#Path to Nowhere headcanons

[lirational]

Xeno Witch

Fantasy AU Path to Nowhere

Witch!000 x Reader

A/N: Zero, Zero, you can call her Zero, white hair, cat ears, hiding in your wifi~ :D no beta we die like my soul

Warnings: Porn with a fumbled plot, dubious consent, general yandere shenanigans.

—

The orbs spun around the three-layered ring in mesmerizing, unchanging patterns, the small object heavy in your palm. Its pink glow gave a speck of light in this dark tower, where not even the light followed the rules of physics. Instead, it comverged around one figure, the lights itself moving like it was trying to dispel the darkness her presence provides.

No, it would be more accurate to say that the lights looked like as if they were commanded to highlight her presence instead of this tower’s structure.

“Well?” The witch asked, her tone playful. “All you need to do is swallow. Just a little ‘gulp!’, and you get what you want. Easy, right?”

Flagrant anticipation and mischief twinkle in her mismatched eyes, the tiny, almost weightless rings representing a contract. You were always told to be a good person, to live a good life and stay away from the darkness of the world, yet here you are now, facing one of the very things the world has told you to stay away from.

But, the light has rejected you, and now, you were desperate, angry, vengeful. Your heart a maelstorm that threatens to consume any sense of self-preservation.

Though hesitation colored some of your senses in a foreboding red tint, what you could feel coursing through your body was anticipation.

It was a chance, after all, to get what you want.

“What is your price, witch? What do you demand of me in return?”

You tried to load your voice with conviction. After all, such was expected in the bizarre book you had consulted for the ritual to call her, yet, your voice shook, the feeling of sheer power infused in the very air itself serving as a warning that made you falter.

“Insolent voyager! Are thee making light of the everlasting covenant?”

Seeing you flinch, the witch’s tone softened, glee replacing her pretend anger.

“Come on now, I was just teasing you, are you always this easy to tease? You’re just like a little fawn!” She whistled. “Witch is a little distant, how about you call me Zero? Come on, say it, ze~ ro!”

“O-okay, Zero.”

Well, any attempt to load your voice with authority as the book said has completely failed now.

“What are you waiting for? Come on, swallow it!” Zero floated around you, moving fast enough to breath warm air onto your ears, causing them to heat up. “Do you prefer something more verbose? Ah, ahem, don’t you loath the fate you were forced to tread and feel vengeful to upend the world?”

Her arms snaked on your chest and stomach.

“Then make an everlasting covenant with me...”

With the promise of change, you brought the rings past your lips, her whispers a temptation full of sin.

“… and alter your own fate.”

Power, along with something else, foreign and invasive, spread and took root in the essence of your very being, a breaching presence that could be felt down from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. You couldn’t help but squirm, the oddity of it all too overwhelming to truly comprehend—

Then it stopped, leaving you feeling bereft and cheated.

The nagging sense of missing something important, missing a comprehension that lies beyond a thick veil, remained for quite a while.

“Our covenant has been sealed! With that, let’s return back to your world~“

Only upon looking back did you realize that Zero did not answer the most important question.

—

The incessant beep of an alarm clock spurred you back to the waking world.

Sunlight had started to slip through the blinds, a silent confirmation that, indeed, night has given way to another day. Even though your body felt leaden, frozen in time, cursed to not feel anything resembling restfulness, you shook the fatigue the best you could and forced yourself to roll to the side, then, as your vision started to focus—

“Hey!”

The all-too familiar voice that plagued your dreams greeted you. As your vision snapped into focus, your eyes met the red-yellow ones of the witch who haunted your sleeping hours.

“Zero?!”

“Aw, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten,” she pouted. “Now that you accepted the contract, I’ll be sticking with you until I get your wishes!”

“Please don’t, I can’t afford to lose this job!” You reply, almost automatically, too panicked for your liking.

Zero didn’t seem to register your refusal. Rather, she seemed even more amused, her lips curling into a smile. “Oh come on, I want to see things! I want to eat snacks, watch the stars, read the new comic books. I won’t drag you down, I promise!”

She took your hand, pale fingers interlocking with yours in such a slow, tender gesture. Her thumb found your ring finger and brushed the base, coaxing a small ring with one loop to appear. The ring glowed in the same pink as the one you saw in your dreams, light particles revolving around it in a slow dance, merging and shifting and chasing each other. If there were any doubts of the encounter being nothing but a dream, the tender gesture would have dispelled it completely.

“After all, you, the one bound by our everlasting covenant, are the only one who can see me.”

Zero released your hand in a slow motion, fingers brushing onto yours for a few seconds too long, before her attention went to something else.

Oh, right, you have work to do.

Ignoring the ever-curious Zero, you bolted away to make yourself presentable, while the witch eyed your things with interest. She was especially interested at your snack stash, something about the sight of a powerful, wish-granting being from another world being so enamoured about something so ordinary bringing a chuckle to you.

Such was the start of your life with the witch from another dimension, yet, the mundanity only made the dark of your life all that much more stark.

For, as even the fools would have guessed. the first wish Zero granted you was one of revenge.

It was something you had long tucked back in your mind, placed inside a box labelled ‘repression’, taped up, and stored deep where no one should be able to reach, placed under myriad layers of irrelevant memories and kept out of reach from the light of your conscious thoughts. At least until the dam burst as you were forced to face the memory again. Looking back, it was almost childish, something about how a minor feud between competing businesses that spiralled into insanity that claimed the lives of people you knew, until you were forced to grovel as those you formerly considered friendly rivals showed their true colors.

For all these years, you endured the harsh, unfair treatment from them, forced to endure endless additional work until you snapped under the weight of unresolved anger and spite.

More than everything else, though, it was a careless wish, made as one of those former friends attempted to drag you away to parts unknown against your will.

“I wish all of you were fucking dead.”

At that moment, you spotted her black dress at the periphery of your sight, and then, she was in front of you. Even the world had stopped moving, bathed in a blue, criss-crossing grid lines except for the two of you. Depsite the outrageous nature of the request, Zero seemed unperturbed. Rather, she regarded you with a curious look.

“So, these were the ones who made you call for me. Boring people, if you ask me.”

You raise your eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

“Let’s see… these people were going to live unremarkable, mundane lives, and that shouldn’t be too hard…”

Realization hit you then, the fog of anger parting to give way for you to remember the witch’s sheer power.

“Zero, wait, this isn’t a good—“

She seemed to not perceive your presence, rather, she was focused on tinkering with something in front of her. Panels full of thousands of ever-scrolling lines, each with symbols more complicated than the last, enough to make your head pound from within when you stare for too long. Around her, cards wrapped in light of multiple colors rotate and wrap around each other in a mesmerizing display, a sight that Zero seemed to be unaware of - or perhaps, she did not deem it worth paying any mind.

“Done!”

With a flourish, she turned around to look at you, the panels disappearing as the lights shot away in multiple directions before dispersing. As time started to march once again, the person that was harassing you were contorted into painful, impossible shapes, expression frozen in horror without being able to speak as his own body started to break down, turning into—

You didn’t want to look, but out of the corner of your eyes, you saw a dark, yawning void where he was standing not even moments ago, swallowing every trace of him.

“Finished! They’re dead, well, it’s more like they don’t exist,” Zero winked at you. However, it registered as terrifying more than anything else. “Can we get something? I saw that shop selling ice cream so thick that don’t don’t melt even under the sun! Can we try?”

“But—“

“Come on, don’t focus on such boring things! I granted your wish,” she pouted. “This really reminds me of that comic I’ve seen once… Someone made a contract with an evil demon, and in the last part I saw, the villain actually made a cult…”

In contrast to your horrified expression, Zero didn’t seem to mind what she just did, and just rambled on. Just like a cat, Zero marches on her own beat, and your last attempt of protesting were shushed with a pale, slender finger on your lips. Her finger were cold, freezing your lips into silence and compliance, and there, the realization truly slammed itself onto your psyche.

This was a contract where you left the cost section blank, free for the witch to fill as she pleases.

From her smile as she took your hand and walked out of your workplace, it was easy to assume that she, indeed, were aware since the beginning.

That day, the ice cream Zero made you buy alongside her tasted overly sweet.

Perhaps a reminder of the impossible, costly saccharine deal you were sucked into, or proof that Zero was trying to anchor her presence even on one of your most basic senses.

—

The second wish Zero granted you were one without forethought.

With you, she has learned a lot, from simple pop-culture, to the minutiae of life, at least something that cannot be gleaned from being an observer. Though she seemed to like the sound of her own voice, she seemed to adore yours more, at least equal to her obsession with trying new foods if her demands after assisting you were anything to go by. When she asked you for something spicy for a challenge she saw on the internet, her expression twisted into something that must be seen to be believed.

In that moment, you forgot that you were dealing with a powerful witch from another dimension, and not a clueless friend whom you were stuck with.

Your conscious mind, your logical thoughts, all realized that letting your guard down near her would be a mistake, one that you may have to pay dearly for, yet even with constant reminders, it was difficult to stand guarded against her. She was eccentric, even the small kindnesses she did for your sake, such as preparing some food in the morning before you wake and in the evening, or even cleaning up the house with a thought, it was all colored in her character.

From how she made a pancake that started out completely sweet and end up savory with a swallow, to how she turned the apartment walls into edible candy for two days.

(You try not to think of the price you will have to pay when it is time to tally the costs.)

She became a constant presence, and sometimes, when she was away to do her own thing, a sentimental part of you missed her. She was fond of touching you, her cold digits lingering a few seconds too long, the sensation of her touches remaining fresh in your memory for a few hours even after she left.

No one remembered the family you killed. In this altered, unnatural reality, there was no feud that turned deadly, all traces of the ones you bore hatred and swore vengeance to falling into the void and replaced with you. Their wealth, their position, it all fell into the palm of your hand with such a simple command.

Though the question remained. What is the cost of having such a powerful being at your disposal?

A question that were always deflected by a smile and a freezing finger on your lips, scattering your thoughts away until she has long left into another tangent you could not hope to interrupt.

Your reminiscing were interrupted with a familiar rhythmic knocks on your door, proven to be nothing more than a formality not a few moments later, as Zero— the witch walked in from a torn void in reality, one that was definitely not there a few seconds ago.

“(Name)~” Zero called out, her voice sing-song and relaxed. “Heey~ Voyager~ Darling~ the audience is getting bored of you spacing out!”

As panic spurred you to stand up, Zero still looked relaxed, mismatched eyes staring upwards, her gaze directed to a distance so far, far away you could not fathom what she was getting at.

Wait, that wasn’t important. Was there someone here?

“Relax, the gods can’t hurt you! Well, they don’t get to do that as long as I’m here,” Zero flicked your forehead, your expression changing from panic to bewilderment. “C’mon, I heard someone is selling limited version ice cream made from black licorice! I want some!”

“Later, Zero, I’m not really feeling it,” you closed your eyes, your tone conveying exhaustion. “How about you go by yourself?”

“Nope! Come on, don’t be such a stick in the mud,” Zero remained unperturbed, taking your hand and pulling your arm. The sight would have been rather adorable, were your relationship were anything but based off a transaction with an unknown price.

“You already know everything there is to see around here, Zero. You can go by yourself. Sometimes, I wish you know how much you can be a pain—“

You clamped your mouth. Shit. Though you attempted to backtrack, you saw the witch’s expression has already soured, an uncharacteristic scowl highlighting her darkened gaze shadowed by her hair. In that moment, the room seemed to chill into a freezing stillness, even the lights around starting to fade until there was only you and her in the room.

“Zero, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“

“I see,” Zero only responded, her tone stabbing and cold. “If that is what you desire, my voyager, there is nothing I could do.”

Your tongue felt ice-cold, lips frozen into a frown, unable to make a single sound. Meanwhile, your body refused to obey your commands, and you could only watch as Zero took her hand on yours, fingers hovering on the ring finger where the mark of the contract was, brushing the base of the finger with a movement so tender that still managed to chill you down to the farthest nerves. She lifted your hand and made you watch, watch as another loop started to appear above the first one, each passing moment of the new loop growing brighter feeding the pit of dread that has long formed within your stomach.

“Though, you might want to remember that I will collect what I’m owed, and you should watch your tongue from here on out.”

She placed down the hand bearing the mark of your contract and lifted her other hand, brushing her thumb past your lips, and then, the freezing cold of your tongue was replaced with a searing heat, drowning, breaking, overwriting every other sensation with an unrelenting sensation akin to thousands of heated needles piercing all conceivable surface. It hurts, it hurts, and you swore you tasted iron, without the warm feeling of blood that would accompany it—

Then, it stopped. Zero was no longer there, and everything was fine. You ran to the closest mirror, and a quick check revealed that everything was fine. It was such a tempting lure to think that everything was fine.

Only for the illusion to shatter as the image of a stylized clock face branded your tongue, bearing the myriad colors you’ve come to associate with Zero’s presence.

However, no matter how much you called for her, there was no answer.

—

It was on the cusp of true relief, just when you let yourself truly return to normalcy, that Zero granted your third wish.

You cannot miss what you never had, at least this way, there was no deluding yourself that there was something more behind the transactional nature of your connection. With time, with space, and without Zero shadowing you with her constant presence, it was easier to look at everything with a more objective angle. For the first few days, weeks, you watched your back and surroundings with the paranoia of a fugitive, even tried to make a wish, all without any effects, without her answering your call.

The human mind was not made to handle a nigh constant sense of danger, and with time, you allowed yourself to truly relax. The ring was still there whenever you focused on your ring finger, while the clock that branded your tongue has faded without leaving any traces.

Though you knew what she was capable of, a part of you longed to dismiss the sight that day as nothing but a mere figment of your imagination, an eerily vivid hallucination that had you hearing the sound of ticking for the first few days whenever you so much as closed your eyes.

Even that has disappeared with time, leaving only your not-so infaillible memory of the event.

With what you got from the contract, you have moved far away to restart your life, to a place less crowded, with less modern facilities, just enough to live without too much discomfort. With time, you allowed yourself to feel again, to heal, to dismiss everything from the fateful day piece by piece.

Maybe, the rings would drag you down to be tortured by her for all eternity, just like in one of those stories written by the superstitious.

Months would pass by, before you allowed yourself to be vulnerable around someone. There was someone who offered you help when you were finding your footing here, and they had remained a constant presence, owing to the close distance of your living places and the ease they talk to you with. A wonderful friend that you fantasized, no, hoped one day would become something more.

It was juvenile, a crush on the level of a child who had just learned what romantic love was, but there should be no harm to entertain such a little fantasy in the comfort and privacy of your thoughts.

“I wish they would give their heart to me.”

When the air started to hang heavy with thick, inky darkness, panic gripped your lungs.

Too late. Right when you felt her presence, your body had escaped your control, a doll with enough strength to stand, yet helpless to resist while Zero held your hand. Her pale hand took the hand bearing your contract mark, the other resting on your shoulder, putting you into a kneeling position with a firm yet gentle touch. Her eyes twinkle with amusement and glee, and the undercurrent of something more, something sickeningly sweet and sinister.

“Finally, I almost tried to make bets with the gods on how long until you end up with me again.”

The hand on your shoulder moved to your face, cupping your cheek while her thumb grazed your lips. With her command, you opened your mouth, revealing that the dreadful seal placed upon it has changed, the clock hands had moved ever closer to the middle of the day - or perhaps night, if the dark all around the owner of the mark could be taken as a hint.

“They were waiting for this moment, after all.”

Zero didn’t seem angry - rather, her voice was gentle and soothing. Perhaps it was your eyes, your pleading gaze, your struggle to move, but she seemed to read your intentions.

“Of course, there is no need for regrets, my voyager. After all, this ending has been written ever since we made the contract, even if there are some snags around the way~“

You try to plead, to reason, but what was there to say? It was pointless, she would grant the wish you so thoughtlessly spoke of, and from the looks of her expression, you would come to regret every second of what you were given. It only took a second for her to stop tinkering with whatever it was she altered to grant what you desired, yet to you, it took an eternity, locked to watch as she nudged the first domino that would seal your fate.

“Enjoy your wish, dear voyager~”

Just like before, she disappeared right after. Leaving no chances to ask questions, no chances to plead and regret.

You look at your reflection in the mirror.

The hour hand of the clock branded to your tongue was one hour away from midnight.

—

It took the span of a few weeks to discover what she meant.

Since that day, something deep within you were screaming, pleading, even at times forcing you to flee, turning into nightmarish scenarios that haunted your dreams and plagued your waking hours. A primal fear, unknown whether it was from you or from the manipulations of the witch, made you all too aware, of how the smiles from your friend start to veer into a devouring, smothering affection, until this affection you once so treasured and desired turned into a suffocating leash.

Paranoia crept upon your life once more, as you start to lock doors behind you, start to sense what may not be present in moving shadows, start to see and feel and suffocate with each passing moment of this too-long, drawn out punishment. Even in your downtime, nothing went truly right, for you had to keep your guard up.

At least, it was the most apt description, for you were chained in the most nightmarish instant just before the other shoe dropped.

No matter the pleas you shouted to the void, the witch only smiled, as if your suffering was nothing so dangerous. Even as everything started to crumble around you, from odd incidents of things breaking, chunks of buildings almost crushing you into a nasty pile of meat, vehicles veering just a little too close for comfort, reducing you to hope for a mild scare at the comfort of home.

Until the metaphorical shoe finally dropped.

It dropped in such a bitter show of cruelty, too, as it was the first night you could sleep a little better since the wish tumbled from your lips as a herald to the descent of your life into disaster once more.

There was the sound of breaking, and with no fanfare, as you felt the touch of cold metal on your bare skin, everything stilled, colors fading into muted greys all over. From a strange, geometric void, Zero stepped out, the edges of her movements causing chunks of reality itself to crumble into multicolored fragments and disperse away as ashen dust.

“Hello again, voyager,” she smiled, warm and inviting, despite the circumstances. “Have you forgotten? It is time for me to collect.”

You looked around and saw that the cold metal was a knife, belonging to the special friend that was both your savior and your nightmare within a span of time too dizzying, too quick to truly reconcile with yourself. They have been frozen mid-stab, crazed smile locked on their visage.

“After all, don’t you ask for their heart? You are one demanding voyager.”

It would not take a genius to figure out her intention. But you talk back, anyway. Out of futile hope, or out of curiosity that needed confirmation.

“Not like this. You warped their love.”

“Our sacred bond would not allow such a trickery, dear voyager,” Zero answered, voice sing-song as she glances at the person frozen in place just before they struck the killing blow. “As you wished, I gave you their whole heart. Never did I say that I would give them yours.”

Zero grasped your fingers, letting you watch as the third ring appeared above the second, shining with the color you’ve come to associate with the weight of dread pooling deep within. Deep down, you knew, it was the final seal that signified your end. Your limbs felt heavy, but this time, you were not frozen, rather, everything felt heavy beyond compare, as if you were pinned down and prevented to move.

Darkness started to open up beneath you, square by square, reality first crumbling into multicolored cubes before dispersing into ashen dust leading you to your destined abyss.

“Don’t you know that when you alter your fate and others, the world will eventually take notice?”

Zero didn’t seem concerned, rather, she watched as the void beneath you grew larger. “A human who wishes to alter fate will also alter the fate of others, and it’s a matter of time until the world itself—“

She cups your face, her hold tender. In this proximity, there was only you and her, as you drown into her gaze.

“—declares you an error.”

She captured your lips, and together, the two of you fell into the void.

You were drowning, lungs and mind filled with information a human shouldn’t be able to grasp, yet, when you reach out to touch and focus on one, everything eluded your grasp the way floating particles would elude a drop of soap. An eternity, a moment, passing as you attempt to focus and anchor yourself to something, only for everything to slip between your fingers as Zero tightened her hold on you.

“Mine, my voyager, finally mine to cherish,” she stared at you as she guided you to a gentle descent, your peripheral vision registering the familiar walls of the tower you once visited in your dreams. You were only given enough time to take a breath, before her lips took yours again, her tongue tangling upon yours as she tasted you. She tasted of strawberry, of sweet treats and refreshing cold, and she only allowed you release when your breath were truly, completely stolen, a string of saliva connecting the two of you before Zero licked it with a swipe of her tongue. Her manipulations suspended you in the air, your form propped by her powers, soft to your skin yet with the appearance of hardened light.

“Finally mine to take, another error born from fates too far altered. Don’t you know? Many desired your downfall, too, as they took vicarious pleasure from your situation.”

Your clothes disintegrated into nothing, disappearing the same way the gaps in reality did. “Don’t you hear them? They await your arrival here with anticipation. Give yourself to me, give me your heart, for the gods have declared you their favored, and now, you have nothing left.”

Her kisses trail down, bruises marking where her lips touch, her teeth grazing your skin. Though the tower shook, the coldness of the outside void rattling the walls, you felt nothing but rising warmth, radiating from your belly and spreading until it reached the tips of your fingers, your skin responding to Zero’s touches and gentle kisses. Her hold on your waist was possessive, her knee gently pressing between your legs until heat pooled and dripped onto her immaculate dress. She didn’t seem to mind, as her kisses reached your chest, sucking one more mark before her attention went to your lips once more.

Two of her fingers pressed down on your lips, past your teeth, her gaze a silent order.

There was nothing more to lose, nothing more to hold on. Some details of your life has been shrouded in thick smoke, the tightening of your chest a punishment should you try to reach beyond.

With that, you obeyed, wrapping your lips and tongue around her cold fingers.

From the approving quirk of her lips, it was clear that Zero, too, was aware of your predicament.

You sucked, wetting the two fingers, the intensifying, occassional press on her knee to your core becoming your encouragement. It was not enough, never enough, and the fire of desire within your belly only abated for a moment, just enough for you to chase the promise of release, only for you to he left bereft unless you continued. Only when the cold of her fingers were replaced with warmth did she pull her fingers out, one hand keeping your thighs parted despite how the odd, binding lights had already kept you in the best position.

Just when you were starting to think that she would leave you bereft and suspended like this, Zero pushed her fingers in. Even with the slick, you felt full, so full, thighs quivering in an attempt to close itself, to stave a little off the addicting, poisoning pleasure that Zero was feeding deep into the ravenous fire of your thirst. Her movements were experimental, but not inefficient, observing with glee as she found your weak spot and curled her fingers to press on it, drawing a pleased mewl that painted your cheeks in a rosy crimson and burned your ears.

“You can take it, don’t you? They made you strong, they made you able to withstand, for they would, too.” She whispered with a groan, the facade of her dignified witch crumbling long ago. Her hair has curtained your body, not even allowing your peripheral vision to lack her presence, her fingers driving you up to the precipice of release just before she relaxed her movements. “Come on, say my name, I’ll reward you~”

For the second time this day, you obey, and your vision exploded in stars of pleasure as her name fell from your lips in an endless repetition, the witch licking her lips at the sight of you coming undone. She did not release her grip, her gaze shifted somewhere, to something you could not reach, without relenting her hold on you.

“Are you all still not satisfied?”

Her smile turned predatory, a promise of pain and something else.

“Then, follow your desire, call for me, and perhaps, you too, could arrive in this place without the need of a proxy.”

Zero’s attention shifted back to her prey, entangled and basking in each other’s presence and passion.

Until time itself lost all meaning.

[mubabee]

Genderbent Zoya👀I’m too lazy to draw the marks on her arms.(also Hecate and Bai Yi)

(Spoilers to chapter 6 here) Imagine if Zoya didn’t pass out after the battle and just walked up to MC and kissed them.

Like when she saw MC, she probably felt so faint that she thought she was about to die like earl, so she just goes ‘fuck it i might as well’

Read from right to left until the last picture.

request for ptn 😼

[ptn-imagines]

hey hey, can i request zoya, deren and langley walking in on chief trying on their outfits :3

I usually try not to get too spicy unless it's explicitly requested, but Zoya's part of this definitely has some spice (though not explicit) so be warned of that!

Walking in on Chief trying on their outfit

Zoya

Chief Is In Trouble. In a hot way.

She doesn't knock before entering, swagger in her step as she strolls in like she owns the place. Seeing Chief wearing her clothes does stop her in place, but the look in her gaze is both playful and hungry, rather than surprised.

She spends a long moment taking in the sight before her, her clothes far too large on Chief's body. Still, she seems to like it, judging by the way she licks her lips.

She finally speaks, leaning against the doorframe as she does. “Like my clothes, do you, Chief?” she teases. “How about we get some in your size? You can hardly decide if you like it with it hanging on the floor like that.” She laughs at Chief's blushing face as they try to stammer out a reply.

It's hyperbole, of course, but it only takes a few days before she shows up with a copy of her outfit in Chief's size. She'll turn her back if Chief asks, but if given the chance, she is absolutely watching Chief put the clothes on.

Once Chief is dressed, Zoya's gaze quickly sharpens to that of a hungry predator, and her teeth suddenly seem like fangs as she grins, appraising like she's looking at her next meal.

“You look good, Chief. Big fan of how it shows off your body, even if you don't exactly have my build.”

It makes Chief blush, but it's true. Zoya does like it. Seeing Chief dressed in her clothes… It's certainly awakened the hunger inside the wolf.

Langley

Once again, Chief Is In Trouble. But it's in a different way this time.

As soon as Langley sees Chief putting on her clothes, a slow smirk spreads across her face. “Rookie, I don't recall giving you permission to touch my things… Let alone my clothes.”

Chief turns bright red, flailing for an explanation. Langley only watches, her smirk growing ever wider; she enjoys watching Chief squirm like this.

Once she's had her fill of Chief's torment, though, she gestures for them to be quiet, and they quickly silence themself. “I'm willing to forgive this transgression, rookie, if you do something for me.”

It's a trap, Chief is sure of it, but Langley's punishments are known for being brutal, so they don't want to risk the alternative. Still, they're surprised when Langley's request is to finish dressing up and sit down in their desk chair, doing their best impression of her. It doesn't make sense to them, but they comply anyway.

They realize the reason behind the strange request when Langley snaps a photo of them with her phone, and they flush red to their ears. The picture is set to Langley's background, and she teases them about how cute it would look framed on her desk – a subtle warning not to touch her things without permission again.

Deren

Deren definitely has the most lowkey reaction of the three. She stumbles across Chief looking for the very clothes they were trying on, funnily enough.

When she walks into the room, midway through a sentence, it takes her brain a couple of seconds to process what she's seeing. Once she does, though, confusion is her primary emotion rather than embarrassment. “Uh, Chief? Why are you wearing my clothes?”

She's surprised when Chief says they wanted to see how they looked in them. “Well, you'd look good in anything, but… Why my clothes? They're nothing special. I can get you a hundred different outfits that'd look better than my stuff.”

A very flustered Chief has to explain that their interest in the clothes is largely due to the fact that they are Deren's clothes. The director is taken aback at first, but then she laughs.

“Is that so? Well, sure, go ahead. I won't stop you, so long as I get a front row seat~”

Deren's gaze on the Chief is still flustering, but she's a lot less intense than the other two would have been. When Chief apologizes to her afterwards, she waves it off, saying Chief can wear her clothes anytime, she doesn't care. It's the truth, and of course, it doesn't hurt that Chief looks good in her clothes.

[nomorefstogive]

Path To Nowhere SFW Headcanons: Chapter 4: Shalom

Hello again everyone, and welcome to the 4th chapter of this fic of ours. We apologize for the rather lengthy delay with this chapter, but life has been rather annoying of late, and we spent a sizable amount of time working on a chapter for our Azur Lane fic…which is the longest thing I have ever written. With life and other projects further hamstringing our efforts to devote as much time to this fic as we wish we could.

Regardless, today we are covering a Sinner that was once again requested by EinarKaslana on Ao3, a woman who has left so much death and despair in her wake it could fill a sea, even if she herself has not lifted a hand to cause it directly.

A woman who, though frail of body, is beyond a doubt one of the greatest chess masters in all of Dis, having managed to deceive Paradeisos, the Underground, and many more in her bid to protect the ones dear to her.

A woman whose moniker will be forever synonymous with dread and terror to those who have made the unfortunate decision of standing in her way, and perhaps even to her own allies given the extremes to which she will go to obtain the most ‘ideal outcome’ to her plans.

Today we feature the Human Machine, the Monster of Paradise, the Hush of Paradeisos-

Shalom

1. She has many times attempted to usurp Nightingale as the chief’s adjutant in an effort to get closer to the Chief, with her efforts ranging from subtle attempts to discredit Nightingale, to outright attempting to have her transferred to a different Agency, though these efforts have all been in vain. 

She has since switched her efforts from removing the Adjutant from play, to making her into an ideal subordinate to aid the Chief and to use as a proxy for her own plans to benefit the Chief, herself, and the rest of the MBCC through a variety of means, some of which have left Nightingale adamant in putting a bullet in the head of whoever is responsible for them.

2. She does not like overly spicy food, something with a little kick is fine, but anything above that is too much for her, a weakness that Coquelic somehow figured out and used against her by lacing one of her meals with a notoriously hot pepper. 

Shalom’s yelp of pain as the spice overwhelmed her, and the way her eyes had begun to water as she downed her entire drink before she asked Rahu to get her another one, is an image that has been immortalized in the halls of The Garden via several covertly taken photos and videos.

That the Garden found its flower garden in the Greenhouse dying barely a week later, in addition to the Chief being unable to get her hands on any additional flower seeds to replace the ones they had lost for several months afterwards was certainly just a coincidence…right?

3. She still has a soft spot for Christina despite past…incidents. And while she desires for Christina to make her own path, she still considers her to be her detective, and as such maintains a careful eye on her.

From keeping track of which cases she is working, the threat they pose to her detective, the people she socializes with, her newest interests, her family’s state of affairs, to the way she decorates her room, and so on, she feels at ease knowing that her detective is safe and sound.

She has made it clear to her detective that she will always be present to offer her help should she need it, granted her help tends to come with the requirement of Chris having to spend time with Shalom while she addresses her as ‘Big Sister Shalom’ during said time and allowing the Hush to call her ‘Little Sister’ as well.

As such she is never able to fight the smile that comes to her face when Christina needs her help, especially when she is able to use the chance to pamper her detective and see how far she has grown while on her own.

4. This was a suggestion that came from EinarKaslana on Ao3, so all credit for it goes to them.

That said, it is a shared headcanon between us that she is fond of photography, and maintains many photo albums throughout her places of residence, with specific people, such as the Chief, Christina, and Rahu, having entire albums devoted to pictures taken of them by the Hush.

That some of them were taken by cameras they were unaware of is neither here nor there to Shalom, and so long as they remain unaware of them, it will be nothing to them either…especially so long as they do not discover the albums that contain more candid pictures of them in various states of undress or in certain…compromising positions.

It is safe to say that those albums are among her most well hidden and well defended of treasures, with even Schorl being unaware of their location.  

5. She has a soft spot for cats and dogs, often leaving out food for them or taking the time to pet and pamper them when she encounters them, as such she was one of the staunchest backers for the MBCC gaining an on site pound/shelter. 

That said, she is also an avid fan of cat cafes having dragged Christina and Rahu to enough that they can reliably name the majority of the cat cafes in Dis off the top of their head, with but a few exceptions for those that have yet to have the Hush grace them. 

She also tends to leave very sizable tips at said cafes, enough that the staff go out of their way to meet her expectations, and that they do not say a word about her gathering enough cats to cover herself and whoever is with her at the time in them.

6. Her room is surprisingly rather homey, with a number of bookshelves lining the walls, only broken up by small tables or wall fixtures with lamps and candles resting on them, an assortment of dark colored furniture, a large amount of flowers, both in pots on tables and hanging from the ceiling, and a rather sizable collection of horror related media. 

She also has a large canopied bed that she has covered in enough pillows that many periodically fall off when anything jostles the bed, and a rather sizable amount of scented candles and incense scattered throughout her room. 

Her main outfit of choice, along with several copies of her favorite coat, is kept in a dresser near her bathroom, while a much larger walk-in closet is dedicated to other uniforms and outfits that she has amassed over the years, though they are a subject for later on.

There is also a room that is hidden within her cell, a result of her machinations and of several deals made to allow her skills to be used to benefit the MBCC, said room being filed with a wall of monitors and terminals, a large number of filing cabinets rigged with incendiary devices that she can activate by tapping a button on her terminal, and a sizable amount of targets for her to focus her skills on.

She can never stop herself from chuckling everytime she enters the room, picturing the look on her former handlers faces were they to become aware that the Hush of Paradeisos, has become the Hush of Minos, granted said role is kept secret from the Chief, but it is the thought that counts…at least to her. 

7. While there are many Sinners and staff within the bureau that adore Shalom, there are equally as many that hold in her both dread and contempt, be it because they know just Who she is, or because they feel that something is not quite right with her, some sixth sense warning them to avert themselves from aligning so closely with her. 

Among those who hold her in disdain are Langley, who has seen enough of the mountain of corpses the Hush has built as an agent of Paradeisos to fully trust her, even with her devotion seemingly to have switched to her rookie.

As a result, the Spider has a special bullet with Shalom’s name written on it for the moment she feels the Hush has become more trouble than she is worth keeping around. 

Another one that holds the Hush in contempt is Chameleon, the hypnotist being able to see through the mask that Shalom wears and finding the thing she glimpses beneath it to be of no small amount of concern, hence her own caution in regards to her.

Her trepidation regarding Shalom was only further cemented by the fact that the one time Chameleon attempted to use her power on Shalom resulted in her awakening in her cell with a migraine, a bloodied nose, and a letter reading- “Please, don’t try that again. I would hate to have to explain your loss to the Chief. Sincerely-Shalom”

Of course there is also the Garden and their own wariness of the woman to consider as well, as, while they do admit her actions allowed for them to escape the clutches of the Underground, her methods…have done their perception of her no favors.

Though they can agree with her desire to support the Chief and to safeguard their new home, it does nothing to keep them from having their eyes on her, and a blade marked with her name on it should she overstep her bounds. 

While there are many more who feel wariness of the former Hush of Paradeisos, perhaps rivaled but by that of the former leader of Rustifre is that of her own former protegee and pseudo sister, Chirstina. 

Having seen first hand just how ruthless her mentor can be, along with having gotten a glimpse as to the true nature of her work for Paradeisos, she has since found that while she yet has a fondness for Shalom, she can never feel as at ease in her presence as she once did due to what she has done, something which is bittersweet to Shalom.

8. She is one of a very select few to have actually beaten Eirene at both normal chess, and a specialized version of it designed by the Head Of Quinn, with her version of chess being something which involves multiple chess boards linked to a rotating table, where the players are playing multiple games simultaneously with but a few moments to make each decision and move. 

Said game lasted nearly 12 hours, and ended with Shalom claiming a resounding victory with but minimal losses upon the other boards, a feat which has since earned her no small amount of fame within the bureau, even from her detractors, and a standing offer to play chess with Eirene whenever she wishes to. 

9. While she is physically frail, especially for an S-Rank Sinner, she is still heads and shoulders above an average person in terms of speed, strength, and endurance, being as able of breaking bones with a punch as she is ruining someone's life with a few well placed whispers. 

That said, she is surprisingly somewhat unaware of the extent of this strength, especially given that she is severely lacking in training for CQC and the usage of firearms and other weaponry, given her preference for remaining on the backlines and using the overwhelming might of Schorl to contend with any foe that gets in her way, and has thus not really had any reason to use it. 

Yet even without training, she is still a capable threat should someone get in close, something which has lead to several sinners and staff seeing the surreal scene of her casually flinging a corruptor, that had somehow bypassed Schorl’s scanners, three times her size against a wall before it was vaporized by the aforementioned Paradeisian weapon.

10. She has gained a habit of messing with Schorl by putting stickers and such on it, something which the machine does not seem to enjoy given how it will try and find any way it can to remove the stickers or markings from itself the moment they are applied. 

Shalom even once went so far as to write on the Paradeisian device with a pink marker, using it as a means of reminding herself of an appointment she had with Dr. Iron and Nurse Anne regarding her health, with the machine actually allowing the message to be written and to remain…at least until after her appointment, at which point it bore a hole through a water pipe and used it to wash itself off. 

Similarly, she once brought up the idea of coloring the Schorl, with the machine and its operators adamantly rejecting the very concept of the idea, going so far as to destroy the can of paint and paint brush that she had purchased to do so before they scurried off.

11. She cannot drive. This is one of the few points of agreement the Chief and Paradeisos have ever been able to reach as Shalom’s driving can lead to no small amount of damage to the vehicle she is behind the wheel of, along with the sanity and health of her passengers. 

The last time she attempted to drive she managed to make it a quarter of the way to her destination before Rahu and Christina, both of whom were holding on to one another for dear life, managed to convince her to switch with Rahu while Christina and Schorl spoke with the sherrifs regarding the collateral damage.

They were less than 3 minutes into what should have been a 9 minute long drive at the time.

12. She is fond of dropping by the Chief’s office and helping them with their work whenever the opportunity presents itself, something which has greatly endeared her to the Chief, and, albeit begrudgingly, Nightingale. 

That she tends to leave each of these sessions wondering just how it is that the Bureau has not imploded in on itself or declared secession from Dis in some fit of mad lunacy, is something that tends to add some enjoyment to her day by trying to make sense of the insanity of the MBCC. 

She has even gone so far as to compile many of the more interesting stories and reports into a personal collection to browse for her own entertainment whenever she feels the need for some levity. 

To this day, one of her favorites remains the time that Emp managed to weave so elaborate a lie that it resulted in the FAC spending nearly 4 days investigating a ‘Duck Sinner’ that was responsible for the destruction of a power plant, with the Archer even managing to, albeit unknowingly, have Paradaisos waste several days investigating the same claim when it was relayed to them. 

The true culprit of the Power Plant overloading was of course, EMP herself, though Shalom vowed to take that secret to her grave in exchange for the amount of humor her lie gave her.

13. Rahu once attempted to teach her how to use a conventional weapon for self defense, in the event that Schorl was destroyed or disabled and she was not present, only for the attempt to end with Christina having to get her hat repaired courtesy of the bullet ricocheting off of the target, off of the ground between Rahu’s feet, the ceiling above them, the railing of the shooting range, and then into the top of Christina’s hat. 

That Langley had the audacity to not only laugh when she heard the report, but to then order Shalom not be allowed to touch any firearms in the Bureau has since been something of a sore spot for the Hush, especially since both Christina and Rahu aid the Spider in enforcing such a rule. 

14. While her fondness for the horror genre of film has long been a well established trend in the bureau, with her appreciation for it in literature and art being similarly well known, her fondness for horror games is a relatively new obsession of hers. 

Most of this fondness for the horror genre of gaming can be laid at the feet of Etti, who Shalom overheard running a horror themed tabletop session, EMP, who introduced her to horror anime as repayment for lending her a movie, and Nino, who she watched stream a horror game that caught her fascination. 

Since then, she has devoured many horror games in terms of both playing them and watching them, with some of the games being of such disturbing levels that even Schorl was driven to escape the room to avoid the more disturbing scenes and gameplay. 

That her new fascination has started a trend among the ones in charge of monitoring her via Schorl using the media she enjoys as a form of Test Of Courage, is something she is aware of enough to greatly enjoy. 

With her fondness later extending to Tabletop games and the potential for horror and suspenseful storytelling within them as she learned of many of the horror campaigns that had been run by other DMs.

This being something that led to her approaching Etti to request her guidance on the matter, with Etti agreeing to help her DM a horror themed session, the young dragon all too happy to help a fledgling DM in the art of destro-*Ahem* creating an enjoyable session for everyone with minimal tears and screams involved.

That said session she ran resulted in Horo hiding under Zoya’s bed, Christina hiding with Thistle in a closet, Hella and Ninety-Nine refusing to leave their room without ear plugs on as they cursed her to hell and back, was something that lead to Etti declaring Shalom to be her new apprentice in the art of DMing.

The sheer panic that announcement caused nearly brought the Bureau to its knees.

15. Upon learning of Cabernet’s ability to materialize and consume souls, Shalom sought her out with a rather curious request, as she wished for the Franc Heiress to materialize a piece of Shalom’s own soul so that she could taste it out of her own curiosity. 

After a rather lengthy debate with the Chief, and several tablets of aspirin, it was decided to allow the experiment of sorts to take place, with Cabernet materializing 2 pieces of Shalom’s soul as a pair of grapes, one being given to the Hush and the other being kept by the Glutton of Souls herself. 

Cabernet would later remark that the taste was bizarre, as at first there appeared to be no flavor at all to her grape, only for her to be suddenly hit with an overwhelming bombardment of taste to such an extent she was nearly ill, the heiress later remarking to the Chief that beyond all of the myriad flavors there was something else…a feeling that was unnamable to her, yet left her feeling uneasy for many days afterwards.

Shalom would claim that she enjoyed the  taste of the grape as well, though the true joy of the experience seemed to be an idea that had come to her as she would later approach the Glutton with an offer that she would request be kept between the two of them.

What was that offer? 

Perhaps it is better off unknown if the way the Franc Heiress refused to leave her room for several days afterwards was anything to go by, and it is likely better still to not question why it is she seems to make a weekly tribute of a grape to the Hush, one that could not possibly have been made with Shalom’s own soul.

Indeed, it is better not to question what was said between the two.

16. She is still in regular contact with, and financially supporting, her former maid from her time at Erica Villa, Rosa. 

The young woman having managed to somehow earn the fondness of the former Hush to such an extent that she has been working quite tirelessly to convince the Chief to allow for her to be employed at the Bureau, her main argument being that she could be of great help as part of any of the departments that need her…along with being another at least semi-sane and responsible person to help keep the MBCC in…relatively stable condition. 

With each day she makes the argument to the Chief she wears her down more and more until she will be able to have her maid back at her side, and once more enjoy teaming up with her to make Rahu, and soon the Chief, as flustered as possible with their shared teasing. 

17. She is not allowed any form of caffeine, a rule Paradeisos ‘forgot’ to inform the Chief of when Shalom was sent to the Bureau, with Rahu and Christina thinking the Hush herself or Schorl would have informed the Chief of this rule…only to learn that was not the case.

Indeed, the Chief learned of this rule when someone, she is willing to bet her life that it was either Hella or EMP, saw that the former Hush looked tired and offered her some of Summer’s Special Brew Coffee. 

What happened next is something known but to those who were there that day and who managed to gain access to the security footage, something which was soon locked behind the highest grade of confidentiality that Paradeisos could create, with the files being further encrypted by Summer and Langley as well. 

Any attempts at acquiring an answer from those who witnessed what happened that day would be met with nothing but a thousand-mile stare, with several others whimpering and curling into the fetal position or turning and fleeing as swiftly as they can, with none daring to vocalize just what happened that day. 

All anyone knows is that a substantial portion of the bureau needed repair done to it, several officials that had been adamantly against the Chief and the MBCC had to resign from their positions in disgrace once certain information regarding them was leaked, along with a rather sizable amount of collateral damage being done to several major roadways and side streets. 

Schorl has since been given permission to destroy any source of caffeine Shalom manages to get her hands on.

18. She has been utilizing her abilities to commune with the Mania Monster made of her discarded humanity known as Rebel in a bid to earn its compliance and to be assemble to utilize it to its fullest one day, her primary reason for doing so being something of an emergency measure should Paradeisos attempt to remove her from play along with having an emergency ace in the hole for rainy days. 

That it could be an additional tool for the Chief and a means of further defending her should anything befall the Hush, the monster having long made clear its own deep seated adoration for the Chief to her during their…’Conversations’, is but yet another lie she has come to tell herself. 

That she also wants to reconnect with her lost humanity and to try and bond with it is something she has tried time and again to deny even to herself, yet as time has gone by, and her emotions have begun to return to her, she has found it increasingly hard to deny her true reason for wishing to do so.

The truth of the matter…is that all of this is being driven by Her ability to feel the loneliness of that missing part of herself and her desire to end it and fill the gaping wound torn in her own soul all those years ago by Paradeisos. 

All she truly wants is to feel whole again. 

19. She has an odd relationship with Hecate, somewhere between an almost sisterly bond and that of a mentor, with the former Hush often volunteering to accompany the younger sinner into the field to act as a mentor to her, that she still unconsciously tries to protect her is something neither will directly mention to one another. 

The pair have likewise somewhat exchanged hobbies with Shalom managing to get Hecate interested in the horror genre, while Hecate has managed to convince Shalom to take up sketching and, to a lesser degree, painting as a hobby, something the Hush has taken the somewhat relaxed leash and observation she is under during her stay in the bureau to thoroughly enjoy.  

That most of her works feature the Chief, several even having her in a state of undress or in various…compromising positions, is something that only the Hush and Hecate, who happened to mistake her sketchbook for an empty one, knows of. 

It is safe to say the following exchange was quite awkward for the pair, though they were eventually able to work past it and continue their regular sessions of shared artistic endeavor…with the addition of a rather bright tag to mark which sketchbook is Shalom’s. 

In a similar vein, Shalom has taken a rather sizable amount of time in teaching Hecate how to think strategically and to plan for various scenarios, with the young Sinner having shown a marked improvement in her Dispatches as result of the tutoring, that the Chief saw fit to praise Shalom was simply a bit of icing on the cake to her. 

That said, many Sinner feel no small amount of unease at the idea of the Hush having taken the Chief’s Shadow under her wing, especially given the uncanny similarities the pair seem to share, the only comfort most have been able to find in the matter being their shared loyalty to the Chief. 

Though even so, most fear the idea of just what Hecate could become if Shalom is allowed to mold her enough, thus all of those within the Bureau tend to keep an eye on the pair whenever they are together and they can. 

20. She has mapped out the vast majority of the secret tunnels that span the Bureau, particularly all of the ones that lead to the kitchens and to the Chief’s room, with her making use of them to not only be able to sneak away to the kitchen for late night snacks or when she needs a drink during her work, with her also using the tunnels to deliver snacks to the Chief and to surprise her when she is working. 

She also makes use of them to avoid certain parties and to surprise others, with her usage of them having gotten to the point that a not so small number of Sinners and staff are of the opinion that she is in possession of some form of teleportation device. 

That Shalom seems to find some humor in these rumors and even tends to encourage them through her own actions and inactions has likewise led to no small amount of confusion and unease among the Sinner population due to the potential threat she could pose with such a device. 

The Chief has tried time and again to dispel these rumors, only for them to constantly re-emerge after enough time has passed, something which has led to the Chief and the rest of the administration staff of the Bureau nearing the end of their rope in regards to how to handle the spreading rumors, with Paradeisos offering no help on the matter. 

21. She has found something of a way to utilize her “Mark” in tandem with the Chief’s Shackles, a method of piggybacking off of the Shackles and utilizing her ability in a way that makes it considerably less obvious towards both the recipient of the ‘Mark’ and the Chief herself that one is under the Hush’s influence. 

Even with this loophole removing her need for direct eye contact with her targets among the Sinners, it still requires for the targets to be in a heightened emotional state, and for the Chief to not be aware of her actions due to her ability to sense the influence through the Shackles and throttle it before it truly spreads. 

The knowledge of this influencing power is strictly confidential so as to prevent any panic from spreading among the Sinners, especially among those who have prior experience with the Hush and her power., with the Chief having further heightened her security around the Hush, despite her claims of only wishing to use her power to aid the Chief.

That said, the loophole has a further weakness in that Sinners of strong enough will, or those who are particularly Contaminated, such as Nox, Dreya, and so on, can not only resist the influence of the Mark through this loophole, but can also somewhat retaliate against it, causing Shalom a sizable amount of pain when they do so, Nox’s own retaliation leading to her having a severe nosebleed and being near catatonic for several hours. 

The final weakness of this ability is that she requires time to focus on the Shackles, and the slightest of disturbances can interrupt her ability, with contact with the chief being an additional means of furthering her power’s stability, though since this loophole came to her awareness she has made certain to be on her guard around her the vast majority of the time. 

A final note is that by some means she has been able to keep this development secret from Paradeisos, using it as yet another tool in whatever schemes of rebellion she harbors against the organization. 

22. She has given Thistle the equivalent to ‘The Shovel Talk’, with the exception of her talk involving her simply sitting in silence for a while as she looked Thistle in the eye, smiling as a triangle Mark flared in her eye as an unspoken warning of what awaits the assassin if anything befalls Christina. 

Thistle’s reply simply being to lift up her sword and set it alight with her own silent vow, that should any of the Hush’s schemes cause harm to the detective, she would not live long enough to enjoy whatever form of victory she managed to achieve. 

That the Hush has the audacity to smile at her actions a low chuckle slipping past her lips as she finished her tea before rising and walking past the assassin, pausing but to ruffle Thistle’s hair with an amused glint in her eyes as she left the assassin, only caused her to further despise the woman even if they could agree on protecting Christina.

That Thistle collapsed back into her chair as she fought to control her heart beat and suppress the adrenaline tearing through her body after Shalom had left the room, is something that she will deny ever happened that day.

23. She has met Christina’s step sister several times, each time ending in her being chased out of the house courtesy of the wheelchair bound girl either throwing objects at her or swatting at her with something as she tells her to stay away from Christina. 

That said, she has not stopped her attempts at somewhat courting the young woman’s favor, having arranged for, and personally done, many things to make life easier for the young woman, such as aiding in her finding a stable source of income from home, and ensuring that she and Christina are able to visit whenever they wish. 

Even with all that she has done however, the young woman still does not trust her, and does her best to try and mitigate any influence Shalom has over her, that said, she does appreciate Shalom’s efforts and has at least allowed for them to chat for more than 30 minutes before she starts chasing her out of her home.

24. While Shalom can be said to have a rather refined palate, she does also have a taste for more simple foods as well, especially given that Paradeisos did not allow her to indulge in them before due to her needing to maintain an image as their Envoy and their close monitoring of her. 

As a result of this, and the somewhat increased freedom she has at the Bureau, she has gained the habit of searching for small hole in the wall restaurants and such to dine at with the Chief, Rahu, or Christina, with her having gained a reputation as an exceptionally generous patron. 

More than once, Rahu has been caught off guard by seeing staff greet the former Hush by name and show her to her favored seat in the establishment, one time of note involving a rather portly chef who was easily double Rahu’s own size and weight leaving the kitchen to greet Shalom with an embrace as he sat her down and spoke with her for a little bit before going to cook her meal. 

She has even tried some of the more exotic foods brought back by Wolverine from his hunts, such as the meat of Sand Worms, which she claims has an oddly gamey flavor to it that is not that unpleasant, and a form of lizard that she actually quite liked the taste of, much to everyone’s shock. 

That said, she did refuse to even look at the scorpions and other multi-legged insectoid like creatures the Hunter caught, due in part to a reason that will be touched on below. 

25. She has a case of Arachnophobioa, something even the Hush experiment could never fully remove from her, with her gradually returning emotions having only amplified her fear of Spider or rather anything with over 2 or 4 legs.

The Chief first learned of this phobia when an insectoid Corruptor, resembling a mutated spider/human hybrid, appeared and Shalom froze for several seconds, only for her to snap out of her panic and have Schorl turn the surrounding area into enough glass that the sunlight reflecting off of it could have blinded someone. 

Despite the best efforts of both the Chief and Shalom to keep such information confidential, it somehow managed to leak to both Langley and the Garden, with the pair forming a somewhat un-official alliance to use this newly discovered weakness to get a bit of revenge on the Hush. 

Rahu very much did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night by a rather frantic Shalom calling her and telling her that she needed her to come rescue her, that Paradeisos sent a message that, in a rather deadpan way said Shalom did indeed require her aid but that it was not urgent, only furthered her confusion.

Rahu would arrive with the Chief to see Shalom having barricaded herself within a dresser as Schorl hovered nearby, a rather large assortment and variety of non-lethal spiders having taken lordship over her room, with sizes ranging from small to far too large for comfort for most people…particularly the Chief who bolted into the dresser with Shalom, leaving Rahu to deal with the eight-legged invaders.

She had the damndest feeling that Schorl was laughing at her, the machine having not been of any aid due to the risk of damaging the prison should it start to utilize its weaponry on the perfidious vermin…she was certain it was also because whoever was monitoring the situation was getting a kick out of it, but she held her tongue.

It would take several hours, many spider bites, a lot of cursing, and several questionable sounds from the dresser, before at last Rahu claimed her final victory over the spider invasion, the only clue she needed to know who was responsible being a lone flower she found resting outside of the Hush’s room when she was finished.

A bright yellow tulip that seemed to be laughing at her weary form.

She felt no small delight in crushing it under her boot, and her joy only grew when she aided Shalom in her own retaliation on the Garden and Langley, said retaliation taking the form of causing a sizable influx of paperwork for Langley and the 9th as a whole, such that they did not leave their offices for almost a whole week, while the Garden found themselves invaded by a large amount of bees and ants, which would take several weeks to full eradicate. 

In the end the groups involved called a cease fire to this chapter of their feud when the Chief tired of the chaos they were causing, interfered and threatened to avoid spending any time with them if they continued, the potential of the undesirable outcome causing a lull in their feud…at least until something else set it off once more. 

26. That her and Langley have a somewhat…contentious relationship, is rather well known, though the exact reasons are not. 

A part of it is something that is largely due to their differing approach on not only how they handle their work, but also in regards to how they view the actions each other have taken during their respective careers. 

In terms of their work, Langley dislikes how little Shalom shares in regards to any matter she assigns the 9th, many times she has kept the vast majority of information and secrets that could lead to an easier time completing the missions close to her chest, leading to Langley losing many valuable subordinates. 

On the opposing hand, Shalom dislikes how open Langley is with her subordinates in terms of sharing information and formulating plans, believing that by entrusting the information to said subordinates the Spider is putting herself and the operations at risk, a fact Paradeisos has agreed with many times, much to her silent disgust, thus leading to her keeping the aforementioned information largely close to her chest for fear of it being compromised. 

In terms of how they view their actions, it boils down to how they justify what they have done, both of them accept that they have committed, and will continue to commit, horrific deeds in the name of a greater purpose, but whereas Langley claims hers is for the good of all of Dis, Shalom admits that everything she has done was in the name of Paradeisos and their own agenda, with many others being done for her own and the Chief’s benefit later on. 

That Shalom readily admits the fault of her actions does not make them any better in Langley’s eyes, especially given how many of her men and women have been caught in the middle of the schemes of the Hush and Paradeisos and either killed or maimed to the point of no longer being able to operate in the field. 

Her anger is only further stoked as, instead of attempting to change her methods and approach as she has regained her emotions and has gained the Chief’s aid, Shalom largely chooses to keep utilizing methods that are either similar to, or almost identical to, her original methods of achieving her goals, with the few moments she takes a different approach only further infuriating Langley as it proves that, while difficult to the extreme, she can change her methods but seems to not want to. 

On the other hand, Shalom views Langley as being somewhat too self righteous, convinced that she and her Agency are always working for the best of Dis, bending and often breaking the laws of the very city they protect, along with Paradeisos’ own rules, which has lead to no shortage of headaches for her. 

In that same vein, Shalom believes that Langley can be far too gentle in her approach to how she handles certain matters, along with allowing for her fondness for her subordinates to interfere with her decision making process, something that Langley has argued is not the case many times. 

However, having said all of that, the pair are still able to work together remarkably well given the correct circumstances, from a major threat to Dis, to something choosing to target their Chief, these moments displaying just how formidable they could truly be, if they could ever bury the hatchet between them.

Though such a thing seems like it will take a miracle to occur. 

27. The first time she met Oak Casket in person, the Lady of the Romanesque hall approached her and Rahu as they were walking down a hallway, with her stopping in front of them as she looked Shalom in the eye and told her that she could at last put a face to the name so many spirits had cursed to the depths of hell and beyond as they found their way to her. 

She would further claim that even now, within the halls of the Bureau, the spirits of countless maniacs clung to Shalom like a shroud, with her likening her approach to that of a storm front, the wailing and crying of the maniacs being the wind, the rain being their unseen and unfelt tears, and their furious shouting the deafening roar of thunder. 

While Rahu reacted with unease and prepared for conflict, Schorl similarly readying for battle, Oak Casket merely strode forward, uncaring of them, and walked past them, pausing but to say that if she was ever curious what their final words and thoughts were, she could ask the Chief where to find her.

She was not surprised when, several days later, Shalom arrived at her doorstep, the Hush vanishing into the Funeral Parlor director’s room, where she would remain for nearly the rest of the day until she left later on, finding Rahu and Schorl waiting for her at the door. 

Shalom was silent and seemingly in deep contemplation for the rest of the day, with her only requesting that Rahu remain with her the rest of the night, with her responding to any of Rahu’s question with silence, Schorl, that had been eavesdropping into the room, surprisingly held its own tongue…perhaps owing to the sounds that had left its operator in a cold sweat that it had heard from said room. 

It was that day that an odd…bond of sorts formed between the Lady of Romanesque and the Hush, the pair coming to spend time together discussing matters that left those who overheard them more than a little uneasy as they fled the talking pair.

28. She has a much higher alcohol tolerance than one would suspect on their first look of her, with Shalom easily being able to out drink most ordinary people and Sinners alike, with only the more heavy drinkers such as Zoya, Pacassi (When the mood strikes her), Demon (Again, when the mood strikes him), and Bai-Yi, being able to reliably out drink her. 

That said, when she does manage to drink too much it is not readily apparent, she has long since mastered the art of hiding any visible signs of intoxication, even the subtle signs are held tight under her grip, with the only reliable sign that has been found being how clingy she becomes around those she feels safe around when she is intoxicated. 

At a rather low level of intoxication she would prefer to brush herself against them, with a mid level being characterized by her latching on to their arm or holding their hand, and at a severe level of intoxication she will have them put their arm around her, and latch onto their side as she nuzzles into them. 

The problem comes with her not wanting to let go of the one she has latched on to, with Rahu and the Chief having found themselves being pinned to a bed, chair, or any other piece of furniture that can support them by the drunken Hush as she falls asleep atop them, Christina having been spared the fate due to Shalom trying to maintain an image of a reliable older sister around her. 

Though, the Chief and Rahu are not alone in having to deal with an intoxicated Hush, as at one point the Chief was informed that she was required in the Garden’s group dorm by a somewhat baffled looking Sumire. 

Upon arriving in the dorm, she was met with the sight of the Sinners of the Garden looking on in dumbfounded shock as their Mentor was pinned to her bed by Shalom, the Poppy of the Garden shooting a dumbfounded look at the Chief as she approached, with her heaving a sigh as she began the process of trying to get the intoxicated Hush off of a flustered Coquelic. 

Only to be pulled down and pinned by her as well, with the Flowers either chuckling silently at the scene of the Mentor scolding the Chief for getting both of them pinned, or trying to find a way to get them out of their situation. 

Eventually, after much trial and error, they decided to utilize the most tried and true method of dealing with a drunken Shalom. 

They called Rahu and Christina. 

The pair arrived and, with a somewhat ashamed look on Christina’s face and an exasperated look on Rahu’s own face, managed to pry her off of the Chief and Coquelic before they carried her away to her room.

As for why Shalom was drunk that day, they would later learn that she had been having a conversation with Oak Casket as they drank what they had both assumed was a wine with a low alcohol content.

It did not, in fact, have a low alcohol content.

Where they got the wine, no one could ever figure out, though Nightingale and the Chief had a sneaking suspicion that it involved a certain supply office manager, who had taken a couple of days off to allow for the heat to di-*Ahem* to recuperate from a head cold. 

29. While everyone is aware that Shalom has a vast collection of records, most are unaware of just how many records she actually owns, with her having not only several storage racks filled with them, but also a storage unit full of containers filled with duplicated of the ones in her room, the transferal of it from the surface unit to the Bureau was…an adventure in its own right.

Despite this frankly absurd number of records, Shalom has listened to each of them,and can even recite which songs are on each of them just by glancing at the abbreviated designation she has marked each of them with.

In addition to records for her vinyl player, she also owns a large number of cassettes, disks, and even digital copies of each of the songs she has on her records should something happen to them. 

She also attends concerts and live performances whenever she gets the chance, typically draggin Christina, Rahu, and or the Chief along with her to the performance in question, though she has also extended an invitation to a rather dumbfounded Coquelic as well, the Garden’s Mentor has yet to give her a reply to the offer.

30.  It is rather well known that she has something of an…odd relationship with the Mentor of the Garden, the pair able to go from amicably drinking tea together, to Coquelic attempting to throttle Shalom as the Hush smiles at her. 

On one hand, Coquelic does appreciate how Shalom’s little scheme allowed her flowers and her to slip free from the Underground and to find a new home, but at the same time she is…decidedly less than pleased with the method that Shalom aided them, as well as how unapologetic she has been for the pain it caused her Flowers. 

On the other hand, Shalom has a rather sizable amount of respect for not only the sheer power and skill that Coquelic possess, but also how she was able to wrest control of not only her own fate, but the collective fates of the rest of the Garden as well, an act which has earned her no small amount of admiration and, to an extent, envy from the dread Hush. 

The pair have shown that, despite the occasional acts of hostility, they are more than able to have a working relationship between them, with the pair having come to work together to deal with any threat against the Chief or their makeshift home…that their methods are not what the Chief would approve of is simply a sacrifice they have deemed necessary to make for the greater good of her safety. 

By combining the Garden’s, the 9th Agency’s, and Shalom’s own resources, along with the occasional input from various other Sinners, they have been able to locate and remove many potential threats before they could take any form of action against the Chief or the Bureau, the majority of said threats vanishing without being seen again, while others suffer a myriad of…‘accidents’ that can not be traced back to any of the involved parties. 

The sheer efficiency with which they are able to operate is further proof of just how terrifying a force they are capable of becoming when they are not at each other’s throats, making it a rather sad thing that it only seems to happen under such…morbid circumstances. 

Or whenever the Chief sits them down and forces them to work together so she can get some peace and quiet.

31. While Shalom can claim to be a woman of many talents, one talent that has always evaded her, outside of driving, is the art of ice skating, something that she has tried time and again to remedy to…very little success. 

Her multiple attempts at learning the art have led to her having to either visit the medical wing for treatment for bruising, or to go to her room and spend a while laying down as she recovers from the aches caused by several falls to the ice. 

Many times she has managed to convince the Chief or Rahu to assist her in the matter, Christina having long given up on the matter and declared it a hopeless endeavor, with the pair rapidly approaching agreeing with her, especially given how many times she has dragged them down with her.

That many of those falls have led to them being in compromising positions is something Shalom claims no responsibility for, something that the Chief and Rahu are uncertain of the validity of, due in no small part to how Shalom is always smiling and wearing a faint blush during these incidents. 

32. She has an odd relationship with Summer, with Shalom having subtly leaked several pieces of Paradeisos technology and information to the genius sinner as a means of allowing for the Bureau to gain a leg up on Paradeisos and to develop their own Anti-Mania technology, something which Summer has been making many breakthroughs with, the rapid growth being explained as her having a bout of inspiration and her general eccentric nature. 

The only request she has had for Summer is for her to find a way to either replicate, or to take control of, the Schorl that is constantly with her, an additional caveat being that she wants it to speak in the Chief or Rahu’s voice when relaying information to her, something which Summer is treating as an additional challenge.

As for how she managed to make the notoriously eccentric genius work with her, that can be chalked up to a rather sizable amount of expensive chocolate, anime (that a curious Shalom has been coerced into watching with Summer), manga, and many other treats, the promise being that so long as she makes progress, Summer will continue to receive these care packages. 

On one hand, the Chief is rather cross with Shalom for going behind her back on this matter, but on the other hand, Summer has made a rather sizable amount of progress with aid from Eureka, Vanilla, and Dreya, and she has been on much better behavior since the arrangement began. 

With the addition of the Bureau not having to pay for any of this, the Chief has begrudgingly allowed for the deal to continue, under the stipulation that it be closely monitored to insure that nothing goes wrong.

33. She has a rather sizable amount of wealth to her disposal, enough to be in the upper elite of Dis, due in no small part to large amounts of passive income that come from her many investments in wealthy companies, along with her running several shell corporations from the shadow as a means of further supplementing the rather generous amount of wealth Paradeisos has allowed her to draw from. 

A rather large amount of this wealth is pooled into accounts for Rosa, Christina, the Chief, Rahu, and rather surprisingly Coquelic and Langley, with everything being arranged for them to receive access to these accounts should she die.

Rosa, Christina, the Chief, and Rahu, would be set to receive a rather sizable amount of wealth to their name, as well as controlling shares in the companies she has founded, along with control of her investments.

Coquelic’s account is different as it contains a mixture of money, as payment for a final contract, which is also included in an email set to be sent should she die, and a rather large amount of rare and exotic flower seeds.   

Langley’s would not just include a rather large amount of money, but also several flash drives and files filled with all of the information that she has amassed over her rather lengthy stay within Paradeisos, similar files and drives being placed within Rahu, Christina, Coquelic, and the Chief’s own vaults as well, with the hope being that they would finish what she started when she dies.

She has also included several cans of bug spray, particularly designed to kill spiders, and a guide on how to make better tasting coffee within Langley’s vault, with Christina’s containing a sizable amount of novels and aids for her work, with Rahu, Rosa, and the Chief having similar personal gifts awaiting them as well. 

She has also left behind a single bank account for Paradeisos themselves to access, with a flash drive loaded with enough Trojan Horse viruses to fry the servers of a third of Dis, all carefully concealed behind what amounts to her final report to her superiors. 

34. She owns a variety of outfits that she has never quite had the time or reason to try on, ranging from casual everyday wear, to business attire, to formal party attire, alongside other things that one would not normally consider her one to possess, such as maid outfits and lingerie. 

After she came to take up residence in the Bureau, she began to form a habit of trying on each of these unused outfits, or convincing one of those she is close with to model them for her, as she uses them as a dress up doll. 

An example of which was Rahu, who found herself the center of an impromptu fashion show that started with her in a rather formal suit, it was a bit too tight but otherwise quite comfortable…though Shalom and the Chief spent a rather absurd amount of time looking at her before she was bid to try on the next outfit…a maid outfit that was much too tight and small that had her glaring daggers at a blushing Chief and Shalom. 

Granted, the Chief was not exempt from becoming a part of the show, though she found herself with much more…lascivious clothing placed into her arms courtesy of Shalom, who had an oddly hungry gleam to her eyes as she watched the Chief vanish within a side room to don her new attire. 

After seeing her walk out, clad in a much more revealing maid outfit, which was quite the achievement given how the one she had worn looked on her, Rahu felt no small amount of sympathy for the woman, something that soon became pity as she saw the rest of the clothes that Shalom had in mind for her to wear. 

From an admittedly rather tasteful cocktail dress, though none of them could get the zipper to go up all the way, to a uniform resembling what a school teacher would wear, and even a copy of what the Hush usually wore with colors suited to compliment the Chief, something Rahu also found herself trying on…though it was several sizes too small for her. 

Of course, Shalom also joined in, the scene of her wearing a Sailor Scout uniform from an anime that Summer had shown her, left both Rahu and the Chief gaping as they tried to process the sight in front of them, yet little time had they to acclimate to the scene before another blow to their mental state came when Shalom, after spending close to 30 minutes within the closet, entered her room clad in a school girl uniform of all things.

It took approximately several long minutes for the Chief and Rahu to process what they were seeing, with the pair blushing heavily as Shalom smiled to herself at their reaction, knowing fully well that she had many more things to show them.

It is safe to say that both of them needed to take a very lengthy, and very cold shower when they fled to their respective rooms amidst Shalom’s quiet chuckling. 

35. She has joined several other Sinners in keeping an eye on the chief and making sure she does not overwork herself too much, with her method of getting her to stop being to simply walk into the office, grab her by the wrist, and pull her away from her computer and off to either of their rooms.

When that does not work, she will resort to decidedly more underhanded methods, such as slipping into the office via one of the hidden passages, putting her hands over her eyes and telling her that it is time to go to sleep as she waits for her to surrender.

Another option is to utilize the most tried and true method, that being the NHH method, which involves sicking either Nightingale or Hecate and Hella on the Chief, with said method ending in her either being drug out of her office by the Adjutant, often still in her chair, or being bullied into going to sleep by Hecate’s pleading and Hella’s cursing as she chews her out. 

But should all of the above fail, should all seem lost in this endeavor, then Shalom has perfected a final tired and true method of forcing the Chief to relax, one that, during her first attempt almost ended with her becoming a head shorter courtesy of a rather infuriated Sumire. 

The method in question? 

Step 1: Walk into the office. Utilizing passages is not necessary as the sound of approaching heels clicking on the floor and knocking on the door adds a valuable psychological factor to the approach.

Step 2: Do not respond to any of the Chief’s questions, merely meet her gaze with a smile and walk towards her, navigate around her desk and push her back towards the wall behind her. 

Step 3: Utilize greater than average strength to force her to remain in the chair by pinning her to ii, typically done by straddling her lap. 

Step 4: Lean in close to her ear and begin to hum a lullaby as you stroke her hair, and rub her upper back, certain fragrance perfumes also assist in this method, particularly ones including lavender. 

Step 5: Wait for her to give in and then wheel her out of the office and towards her room. 

So far this method boasts the 2nd highest success rate out of her other methods of coercing the Chief into resting, the highest being the NHH method, though other Sinners boast of having more successful ones…granted one of them involves rendering her unconscious and another involves paralyzing her, but they still work, thus the Hsush shall not stop until she perfects a method of getting the Chief to cease overworking herself.

Her current approach being to simply insure that there is no reason for her to overwork herself, with her providing aid on matters that would otherwise take up too much of the Chief’s time, though the Chief is yet hesitant to fully trust her with much of her work, she has so far allowed for the help. 

Only time will tell if this method works though. 

36. She has a curiosity regarding the various other nations that exist beyond the walls of Dis, something that has led to her gathering as much information and memorabilia from those nations that she is capable of. 

She regularly searches out any of the Sinners from foreign lands to speak with regarding their former homes, such as Pacassi and her long vanished hometown, Eirene and Fraser, KawaKawa and Stargazer for WhiteSands, or OwO and Goldion Ville.

It has become a small dream of hers to one day visit the lands beyond the walls of Dis and see what the world is like outside of the reach of Paradeisos and herself, though she does not want to go alone, so she has decided that she will try and take Rosa, Rahu, Christina (and of course where christina goes, Thistle goes.), and or the Chief with her come the chance to slip away.

But for now she will settle with enjoying what trinkets and information she can from those distant lands. She is particularly fond of the chess set that Eirene had brought over from her home city and the paper lantern that OwO made for her. 

37. Similar to Langley, she has many times made use of the skills of the Phantom Thief pair of Priscilla and Tetra, though she has never directly spoken to them, instead utilizing multiple online accounts and middle-men to hire them. 

The pair have long since ceased attempting to investigate just who it is that is behind all of the jobs that Shalom has given them, their previous attempts having ended with the pair finding a flash drive tucked into a drawer that contained their…toys, during a rather passionate moment.

Their session of intimacy being cast aside as they investigated what was on the flash drive, the pair soon finding themselves clinging onto one another as they saw a file containing both videos and images of them going about their daily lives, as well as on their missions, even their homes outside of the Bureau, including safe houses even the Chief was unaware of. 

Amidst the flurry of images and videos was a single document, a simple text file that contained words which managed to send a chill through their cores. 

“I would advise you to not bite the hand that feeds you, I harbor no malice towards you at the moment…but if you continue to pry into things best left unknown…then I will be forced to take much more direct action against you. 

The presence of this hard drive should be proof enough of what I am capable of, as well as the extent of my influence, and be advised that what you see here is but a fraction of the data I have gathered on the two of you. 

But that is neither here nor there at the moment, and I would truly hate to sully the wonderful working relationship we have at the moment, and in the same vein lose two exceptionally useful allies, thus I will take no action against you at the moment.

For now, I would advise you to hold one another close, perhaps enjoy the wine you have stored away in your cupboard. It is a wonderful vintage that pairs quite well with the dark chocolate that Tetra purchased a couple of days ago. 

Take some time off to process this information, don’t worry about anything, your superior at the Bureau is a kind woman, she won’t pry too much, and you have likely received a rather sizable transfer to your account for a job well done in regards to your last few missions from me. 

With that said, I must be going, I have a great many things to attend to that require my personal attention, though before I go, I have to admit that I was impressed by the variety of toys you possess. My own collection seems paltry in comparison…perhaps I should remedy that.

Sincerely X.”

The pair would take their mysterious benefactors' advice and spend the next few days with each other, not only scouring their homes and cell for bugs, but also in trying to bury the terror that the flash drive caused them. 

That the damn thing vanished the next day, only further heightened their fears of this unknown X. 

Curiously, the days following this incident would see Shalom spend a rather lengthy amount of time browsing certain…illicit sites in search of new additions for her own collection, that she asked Rahu, Rosa (Who she communicated with via sharing her screen in a call or by phone), and the Chief their opinion on the objects in question, is something 2 of the 3 mentioned would very much like to forget .

38. Upon learning that Peggy and Joan were two of the musicians whose tapes and records she possessed, she took time out of her schedule to ask for their autograph’s on the tapes and records in question, paying them quite handsomely in return.

She has likewise requested recording of several other musician Sinners performances, from Dudu, who spent several minutes in dumbfounded silence at just how much Shalom offered her before energetically shaking her hand and running off to get started, to Echo and her saxophone, the young musician being ecstatic to record a tape for someone at last. 

Whether or not the music is any good by the standards of the masses is of no concern to Shalom, all that matters is that it is her choice to listen to and enjoy it, and not the whims of her former masters, with it also serving a memento of some of the more vibrant souls present within the Bureau. 

39. Given her fixation on spreading happiness, and Shalom’s desire for happiness, it is a fair assumption to say that she has something of a relationship with Serpent, with the serpentine Sinner having taken upon herself the challenge of making Shalom give her a genuine smile through any means necessary. 

As a result of this, Shalom has many times found herself given a front row seat to the shows that Serpent puts on within the Bureau, the serpentine Sinner having pulled out every stop during her shows to try and coerce as much genuine emotion as she can from Shalom, with the Hush often finding herself feeling emotionally drained and yet deeply satisfied after each performance. 

She has also met the monstrous snake that Serpent keeps as a pet, granted their meeting involved it slithering through the vents and into her room as she was reading a book, but unlike many of her fellows she did not immediately panic and was instead able to keep the colossal snake busy until Serpent could arrive to recover it.

Though it did take them a rather long while to convince the snake to uncoil itself from around her and her chair, especially given that it seemed to be enjoying the story she was reading aloud to it. 

That is not to say it is an entirely one-sided deal, as Serpent has come to find herself with enough money in her account to be able to afford the sun lamps she has wanted for a long while, with Shalom also taking upon herself the duty of babysitting Serpent’s snake when the woman has to leave it behind on a mission. 

She has also aided Serpent in her quest to make the Chief happy, not only through funding but also by helping her in researching a rather large variety of means to try and appease the woman in question.

The Chief has since come to expect that whenever Serpent has a show, she will find herself being seated near the front with Shalom on one side, Eirene on the other, and Rahu and Christina as far away from the giant snake that accompanies Serpent as possible. 

40. She gets cold easily due to her fragile nature, her heavy coat helps her with it to an extent, but during particularly cold or windy days, she needs to wear layers to the point that she needs several minutes to pry off all of them when she is out of the cold, otherwise she will begin to overheat. 

In addition to getting cold easily, she also has a rather weak immune system, even with Paradeisos medicine at her back, thus she can easily fall ill during cold weather, leading to her being bedridden or consigned to the medical wing for several days before her condition stabilizes. 

As a result of this, she tends to avoid leaving the warmth of the Bureau, or even her room for that matter, during such weather unless her presence is requested by the Chief for some matter, though even then she will demand heavy reparations for her presence. 

Typically, said reparations will involve the Chief pampering her while she recovers from whatever illness has come to plague her, even should she be given medication to treat it, she will still request that the Chief stay with her till she is fully recovered. 

That is not to say she fairs any better during hot weather, as she has to wear sunscreen or carry an umbrella to avoid sun burns during the intense heat, with her trying to minimize her exposure to the intense sunlight as much as she can to avoid heat sickness. 

It is safe to say that she enjoys the more mild weather of spring or the cool and yet not freezing weather of fall as opposed to winter or summer, with those being the months she is able to enjoy the sights of the city and the world before she is forced to flee into cover at the changing weather. 

41. She once requested Enfer to make use of her ability to try and sculpt something that could elicit genuine fear from her, with the artist devoting a rather obscene amount of time and effort towards the matter, Shalom funding her ventures as the sculptor tried everything she could.

Eventually, Enfer managed to create something that managed to provoke a reaction from Shalom, the exact nature of the work that managed to provoke a feeling of unease and distress within Shalom such that she was visibly unnerved is unknown however, as Shalom had any visual images of the work removed as she took it to a secure and hidden space within her room.

None but the Hush and the Sculptor themselves have seen just what was made that day, and Enfer refuses to share any information on the matter, the Mistress of Fear herself feeling no small amount of unease whenever she recalls the work she made, and sheer distress it caused to flicker through the normally blank faced Shalom as she looked upon it. 

No threat was needed, no promise of revenge or wrath, nor was a bribe needed, only a glance at Shalom and at the artwork she had made was needed to bid her tongue to stay silent on the matter. 

An oddity is that after the piece was finished and hidden away, the pair tried to spend as much time with the Chief as possible, as though something compelled them to do so…perhaps…no, it is better that road be left unwalked. 

42. She is a regular listener to Eleven’s radio show, and is exceptionally fond of the radio host herself, finding her show to be the perfect thing to listen to as she focuses on work that has either kept her up late, or has awoken her exceptionally early.

Eleven is more than a little wary of the Hush, especially given the rumors she has heard of the woman, particularly from the agents of the Garden and various others, though at the same time she cannot ignore the way Shalom has spoken so highly of her, and the several times she has called in to her show to speak with her whenever she needed to take a breather during her work.

That said, Eleven wishes that the next time Shalom asks to take her photo, she does not have the flash on, especially given that the mirror she was standing beside managed to reflect it and disorientate both of them for several minutes. 

43. She very much enjoys sleeping in on the days she has nothing to do though not quite to the extent of Coquelic, who prefers to spend almost the entire day in bed when there is nothing for her to focus on, with her trying to catch up on any sleep she has been forced to miss as a result of her work.

Whenever someone attempts to awaken her from this slumber they will typically either be met by her Mark blazing in one of her eyes as she glares at them, or with her reaching out to pull them into bed with her, something that Rahu, Christina, Rosa, and the Chief have been the victims of before. 

The problem is that once she has a grip on them, and has begun to fall asleep, she very much refuses to relinquish her grip on them, with her poor victims having to either wait for her to awaken, or for them to find some way to wake her up.

Such as carrying her to, and proceeding to drop her into a tub of either warm or cold water, something that Rahu had to resort to at one point when something came up and Shalom was needed on one of those days.

She proceeded to learn that while Shalom is frail, she is still capable of throwing surprisingly heavy objects with no small amount of force at someone, particularly when they have their back turned to her. 

On an unrelated note, she had to see Iron and Anne for some aspirin to help with a headache she gained that day, where it came from she would not say, only that both the source of it, and the headache itself, were exceptionally annoying.

44. Shalom is not counted among the “Sane People Of The Bureau��� as the group of Nightingale, Cinnabar, and recently Matilda is called within the Bureau by both staff and sinner, this is no small part due to her past as the Hush and her fixation on the Chief, along with the extremes she is willing to go to in order to achieve her goals. 

That said, she is still numbered among the “Somewhat Sane People Of the Bureau,” along with the likes of Langley, Zoya, and so on. As while she may not be the most sane of individuals, with Shalom even confessing such a thing herself due to her skewed view on morals and how she was brought up by Paradeisos, she is still more sane than most of the staff and sinners alike and is thus a candidate for leadership and advice should any of the Sane People Of The Bureau be indisposed after something occurs to effect the Chief…or when the chief needs to be overruled and or forced to take a break. 

45. She has a deep seated fascination with the Immortals (Dreya, Vanilla, and Mantis) due in no small part to their own contributions towards paving the way for Dis to be founded by Keylan during the expedition into the Perishing Star, along with the wisdom and knowledge they hold regarding not only the star, but also what they can recall of the world before Dis was founded. 

This is one of the few point where she and Paradeisos are in agreement, the information the Immortals possess has already caused several breakthroughs in regards to how the Perishing Star is viewed, along with information regarding both Mania and the effect it has had on the environment of the land around the star. 

As such, Shalom has been asked by Paradeisos to keep an eye on the Immortals and to help act as an intermediary to exchange information with them, especially in regards to the subjects of the Illusory Moon and it seeming intelligence, alongside of information of the old world that was lost during the years before the Expedition breached into the Star’s domain. 

She tends to speak most with Dreya as opposed to Mantis and Vanilla, as she find the astronomer to be the easiest to converse with of the group as opposed to the survivalist and logistician, though she has orders to try and gather information from Vanilla due to her being a largely unknown part of the Keylan Expedition, alongside of her understanding of the temporal hellstorm that rages within the Star’s domain and her ability to help in reconstructing some of the ruined monitoring stations around 00. 

46. Shalom was rather surprised when she learned that the Chief refuses financial backing and aid from her sinners, alongside of only taking Hella and Hecate with her on her missions, the latter annoying her much more than the former due to potential safety risks.

As a result of this, she is one of many that have brought up the idea of the Chief taking other sinners aside from just Hella and Hecate with her during missions as while she may have success so far with just the pair, she also has tendency to run into situations that heavier firepower would be greatly useful in contending with.

As a result of this, she and several others, including Langley, Eirene, Demon, and Rahu, have worked to put together a means of coercing the Chief to accept further aid on her missions from those who are capable of doing so, with the more contaminated and mania sensitive sinners having to be kept on the sidelines due to contamination and potential risk of going full maniac allowing for them to narrow the suspects down. 

That they have even been able to sway Nightingale to their side is proof of their devotion to this cause, though so far they have had little luck in convincing the chief to accept further help…at least willingly as they have several times simply either pulled rank on her (Langley) or threatened her with withholding her coffee and snacks (Nightingale) if she did not take aid with her on some missions. 

Shalom would go with the Chief on missions herself, if she did not feel that doing so would run the risk of allowing Paradeisos too much information on the Chief and potentially causing the both of them future headaches.

47. Despite her fragility, Shalom possesses rather impressive healing capabilities, though not to the extent of Hella, she is still capable of surviving many wounds that would have been fatal to others, with Schorl furthering her healing abilities with its own technology. 

She cannot regrow limbs or digits, nor can she regenerate organs, or is she immune to illness, but she is still capable of taking a stab or bullet and surviving, at least assuming it is not directly to her heart or brain, something she considers one of the few useful modifications Paradeisos made to her after she became the Hush. 

48. She has an odd relationship with subjects unknown to her, as she is both wary of, and yet also fascinated by, anything that she has know knowledge or comprehension of, something which is quite rare given her eidetic memory and the amount of information she was taught by Paradeisos and has learned on her own. 

This leads to her starting ventures into unknown subjects cautiously at first as she tests the waters before she begins to dive into them in full, hungrily devouring anything and everything she can on the subject until she feels that she is satisfied with it. 

This is not something born of scholarly desire, but rather out of a desire to know what she can use and what can be used against her, alongside of it being something that she has the ability to choose to indulge in without being ordered to do so, it is also something she does to further cultivate her seemingly all knowing image to instill both respect and unease in those around her. 

Among the subjects she has studied are things such as tailoring, animal husbandry (Christina learned far too much regarding breeding habits of animals when she was researching it), entomology (She felt it wise to learn more about her arachnid foes), cooking, and cocktail making. 

49. It is a standing rumor in the Bureau that Shalom’s coat is able to repair itself, as no matter what is done to it, be it burned or slashed, it is always in immaculate condition the next time anyone sees her wearing it. 

The truth is much less fanciful though, as Shalom simply owns many copies of her coat that she can use when she is unable to fix one of them or have a tailor fix it for her, with her having allocated a rather large sum simply to replacing and repairing her coats when they get damaged. 

She at one point had to have a whole new batch made for her as, despite not being contaminated when the Garden and Langley unleashed a hell of spiders into her room, she one day went to put on one of her coats and found a rather large tarantula inside of it. 

How it got there, she had no idea, only knowing that it was the doing of someone in the Bureau, especially given she has spider-proofed her room to the best of her ability since the ‘prank’ pulled on her.

Needless to say, she promptly had Schorl burn each of her coats for safety reasons. 

50. She is very well aware of the irony of her name's meaning and of her profession and the deeds she has committed, with her finding it to be somewhat humorous in a rather dark way, with her using it as a part of several rather dark jokes that she makes when free of Schorl’s gaze. 

51. While Shalom claims to have something of a Black Thumb when it comes to gardening, few know just how bad her attempts at gardening have ended over the course of her attempts at it. 

As not only has she managed to kill the vast majority of her own plants, including ones that should not be easily killable by any stretch of imagination, but she has also managed to, through means known to not even Paradeisos, cause plants that others are tending to on her behalf to die whenever she tries any attempt at caring for them. 

She was particularly upset the day she managed to kill a rose that Rosa had given her, with the maid having to visit the Bureau to console her former employer over the matter, said maid would later confide to the Chief that the flower was artificial and it should not have been possible for it to die. 

52. Shalom very much enjoys egging people on when the chance arises, utilizing her position as a Paradeisian and her own connections to put people who have managed to earn her ire in a position of wishing to strike at her, but being unable to do so.

In particular, she enjoys doing this to high ranking officials or such that try and interfere in her aiding the Chief, finding the expressions they make as they grit their teeth in silent and indignant fury at her to be amusing to no small extent. 

She is confident that should anything occur, Rahu would protect her, though her bodyguard has told her many times to cease her antics or to at least reign in her antics so that she did not have to have her hands on her weapons everytime Shalom meets an official that annoyed her. 

The only response she received from Shalom was an amused smile and the faintest hint of exasperation from Schorl as the Hush went to another meeting with a board of officials, said meeting nearly devolved into a full on brawl due to her pitting them against one another as she sat back and enjoyed the show.

It is safe to say that Rahu has come to dread seeing Shalom smile during meetings. 

53. She has many times commissioned Cassia to make perfume for her, with her finding the perfumers products to be vastly superior to even the perfumes that she would find in luxury stores in Eastside. 

A part of the deal she has with Cassia is an exchange of fragrances so to speak, as she will let the perfumer take samples of her hair to make into perfume in exchange for custom perfumes, though her donations to help Cassia built her own Atelier within the Bureau don't hurt either. 

Cassia considers the perfume she has made from Shalom’s hair to be an oddity, not just due to it smelling of a form of flower she has not smelled before, her best guess being some form of lily, with a rather spicy undercurrent of something akin to cinnamon, but also the feeling of peace it seems to bring the one wearing it, though she claims the feeling of peace feels…unnatural to her.

The perfumer would work to refine the perfume made of Shalom’s hair for several months before she seemed to reach some form of breakthrough, though it did not seem to be a desirable one as she soon destroyed the product and went back to her earlier iteration of the scent. 

Why she did so, she would never say, but the look of pity and unease in her eyes when she looks at Shalom since her experiment ended, tells a tale all of its own. 

54. She finds Hella to be rather adorable, though she is admittedly somewhat envious of the sheer amount and depth of emotions the young Syndician can feel, along with the ease at which she is able to display and switch between them.

Nonetheless, she has come to be rather fond of the gremlin’s antics, with her considering it a pleasant interruption to her day whenever she sees the hellion causing chaos within the Bureau, with her having gone so far as to aid her in her escapes and antics for her own amusement. 

She is also oddly protective over the Syndician, as she has come to the conclusion that Hella is a vital component to the Chief’s happiness, and a valuable means of keeping her safe, and as such she takes many steps to insure that the little hellion is safe during her outings.

Hella once confronted her on the matter, surprising Shalom with her awareness of her involvement, the pair speaking for a while on their thoughts on the matter, with the Rat Queen Of Syndicate surprising Shalom with her maturity and intelligence during their conversation. 

In the end Hella agreed to endure her meddling and watch, in exchange for her monitoring and protecting Ninety-Nine as well, with the gremlin threatening Shalom with going to the Chief and ruining her image in the Chief’s eyes if anything happened to the Berserker.

Shalom had chuckled at the statement, an honest chuckle of amazed amusement at the girl's audacity, before she acquiesced to her demand with grace, smiling to herself as she re-evaluated her opinion on the girl who finished her tea before she left. 

Before Hella had left the room, however, she had asked her how it was she deduced that it was her that was involved, something which made Hella pause before she turned to look at her over her shoulder and said-

“I had a hunch it was someone high up, didn't know who though, so I took a gamble on it being you and you confirmed it for me.”

Shalom had been incredulous for a moment before she began to chuckle once more, basking in both her surprise and the genuine emotion she felt as she watched the young woman leave, silently vowing to herself to see the full potential of the young girl one day.

55. And the final one, is that Shalom fully expects to never truly achieve her happy ending and to die before she can be fully free of the shadow of Paradeisos, to never be able to watch movies with the Chief, see Rahu freed from her hatred, watch as Christina and Thistle grow together, or witness Coquelic and her Garden claim their own pound of flesh from both the Underground and Paradeisos.

 Because of this, everything she has done and continues to do is her rigging the board as much in favor of the Chief and those she feels deserve it as possible, all to insure that once she is gone they will still be safe and can reach their own happiness.

She knows that nothing she has done can make up for even a fraction of the sins she has committed, but at the very least she hopes that these sins can pave the way to heaven for her loved ones while she descends into hell where the Hush belongs. 

She could burn with a smile on her face, so long as she knows they will be safe and happy.

And with any luck, she will drag Paradeisos down to the depths of hell with her, so that they can all burn along with the monster they created. 

Author’s Note: Well this has been a lengthy one, I apologize for the rather long delay with this chapter, life, writer’s block, and other projects kept me busy and left me little time to truly focus on this chapter, but I am quite content with it and feel that it is at a good enough point to call it for now. 

We hope you all enjoyed this mess of a chapter, and we hope to hear your own headcanons and thought on Shalom if you wish to share them with us. 

That said, we are going to try and update either our other PtN fic with a Shalom Chapter, or our Genshin Fic.

Either way, stay safe and take care all.

[princess-of-luxure]

Psst, I recently started a Path to Nowhere headcanons and imagines blog and the inbox is woefully empty if you want to check it out! @ptn-imagines

[thekittyokat]

you ever just have a lot, a LOT of feelings all at once about a character and not even remotely enough words or brainpower to FORM the words to describe everything you're feeling. so it feels like you may explode. yeah

[eeulysian]

⟡ . WHAT KIND OF CELEBRITY WOULD THE GIRLS BE?

☆ . model

๋✧˚ · . expect them to appear in countless magazines, see them at the met gala and red carpet. they're the ones who easily catch people's eye

— eula, NINGGUANG, dehya, yelan, KAFKA, LA SIGNORA, raiden ei, himeko, countess chelsea, yukong, shalom, CABERNET, BLACK SWAN, aponia, raiden mei, chameleon

☆ . idol/singer

๋✧˚ · . you'll be seeing lots of edits of them everywhere on social media. they're the internet sensation, and everyone's newfound music taste

— keqing, ganyu, SERVAL, yoimiya, ayaka, EDEN, kiana, NILOU, BARBARA, kirara, XINYAN, march 7th, ELEVEN, ROBIN

☆ . actress

✧˚ · . they never fail to grasp your attention in a show or movie. you've seen them alot of times, and they have millions of fans fawning over them

— YAE MIKO, clorinde, TINGYUN, furina, eirene, coquelic, topaz, lisa, jean, RUAN MEI, fu xuan, navia, elysia

© 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝗲𝘂𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻. 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁.

[ptnia19773882]

No peeking 🫣

RahuChief doodle before i work on comms

[kinokoshoujoart]

the coolest kids in forgotten valley!!☆

(…it seems there may have been a stretch of time where rock and lumina were the only kids in forgotten valley…🥲)

poseref

[lirational]

Purity and Pretense

Fallen Angel!Shalom x Reader

Note: Drabble inspired from this post by @sinful-lanterns

Warnings: Religious themes, slight prayer-blasphemg that doesn’t come from existing religions, fingering, and oral.

—

Deprivation fuels desire, emboldens curiosity, and entices even the innocent to sink into the abyss.

Purity, said to be a gift left within each human soul as the Creator sculpts them from stardust and hopes, a mirror that reflects how their souls were infused with the Creator’s wishes. With it, each human was allowed the chance to shine, to chase the sun, the symbol of the Creator, and kneel in reverence, the chance to reflect Their radiance being the only promised reward.

A gift that allows access to a reward that may well be illusionary. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call it a curse, a shackle that deprives the human soul from possibilities hiding within the dark.

As you kneeled on the stone floor, once clean clothes now tattered and stained with evidence of the sins you chose to embrace, your eyes focus on the fallen angel sitting on the stone altar in front of you, her gaze chaining you to the floor. Even though she, your master, has fallen from grace, with her wings no longer pure white, stained in graying black and glowing blue, she was still the epitome of beauty and grace, refinement and power.

“Offer your prayer, little one, or have you fallen so far you lost your reason?”

“Please, Shalom, I can’t do this anymore. I need, I need–”

Your body quivered, desire permeating each word. No longer were you able to hold onto any shred of sanity, your body begging, begging, craving for a taste of the ambrosia she would allow you to indulge as you were pleasing her.

“Offer your prayer, then. Go on, call the Creator, let Them bless and witness the pleasure of life you were about to partake in.”

Her voice drips with promise, honeyed enticement and tainted radiance that pulls– no, spurs your body to crawl closer. You were close, so close, the scent and taste of her lingering in the air just beneath her robes. A dry swallow, all from the sweet fragrance that was so close, and there, you pressed your head to the floor in reverent prayer, then, you took the final step, before you fell into the abyss.

“Oh, our Creator, ruler of the skies above,”

Perhaps it was proof that the place was once a holy one meant to worship, as each word tumbled from your lips, it echoed through the ruined halls, and Shalom drank each word, eyes gleaming in desire at the sincere plea. Despite everything, despite how she saw the human kneeling before her had almost drowned, their purity clouded with unending, insatiable thirst, the power behind the belief to the Creator still fuels their prayer, power intertwined between each syllable.

“Thy name the most sacred– ah!” Shalom had moved from her seating position, and then, a sharp pain on your ass. She had moved away from her seat, and thanks to her strike, a stinging pain interrupted your thoughts.

“I don’t recall telling you to stop.”

“-may thy sovereign rule last forevermore. From the firmament above, to–” another strike, to your unmarred butt cheek this time, and you barely remembered to continue, “-to the lands below, thy will be done.”

A cold, almost loving caress of fingers to your stinging cheeks, and your words died in your throat. She punished you with another spank, and another as you opened your mouth. “Nourish our–”

The feeling of a slap to the aching bud between your legs almost caused you to lose all train of thoughts, tears streaming down your face and seeping into the stone floors below. Again, you stopped.

“Remember my order, pet, I won’t remind you again.”

“Nourish our souls, give the traces of our marred sins a thorough cleanse.”

Shalom licked your earlobe, giving it a quick nibble. With a whisper, she reminded you, “From today, as your soul and your purity sinks to the abyss, you belong to me.”

Selfish, selfish and full of want, such was the nature of fallen angels, creatures made of light created to serve, to praise and sing and echo the name of the Creator across everything Their will reaches. After the fall, their love of worship were twisted, corrupted, and mirrored into a void of want that will never be satisfied, perhaps a manifested dark side of always being the one to give, bend over, and praise a thing that could not even bother to truly cherish the beings They claimed to love most.

“Look at me, look at me like you would look at that Creator,” she hissed the last word, full of disdain that her refined visage would have never revealed before. “Praise me, love me, and call my name, and you will want for nothing.”

“Bestow us the will,” you continued, “to for–,” a finger slipped into your sopping wet folds, stopping in time as your breath hitched at the intrusion, “to forgive, and– mmh!” another joined in, scissoring motions causing your thighs to quiver, your will scattering everywhere as the hunger for Shalom’s touch felt sharper.

“Wrong, repeat the line,” She chided, her movements stopped, waiting for you to fulfill her order.

In that moment, you had surrendered your dignity, your place, your connection to a promise that might never have seen any fulfillment, all to the true, honest, and pure pleasure that you had seen, felt, and sensed with your very flesh.

“To forgive, the way I– no, the way we all shall be forgiven under–”

A gentle, sharp press at that sweet spot had you clenching, almost stumbling in your words as you barely hung on to the order she gave you, “forgiven under the eternal grace.”

“Excellent.” Shalom was still moving her fingers in and out, her lazy movements stimulating you all the same. The pad of her thumb pressed and rubbed circles onto your sensitive nub, eliciting noises that painted the pure prayer with tainted cries. “Come, just a little more, just a little more and you will be rewarded.”

You obey, with glee, not caring even as all traces of your devotion was subsumed, corrupted into a need to worship the beautiful angel in front of you. There was nothing more to desire than to follow your angel, your goddess, even as you both sunk into the endless dark, or would it be more accurate to soar to higher heights?

After all, the pleasure mounting in your veins, gathering in your lower belly, felt as pleasing, as free as soaring on the skies.

“When desires– ah, –lead us astray, we beg–��

Unbeknownst to you, Shalom allowed herself a small smile at the irony.

“We beg for the Creator’s deliverance, as–”

“Slow down.”

You were close, so close, and it took the skin of your teeth to take a deep, shuddering breath. Shalom was teasing you, that much was clear, but every attempt to press yourself closer, to finally break in sweet bliss, was denied, replaced by the inferior pleasure of her orders and praise. “Continue, properly this time.”

“For this is thy domain, thy glory and power–”

You shivered, she was brushing close to that sweet spot again. As each word left your trembling lips, the pleasure only heightens.

“That nothing shall eclipse.”

With that final word, you shattered, broken apart as your juices dripped down from your thighs, her fingers, and splattered into the floors. With a filthy, wet noise, Shalom withdrew her fingers and took her seat on the altar, exposing her clit. An invitation to partake while she licked her fingers, tongue swirling to savor your essence.

“Good girl, now, come, take your reward,” she said in-between licks.

As you lapped at her folds, her eyes held your attention, savoring the utter obedience once reserved for gods.

[ptn-imagines]

I don’t know why but I have been thinking about Shalom and Rahu x fem!paradesis (or however you spell it) reader. Like they’re paired up for missions and stuff 😭😭😭

Here you go, anon! I figure that any Paradeisian that dates Rahu and Shalom is either already doubting Paradeisos or can be radicalized quickly. Also, these headcanons are mostly canon-compliant, but assume two divergences: 1) Rahu has been Shalom's bodyguard for longer than in canon, and 2) Paradeisos suspects something is fucky with Shalom. I spent a lot of time focusing on the pre-relationship, so if you want more, feel free to ask for a continuation!

This is 2.2k words, by the way. So I'm putting it under a cut to respect people's dashes.

Shalom and Rahu x Fem Paradeisos!Reader

When you first get paired with them for missions, they’re both… distant. On their guard.

Shalom is so polite and pleasant with you, it’s eerie. Rahu simply deigns not to talk to you unless you do so first, and when she does speak with you, her responses are short and sharp.

You’re used to the politics of Paradeisos leaving little room for niceties and frivolity, but these two feel like it’s something else. You can’t help but feel that you’re missing something you should really be aware of, but when you look around you, no one else seems to be bothered by it. Not even Shalom’s Schorl. Maybe it’s all in your head?

(You know that it isn’t, but what can you do about it?)

Honestly, you have no idea why your superiors keep assigning you with these two. Doesn’t Shalom have the entire HUSH system at her disposal, not just Rahu? And that’s without even mentioning the incredible power of her Schorl. All of it reeks of Paradeisian politics and you can’t help but feel like you’re just a pawn in a very intense game of chess with countless dimensions. Well, everyone is, but usually you can ignore the fact and get on with your duties. Not this time.

When your superiors have you report in secret at the end of the first month, you’re sure of it. They ask you all sorts of questions, but all of them relate to one topic – Shalom’s loyalty. It was in question? You’re baffled. You’re not privy to the details of her situation, it’s far above your station, but Shalom still never seemed like the type of person who’d betray Paradeisos. Rahu, maybe… but your superiors seemed to care as little for the Hush’s bodyguard as one would care for a slug beneath their boot.

Still, what can you do but answer honestly? You’ve not seen anything strange from either of them that would call their loyalty into question. You have no idea if this is the answer Paradeisos wanted to hear; the official you are speaking to has a completely unreadable expression, as always. He simply takes a few more notes and dismisses you, thanking you for your cooperation.

This continues, and you have to report on Shalom and Rahu’s activities every month. You get the feeling that the pair know why you’re truly here, and that’s why they’re so cautious of you. You don’t really blame them, as while you don’t have any evidence, you’re pretty sure that they must have something to hide. Paradeisos won’t care about mere speculation, though; it’s a blessing in some ways, since the unease you’ve been feeling about this whole situation has only grown stronger.

Paradeisos has really fucked up somehow; it’s the only impression you get of the whole thing. Much as it makes you feel like you’re walking directly into the lion’s den, you quickly come to the conclusion that you’ll never know peace unless you figure out just what is going on behind the scenes.

It’s impossible to catch Shalom without her Schorl, and you don’t want it reporting on your actions to Paradeisos. You’re not as valuable to them as the Hush, you’re expendable; if they so much as suspected your betrayal as they did with her, you’d be executed immediately. That left you with only one choice; speaking to Rahu. It was not a thrilling prospect.

Rahu didn’t like being in your company at the best of times, so interrupting her during a moment of repose did no favors for her mood. Her dark eyes glowered at you, lips twisted into a frown, almost a snarl. Still, it wouldn’t help her temper any more if you just left without saying anything, so you steeled your resolve and forged ahead.

“Rahu, sorry to interrupt you like this. I just want to ask you a few questions,” you began, and it wasn’t exactly Paradeisian to want to wither under somebody’s gaze, but the bodyguard looked for all the world like she was imagining one hundred different ways to kill you here and now. “It’s about you and Shalom… At the end of each of these past few months, Paradeisos has been asking me strange questions, ones that seem to call Shalom’s loyalty into question, and I wanted to know–”

You didn’t get to finish your sentence before Rahu lunged for you; you could hold your own in combat, but you were no match for a powerful Sinner like Rahu. The struggle could barely be called that, and within moments you were pinned helplessly on the ground, Rahu’s blade a hair’s breadth from your neck, bloody fury making her silver eyes seem to glow. Even as it marked your imminent demise, they were as breathtaking as they were terrifying.

“I knew you were a Paradeisian mole,” she growled, her hot breath tickling your face. “Shalom said the best thing to do was keep acting normal, but if you’re getting this nosy, no need to keep you around any longer.”

Her blade pressed into your skin, droplets of blood welling to the surface. You weren’t going to survive this – she wouldn’t listen to anything you had to say – but you resolved to keep your eyes open and at least face your demise with some degree of dignity.

However, that final blow never came. Instead, you heard the door swinging open, and Shalom’s voice sighed. “Did you two get into a fight? Rahu, let her up. I’m sure whatever you were arguing about isn’t worth killing her over.”

Rahu gave you a venomous look, but obeyed her lady’s orders, standing up and withdrawing. You were left on the floor, reeling in shock, unable to process what had just happened and instinctively taking Shalom’s offered hand. It was softer than you thought.

“Please forgive Rahu for her outburst,” Shalom said to you with a smile that almost felt sincere. “She’s been restless lately. I should have paid better attention to her. I’ll talk with her to make sure this doesn’t happen again. May I treat your wound?”

You’re honestly too shocked to do anything but accept her offer, and she guides you to sit down. Her hands are surgeon-steady as she dabs disinfectant into your wound – a shallow cut, really, it didn’t call for this almost-clinical care – and she’s surprisingly tender about it. Your heart flutters even as you press your lips together to silence a hiss of pain.

That month, the stern-faced official who receives your reports asks you a new question. “Schorl reported that you were attacked by the Hush’s bodyguard. Could you report the incident in more detail? We will eliminate the rogue element if it will prove a threat to your work.”

Your work, more like a threat to Paradeisos. You paused, careful to make it look like you were taking a moment to recall the incident. Without a doubt, this was a test from Shalom. Apparently, she had seen something that she was willing to trust in you, despite everything; she had to have known that what provoked Rahu to almost kill you wasn’t just a simple disagreement. Yet, the fact that she dared to issue this test in the first place… Surely she knew that you had the power to have her most trustworthy ally killed, right here, right now. Knowing her reputation, that meant only one thing: she was sure you’d cover for her and Rahu.

She was right. You spun a story about how you’d accidentally provoked a spike in Rahu’s Mania, which, in a Sinner as volatile and powerful as her, had quickly led to violence. You were pretty sure this would get Shalom scolded for not disciplining her dog better (you were certain that’s how Paradeisos viewed Rahu), but that was a mere slap on the wrist compared to the alternative.

When you next returned to Erica Villa, Rahu was waiting for you. You half-expected her to finish the job from last time, seeing as her gaze upon you was still distrustful. At least it wasn’t downright venomous anymore. Instead, she just grabbed you by the arm – firmly, but not roughly – and muttered “we need to talk” before dragging you into a room and locking it behind her.

Inside this locked room, Rahu admits that Shalom’s loyalty is to nobody but herself, and Rahu will faithfully serve her lady alone until her dying breath. She doesn’t know the details, but Shalom’s plan would ultimately undermine both the Underground and Paradeisos. The first thing was undoubtedly a good thing, and you were starting to suspect the second might not be so bad. Apparently, since you hadn’t reported the true nature of Rahu’s attack to your superiors, you were seen as a possible ally, trustworthy enough to be privy to Shalom’s designs – “but if you become a liability, I’ll kill you where you stand,” Rahu added.

You had no intentions of betraying these two, of course, so you accepted the offer so graciously posed to you. Rahu still didn’t look like she was entirely happy with the arrangement, but she was willing to yield to Shalom’s judgment. So it was that you began aiding the two properly; Shalom would give orders to Rahu through their special connection, who would then pass them on to you. Paradeisos didn’t cease their monitoring of the pair, but didn’t seem to be aware that you were no longer serving their interests, which worked out well.

This new arrangement gave you a chance to be closer to Rahu and Shalom, too, and it caused you to notice things you’d never paid attention to before. Rahu was a gruff, scarred soldier, but there was a certain melancholy in her eyes that caused tides of sorrow to swell within your own heart. She protected Shalom, and to an extent, you, so faithfully, but sometimes you couldn’t help but feel as if she was the one who needed a guardian… and every now and again, it seemed as though Shalom filled that role for her, bringing her a much-needed comfort.

Shalom, on the other hand… You started to notice she was not as machine-like as she first appeared. How much of her typical pleasantry was a farce, you didn’t know; that was par for the course with Paradeisians. But what she couldn’t fake was the warm glow in her eyes when her gaze lingered on Rahu, or the way her touches lasted a moment longer than they needed to when she tended to the bodyguard’s cuts and scrapes (and occasionally more serious wounds). Schorl didn’t notice it, perhaps couldn’t notice it, but you did. It almost looked like… love? But that was impossible, wasn’t it? If Rahu and Shalom were in a secret relationship, surely you’d know by now. Surely that was something you could be trusted with? You had to admit, it sounded kind of cute, even if it made your heart twist in an uncomfortable way.

Well, you guessed it wasn’t really any of your business. You tried to put it out of mind…

“Huh?” You were sure you’d misheard Rahu. “You… want me to join your relationship?”

Rahu rolled her eyes, but the effect was largely lost due to the pink flush that ran from her cheeks to her ears. “If you don’t want to, just say so, and we’ll forget this conversation ever happened.”

Of course, you very much did want to join their relationship, and you accepted with a giddy glee that Paradeisos would surely disapprove of. Good thing they’d never know.

Dating Shalom and Rahu was… interesting. Dating Rahu was definitely the easier part, as far as the traditional image of a relationship went – without Schorl’s 24/7 monitoring, you two were able to steal plenty of private moments in locked rooms. Rahu wasn’t much of a talker, so your relationship with her is full of passionate physicality. She kisses you like she’s drowning and you’re her only source of oxygen, and you often have to remind her not to leave marks in places that are hard to hide. You suspect she’s compensating for not being able to touch her other girlfriend, and the marks you do permit her to leave tend to last for days, both silent declarations of devotion and territorial claims to spite Paradeisos, even if they would never know.

Schorl made dating Shalom a whole lot harder than you would’ve liked. You can’t say pretty words of adoration or cuddle and kiss each other without landing you both in scalding water that may very well end with you all three of you killed. So, you have to compensate with more subtle acts of love, such as waking up early to make breakfast in bed for the other instead of one of the maids, or finding excuses to pretty much stay glued to one another for “protection” during missions. It’s not easy, but now that you know how Shalom expresses her love, you are never left in doubt of her feelings.

Despite how difficult the relationship can be at times, you’d never consider breaking up with Shalom and Rahu. You’re overwhelmingly happy, and you hope every day that Shalom’s labor will soon bear its fruits, and you’ll all be free from your yokes – or at the very least, that Paradeisos won’t bring you all crashing back down to earth.

[nomorefstogive]

just some random idea I have on my mind. So both Shalom and Hecate are experiments of Paradeisos, they also have this Mania monster that are the emotions of that Sinner. So hear me out Chief and their like Mania creature thing? I remember scrolling through tumblr someone mentioned that Shalom said we are already a monster before they taken in us, like the person said what if in a literal way. Chief with their Mania form, their Mania form is strong because of the shackles connecting or supressing mania from Sinner, i headcanon they have a deep hatred on the Paradeisos. So yeah...(sorry 4 my bad English because it's not my first language)

🦀

Don't worry about the poor english you did very good, it's my first language and I have trouble with it at times too, so you are not alone my friend lol.

I would also like to preface this by apologizing if this reply is something of a mess, I am a little tired at the moment and trying to be concise and orderly with my thoughts and words is difficult for me on a good day lol.

As for the idea of the Chief being a Mania Monster similar to Nightmare or Rebel, it is an idea I have considered, my own theory is that the Chief has some type of bond or tie to the Perishing Star, given they were present during the Keylan Expedition and how easy it seems to be for the Illusory Moon and Mania to reach out to them during the Immortals events.

I feel that the chief is some kind of progeny or offspring of Mania, a sliver of humanity and hope given shape and form by Mania when it struck the earth and began to coalesce and seize power as it took dominion of the world from mankind, for either a long con or for other reasons thus far unknown.

Or perhaps it could be more apt to say that they were severed from Mania, with Mania as we know it reflecting the darkness and madness of the human psyche while the chief was to embody the opposite, being a beacon of control and order amidst the madness, something that humanity, so desperate for hope, would latch onto and nurture for the sake of its own survival.

The alternative to this is that the chief is something else entirely, some kind of entity that may have once been a part of Mania itself, or perhaps something else entirely, a wildcard left to roam free so as to grow and swell in might to be of better use come the time they are needed.

Apologies for the brief rant, I got off topic lol.

I agree with the chief having a deep resentment for Paradeisos, something that they themselves are likely unaware of the sheer depth of due to the interrupted rejuvenation leading to their memories being wiped before the story began...something which is oddly coincidental if you think about it.

I digress.

On the Subject of the Chief's power coming from them linking with the sinners and suppressing/controlling their mania, I agree that seems to be the case for their own growing strength.

That said, it makes me think that if their power is indeed growing with every Sinner they shackle, then the 'Rules' of Paradeisos are the only thing keeping the rising typhoon of manic power at bay, though one can only wonder how long such barriers will last.

If the Chief is indeed some form of Mania entity, something which is strongly hinted at in canon as well given some of the liens the Corpseborne and Parma say about the Chief, then it stands to reason that they could be either a defective corpseborn, as some seem to believe, or perhaps they are the final product of the process.

A being that is indistinguishable from a human and yet endowed with great and terrible power that grows more and more as mania spreads, as if their power is indeed growing with each sinner that is shackled and every corpus they consume, then one has to try and picture just what kind of monster the Chief will be when they are returned to full power and the 'Rules' fail.

I feel that when such a thing occurs, and it will occur, the Chief's old persona will resurface in full and Dis will be granted audience with a Vassal of Mania whose power exceeds any and all things they have witnessed before as Mania calls its Shepherd to its side once more to settle old scores with Paradeisos and the Underground alike.

Again, I apologize for going off course and starting to ramble, it tends to happen more often than not lol.

I feel that is all I have for this at the moment so I will leave this here, stay safe and take care.

[sharpsuite]

Path to Nowhere AU Headcanon

As stated, Chishiya is a VERY well known East Side doctor, both due to his family's history in the medical field as well as having attended the most prestigious school and graduating as valedictorian alongside Iron. He is a part of the most renowned and successful hospital within East Side where he's often requested. His clinic is TECHNICALLY a part of the hospital but he's left to operate it mostly on his own with simply adjustments to company policies. To the eyes of East Side, Chishiya has everything. The money, the status, the influence (political and otherwise), the glowing reviews from people. No one suspects anything when it comes to him. He is who you want to be, or what you want your children to dream to achieve.

FRANKLY, CHISHIYA FINDS IT ALL RATHER DULL.

The reality is that Chishiya's East Side image and choice to work at the hospital, while genuine in his skills and achievements, is a way for him to gain information and use cutting-edge technology. When you have some of the most powerful or secretive people coming to you for treatments, YOU'RE BOUND TO LEARN THINGS. Things that aren't meant to be told, not to the public at last. And if there's a little bit of coercion to spill information while under medical influence, well, who can prove it?

Chishiya has a separate clinic as well that the public and his work are left UNAWARE OF. This one is kept underground ; a secret held by a few. There's no fancy building front, no signs advertising it. The inside however is clean and cold, sterile and professional grade, carefully renovated in secret. It's at odds with the outside of the building that is so generic that it makes it hard to distinguish from anything else in the area. It's a place known by WORD OF MOUTH for those who need it. Sinners who would be rejected elsewhere, those members of districts that the government would seek to crush, the trusted few let into the secret by other patients.

ITS NOT OUT OF KINDNESS. Chishiya doesn't seek to cure Mania, although he does understand it and can help handle it to some degree. It's more because he's INTERESTED in them. Of course interest doesn't pay bills, there's charges but his skills are unmatched. It's a mutual benefit situation: the patients get medical treatment they'd never get elsewhere, and Chishiya gets some interest flamed and gets information, along with people who are willing to help this secret operation. Sometimes Chishiya is GENEROUS ENOUGH to offer some information to keep those clients safe or let them slip through grasps. But it's not kindness. It's effectiveness just as much as it is the risk of MUTUAL DESTRUCTION that keeps fosters a good relationship between these secret patients and him.

He isn't always there ; even an S-rank sinner like him needs to sleep. But he's usually there at the odd hours where patients are likely to show late into the night and when he isn't expected to be at the main hospital for the sake of his image.. He does have a secret cell phone as well, one that he gives the number for to for a very, very select few people so if they have need of him outside of his usual hours, they are able to get ahold of him. Or vise versa for certain circumstances.

[zorkaya-moved]

PATH TO NOWHERE VERSE — AWAKENING AS A SINNER, MASS GRAVE AND LOST PAST.

Before [OAK CASKET] was one who you know now and today, a woman with dual colored glasses who is obsessed with death and the wishes of the deceased, her life was quite different. Before awakening as a sinner, life had a reason behind it and life had a meaning behind it. [OAK CASKET] was known as Zarina Sokolova, a daughter and the oldest sister who wanted to encourage her family to move forward and bring more power to Syndicate. Born and raised in the shattered world where no safety is promised and death waits on each turn. But then, everything changed. Everything was taken away.

A terrifying incident where everything was lost. Golden eyes open only to see horrifying expressions right next to her, death's gaze stares straight at her and the girl screams. The girl cries as she understands that the face frozen in death's horror and scream was her own mother, but then she looks around and sees her brothers and her father, all faces frozen in an expression of pain and fear. But it's not all, it's not all at all. Death lingers around her, she hears the voices and they scream, they whisper. Despite all dead bodies, there is silence around but she hears those she loves speak to her even if their faces are frozen in horrific expressions. The girl doesn't know how she is still alive, her body aches and she feels like she's returned from the dead.

Blood and gore, blood and gore, she throws up in that mass grave and cries and screams. The blood, the mud, the vomit and all feel like everything was purged from inside her. The past, the life before, the future fully open with a clean slate born of misery and loss. And then, she tried to get out of that mass grave. Countless bodies, countless voices murmuring around her, the sound of rain making it harder to get out. It's wet and dirty and it feels like clawing through the circles of hell, one after another. It's hard to breathe with the smell of rotten flesh and blood and dirt, but the girl continued to try and escape, to live, to get out of there. Her family's bodies left behind as she climbed out, screaming with her throat torn apart raw from her previous cries and throwing up. But she still did everything to get out, her fingers cakes in dirt and blood, but somehow her wounds were healed but her mind was shattered and torn apart.

Death was all around and now inside of her as well, she noticed that. The dead around were victims of Mania, she knew it all because she heard of this mass grave before, but now it was her living nightmare and her reality. The girl would do everything to climb out of the hole filled with death, rot and farewell before crying again, body and clothes dirty.

It was baptism through Death's embrace, the cold hands of Death would save her from resting and perishing by upbringing her back from the abyss and back into the reality. It was not the end and her mission was not yet completed. Aspayment for salvation, now she would become the Listener, the Embracer, the Farewell and the face of Death itself.

The girl who lived before was also abandoned back in that Mass Grave, a nameless one would be walking around until she'll stumble upon others who would help her and save her. Nameless, fatherless, motherless, she no longer had anything to call her own and call herself. Everything she was would be buried under piles of bodies and rot and dirt because only through the rain's purifying effect would she rid herself of dirt from the past and would come out a new person.

It would take weeks for her to start picking the voices apart, they whisper and they scream, they cry and they wail. She starts to notice the differences, the sounds, the tones, the way they speak. And finally, she hears it all clearly and listens to their wishes: I want to rest, I don't want my body to be seen like this, I miss mom, I can't breathe, I am scared, I am going to die. Save me, save me, SAVE ME.

It would take another week for her to find her new name as she stumbles across a forgotten church, its visage only makes the empty eyes of the nameless girl become more crystal clear but also crystal cold. There is no God in this world, there is no need to pray, there is no need to hope for someone to exist after this rotten living world and its torture. And so, the girl would find clothes and make it her temple. A temple where God will never enter and a temple where Death will be its sole resident.

The girl would put on a cross to become the emissary of the dead, she would witness the lament and the prayers but she would offer what God has never offered: Eternal peace. Because it seemed like God will never hear the cries of the rotten and forgotten, but she will. Because why not? If she's become a Sinner, she will sin until the day she meets Death like an old friend and receive one last kiss on her forehead. She was reborn through mud, and rot, and death.

Now it's time to open the doors to the Romanesque Hall and invite all who are lost to pray upon Death's mercy because in its own land Death can be kind. But the emissary of the dead has no kindness and no warmth left, but she will live. Live as she wants with no regrets for she is reborn under the chosen name of OAK CASKET. And nothing can be taken away from her aside from her own life. So why not witness the variety of death and the variety of wishes people leave behind?

For she is the Listener and she is Death.

[eeulysian]

hm enough smut for today, i kinda got tired of it.. sigh, maybe i ate too much. anyhoo, what do u feel about [insert charac] x shy!reader? ^_^ lllike imagine chRCter being all extrovert, party addict, and fun then there's this little lost zoul clinging on the charactwr's arm TT it's be such a cute relationship i swear.

idk what character that would be fit for this role...

reader being shy and possessive after the party (overthinks a lot as well.. im not romanticizing that btw) AKSJDHJEBDHEHEJWHEHU——

“you were talking to them the whole time, u shouldn't have brought me here with u.. they didn't need me there anyway,” tsk. tsk. character ends up cimforting and doing whatever reader wants becuz they neglected them wayy.. too much. (if this even makes sense, im half asleep writing this)🦈🦈🦈🦈 ermm.. im not requesting a fic btw! ur free to make it into one tho. :D

I LOVE THIS TROPE SOO MUCH. its one of my favourite tropes. its like, in terms of animal tropes, it would be golden retriever x black cat. the characters i have in mind for this areeee.... topaz, serval, bai yi, beidou, elysia and kafka. i think all of them would definitely be a perfect fit for this kind of trope. not a fic but just a little short imagine!!

forced to be invited to this rich kid's mansion party by college gf!(char) because she wants to taste the drinks there, eat the food and have fun with other people. you kept refusing at first, because your introverted ass cannot handle crowds. you'd look like a small, crying kitten in the midst of the crowd. you know you'd be pushed here and there, hearing crazy screams and shouting, with rave music in the background and you hated it. in the end, you gave in and was dragged to the mansion by (char). in there was so many people, chatting, laughing, having fun and dancing to the music. (char) saw a friend and ran after them, forgetting you were there with her. 30 minutes passed, you were standing in a corner, a little further from the crowd and you started getting anxious, wondering where she is and why she just left you like that. you decided to just swarm and squiggle into the crowd to find her, feeling your social battery get drained even more. and you spotted her talking with her friend, because her hair color just stood out alot. you ran after her and shyly hugged her from behind, trying to silently tell her that she forgot about you and that you're still here. she flinched a little, but knowing it was you, she gave you an apologetic smile and told her friend that you're her girlfriend in case they were confused.

"y/n, i'm sorry i accidentally left you behind. it wont happen again, i promise", she told you, but you still felt a little insecure that she just... left you like that for a friend. "no it's fine, maybe i shouldn't have been here anyways if i wasn't so important. i don't like parties anyways." you blurted out. she noticed you looked and even sounded sad from that tone, she knew she was going to have to make it up to you with hugs, kisses and snacks when you two get home tonight. she apologizes once again, and tells her friend that she'll be going home earlier to avert her attention more to you. she feels guilty, but she knows you meant no harm and you can't help feeling like that. but she just loves taking care of you and reassuring you anyways, no matter if you guys have huge differences, contrasts and are considered total opposites by others. they say opposites attracts anyways 🤭

[serenofroses]

writing muse friendship ended with swtor.

now starting writing muse friendship with Path to Nowhere.