#trypo-p

(Full matchup list here)

Alright team, here's a recap: This is a contest to determine who amongst you will take the top of the leaderboards and be hired at TFI! Simply put, whoever gets the most votes gets to move on, and whoever doesn't... Well. They'll be put down swiftly and cleanly. :}

So, mann your stations, because here are your next contestants! Vote for your favorite mercenary who you want to win the TF2 OC Contest! - P

OC INFO UNDER THE CUT!

We highly encourage you to take a peek to make your decision!

Scout walked into the mercenaries’ common room more prepared than usual, because this was the day his mom was visiting. She’d flown all the way from Boston to stay in Teufort (although away from most of the town, and with a separate water supply) for a whole week. Scout was excited to see her again, and show her his work. Although he did worry about-

“Hello Scout!”

Oh. My. Friggin’. God.

There was Soldier, talking to his mother, on the couch, and being…well, surprisingly polite. Most mornings, Jeremy was greeted by a “WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG, MAGGOT!” or a “YOU ARE LATE!!”. But today, he decided to. Well, Not Do That.

“Would you like to talk with us?”

What the hell? This was totally out of character! Was he replaced by the BLU Soldier or something? Demo had always said the BLU was “more polite”, but that was probably influenced by their (not-so) secret friendship.

Scout had to do something - out of all the mercs (other than Spy) Soldier was the one he hated the most. They somehow always ended up together, and that somehow always ended in a fistfight, and that always ended in Scout getting pretty beat up (even when he won). And so he marched over there, ready to give that Soldier a piece of his mind.

“Heya, Solly, can we talk? Somewhere else?”

“Of course, private! I will speak to you later, Christine.” 

Oh god. Of course. Soldier was on a first name basis with his ma...how could this get any worse?

*********************************

Scout led Soldier to a closet initially intended for extra clothes and supplies, but was now mainly used as storage for the dumb crap the mercs brought in. Except for Scout’s stuff, of course. That was much more important than anything else there.

“Look, dude, I dunno what’s going on with you and my mom, but I don’t like it. I've never seen you act like that to anyone. Not even Pauling. So whatever’s happening…stop it. Just - stop. Put it on pause, or whatever.”

But Scout’s request didn’t seem to have any effect, as Soldier simply stared straight at him and responded; “Well Jeremy, your mother is a very kind and intelligent woman. So I treat her with the utmost respect-”

“OH MY GOD! Look, Solly, that’s what I’m talking about. You’re acting like some politeness parasite infected ya brain and made you, like, some normal guy. Which I don’t want you doing, because - and no offense here - you are unhinged. Like, hinges rusted, fell off and got lost in the Sahara Desert unhinged. And my ma doesn’t need that - she’s already got enough chaos in her life. So just. Cut it out, ok?”

“I-”

“Shut it.”

A recreation of J.C. Leyendecker’s “Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” for the American Weekly, 19th December, 1948.

Admittedly, I don’t know how to colour over grayscale, so all I can give you is this version. I hope your holidays are a little brighter than this is :]

Original cover under cut!