words, whatever you may need!

IN REFERENCE TO ABIGAIL "ABBY" DEKKER'S IMPLANT FOR HER BACK…

I have done a fair amount of research for myself and for my characters on this topic, but I am by no means an expert on backs or on paralyzing injuries. I know only what I have researched and what I have learned from those who do have working and everyday knowledge. I will try to portray this injury well both prior to the implant and afterwards—as threads demand—as accurately as possible. If I am inaccurate in something, please feel free to let me know and I will make the necessary corrections.

Now, to start, Abby's injury was at the lower part of her lumbar vertabrae, around the L4-L5 section, which largely prevented her from walking without the constant use of tools to aid her, until such time as she received the implant, after which she had to do a great deal of physical therapy to rebuild the muscles and regain her coordination and mobility—insomuch as she could.

This is what the implant looks like internally on her spine.

Most of the implant itself is not visible but part of it is above the skin. This is likely the access point where components would be replaced when it was necessary for general upkeep—short of things that would require major surgery like the sections along the bones themselves and at the spinal cord.

Due to both the way the implant is set and the fact that it was experimental at the time, there are issues with it, among them:

1) It created a limited range of movement with its design, at least where the lowest sections of her spine are concerned. You will not see her twist too much. You'll usually see her completely turn her body instead. She can also only bend forward or backward to a certain point.

2) The purpose of the design was both to reinforce the spine itself after the injury, as well as to convey the signals from the brain past the incomplete spinal cord injury, almost acting as a bridge—which is where the inner section of the device that I didn't draw would come into play.

3) That said, though it accomplished the main goal of allowing her to walk and resume other such functions that were difficult to impossible due to the injury, it did not solve everything. She can walk. She no longer needs a catheter or anything of that nature. Anything else on that list for the lower sections of the spine are functional again because the signals are conveyed. There are flaws with it, however, up to and including how quickly and how precisely the messages travel around the damaged nerves. As a result, she is clumsy and will trip over her own feet, sometimes over air, sometimes misjudged steps/mis-relayed messages. You will not likely see her running [ short of emergency ] or dancing or anything like that [ unless she has simply already resigned herself to the fact that she is going to fall ]. Feeling is also not 100% in her feet/lower legs, almost like someone with neuropathy. She is at least happy that she can [ mostly ] work the pedals on a piano again [ an organ, however, would be very unlikely due to the amount of precise footwork required to do so ] .

4) She does deal with pain/nerve pain. Some days are fairly minor, what would typically just be considered soreness or stiffness. Then, though they are fairly rare, there are days that the pain makes it difficult to impossible to get out of bed, and it leaves her actually holding her breath until whatever spike or spasm passes, until the next one. On those days, her business partner and friend [ I am considering the partner being an omnic ] handles all of the business at their shop—as well as venturing upstairs to check on her occasionally.

Once a soldier, shrapnel from a blast left her with an incomplete spinal injury at the L4 part of her spine, which medically discharged her and left her struggling to come to terms with what had happened and what it would mean for her life. The following years were unpleasant, between the recovery, physical therapy, and coping with the understanding that nothing she could do would improve her condition.

Not wishing to remain wheelchair bound, when the opportunity arose she took part in several cutting edge attempts to create implants that would convey the signals that the damaged nerves could not, and, eventually, they were successful. With more physical therapy and hard work, she regained the ability to walk and to move as she once did, though it has not been without its cost.

A sharp sense of humor maintained despite it all, Abby lives each day like her last, doing everything she can for her community and those around her, including throwing herself into the middle of a crisis if necessary to protect those around her, which is, consequently, how she met Genji.

Once a soldier, always a soldier.

DETAILED BIOGRAPHY

When the Omnica Corporation first began manufacturing advanced robotics, the Dekker family was heavily invested in the venture, especially as the patriarch of their family––Abigail's grandfather––was involved with the US installation. They lauded their creation as a great advancement for mankind––a labor force to do the work that no one else wanted to do. It would improve quality of life and ensure that no one had to do the jobs that were too dull or too dangerous.

At the moment that everything took a turn for the worst, they were also one of the first to get ahead of the Crisis. The Dekker Family went all in to oppose and meet the threat, largely to save their reputation as they had a hand in causing it. They created a new public face, essentially, to keep their world from crashing down on them––and due to their resources being pitched into the war effort, they also made a hefty profit, growing even richer as the war went on. Abigail's father even entered into military service to prove how committed their family was to eliminating this danger to humankind.

Abigail was born after the war, but by the time she is of age, she is highly pressured to join the military for the optics. Even with no war to fight anymore, she can serve her country. They do still have to maintain appearances, after all.

She mostly enjoyed the military… aside from the highly anti-Omnic sentiment that seemed to run throughout it.

She had always been a bit of a black sheep within her own family—and it was another reason they shoved her into serving—because she couldn't bring herself to hate the omnics. She's always had a high level of empathy, and she just felt sorry for them. They just wanted to live like everyone else, and didn't they have that right? The explosion that caused her spinal injury was one of those Omnic Resistance groups that, despite the "peace" still continued the fight for Omnics to be free and safe, with the same rights and considerations as humans.

For a time, of course, she was angry, but as usual, the empathy won out, and she accepted what happened and why. She doesn't condone or promote violence… but it's a terrible thing to be able to understand it, and to know that someone could feel so desperate to be driven to something like that.

Coming out of her injury––and her parents pulling the strings to get her in on the project for the implant that restores her ability to walk––Abigail decided that there's more than enough hate and more than enough destruction.

A mechanic and engineer by schooling, she took the money she'd saved over the years and transferred any funds out of whatever account her parents had set up for her until she reached a certain age, and then she made a clean break from her parents. [ It was actually extremely mess, but it was clean in the sense that she has no regrets. ]

She used some of her money to buy a warehouse where she could set up shop, and remodeled it to allow her to work and to give her an office and living space in the upper level. She does a little bit of everything repair-wise and even some tinkering on the side.

Her real specialty, however, is omnic repair.

Though there's nothing can be done if an omnic is killed––there's no fixing that, after all, anymore than there's a way to restore a life lost––but busted wires or joints? Broken surfaces, etc?

She can fix that for them.

memes for muses who just would really benefit from being afforded self-determination just a little more often. feel free to swap out pronouns or words to make it fit your muse better!

"Is this what you want?"

"If you don't want to be here, we can leave."

"I need to touch you to wrap it up, is that okay?"

"Did they ask if they could publish it?"

"They should have asked first."

"I want your enthusiastic consent."

"It's not what you wanted. Thank you for stopping me."

"It's your experience. You're the expert, I'm just along for the ride."

"What are some of the things I've done before that helped?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I get I'm not, like, your best friend. But I'm here if you want me."

"Do you want to get some sleep?"

"If you tell me about it I want it to be on your terms."

"Sure I know what they said, but they're not you. What do you want me to know about it?"

"Was there ever a time where it didn't... hurt as much?"

"Actually, no, you don't. You don't 'owe me' the truth."

"I want to know about it because I want to know about you. But never in a way that hurts you."

"You get... quiet when I do it. I want to be sure it isn't costing you something."

"I know you care about me. You don't have to 'prove' it."

"You're allowed to keep some secrets."

"Your healthcare isn't anybody else's business."

"Of course I didn't tell them. It's your story."

"I'll lie to them if you ask me to."

I have to put in some serious hours if I want the "Archmage" title on this Overwatch battlepass before it ends on Tuesday, BUT.

After that, I will be finishing up my blog theme artwork for these Warcraft blogs, and then I will be here, @youwerenotprepared, @neveraguardian, @theworldofwarcraft and potentially @ataleoftwodragons and @livesinthebalance, if not also @todoslosdiasdemivida . Depends on how productive I'm feeling, but I am going to have SO MUCH MORE TIME. After work! Weekends!!!!

Basically, I am, in fact, about to be a Menace.

I say that to say: if anyone wants to plot for this blog or any of those listed above, either send me a DM here or you can ask for my discord.

Also, it's not commissions because I'm not going to charge money, but I'm wanting to get some more practice in with my art so if anyone wants their muse drawn—AND is okay with it happening whenever it happens—also feel free to message me for that.

More examples below the cut.