oh gooness me!!

“You’re distracted, Herr Mundy.”

“Look,” Sniper snapped, turning his head towards the man sitting in his tower beside him. “When I ask you for advice, you can give me advice. And seein’ as I’ve been snipin’ a lot longer'n you have, quack, I think I’ll be jes fine.”

Medic only gave a soft humm. A rippling crack sounded through the air, followed by a click-clack. The doctor strained his eyes down the barrels of a pair of binoculars for a moment, and then wrote something down on the clipboard in his lap. “Off the mark by only a fraction of a centimeter, it looks like.”

“Off the-?!” Sniper wailed, standing up and setting his rifle aside in the window. “I hit the bloody bullseye! What'reyouonabout ’off the mark’?!”

“I’m afraid it’s true! Look, see for yourself.”

He snatched the binoculars from Medic’s hands, and moved his aviators to the top of his head. Leaning into the lenses, he could see that he was right - he had indeed hit the bullseye on the target, but it wasn’t perfect center. it was ever so slightly off to the right, something that if applied to human anatomy, might mean the difference between a dead target and a miracle of life. And he was no saint, so that was very bad news.

“Bugger.”

“Is something bothering you?” Medic asked suddenly, crossing one leg over the other as he pushed his glasses up.

…Light in the loafers, ain'tcha Doc? He thought to himself, eyeing the man’s pants if only for a moment. “Bein’ watched’s always made me a little antsy, I guess.”

“Then…?” There it was. That grin. That unsettlingly attractive grin, with teeth bared like a wolf’s. “Why did you ask me to come up here with you?”

“I thought maybe,” Sniper squirmed. “It’d be different. With you.”

“With me~?!” Medic suddenly hollered, pressing his fingertips to his chest. “Is that so~?!”

“Quiet, you!”

“Ohh, I know what this is about…”

“Shut iiit.” He warned.

“This is about that little exercise from last week’s meeting, isn’t it-”

“Alright, that’s it!” Sniper bellowed, and scrambled towards the doctor, who let out a playful ‘eep!’ and moved out of the way. For a man as built as he was, Ludwig was shockingly agile - and slippery.

Mundy collapsed into a few wooden crates after losing his footing, watching dizzily as the other man loomed above him with his arms behind his back. “There is nothing to be ashamed of, you know!”

“Bugger off.”

“Hypnosis is just an altered state of focus after all,”

“I wasn’t bloody hypnotized. Just a buncha nonsense.”

“Well… Since it didn’t work much last time, perhaps we could try a different approach? I’m simply fascinated in the way your mind reacts to such suggestion-”

“Forget it, Doc.” He murmured, going over and sitting back down on his crate at the window. He looked out into the red dirt of the badlands and listlessly sighed, moving his glasses back down. “I’m just outta practice. Nothin’ll magically make it better 'cept gettin’ better.”

Ludwig cringed a bit, hesitating. “That doesn’t sound like a very healthy approach.”

“It ain’t, but it’s the one I got.”

“Sniper…” He moved over, putting a hand on Mundy’s shoulder. “You are my teammate. I am your doctor. I can help you, mein freund, if you would allow me.”

Mundy locked eyes with him, watching them intently. There was a flicker of playful evil, and he knew he wasn’t going to get any actual practice in if he agreed. But then again, what was practice doing but helping him feel sorry for himself? He’d been at it since sunrise. Maybe a break would be nice. “…Yeah, alright.”

“Oh, good!” Ludwig said in a cheery voice, before dropping the act entirely with a snap of his fingers. “Sleep.”

Mundy’s eyes widened, and then unfocused, and then lidded lazily all in the span of a few seconds, his head slumping down as his mind plummeted into a familiar haze. Again, Ludwig snapped, and snapped, and deeper deeper down he found himself sinking, feeling his head be lifted by strong, powerful hands and being just fine with it.

“Very good,” Ludwig spoke quickly, almost too quick for him to understand. “Now I want you to come up up up, that’s it. Awake.” Snap.

What? That was it? That was just a few seconds, wasn’t it? “Wh-a-” He stammered out, focusing his eyes.

“Hallo! You must be confused.” Snap. No command to follow though, seemingly, so it only served to catch Mundy’s attention, and catch it did. “I’m attempting a method called fractionation.”

“Fraction-what?”

“It’s where I bring you in and out of trance veryvery quickly,” Snap. Snap. “To train you to go down deeper and quicker sleep.” Again, with a single sharp noise, his head sunk down, and all the words left his mind. “That’s it…” Ludwig’s voice slowed, and a drawn out purr made its way to the other’s ear. “That’s it.”

“Mnngh…”

“All those familiar feelings coming back to you, now. Yes, feeling heavy, and dizzy, and dreamy, very good. Deeper and deeper down, follow me,” He lifted his chin and dragged a finger down in the air, watching his eyes follow it dutifully. “Follow me down. Down, good, very good… And awake.” Snap.

“Ghh-” His eyes were harder to focus, it felt odd being pulled back out of trance so quickly. It was like his body desperately wanted to stay there in that safe place, but his brain was more preoccupied with following demands. “Fuck.” He muttered, blinking hard.

“Hallo!” Ludwig grinned, putting a firm hand on his shoulder. “You’re doing so very good, Sniper, very good.”

God, that felt nice. To be told he was doing a good job. He was doing good. “I am?”

“You’re a very good boy.” He giggled, thumbing his chin gently. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Uh- Uh-huh.”

“Good! Sleep.” Snap. And just like that, Mundy slumped forward as his mind cleared itself of all thought, all processes, all worries and cares - everything except Ludwig’s voice. “That’s right, sleep. Sleep. Very good, sleep. Deeper and deeper and deeper down, now, such a good boy.”

“Nndh…” He purred, lips parted. “…deephrr…”

“Awake.”

“Gh…- Bloody hell, my-”

“And down, sleep.”

“Mm-y… hhuh…”

“And up, awake!”

“Head. I feel like-”

“Aaand down, sleep.”

“Mmnnhh…”

“And awake, up up up!”

“- my brain’s leakin’ out my ears.”

“What an adorable thought.” Ludwig purred, watching Mundy sway even in a conscious state. “You don’t need those though, sleep.”

“Hnnh…”

“Good boy… Ohh, good boy, Mundy.” Ludwig cupped his head in his hands, scratching at his chin as the other squirmed beneath him. “Yes, I remember how much you enjoy that. Such a good boy, following me down, deeper down. Good pup.”

Mundy shivered at his words. “Ghh… good p-pup…”

“Ahh… I think I’ll let you stay like this just a little longer…” He drew circles on his thighs, smiling that wicked smile of his. “And perhaps after we can move somewhere nice and private, ja?”

saved this one from the archives! it exists here now <3