A few days ago, while I was completing the Hive public event on Titan, I noticed that one of the Bosses spawned was a reskin of Alak-Hul, the Darkblade. Not only did it bring up the question of if there are more Hive out there with that weird Mushroom head, but also the idea of Hive Love. Alak-Hul and his mate, Verok, are the only direct example we have of a committed and intimate Hive relationship. Whether it was a strategic decision due to the fact that they played off each other's strengths well or if it was actual, honest to Worm God love, is unknown. Alak-Hul [i]did[/i] slay a legion of Thrall in Verok's name. This could've either been to strengthen her tithe or it could've been the smoothest woo in the history of the Hive and Alak-Hul is the master of seduction. Other examples of Hive "intimacy" is found in the Osmium Family. Obviously the three main Hive Gods, Oryx, Savathûn and Xivu Arath, have some level of affection for one another, which is expressed through making war upon one another to make sure they haven't grown weak and unworthy of existing (although this love seems to have faded from Oryx, seeing as he planed to permanently kill his sisters, with the only thing stoping him being his hesitation, unsure of the power they've garnered in their time separated.) But there is evidence that all three had some form of commitment with other Hive. Oryx was reported to have found a Mother to produce his Brood, but nothing more is mentioned about her beyond that. Savathûn and Xivu Arath were implied to have significant others in XXXVI: Eater of Hope, when Oryxs says to Crota "Let’s go meet your aunts and uncles." This is interesting because not only do they have mates (unless Savathûn amassed a Harem of some sorts and Xivu Arath is still single) but these "Uncles" are important enough for Crota to be aquatinted with. It's unsure if Crota even knew his mother considering Oryx was the first person speak to him when he was born (it's framed that way, at least) and no mention of her significance was brought to light during this. Oryx tells Crota about her, but only that she was used to make his spawn. So why are these uncles so important while Crota's mother isn't? Maybe we'll learn in time. The last example of Hive relationships I can think of is Xyor, the Blessed/Betrothed (Later the Unwed) who cursed Rezyl Azzir, most likely sending him down the path to becoming Dredgen Yor. Her title and involvement with Yor seems to imply that she was to be married to the Guardian, as uncomfortable as that might make a few of you. Her title likely switched from Blessed/Betrothed to Unwed after Shin put a couple bullets in Yor, officially calling off the wedding. The fascinating thing about this case is why Xyor received these titles to begin with. Is marriage rare enough with the Hive that it merits being given the title of Blessed or Betrothed, even if the other half of the marriage has yet to meet their future significant other? Or did Xyor introduce herself as the Blessed and the Betrothed as a way of courtship towards Azzir? A sort of formal introduction into the Family? And then there's her second title, Unwed. Does a Hive receive this title if their fiancé is killed in battle, or is it applicable to any jilting? Bungie please! These are the hard hitting questions the people want answers to! When will we be able to marry our Knight Boyfriends?! D3? [i]D4?[/i] But seriously, do the Hive feel Love? Or do they just view their "breeding experiments" simply as biological propagation to achieve a stronger new generation? It's obvious that the Hive aren't as united as Oryx might have prided himself on. Nokris is proof of that enough, but even the Knights casually break the Sword Logic every time they summon their Shield. Thank Akka Oryx is dead, because he'd cough up a worm if he saw these new age Vanquisher Knights carrying [i]Physical Shields[/i] into battle! The Big man is probably rolling in his space grave. The point is, not all Hive hold the same moral values, maybe some practice Marriage rituals while others just produce their Broods with no strings attached.