“I can make it more frightening,” Siobhan offered. … The six-inch horror hunched menacingly and flexed its clawed digits.
Agent Marcurio took out his divination devices again, but after another round of testing, asked, “Are you trying to make a joke right now?”
Siobhan blinked. “Is this funny?”
Yes, yes it is. Hilarious. She absolutely tells them it is not dangerous, and they forget it immediately. She could make a ton of money running a haunted house.
Siobhan: it’s not dangerous. It only hurts weak men.
Agents: we’ll be the judge of that.
Siobhan: look how cute this teensie tiny raven is! See, it’s just a lil baby!
Agents:…
Siobhan: and here’s another tiny lil baby monster! Rawr! Look at him try to menace you.
Agents: are you MOCKING us, you little upstart?
Five minutes later:
Agents, while trembling: poker face poker face poker face
Siobhan: oh no, these poor men must be so vulnerable and traumatized because of their pasts. Maybe I should have kept my shadow familiar fun-sized?
So what can she do to make it even more creepy?
She’s able to make it cold already. And a shadow can squeeze into a very small space. How would the agents react to feeling cold fingers traveling under their clothing?
A jump scare is a pretty basic reaction. Maybe a few more of those?
Can you imagine if one of them saw a raven land on top of the other’s head? The one whose head it is on feels the cold of the feet. Then the raven bends over, and pecks out an eye! Leaving behind just a black pit and a blinded agent! (Really, just a patch of absolute shadow.)
Who else thinks that spider-shaped shadows could be a worthy addition? So many people react so well to spiders…
Siobhan: I have anti-anxiety potion if you need it
Lacer, eye rolling: you’re just making fun of them now
The real question is, did she demonstrate that the spell is perfectly harmless? Yes.
Did she demonstrate that she is harmless? No. She’s a terror.
That last chapter is gonna make me smile for a long time.
S POV: Raven gives cute hop.
Agent POV: Raven-shaped shadow comes from nowhere and jumps menacingly toward them. “Stop!”
S POV: But look at how adorable it is! It’s just a raven-shaped hole in the world!
Siobhan: my shadow is harmless. Pet it and see.
Agents: Pass. Thanks.
Siobhan: KISS IT
Aisling: No. Thank. You.
Siobhan: look, I made it pretty. KISS THE SHADOW grabby hands
Aisling: HOLY FUCKING FUCK NO
Marcurio: I don’t get paid enough for this. I need a vacation. And a bonus. Give me Berg’s bonus.
Siobhan: I thought you said you could handle it? Do you need a potion?
Agents: Ye-
Lacer: NO. Do not embarrass the red shield, boys.
S: I’m still kind of concerned…
Lacer: You already sang them a lullaby. If they were not reassured, it is hardly your fault.
The real question is, did she demonstrate that the spell is perfectly harmless? Yes.
Did she demonstrate that she is harmless? No. She’s a terror.
She is the thing that haunts her nightmares. And she’s so sweetly cute and clueless that she doesn’t pick up even the most obvious of social signals.
I also like Gera’s response. “Can I move away? … I mean a lot farther than that…”
I will be interested in Gera’s point of view. What does the anti-divination ward cover? Previously, it protected the shadow. But that was with the shadow empowered by what’s in her mind. Does the shadow still get protected? And does the area covered by the proprioception count as Siobhan for the purpose of divination?
It wasn’t funny at the time, but in like 4 chapters when Sebastien has an errand to run in Waterside Market and sees a familiar-looking kitsune standing in front of a door with a food stand aggressively trying to sell the most disgusting, overpriced street food she has ever seen it will be hilarious.
I want to see someone start selling statutes of the cute scary monster to the Undreaming Order.
Lacer buys a handful, and takes them into the Red Guard branch office, to a decidedly mixed reception.
Stuffed Shadow Familiar Friends. It could be be like the beanie baby craze in the 90s, only on a much smaller scale.
It would add even more insult if Lacer gave someone a stuffed toy. 
@AzaleaEllis if you’re still looking for merch ideas, I would pay for a tiny shadow familiar plushie.
I am imagining this as like a Black 3.0 painted statute (The blackest acrylic paint in the world - Black 3.0 – Culture Hustle USA)
We need a 3D print of this now.
I haven’t found affordable custom plushies. YET. But I really want this to happen… A 3D figure would be really cool, and probably more feasible as everyone has 3D printers.