[spoiler]thanks for reading!!! 💕[/spoiler] “I took this staff long ago, from Devil captain Vajis, called ...clever-head-ed..." Variks puffs his chest out proudly. "He wasn't as clever as Variks."      "Of course he wasn't," Shadow croons immediately. "You're the [i]most[/i] clever."      Variks purrs.      The two of them watch guardians come and go through the outpost. Shadow sits among the equipment by Variks, her usual place beside him.      "Did you come here today for secrets, or stories?"      She smiles. "Either," she answers, regardless of knowing Variks would keep things fairly vague.      He burbles to himself quietly, tapping his staff.      "I ...was a Judgement scribe, long ago. I had much respect." His gaze becomes almost wistful.      Shadow wonders for a moment if this is true, or if Variks is just bragging. Not that she would care whether he was or not. She would continue to find him thoroughly charming.      "Well, you still have mine."      Once again, that cold, unidentifiable stare.       Shadow stays put for hours on end, listening to Variks. She was well aware of her avoided missions, finding herself at the reef more and more often. Much to the displeasure of her ghost, and vanguard.      Variks throws a sideways glance at her as a few guardians scurry off. "Why does the Queen hate you so... to make you watch Variks with such... vigilance?"      "Mm?" Shadow perks up in surprise, having forgotten to break her mesmerized staring a good 20 minutes ago. "She hasn't made me do anything."      She realizes her error too late. Variks was clever. Too clever for her. Her heart speeds up in panic.      Variks narrows his glowing eyes at her. "Then... why... are you [i]staring[/i] at me?"      "I'm not," she answers immediately, hurriedly.      "Yes, you are."      Heat floods her chest. She looks away from his intense observation of her. "You're ...interesting," she chokes out.      "I see." He taps his staff. "So are you."      [i]Skip, skip skip[/i]      Variks waves a hand dismissively, seeming to forget his suspicions. "You caught Skolas. You brought him to judgement. You are my friend, and you can sit there, if you want."      Happy to know he is content with her presence, she relaxes.      Variks tilts his head thoughtfully. "We make a good team, no? I find Skolas..." He raises one hand. "You fight Skolas." He lifts the other to her.      Shadow flushes, staring at the floor. "Yeah, yeah I guess we do."      "Tell Cayde... he's no longer of use." Variks snickers quietly.      The hunter giggles, warmth spreading through her at the thought that she was resourceful to Variks, more so even than the hunter vanguard. [i]Beep-beep-beep[/i] "Umm... excuse me." Shadow smiles awkwardly, standing and backing away to answer the call. "SHADOW!" The voice blasts into her headset. "[i]Augh[/i]! Travelers [i]light[/i]!" Shadow jolts sideways dramatically. "I've called you six times in a row! Get your ass over here [i]now[/i]!"      While there was a trace of humor in Cayde's robotic voice, she could tell he wasn't happy. "Right, sorry." "Yeah, you will be!" Variks chitters behind her curiously, echoing into her earpiece. "Are you at the reef again? Is that Variks I hear?" "Oh.. uhh.. yeah, I was just in the prison, training of course," Shadow rushes nervously. A sigh is her only response for a moment. "Just get over here."      "Right..."      Shrinking into her armor, she slowly turns back to Variks.      "Well, I've got to be going now-"      Shadow jolts, finding her face inches from Variks' broad chest. She looks up at him with wide amber eyes.      Had he been listening to her conversation? How had he snuck up on her so easily?      "You are going back to earth now?" Variks gazes down his chest at her, clearly unaware of the term 'personal space.'      "Will you tell the city about Variks? Your great friend?"      Shadow's chest swells with warmth. She smiles.      The vanguard could take her away from Variks, but she would continue to follow his orders no matter where she was.      "Of course I will, Variks. Of course I will." [spoiler]just random sh*t before taken king 🙃[/spoiler]