grossg1rly16

[falskihundr]

Recent events (literally) have me thinking about how I choose to ship Bloodhound--which is with Revenant, primarily. And how people often misconstrue why, and what about them appeals to me. For me, Revhound is not a 'fix-it' ship. It's not about Revenant learning to better himself, stop his horrid behavior, or learning to be a good person through the power of Love And Friendship.

'Devotion that corrupts' is one of my favorite tropes, for a number of reasons. And in the case of Revhound, specifically, it has an even greater appeal. A man who believes in absolute nothingness, who was worshiped once, corrupting a paragon of faith.

The idea that Bloodhound would look upon Revenant, who is volatile and manipulative and narcissistic, and they are fascinated by him; enamored with the machinery he's built of, heartbroken by the human soul that has been forcibly trapped within. They are obsessed with the idea that they can help him--that they, as the proclaimed 'Allfather's Knife', can cut the ties that bind Revenant and set him free.

And they don't realize how he corrodes them by proximity. How their morals begin to skew over time, and how far they are willing to go to achieve granting him that salvation. How 'searching for answers' becomes 'aggressive interrogation' becomes 'cutting through swaths of facilities filled with human beings' . . . except they can no longer see these people as human. They can only see Hammond's logo.

These are not buildings full of people. This is a rot to be culled. This is necessary.

For me, Revhound isn't about True Love prevailing above all else. It is about Revenant ripping the Allfather's Knife directly out of Odin's hand and using it to carve out god's remaining eye, and then turning that blade on himself to achieve oblivion at the end.

Revenant will use Bloodhound to find what he needs, and then he will die, and he will leave them a more malicious person for it. And they won't even realize.

[pinkiealexie]

Guardian Angel...?! ✟ Adam

NOTE :

I haven't wrote in forevah so these are simple headcanons (pretty much a one shot just in bullet points) of Adam dealing with being the guardian angel of a modern day teenager. Our beloved reader! Reader is in high school and very much hispanic/latino coded. THIS IS PLATONIC!!!

WARNING(S) : Adam being his own warning, average teenager crap, short and messy, not proof read

Adam was NOT thrilled to learn that he'd have to be 'babysitting' some loser named "Y/N". All he could do was try to bitch and moan his way out of it to Sera but his complaints fell on deaf ears as there was no getting out of it. I quote "All angels must do it at some point while they're in heaven." Sera spoke with a stern tone. Psshhhhh, he knew that, but he didn't think that meant it would also apply to him. Now he didn't have as much time to do his chicks and gigs but it is what it is. From what he remembers about being a guardian angel, all he had to do was...

1. Protect them

2. Get them to avoid sin

3. Guide them from Point A to Point B

That shouldn't be TOO hard.

✟ First time back down on Earth since he died and the first thing he sees is you screaming "KILL YOURSELF" at someone in voice chat. Damn did you scream louder than the bitch he fucked last week. Already he wanted to leave but he had to stay with you for at least a couple times a week. Not only that but your room was a MESS! Don't you know sloth is a sin?? Empty bottles of water are scattered everywhere and your desk was a mess, things were collecting dust, and your bed is so undone like you were just raw dogging someone or being raw dogged

✟ After the first day of watching over you he could already tell that you were far from the path of god and possibly make him go insane from boredom so his genius little mind thought that if he was going to do this, then he was going to make it fun for himself

✟ Adam began to purposely knock things over in your house, rearrange items around, and call your out your name only for you to see no one. He found it hilarious that your seemed to piss your pants and think your house was possessed, he especially loved doing these things after you decided to watch any type of horror media at night or if you were home by yourself

✟ The jokes and laughs got boring very quickly since your reaction was always the same. After a bit he remembered that there was no rule that he couldn't show himself to the kid. Sure it should be obvious and common sense to not reveal yourself as all the other guardian angels never did it but that's an imaginary rule so it's not an official rule. Therefore, he isn't breaking ANY of the rules

You grumbled in pain as you had woken up with a bad migraine in the morning, the only upside was that your mom let you stay home from school today. Speaking of your mother, she had made you some caldo de res before heading to work so you'd feel better along with a cold can of sprite. As you were about to eat some of the caldo you saw the vase of a plant slightly move from the corner of your eye which paused your eating. Ever since last month your house had some creepy ghost shit happening and you were sure that you'd end up in a padded white room if you told anyone anything.

You decided not to pay it any attention as you took one last bite of your warm caldo until the vase fell off the shelf and crashed onto the floor.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE DEMON!"

You felt silly for shouting at an empty space in your home but you had enough of whatever spirit was haunting you, and your headache was not making it any better.

After a few seconds of silence you heard an very offended voice from behind you "Okay first of all, I'm not a fucking demon, second, don't yell at empty spaces unless you want people to think that you're a schizophrenie."

Were you dreaming?! Was this you finally loosing your shit from those all nighters? You turned around and almost broke your neck to look up at this guy...this dude was like 3x your height if not more!

You were stunned, you blinked once then twice then just put your empty dish in the sink.

"I need to…nap."

As you walked upstairs, you brought two fingers to forehead, your stomach, your right left then right shoulder, and up to your lips in a prayer of “En el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.”

✟ You later confirmed that you weren't dreaming and this was in fact real after waking up to his smug toothy smile. It being day only a few hours ago and it now it was pitch black out side. His bright glowing neon yellow face being the only source of light in the room which also allowed you to see that his elbows were resting on the crinkled and wrinkled sheets of your bed as he held his face in his both of his hands.

"Sup kid, so is your mom single or what?"

[starrylothcat]

♡ Home ♡

The Bad Batch Ask You to Live With Them Headcanons

Pairing: Individual Bad Batch x GN Reader.

Warnings: Fluff, fluff, fluff. Smooching. Everyone is happy on Pabu AU. 🫶

A/N: This is just some silly fluff I wrote at work today. It was hot AF and I’m still sweating so I apologize for any errors, not really proofread.

⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆｡°✩

Scenario: You and The Bad Batch have been settled on Pabu for some time. Long-held feelings between you and your Batcher finally had the opportunity to blossom as you eased into a peaceful island routine. You are happy, your love for one another secure and strong.

You’ve discussed moving in together, but island life is calm and your lives are no longer in a rush. You haven’t made that leap in your relationship quite yet, but little did you know your Batcher had plans…

Hunter

You were sitting on the beach, the sun’s last rays catching the calm sea as stars twinkled into view.

Hunter’s arm was wrapped around you, holding you close against him, his head leaning on yours.

“You know that cottage we walk by every day, the one with the garden?” Hunter mumbled, gently tracing his fingers up and down your arm.

“Yeah…I’m surprised no one has moved in there yet. It’s in a perfect location.” You murmured, his fingers putting you in a relaxed trance.

“It is perfect.” He said, his smokey voice lulling you further into a relaxed, carefree state. “I can’t wait to see what you do with the garden.”

You shifted your head to look at him, confusion in your expression, his fingers stopping their caress.

“Omega wants to try to plant meilooruns.” He met your gaze. “And she’s already picking out decorations for her room.”

“Hunter…” you started. “What are you saying?”

Hunter pressed his forehead to yours. “It’s ours. If you want.” He ghosted his lips across your own. “All I have to do is give the word to Shep.”

Your breath hitched.

“Hunter, you mean, that cottage…? It’s really ours?”

He nodded, gently tracing his fingertips across your cheek, the fading sun reflecting in his honeyed eyes.

“I love you, and Omega does too. We’ve spent so much time on the run, never knowing what comes next. It’s time…to put it behind us. Settle down for good. And I want you to be part of that. But if you’re not-“

You grabbed the collar of his shirt and tugged him in for a passionate kiss, his arms immediately pulling you close to him.

“Hunter, yes.“ You beamed, breaking the kiss. “I love you, too.”

Hunter smiled, nuzzling his nose against yours, never having felt so content in his entire life, excited for this next chapter in your relationship.

Echo

You had just closed up your shop and were waiting for Echo. He promised to take you out tonight and told you he was planning something special.

He met you at your shop, kissing you deeply as his hello.

“Hello to you, too.” You giggled, slightly flustered at his kiss as he looped his arm with yours. “Where are you taking me tonight?”

“It’s still a surprise, mesh’la.” He winked, leading you down a a few quiet roads.

“There aren’t any restaurants up here.” You gave him a look, having no idea what he had planned.

Echo didn’t say anything, the evening lights flickering on throughout the island, casting warm glows onto the street.

A few more turns and Echo stopped. You stood in front of a cottage, a soft glow of light coming from the front windows.

“Echo-“ He just smiled, leading you up the cobbled path to the home.

“Echo, if your idea of a date is breaking and entering…” you teased, still confused as to what was going on.

Echo chuckled, opening the door to the cottage, surprising you that it was open.

“Just trust me, mesh’la.”

You stepped inside, gasping slightly. The cottage was empty, save for a blanket that was spread on the ground in what would be the living room.

A few candles were the only light source, highlighting the picnic that was spread across the blanket, and two empty glasses for the bottle of wine that sat in the middle of the spread.

You looked at him, still just as lost as before.

“It’s not much, but I figured we should celebrate the first night in our house.”

You opened and closed your mouth, processing his words.

“Our…house? Echo, you mean…?”

He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tight.

“I love you and…I want to spend every moment together. Build a life…together. I saw this cottage was available and talked to Shep. It’s ours if we want it.”

Tears clouded your vision as you kissed him, overwhelmed by his words. You nodded excitedly against his lips, your heart ready to burst with joy.

“Me too, Echo. I love you. I want to build a life with you, too.”

He smiled, wiping the tears from your cheeks.

“Let’s crack open that wine then, shall we?”

Tech

Tech had been busy as of late, which is normal. He always had some project or idea that was occupying his mind.

But you knew something strange was going on when he kept hiding his datapad from you, or quickly pushing flimis under other piles of half-worked on gadgets whenever you walked into his room.

Finally, you decided to ask what he was working on, and what has been so intensely engrossing his mind the last few weeks.

“Can I ask what it is you’re working on?” You queried as you lounged on his bed in his room, watching him work.

He turned to you, and it looked like he was hesitating, and almost nervous to say something.

He let out a breath and fully faced you.

“We’ve been together romantically for some time now…” he started. “And we are happy, correct?”

You raised you eyebrow, nodding. “Yes, of course Tech. I love you.”

“As I you.” He stated. “So I have been pondering of what should come next, and I determined it was time to begin the next phase of our relationship, if you agree.”

Tech held out his datapad toward you as you stared at him, wondering what he was going on about.

“I began investigating homes we could share. There are plenty of available cottages throughout the island which I have researched thoroughly, though none are up to my standards.”

Tech adjusted his goggles as heat began to flush your cheeks.

“So, I took it upon myself to explore ways on how to build one myself.”

Your heart fluttered at his words as you sat up completely. “Tech, you want to build us a house?”

“Precisely. If you want to cohabitate with me, that is.” The last part of his statement came out quiet, as if he wasn’t sure of what your answer would be.

You peeked at the datapad, which had blueprint schematics of a cottage, all designed by him.

You looked back at him, not stopping the large smile on your face as Tech fidgeted, waiting for your response.

“Tech…” you said softly. “Yes, I’d love to live with you. I want it more than anything.”

You watched as his shoulders seemed to relax as you set down the datapad, closing the distance between the two of you.

Tech took your hand, his thumb gently tracing over yours.

“Of course, I’ll need your input on the final design, but I think you’ll approve of what I have so far.”

You smiled, leaning into him, his other arm holding you close. “As long as I’m with you, it’ll be perfect.”

Wrecker

Wrecker was giddy, practically dragging you down the road as he picked up his pace.

“Wrecker, where are we going?! Wait a sec, you’re walking too fast!” You could barely match his strides.

“You’re gonna love it, I promise! We are almost there!”

After another turn down a street, Wrecker finally stopped at the end of a row of small cottages.

“Here!” He exclaimed loudly, gesturing to you to follow him.

“Wrecker, what is this?!” You gasped, out of breath.

“It’s our new house! I know we talked about having our own place awhile ago and…here it is!” Wrecker excitedly tugged you in through the front door, your mind trying to play catch up to what he was saying.

You stepped inside, Wrecker eagerly pointing to different areas of the cottage.

“The windows in the kitchen are big, so we can have a great view while we cook together. That was the first thing I thought of…” Wrecker blushed as he turned, pointing to the door that led to a back patio.

“Oh, and look at the porch! Ya can grow all the herbs you’ve been wanting to! And wait until you see the view out the bedroom window-“

Wrecker stopped, noticing how quiet you were being.

You were gazing around the empty house, your mind spinning with surprise and happiness.

You were moved at Wrecker’s excitement and having a home to call your own, with him, not expecting this in the slightest.

Tears were sliding down your cheeks, and you didn’t even notice until Wrecker’s large hand was gently wiping them away.

“Mesh’la, I’m sorry, I got carried away. If ya aren’t ready I understand, or if ya don’t like this cottage we can-“ Wrecker sighed, thinking he ruined everything. “I’m sorry if it’s too much.”

You looked up at him, smiling.

“Wrecker, this is more than I could have ever wanted. I love this. I love you.” You placed your hand over his that was now cradling your face. “I want this.”

Wrecker smiled, relief washing over him.

“Now, tell me again about the kitchen?” You laughed, happy tears still running down your face as Wrecker kissed your cheeks, laughing with you in your new home.

Crosshair

You were laying with your head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as you almost drifted off to sleep, Crosshair’s arm keeping you close to him.

You noticed he had been a little on edge today, restless and fidgeting more than usual.

You suggested a nap, which he agreed to.

He continued to be restless, though, not able to get comfortable as you laid on him.

“Want to go for a walk?” He grunted, shifting under you.

You lifted your head, blinking a few times. “Sure.” You smiled sleepily, sitting up from your laying position.

You often went on walks in the evening, a ritual you began not long after you became a couple.

You walked quietly under the full moon, the streets silent. Crosshair’s hand found yours, enjoying one another’s presence as you strolled through the winding avenues.

You let Crosshair lead the way, and you walked up into a cluster of cottages that you often passed by on your walks.

You’ve mentioned before how you like this part of Pabu, this subset of cottages getting the best view of the sunset.

Crosshair suddenly stopped, still grasping your hand.

“Is everything ok?” You asked, wondering why he stopped so suddenly.

He looked at you as he lifted your hand, turning your palm up, his silver hair almost indistinguishable from the moonlight casting down on the two of you.

“I was going to wait until tomorrow, but here.”

Crosshair placed a small key in the center of your palm, closing your fingers around it.

“Crosshair, what is this?” You asked softly, confused as to what he was doing.

“It’s ours.” He stated. “The one with the blue door.” You glanced behind him at the cottage with said blue door.

You focused back on him, trying to piece together what he was saying, his expression unreadable.

“What do you mean?” Your voice quivered, clutching the key.

“You know what I mean, doll.” His tone was soft. “It has the best view of the sunset. I made sure of that.”

You practically jumped at him, swinging your arms around him and crushing yourself into his chest, tears pricking at your eyes.

“Crosshair, I-“

He leaned his head on yours, his lips brushing against your forehead. You didn’t need to finish your sentence.

“It’s ours, now?” You whispered.

“As of yesterday.”

You looked up at him. “How did you know I’d say yes?”

Crosshair smirked, his lips close to yours. “You did, didn’t you?”

You smirked back, his lips capturing yours in the moonlight in front of your new home.

Taglist: @littlemissmanga @secondaryrealm @sinfulsalutations @anxiouspineapple99 @secretthegriffin @idontgetanysleep @starqueensthings @dystopicjumpsuit @wings-and-beskar @dreamie411 @aconstructofamind @coraex @multi-fan-dom-madness @freesia-writes @kashasenpai @wanderer-six @blueink-bluesoul @the-cantina @king-chaos-world @wolffegirlsunite @523rdrebel @dukeoftheblackstar @pb-jellybeans @sleepingsun501 @sunshinesdaydream @din-miller

[togrowoldinv]

Valedictorian

Natasha Romanoff x Female Reader

Your daughter is the valedictorian of her class and the whole team and family watches her graduate

Note: I got this idea from going to so many graduations lately and of course I headcanon Nat and y/n’s kids as valedictorian level smart lol. Enjoy this fluff!

Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 1, Natasha Romanoff Masterlist 2, Main Masterlist

“Natasha?” You try your best to get her attention. She’s staring off into space as she sits next you.

Her leg shakes with nervousness. You put a soft hand on her thigh.

“She’s going to do so great, my love,” you tell her.

Finally, she acknowledges you. It’s just with the slip of her hand in yours but it’s enough to know she’s okay.

You direct your attention back to the stage where the principal calls for the valedictorian to give the commencement speech. Your daughter stands up from her seat and walks to the stage.

There are hoops and hollers from your section, especially from the Avengers.

Ali starts out speaking somewhat quietly, but she gains her confidence quickly. Especially when she sees all the smiling faces of her family. She gives the usual thanks to her classmates and teachers. Her speech is so eloquently written that no matter what she’s saying tears are in your eyes.

“Here comes the part she didn’t show us,” Nat says barely above a whisper. Ali wanted to surprise you both with an extra part to her speech. You listen carefully as she speaks.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank my moms. I love you both as my little sister would say like the moon,” she says with a laugh. “There’s no way I would be here today without you.” She speaks about you first, sharing anecdotes of all the times you made her do her homework or drove her to basketball practice. And how she loves having your eyes and your soft heart. Tears run down your face.

“And a lot of you probably know my mama as the Black Widow,” Ali says. “But I know her as the most beautiful, loving woman in the world. A person who, as she’s done before, would run into a fight to save someone she’s never even met. A person who has put her whole heart into raising me alongside the love of her life.”

You hold Natasha’s hand and she squeezes it so tightly.

Ali continues, “Me and my siblings know that the Black Widow is a superhero, but to us she’s a hero named Mama. And she’s my hero because of the courage she shows everyday. The courage to love and to be loved. That’s something I wanted to share with you all. May we all have the courage to love and be loved as life takes us on this new path. Thank you.”

The crowd erupts into cheers and she even gets a standing ovation from her classmates and the crowd.

“She did great,” Steve comments from behind you.

“That’s our girl,” Natasha says, beaming with pride. The nervousness has been shaken off and she’s nothing but proud.

Ali walks back to her seat and your whole section waves at her. She waves back subtly.

The rest of the ceremony goes by quickly and Ali definitely has the loudest cheers when her name is called, partially due to Tony breaking the no air horns rule.

When you meet up with her afterwards, you both pull her into a hug.

“We’re so proud of you!” You say with her in your embrace.

“Thanks Mom,” she says. “How was the speech?”

“The best speech I’ve ever heard,” you answer.

“Did you cry?” She asks, a mischievous grin on her face.

Natasha finally cuts in, “I cried like a baby.”

You all share a chuckle and all the other kids join you. Ali hugs each one and you love watching them being so proud of their big sister.

Steve, Sam, Tony, Peter, and Pepper all hug her as well. Wanda is trudging behind with her boys, but she also hugs Ali so tight when she sees her.

“Gang is almost all here,” Natasha says. She turns to Ali. “You’re popular.”

“Can’t help that I’m the best,” the girl shrugs. “Did you hear from Aunt Yelena?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, baby. She’s still out on a mission,” Natasha answers.

“Is she?” You ask.

“What does that mean?” Nat asks you.

You smile and seemingly out of thin air Yelena appears next to Ali.

“So, what exactly is a valedictorian?” Yelena asks.

“Aunt Yelena!” The girl shouts and hugs her immediately. “How are you here?”

“Your mom,” Yelena gives her classic simple response.

“I made some calls,” you further explain.

“Thank you,” Natasha leans into you and says. You know she missed her sister too.

Yelena and Ali have gotten so close lately that you knew they would want to be able to celebrate this together. It wasn’t easy but you made it happen.

“I love you,” you tell Nat. You drop a kiss to her cheek and then gather everyone for photos.

The day is spent celebrating your daughter and being together as a family. It’s the perfect beginning of a new chapter and you know she’ll do great things.

[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.

[arikihalloween]

Pantheon AU

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Aka, Welcome to me making up deity designs because why the hell not

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

It started with this drawing I made of a Julie that I call Moon Deity

And people on twitter have been eating that up so I've felt some motivation to continue working on it

Today I'm sharing the 4 first deities I've finished

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Julie Joyful

Deity of the moon and oceans. Do not be fooled by her elegant and beautiful appearance, for she's an energic goddess that will bend bodies of water to her emotional will.

The moon is often associated to calmness, feminity, such things, but I decided to go with an other approach. The moon is small and fast. She turns around the earth every day of the year, and is responsible for the tides. The closer she is, the bigger the tide ! That doesn't sound that much calm to me. In this AU Julie appears calm only because Sally insist that she has to dress "regal" for their very important deity jobs. Isn't that silly ?

Julie will have alternate outfits depending on the activity she wants to do at any given moment, switching from pants to dress !

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Sally Starlet

Deity of the Sun, stars and fire, she is the calm one, most of the time. Warm, but also a little stuck up sometimes, Sally likes when things are in order and go her way. She sees their deity roles as important ! The fiery goddess also gives her blessings in the arts, especially theater art which she favors

The sun doesn't move as much as the moon, but it is big and powerful and at the center of our solar system. I like the idea of reversing roles a little, having the sun being the calm one for once

✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️

Home

The deity of death is a kind and compassionate fellow. He doesn't talk much, but listens very well, and will help souls pass to their afterlife with all the compassion in the world. He is also the patron of living spaces, as he wants to make sure beings live well, safe, sound and happy, before he comes to take them away.

I like it when death deities aren't cruel but instead very kind and comforting. Home will have a lot of little helpers ! Although, note that Home is the deity of death as in he's the reaper. There is other deities ruling over the concept of death ! Home is more of a psychopomp in this AU ( psychopomps are the "reaper" deities. It includes Valkyries, Ankous, Shinigamis, Grim Reaper, etc)

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

Wally Darling

The deity of life ! He creates and gives in abondance, whenever he can. He may not be particularly smart, or doesn't pay that much attention to his creations past their conception and first breath, but he means well and is still learning. He's a fairly new deity, replacing the previous one. Home is there to kindly help guide him to his new duties, along with Barnaby.

He's just a silly trying his best with great powers. Life is pretty mysterious, and not easy. The path is long and full of hardships, after all... but I don't think what gives the first breath of life is cruel for it. Life is still beautiful and should be cherished

❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️❇️✳️

Bonus Appleblossom sketch because this is my self indulgent au so I will put in my ocs, headcanons and fav ships !

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

YOU. I LOVE IT EVERY BIT OF IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ITTTT ALSO IF CAN YOU MAKE A PART TWO IF YOU CAN??? ITS OKAY IF U DONT WANNA. MUAH MUAH TO YOU AND THAT ANON‼️‼️‼️‼️💗💗💗💗

THANK YOU SO MUCH, @raaaaaaahornetstinger! Here is the Part 2! I am so glad that you love Part 1! And, let's be honest, the oneshot would not have existed if not for the Anon and the headcanons XD Hope you enjoy this one!

Key Information: There is a time skip gape from Part 1 and Part 2. Part 2 is in Reader's POV, and it will begin with the Reader asleep, after the incident with Nahida and Venti. Reader does not know about Nahida and Venti's punishment given by the Imposter.

Click Me to Read Part 1!

𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞.

Warnings: Bad Grammar, Spelling Mistakes, Not Beta Read, OOC Characters, Implications of Violence, & Mind Control/Mind Manipulation.

Read if you are okay with these terms. Please also let me know if I missed a warning!

— — —

"MX. Y/N!!!" A child screams, running into my view. I don't remember the child's name, but I know who they are. They are familiar. They are someone from a village.

They grow up to be the next Blacksmith of the village, after their father.

They grow up and marry the whole-hearted, girl that would be a strong woman, working in their farm, selling their crops to make a living.

They become prosperous in their village, and make their friends and family proud.

It hasn't happened yet, but I know it would happen. Every child born in Teyvat, no matter who their parents are, I am their "Prime Parent," as the child would say as a joke. They are all my children-in-spirit.

I smile down at the child. "What is it, Little One?" I ask in a gentle tone, crouching down to get to their level. "What exciting adventure happened today?"

"Mx. Y/N! The Village Chief told me to bring you to our village!" the child replies happily, grasping one of my hands. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!" They bounce up and down from their excitement. I chuckle at the child's antics, but I relent. Who could deny a child as adorable as this, anyways?

The path to the village was a fast blur, and all of a sudden, I am swarmed around by villagers, happily greeting me and hugging me, smiling and offering me trinkets and goods they have prepared for my arrival. I smile and wave, kindly accepting one or two things from each villager.

It was amazing.

It was lively. It felt like home.

"Happy Birthday to our Honorable and Forever Humble Guest!" The Village Chief shouts, raising his glass.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

—

I wake up, gasping.

Oh. Another one of those dreams again. Past memories of me being this "creator." Hah, how bittersweet. It seems like nobody can tell the difference, not even this world—Teyvat! If Teyvat doesn't even recognize me, how the heck will I ever survive this hunt?

More importantly, how the heck does someone break the mind control the Imposter has over everyone?

I sigh, finally getting my breathing under control. These questions will have to wait for another day—I still don't know much about it. It's not everyday you read a sagau fanfic about the Imposter being a smartass. It's even more rare to hear about mind control! What was this, the Zombie Apocalypse?

I sigh again, sitting up from the grass I was laying down on. Like usual, my clothes were a mess. But there was not time to dwell on that. I get up from where I slept—under a big tree—and begin to walk cautiously through the area.

I need to find a way to enter Inazuma, to get to the Statue of Seven. Surprisingly, getting dendro was a whole lot faster than getting Electro. Mainly because Inazuma is an island.

While I could just use anemo to fly across the sea, there is only one issue: my anemo powers are much stronger if I stay in Mondstadt, and no where else.

Building a bridge made of geo to Inazuma? It'll probably die a quarter way there, honestly. And there's no way in the hell would dendro be of use in this situation—unless you count walking on kelp and seaweed to be an option (probably still unlikely though).

I sigh again, exhausted. This was going to be so difficult than I thought it would be.

If only I could just use waypoints like the Traveler!

As I continue to walk, I begin to wonder what real purpose there is for my existence here. Sure, I'm the creator and all, cool, amazing, but what am I suppose to do when literally everyone I ever care and love and simp for decides to throw me out the window, willing to rip my guts open because my Imposter called me the imposter?

At this rate, now knowing that the imposter is smart and can literally mind control people, I'm starting to lose hope. After all, how was I suppose to defeat a tyrant all by myself?

I sigh again, this time more frustrated. I kicked the dirt beneath my feet. So annoying—my hope leaving me, my courage turning into fear and leaving me begging for my life...

If only I could do something about it all...

Wait a minute.

The dream I had earlier. The village. Where was it? Where did it originate from? All the details I remember...the child, becoming a blacksmith, the child's wife...a birthday surprise, a banquet...

What did all of this add up to? There had to be a meaning behind it, just like all of the other ones I've been getting every time I get some shut eye.

I hide behind the nearest thing closest to me—a tree—as I hear footsteps. I continue to think. I closed my eyes, concentrating. Where was that village...

Oh. Oh, I am such an idiot. That village.

It was where Khaenri'ah used to stand, before Khaenri'ah even stood. I don't know how I know, but I do. I know where it is. I guess it's some sort of gut feeling.

Time to look through the Abyss, I guess..? But how do I even get there in the first place? And, more importantly, would the Abyss Order attack me on sight? (They probably will, I mean, who am I kidding? They probably loathe the Creator anyways for what they've become.)

Well, one way to find out, I guess. No hope left, but this was a lead onto something. And it's better to try than to give up, right? Besides, who else would if I didn't?

I wait for the rest of the footsteps to fade, before bolting to the location that I have engraved in my mind. I will not be dying today, nor ever. That much, I will bring with me.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒏𝒅.

Ghost Rebel Side Note: I don't think this one was as good as Part 1. To this, I apologize 😭 I am so sorry for making this a lower quality than the previous part! It honestly feels so rushed—I'm so sorry 😭 My motivation ran dry.

Will I make a Part 3 for this? Maybe, but it will take some time—motivation comes in sparks and it lights a fire before it disappears once it finds no more roots to burn :')

Also, since I'm at it...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR a) 4000+ LIKES AND b) 100 FOLLOWERS! Y'all are great, I swear 😭

Check the Ghost Rebel's Blog Description to See if Their Mailbox is Open!

[raccoonfallsharder]

headcanon 4

after five years of being each others' only family, when rocket sees nebula (2014) arrive on the quantum platform, he can tell something is off. sure, the luphomoid doesn't broadcast her thoughts the way other people do (especially these frickin' terrans) but he's developed the ability to pick up on the nuances of her body language and expressions. the other avengers are freaking out about nat (and yeah, sure, it's sad, but he and nebs never made gamora's death and all their collective loss in the snap anyone else's problem, did they?) but rocket notices that the tension in nebula's body is different from what he's used to. he knows nebula's i am excited to fight tension, her i am irritable and cranky today tension, her i didn't know i could miss anything but i miss my sister tension, her my implants are causing me pain tension. but this tension is different from all the others. right now, she reminds him of the nebula he'd met on ego: all bundled-up hostility and electric resentment, without a frickin' friend in the galaxy.

he makes a face at her. someone else in the circle might think it's some kind of weird "animal" expression - eyebrows raised, lips grimacing, ears forward-facing and attentive - but nebs knows what it means. it's a face that says dude, are you okay? what the fuck happened out there? you're actin frickin weird. nebula doesn't even blink at him, doesn't even look at him. doesn't seem to recognize him at all.

the other avengers argue out their grief, leaving the platform without a second look to move their mourning to the lakeside. nebs takes her cue from them and disappears, and rocket's like, something's wrong with blue. gotta make sure she's okay. she's his only crew, after all.

stark calls out from the lab. "i'm adding the stones to the gauntlet," he tells rocket. “i could use you and banner there as our other two resident geniuses. just to make sure nothing goes wrong." what the fuck is rocket gonna do if something goes wrong? it's a stupid request. his eyes trail the path nebula took when she left the platform. "pretty sure you science bros can handle it without me," rocket says, turning to follow her.

"you're the one who pointed out i'm only a genius on earth," stark reminds him. "c'mon, pom poko. go get banner and let's do this."

"apparently you're also only funny on earth, 'cause i don't get that reference," rocket says, rolling his eyes. but he grimaces, and reluctantly redirects his feet so he can retrieve banner from the edge of the lake.

[flame2ashes]

I’m pretty sure the “condition” where Wrex calls Shepard a coward is after they sabotage the genophage cure (because they’re racist) and what he actually says is that Ashley’s not there to shoot him for Shepard, because she was also racist towards him lmfao

No but I think saying "What's the matter, Shepard? Ashley not around to do your dirty work?" followed with "Oh right, you killed her too!" says less about Ash and more about Shepard :) (Also about the "coward" thing: I said it was implied, not what he actually said)

Confronting Wrex on the Citadel after sabotaging the Genophage cure would have been the second confrontation with Wrex after Virmire. And just like Virmire, Shepard doesn't even have to kill him. Someone else can. If you don't take the Renegade Interrupt, C-Sec will shoot him. Shepard, on both occasions, has the opportunity to not be Wrex's killer, yet Wrex dies because of their decisions anyway. Does that make Shepard a coward? Depends on the Shepard, I'd say :)

I will be honest and say I never had Ashley kill Wrex. But Ashley killing Wrex is her choice made out of the circumstances (the circumstances being "You are taking too long to get him to stand down and he literally looks like he's about to kill you"). Obviously doing that without Shepard's orders is insubordination, but the mission has to be done, no matter who has to die for it. And Shepard can either be mad at her for it, or not care for it. Clearly if you didn't want her to kill Wrex then just be a better talker 4head

Also Ashley says "I don't think so, friend" before shooting him, which has me 🤔🤔

Additionally, Shepard can signal to Ashley to kill Wrex. And Wrex knows it's happening, because his last words are "You bastard". Also Ashley says "Not today, friend" and that also has me 🤔🤔 but also crying

And also, during the Citadel party, Wrex will ask Ashley if she would have actually killed him on Virmire. Ash responds "If it came down to it? Yes" and he responds with "I respect that"

I guess it just sucks that we don't get to see the Virmire Survivor's interactions with Wrex more in ME3. That being said, it's free real estate for additional headcanons and interpretations, and I believe he had a respect for her from the beginning. Yes, even when she was like "Can we trust the aliens to have free reign around the Alliance ship". I like to think Wrex heard that and was like. Well. At least she's not stupid enough to not watch her back. And the elevator banter he has with her does clearly show they're not hostile toward each other and maybe even respect each other.

And I mean, with the banter with mind, out of all the squadmates I'd say Wrex is the most hostile against Garrus. But that's a different topic lol

Also partially related, but you have to understand one thing: in-universe, Wrex dying is something no one cares about. Not on Virmire, not on the Citadel. Shepard can be sad that it came to this, but that's it. The STG will unceremoniously dump his body on Virmire, as C-Sec will dump his body into space. They just dismiss the violence and death as something that's inevitable with the Krogan (which really is generalizing the Krogan, that's true). Talking to your squadmates on Virmire will show that they also thought Wrex's death was inevitable and for the better.

Except Ashley. (And also Kaidan, but this is about Ashley.) She says "I'd rather have Wrex on our side, but he chose this path." Not "This was inevitable" or "That's what happens with Krogan". She believed it was his choice to not back down

And listen. About the whole "Shepard sabotages the Genophage cure because they're racist". You make it sound like that can be the only reason it happens. Shepard is whatever character you want them to be and you can interpret/roleplay the motivations behind their choices to your heart's content. Sabotaging the Genophage cure is one choice you can roleplay. Having someone else kill Wrex when Shepard could have done it is another.

"Flames are you saying you can make the choice to sabotage the Genophage cure worse than what it already is" For the drama? Yes you can :)

But idk. I just play the games ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[novelmonger]

2-4, 13, 16, and 24 for any fandoms, please?

2. a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

I used to get kind of annoyed when FMA fans would talk about Roy Mustang being Xingese. Like, what, just because Arakawa-san drew his eyes a little pointier than other characters', that means he's from Xing? Some people just have smaller eyes, you know! Yoki looks more Xingese than Mustang, if you ask me, yet nobody talks about him being from Xing!

But I've read some really interesting fics that explore what it would mean if he was Xingese, or half-Xingese. The implications of one or both of his parents being Xingese immigrants, legal or otherwise, can be really fun to poke at.

3. a character that fandom has helped you appreciate

You know, if I'm being really honest, I never particularly cared about Merry from LotR that much. He just didn't interest me, compared to all the other characters. But I have to say that hanging around the Fig Tree Discord server has given me new appreciation for him, because of how much they talk about him in such glowing terms XD He's still probably my least-favorite of the four main Hobbits, but I have to acknowledge that he is one practical dude who can Get Stuff Done, and there's so much courage and angst and hurt/comfort in his scenes in the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the aftermath.

4. say something nice about a ship you don't ship (it can be another ship in your fandom, a mutual's OTP, etc)

Mmkay, so I don't ship Bucky and Natasha (mostly because I don't ship Bucky with anyone post-Winter Soldier), but I will say I can understand the appeal. Two ex-assassins who were turned into living weapons, basically, had their bodies modified against their will, carry a huge weight of guilt for the things they've done.... I feel like, if Bucky were to have a successful romantic relationship with anyone, it would pretty much have to be Natasha. She's the only one who could relate to him on that deep of a level, and she would understand his need to go slowly, know how to help him with PTSD, etc.

13. your favorite type of fandom event (gift exchange, ship week, secret santa, prompt meme, etc)

I think I'd have to say prompt challenges, considering I've done three 100 Themes fics, have an ongoing one-sentence prompt challenge fic, and am currently doing my Let Me Count the Ways dialogue prompt challenge. A really good challenge will have words or phrases that immediately suggest a story, but aren't so specific that you have no wiggle room to fit it to various characters.

16. a tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

This keyboard thing from Andor episode 7 is made from a steno machine! The little typewriter-ish device court reporters use when transcribing court proceedings! I would recognize it anywhere, and I just want everyone to appreciate the origin of this cool-looking prop.

24. how has fandom positively impacted your life?

The most important thing fandom has given me is virtually all the friends I have today. I've met some of the most wonderful people in the world through fandom, people I probably would never have met because of where they live (@dairogo I'm looking at you), because we wouldn't have much in common without fandom (hi @rainintheevening), or simply because we're enough apart in age and space that our paths would probably not have crossed otherwise (<3 @sergeanttomycaptain). I love being able to connect with so many different people through fandom, like most (if not all) of my mutuals here. Even though we have different perspectives on some things, we can all come together when it comes to love of a great story.

Love Your Fandom asks

[falskihundr]

Anonymous asked: ☾

[[ HEADCANON PROMPTS ]]

" My muse and sleep. "

Majority of the time, Bloodhound is a fairly light sleeper, and it doesn't take much to wake them. They can fall asleep just about anywhere, and they can do so quickly, but the opposite is true; at the slightest twig branch or creak in the house, they'll be up and alert.

Decades of being the most proficient hunter in the Outlands means not much can sneak up on them, even when it seems like they're at their most vulnerable.

However, there are very rare instances--usually when someone they deeply trust is around, which is an almost nonexistent number--where they might feel comfortable and safe enough to really fall asleep. In which case they sleep like the dead, and it's nearly impossible to wake them.

Easy to see why they don't allow that to happen, almost ever.

[innkeepercore]

open discord rp call: marvel edition

Hola 👋🏼

if you understand the title, please keep reading. if not, this is probably not for you!

Our 18+ server isn’t big, which minimizes the chances of being overwhelmed and stressed out!

Keep reading for all the awesome details ✨

Plot:

As of this moment (27.7.23) the plot hasn’t been decided, but this is where it gets fun. We’ll keep it loosely based on the events of the MCU from 2012 onwards. That does not mean we’re going to stick to every single event that happens from that point forward. What does this mean? It means you can have your character be present during an event they were never a part of. Example:

- Marc Spector! joining The Avengers in the Battle of New York!

- Bucky Barnes meeting The Avengers before Civil War!

- Loki assisting The Avengers defeat Ultron!

And much more cool stuff like this. The sky’s the limit.

Characters

Ideally we want to have the OG6 be present before starting the role play. Taken characters have been crossed out:

Tony Stark

Steve Rogers

Thor

Bruce Banner

Clint Barton

Natasha Romanoff

What about if you play literally any other character? Fear not! You can definitely join. We want you to join!

Ideally, we don’t want super overpowered characters because it’s going to make it not fun. We’re huge huge fans of the NMCU and the Brooklyn area (Hawkeye/Moon Knight etc) so if you play someone from there, that’s amazing.

Note: we don’t knock down rare pairs or rare friends. Some of our rare pairs are crazy, you wouldn’t see them anywhere else. You will never be judged no matter who you ship (provided they’re of age and it’s consensual)

tl;dr whoever you play, please bring them over

What else do we offer?

In-character GC! Because there’s nothing like banter between characters. It’s so fun

Some other stuff

We encourage you to be a nerd! What the heck does this mean?

Share your character headcanons with us. Share headcanons about other characters with their admin. As long as you’re respectful of everyone’s take on their characters and don’t judge the headcanons themselves, nothing is more fun than sharing your own takes

The rakes can be deep and well thought-out or they can be cracky. You’ll probably find things like:

Sometimes the color blue triggers Clint’s fight or flight response now or Natasha Romanoff is an avid fan of Megan Thee Stallion.

We also strongly encourage you to discuss the relationship of your character to others. I.e. how much have they been present in each other’s lives? Since we don’t stick to a certain timeline, have they crossed paths with each other when it’s not canon? These discussions build a richer in-character interacting experience. Do your characters have inside jokes? Have they been on a mission before that ended HorrificallyTM?

Shit like that✨

Availability

People have lives. It’s best to set some time to noting down when you might be free on a day you’re roleplaying but only with your rp partner. Talk to them, establish if they even want an update on whether or not you’ll be available. Just understand that writing and rp is something we do to unwind and have fun; it’s a hobby not a chore.

How to Join?

To avoid cluttering the server, all you have to do is DM me here or on discord: char#1415 with the following:

Your character request

A writing sample of you writing this character

We’re currently not accepting OCs.

That’s literally it okbye🌝

You really made it this far? I hope you have a good day today.

[fanworldbuildingfun]

Today, I have a rough outline for a personal headcanon for Isu

(Mostly made for an AU brainchild that shan’t probably be written)

The root of it stems from three things: Isu genetic memory, the Yggdrasil of Valhalla, and Sages

In essence, I hypothesize the following: The Isu we are familiar things are one of the latest generations to be present an earth, and they have had their own predecessors. Logical, right? Long-lived or not, they had to come from somewhere. Now this is where I would be a little more contentious: I propose that those predecessors did not have as an… Organized genetic memory / knowledge as latter Isu did. The predisposition was there, but it had to be shaped into something better, before it takes a form we are more familiar with

Enter the Ennead. I’m going to go with Egyptian deities (and please, do pardon me if I misrepresent things about them: this is an outline for the idea, and needs further research) – for the reason that, to this point, we know Ancient Egyptian religion as one of the most concerned with afterlife

They were the group of Isu that have first ventured into modification of their genome – and its potential to extend a person’s life beyond the capacity of their bodies. The Isu Atum was the beginning of the research; his “children” Shu and Tefnut, the first viable results of research. Their capacity for genetic memory was altered from the original Isu-standard and it is with them that it begins to resemble what we later know as “Knowledge”

Mind, Shu and Tefnut are not necessarily made of just Atum’s genome; I imagine this kind of research would involve far more than one head Isu, and thus there would be plenty of volunteers to provide genetic material for the experiment. Still, as they would have been ‘decanted’ close to each other, they ended up considered as sort-of ‘siblings’

Shu and Tefnut, in turn, driven by the inherited desire to see the culmination of idea through, continue Atum’s work in genetics. And they do: with the inherited knowledge of Atum, they only had to build on what his team already discovered

And thus we come to the second generation of the experiment, and the main heroes of our drama: Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys

Their Knowledge, is near identical to what Isu following them have. They become the staple template for “mass update”, so to say, of the people

Which… Leaves abovementioned four to pursue other venues of study

This is when we hit the point that leaves them remembered so heavily associated with afterlife

Osiris took up creation of artificial intelligence and virtual realities

Isis and Nephthys continued research into genetic memories, albeit with slightly contrasting approaches

Set, given the seriousness of the study his “siblings” were conducting, worked with protections – from virtual to physical

The issue started when Nephthys’ research hit upon a previously-undiscovered venue of the research: a potential to preserve a beings’ mind to be passed on through their descendants. A perfect preservation of the mind, to be given an opportunity to live again

At this point her and Isis’ work split paths, as Isis’ work strays closer to working with the living minds, rather than those of deceased. However, it also means that her and Osiris’ works started to cross more and more – if for no other reason than the inability to create such an “imprint” without assistance of technology

This is where Osiris’ work comes into play. His virtual environments become a befitting options to “preserve” the imprint of the mind before it can be converted into a “genetic” version of itself

When they finally manage a working system together, it becomes something of a sensation

An ability to live on? Made as simple as insuring one has a child, wearing a mask that would collect an imprint of one’s mind just before passing, and then transferring it to one’s bloodline, to reawaken within a generation or two?

Naturally, people want it

Naturally, it goes wrong when the wrong people grow desperate enough to see the screening process as too zealous, too time consuming

And as a result, Osiris, who is a much more public figure than his ‘siblings’, becomes a casualty of their attempt to get access to the new technology. When it doesn’t go according to the plans, it turns as gruesome as original myth goes

From here, we are more familiar with what goes on: as Osiris was still relatively young and wasn’t looking at prospective death, he had left behind no imprint. Isis, distraught at her spouses’ death, restores his body and uses Ankh to attempt to restore Osiris to life – at least long enough to collect his imprint, if nothing else. But it’s not perfect – could never be perfect, that is why Osiris and Nephthys were developing their method.

And so, the imprinting fails

Isis is left with only her child to remind her of her spouse

Nephthys, hit by extreme case of survivor’s guilt, and horrified at what her sister attempted, decides that this technology should not remain – no matter how good it was. So she starts working to sabotage it. Disconnecting and repurposing the banks that carried fresh imprints. Sabotaging the tech that was meant to pass the imprint on unto the Isu’s descendants

And Set? Loyal, protective Set who spent most of his life working to protect his ‘sibling’s’ work? Caves in when Nephthys requests his help with physically destroying the tech that has, by now, spread throughout Earth

Which earns him his ‘evil’ reputation in history

****

Okay, so this is about as far as I got with the outline. Honorary mention for pieces I want to add but did not decide how to fit in:

For those Isu who have already undergone the procedure, some kind of sabotage is done, so they are incapable of ‘reawakening”

Nephthys somehow passes her imprint on, in attempt to prevent the knowledge from being recovered

Set is killed at some point, and does not manage to finish the removal of all the tech; remains include the proto-model installed in region of what is known as Scandinavia

Yes, I am speaking about something that is later developed into Yggdrasil of Valhalla

Yggdrasil, Juno’s living-to-AI work, and Sages are an imperfect replica of what Ennead developed

No one managed to fully replicate the destroyed work of Ennead

Ennead-Sages didn’t take over/integrate with host personality, they WERE that personality from get go

[violetjedisylveon]

Fight Or Flight

Summary: Omega explores Mantell City with Echo and discovers a harsh reality of the galaxy.

Word count: 2.7k

Warnings: Blood, attacks, fighting, degrading remarks, discrimination, self hate, mental breakdown, lack of self care. Swearing.

A/N: Cid is a lot nicer in this au, she's more like a critical, shrewd but still caring aunt than what she is in the show. Let me have my nice aunt/grandma Cid headcanon.

Bad Batch Loth-Werewolf AU link here.

________________________________________________________________________________

Omega ran down one of the streets of Mantell City, her brothers had let her go exploring with Echo. Their last mission to Corellia was still fresh in her mind, it had been exciting but a little scary. She took a sharp turn down a smaller path.

"Omega slow down!" Echo called out.

"Okay!" Omega skidded to a stop and waited for Echo to catch up.

"You're excited today." He said, ruffling her hair.

"Yeah! We get to explore today!" Omega cheered happily.

Echo chuckled and patted her head again. "Just be careful, we never know who we'll run into." He warned.

She nodded obediently and grabbed his hand so he could keep up with her.

They walked, and ran, around Mantell City for hours, the sun was low in the sky and made long, silly looking shadows. Omega stomped around, watching her shadow make silly shapes, she giggled and looked around.

They were in an area she'd never seen before. It was pretty clean compared to the rest of the city. And it smelled strongly of humans. Weird, usually there's a bunch of different smells. She didn't pay much mind to that thought and kept going happily on her way.

Echo however, was a bit more skeptical of the area. It didn't look as seedy and shady as the rest of the city did, but he could only smell humans, that usually didn't mean anything good. His experiences had taught him just how speciesist humans could be, especially in places where they'd feel 'threatened' by the abundance of non-humans. They weren't in any real danger, most authorities, who were coincidentally human, sided with humans, or just didn't care and the aliens didn't want to deal with the human shit.

He had an unwanted feeling of being watched. The feeling of being hunted wasn't one any Loth appreciated.

"Omega, stick closer to me." He called out.

The young clone stopped and turned back to him with a confused look.

"Why? Is something wrong?" She asked.

Omega suddenly felt like someone was watching her, sneaking up on her. Somewhere deep down, her mind screamed that she was being hunted. She shivered and moved towards her brother.

A shadow fell over her.

Someone laughed.

The sound was cold and unsettling.

"Look at this. A clone and a half clone kid." A cold voice said from behind her.

She could feel the fur coming in on her back sticking up from fear. She looked to Echo, unsure of whether to go towards him or stay put. He was reaching towards his blaster, Omega hoped he wouldn't use it.

"We're just passing through, let us head on our way and nobody has to get hurt." Echo said as calmly as he could manage.

Omega saw his gaze flick between her and something else. She froze at the click of a blaster.

They're gonna kill me! Her head screamed, all the noise ramped up as her mind frantically scrambled to find a way out of this.

"You are in our land, this place is off limits to any clones, even half clones." The person behind her paused, "Especially wolf clones." They hissed.

Omega got even more scared if that was even possible. She whimpered and wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing them.

"Leave the kid alone, she's not a clone, your problem is with me." Echo said.

Omega whimpered when she was shoved forwards. She looked to Echo for help, he gave her a small nod and took his hand away from his blaster.

"You think we'll listen to a pathetic droid clone like you? You're a stupid lab scrapper." They scoffed.

Lab Scrapper. The words froze in her mind. She didn't like them. They were bad words. A growl rose in her throat. Echo shook his head.

"Ha! Kid's like the clone, no wonder the mutt is hanging around you." She was shoved to the ground.

She rolled back and away from the group of humans, they all had blasters out. Echo let out a sigh and glanced at her regretfully.

"Sorry about this kid." She would ask what he meant but he answered the question before it left her mouth.

He changed and now stood at his full, nearly eleven foot height, towering over the humans. He let out a low, threatening growl. Omega knew it was a warning, Echo didn't really want to fight but he would if he had too.

The humans hardly waited after he growled to start firing. Echo swatted their blasters down with his tail, his thick skin and fur soaking up most of the damage. Most blasters weren't much against Loths, that was one of the reasons the Kaminoans had tolerated their existence.

Omega turned away and covered her eyes, she didn't want to see Echo do what Crosshair did. She couldn't imagine him doing that, he wasn't like Crosshair, he was kind and understanding and never mean to her. She didn't want to think of any of her brothers doing anything like that again.

Her head shot up as she heard Echo curse. Her blood froze yet again. There was something sticking out of Echo's side, it was wedged behind his shoulder and dug in deep. There was blood dripping down his dark fur.

They hurt him.

They hurt him?

They hurt him!

They hurt my brother!

Shock cascaded into rage.

There wasn't a voice telling her to stop this time.

She stood up, the ground was rough against her padded paws. She snarled and snapped at the nearest human. Warm liquid filled her mouth, it spilled out as she let go, dripping down her jaw.

She growled and snarled, her ears flat against her head and her fur fluffed out. She tasted blood in her mouth. It coated her chest, warm and salty and sticky.

Rage was fueling her.

They had dared to insult her brother and had the audacity to hurt him after!

She dimly heard Echo calling out for her to stop, she didn't listen. She stalked towards the humans who'd hurt her brother just because he was a clone and Loth.

That isn't right! He's a person!

She saw only red.

"Omega! Stop!"

Omega growled and lashed out at whoever was pulling her back. She felt a large paw holding her down.

"Omega, calm down. It's done, it's over. You won." Slowly, she came back to her senses.

She blinked and wiped at the sticky blood in her eyes that made it hard to see. She felt a rough, wet tongue lick the blood off for her.

She opened her eyes and instantly wished she'd kept them shut.

She stopped breathing. She swore her heart stopped too. Echo nudged her with his muzzle.

"Omega, I know it looks bad but-" He broke off as she pulled away from him.

She was wolf! Everything she'd ever been told not to do she had just done!

Echo is here! He saw!

Panic and shame and fear tumbled around in a gigantic mess of emotions and adrenaline. She made herself smaller, tucked her tail between her legs and stared in horror at her brother.

He was still wolf too, and the weapon, a knife, was still lodged in his side.

"Omega-" He started.

Her fear took over and she bolted, hardly hearing Echo calling after her. She blindly followed her nose back to Cid's, forcing herself into as complete of a change back as she could.

It hurt more than it ever had before but even the pain was dulled by an intense need for a small, safe space she could hide in.

She darted into Cid's and didn't stop, not even when her brothers were shouting in alarm and worry at her sudden arrival without Echo. At the blood on her.

She could feel it drying on her skin, hair and fur.

Without any thought, she bolted for Cid's office and hid in the darkness under the Trandoshan's desk.

She pressed herself into a corner and fought back the urge to shift. Her body was screaming, screeching at her. She dug her claws into her arms as she squeezed them, focusing on that pain instead of her body's screams.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't go back to being human, she couldn't make her body be normal again. She was stuck in her half shifted form.

Her mind was racing so fast and replaying every instant of her fight, over and over. Echo's frightened, worried face, blood on her paws, blood on the streets, blood on bodies. Just so much blood.

She cried and screamed and thrashed about, clawing at her body and clothes.

The door opened, she caught Hunter's scent.

He couldn't see this. Echo had and that was terrible already!

"Kid? Are you-"

She hardly gave him a chance to speak before she shouted and screeched and barked at him to leave.

"Go away! Go away! Go away! Get out! Get out! Get out now! Osik! Get the fuck out!" She screeched from her hiding place.

It wasn't often that she cursed, and she hadn't known many common ones until meeting her brothers again. She'd overheard those in an argument between Echo and Crosshair.

She panted heavily, holding her ears against her head as she waited for Hunter's reaction. There was a long stretch of silence.

And Hunter left.

He was going to be so mad! She was going to be in so much trouble!

Omega trembled and broke down into tears and screaming.

XXX

Omega curled further into herself as the door to Cid's office opened. It wasn't one of her brothers though, it was Cid.

She whimpered and cried again. Cid would be so mad at her for coming into her office like this and ruining it. She wasn't supposed to go in, but it had been the only hiding spot she could think of, and she didn't want to leave it now.

A bowl of warm, fragrant water was set down near her, Cid grunted and sat down heavily. Omega caught a glimpse of something pale in Cid's clawed hands.

"Need help cleaning, Tiny?" Cid spoke to her in a much softer voice than she had ever heard from the Trandoshan.

Her ears perked in surprise, Cid was sitting calmly and patiently waiting for her to respond with a towel and fur brush in her hands. The look on her face was almost worried, but it was definitely sympathetic.

She gave a small nod and scooted forwards slightly, leaning her head towards Cid. The Trandoshan had a surprisingly soft touch as she took the damp towel to her blood stained face, gently scrubbing the dried blood away with the warm water.

Omega tried not to pay attention to how much dried blood was coming off.

Cid muttered and took the brush to her ears, yanking out clumps of dead, matted blood stuck fur. It didn't hurt much until Cid got to one of her painful ear spots.With a whimper Omega held her hands over her ears to keep Cid from touching it.

"It looks like you've got a hot spot, Tiny." Cid said.

"Whats that?" Omega asked quietly.

"Moisture collects under your matted fur and lets bacteria grow and it makes a painful sore, they can get infected, good thing I'm cleaning it now." Cid told her.

The Trandoshan used a soft fluffy ball with some medicine on it and wiped at the painful spot, it stung, but Omega didn't protest.

She didn't say anything as Cid kept cleaning her ears, didn't even make a peep when Cid dipped a warmly wet towel into her ear to clean the blood there.

"This stuff is a pain, it'll get in your ears and cause an infection if you don't clean it fast enough." Cid said.

The Trandoshan was fine with her silence. She kept talking anyway, to distract the kid's active mind from inevitably going to those dark places.

Cid finished washing the dried blood out of her ears and grabbed a fur brush to dislodge anything stuck in her matted clumps. She whimpered a little but didn't do anything to stop her. It didn't feel great but it also didn't feel terrible.

"I'm done for now but you need to take better care of your ears kid, they'll get pelted." Cid told her.

Omega turned to the Trandoshan, her eyes felt puffy, she knew they must've looked swollen. She saw understanding and sympathy on Cid's face. Cid wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

She felt the woman's large claws trace circles gently on her back. She curled into the Trandoshan and cried.

She cried about how awful she felt, how hard it was to sleep, how tired she felt all the time. She cried about the mess she'd made. She cried about how much of a mistake she felt like. She rambled and cried about everything that had gone wrong with her and how sorry she was for intruding on Cid's space.

She just cried for what seemed like hours.

"It's alright Tiny, there's nothing wrong with you." Cid told her in an attempt to comfort her.

"Yes there is! There's a lot of things wrong with me!" Omega cried.

"Just because your head works differently than most humans doesn't mean something is wrong with you." Cid said.

"What? Of course it means something is wrong!" Omega fought back, not questioning just how Cid knew about her closely kept secret.

"If it was wrong then why do natborns come out with a mind like yours, and your brother's? It's not all that rare given how many humans there are, other species have similar conditions. It's something that just happens, having it doesn't make you wrong, because you're not wrong." Cid's conviction was stronger than Omega had expected.

It made her further doubt what she'd been told by the Kaminoans. Nala Se had never told her she was wrong but some of the other Kaminoans said it right in front of her, others when they thought she wasn't listening, Lama Su had done both. Is my brain like being Loth? Is it really just something that happens? Why didn't Nala tell me?

"r-really?" She asked softly.

"Yep." Cid affirmed with a nod.

The kid didn't look like she believed her.

"You know, I've got a friend who's a lot like you." The way the kid's bloodshot eyes lit up made Cid feel a little something that was reserved for very specific people. Sympathy.

Sorry Blue, you'll understand why I talked when you see her.

"Do you want to know about her?" Cid asked.

"Yes! Er, that would be very nice." The kid's tail wagged around wildly.

XXX

Cid closed the door to her office, Tiny had fallen asleep on the floor and Cid hadn't wanted to wake her up by moving her so she had just tossed a blanket over her and given her a pillow.

She sighed and turned to face the five overprotective clones.

"Before you start going off, Tiny isn't physically hurt, she just fell asleep and shit, she needs it so for fuck's sake, be quiet." She snapped in a low voice.

The five clones all looked between each other, confused and unsure of what they were supposed to be doing with a child in the situation of Tiny. Cid sighed in annoyance and face palmed.

These idiots don't know anything! Who let them have a kid?

"You boys don't know anything about kids, do you?" She guessed.

"We're soilders." Moody stated.

"Wasn't Cut a soldier too?" Cid prompted.

"How-"

"Kid talks." She cut Goggles off.

"How much more do you know? You don't have kids." Moody put in.

"I had friends with kids, I know a lot more than you think." Cid snapped at him.

"Now, Tiny doesn't want to be bothered by any of you once she wakes up and I have a job for you, this one will pay well." Cid told them.

"You want us to leave her here after what happened today?!" Scomp asked in shock.

"Yes, she needs time to herself and she doesn't need to talk about it. She'll be fine. I promise." Cid told them.

They didn't look sold, she'd need to do more pushing. Maker knew that kid needed time alone to self-reflect.

________________________________________________________________________________

Omega is traumatizeder now!😃

One of my favorite things to do is take a character and traumatize the fuck out of them, I'm not done with Omega just yet😈

Yes, I'm a little evil sometimes.

It's really stupid fun to do.

I'm scared for the next episode, how about you guys?

It's going to be either a gut punch or more waiting to make us all go insane! So lot's of fun!

Alright, I hope you all have a good day, whatever that is for you!

VJS Out!

[auxiliarydetective]

OC Pride Challenge: Day 12

You can find the challenge here

We're currently in LGBTQIA+ Tropes week and for today's prompt I decided to use...

Mentor in Queerness for Raevyn Maumahara

I've always seen Raevyn's species, the Tehiko, as a species that has a very special relationship with gender and even though Raevyn is cis and traditionally feminine, she would have those same beliefs. I also always wanted her to have a special relationship with Topa and so spun my own headcanons about Topa's gender long before it was actually addressed. You can imagine my excitement when I watched A Tale of Two Topas. But this fic doesn't take place then, it takes place around the episode Sanctuary.

“Thank you for watching over Topa again, Commander,” Bortus said.

“Oh, it’s really no big deal,” Raevyn replied with a smile. “Topa and I get along well. Don’t we, Topa?”

Topa only gave a weak smile. This confirmed Raevyn’s suspicion. The Moclan mind was hard to read, but she knew Topa well enough from many hours of babysitting to notice when something was wrong.

“Don’t you have better things to do than watch our child?” Klyden asked.

Raevyn knew that way of speaking too. But she overlooked his hostility and just said: “I think getting to spend time with Topa is one of the best ways I could spend my free time.”

Kill ‘em with kindness.

“We must go now,” Bortus declared, “or we will miss our gathering. Come, Klyden. - Be good, Topa.”

“Yes, papa,” Topa said quietly.

With that, Klyden and Bortus left and Raevyn stayed behind with Topa. Immediately, Topa moved over to the sofa and picked up his puzzle cube. Raevyn sighed and sat down next to him, watching him for a while.

“What’s wrong?” she finally asked. “Are you having trouble with your parents?”

“You could say that,” Topa said.

“It happens to everyone. You know, as we get older, we start to notice little things that never bothered us before and then when we talk about them, sometimes our parents won’t understand because they’ve been doing it this way since - well, since we were born - and they’re not gonna change that just because some inexperienced little rascal said so. Or they don’t like the person we’re becoming because we’re not growing up the way they expected. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just life. Part of growing up is forging your own path and bickering with your parents as you do.”

“Hmm,” Topa mumbled and stopped fidgeting with his cube. He looked up at Raevyn and put it down. “Papa has been telling me that women are inferior.”

Raevyn couldn’t help an ironic smile. It had to happen sooner or later. Klyden was… well, he was a very conservative Moclan. It was common knowledge that, unlike Bortus, he had little understanding and respect for women in higher ranks - or women in general -, especially women like Raevyn.

“But I don’t believe that,” Topa continued.

“Oh boy, am I glad,” Raevyn chuckled.

“Commander Grayson and Doctor Finn are both very capable.”

“They are.”

“And you… you are a hero!”

“Oh gosh.”

“You are! And a true warrior! Papa doesn’t think so. He says a man wouldn’t have gotten captured and injured like you.”

Raevyn scoffed. She looked at her right hand which was now made of shimmering metal. She would’ve loved to see Klyden endure torture and high-voltage currents, watching his body break before his eyes. Was that too sadistic? Maybe she did hate him. But she had to try to at least stay on neutral ground with him or he wouldn’t let her see Topa anymore.

“My parents had a bad fight over you a few days ago,” Topa said. “Papa said he doesn’t want me spending time with a crippled female.”

Raevyn felt rage cooking up inside of her but she swallowed it down. Crippled female. Was that all he thought she was?

“Ouch,” she finally got out. “... And what did Bortus say?”

“He defended you. He said you were a great warrior and a great Chief of Security. To him, you are a good influence to me and an example to look up to.”

Raevyn smiled. “And what do you think? Do you think I’m crippled?”

“No. Your endurance is admirable and… I actually think your prosthetics are fascinating.”

“Do you wanna touch them?”

“Can I?”

“Sure.”

Raevyn took off her uniform jacket and lay it on the sofa next to her, then she offered both her arms. Whereas her left hand had only gotten its fingers and palm replaced, her right arm was metal up to its elbow. Her neck was metal too, a fusion of Tehiko and Kaylon engineering, as were her feet. The battle had really taken its toll on her and it had taken time for her to adjust to her new limbs. But if she could use them now to entertain a child… Topa carefully touched the metal surface of her hand, looking at the different components of sleek design. Isaac and the others had really outdone themselves to make it remember her flesh hand.

“Can you feel this?” Topa asked, poking the middle of her palm, causing her fingers to slightly curl inwards.

“I can feel everything like Isaac can. It’s the same technology.”

“So you can feel hot and cold too?”

“Hot and cold too. Except my prosthetics can’t freeze or get burned, thank god.”

For another minute or two, Topa eyed Raevyn’s hands. Then, his eyes wandered to her neck. With an amused smile, Raevyn leaned back and let him touch the different metal platings.

“Did you know my voice is simulated?”

“It is?”

“Yeah, like a simulator character. A bit freaky to think about, to be honest.”

Topa nodded. Then, his eyes sank and he pulled his hand back, pondering something.

“Raevyn,” he finally said, “why does papa hate you? Is it just because you are female?”

Raevyn sighed and fully leaned back on the sofa, looking at the ceiling for a second. Then, she looked at Topa again.

“It’s complicated. Your father is a very conservative man. He believes in traditional Moclan morals and all that. Well, traditionally, Moclans and Tehiko don’t get along. There’s some things our cultures have in common, like our focus on the military and strength, but some things are wildly different and don’t really mix well. My homeworld used to be a matriarchal society, meaning women were the ones in power. We’ve moved past it now, but we used to be the polar opposite to your people.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, but there’s another thing he probably hates even more: Since ancient times, we Tehiko have always had a very special relationship with gender identity.”

Topa furrowed his brows. “What do you mean? What is ‘gender identity’?”

“Oh, your father never taught you that, did he?” Raevyn gasped. Immediately, she started to feel a little nauseous inside.

“No, but I want to know. Please, tell me about what your people believe!”

Could she really tell him? A Moclan child? What would Klyden do if he found out? Then again, for the same reason that she maybe shouldn’t tell him, she simply had to, especially considering who Topa was and what had happened to him shortly after his birth. If she wasn’t going to tell him, who would?

“Alright,” she sighed. “But you have to promise not to tell your papa, okay? This is our little secret.”

Topa nodded eagerly and looked up at her with big eyes. So, Raevyn started explaining:

“Well, your papa probably told you that there’s only male or female, right? Nothing in-between. That’s already medically incorrect, but that’s not what we’re gonna talk about. What your dad tried to tell you about is someone’s sex. Their biological sex, what they were assigned at birth. Now, you were assigned…”

“Male.”

Wrong.

“Correct. But what matters is how you feel. That is your gender.”

“So…” Topa said slowly. “Someone could be male and feel like they are female?”

“Exactly.”

“Would they still be male?”

“No, they’d be female, according to my people’s beliefs, because their feelings are what matters. My people believe someone’s body to only be a hull, so someone’s sex is only secondary to someone’s true gender. Besides, with today’s medicine, you can change it at will anyways to match how you feel.”

“Amazing.”

“And people can’t just feel male or female either. They can feel like neither or both or somewhere in-between or outside of those norms.”

“Someone can be neither?”

“That’s right.”

“What would you call that?”

“Non-binary.”

“Non-binary… And if someone feels like a gender that isn’t their assigned sex?”

“That’s what we call trans.”

Topa looked baffled. Hopefully, it was the good kind of baffled. It seemed like he was catching on, at least. Hopefully, he wouldn’t spill anything at the dinner table and get in trouble with Klyden. But it was too late to back-pedal now.

“I should probably say that believing in someone’s gender is common sense among most Union cultures,” Raevyn continued. “But my species is especially open about it because we’ve had concepts like that firmly established in our society and culture for much longer than other species. Other cultures still have the gender binary pretty cemented, even today, and switching between or blending genders isn’t as common. We think of gender as something fluid - humans would say it’s a spectrum.”

Topa’s eyes were widened with excitement. He looked up at Raevyn and smiled. Then, his smile faded a little.

“Why do I have to keep this a secret?” Topa asked. “It is beautiful.”

Raevyn smiled, but she felt bad inside. She was proud of Topa, she really was. As if he were her child.

“You see, Topa,” she sighed, “if things went by me, you wouldn’t have to. But your papa… How do I say this…? Klyden wouldn’t be happy to hear you talk about it. He’d get very angry at you and me and I don’t want you to get in trouble with your papa because of me. He’s just not ready to hear it yet. Maybe, one day, he will be.”

They sat in silence for a second. There was something else that needed to be said.

“Of course, if you feel like you might not be male,” Raevyn continued, fighting with herself not to spill the secret she, too, had to guard, “you can’t go around hiding it. No one should have to hide who they really are. If that happens, you come talk to me again and we’ll figure something out.”

Silence again. But it was a comfortable silence. Topa smiled and nodded. Raevyn finally felt like she had said what needed to be said and had given Topa something to fall back on once he inevitably found out about his past. Or maybe he would never need this advice. But just in case he did, she would be there. Klyden would be their biggest issue, but she would find a way to deal with him. Besides, Bortus was there, too, and he would most likely be on their side if push came to shove. But that wasn’t something they had to worry about right now.

“Can I see your homeworld?” Topa asked sweetly.

“I’d love to show you,” Raevyn said, “but it’s a Saturday night. I bet all the simulators are taken.”

“Oh.”

“But we can look at pictures if you’d like.”

“I would love that.”

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

∇ - TOMBSTONE - who they are versus who they appear to be (for Abel) ⚖ - SCALES - how well they balance their good and bad impulses (for Robin)

Monstrous Headcanons ═══ CANON VERSE ═══ eeeee thank you!!!! These are two topics I actually LOVE diving into!!!

∇ - TOMBSTONE - who they are versus who they appear to be

Abel's relationship with its core is actually something I really love exploring and talking about as I'm quite proud of it, however I have explained the question surrounding Abel's morality here so I won't be discussing that section of its existence but rather its actual physical properties.

Okay so onto the actual answer. The entity Robin named Bel is a demon which primarily feeds off of companionships, but it lacks the emotional complexity to really feel anything outside of its primal urges. I often compare it to a computer. It goes through the motions of its immortal existence without any true feelings besides consume and using tactics from millennia of existence to reach that end. However something it has adapted via its contracts and interactions with humanity thus far and has developed numerous, countless "masks" that it wears to reflect its vessel's needs. An example of this is Abel, the mask formed for Robin's needs. These masks are sort of like programs on said computer--like an AI. They're intrinsically linked and need the core to function and work; Bel is Abel but Abel is not Bel--that sort of thing.

Going into Abel, specifically, it was created only after Bel made a contract with Robin, the demon using Robin's memories to piece together something that could benefit the boy. You can read about Abel's forming here. It settled on an relatively attractive male figure (something it knew Robin would find pretty since humans tend to trust those of us who are more conventionally attractive), and used Robin's memories to recreate hsi father, Bran's, voice. Abel functions majority off of mimicry and is, as a I said, like an AI; it is constantly learning and adapting to the environment around it and to what Robin specifically needs. Due to its nature it can come across as caring and as though it is actually able to feel complex emotions--but make no mistake, this is a ruse based purely around the deception of the human mind and our evolution as social creatures. Despite slipping a few times during his darker hours, Robin is fully aware that Abel is still a fake personality, and that nothing is truly there.

Regardless of this fact, Abel still provides quite an extensive amount of assistance to Robin's life; IT DOES NOT SABOTAGE HIM AS MUCH AS ONE WOULD THINK. I'd actually go as far as to say that it never does; Robin was never actually influenced by Abel once the contract was put into place. It did not ignite his obsession with getting his family back or his fall into darker magic, and it doesn't really push him to continue down the path he was on. It works to make Robin comfortable and happy in order to protect its meal, and gives Robin the means to an end to do certain things. As previously mentioned it cannot, even as Abel, understand complex emotions- happiness being one of them. Humans are happy when they get what they want and do what they set out to do, right? Right. But trauma can distort actual happiness that can only TRULY come from healing and moving on from the damage that caused so many issues in the first place. If Robin changed his mind and decided he wanted to stop what he was doing and go become a goat herder in the Freljord--Abel would help make it happen.

Something it DOES actively push Robin to do, however, is create and form bonds with others so it can feed off of them. It can also be shown to fully recognize dangerous relationships versus ones that would actually benefit him, as seen here. It teaches him how to shape sentences in a polite way, still seen in Robin's speech pattern today, and teaches him the power of words over actions and vice versa. Due to Abel coming into Robin's life at the ripe age of 15 - it has actually influenced quite a lot of his personality as, despite knowing better, Robin did naturally place Abel into the "family" compartment in his mind. It wasn't as though he had much choice. It walked beside Robin for an entire decade before both of their lives ended at the same time, but Abel - shockingly - used the last bit of its power to partially revive Robin in an act of mercy/love/survival (?) and it still doesn't know why it did such a thing.

In Modern AU, its been pretty heavily established that Robin is a reincarnation and the soul itself is what brought Abel back into existence - much to the horror of the demon. The masks are not supposed to ever come back...and it will now have to face the consequences of being alive once more, with a form based off the past. It's also struggling consistently because in Modern Robin's family is very much alive, so it's whole reason for existing in the first place is just...gone. I could talk about Abel for hours though, so I will stop here.

I FORGOT TO ADD THAT ABEL NEVER CALLS ROBIN BY HIS NAME. EVER. IT CALLS HIM "BOY" OR "THAT ONE"

⚖ - SCALES - how well they balance their good and bad impulses

For the majority of his bad impulses, I actually think Robin has a pretty firm grasp on what he actually decides to do. I'd say a good 90% of the time he doesn't actually just let intrusive thoughts win and he has a lot of self control, the other 10% is either when he's very very desperate or teetering on the edge of the "wallow in sadness" pit. While alive he had access to quite a few bad habits but never pushed any of them to the point where they could hurt him, except maybe if he were to be celebrating something successful or got a raise, then he might drink until he blacks out. Those instances are pretty null and void now though since he can't smoke or drink anymore--but there is one habit that is extremely difficult for him to break; playing intellectual games. Robin's darker parts are explained here; and it still tempts him everyday of his life to go back to Zaun and continue what he did before--and he LOVES when others are able to keep up or even mirror his own actions. A really good example of this is his relationship with @curtain-cxll. They both know, at least at first, that they're manipulating, mansplaining and malewife the other, but Robin enjoys it too much to stop. Granted this is something Robin really learned to enjoy about 6 years so he didn't do this during his days at the academy - he was much too focused on trying to get funding for his research into flora and clean air to play mind games with people.

His bad impulses during his academy days fall into the obsession with the dead - which he fell into pretty hard, and pushing himself to the point of collapse because the work was all he had after the accident. A lot of his poor control came through due to self isolation and lack of any genuine emotional support (not including any friends he makes in other AUs of course). He didn't participate in risky sexual behaviors, unjustified violence or steal (stealing from Pilties to further fund his cause doesn't count in his mind since they won't miss it anyway). He did curse and have an attitude, but that was mostly towards Abel, as he didn't really have friends.