>>2 Thank you! Honestly, Soldier is probably my favorite of the entire team, and trying to get inside his mind, even from such a silly perspective, is a lot of fun. And as for the bonus endings...well, that was more or less what I was going for. They were both actually written before the "real" ending. >>3 Haha, a change of pace is always nice, right? And that was precisely what I was striving for, so I am glad to hear it. Thank you! >>4 I'm well aware that it is, but this fic was essentially written as a silly PWP (and as I stated, I really dislike writing sex scenes to begin with. The only reason I wrote this is because the idea seemed far too hilarious to pass up). And while yes, I admit that I had some fun adding in-game lines, I honestly didn't think I added that many, but I suppose everyone will have different outlooks as to what constitutes "too many" quotes. Admittedly, the Sun Tzu line was probably unnecessary, and I did debate on whether or not to put it in or not. I also don't recall ever stating that I was doing something different? I said that I was making an attempt at filling a request, and that it might not be exactly what the person who requested it wanted. If you wouldn't mind, though, would you elaborate on the reactions thing? I'm not really certain what the clichés of this fandom are, and I would like to avoid them if possible. As for the walking out, I'll admit, it was essentially just so the rest of the fic could happen. However, Dove has a point about Soldier wearing them down, and although it may not have been a conscious decision on my part, I did allude to that. Regardless, I'm sorry you were so disappointed, but thank you for your criticism. >>5 Thank you! As much as the point was silliness, I did enjoy the idea of giving the entire concept some validity. I like to think that despite how insane Soldier is, he can strategize, and this seemed as good an opportunity as any to highlight that. Even if he is hilarious while doing it. To be honest, some of the connections within the circle were my own pairing preferences shining through. I hadn't actually meant for Sniper and Spy to become a focal point, but, as with many pieces of this fic, it amused me. And yes, some characters really do need more love...Demoman especially. >>6 As I said in response to >>4 I wasn't consciously thinking about exactly how Soldier was keeping them there, but this obviously isn't the first time they've had to deal with it, and I do agree that they were worn down. Plus, I like to think that some of the team would be interested in improving their teamwork, and perhaps Soldier's previous exercises have had various degrees of success, so the team is at least willing to try. I'll admit that it probably falls under that fridge logic. Maybe it was a dream come true for some of them, maybe it's just situational homosexuality, maybe they just figure they need release of some sort (although this would also depend on having access to a nearby town and other people, etc., which doesn't seem to be constant among fics). Regardless, it does require that suspension of disbelief, because otherwise the story couldn't happen as it did. I was...uncertain about the capslock for Soldier. Because he does seem to spend a lot of his time being very loud, and I did like the emphasis that capslock gave his lines. I will agree that he can have his quieter moments, but it seems...situational, in a sense, as well as dependent on the fic itself. I can't imagine him yelling all the way throughout a more serious fic, for example. I realize that things got rather vague, and that's partially because I didn't want things to end up feeling too repetitious, and partially because, as I stated at the beginning, I really dislike writing sex scenes. And as for the cigar thing...I can say with one hundred percent certainty that had I thought of that, I would have done it, because it's exactly the sort of silliness I love writing about. Thank you for your comments, I really appreciate them. I fully intend on writing more, and hopefully I can get more of a grasp on the sorts of things people do and don't want to see in a fic. Everyone's always going to have differing preferences, of course, but as long as I can write something that amuses or pleases someone, I will try to continue to do so. >>7 I will say, that part is probably my absolute favorite of the entire fic, and it makes me laugh every single time I read it. I'm glad it served its intended purpose.