#Sloan Cameron

[klauw22]

little lore/fic/x reader stuff under cut bcs im insane abt mummy vencha,,,

Sloane Cameron, once a young devotee to the kings and queens of the land has been chosen to be sealed alive in the royal temple in order to guard the graves and riches of the dead. Unbeknownst to them, the scripture painted onto their limbs and back were not for protection or luck in the afterlife like they've been told, but rather curses and spells binding their soul onto the thin thread which laid between the two realms, dividing the living from the dead. That is where their soul was now bound to wander until eternity, losing their grip on mortality yet unable to pass on like the rest.

With time their flesh rotted away leaving nothing but a husk of sand and bones. Before sealing, their sight was blinded as they weren't worthy of looking onto the royals that rested within these tombs, not even in death, and to ensure that Sloane wouldn't try to escape.

For centuries the guardian remained asleep in their designated chamber. That was until now. Until you and your crew of explorers too curious for your own good uncovered the entrance to the temple, awakening the guardian from their peaceful slumber in the process.

The guardian now awake had one goal in mind.

With a torch in hand you scanned the golden walls upon entering, lightly tracing your fingers along the carved paintings. Sand and dust coating your fingertips. For a moment you swore you could feel another presence there with you. Another pair of eyes watching, lingering on you while your crew stayed behind. The room suddenly felt cooler, as if a draft of cold air passed through you making a shiver run up your spine. This spooked you even further but you were determined to continue onward.

Its probably just my imagination you tried to comfort yourself as you stepped deeper.

[oliviaslosinghermind]

Just a lil Mauga and Venture comic - I KNOW I SPELLED SLOAN WRONG PLS DON'T KILL ME

[blueberriesrosary]

not my usual post, but I’ve been working on this for about two days and I decided to share!

This was my first time doing rendering (after many YouTube tutorials LMAO) and I feel VERY confident with this piece and how it turned out:3

time: 4h 24m

character: sloan camron/venture

fandom: overwatch 2

[asterlocke]

NEW VENCHA ART!!

they were so so SO ADORABLE in the new comic AAAAAAAAA <3

[ava451]

Knight!Venture

I love mummy!Venture so much, it fits, but medieval archaeology is also their fav (although they have many). WDYM ice cream parlor, they would give tours at some castle abroad for english/spanish speaking tourists as a side job. Not even bc they need the money, I'm sure the Wayfinders pay insane hazard pay, but bc they're so excited about the damn castle they work at. Bonus points, they get to explore the castle on their breaks!!

They're also the type to get dressed up as authentically as possible, either acting the knight at a joust (as I hced before!!) or just riding around the castle grounds past the tourists, telling you random info if you want to hear it. Or even if you don't want to (at first). If you just got dragged along by friends or family-

"Well met, fair lady! What worry darkens thine rose-like face so?" "Huh??" "Art thou not reveling in the beauty of the ancient halls of this mighty castle!"

I'm literally going insane about knight!Venture being such a sucker for all that chivalrous shit. Being ABSOLUTELY in character the entire day like it's the most fun they've ever had.

If they manage to charm you enough ("Woe! The same fate that has befallen Tristan with his lady Isolde now seems to claim my heart as well!") they would love to chatter even MORE over a cold drink or offer to let you see the catacombs and darker, more hidden corners or the castle. They have access to that after all, and exploring alone gets so boring after a while. Whatever wicked things shall you guys do down there? Perhaps the bards will sing of that in centuries to come.

Anyways I am rattling on the bars of my cage, I need knight!Venture, I need them so badly, I need them to ride in full armor on a horse, you thinking it's some generic blonde disney dude but then they take their helmet off and it's this aDORABLE GOOFBALL WITH A CHIPPED TOOTH SMILING SO HAPPILY BECAUSE LOOK! THEY'RE A KNIGHT!! ON A HORSE!! WITH A SPEAR!!

[archangelsarchway]

this is dedicated to my new friend @miphza, and to everyone who voted!

Thank you very much :) this story was inspired by recent events!

Sloan watched from the sidelines as you, beautiful and divine in their mind walked around Overwatch HQ helping fix up the place and help others with their technology problems that Torbjōrn couldn't fix.

Sloan so badly wished they could halt your almost constant movement around and keep you attached to them, so they can keep you close. But today wasn't the day they would confess, today wasn't the day they would finally tell you about the months of pining after they transfered from the Wayfinders, after you greeted them so kindly.

You hung out often after missions, sure, catching up with each other. Sloan knows they ramble on too much but you never seemed to mind. You allowed them into your quarters, decorated with trinkets and your interests. You sat on their bed, talked with you about your interests and them theirs.

This ritual after missions carried on for weeks.

One day though, a rare occurrence— you were permitted to be on the field. Sloan talked about the cultural aspects of Ancient Greece as you touched down at Illios.

Sloan loved that you never seemed to get bored of them. You always seemed interested and asked questions, joked and laughed.

It almost made them think that someday soon, they might confess their affection.

The point had just been cleared not a minute before. You sat, prettily on the edge of the ancient well. Sloan pulled out their battered phone from years of dropping it on dig sites. Their phone was filled with many pictures of you.

Ones where you goofed off in HQ, messing with other people's lunches and workstations by placing rocks on them. ("Why is there granite on my pasta??")

Ones where you looked stunning, the light hitting your face at just the right angle so that you looked like a god from myth.

Today was one of those days, Sloan took a picture and laughed as you had timed a goofy face right before they took the shot. ("This one's going in my phone lock screen!")

But then, as you set up to take another picture

A hook embedded itself into your neck, one Sloan had dreamed about kissing late at night, and pulled you into the murky waters of the well.

Sloan looked past where you had fallen, on the other side of the well. A man with a pig mask stared back, before he erupted into roaring laughter.

-+-

Sloan, to outsiders looked hollow, empty, emotionless. A stone wall separated them from the rest of Overwatch as they drifted through missions.

Every night after a mission, without fail Sloan lays on your bed, desperately wishing for you to come back, dreaming of a domestic life where you and them embrace each other in the kitchen, cuddle together on the couch and kiss.

Sloan despairs, these nights alone in your old room. (the others have taken to calling it Sloan's room because they spend more time in there than their actual room.)

They keep their eyes screwed shut somedays, even the slightest reminder of you shuts them down completely.

They were so ready to tell you, that moment, that day.

They had a beautiful amethyst stone to gift you. Now it will forever stay in their pocket.

-+-

haha be careful what you wished for silly billies!!!1!1!1 venture does a lot of pining in this story :)

[potatoesenpaii]

In an another life, they would have been Meretites and Kahai 💛💚

Thank you @miphza 🥹✨️

[hauntingkiki]

Hi! I was wondering if you can do venture waking up from having a nightmare about reader dying and readers like lying right next to them and hears venture crying but reader try’s to comfort venture? Just some angst fluff please :c

OMGGG AWWW, IM SO EXCITED TO WRITE THIS!!

Hellish Night

Venture x Reader

Overwatch

2nd POV

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

venture scrambled into their room, tears poured out of their eyes, rolling down their cheeks and dripping on their clothing, skin and the wooden floor beneath them. “oh my fucking god.” they shakily sobbed, their mind backwards as they immediately forget where everything was located around their room.

their knees gave out from under them, catching themselves on their desk with a sucked in breath. their heart hammered against their chest, the scene from a few hours ago replaying in their mind.

~~

“SLOAN!” you screamed, struggling against the strong hold that was around your waist. you threw your fists into the back of your kidnapper, trying to wiggle out of their hold.

sloan chased after you, stumbling as they tried to keep up with the pace. “Y/N!” they cried, reaching a hand out in your direction.

your kidnapper turned his torso, grabbing his mini gun then firing at sloan, dropping the weapon back to his side as he continued to make his way to the get away helicopter that drowned out the loud mini gun sound with the obnoxious whirling of the propeller.

venture was lucky that all the shots missed, punctuating the ground that was at their feet. venture came to a halt, skidding against the orange dirt as they started at the flying machine in front of them.

your attacker threw you off of his shoulder and onto the metal floor, enemy troops snagging you off the floor, trying to detain you but struggling as you kicked and bit, wiggling around.

venture covered their face with their arm, turning their torso away as the wind around the helicopter pushed them back slightly. when the wind slowly stopped, sloan peeled their arm away and cocked their head up towards the pink and orange sky, wide eyes, horror completely washing over their body as they watched the helicopter zoom off. they faintly noticed you reaching out the open side of the vehicle, getting pulled back by the troops inside.

“SLOAN!”

~~

it kept playing in their mind.

over and over and over again.

a hand shot over their mouth, wide eyes as they gagged, but thankfully swallowed it down. sloan started at the wooden floor beneath them, the wax having a faint reflection of themself.

they felt so stupid.

they could’ve prevented all of this from happening.

sloan should’ve been more cautious about the situation, they could’ve warned winston about their past encounter so he could’ve been kick out of overwatch.

sloan knew what he was capable of. fuck, they’ve seen it first hand! back at illios, talon and some of his troops came into the sight, including mauga.

groaning through gritted teeth, sloan pulled themselves off of the floor, whipping their head around to find the needed supplies they were going to need for this journey.

their eyes landed on their canteen that was hanging on their doorknob. ripping it off of the door, they stormed out of their room and into their kitchen, placing it onto the island before walking off.

they did this for about 15 minutes, going into different rooms and grabbing things that they were going to use.

letting out a breath they didn’t even notice, they stood in front of the island, glancing over all the items that were scattered around the countertop.

a first aid kit; full of gauze, wrapping tape, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol wipes and a lot of other shit sloan didn’t even know were medical stuff.

a canteen with backup water bottles.

a few snacks; crackers, chips, small baggies of fruit and some assorted sweets. anything to give them and you fuel.

a pistol that their grandfather gifted them with boxes of backup ammo.

and their drill.

with backpack in hand, they started to pack, trying to organize everything so it would fit into the pouch the best it could.

just as they finished filling up their canteen, a knock echoed through the room. turning the tap off, they twisted the lid on the metal container, gently placing it on the counter as they walked over to the door.

“angela?” sloan gasped when they opened the door, revealing the medic. their eyes looked around her face, brows knitting together. “what are you doing here?”

angela peeked behind sloan, getting a glimpse of their backpack and their drill. she sighed when they stepped over to the side, blocking her view from inside, even though they were too late. “venture, you can’t go there alone.” she muttered, adjusting her glasses before reaching out and grabbing their calloused hands. “lucio’s getting winston now; we’ll all go with you to save y/n.”

venture turned their head to the side, eyes glued to the ground. “i can’t wait, angela.” they huffed, looking her in the eyes, watching as her face slowly softened at their words. “she needs me. she’s my girlfriend for christ’s sake!” they chuckled faintly at the end, shrugging their shoulders.

the two fell silent, angela letting go of their hands with a nod. “go get her then.” she whispered, nodding in approval. “just…stay safe. and bring her back safely.”

venture started at her with slightly wide eyes, their lips parted at her words. they nodded faintly before nodding eagerly. “i will.” they reassured, running a hand through their chocolate locks. “when winston gets reported of it, you guys can head straight there.”

angela hummed in agreement, giving them a quick hug before running down the hall to alert the others about the situation at hand.

venture quickly put the backpack on, then their canteen around their body. they grabbed the gun and put it in their waist band before dragging their drill and walking out, making sure to grab a pair of keys with them on the way out.

locking their door, they made their way over to all the hero’s vehicles, speed walking over to their motorcycle. they got their drill adjusted onto the back of their bike before they hopped on, putting the keys into the keyhole and started up the bike. revving the engine a few times, they slowly drove out of their parking spot before accelerating and driving off.

•••

coughs and hacks filled the room, the sound of liquid dripping into the floor faintly made it’s presence. shoes clicked around you as one of the soldiers walked around your hunched over body, all of the soldiers who took you hostage watched with chuckles and smirks as blood slowly started to cover the floor from their torture.

tears pooled into your eyes, your attention glued on the blood and spit mixture that dribbled down your chin and into your legs, rolling down your skin and spreading onto the concrete. you slowly turned your gaze over to mauga, your body shaking as you watched one of the soldiers try to coax him into joining the torture, but thankfully for you, he declined, staying in the shadows with his arms crossed.

“i’m going to ask you again!” a male voice spat, baton in his right hand. he got onto one knee, grabbing a fistful of your hair and yanking your head up, making eye contact with your wide, tearful eyes. “WHERE is the ffFUCKING ARTIFACT?!”

you shook your head against his hold, blood and spit rolling down your chin. “i don’t FUCKING KNOW.” you spat, blood spattering onto his mask that was covering his identity.

he let go of your hair and spun the baton in his grasp before swinging, landing a clean hit on your jaw.

you cried out, your head snapping to the right. you scoffed faintly, opening and closing your jaw before you spat out some more blood.

the soldier pushed you over with his boot, making you whimper as you landed on your fresh cuts and bruises. you brought your knees up to your chest, hissing as blood gushed out of your abdomen from one of the many stab wounds you’ve received. he raised his arm over his head, getting ready to hit you before pausing.

everyone froze, turning their attention onto the doorway as faint gun shots echoed throughout before a booming drill sound followed.

then silence.

your heart fluttered in your chest, pushing yourself up from your laying down position. you knew that clunky drill sound from anywhere.

venture walked into the room, blood slightly dripping off their drill and off their coat.

your eyes went wide, shuffling forward as tears started to pool into your eyes again. “VENTURE!” you sobbed, your body violently shaking as you wailed.

“GET EM!” a soldier from behind you called out, the rest of the soldiers (besides the one that’s next to you and mauga) started to shoot at the archeologist.

sloan dived behind a pillar, using the pistol to pick off some of the soldiers, groaning when they remembered they left their bag full of ammo back with their bike. tossing the gun to the side, their hands wrapped around the handles of their excavator before they burrowed under the concrete.

you watched your partner with a twinkle in your eyes, your lips parted slightly with a faint smile.

you were going home.

mauga slowly walked over to the soldier who stood a little ways behind you, clearing his throat to gain the man’s attention. once he had his gaze, he jerked a thumb over towards you. “she, uh…she won’t say anything.” mauga admitted, rubbing his neck as he glanced over to you before turning back to the soldier. “we just need to find someone else to tell us.”

the soldier’s eyes landed on a dagger that mauga was holding out to him. he gently took it from the inked up man, caressing the blade between his fingers, being careful to not cut himself with it. he slowly nodded, getting a comfortable grip on the handle. the soldier inched his way over to you, kneeling behind you and-

your eyes shot open, the coldness of the blade entering your skin before it quickly left. you slowly and shakily looked down, blood oozing out of your skin, soaking into your shirt. you felt the liquid trickle from your chest and your back, seeping into your pants.

breathing quickly became hard to do, making you put all of your energy onto a simple task.

the two men behind you quickly left, the dagger staying behind on the floor a few feet away from you.

sloan had their back towards you. their chest fell and rose rapidly, sweat building up and collecting in the blood that spattered onto their skin; they were covered, almost head to toe.

sloan snapped out of their odd state, turning to you with a grin before it quickly slipped of their lips, fear washing over. “y/n!” they gasped, dropping their drill as they ran over to your laying down frame. they slid on their knees when they got to you, rubbing a bloodied hand through their hair. “no…no, nonononono.” tears collected in their caramel eyes, gently lifting you up and holding you in their arms.

you wheezed, coughing as you felt the blood pool into your lungs, time quickly running out for you as you were drowning by your own blood. your own body was killing you.

slowly, you reached a freed hand towards your partner, sloan meeting your hand halfway as they leaned their head down into your touch, placing their bigger, calloused hand over yours.

tears were flowing out of venture’s eyes, dripping onto your face as they slid down. “i love you, cariño.” they whispered, their shoulders shuttering as they sobbed. “don’t leave me…please.”

you smiled meekly, caressing their cheek with your thumb, the blood on their face and on your fingers smudging into their skin. “i love you too, baby.” you muttered, taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling, your eyes closing for a brief moment. “i…” you sighed, before going quiet, falling limp into sloan’s arms.

•••

sloan let out a gasp, clawing at the bedding that was placed over them as they shot up. their hunched over frame stared at the base board at their feet, their chest rising and falling quickly.

sweat rolled down from their temple, their shirt was drenched in the salty liquid, so they quickly tugged the shirt off, some of the left over sweat sticking to their chest from the shirt, but it seemingly disappeared once the ac kicked on.

their vision was a haze, impossible to see in the dark. they blinked a few times and their vision got adjusted to the darkness. they glanced around the room they were in, their eyes stayed glued to the right side of the room first. a bunch of maps, drawings, rocks and gems, history books and other things littered the side of the room; their side of the room.

slowly they turned their head to the left side, their eyes immediately shot down to the bed that they were in.

there you were. sleeping peacefully, your lips slightly parted as you lightly snored, your hands gripping at the sheets and comforter that coated your body.

sloan immediately broke down at the sight of you, relief quickly washing over them when they realized that it was all a dream, a nightmare more than a dream. they threw their face into their hands, their back pressed against their pillows and the head board.

their hics and weeps were quick to wake you up, your hand rubbing the sleepiness out of your eyes as you let out a yawn. “babe?” you yawned, fluttering your eyes open once you were done rubbing them with your knuckle. you let out a gasp, pushing yourself up into a seated position as you leaned over to the person sitting next to you. “sloan?! w-what happened? are you okay?” you panicked as you turned on the small lamp on your nightstand, the soft light casting a gentle glow onto the two of you.

your eyes darted around the backs of their hands, scooting your way in between their legs so you were front of them.

sloan peeled their hands away from their tear stained face, choking on their sobs as they struggled to make eye contact. “i…i had a nightmare..” they admitted, almost embarrassed that they were sobbing like this over a nightmare.

you nodded, showing that you understood, sincerity lingering in your eyes. “okay..” you whispered, your hands rubbing gently along their bare, muscular arms. you would be lying if you said you didn’t blush a little at the sight of their bare chest, a small skull with your favorite flowers in your favorite color on their left side immediately catching your eye. you shook your head, scolding yourself at the thought. you can think like that later, you cursed to yourself. “what happened in the nightmare?” your left hand reached out towards their face, gently cupping their cheek as you gently made them look at you, a worried look twisted at your face.

sloan swallowed thickly, their hand atop of yours. they also linked their other hand into your free one, immediately getting a reassuring squeeze from you. “you were taken by talon…” they started, their eyes flickering between your eyes as you watched them. “and you were killed.” they whispered, you almost didn’t catch it.

you let out a huff, a frown tugging on your lips as you brought sloan into a hug. “oh, you poor thing.” you muttered, rubbing a hand in circles along their bare back as your other hand got lost in their thick curls.

sloan dove their face into your chest, gripping at your top as their body shook once again, sobbing into your pajamas.

you shifted around as you comforted your partner, your legs straddled their hips as you gently shushed them, your chin atop of their head as you gently pressed kisses against them every now and then.

“i don’t want to let go.” they muttered against you, loud enough for you to hear it. they pulled away from your body, looking up at you as your hands cupped their cheeks, thumbs grazing under their eyes.

“you don’t have to.” you whispered, kissing their forehead. “i’m not going anywhere.”

sloan sniffled, nodding their head against your hands as they leaned into your right, kissing your palm. “i love you.” they whispered, hands snaking down to your waist as they pulled you closer. “so much.”

smiling, you bright them into a kiss, their lips chapped from the cold air that was being blasted into the apartment. “i love you too.” you muttered against their lips, pulling them into another hug.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

oh…my…god…

that took so long to write holy😭 but totally worth it! (if you couldn’t tell, they’re my favorite character to write) i hope you enjoyed!

[fellstardustart]

i drew the rock eater 🪨🪨

🛒shop here!

[whackacole3]

[venturebeeloved]

Random Venture headcanons

I’m not good with formatting, apologies!

• I feel like Sloan would be very interested in making pottery. Or simply going to one of those places where you can paint premade stuff! They’d definitely take you on a date and design you a cute pot or statue.

• Sloan definitely likes those gold / diamond digging things you see in the toys section. The ones where you dunk them in water and separate the gem from the stuff around it. They’d probably buy a million if you didn’t remind them they could probably find whatever they’re looking for themself

• Sloane would lean into your touch as you’re picking the rock fragments and dirt out of their hair. Looking at you like a golden retriever as they get pampered. They just love looking at you! Can hardly sit still but will do so as long as they have their eyes on you.

• Since we never hear about their parents, I like to think their parents are equally as adventurous as they are. Probably not as close to them as Sloan is to their grandma, but they definitely get their adventurous side from their parents.

• Sloan loves holding hands with you, especially if theirs are dirty, it’s like they’re leaving a little mark on you with the dust they get from working!

• Sloan loves crunchy foods, and probably always keeps some on them so they don’t end up chewing on a rock again

• They used to have an ice cream job, and they still have their uniform, they couldn’t bear to part with it. Every single job they have, they probably have a really big coat for. They’re like relics from the past! They’d open a museum for all of their coats if you’d let them.

[xcoyote]

My contribution to mummy venture, it was rushed (my bad)

[peaxhxhair]

Identity - Venture (TEASER - KOFI EXCLUSIVE!!)

Pairing: Sloan Cameron x Trans!(FTM) Reader :)

~~~

"Are you lost?" The question was scary, so you ignored it - hoping whoever was asking it would go away. They weren't about to leave so easily, though.

"You should put a coat on" you barely heard their words over the sound of your teeth clicking together. You had refused to bring anything that she would have worn. You weren't her anymore. So, you left your clothes behind - including coats.

You ignore their words, until that person sits down beside you - the heels of their boots digging into the snow around you. A kid - your age, with the biggest grin on their face. You noticed the chip in their front tooth as you looked at them.

"I don't...uh.." You voice gets lost in your throat, and you look away - your chin resting on your knees as you pull them up to your chest. You avoid looking in their direction - until something gets draped over your shoulders. As you turn to them again, you notice they had given you their own coat. It makes you smile.

"I'm Sloan" They hold their hand out to you. You're hesitant, but you do shake their hand. You tell them your name. The one that YOU like.

~~~

Hi! This is a little preview to something I have posted on my Kofi!

Any and all support is greatly appreciated! but obviously you don't have to if you don't want to! :))

Consider Supporting me on Kofi <3

Thanks! Love y'all :)

Navigation Overwatch - MASTERLIST

[blueberriesrosary]

okay y’all really like venture😭 so I’ll keep posting venture art😳

A little sneak peek at something I’m doing😳 AND I MADE A TIKTOK FLR MY ART: rosaryventure feel free to check it out and maybe drop a follow!:3

[asterlocke]

MUMMY VENTURE IS HERE!!

they definitely should stop touching random (probably definitely cursed) artifacts...

(og design is from @zandiiangelspit !!)

[ava451]

Hiii! What do you think about Sloan with a s/o that works as a veterinarian and has an easier time interacting with animals rather than people due to their social anxiety?

On the outside they seem so unapproachable and stoic due to that being their resting face but often times they're just nervous...they always give the softest looks to their patients though!

I'll tell you EXACTLY what I think about that.

I think that Sloan is very good with people who have social anxiety because they chatter non-stop. There is never awkward silence with them, they talk for the both of you if you really can't get a word out. And they smile all the time and laugh, which is so contagious that you can't help but chuckle a bit too.

That being said, they probably think you need to lighten up because of your resting ":/"-face! It's their life's mission now. Even if you aren't even grumpy or anything, they like to see you smile, so get ready for really stupid jokes and getting memes shoved in your face constantly.

Maybe first... some words on how you two have met. I can't really see Sloan having a pet since they're out travelling so much. Who would take care of it? Even if they had somebody, the pet wouldn't even know them because they're working abroad so often. Which is lowkey sad, because Sloan is just the type to get a huge Husky or rescue 5 feral stray cats from the street.

What I can see them doing though is carrying in injured animals they found, be that a bunch of kittens they found abandoned in a trash can, or an injured hawk with a limp wing, or a sick-looking dog, or a whole ass deer with a hurt leg they found on the highway - Sloan definitely has a soft spot for animals of all kinds and their heart would break if they just walked past without taking action. Plus they probably drive some rusty pick-up truck for all their equipment so there's loads 'n loads of space.

They live in Canada, I am so sorry for having to bring moose into this but if they found an injured one on the highway you bet they would try to drag it into their car and get some help.

So it's really no surprise that they would make your acquaintance considering your job, and more importantly, that you two would keep crossing paths.

Maybe you would even work as a veterinarian at these wildlife emergency hotlines that are on duty at night? I think I'll go with this one. Either way, Sloan always explains exactly where they found the patient, and what sounds it made (imitating them too...) and what they did to take care of it until they got here - all throughout you look at them very seriously. I mean, it's nice that you don't have to pull every piece of information out of their nose - talking to strangers is a nightmare after all - but they flail their arms and motion wildly as they talk, meanwhile you stand there stiff as a branch listening- you don't even know what to say, you just nod and turn to your patient, proceeding to examine it gently and carefully and whispering some soothing words to calm it.

You think Sloan leaves? Sloan stays right in that room, even shuffles closer. Starts complimenting how good you are with animals!! It's already so relaxed!! You must be an animal whisperer!! Woowww, where did you learn that? Do you have pets? You must have! Chatter chatter chatter-

Until you need to awkwardly ask them to maybe wait outside, cause - you're so sorry, you don't mean it in a rude way - but the animal is already stressed, and every voice talking is a reason for more stress - not that they're stressful per se, but, you know -

"Oh yeah!! Sure!! I'll wait outside!" (It's 1am at the wildlife refuge? Don't they wanna go home?? No?? No!)

You patch up your patient, which takes quite a while, and when you flex your fingers, heading outside to get some fresh air, maybe smoke a cigarette, get a hot drink, you immediately get jumpscared by Sloan waiting RIGHT OUTSIDE AS THEY SAID THEY WOULD- "Heyyy, how's the patient?"

You can only stare. Then you awkwardly say : "You're still here?" "Oh yeah, of course. Wanted to hear how the little one's doing." "It's doing well." "Good!! Good! You taking a break? Wanna granola bar? I have one - oh this one's expired. ... you still want it?"

You probably won't get left alone for the rest of the night, and better get used to it too, because when they bring in an animal they're sure to stick around. Maybe they hope to get you to speak to THEM in that soft voice you use for your patients, or get one of these soft looks of yours - I'm not saying they daydream about being a poor hurt wolf in your care, being told everything's going to be fine, but that's exactly what I'm saying.

Getting into a relationship with you turns out to be a very long, arduous process, because you can't make or keep eye contact, and every time Sloan invites you to a party (Not going to the club, more like a LAN party with their pals from the Wayfinder Society. There's pizza and beer and Sloan monologuing about how Rome was better off as empire than republic and exactly why Julius Caesar had some mad rizz) you shake your head, apologizing a lot, saying you don't like that sort of stuff. At the same time, Sloan has scruples asking you to go on a hike, just the two of you, because they fear you will think they're going to murder you or abduct you.

Not to mention that they're sometimes gone on a mission for several weeks. And when they come back, your face is all stoic, only your voice wavering a little as you ask them about the trip they've been on. At one point they falter, joking about how they're gonna leave you to your work then... Immediately your head snaps up. "Why?"

"Umm... aren't you busy?"

"Somewhat. But you never leave before sunrise."

Is there some sort of panic in your eyes that you may have done something wrong that they're leaving so early?? Is that a blush on your cheeks?

That's all the encouragement they needed.

"Yeah, nevermind. I'll stay. Since you're gonna miss me so much, hehe."

You don't deny that. You don't deny that!

At one point you confide, while talking about how you got this job, and why you work these night shifts specifically, that your social anxiety would just never let you work 'normal hours' and that animals are much more pleasant than people, aren't they?

"They sure are. Sucks that some bozo keeps tagging after you at work, huh?"

You shrug. "I don't mind you." "Hahah." "No really, I don't." "Sometimes you look a little..." //they pull a face. You chuckle. "That's just my face. Trust me, when I get upset I look different."

It takes maybe half a year of Sloan keeping you company at work before you agree to come over and hang out with them. They're overjoyed!! Finally managed to ask that cute vet out!!

The moment of truth! You arrive at their place ("There's nobody else here, right??" "Nah, just us." "Ok, good." "Sorry. Are you good?" "Yeah. I'd just rather be alone with you. .... wait-" "Awww, SHUCKS!") and they tell you they actually do have a pet... and it's been feeling a little down lately, maybe lack of attention, could you check it out?

"Oh god, Sloan, with all the time you spend abroad- what kind of animal is it??"

"... This is Rosetta."

"........"

"My owner likes you! Hey, Rosetta, keep it shut, what the hell."

God what an idiot. You've already fallen in love.

When you handle Rosetta all cautiously, using your soft voice on it ("Oh, you're just such a pretty rock, are you not? Such a pretty little rock!") Sloan gets a little jealous. "God I wish that were me." "Huh?" "Nothing!"

(Part 2 coming in hot. Stay tuned.)