#halo novel

[vanillaearwig]

I feel zjierb....Zjierbness....

#blues doodles #adventure time #fionna and cake #simon petrikov #winter king #winter king has read all the halo novels that's canon to me and not just a bdg reference

[bloodgulchblog]

shirt idea

#halo: shadows of reach #halo #halo novels #halo shitposts

[niightfiend]

Some Halo sketches I’ve been doing at work, figured posting them would be better than not !

#ignore the notes lmao #they’re all insane ramblings about the first 5 halo novels #which is what got me to doodle #but I hope u guys enjoy !! #not enough cat ear arbiter smh #personal #drawing #art #sketch #doodle #halo #master Chief #John halo #John 117 #spartan 117 #spartan 087 #087 #117 #linda 058 #kelly 087 #the arbiter #Thel vadam #grunt #unggoy #Sanghelli

[tcfactory]

This is fully a personal preference thing honestly, but I've been turning it around in my brain why I don't like BingQiu specifically when I'm at worst neutral on almost literally any other ship and I think it boils down to this: it's really important to me that in a ship that's supposed to be lasting and stable at least one character can say "I see you for what you are and I accept you for all there is to you". And that's just not a thing with BingQiu.

Binghe literally can't know a huge part of Shen Qingqiu - the part that is Shen Yuan, the part that wears the scum villain as a mask that it can never even take off completely - because of the transmigration and the System. He also idolizes his Shizun and at the same time puts on mask after mask so that he can be Shen Qingqiu's lovely white lotus which also don't help.

And Shen Qingqiu's head is full of so many bees, so much denial and self-delusion that we watched him actively think himself in circles rather than admit that Binghe might be interested in him for three whole books. I don't trust him to have a reasonably realistic idea of himself, much less of someone else. Especially not Binghe. He will make up a picture in his mind about how things are supposed to be and it has to be an act of divine intervention for him to budge from it. He will deny reality if he has to, so he's incapable of seeing Binghe as anything other than the Perfect Protagonist.

I don't often see Binghe shipped with others (he's so singularly No Thoughts Head Empty Only Shizun that it's hard to put him with anyone else. Shen Jiu sometimes I guess, but he is shipped more with Bingge which feels like a distinctly separate thing to me and anyway, it's usually predicated upon the realization that they are both similar kinds of monsters, even if Bingge outdoes his scum villain by several orders of magnitude) but Shen Yuan has a few choice ships that either challenge his expectations enough that his denial and delusion breaks down eventually (Liu Qingge, Shen Jiu, etc.) or ship him with Airplane who knows him for what he is because he's also a transmigrator and he's familiar with Cucumber bro's acerbic inner self.

Other ships too. QiJiu/LiuJiu/QiJiuLiu any variations of these three tbh thrive on clearing up their misunderstanding and starting to see each other clearly again. MoShang get together once they start to properly pay attention to each other and their respective needs. Airplane in general has just an impossible understanding of whoever he's shipped with as only Author and his creations can have. Tianlang-jun's weird charm comes from it that he can't (or possibly refuses to) pretend to be anything than who and what he is beyond the most superficial disguise.

And BingQiu just doesn't have that. They are both too obsessed with an idealized version of each other to ever see things clearly and that's what makes their dynamic not very fun to me personally.

#svsss #like don't get me wrong #i enjoyed the novel a lot. it's a fun time and I don't mind the ship in that stage #their post canon dynamic is just not something I find fun and that's 200% a question of personal taste #if you love bingqiu I hope you have a great time and find only the best fic and art of your blorbos #it's not for me and that's fine #i guess if I wanted to make it work it would be Shen Yuan getting yeeted back into his own time #and Binghe coming after his husband #but losing the Protagonist Halo so he can. you know. suck in a lot of ways that the universe didn't let him before #and together they can work on bettering themselves and each other #but I would need to get in either of their heads to write it and no thank you. both of their heads are like full of bees or something #i would not have a good time #shut up tc

[yanderes-galore]

Romantic/Platonic Chol 'Von (Halo) with a human trader darling, who lives on one of the colonies that does unsavory business with pirates like her. Don't care which format, whichever is easiest to write.

I'm going to be honest, I've never read Mortal Dictata or any of the Kilo-Five books yet. However, I did do my research on the character so I hope I get her character right. Sorry for any inaccuracies! As a result this may be short. When I find time to read the book maybe I'll rewrite this, I'm happy to take feedback!

Yandere! Chol 'Von with Human Trader! Darling

(Halo: Mortal Dictata)

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Threats, Dubious companionship.

I wouldn't doubt Chol comes in contact with human traders.

With her ambitious goals and fondness towards human phrases and ideologies it isn't too far off to think she'd buy from you.

She needs supplies for her Kig-Yar navy and Kig-Yar have been known to ally with humans if it benefits them.

To you, Chol is merely a client when she visits your colony to discuss affairs.

She feels like an egotistical shipmistress T'vaoan Kig-Yar who enjoys intimidation.

Chol is also easily impatient and temperamental, very quick to be stressed when things don't go her way.

She's been known to be persistent in her goals and is stubborn.

To make some money you trade with her.

It isn't too new to you, you've traded with Kig-Yar and Sangheili in the past.

Yet this one is important... she's a feared shipmistress and knows it.

You've heard vaguely in Kig-Yar culture that females of the species tend to have a lot of power.

As a result you are always very respectful in your deals.

You supply fuel, weapons, all sorts of cargo.

In return you're given other valuable items or some sort of currency in return.

You're just in it for the connections and money.

Kig-Yar are pirates... but you feel they can be good allies if you provide them what they like.

Which is what Chol likes about you.

She likes your human ideologies and picks up certain phrases and info about you.

You aren't part of any major faction... just a human trying to get by.

In a way she relates due to her species culture.

Chol sees you as the key to seeing her goals through.

With your wares she can make that navy she wanted and maybe even convince the other Kig-Yar to listen to her.

Chol is more likely to be a platonic yandere to her new favorite trader.

However... toying with the romantic idea is a bit interesting albeit not plausible.

After all... she sees her current mate as a coward who fled from her and her chicks.

Maybe a human will provide much better... even if nothing can happen between you.

Chol is demanding towards you at times due to her egotistical nature.

It's an honor to help her as a human.

She respects you and is a fearsome T'vaoan shipmistress.

Can't you see you're special if she's interacting with you?

Having her as your ally will make you strong and protected.

So you better keep providing for her, yeah?

In fact... you only need her as your customer... she'll give you much better equipment in return for your services.

Her ego is definitely what makes her try to control you.

She promises you good things in return if you just make her your primary client.

If you don't do so willingly... she can threaten you.

Do you doubt her? She could cause so much trouble for you if you refuse her.

Chol feels she can control you.

After all she often boasts that she can get whatever she wants.

Any mate, any valuable, anything.

If not... she doesn't mind the ensuing bloodshed.

So when she makes an offer with you... one that makes you loyal to her on one of her ships by her side and under her protection as her primary merchant/negotiater...

She expects you to accept when she tells you.

#yandere halo #yandere halo novels #yandere chol 'von #yandere kig-yar

[poisonheadcrabsalesman]

Request from @bloodgulchblog: first time palmer or lasky figures out roland is flirting with them dealer's choice. Thank you for the prompt!

Roland enters service December 5, 2557 and then sometime circa February 18th, 2558 during a live mission with Fireteam Crimson present and engaging with Promethean forces, Roland says to Miller after Miller attempts to shoo him away: "I can do a million things at once, like can talk to Captain Lasky, I can flirt with Captain-" from Spartan Miller E5.01 of SpOps. He is 2.5 months old and saying this. In front of at least 5 Spartans.

Halo doesn't give us any vetting process or inside look into how AI are chosen or when they come off the shelf vs go into active service.

-

Leading a campaign is stressful. Lasky had done it before, in all but name, as the XO behind Del Rio. He's the reason the UNSC Infinity was still afloat, not that he wants to take credit for helping the Master Chief stop the Didact. There's more important things he's dealing with, and getting more attention from the upper Brass doesn't seem like a good career move or life choice at the moment.

Returning to the Forerunner planet Requiem means balancing a million details all key to their victory. Olds hands returning do help, but there's a lot of new blood in the crew as well. Including the ship AI.

As captain, Lasky had been included in the vetting process. Roland was chosen because he was the best fit. Part of the newest generation of Smart AI, with a personality fit for managing not only the enormous and diverse needs of the crew, but also the retrofitted colony ship with Forerunner engines and more armament than the navy had ships welded to her.

Suffice it to say that Lasky had a lot on his plate, and maybe didn't pay the closest attention to Roland's tone. Or the little winks and knowing nods thrown at Lasky before he blipped away. Or how he motherhenned Lasky more than Aine ever did. It was just differences in personality between AI. Captain's duties took precedent over lilting tones and pointed questions and an avatar lingering in his presence at the end of the day.

Aine never said "sir" with so much weight. She wasn't so free with compliments towards him and didn't linger for him specifically. Aine enjoyed her time on the Infinity, the care in its construction, and her crew. Roland's focus was different, and something Tom might not want to label without a second opinion. Not that he was going to talk to Sarah about it… He could already see her face, eyebrow raised, as he'd try to connect two points in front of her.

The second Requiem campaign ends, badly, but with them alive and not in the heart of a star. Lasky exhales. Sarah's mad about his contingency with Majestic and Halsey getting away, but she's coming with him to face the admirals together. Not that they have much choice, but they've already gotten their story straight. Their friendship would heal. Tom fixes his uniform in the mirror and swallows. Going planet-side for an official debriefing felt more like marching to meet his executioner. At least Hood liked him.

"Captain, your chariot awaits in hangar 11." Roland announces with a flourish.

Tom nods and thanks him with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He's not really in the mood for levity right now.

"If I may be so bold, sir." But when has that ever stopped Roland?

"When have you not?" Tom says, smoothing down his cuffs again.

"You're worrying too much. The reports are in, the commander is going with you, your pelican is fueled and waiting. It's all going to go smoothly. You'll be fine, you're very likable, sir. I like you!"

"I noticed." Tom says with a smile aimed at Roland's camera. "You were laying it on kind of thick there."

The look on his avatar's face is enough of a prize, but then Roland starts backpedaling. That's something Tom's never seen him do before.

"Well, of course, sir. I mean, you are my captain. The captain. Of the ship- that I run, mostly."

"Of course." Lasky says, turning for the door. "We can discuss it when I return. I leave the ship in your capable hands." He smiles, wry and teasing.

Roland snaps a salute with smothered smile. If Lasky's mouth does anything funny, no one sees as he's schooled his expression by the time he hits the hangar.

#my writing #halo fanfic #Thomas Lasky #Roland the AI #I did rolasky because I need to write a novel for palmland #im trying that thing where you write like you're not assuming people know all the details of a very niche gamemode and the timeline

[eldragon-x]

this might sound like a bold claim if you think bill cipher is just a yellow triangle who causes chaos, but thanks to these gravity falls books i know that bill cipher is actually a yellow triangle who causes chaos because of a tragic backstory

#im watching the halo novel video

[uglybumbo]

I miss them sometimes.

#halo #halo wars #spirit of fire #red team #jerome 092 #alice 130 #douglas 042 #patiently waiting for the day they appear in the novels again

[thegoldenavenger]

Oh man... just realised that when og shen qingqiu left the caves and immedietly had to deal with the whole ass demon attack by himself he had also just finished watching liu qingge kill himself in qi deviation after trying to help him not die, knowing everyone was going to blame him anyways.

Like, failing to save your rival, knowing you're going to be blamed for his death, being the only person with the power and responsibility to defeat an entire demon army while in a presumably delicate place with your own cultivation and physical ability, watching the little sister of the rival you just failed to save lose her fight and apologize to you, and then the brat you stole from your dearly departed rival wins his match instead of dying like you maybe set him up for

That's rough buddy

#misc #svsss #unrelated but for being killed before the book even starts... #lqg sure is the driving factor of the whole fucking novel?? #why did sqq pick lbh? bc lqg said he wanted him #how does lbh take revenge on sqq? he teams up with lmy to take revenge for her brother #why does lmy want revenger for her brother? bc (she believes) sqq killed him #why does everyone believe sqq killed lqg? bc their rivalry was so intense and heated everyone thought theyd kill each other eventually #like.... damn of course airplane killed lqg #shen yuan was right when he said lqg competed too much with lbh's protag halo

[bloodgulchblog]

Have you seen that YouTube video where some guy reads every Halo novel back to back and then reviews them? If so what did you think

The Brian David Gilbert one? Oh yeah, all my friends showed me it when it came out. (It was honestly kind of cute seeing how many people thought of me immediately.)

Rewatching it to refresh myself because it's been a couple years and a full-novel reread for me since the last time...

High fiving BDG because the Master Chief parts of The Flood were definitely the most boring parts.

He didn't have anything to say about First Strike which I think is a shame because I think it's better than The Fall of Reach and actually has A Theme I Find Interesting.

Rightful recognition of Contact Harvest as pretty damn good.

Rightful recognition of the Forerunner Trilogy as dense oldschool-style SF with deep worldbuilding. (Also the San'Shyuum thing.)

I disagree with him about, and have significant problems with, Kilo Five. He is correct that Kilo Five actually delves into some of the dark places in Halo in a way it really needed, and I would even say that its writing is extremely engaging by Halo novel standards. However, while he does notice the obvious parallels between what ONI is doing post-war and the kind of shit the CIA has pulled again and again irl, I think he misses some of the subtext I see where it feels like it justifies some shit a liiiiittle too much if you know the author's irl politics re: the military. He also doesn't seem to notice the character assassinations (particularly of Catherine Halsey) that I and a lot of other fans see/object to in those books. I kind of gaze into the middle distance with a haunted expression at the suggestion that these are the ones to read if you don't touch any of the others just because they are, ironically, so heavy-handed and feel like they treat certain kinds of evil as inevitable in a way that actually feels way worse to me than the excuse plot offered by the earlier/lighter Halo novels. (But idk, that's me? Nobody is committing a crime if they disagree with my frenzied insane person red string diagrams about Kilo Five.)

I'd swap Pariah for Dirt in the Evolutions anthology if it were me, but I think these are solid standouts.

Broken Circle is neat but really nonessential he's not wrong.

A one-sentence review of New Blood is probably not enough space to get into how fucked up the Spartan-IV program is, but yeah. New Blood is fun if you don't find Buck's first person narration annoying. (It comes and goes for me in that one.)

BDG you're an absolute sweetheart, I think Hunters in the Dark is kind of goofy in a way I cannot in good conscience ignore if I'm gonna review it. But it really really is so much fun and I love that one a lot anyway. The "it's like Halo 3... 2" observation is solid.

High fiving him again because I also found Last Light disappointing. And it is also a me problem.

Fractures!

Hell yeah these are all good pulls from Fractures, I would say Shadow of Intent is the pick of the litter in that anthology for me. Interesting that as a Kilo Five enjoyer he didn't single out Rossbach's World, which is the last we've heard about Osman and Black Box. (Also, that one is good.) I think Oasis is worth an honorable mention because I'm an Envoy stan, and the Forerunner stories are interesting but I wouldn't go for them if you don't already have a healthy interest in the trilogy.

This tangent is so fucking funny now that we know more things:

Oh BDG, oh buddy, it's really not for the people like you and me huh. (Disclaimer: I have no idea if BDG likes the Halo tv show or not and I have no desire to dig up evidence about it.)

Also, while you're here, this is the bloodgulchblog origin story:

Smoke and Shadow is fun so it's a little sad that when he ends that sentence with "whatever," I can't actually say he's wrong to. (Sorry Rion your part of the lore just.... hasn't... touched anything that touches anything else anymore.)

ENVOY IS GOOD AND EVERYONE SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT okay okay I'm cool I'm normal, anyway. Envoy is the Halo novel that restored my faith in reading Halo novels and reminded me that authors can care and know how to do nuanced, interesting themes in this space. It's great. Everyone in this book has war refugee trauma (except the Spartans which have Spartan trauma) and that's incredible to me. Please care about Envoy if you have spare room in your heart for Halo side characters.

I am cheered to see someone indifferent to the Veta Lopis stories, but I still feel petty for feeling it.

I don't have a lot to say about Legacy of Onyx here but it's always so fun seeing someone else suffer and care.

Bad Blood, the Blood is Bad now is a fun joke but lol yeah. It does have this very vital moment where Chief and Arbiter talk, though. For the first and only time in years.

PROPS FOR NOTICING THE YA NOVELS they're actually pretty nice.

"The Master Chief is the protagonist and boy does he shoot some people" is most of how I feel about Silent Storm and Oblivion too, I know they have their fans but Troy Denning's Chief books don't do much for me personally.

Renegades hadn't had its followup Point of Light yet but yeah, Spark stuff is interesting.

I had to remember that oh yeah, there are multiple books now that didn't exist when this was made. I wonder if he read them?

OKAY I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY as always if y'all want specific book opinions, I might have a tag for them. Or just yell in my ask box, I'm sure I can scrounge up some thoughts.

#halo novels

[holyshonks]

Halo: Epitaph Review

You got that right! Spoilers below the cut.

I want to start by saying that this book felt like an apology in the same way that Infinite is an apology.

The first quarter to half of the book is just summarizing the events of the Forerunner trilogy, Halo 4, and Escalation, in the form of the Didact slowly regaining his memories. While I definitely appreciated the refresher (I forgot a lot since then), I also couldn't help but wonder who it was for. To anyone who had never engaged with any of that media, a huge amount of the book is just a rather dull recounting of events in a desert setting. To that end, the book feels targeted directly at people who love the Forerunner stories and were horrified by the hasty introduction and death of the Didact. It is, in essence:

"We're sorry we took a pivotal, beloved character with a rich story arc, introduced him to the fandom at large with zero context, and then killed him in a shitty comic. What if we did this instead?"

And is it an upgrade? Well, let's see.

The Plot

The plot of the book is that, after being super-composed (sigh), the Didact awakens in a strange desert, stripped of his memories. He slowly regains them, becoming stronger in both body and mind. He is angry at humanity, and is determined to destroy them. We get caught up with the story so far, as well as some new Didact backstory. He discovers a Haruspis, a Forerunner rate that served as custodians to the Domain, who tells him that they are outside the dormant Domain, which shut down after the Halos were fired. Forerunner souls cannot pass into it anymore because of this, including the Didact. Also, Cortana is there, trying to convince the Warden Eternal, who is guarding the Domain, to let her in. The book becomes about both foiling Cortana, who wants the Domain to herself, and killing the Warden Eternal so that the Domain can be reactivated. Lots of failed attempts, some arguing with Cortana. Along the way, he runs into other souls who are trapped outside the Domain, including, to his surprise, his old enemy, Forthencho. He explains that humans that were composed also come here. They scuffle. Didact gets punched a bunch.

Eventually the Warden sides with Cortana and allows her in the Domain, and she looses her Created upon it. The Didact makes another attempt to enter, and kills some AIs while he's at it, including this one, who has a wine mom personality that I found amusing.

Now we're in the last quarter of the book, where things start to get interesting. All the while, the Warden is chasing the Didact with his millions of forms across the Domain, leading to a Scooby-Doo-style villain chase where the Didact is throwing himself through portals and doors to evade him and eventually find Cortana. By this point, the Didact has softened and he no longer wants vengeance. There's no discussion of the Xalanyn, which I was hoping for. In a moment I don't agree with, the Didact tries to reason with Cortana and says some things that clearly rattle her before he takes his leave. Next, the final standoff with the Warden, with the help of the friends the Didact made in the desert.

The thing I liked about the last portion of the book is that it finally feels the way the Forerunner trilogy felt: a universe that felt endless and expansive, but also, a classic coming-of-age with unlikely allies. In fact, just as I thought that, the book said this:

It also had that familiar thread of silliness, such as the Didact clowning on Haruspis' hat, and during the last final battle, where, after acquiring a quantum sword, the Didact learns that the Warden has a larger, better quantum sword.

They fight, Didact wins, hooray. He reactivates the Domain and he and Forthencho make a wager to see who can get rid of the most AIs that are still in the Domain. In addition, human souls(?) can now access the Domain. However, as expected, the Didact's final action is to reunite with his wife.

The Thoughts

This book is essentially just a re-write of the Didact's ending, giving him a proper close that I didn't really realize I wanted or needed, but actually? I missed the Didact. I liked the Didact, a lot, something I kind of forgot after Halo 4. I also forgot how nice it is to read from the perspective of a Forerunner with context about the tech. Most of what we see in Halo are people marveling at the mystery of Forerunner objects. Here, the Didact knows exactly what he's looking at, which was refreshing.

This book was very much written for lore-loving Halo fans who were disappointed to see how he was killed off. It had to be, because the people who only play the games wouldn't know who he is, or the stupid way he died. On the other hand, that makes this book pretty dull for the uninitiated. I would not recommend this book to a newcomer.

Cortana absolutely did not need to be in this book. Not in the slightest. It seems like they were just trying to further entrench Eviltana to account for Infinite, while also finding a way to get rid of her army of AIs. I really didn't like the implication in the book that Cortana changed her mind about taking over the galaxy because of the Didact. One of the things I actually liked in Infinite is that Cortana realized that her actions were wrong, and tried to make up for it on her own accord. Having the Didact convince her of the error of her ways really cheapens this moment.

The other thing that kind of fell flat is the Didact's belief that his new calling is to forge his own path:

But that's not true. This choice was the Librarian's, who wanted him to forgive and learn from humanity all along. He, of all people, should know this.

Now, about the Librarian. The Great Manipulator. There's irony in the fact that she is ostensibly the character with the most agency in the entire universe, but is consistently a narrative wisp. She "is" Halo--the course of the universe as they know it unfurled from her plans. Everything that happens, happens because of her.

And yet, we never see or hear from her in any meaningful way. We never hear her story from her mouth. I already knew that she wouldn't appear, save for a big reveal at the end, because Halo novels have done this no less than twice before. It's frustrating to see her consistently presented as this ethereal figure with no real voice.

At least in Point of Light, Spark challenges her a little bit--he accuses her of manipulating him, of abandoning him and then asking for his help, of assuming he will assist her because of her imprinted influence, and ultimately, he does, because that's how powerful she is. I wanted to see some of that, to have the Didact call her out or even just disagree with her, a little. Instead, he spends the book yearning for her (I will concede that his flashbacks are a little cute, alright? You got me there).

The Librarian is complex. She's a hero and a villain. Everyone who knew her would tell you so. But you'll never hear it from her! Sigh.

Also, her choice of words: "Took you long enough, Warrior." Is that a reference to Halsey in Halo 5? We're really drawing that parallel??

To the original question of "What if we did this instead":?

I mean...I prefer the Didact "alive" than dead so, yes? I guess? You really can't be a Halo fan in 2024 without being very forgiving.

In the end, he's still essentially "checked out" making it clear that he's not going to meddle in mortal affairs anymore. So narratively, he's dead. But yeah fine, this kind of dead is better than being super-composed.

The book also slams the door on the (very huge) implications of humans being allowed in the Domain. Is it all humans? Only composed humans? The Forerunners rose to power because of their access to the Domain. Does that mean that humanity will--oh, sorry. Oh, sorry, what? The Domain is fading into obscurity? We're not telling anyone its open so we don't have to deal with that? Got it.

This point also made me laugh because the Didact is satisfied and resting on his laurels because adding humans to the Domain created "diversity", and therefore, balance. Hey, Didact? There's an entire galaxy of intelligent species out there??

Which begs one final question: Do Unggoy go to heaven?

#thank you for coming to my Eld talk #halo epitaph #halo novels #the didact #the librarian #forerunners #halo #mine

[nekoprankster218]

okay so apparently while doing research for writing a Halo thing, I realized I completely misremembered Thel and Rtas having a conversation at the end of the Infinite Succor comment? I could've sworn they had a moment where Thel reassured Rtas about how the mission ended

now I'm curious if anyone's attempted to write fic about that. probably would have the same vibes as Sunrise on Sanghelios

#halo #rtas vadum #thel vadam #rtas 'vadum #thel 'vadam #the arbiter #halo lore #the last voyage of the infinite succor #halo the graphic novel #halo: the graphic novel #halo graphic novel #my post #my posts

[doom-dreaming]

I know he's supposed to be pretty intimidating given his status but idkk John is kind of adorable. His small tooth gap he's had since he was a kid. The freckles on his face and possibly shoulders. How could I be even slightly scared of him. Look At Him. He's cute. Do you think at one point he smiled barely showing his teeth but enough for cortana to see his gap and do you think she felt just a little warmer at her core

Maybe that's why he's so reluctant to take the helmet off. The "human battering ram" reputation gets shot to pieces once everyone gets a look at those freckles and beautiful baby blues.

Jokes aside, I do like artistic interpretations of him that keep these features. I can understand how, realistically, the tooth gap may have disappeared once his baby teeth fell out or he lost the freckles he had as a kid, but I think keeping them into his adulthood is more fun. (And don't even get me started on shoulder freckles. Oh my god. Yes please.)

Also. Please accept this humble reimagining of that part in The Fall of Reach where Cortana finds out the truth about the S-II program. Now with 80% more (subtle) Johntana (because let's be honest, it was already kind of there. Thank you Eric Nylund.)

**********

Most of her processing attention is focused on the Pillar of Autumn. She doesn't need much to look at the Master Chief's full CSV - though she does mull over it more slowly than she'd downloaded it. Everything was the same as the public, polished version up until...oh. Interesting. She'd known the Master Chief, and the other Spartans, had been enhanced to perform far beyond the normal scope of human capability, but this...

Ever-curious but starting to feel a peculiar tightening within her code - some sort of...apprehension, maybe? - she pores over the grisly details of the operation. Growth hormones, muscle injections, bone reinforcements, literal brain surgery...and all at just fourteen years of age.

She pauses and turns this fraction of her attention away from the file, to the Autumn's C-deck. Twenty-five Spartans busy themselves with weapon maintenance, unpacking supplies, sparring. She scans the room, studying the details of each Mjolnir-clad superhuman body, near-identical apart from their mannerisms and the numbers on their chestplates. There he is. 117. She watches for a moment while he takes apart his rifle, inspects it, and reassembles it - all with confident, practiced motions.

She wants to be in tandem with him again, in that liminal space between the protective shell of his Mjolnir and his quick mind. Easy, Cortana, she chides herself. Yesterday's training exercise, as nerve-wracking and exhilarating as it'd been, had taken a toll on him. He needed the rest. And she had a file to finish.

Before the augmentations, they'd spent years training and studying, often under brutal conditions. Especially for... Her attention drifts to the next section of the file, where a picture is attached - a simple headshot of a young boy. His brown hair is tousled, as if he'd been forced to stop playing specifically to look at the camera. Sharp, intelligent blue eyes stare back at her. A scatter of freckles adorn his cheekbones like small constellations. He's smiling, but there's something rambunctious about the expression, a barely-contained mischief hiding in the quirk of his lips and the small gap between his front teeth. He looked...happy. Like a six-year-old should.

If her avatar had been visible, she would've frowned. He'd been kidnapped, taken from his family, and replaced with a flash clone. They, none the wiser, must've assumed their little boy died some weeks or months later, as flash clones inevitably did. She wasn't sure if the truth was any kinder a reality.

And Halsey had authorized every bit of it. Her processing drifts aimlessly for several cycles as she tries to comprehend the dissonance. Halsey cared so much for them, how could she have...? It was necessary, Cortana reasons. The fate of humanity rests on their shoulders. But a quieter part of her suggests that maybe the doctor's concern for her Spartans came from a place of guilt.

Snapping the wandering threads of her consciousness back to her core, she deletes the stolen files and turns her attention once more to C-deck. The Master Chief, immersed in a conversation with a few of the other Spartans, had taken off his helmet and set it on the bench beside him. Someone cracks a joke and the Chief flashes a quick smile. He's a fully-grown man now, obviously, but for a second, Cortana can see a six-year-old boy; in the gap that had stayed between his front teeth, in the freckles splashed over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, in the way his eyes - even sharper now - glint with mischief.

"Whatever the Master Chief had been through in the past...it was done. He was in her care now. She would do everything in her power - short of compromising the mission - to make sure nothing ever happened to him again."

#hoooo baby this one got me good #halo #master chief #cortana #my writing #johntana #very mildly and easily platonic #i'm gonna need to lie down for a second guys #indented the last paragraph since i lifted it directly from the book #i love turning three paragraphs into 5 million #they should hire me to rewrite the halo novels #i'd do it #halo fanfic

[yanderes-galore]

Nizat 'Kvarosee, Romantic/Platonic intentions. Scenario where during his exile on Netherop, he captures the darling from the similarly stranded UNSC forces and keeps them as a pet - at first as a psychological warfare thing against the humans but eventually forming a twisted attachment. Optional: the inclusion of prompts #2 and #14 from your blog's prompt list, since I read through them and thought those would be fitting for this and your prompts deserve more love in these requests. - Scale Anon

I watched lore videos and read his wiki entry on Halopedia so I think I got this >:) Hope you enjoy!

Yandere! Nizat 'Kvarosee Prompts 2 + 14

"It's an honor for someone such as me to take you in and love you!"

"It's too dangerous in the world. You need me, you should know that!"

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Kidnapping, Dehumanization/Degrading behavior, Obsession, Delusional behavior, Covenant religion, Manipulation, Violence, Slight worshipping, Implied darling is on the verge of mind break, Forced relationship/companionship.

Out of everything that has happened during his exile on this planet... you may have been the best thing that's come of it.

At first your capture was meant to a message. A message that eventually he'll win this war against Petrov and break the humans fighting against him. However... it has been a long time since Nizat had any company other than the Sangheili he was stranded with.

Despite being a dissenter, Nizat felt incredibly religious during his exile. He began to view your meeting with him as fate. You were a gift from the Gods... all for him.

Nizat had learned human language to speak with you. Instead of treating you as a prisoner... he began to be softer. He doesn't want to kill you as you're defenseless. Instead... he treats you like the gift he believes you are.

His fellow Sangheili find his behavior strange. Their leader is so fanatical about this human prisoner. All to the point of treating you like some pet.

Nizat began to adore you once he saw you as a gift from the Gods. He began to see you as a companion... one he loves more than most things. He never let you get far... often dragging you around like one would do a pet.

He made sure you were as comfortable as you could be on this hot planet. Even as his Sangheili brethren perished... Nizat found comfort in you. You may not wish to be with him yet he can't just toss aside a divine gift!

Nizat worships you as his human. You are meant to comfort him in his exile, aren't you? He hates that you keep fighting him... don't you see it's meant to be?

"It's too dangerous in the world. You need me, you should know that." Nizat tries to reason with you. The heat outside could kill you if he doesn't provide for you! Despite you being placed in his lap as he sits with you in private... you struggle against him.

How long had it been? Weeks... months since he's caught you? Your determination was becoming tiring... he wishes you'd just give in.

Nizat catches you whining and trying to squirm like a scared animal. Like most Sangheili he found humans weak... but not entirely deserving of being killed. In fact he found you quite beautiful in your own alien way.

"I'll take care of you, my gift... just relax into me, alright? I'm not going to hurt you. If anything, you're hurting yourself." The Sangheili tries to comfort you by holding you closer to his chest.

For now... you give up and allow him to coddle you. He really is the only sense of comfort you've had in a long time. Sighing softly you lean into the Sangheili, allowing him to crane his head into the crook of your shoulder. You hear the Sangheili give a growl of approval before squeezing you closer.

Thankfully this was out of sight from anyone.

"It's an honor for someone such as me to take you in and love you." The Sangheili whispers into your ear, nuzzling into your shoulder. The feeling is scaled and strange but you don't fight it. Do you have any power in this situation anyways?

"You are my divine gift... the Gods have not forsaken me completely for my sins." Nizat coos, indulging in the comfort you give. "I'd never let anyone take you away from me...."

You then hear him growl behavior, this time it's threatening instead of comforting.

"If anyone ever does try..." Nizat muses and you feel his claws dig into you. "They'll die brutally by my blade, I can promise that, my gift."

You say nothing and only stare at the ground, quietly accepting your fate.

#yandere halo #yandere halo books #yandere halo novels #yandere nizat 'kvarosee

[authortobenamedlater]

I’m pretty sure the Chief has not had a bathroom break since before Reach fell either.

#halo #halo the flood #authortobenamedlater reads halo #halo novels #John 117 #master chief

[josie-cd]

I love how... supernatural slipspace felt in the early Halo novels. Like it works and we know how, but there so much we don't know and can't control. It's fickle. Very much like the sea. You can sail through slipspace but take care. You never know when it will claim what you owe it Nevermind when we learn about Causal Reconciliation in the Forerunner saga and yes, slipspace will exact its due toll.

#halo #josie text #brought to you from me re-reading all the novels #read reach. the flood. and first strike. #ghosts of onyx is next up #but yeah no more contemporary media slipspace is just. a given. #i miss when it was a moody fae