#insert skill here

-> Tower makes a deal to keep the cafe open as long as a gun operative works there (more info in pic paragraph). ->Shadow is this operative (Tower thought it was hilarious) ->Shadow only agrees due to the fact he doesn't have to do paperwork and it counts as gun hours AND paid by the cafe. ->Both Rouge and Omega tried several times to become maids due to this deal. ->Nobody at the cafe knows Shadow is Shadow. He goes by Ruby. The headcanon is that Shadow is a black hedgehog who looks a lot like the celebrity so he leans into that for tips. Rouge thinks its the funniest fucking thing. ->The maid cafe is called Jewel Maid Cafe or something. All the girls have gemstone names. Right now the lineup is Peridot, Pearl, Opal, Diamond, Amethyst, and Ruby. ->Rouge was not hired because of Diamond (too alike). -> Point of this au is Shadow is forcibly adopted by wait staff, because they were the only ones "alive" after the cafe got raided. They get a lot closer, and Shadow is dragged along to hangout events until hes actually (shocking) friends with them. ->Despite Sonic and Shadow being together, Shadow did not tell Sonic about his continued employment at the maid cafe. It eventually comes out when the cafe is held up in a robbery. -> Shadow's identity comes out due to robbery. Peridot and Diamond reacted like "fair enough" everyone else was shocked. Personality wise, uhh Diamond -> Lemur, is fine with others knowing her name (yeah i totally know it haha totally). Hates working at the cafe (has worked there the longest). Gives "I'm too old for this" and yet shows up to some social events anyway. Slightly insecure because she's the oldest. The first to celebrate when the cafe burns down but also the first to throw down for her staffmates. Peridot -> Human, Names Harper. Graduated highschool and hightailed it to Mobius to get away from her parents. In college for Law, works full time to afford rent. Amethyst -> Dog, Nickname is Amy, Actual name unknown. Very chaotic/hyper, but doesn't invite others to her house. Cards close to chest. Opal -> Raccoon, Peridot's Roommate. Name is Comet. Also in college. Probably getting a degree in Psychology or Teaching. Pearl -> Rat, Actual Name Unknown- Working to help support her family. Doesn't tell them where she actually works.

---Humans and Mobians exist on different planets. There are mobians on Earth and humans on Mobius, but it's only been a few decades since the technology was even achieved for planetary travel.

---Further stress on planetary relations are due to.. well.. speciesism. Mobians are offput by humans and vice versa. Most humans are under the assumption that Mobians are just cute animals and unintelligent.

There are, of course, Mobians on Earth and Humans on Mobius, but it is VERY uncommon. . Cross Planet news is also very sparse.

---Not sure about Shadow's backstory, but kneejerk-> ---The ARK facility is a very secretive project on researching Mobian biology for technological advances for the human race, with a specialization in Biomedical research and weaponry using chaos energy.

---The Robotniks are a wealthy and influential family in biomedicine. Gerald was chosen as the lead on the humanitarian side of the ARK, and was allowed to bring Maria under the guise of finding a cure for her NIDs using clinical trials.

---Shadow is one of the major breakthroughs on the ARK, with both teams collaborating to lead to his creation. This breakthrough is due to the fact that Mobian biology is compatible with Chaos, and human biology's relationship with chaos is at best undocumented and worse, akin to radiation poisoning.

---In this AU, The SHADOW project's breakthrough did give a cure to Maria, though not a one off. The researchers are unsure how much time the cure will give her, but hypothesize that it makes NID's a chronic illness instead of a fatal one.

(pardon me, I am not someone with a chronic illness nor do I know anyone who deals with that sort of thing. Don't mean to offend, please lmk if I misstepped with that terminology. Trying to say that she wont die from NIDs anymore but still suffers other symptoms due to the illness.)

---Gerald and most scientists on the ARK believe in the inferiority of Mobians. Therefore, while Maria is still a sweetheart, her only knowledge of Mobians comes from what she's learned from the ARK. Therefore, her understanding of Shadow is that he's a pet that can talk. She loves him, but he can't survive on his own ofc. Very patronizing towards him.

---Shadow, someone whose been raised on the Ark, assumes this is normal. He is a pet, humans know better than him because ofc they do, etc. His only purpose is to help Maria get better, and he shouldn't expect anything else.

---Since Maria is at a much better state then when she entered, she begs Gerald for her to go back to Earth. Gerald does NOT want this to happen, because, what if she relapses?

---After a lot of red tape, he finally lets her go with the caveat that Shadow is registered to her as an emotional support animal. Furthermore, twice a year, they are to return to the ARK to take more of Shadow's DNA and check on Maria's progress.

---So, Maria is on Earth with Shadow as her ESA when she gets word of her parents going to Mobius to visit distant relatives/some political thing/whatever. She manages to get on the trip!!!

---Part of the trip is a ball for influential people on the planet. Maria goes and takes Shadow.

---On the flipside, Sonic gets some stupid letter in the mail about ANOTHER ball. Unfortunately, it's not just Sonic but the entire team, so Sonic has to accept. This is due to the fact that the mobian part of the council that oversees peace between the two planets wants to show off their best. So Sonic and co. are basically flaunted to show how cool they are.

---They get to the ball and Sonic is dressed in some suit that is WAY too uncomfortable. He has to mingle but he also hates events like this so he ends up sliding up next to this hedgehog who's hanging outside the restrooms. Tries to make small talk, like "How come you don't have to wear a tux. What's your vest say?" etc while Shadow is standing there like 👀👀👀🤨🤨🤨 because A) Never seen another Mobian before and B) Why is this person talking to him???

---Thankfully, Maria comes out of the restroom and freaks because she gets to talk to a mobian!! She introduces herself and they get excitedly chatting before Sonic's like "Does he just lurk behind you all the time or does he speak"

Maria looked confused, "Hm?" She turned, and notices the black hedgehog Sonic's referencing. The subject of their conversation raised a questioning eyebrow at her, and, to Sonic's mild confusion, she let loose a laugh. She covered her mouth as she turned back to him, waving the other hand carelessly.

"Don't mind him, he's my ESA," She said breezily. Sonic cocked his head, and at his uncertain glance, she continued, "My service animal. He alerts me if I strain myself too hard."

Sonic blinked. That explanation didn't help at all. "I thought those jobs are for, like, Flickies or something." At Maria's confusion, he elaborated. "Animals." As in, Service Animal. Not Service Mobian, or Service Human-

The Earth duo looked at him with different degrees of bafflement. Maria ended up laughing again as if he told a particularily funny joke, the bright sound at odds with the creeping realization that was dawning upon him as he looked at her "service animal" again. The other's vest isn't a bizarre fashion choice, but a uniform. He stood behind her on her left, and, beyond his eyes observing the situation from time to time, didn't interact or speak. Sonic still didn't know his name.

"You're silly, Sonic. But I guess I can understand. You and Shadow do look really similar. But don't worry, Shadow isn't like you. He was made specifically to help me."

Sonic nodded along at her explanation, but couldn't help his eyes straying over her shoulder to see the designated "Not Mobian." Despite Maria's playful reassurance, intelligent ruby eyes met his own, and he felt this night get a lot more complicated.