• .・゜-: ✧ :-

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You know what I like about Swindler?

Her character arc sounds like crap when stated outright, but she actually comes out a much better and more nuanced person for it —

Just

"LOCAL WOMAN DISCOVERS MATERNAL INSTINCTS AND DECIDES A LIFE OF CRIME MAY NOT BE AS BAD AS SHE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT"

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"Maybe this isn't so bad after all."

Swindler stood in front of a mirror that had been smudged to death, hands on her hips as she admired her reflection, and the way that Cutthroat's jacket hung off of her, exposing her collarbone and much of her shoulders, but granting her modesty further down the chest. the piece fit her like a dress, and she would be lying if she said she did not find it somewhat cute - all the better, considering that after their previous mission, her clothes needed one hell of a wash before she could use them again. And of course, she would not want to abuse the killer's kindness of loaning his...miraculously unsoiled...jacket to her (although his eagerness in doing so had been more than a little alarming).

Brushing wet hair over her shoulder, she filled the sink with fresh hot water - living in warehouses seldom granted them the luxuries of washers and showers, but swindler had learned to make good use of the industrial sinks since their first night. "I wonder if anyone else needs their stuff washed..." she muttered, beginning to approach the door to the main area where the other Akudama had taken to rest, before pausing. At first, it was concern over her appearance - Cutthroat's jacket was loose, and she feared it would come off indecently. However, even when she had assured herself that she was fine, she still hesitated. A type of serenity washed over her, like time had stopped for just a moment - she was here, standing without threat, clean and warm as she heard the chatter of her friends outside. It was one of those rare moments of quiet, the type that had used to dominate her life before all of the mess happened. Although, the quiet felt better than it used to...more fulfilling, in a way.

Leaning against the wall, her serenity turned to a light drowsiness, closing her eyes as she half-heartedly focused on what was going on just beyond the door, deciding to wait just a moment before going back out... Couldn't hurt, right?

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   ( @queensconquest ) — Hacker  paused  in  his  tinkering  on  one  of  the  drones  that  was  always  with  him  as  he  heard  Swindler  talking  behind  him.  She  really  did  sound  so....ordinary.  But  her  own  swindling  to  not  be  killed  had  led  her  to  joining  the  ranks  of  S-ranked  akudama.  Her  own  choice  ,  but  clearly  she  was  not  in  her  field  yet. 

   “  Welcome  to  the  life  of  an  akudama.  Nothing  is  ever  enough  ,  we  just  move  onto  the  next  thing.  “  For  their  own  reasons  ,  but  often  it  was  simply  for  the  thrill  of  it.  A  rather  appalling  thought  to  consider  Brawler  and  him  both  did  things  purely  for  excitement.  To  think  he  had  similarities  with  that  idiot  -

  Hacker  refocused  on  the  drone  ,  back  to  working  on  adding  some  new  additions  to  it.  “  Everything  here  is  so  lame.  It’s  not  even  challenging  ,  so  I  want  to  get  out  of  this  shitty  place.  “  Maybe  Kanto  would  be  more  exciting  ,  more  challenging.  The  only  thing  dangerous  here  was  those  annoying  Executioners.  Otherwise  ?  Otherwise  this  place  was  dull.  Boring.  

   His  grip  tightened  ever  so  slightly  on  the  drone  he  was  holding.  It  was  so  frustrating  to  be  so  bored  with  one’s  surroundings  that  ever  day  felt  dreary.  It’d  taken  him  only  a  minute  at  most  to  crack  the  third  most  secure  place  in  Kansai’s  security.  There  was  very  little  to  entertain  -  nothing  shitty  Kansai  could  offer  would  ever  be  enough.

   “  What’s  your  point  ?  Course  we  always  want  more.  Wouldn’t  you  ?   “  

- - -

"Not even challenging? Surely you haven't done everything, though! What about the Seal -" The fledgling Akudama cut herself off, biting her lip as she pondered it. Hacker had not gotten into the Seal Center, alright, but...that was only a matter of time, right? It's one thing he hasn't figured out, but it would be more of the same until he finally did crack it, and then...it's just another place he hacked. The more she thought about it, the more she began to understand just how underwhelming that sounded.

But...where else would he go?

Hearing his question, she looked back up, staring into his back yet again. "I..." She paused, looking down. She tried to think of something that she wanted desperately. When she closed her eyes, all she could think of was returning the 500 yen, and then going home to sleep. That's not a real dream though, is it?  "Yeah, I guess I would. I would want enough to be happy." she replied. It may or may not have come out a bit flat, however, as the question sank further in than it had any business to.

Noticing that he had seemed to tense up a bit during their conversation, Swindler paused. She stared at him for a long moment, before getting up and going to sit by his side - leaving just enough space to not get in his way. "But what about your desire?" she asked, smiling at him in an attempt to brighten the situation a bit. "You want to not be bored, right? What kinds of things entertain you, or make you happy? Hacking obviously, but... there's more, right? Tell me about it!"

[wishfulfillments]

 ( @safaerax ) —      ‘ What’cha need a reason for ? ’ Brawler decides to ask instead, raising his hands up over his head as they continue to walk down to the location spot where tonight's mission would be taking place. Though , he supposed he never truly considered it, he just LOVED a good fight, and that was what he was betting on tonight. 

         ‘ Guess some people do it for the money, which I do too, but I just wanna have a fight I’m gonna remember ’ his hands clap together, shaking his body as if THOR himself had manifested inside him. ‘ Let’s go already ’ 

- - -

His energy alone seemed to be enough to make the ground tremble, as Swindler was treated once again to a reminder of what an absolute powerhouse this man was. It was almost awe-inspiring, yet also terrifying. "Well...I suppose that's as good a reason as any." she said with a nervous chuckle. She had started to come to terms with her new identity, but she still was not convinced that there was any good reason to choose crime, unless it was absolute necessity.  However, who was she to deny Brawler? It wasn't like she could stop him even if she wanted to. And besides...she was just grateful that they played on the same team now. She was probably safer than ever, even if her record was on the line.

"Ah...right, okay!" she said, her voice somewhat trembling as she built up the best enthusiasm that she could, pumping her fist up into the air. "Let's go kick some ass! Or...you go kick some ass, and I'll gather info and dish out the band-aids!" She quickened her pace toward the location, not wanting to waste any time, now that Brawler was fired up and ready to go.

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can't tell if I want to take the step to convert this into a full-fledged roleplay blog or just keep being the limbo blog that occasionally does stuff and spits out oumeno art -

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( @queensconquest ) —

“  You’re  very  optimistic  you  know.  It’s  annoying.  “  Whether  Hacker  actually  means  that  or  not  is  another  matter  entirely  ,  one  that  he  does  not  address  as  he  glances  up  from  where  he’s  lounging  ,  in  a  makeshift  seat. 

  He  stifles  a  rare  yawn.  “  Failure  in  our  life  typically  means  death  you  know  ,  or  a  blow  to  reputation.  Some  people  are  real  idiots  and  take  risks  they  shouldn’t.  I  consider  that  as  someone  being  a  fool.  “  Hacker  replies  with  a   shrug.  He’d  often  seen  different  ranks  of  Akudama  face  execution  or  be  killed  in  the  streets.  Failure  was  something  that  often  carried  deadly  consequences  with  it.  “  Maybe  for  a  normal  person  thats  the  case  ,  but  that’s  not  how  it  works  with  Akudama.  Unless  you  already  have  an  extremely  notorious  record.  Like  Cutthroat.  “  A   finger  pointed  over  to  where  the  killer  was  sleeping  ,  rather  happy  with  the  red  blanket  someone  had  found.  “  Like  he’ll  probably  get  remembered  with  his  kill  count.  But  the  average  Akudama  ?  Nah.  “

   There  was a   mild  curiosity  if  his  own  would  go  down  should  he  die.  Perhaps  he’d  research  it  in  the  morning  or  whenever  he  felt  like  it.  The  green  mechanice  eye’s  glow  was  off  ,  signaling  he’d  shut  it  down  and  was  relying  only  on  his  one  real  one .  “  Something  on  your  mind  or  something  ?  “

× × ×

   "So...you care about your reputation too, don't you Hacker?" noted Swindler softly, a small smile on her face, although it quickly faded as she thought into his words. She had a reputation too, once... she was good. She was always on time, always went out of her way to help others, always tried to do the right thing. But...she supposed all of that was for nothing now. "Right... Akudama are different."

Heck, perhaps if she did die right there, maybe she could still keep a piece of it. She was just a good girl who got caught up in the rush, and she died because she was just too soft for that world. And yet, she didn't want that. Not anymore.

The swindler watched him, her own gaze soft and almost absent as she observed him getting comfortable. His eye... she did not realize he could turn it off. It was oddly fascinating, in her caged thought process. His question managed to snap her out of it, however, as she blinked back to life.

"Huh? Oh...hm..." There was, of course. Her mind had been nothing but weight since the hotel. It was what kept her sane, despite also making her distant. Yet, she did not know how to elaborate it. Would the Hacker even care if she could? "I guess I'm just beginning to consider what's important to me." she said quietly, mustering a smile as she laid back on a pile of rags she had managed to scrounge up. "Like...if I died, my reputation would fade with me. But, if that meant that I somehow helped Mister Kitty and the rest of you succeed, then I didn't fail. Not really."

[wishfulfillments]

Hacker: Look at her...the way she keeps playing circles around everyone.

Doctor: It really is sickening. She has the whole room thinking she's some kind of princess.

Hacker: At this rate...she'll get them all around her finger, like a meek little mastermind.

Doctor: She's cute, but I can see it in her eyes...that is one devious bitch.

Swindler, literally just being a nice person:

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I don't know why, but the concept of Swindler accidentally drinking something spiked, getting drunk, and being shrugged off to Hacker to babysit has made its way into my mind and chosen to stay -

Like, poor Hacker just puts coolmathgames on one of his monitors, sticks her in front of it, and then makes sure she doesn't do anything stupid all while cursing out whoever contaminated the drinks -

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  ( @queensconquest ) — A  knife  was  held  poised  inside  one  of  sleeves  ,  hidden  by  how  oversized  the  sleeves  themselves  were.  He’d  been  prepared  for  the  need  to  kill  some  filthy  vampire  ,  not  to  find  some  girl  hiding  for  a  peek.  Catlike  pupils  focused  on  her  every  movement  ,  watching  what  she  was  doing  like  a  hostile  animal  ready  to  pounce  if  she  made  the  wrong  move. 

 “  No  idea  ?  “  A  skeptical  eyebrow  raised  Suwa  did  not  actively  pursue  questioning  the  matter.  It  was  unimportant  as  far  as  he  was  currently  concerned.  As  long  as  she  left  was  all  that  mattered.  “  You  need  to  leave  the  area  immediately.  I  will  escort  you  t  the  nearest  exit  of  this  quadrant.  “  A  voice  that  a  formal  an  no  nonsense  despite  the  mask  he  wore  that  stifled  his  voice  to  some  degree.  He  stepped  back  to  let  her  out  back  into  the  main  street  area  once  more  ,  gaze  sweeping  around  with  an  ever  alert  expression.

   Did  she  think  he’d  tell  her  everything.  “  Mm.  Government  got  word  of  a  potentially  dangerous  situation  around  here  ,  so  all  civilians  are  being  evacuated  for  their  safety.  “  Suwa  answered  back  after  a  moment  ,  gesturing  with  one  hand  for  her  to  follow  with  him.  It  wasn’t  a  lie.  It  simply  sounded  like  he  was  speaking  of  an  explosive  or  gas  leak  rather  than  a  vampire  threat.  “  It  should  be  cleared  within  the  next  hour  or  two  at  most.  “  

- - -

So, he was playing that game with her.

Shion honestly couldn't be surprised - if he was an official working with the government, he was going to be very limited on what it was that he could tell her. Still... something about it all seemed off. And that gaze was not lost on her, either. He was looking for something, and she wanted to know what.

She began to peer around, trying to catch a glimpse of anything out of the ordinary. Yet, nothing seemed to appear. There was only a lingering discomfort in the air, the heaviness of...something. She wondered if he felt it, too.

"I see..." she muttered, beginning to follow behind him. While not dragging her feet, she was not exactly quick, either. Shion had taken it upon herself to be cautious, but what she really wanted was a second to figure things out.

If it really was an emergency, why was he here by himself? At least, he was as far as she knew. Why weren't there proper block-offs? Why didn't her father tell her something? As a detective, he'd know, right?

After some silence, Shion decided that she needed a new tactic. She wanted to take a measure of the only solid thing she could grasp - him.

"Ah-!" Shion gasped as she 'accidentally' hit a crack in the concrete. She fell forward, knocking into his back. Quickly, like a reflex, she wrapped her arms around him. It helped her regain her balance, but gave her an ample chance to feel and guess what sort of materials he had on him. "I'm so sorry - !"

[wishfulfillments]

(@queensconquest ) ─ It  was  the  slightest  sound  of  someone  stepping  on  a  rock  ,  but  it  was  enough  to  catch  the  vampire’s  attention.  Suwa  turned  ,  closing  the  distance  in  a  matter  of  moments  to  look  over  the  stack  of  crates  where  the  figure  was.  “  Civilians  shouldn’t  be  here.  “  The  government  had  closed  the  area  temporarily  at  this  hour  of  night  for  a  reason.  “  Curiosity  killed  the  cat  ,  I  believe  is  the  saying.  “

shion suppressed a gasp of suprise as a sudden voice broke through the dark. immediately her body tensed up, a hand digging into her skirt pocket and grasping the familiar headpiece in it - it was almost a reflex at this point, to calm her down...

...just like it was almost a reflex for her to wander into some kind of trouble like this.

"oh, I'm sorry." she said, slowly removing the cap from her pocket and fixating it on top of her head. "I had no idea..." her father never mentioned anything about something happening here. could it have been a recent event? or had it always been this way, and she was just an idiot who made a wrong turn? she looked up, catching sight of the figure that was talking to her. she paused, squinting at him a bit with a pout. he didn't look much older than her...she could probably punt the guy, if she wanted! but no, best not to try her luck... she had a hard enough time staying out of things. besides, she wasn't that strong, so she'd likely have her butt served to her if she picked a fight.

still, not wanting to run off with her tail between her legs, she paused, looking around the area. "did something happen?" she asked curiously, what little of her light brown eyes that weren't obscured by the hat shining in the moonlight. maybe she would not try to be aggressive, but she did at least want some kind of answer, and in the most subtle of ways she tried to communicate this to the stranger, her voice quite casual as she looked over at him with a nonchalant surprise, almost expectant in her stance.

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Brawler: Fighting me is like wiping with sandpaper - I'll leave you raw, and I didn't take shit from you!

Hacker, looking over at Hoodlum: Can confirm?

Hoodlum:

Hoodlum: What's that supposed to mean?!

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The "my dad who did not want a dog" tiktoks but it's Courier with Swindler -

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" Don't touch it. " Hacker didn't have to look away from the screens to tell that Swindler was looking at one of his drones again. His head turned, the visible eyebrow arching at her. " You DO know those could kill someone, right? Mess with the wrong thing and you'll cook yourself like a turkey. "

"Aah...if no one's allowed to touch them, then why did you make them so cute?!" complained the fledgling Akudama, her fingers twitching a bit as she lowered her hand under his gaze. Swindler hadn't quite met his eyes yet, but she could tell he was staring her down with that apathetic, studying stare. "And of course I know that they can kill someone...you almost killed me, remember?" It came out as a discontented grumble, but deep down she felt a wave of panic make a resurgence, her mind taking her back to the casual looks of the other Akudama as they each took aim at her. She wouldn't admit it, but sometimes she was still frightened of doing something wrong and getting herself killed. Not so much with Hacker, though... She still respectfully feared him to some degree, but he wasn't particularly bloodthirsty, and she had a feeling that he could be reasoned with. Although...if she had done something awful enough to make Hacker of all people want her gone, did she even deserve a chance to talk it out?

Speaking of which. . .

"...Hey, Hacker?" She spoke up, her voice a lot softer than just before. She had given up on trying to touch the drone, but her gaze was still fixed on it. "Have you ever had to actually...you know...cook someone?"

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Imagine Himiko screaming at a clown fish and siren Kokichi is all confused at the sight.

Pff, y es -

Kokichi gets cute like, "Come on, his jokes aren't **that** bad - " But in reality he's actually really worried about the human at this point -

[wishfulfillments]

Swindler, talking to Sister: "...and they were roommates!"

Hacker, listening in via his drone: "Oh my God, they were roommates -"

[wishfulfillments]

Some Swindler Headcanons, because why not -

¹She is an only child, but grew up with many cousins.

²She hates being called 'Princess'.

³Swindler was raised by well-meaning but somewhat overbearing parents - partly due to her health, they were always a bit overprotective. This is part of the reason that she moved out the moment she came of age. She has no ill will toward them, but she has kept her distance so she could establish independence without being reeled back in.

⁴She has somewhat poor health. Likely due to a mix of genetics and the post-war atmosphere, she is easily fatigued when engaging in physical activity, only able to exert herself for brief intervals before requiring rest. If she exerts herself under stress, she further aggravates her symptoms, to the point of vomiting or fainting, amongst loss of breath — she had to hide somewhere private in the hotel for a moment after they crashed, fearing the consequences of letting the Akudama see her go through an attack.

⁵Out of all the Akudama, she is the closest to Hacker, and fears Hoodlum the least.

⁶She talked Black Cat into allowing her to snuggle him while she napped at the warehouse.

⁷She's always been a masterful liar, able to pull a story from nowhere, but a strong sense of honesty always kept her from ever using such an underhanded talent, until it was necessary.

.

.

.

***SPOILER HEADCANON***

⁸Despite not reciprocating Cutthroat's attraction, Swindler came to care deeply about him, and it broke her heart to kill him. That was part of the reason she hesitated to put a stop to him, even when he did almost take her life.

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Brief Descriptions of Swindler Ships:

♡ Swindler/Courier: Mom and Dad.♡

♡ Swindler/Hacker: Platonic Soulmates.♡

♡ Swindler/Cutthroat: Bad Romance.♡

♡ Swindler/Doctor: Bad Romance, but less romance and more fan service and hatred. ♡

♡ Swindler/Brawler: Support/Tank. ♡

♡ Swindler/Hoodlum: Wacky Hijinks. ♡