#shin malphur | they should not have followed him | dredgen au

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent​ from here

“Thank you.” Shin says quietly, keeping his eyes closed for a moment longer, savoring the last notes. He can’t express how he feels about Khalom so at least the songs, seemingly whatever comes to his head, can do that without the Awoken ever knowing. It saddens him but is all that he can get, and probably will ever be able to.

And yes, Khalom is right - he should play more. He rarely picks up the guitar when he’s alone as the music sounds oddly haunting when there is no one to share it with. But with her... It’s so much different.

He looks at her, idly running his fingers over the strings, his face gaining a bit more color. “Would you like... to hear something else?”

[pyresided]

[absolutely, perfectly comprehensive, chronological and perfectly explained shindrift timeline for all ur shindrift needs]

          side note ; this is heavily canon divergent and works to take into account @notpetals‘ au where yor has a throne world and didn’t die the first time shin/the renegade ‘killed’ him - also fuck canon

          - the renegade and drifter meet ‘by chance’ and talk, drifter shows the renegade his gets and the ascendant plane

          -  knowing he’s in danger and being keen to keep the renegade out of his business, drifter lays a trap and gives him the name callum sol (dredgen cull) and waits to see if he takes the bait. neither of them really understand the other and shin sees drifter as nothing more than an annoyance to his plans - but he lets the rogue continue, the both of them planning on playing the long game

          - drifter is a difficult man to work with. the renegade is a difficult man to read. the two of them end up clashing in more ways than one - their tempers and stress and everything else boiling over during an altercation that leaves them engaging in a way neither saw coming. drifter has the renegade retreating to lick his wounds in private, it’s a routine that soon repeats itself more often than not when they organise meetings to pass along information

          - the renegade ‘oversees’ drifter setting up gambit as part of their ‘deal’ - almost killing drifter when he finds out about the primevals

          - drifter finds out that callum has been killed and in the process figures out that the renegade is shin malphur, the man with the golden gun and uses a list of dredgen names as leverage to direct him going forward - revelling in his new context for the man that would kill him for even the slightest slip up

          - neither of them will admit it or even consider what it could mean, but their extra curricular activities become more of a habit and less of a fight. their edges blunting ever so slightly, they start sharing a bed after the fact, start organising meetings purely to feel each other again and again

          - drifter sees shin’s face for the first time, shin lets him

         - shin starts to help drifter with testing weapons for gambit prime, helping him perfect his craft while they both get to keep an eye on one another. sometimes they go as far as to test the weapons on shin when there’s no other option thanks to shaxx not allowing gambit weapons in the crucible and drifter wanting to keep a low profile between themselves

          - shortly after drifter is moved into the annex by the vanguard, the nine start to send him visions and anour become an issue. shin is made aware of anour bugging the annex and decides to stay neutral to watch how things play out. somewhere around this time, they’re forced to find comfort in one another when shin finds drifter after a vision sent from the nine and drifter is given no choice but to allow shin to be the one to help him with the aftermath

          - drifter starts gambit prime. shin watches

          - shin meets ghost for the first time after killing drifter while finding out about the two guardians who died permanently during drifter’s first tests of gambit prime, shin is polite and ghost is confused

          - drifter gives shin a jade coin, shin keeps it

         - they carry on with their own ‘lives’, shin following the dredgen names that drifter is feeding him and drifter further earning his spot and reputation in the tower, their relationship at this point is still tense and unsteady but neither of them is dead yet so... y’know

          - having returned to the tower and found out about umbral engrams and the modified banks used in contact events, shin - believing that drifter has gone against their fragile deal - confronted drifter about it. eventually, drifter agrees to show shin one of the pyramids on io. when placed in front of the first pyramid on io, shin has an adverse reaction to the presence of such oppressive darkness, drifter takes him back to the derelict - that’s the turning point

          - having hit a dry spell on the flow of names coming from drifter, shin finds himself face to face with dredgen yor leaving the annex. (duh duh duuuuhhh) not thinking, shin threatens yor - warning him to leave drifter alone and stay out of it. things go sour. the confrontation leaves shin on his knees and drifter with eight rounds from the last word in his stomach. yor leaves with a threat aimed at shin - drifter is healed by ghost when the coast is clear and shin retreats to the wilds

          - overwhelmed and confused by his own reaction to seeing someone who was seemingly, up until recent events, his enemy dying on the ground in front of him - shin takes his frustrations out on whatever he can find. multiple fallen settlements are reported to the vanguard as having been wiped out by huge surges of solar light. drifter searches for him for a week before giving up, deciding that shin didn’t want to be found and that he wasn’t coming back. still haunted by yor’s last words to him, shin continues on his rampage for two weeks before his ghost takes matters into her own hands

          - celia drops shin in the derelict and leaves him to drifter, drifter is angry with shin and punches him - telling him that if he wants to help, he can’t just leave like that. he tends to shin’s injuries (solar burns over half of his torso and left arm) and discovers that he’s light fatigued in the process - the decision is made for shin that he’s to stay on the derelict while he recovers, the both of them deeming it to be the safest place for him

          - drifter makes a deal with yor. he’ll keep shin on a short leash and in return yor will stay away from shin. shin doesn’t take the idea well at first but isn’t given much choice but to trust the rogue when it’s revealed to him that drifter is planning to find a way to kill yor in his throne world if he can just get close enough

         - drifter starts to see more and more of shin malphur without the oppressive covering of light that follows him everywhere. shin starts to understand the dark age drifter more and more, realising that what he knew about the light and the dark wasn’t right, starting to see why he sees the world the way he does and begins to understand the grey area between the two through the one person who would be able to show him

          - cooped up and stuck with each other for far longer periods of time than they’ve been used to, drifter discovers that shin can’t read confidently or write. during his recovery, drifter starts to teach shin to read and write whenever he gets the free time between gambit matches and writing reports for the vanguard

          - shin goes on his first ever date, and it’s with drifter

          - drifter gives shin unspoken truth, a handcannon designed to feel and work similar to the last word but without the infamous appearance - allowing shin to go undetected among the guardians and the tower

          - coming to the realisation that they’re both in deeper than they thought and becoming closer - starting to genuinely rely on each other more and more... the two of them make a promise - a promise to stay 

          - shin starts to wear one of drifter’s jade coins around his neck

          - shin starts playing gambit during his recovery, discovers that he can’t pick up or touch motes due to the high concentration and purity of the light he carries with him and instead focuses on invading - firmly planting himself as a formidable opponent in the new game mode

          - shin’s recovery takes four months in total

          - shin trusts drifter to help him mend his cloak, in the process, drifter learns of the real story behind shin malphur, the man with the golden gun. it’s in that moment that shin realises he wants to rid himself of the renegade once and for all

          - after meeting the emissary of the nine, shin is given the prophecy - drifter eventually relents and they go through the prophecy dungeon together, shin learning more about the nine and and shin sees drifter use his light for the first time

          - shin records ‘vale’

          - fully recovered from their first encounter and not being able to get yor out of his head or understand why he is where he is, shin leaves the derelict without telling drifter and searches yor out. he plans to talk, to ask the questions he’s never had answers for and hopes that the knowledge between them that shin can’t kill yor permanently anymore is enough to stay any bullets. it isn’t. shin draws and his light doesn’t react, he’s shot by thorn in the stomach and yor leaves him there to die - taking the last word with him when he leaves

          - celia sends drifter ‘vale’ prematurely, leaving drifter to assume the worst 

          - half dead and dying fast, shin manages to get back to the derelict before collapsing and drifter is there to pick up the pieces, saving shin’s life and removing the bullet before giving shin his bed to recover in. shin’s light capacity is permanently shrunk between his encounter with thorn and his light fatigue

          - the whispers tell shin his dredgen name while the bullet is being removed

          - drifter learns of celia’s manipulations and underhanded tactics that started the renegade in the first place and kept it going for far longer than it should have. his suspicions of ghosts are only confirmed when celia tells him that she wanted drifter to leave shin and give him back to her. the two of them have a heated conversation before celia eventually backs down - not understanding how drifter can want to keep a light such as shin’s to himself

          - drifter ghosts shin for two weeks, resulting in a heated argument the first time they talk after shin wakes up from his injuries. it’s revealed that shin hadn’t wanted to come to blows with yor, that he had only wanted to shed himself of the renegade persona once and for all in one final attempt to rid himself of yor when it becomes clear that he can’t kill his living nightmare

          - the renegade is retired

          - shin is left to recover on the derelict when it becomes clear that it’s the only safe place for him - essentially moving in living with drifter after that point, finding his first home since palamon

          - drifter give shin another coin, one to flip when he finds himself having to make a decision that he doesn’t have an answer to, a hundred years without thinking about what he actually wants rather than what he’s meant to be killing next becomes obvious when he loses his sole purpose in life up until a week ago

          - trying to find his way in a real life rather than one with a sole purpose like the renegade gave him, shin discovers the crucible. becoming infamous within the rings of regular players, he’s well known but still manages to keep his true identity a secret from the wider reaches of guardians - only a select few know exactly who he is and why he’s so good

          - whilst running what should have been a simple job between the two of them, drifter is shot in a darkness zone, during an ambush aimed at shin. if it wasn’t for shin managing to cauterise the wound with whatever they could find lying about, drifter would have died permanently. shin manages to get drifter back to the derelict without help and drifter is healed as far as his ghost can manage 

          - drifter is bedridden for two weeks, leaving shin to look after him during this time - the both of them realising just how much they need each other now. though this time neither of them try to run away or get out of it. they decide that they’re going to stay like this and that they wouldn’t mind staying together now that they’ve gotten this far

          - two months later, drifter gets the call from elsie bray - he leaves for europa the same day after getting shin to understand that he can’t follow with the high concentration of darkness that they’re going to be dealing with in europa. drifter leaves shin with a list of things to keep him busy and moving while he’s gone

          - shin is left alone and they communicate on and off throughout the time drifter is learning stasis, losing contact when the darkness proves challenging for drifter to control and work his way around

          - shin discovers drifter’s collection of star charts and navigational materials of years past, he decides that he doesn’t want to be involved in this war anymore

          - drifter gets back without having told shin about his learning stasis, their initial meeting doesn’t go to plan at all with shin reacting badly to the darkness surrounding drifter. it takes a week before they can be in the same room again comfortably and another week before things are back to almost normal again between them

          - shin poses that they leave the system once it becomes clear that a stasis filled earth isn’t somewhere he can exist in anymore. drifter obliges

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent

On all other days, Shin would be delighted to have Khalom run into him. On all but this one when his illness was at its worst. But it probably really was karma, since who otherwise explored strange caves just for the fun of it, scarcely deterred by weird noises coming from within? She had to have been lead there by faith.

It was clear someone was living in the cave, crates and utilities recently used, taken care of. In a small nook was the source of whining and moaning - Shin, laying on a thick blanket, curled up on his side, Last Word in his hand. Not that he was able to lift it in his state.

In a faint, warm light of an oil lamp, his face was sickly white, as if he had already died - if not for the noises, the only sign against it being bright green irises, staring without seeing into the darkness of the cave. Not even his chest moved enough in the shallow breaths to indicate he was alive...

Ward watched him from a hole in the ceiling, waiting it out as always.

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent from here

Some injuries couldn't be healed quickly by the Light. A Guardian had two options at that point.

If time was of the essence or the wound slowly fatal, they could kill themself to allow their Ghost to Rez them in a fresh, healed state.

Or, if they could, they could heal the old fashioned way. Slowly over time. If out in the field, one could hope that someone would come across them to patch them up.

Something about killer herself never sat right with Khalom. It was frightening, in a way, and she only did it for the most extreme circumstances. Most of the time, she would opt for choice number two if she didn't need to be back in tip top shape in the next three seconds. Maybe Notts would patch her up, or a passing Guardian would find her slumped against the wall, holding her guts in.

The problem was, not everyone who could come across her had the best of intentions.

"MotherFUCKER!" Khalom swore and bit down on her lip as Shin wriggled his fingers across a deep slash on her back. It had been dealt by an Eliksni Arc staff, giving her the distinct cut of a sharp knife and the smell of electrified skin. "This is exactly why I s-said I didn't want your help...!" Dazed, cut up, and maybe a little delirious from blood loss, Khalom couldn't keep his hands at bay. Her paler-than-usual face had a green sheen to it from the glow of the Hive rune pin on her cloak.

Shin never expected to run into Khalom in such a state so soon. But happily, he stalked after her till she reached a safe spot. He would help... in time.

The scream of pain brought a wide grin to his face, just as the blood that covered his fingers. The pin kept the other safe, but nothing could hold him back from licking it off, one finger at a time.

Crouched over the Awoken, he took his sweet time.

“But you have it, so stop whining. Consider it bonding time.” Shin snickered, his laughter throwing him off balance. To not plant his face into Khalom’s back, he put his palm straight at the wound with all his weight.

[of-snakes-and-men]

“Tell me, Guardian...” Dredgen Malphur hissed, narrowing his eyes, the barrel of Thorn pointed at the poor soul in front of him. “Why should I spare your life? What is so precious about it?” 

[of-snakes-and-men]

@lxghtbound

The Light erupted in his face, ruffling the already messy, dark hair, washing over him in the so familiar, delightful way. But it did not bend around him the same way, did not sink in through the cursed gun right up the very fiber of his being. Slightly confused at first, Dredgen Malphur stared down at the barrel of Thorn, then at the remains of the Ghost...

No sign of the sickly green singe marks.

A guttural, inhuman growl tore its way from somewhere deep in Shin’s throat, disappointment and anger boiling in it, ready to spill on the one that took the kill away from him. Wild, burning eyes shot in the direction the final blow had come from and sure, there he was - another Lightbearer, and a familiar one at that.

“Youuuuuu...” He snarled, baring his teeth, the golden shine giving way to the Hive green, and he lowered his stance, ready to tear into the Exo. Even though Shin never made a pact like Yor did, using the Thorn took its toll on the Hunter. 

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent asked:

& Shin and Khalom??? C:

Among all the awful days, they had some good ones, too. Like this one - Shin’s in a good mood, preparing to wash his clothes in the creek, the other Hunter sitting next to him on the bank. They chat and joke, and someone could think nothing’s out of the ordinary, that the man is just a normal person.

When he takes off his shirt, it’s hard to hide all the strange tissue which made up the scars on his body - hardened skin and Hive carapace. He doesn’t care or really think about them much, even though he’s not too fond of how his clothes rub against them most of the time.

When Khalom runs her fingers over a long scar on his shoulderblade, Shin pauses with the shirt just above the water. He closes his eyes, a shiver visibly running through his body.

“Careful...” He breaths, lowering his head. “Don’t cut yourself on those.”

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent

Geared up like someone who just left the Tower - nice, shiny armor, long, only slightly used cloak, the Dredgen watched Notts from afar. It didn’t take him long though, as he didn’t actually have to stalk his prey, but rather make sure she was busy with her studies. 

Nonchalantly, the Hunter approached her, his face hidden behind the helmet. Still, he could be quite a charming guy if he wanted to.

“Been on patrol ‘round those parts, couldn’t help but notice you.” Shin started, faking a different accent with near perfection. He procured a small, blue flower, its petals shimmering slightly in the Sun. If not for the fact that he didn’t care, it would be probably a very interesting find. “Maybe you can tell me what those are? Been seein’ them in the tunnels nearby.”

[of-snakes-and-men]

♡ for Dredgen Shin, Cayde, Crow, and Drifter!

♡ Dredgen Shin - Do not let his reputation scare you! He will be much more inclined to get involved with someone who talked back/got curious, instead of cowering in front of him.

♡ Cayde - See past the Hunter Vanguard. Notice small things about him, details that others don’t see. Ask him about a crack in the plating/what did he dream of that night/what cool thing did he see on his last trip outside.

♡ Uldren - ( i do not write for Crow so you get Uldren instead :3 ) Go against his loftiness, show him he is more than a Prince/Mara’s brother. Nothing big: banter with him, invite him to do new things, let him show you his interests/favorite places. He will do the latter without even realising cause he will be so excited.

♡ Drifter - Regularly spend nights in the Derelict. He has troubles sleeping/nightmares/hallucinations, so having someone around is a great help. It doesn’t have to be anything on a level of dating either! Simply doing your own thing around him/cooking together/playing something is enough. He just needs a living, breathing person to feel safe on the ship.

[of-snakes-and-men]

@fireteam-silent

One might have assumed otherwise, given her general lax attitude, but Khalom could be shockingly hard to sneak up on. She wasn't paranoid, always checking over her shoulder or tensing at the quietest sounds, merely observant. She liked to survey her surroundings, preferably from as high a point she could climb onto, and movement attracted the eyes' attention, making it hard for anyone to approach unnoticed.

But it was a double edged sword. For if something really caught her attention she became distracted. Maybe she was awed by the beauty of the flock of brightly coloured birds, or was thinking about the best way to climb that oddly twisted tree. Whatever the reason, Khalom didn't see the movement nor did she register Lucid's warning beep in time, and she gasped at the feeling of cold metal pressed against her skin.

"Who in the FUCK--" Khalom swore, freezing in place to avoid cutting herself on the sharp edge of the knife.

Sneaking on people was always fun, especially those who really made an effort to be aware of their surroundings - a sort of a challenge for the bored Dredgen. He had to admit that running into the same Awoken he had fucked with last time was a surprise, since he would think she had learned her lesson. Still, someone to toy with was someone to toy with, no matter.

"Hi, Khalom~" Shin purred from behind, one finger uncurling from the handle of the knife for a moment in a sort of wave, his opposite forearm pressed against her back, his elbow blocking any backwards movements of her arm. "How you've been, Lovely?"

[of-snakes-and-men]

♡♡ shin! [dredgen or not, up to u]

♡ Shin - He will absolutely melt if someone cooks for him. He’s used to cooking himself from whatever he can hunt down and even though years passed, Shin did not really learn to cook well.

♡ Dredgen Shin - Indulge in his madness. Don’t show fear. He will see you as an equal (almost) and won’t be afraid to just let go, be absolutely feral.

[of-snakes-and-men]

fireteam-silent​:

Khalom didn’t even hesitate. She marched right up to Shin and planted herself in front of him. She searched his eyes for a moment, saying nothing.

“… You’re dying?” The words were harder to get out than she had anticipated. Her throat closed up and her eyes felt misty.

The question stuns him in its blatancy. How does she -- Damn that Ghost, always sticking his fins where they shouldn't be... He takes a breath to deny but the wind gets knocked out of his sails the longer he stares at Khalom's worried face.

"I --" Shin starts but his throat tightens up. He casts his gaze down, shoulders slumping. It pains him to see her like this, to see the care she has for him, to see all the effort she put into trying to help him and it all being for nothing.

"You weren't supposed to know..." He says quietly, not daring to look up at her. "It doesn't matter..."

[of-snakes-and-men]

The question made him look at Khalom, his expression as shocked as if she slapped him. He tried to think about it through the cloud that covered his mind. Why did he stop? There was no reason for him to stop... He couldn't get her Light because of the pin, but he could still sink his teeth into the warm flesh, feel the pulse again, this time in the way her blood would spill...

As his mind raced into the opposite direction Kahlom wanted it to, his expression shifted more and more, his features becoming sharper in an odd, unnatural way. He leaned forward again, rolling his shoulders unconsciously, his fingers on the ground, as if he was ready to pounce.

And he was.

Shin sprung forward, grabbing at Khalom's shoulders, his teeth snapping dangerously close to her throat.

fireteam-silent​:

Khalom’s pulse skipped a beat and quickened from the closeness. His palm was cold against her skin, evidence that he was still extremely ill, and she pushed back against it to prevent him from pushing her face any closer to his.

She blinked bright eyes once. Twice.

“The hell are you doing?” Khalom quirked an eyebrow, confused. “I mean, you’re welcome and all, but you’re a little close for comfort right now.”

Lucid practically vibrated with nerves. Too close. Too close to Shin and all the danger he posed. Sure, she had that pin, but he didn’t know if that worked!

“Can’t a Nightmare be grateful?” Shin chuckled, taking his hand away, Khalom’s pulse noted in his head. It was quicker than it should be, though he would need… a different sample. Still, he suspected she only played being so brave, no matter what her pulse said.

He took another sip and handed the canteen back, his eyes not leaving hers over the container. The haze was slowly wearing off and he could feel the Light within her, and a void in himself. A void he wanted desperately to fill. Shin was hungry.

A shiver ran down his body and he bared his teeth, not even realizing it. Faint particles of Hive magic begun to dance in the air around him -

The Dredgen pulled back sharply, as if breaking out from a trance, eyes shut tight. “You should leave…” He rasped out, a Hive-like growl lining his voice.

[of-snakes-and-men]

Shin could feel someone's presence, a familiar feeling pushing through the haze, but he couldn't pinpoint who, where or when. Time stretched, turned and played tricks on him every time, his mind showing strange shadows, people from the past.

The moment Khalom got closer again, Shin grabbed onto her blindly, the Last Word falling out of his hand. His fingers tightened like claws, no feeling of pressure in the confused body.

"You promised...!" He cried out, trashing still.

fireteam-silent​:

“No point in testing if you don’t need to, huh?” Khalom chuckled. “Lucky son of a bitch.” She turned as she addresses Shin. “I die every other week, at least, and he’s out here galavanting on his first life? No wonder he’s so flippant.” Of course, she tended to be a bit careless, since she knew she could come back. Took the fear out of a lot of things. For Lucid’s sake she tried not to do anything too dumb, but… Well, Khalom was a Hunter.

“And I suppose your Light can counteract this curse,” she stated, almost sadly. “What a mess… Bet that Yor fucker would find this hilarious.” She sighed softly.

Ward chuckled at her comment - it surely was one of the reasons Shin was how he was. Guardians died left and right so many times and he was still unscathed…

Then he sighed deeply again, closing his optic for a moment.

“My Light has nothing to do with the curse, sadly. It’s all on him - to control it, to succumb to it… I wish I could change something, bring back the person I took as my Risen all those years ago… but I can’t.”

Shin was still sitting upright, head low. He started to mumble something, one hand pressed against his chest, fingers tight on the fabric of the shirt. Suddenly, with a loud, pained moan, the Dredgen fell back and started to trash on the ground.

[of-snakes-and-men]

fireteam-silent​:

Lucid have a sheepish laugh. “Aha, sorry. I’m picking up too many habits from Apollo.”

Khalom gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a curse created by an evil Hive Wizard, now would it?” She grinned and relaxed back in her seated position as she put her glove back on. “It’s worth a try. Even if it doesn’t work, well, maybe we can mitigate it. And if we can’t do that…”

Her broad grin fell into a more serious expression as she redid the leather straps. “It’s important, I think, to try. To say we did our best. Even if we can’t win, doing whatever we can means we don’t lose.” At least, that’s how Khalom saw it.

“You’re really something...” Shin smiled faintly, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself. “Maybe an idealistic heart around will do me good, though.” A compass to help navigate through all this, someone to keep him on the right, or at least, a better path.

He hummed thoughtfully, looking at his Ghost, who looked away immediately. Then Shin's gaze returned back to Khalom.

"I assume Ward told you... things. We won't get a better time than this for questions, I guess, so... shoot." He couldn't help a small grin.

[of-snakes-and-men]

fireteam-silent​:

“I’ve got it,” Lucid beeped. He zipped through the air over to Khalom, where upon she offered him her wrist. His shell narrowed around his optic, and fired a thin beam of Light. Unlike his ‘Lazer Face’ that he had used on Shin all those months ago, this Light began to rapidly stitch Khalom’s skin back together. Khalom winced as he worked, it never felt entirely pleasant, but she smiled at him all the same. Once Lucid was finished, all that was left of the cut was a thin, pale line that would likely be gone the next time Khalom was revived.

Well, that, and the bloody mess smeared over her wrist and Shin’s lips.

“Thanks Lucid,” she said as she thumbed over the area briefly. She pulled Lucid closer for a brief kiss on his shell. “Was getting a little woozy there.” Indeed, Khalom looked a little pale, and the Light dancing under she skin almost seemed dim. She reached around behind her for the long discarded canteen of water and offered it to Shin. “Here ya go. Use as much as you need.”

There was some relief in the fact he didn’t have to bandage the cut. He was confused about his emotions, never really having to deal with them before - whoever became his victim was dead, nothing to think about. And here? Khalom offered her own blood to help him.

With a nod of thanks, Shin took the canteen and drank deep from it. The water washed out the iron taste in his mouth and it made him feel slightly more human. He used some of the water to clean his face, too, before wiping it with the back of his sleeve.

"Why did you do that?" The Dredgen asked finally, fidgeting with the cap of the canteen. "You should have left me to die. It would be so much easier for everyone..." There was no anger in his voice, only sadness.