anderwhohn

[anderwhohn]

Things I'm doing in the background:

Moving my notes and such to a new scrivener project (roster changes make it a nightmare to navigate otherwise, and this blog in particular saw a major change in the roster, though the pages don't necessarily reflect that still)

Update the page structures to reflect forementioned roster changes - several muses have been reclassified as Irregulars and are now available only upon request on a highly selective basis (ie most are restricted to mains and those on my Best Friends Calls only)

Restructure the templates for the dossier pages and redo them for all the muses that are remaining as full muses

Restructure the templates for the verse pages and redo them for all the muses that are remaining as full muses

Update all the listed verse tags for all muses across all four blogs on their respective verse pages - this is to help make it easier to match which verse goes with which detail, especially for the ship verses

Using the same templates, create dossier and verse pages for the Irregulars - all such muses will utilise the same respective page for now, though it may be broken down further by overall fandom category in the future (mostly if I decide to add the details for fringe Irregulars that have largely gone as unlisted to the pages as well)

Move all the Connections details to a fully locally coded page instead of one utilising GDocs because that seems to bork and cause the pages not to load more often than not

Update the mod lists for Mass Effect and Dragon Age, especially noting the mods that have an effect on those universes' roleplay canon within my blogs (namely the story mods, but also a few of the appearance ones as well that play a large role for some muses)

There's probably more, but I've been awake since 5:30am, it's currently almost 7:30am, I haven't had any coffee, I can't remember if I took any ibuprofen or not, and I only have another 2.5 hours to myself before I have to leave to deal with getting mom in and out of the car for her PT appointment today.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, I redid the forms back in June to reflect the roster changes (plus the service I use for them updated to make it where I hopefully won't have to redo the entire form from scratch in the future with further changes, so yay?!), so if you could fill those out asap because it's been over a year since I was really active and verses have changed in addition to muses, so it'd help to know where current interest is.

People who have never written with me at all before and are not mutuals should fill out the New Follower Interest Check - and only that form initially. The rest of the forms are intended for mutuals only.

If we're not mutuals, and you'd like to write together:

New Follower Interest Check - simplified questionnaire to cover which muse(s) you're interested in writing with + a few other important details

If we are mutuals, and you'd like to write together:

Interest Tracker - required for in-character interaction

Ships & Dynamics - required for shipping & other dynamics

Best Friends Call - closest thing I have to a permanent starter call with bonus features; mutuals with established threads only

[anderwhohn]

@bloodiedbiotic asked: "You don't get to disappear, then come back like nothing happened. Life moved on without you." @ Izzy, for the verse where Izzy's younger than Blair and is the Commander, set in early ME2

"Well, excuse me for being dead!" Isabela snaps back at her, an angry aura of dark energy flickering around her as she struggles to maintain control, particularly with the new, much more powerful implant Cerberus fitted her with. "I didn't just 'disappear', dammit! I. Was. Dead. I remember getting spaced - my air line was damaged, and I couldn't get the omnigel to respond to even attempt to make an emergency repair in fucking vacuum."

Panic darkens her emerald gaze as she remembers, "My suit's medical VI kept pumping me full of adrenaline and medigel, even as my air was escaping into the void. The ship was in pieces, and there wasn't anything to tether to even if that wouldn't have just likely got me completely vaporised when that ship kept attacking the wreckage. I only lost consciousness when I hit the planet's atmo and things started heating up..."

"'Nothing but meat and tubes' - that's what Taylor said was left of me when Cerberus got a hold of my body. I don't know how they did it - I've gone to Karin and let her start running tests, dammit, just to figure out what all they did, to make sure there's no trackers or explosives or hidden back doors that they could hack into somehow."

Glaring up at Blair, she gives her a hard shove in retaliation for the accusation. "So no, I'm not acting like nothing fucking happened, but for me, it's been days, at most. I mean, hell, before the attack, I was under the mako with Garrus pulling out geth pieces in the undercarriage from Ilos the Alliance team had missed when they recovered it from the Citadel while Wrex was teaching Tali how to handle her shotgun better. Then the next thing anyone knew, we were under attack, I made the call to evac, Joker was a stubbornly brave idiot who kept us flying long enough for most of the crew to escape, and I had to haul his ass into the escape pod because everyone else in the CIC was already dead because it'd been torn open by one of the first blasts."

"You think I don't know everyone's moved on without me? And I do mean everyone? One of the only reasons I'm even remotely sure I'm me is because Joker is one loyal son of a bitch and left the Alliance on just the chance that Cerberus wasn't lying. They hadn't even been sure they could bring me back yet, but he took a chance, and the moment I first saw him, walking, I ran up to him and hugged him, crying into his shoulder that I was so relieved he'd made it out alive, that I hadn't failed him when I chose to hit the emergency eject button to get him away from the ship before it was too late. The only other familiar face I had was Karin, and she immediately wanted to start poking me with needles for a checkup, so I wasn't quite as thrilled to see her in the moment."

Tears well in her eyes, though she looks away to try to hide them, sighing heavily as she continues, "But you either believe I'm me, or you don't. Regardless, I've got a damn galaxy to save, again, a new Council that's just as useless as the last one, and I don't have time for anyone else's bullshit - even yours."

"And hey, we'll be heading through the Omega-4 relay. There's a fair chance we might not make it back out, so then everyone can go back to me being dead and they'll probably stay right this time. Stars know I didn't ask to be brought back and thrown back into the front lines against the Collectors and the Reapers..."

[anderwhohn]

@bloodiedbiotic asked: "i'm still a person! they all look at me like i'm some intangible being who will save them. i'm just one person." GIVE ME THE ME3 IZZY/BLAIR ANGSTTTTT

"Hey, hey," Isabela says soothingly, closing the distance between them to wrap her arms around Blair, practically hanging off her older sister a moment later as she embraces her. "You're not in this fight alone, yeah? I'm here, and so are Joker, EDI... and even Alenko, supposedly... Vega, and the rest of the crew."

She's still not sure about all of the new Alliance crew herself, of those few who were on board when the Normandy escaped Earth - especially Kaidan, given his attitude on Horizon several months back. And then for him to bitch at Blair again, repeatedly, while dealing with Cerberus on Mars?

She had joined Joker in the cockpit to listen in on the comms while Blair and the others went planetside, her trusting Adams enough to leave things in Engineering to him while she monitored what she could from the co-pilot's chair as she's apt to do ever since the original Normandy. Things had been mostly fine up until Cerberus made their appearance and Alenko immediately set to blaming Blair for their presence on the colony.

Squeezing her tighter, she adds, "It's not going to be another Torfan, sis. You know I won't let it get like that. We'll find our people - Garrus, Wrex, Tali, maybe the rest of the crew from the last mission - and we'll save everyone's asses, whether they like it or not. You're badass like that, especially with me and Team Dextro handling the tech for you."

"And hey, if the Council tries to deny the Reaper threat now, we can just punch them, right? I call dibs on Sparatus, after the whole mess when the SR-1 went down..."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: admit it. you still think about me. / garrus for izzy in assassin verse

A denial is on the tip of her tongue as she turns to look at him, though it falls short when her gaze turns to a glare as she spots that damnable visor of his - no doubt keyed to her vitals after their adventurous little 'lockdown' together, with how much time he'd had to do so, and she'd never seen him without it.

Scowling at him in annoyance, she looks away even as her cheeks warm in embarrassment, grateful that at least the lighting in Afterlife would keep it from being quite so obvious to any bystanders that happen to glance their way. It had been bad enough that night after she'd found herself trapped in the apartment with him and she got caught masturbating and nearly begging for his touch after just their first night together, when she was supposed to have killed him to complete her contract.

"I think your ego is big enough," she says instead, turning her focus back on her drink instead, idly swirling it with her straw. "Maybe I could say the same thing about you, Blue, since you're here, apparently tracking me down."

That very thought has her wondering if she needs to ditch her omnitool once she's away from him, just in case he has put a tracker in it somehow. She's already disposed of everything else she'd carried with her when she'd been locked in the apartment alone with him, not trusting that he hadn't been able to hide something on her things when she wasn't looking.

"What is this, Blue? I'm just minding my own business. If you're looking for a good time, that's not really what I do around here..."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: "You're my responsibility from now on."/ for izzy from dean (fondly protectively)

With everything else going on in the galaxy, Isabela was relieved that at least one thing hadn't fallen apart around her as she struggles to reclaim her life after being dead for two years. The debrief after Horizon was thankfully short and quick, with Garrus and Tali both simply welcoming Dean back and mentioning they should all get together in the medbay later to catch up with Chakwas and Joker - just the SR-1 team reunited... All they were missing was Wrex...

Left alone together in the comm room, Izzy's momentarily caught off guard by Dean's words, her breath catching in her throat as her focus narrows onto him. Before she can even think about what she's doing, she's grabbing him by the neck to pull him down into a kiss - a little tentative, at first, but quickly growing heated as the relief she feels floods her with the familiarity of the past.

But with their differences in height, it's difficult to kiss him the way she wants to at this angle, and with a soft noise of frustration breathed into the press of her lips against his, she wraps her arms around his shoulders, and in the next breath pulls herself up against him to wrap her legs around his waist, not wasting a second to deepen the kiss with a desperate moan.

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: "Beg me to stop, or I'll keep going." / archangel!garrus for assassin!izzy

💌 private meme collection

It's too much.

A low whine is all she can manage at first, her breath laboured as emerald eyes blink back tears, her whole body trembling from overstimulation. She's clearly near her limit of how much more she can take, but there's a stubborn defiance still in the set of her jaw and behind the slightly dazed look in her gaze.

It's that defiance that has her first licking her lips, trying to ensure she doesn't struggle with her retort. "Fuck you," is what she offers him, with only a slight, uncertain wavering in her voice, still defiant even as tears fall free.

She won't give in to him - she won't beg for him, not this time...

[anderwhohn]

A wry tilt to his mandibles as they flare out from his jaw hint at his amusement as she speaks about her ignoring the captain's orders. His extensive research into her had revealed such tendencies in the past - particularly in 'against all odds' situations - and that was part of the very reason he wanted her in the Spectres.

The fact that she's bound to annoy Sparatus to no end with her insubordination is just a bonus in his view.

"If my hardsuit's recordings had survived his attack, it might have been a different story. Sparatus in particular will want irrefutable evidence of Saren's betrayal, but even the audio isn't salvageable," he sighs as he settles down into one of the chairs, shifting awkwardly at first before stretching his legs out to accommodate for his height - while the Normandy might be of turian-human design, apparently not all aspects were quite fitted for a turian to actually be onboard the ship itself.

Forest green eyes narrow slightly in thought at the revelation of his currently believed status in the galaxy, mandibles fluttering once more before settling tightly against his jaw. While he can understand their reasoning for the deception, he can't help but wonder if it will do more harm than help them in the end.

"I will still need to speak to the Council," he notes, a deep growl underlining his words as he looks at her pointedly. "Laiel - Sparatus - will be obligated to report my death to the Hierarchy. And protocol is that a Spectre's status be terminated upon confirmation of their death. So while they're unlikely to take the report as confirmation enough..."

Sighing wearily, he pauses to take a sip of the drink offered to him, humming his thanks before continuing. "Let's just hope bureaucracy is as slow as it typically is and that I don't have to fight to get my own Spectre status reinstated when we arrive at the Citadel. Regardless, once the truth of the deception comes out, not everyone will look on the Alliance favourably for this course of action. While understandable, given Saren's involvement - he may very well look to finish the job once he learns I survived - it does complicate matters in ways I doubt your Captain considered."

@bloodiedbiotic asked: ❝ you don’t know how glad i am to see you made it. here, let me get you a drink. ❞ for nihlus bc that line feels perfect for post-eden prime ♥

Forest green eyes blink slowly, still clearly a bit dazed from the medication Chakwas has him on to reduce the pain, even if she has finally released him from the medbay under strict orders of his being on restricted light duty or else she'll have him dragged right back to the medbay and restrained if necessary. He's always known turian doctors to be rather ruthless in dealing with unruly patients, but even he has to admit he's not willing to risk this unassuming human doctor's wrath.

It's Shepard's words that has his mandibles fluttering with an emotion even he'd have trouble describing, nodding slowly at the offer as he follows her toward the galley. "Appreciated. Though I probably wouldn't have made it if you hadn't called the evac in time..."

It's an uncomfortable truth, even if Saren's shot hadn't been as fatal as the older turian had intended. And given the overall situation, he dreads to see how the Council is going to react to all of this - particularly Sparatus, given his cousin's tendency to dig his talons in and not accept that the galaxy is changing around him in ways he can't control.

"The Council isn't going to want to believe any of this. Saren is one of their best - they're not going to want to hear humanity's accusations against him. I'm not certain even my own testimony will carry much weight, particularly with Sparatus."

[anderwhohn]

While I'm not 100% back yet, I am working on coming back from hiatus. Mostly in the fact that I'm trying to get caught up on the 'end of the year maintenance' stuff from 2023 that I didn't get to do with everything going on irl, so here is what's been updated and what I'm still working on.

All forms are new, so unless you've filled it out in the last few weeks, then you will need to fill out the respective interest tracking forms in order as soon as possible.

RULES & GUIDELINES - UPDATED JUNE 5, 2024 - Please note that there are new rules regarding things such as the forms, a couple banned fandoms, and other important changes. If you have any questions, please reach out to me via the inbox or on discord.

NEW FOLLOWER INTEREST CHECK (FORM) - If we're not mutuals, and you want to write together, this brief questionnaire covers the basics of which muse(s) you're interested in interacting with, among other factors that will help determine compatibility. Required for all new followers/non-mutuals who are interested in writing together - I will not follow your blog(s) back until this form is filled out.

INTEREST TRACKER - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we are mutuals, this form is required in order to interact, as it covers everything from which muses you want to interact with, the verses you want to interact with them in, and other roleplay preferences. All mutuals are required to fill out this form.

SHIPS & DYNAMICS - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we're mutuals, and you're interested in writing more in-depth dynamics between our muses, including but not limited to romantic and/or sexual dynamics, you should fill out this form.

BEST FRIENDS CALL - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we're mutuals, we've already been writing together, and you're looking for the 'permanent starter call' (with bonus features), this is the form you'll need to fill out.

REQUEST INTERACTIONS - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - The all-in-one call for interactions, be it requesting I send you memes, respond to your open starters, write you starters, etc. This form is available at any time - you don't have to wait for me to make a post about it to fill it out - but please understand that I won't always be able to provide an immediate turn around.

I think I got all instances of the links to these forms updated on all the pages, but since I'm also going to be reworking a lot of the muse info (ie the dossiers and verse pages), I'll be doublechecking while also handling those updates.

Some muses (including NPCs attached to a few muses that are written occasionally as part of larger threads but not as independent muses in their own right) will also have their info moved to new Irregulars pages that I will be setting up in the near future, in addition to the new guidelines regarding the selectivity with which they'll be handled.

Regardless, this blog will remain low to medium activity for a while longer. I will return here eventually, but I want to do a total overhaul of the dossier and verse pages here before doing so, so please don't expect too much out of this blog for the time being.

[anderwhohn]

Mandibles pulled in tight against his jaw, Nihlus nods thoughtfully at the unexpected sitrep, though he's still careful not to startle the soldier as he moves closer, settling himself in a chair nearby but without being oppressively in the other's space where the man's laid unconscious on his couch for hours since Nihlus found him.

"2177 was over five years ago," Nihlus notes cautiously, watching the other carefully for his reaction. "It's currently 2182, though only a couple months from the new year. We're currently on the Citadel - Aroch Ward, though I think some of your people call it Shalta Ward, not far from the Presidium Junction."

Leaning back in his chair, he sighs, running a hand wearily over his fringe. "Your being a survivor of Akuze certainly makes this more troubling than it already was, finding a half-dead human on my doorstep. For now, let's worry about making sure you don't go any further into that dead category, before we start worrying about getting in touch with your ambassador. It's bad enough when Laiel has me act as a messenger for him as it is when Udina has been giving the turian embassy more trouble than usual."

Pausing to check something on his omnitool, Nihlus sighs and stands up once more, moving to the kitchen to grab a sealed bottle of water, which he tosses onto the couch beside the human. "I'm afraid I'm not in the habit of keeping levo foods on hand - you're lucky I keep the medigel. There's a clinic not far from here, and certainly closer than Huerta Memorial. You should probably get checked out first, then maybe see about getting you some decent food and clothes before I take you to the embassy."

Or directly to the Council, considering, he can't help but think, mandibles twitching as he tries to decide what to do with his unexpected 'guest'. "And just so you don't start worrying about why some strange turian would even care... I'm Nihlus Kryik, Special Tactics and Recon. So, if you don't mind, I'd rather you not get it into your head that you need to slip away on your own. I really don't need the extra paperwork."

@anderwhohn said: send in " take it easy. you’re safe now, but you need to relax. " for the sender to greet a waking receiver after having found them badly wounded and on the brink of collapse at their doorstep. //from Nihlus (with no context - whichever of Cas’s verses makes most sense; didn’t have to even know it was Nih’s place if you wanna double up a first meeting into it too, since they’ve not interacted)

send in " take it easy. you’re safe now, but you need to relax. " for the sender to...    /    ACCEPTING ↷

Safe? Cas is never safe. Years, a captive of Cerberus, until... He never could’ve fought his own way out of those labs. He has no idea who’d attacked; mercs, probably, he’d seen a few krogan. So he had done something unlike himself and  ran away  rather than stay to fight (whoever was an enemy of Cerberus, he’d be on their side, mercenaries or no mercenaries), and that had probably saved him his life... Usually not one to flee, years of being a subject of experiments; it had started with the thresher maws on Akuze, yes, but long since evolved into attempted mind control. He has old scars and new scars circling around his head, mostly hidden beneath his hair, where Naomi had pierced his skull and dug into his brain over and over again. He has old acid burns along his shoulder blades from thresher maw acid, from Akuze. His body is littered with numerous others; repeated needle marks on his arms, old battle wounds from before it all... and fresh injuries, the skin of his chest partially shredded from where he’d been slashed with an omniblade, by the turians he’d been so kindly (he always knew it was a trap, but anything was better than Cerberus) transported into safer territory by... So much running...

This isn’t one of his assailants, though. Cas sits up (too fast, reeling), assessing his surroundings. This is someone’s home... there’s medigel and a bandage over his chest.

But he’s escaped from Cerberus; nowhere is safe, and no one around him is anything but collateral. They’ll come for him.

❝ What year is it? ❞    he demands, voice raspy. He can tell it’s been several years, but he’s not sure of the exact date.    ❝ I’m Lieutenant Castiel Krushnic; I was a part of the Alliance Marine unit sent on the colony on Akuze in 2177. I need to... need to contact... ❞    He gets most of his words out coherent enough, but the effort makes his head spin, so he’s forced to trail off.

[anderwhohn]

Earth?

That was... not what she was expecting, though Kansas... She's not overly familiar with that particular area of North America, but she supposes it might be sparsely populated enough that some of the more isolated areas didn't see many offworlders and so wouldn't always have translators.

Though it's when he mentions a 'cell phone' that truly gives her pause, and she quickly goes over everything else he's said in the last few moments. "Wait... United States of... But it hasn't been called that in roughly 90 years," she murmurs, brow furrowing as she really looks around at her surroundings.

A sickening dread settles in her gut as she takes in the state of the world around her - the lack of any skycars being one of the more painfully obvious ones, now that she's looking for them. Her hands tremble as she opens her omnitool, looking to connect to the extranet, only for there not to be a signal - at least, not for nearly another century.

"Stars... What the hell did the Crucible do?!" she mutters, closing the omnitool once more before seeming to remember she's not alone, emerald eyes wide with unease as her gaze settles on the strange man once more. "I... I doubt a 'cell phone' will be enough to reach where I need to contact, but... the rest? Yeah... I... I think I'm a long way from home..."

And she has no idea how - or even if - she can make it back... If this is before the United North American States was even formed, then it's still another 53 years after that before the Mars Archives are even discovered, and over 60 years before humanity even encounters the turians for the first time. There's not going to be a single active comm buoy in the entire Sol system for decades...

Hell, most of her friends haven't even been born yet, even not knowing the exact year she's in now. She hasn't even been born yet, but that doesn't seem to have stopped her from existing here and now, thanks to what she can only assume was the Crucible's doing. Even if she could get a signal offworld, the relay is encased in ice right now, and it'd simply take too long to get a transmission to even one of the nearest friendly clusters where anyone she knows might be, and well before they ever knew her.

It's a struggle, trying not to panic as she realises the sheer logistical nightmare she's found herself in, pre-spaceflight and with technological knowledge far exceeding anything most humans would even dare to dream about outside of science fiction. Even her omnitool is a technological marvel at this point. Pausing at that thought, she turns and scrambles to gather up even the tiniest pieces of her armour, not willing to leave even a scrap of it behind, considering she might as well be in a first contact situation right now.

"Yeah, I... If you have somewhere private, I think that might be for the best right now. And if it has electricity, all the better..."

The man is... odd, she can't help but think as they stare at each other, a wry smile tugging at her lips even as she realises part of their current issue. It's easy to forget, while living in space, that not everyone has universal translators when it comes to the Earth or her colonies. Not that she agrees, given many of those who refuse to use the technology are doing so out of pure xenophobic bias, but she knows that's not always the case. She just hopes it's not the case with this particular stranger.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't sure which planet we're on, or where even on that planet, and I forget not everyone has universal translators. Galactic Standard is usually the safest bet to start with on most worlds. Guess it's not as popular here, though..." Maybe a remote colony? But which one?

Glancing back down at the still dead hardware from her suit in her hands, she sighs wearily as she realises she's going to need an external power supply to even hope to be able to revive it, and sets it aside before standing, offering, "Thank you, for the coat. I'm Isabela Shepard, Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

[anderwhohn]

Nihlus listens, his mandibles pulled tight against his jaw and even his subvocals suppressed to a disquieting silence as he takes in this new information, forest green eyes watching her unwavering as she provides her own perspective of just exactly where she's been for the last two years.

"Given the... difficulties I had getting any information out of Anderson, Hackett, and the Alliance after the surviving crew were recovered..." A low growl rumbles deep in his chest at that, shaking his head as he recalls, "There was at least a couple escape pods unaccounted for, suspected to have been wherever the wreckage landed, but they refused to send anyone else into the Terminus for rescue and recovery efforts."

Even the Council had tried to deny him leave to go look himself, and had it not been for a mission that happened to require he go to Omega anyway, even if it was weeks after the attack on the Normandy, he might never have been able to see it for himself, though he had only been concerned with finding the remains of the ship's captain, though he did tag and document the rest for recovery if anyone else was ever sent after them. The lack of loyalty to the missing crew was enough to have him petitioning the Hierarchy directly to send someone themselves, though as with anything done through bureaucratic channels, it was tied up in politics thanks to the human ambassador.

The fact that Cerberus got their hands on her while he was dealing with idiotic politicians determined to just shove everything under a rug and ignore the threat the Reapers pose to all organic life in the galaxy... Not that he isn't glad to have her back - as much as he can be sure, right now, that it is her - but that she's found herself with only Cerberus supporting her right now...

As she mentions the salarian doctor, his brow plates rise as he looks at her in surprise. "Dr. Mordin Solus?" he asks, a thoughtful hum threading through his words. "Bau's worked with him a time or two in the past. He's STG - retired, last I heard, and running a small clinic on Omega. Though there's been some troubling rumours coming from the station lately, but nothing concrete's made it this far, even with our intel."

With Solus on the station, and Cerberus sending Shepard there presumably to recruit him... There were enough ties to something potentially shady enough to worry the Council that he could probably get them to agree to let him investigate, potentially even to keep a close eye on Shepard in the process...

"I assume Sparatus was his usual delightful self when you spoke to him," Nihlus notes, one mandible flaring a little in a hint of a smirk. "If you're not shoving off immediately, I'll see what I can do to get more than just some token resources for you. I got the ping that your Spectre status was reinstated, but I doubt they gave you access to anything more than just that. Laiel may not like it, but if they're acknowledging your Spectre status, then they should be giving you full support as a Spectre."

And if that 'full support' just happens to come in the form of another Spectre, then well... He's always enjoyed this particular human's company - she's got... what do they call it? 'Spunk'? It was one of the very qualities about her that his cousin didn't much care for, which in Nihlus's opinion, just made it all the more entertaining for him.

"Give me a couple hours to see what I can pull with Laiel. Meet me at my apartment after? I'll send you the navpoint and access codes."

@anderwhohn said: "When they first said you were back, I thought they were delusional. Now I worry that I’m the insane one." (from Nihlus, ME2 reunion? Either on the Citadel, Omega, or Illium, depending on how you wanna play it?)

an old meme    /    PROBABLY ACCEPTING ↷

❝ If it helps, ❞    she says, knowing that it’s likely to do the opposite of that,    ❝ I keep thinking I must be crazy. ❞

Convincing Tali that Wren was herself had made her feel unexpectedly vulnerable  ⸺  she doesn’t dare, somehow, to confidently assure Nihlus she’s real, she’s alive, she’s here. She doesn’t dare, because if he expresses doubt... Wren thinks she might shatter.

She looks as vulnerable as she feels for a moment, staring middle-distance towards the Presidium lake, unseeing. Then, she rearranges her features, shutting off a little, forcing a neutral look.    ❝ I don’t know how much you’ve heard, but it was Cerberus. I was dead, properly really dead, and they spent billions of credits into bringing me back to life. Cerberus. ❞    She says the word as if it tasted bitter.    ❝ They tell me I’m me  ⸺  not a clone, not an AI who thinks they’re Commander Shepard. Got a hell of a lot of new bits and bops in me, ❞    she touches the faintly glowing scarring of her face,    ❝ but still me, apparently. They had to regrow some of my organs. I don’t even know  ⸺  how much of me is organic, how much synthetic. They say, other than the supportive tissue and some enhancements, most of me should eventually be back to organic, but... ❞

She’s rambling. It’s easier to recount facts than to face how she feels.

Nihlus, it’s been over two years for Nihlus. It’s been a couple of days for her, since the Normandy was destroyed. Has he moved on? Are they close, anymore? They never really... Are they even friends, anymore? She smooths down her hair, a nervous gesture, hands trembling slightly.    ❝ Anyway, of course I’m... Of course I’m going to do what I can. I’m here on a supply run  ⸺  I have a lead on Omega, for a Salarian doctor. ❞    Nihlus is about the only person in the galaxy she doesn’t hesitate disclosing this information to. She wants him to come with her, but she’s scared to ask. Unsure if she can take another rejection.    ❝ I was asked to build a team, to go after the Collectors. ❞

[anderwhohn]

Tensing at his snarl, Isabela's own expression tightens behind the faceplate of her envirosuit, emerald eyes narrowing even as she looks away from him, her cheeks heating with a mix of embarrassed indignation as she's chastised. It's only with how easily she can read his concern for her safety that causes her to visibly deflate, her shoulders slumping even as she offers a quieter, "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," as she finally falls in line.

Though even that isn't enough to keep her from bristling at his actual orders - through no fault of Garrus himself; she's fully aware that unlike most of the superior officers she's served under, he doesn't think of her as being incompetent or inferior simply for being human. Typically such orders come from a place of superiority and a belief that no human could possibly be up to the task as a turian might have been in her place, no matter how many times she proved them wrong, clawing her way up through the meritocracy to even get the scraps of recognition she's forced them to grant her over the years.

But Garrus would never see her that way, that much she knows beyond certainty. It's one of the very reasons she'd long since decided she would follow him anywhere, even if this new dynamic between them with his being in charge is something unfamiliar to them both and she's chafing under the command of new officers - two of whom are Spectres, to boot.

Looking back at him, she lets out a frustrated groan before opening up her omnitool, typing in a quick command before waving it in the direction of his, watching his activate and glow as it catches the signal from hers. "I'm granting you administrator access to my radar and cloak. There will be a short delay of several seconds - I can't compensate for that right now; I'll see what I can do once we're back on the ship - but that should give you a rough idea of my position."

A few more taps on her omnitool has it beeping in acknowledgement as she hooks into his radar to establish an operational range for herself to maintain proximity to him, even if doing so makes her frown deepen at the imposed limitations. "And that will signal me if I leave the range of your radar. I can't guarantee that I won't need to go outside the proximity range, but I will notify you if something requires that I do so."

That little trick brings a wave of unease when she's reminded of where she learned that from, but reminders of Torfan were almost always unpleasant - even moreso when it came to things directly involving Saren, knowing that that very same 'leash' as he called it was likely all that kept her alive when none of the Alliance personnel they were supposed to be there to assist survived. Had she not been a proper member of the Hierarchy and directly under his command for that mission, she imagines she would have met a similar fate.

Shaking her head as if to rid herself of the memory, she looks back at Garrus with weary resignation after one last string of commands typed into her omnitool secures them a private channel, as heavily encrypted as she can make it on such short notice. "And comms are established and open. Just don't get pissy at me when I have to go silent when I need to go dark - this helmet isn't exactly soundproof, so muting the voice modulator isn't enough to avoid detection at close range."

And while she's set up what she can to actually follow his orders, she can't quite shake the defensiveness she feels with how unnervingly close the orders are to those of her past superior officers - especially with the reminder of serving under Saren freshly on her mind now - even if the intention behind them are far from the same. "Will that be all, sir? Or should I attach my zero-grav tether to your belt as well?" she asks with just a bit too much of a biting tone to her voice, the modulator giving her words an underlining pseudo-growl in her displeasure.

@smokedanced asked: send me ‘ hold up ‘ for your muse to grab mine by the back of the shirt to keep them from doing something dangerous / foolish / garrus for izzy but mix it up with hierarchy verse?

💌 hold up [ meme - accepting ]

Nearly stumbling as she finds herself suddenly halted by a firm grip on the back of her envirosuit, Isabela's quick to regain her footing as her tactical cloak flickers back off before she looks up and over her shoulder at her friend who, in this moment, is very obviously her superior officer, going by the stern look she finds herself on the receiving end of.

Stubborn defiance flickers in emerald green eyes before a quiet noise of frustration escapes her as she breaks eye contact, looking away but still not quite submitting to the unspoken command. She's trained for this, and with Nihlus assigning her to Garrus's command specifically for infiltration and reconnaissance as they scout ahead of the assault team, she wonders just how much of his hesitation to let her do her job is his concern as her friend more than his leadership skills…

Still, right now, with the human colony under attack and Nihlus depending on them to get any information they can as he and his team focus on securing the site and retrieving the prothean beacon, they don't really have time for the argument that's on the tip of her tongue as she looks back at him with a frustrated glare.

"Orders, sir?" she growls at him, her displeasure at being held back from going in cloaked obvious, and yet her duty to her superior officers clearly keeping her mostly in line as she doesn't try to fight the grip he has on her, snarky backtalk and insubordinate attitude not withstanding.

Yes, maybe approaching unknown enemies alone isn't necessarily the best tactical choice, but she's had years of training and working alongside Blackwatch to know when it's still a suitable calculated risk, which is why she's in Spectre training now. How is she supposed to prove herself capable of being a Spectre if she's not allowed to do her job? Though, given Councillor Sparatus's condition of a full year of mentorship under Nihlus and Garrus both, she knows it's as much her ability to follow orders being tested as it is her skills in the field.

But even knowing that doesn't keep her from glaring up at Garrus as she shakes her shoulders to try to dislodge his hold on her as she otherwise stands at attention awaiting orders like any 'good turian' should under the circumstances.

[anderwhohn]

"That's where things get complicated," Isabela admits with a weary sigh. "I already had to argue that the approval be upheld since I couldn't acknowledge it until after the attack on the Citadel - I didn't personally receive it until I got out of the hospital and back to the ship, and a new Council hasn't yet been sworn in..."

"Fortunately, there were enough Spectres who had been friends with Nihlus that had taken an interest in me and this whole mess with Saren to look into it themselves, and they saw what we all did. So I had some support in that argument that I wasn't expecting, though Jondum Bau made a good point, in that even I didn't receive proper training, given what happened on Eden Prime, and the Council throwing Spectre status at me and sending me after Saren."

A wry smile tugs at her lips as she shrugs, glancing briefly toward the shouting of some of the crew as one of the privates tries to drunkenly climb up onto a table to dance. Rolling her eyes at their shenanigans, she looks back at Garrus with a hint of exasperation but leaves them to it - the hangover they're bound to have will surely be punishment enough when she orders everyone awake at 0500 anyway.

"Bau offered to help correct that oversight and ensure I have access to all of the resources due to me as a Spectre. Given that the Council only barely forwarded any information to me, and I basically only had access to the rare stocks through C-Sec requisitions, but not to the greater intel network, other Spectres, support teams from Blackwatch and STG, or any of the other resources available to the rest? I intend on taking him up on that offer, though it did pose some issues then regarding your candidacy."

"In light of your service and my personal recommendation, given you were on the ground by my side on nearly every mission, the group of veteran Spectres agreed that that was enough to cover the evaluation, but they also want to get you in the ranks before the next Council is appointed so there won't be any unnecessary delays, so while I'm under Bau's mentorship, they suggested that you be under Avitus Rix's."

Isabela shrugs slightly, a thoughtful look darkening her gaze as she notes, "I met him, briefly, while talking to the others. He was one of Nihlus's friends - and another one of the Spectres trained by Saren, but like Nihlus, seems far less extreme in his methods than Saren was ever reported being. Though it turned out he only has a ship really big enough for one - he prefers working mostly on his own, much like Nihlus did."

Mischief sparkles in her eyes then, as a slow smirk tilts her lips. "Fortunately, with the repairs underway on the Normandy, adding in a couple retrofits to the work order to convert a storage room or two into personal cabins fit for another Spectre or two wasn't that big of a task, and Rix agreed to come aboard the Normandy for your training, considering I didn't exactly want to give up my best gunnery officer and second-in-command so soon."

@smokedanced asked: [ SPIN ]: while hugging the receiver, the sender lifts them off the ground and begins to spin them both in a giddy, joyful circle. / third time's the charm tumblr will you let me send the ask, for izzy from garrus, main/canon verse?

💌 things done while hugging [ meme - accepting ]

They'd done it. They'd actually defeated Sovereign, even if it did cost them the Council when she was forced to make the decision of focusing on the Reaper or saving the Destiny Ascension. Whispers were already circulating thanks to that blasted al-Jilani reporter that it had been her call when Admiral Hackett had deferred to her - something she's now thoroughly convinced he did to use her as a scapegoat for this very reason.

Right now, however, with wounds patched up and everyone on shore leave for a few more days, Isabela's rented a private room at Flux for the Normandy crew and is putting all those credits she managed to salvage from pirates and slavers to good use by paying the tab of every squadmate and crewman that joins the celebration, though she suspects most of it's going to be covering the cost of Wrex's ryncol with the way the krogan drinks it like fucking water.

But nothing is quite as exciting about tonight as being able to pull Garrus aside to give him the best news that she hopes she can offer, of how long before he'd made the decision to apply for Spectre training, she'd put his name forward as a potential candidate as Nihlus Kyrik had done for her before all this had began, and once they'd arrived within range of the Citadel's comm buoys, she'd received the approval notice from Spectre office.

Emerald eyes sparkle in delight at his shocked expression and she can't help but laugh softly and hug him as best she can around his chest, having already had that interspecies awkwardness of mistakenly hugging his waist in her excitement after one particular mission and embarrassingly learning more than she had anticipated about turian erogenous zones.

Her quiet laughter turns into a startled squeal when she finds herself lifted up off the ground and spun, the air near thrumming with what she knows must be Garrus's subvocals as she can feel them rumbling through where he's holding her against his chest as she practically clings to him, even knowing he'd never actually drop her. At least, not unless he was deliberately being an ass.

Grinning up at him, she puts that trust in his strength to hold her as she stretches up and gives him a playful kiss on the side of his mandible. "I knew you had it in you, Garrus," she murmurs softly, her grin softening as she looks at him with undeniable pride.

She can't help but marvel at how much he's grown in the short time she's known him, from the frustrated C-Sec hot shot to a budding tactician and clear Spectre material. "And you know, Spectres don't always work solo… I'm pretty sure the Normandy could handle two Spectres on board. That is, if you're interested in coming back?"

[anderwhohn]

While I'm not 100% back yet, I am working on coming back from hiatus. Mostly in the fact that I'm trying to get caught up on the 'end of the year maintenance' stuff from 2023 that I didn't get to do with everything going on irl, so here is what's been updated and what I'm still working on.

All forms are new, so unless you've filled it out in the last few weeks, then you will need to fill out the respective interest tracking forms in order as soon as possible.

RULES & GUIDELINES - UPDATED JUNE 5, 2024 - Please note that there are new rules regarding things such as the forms, a couple banned fandoms, and other important changes. If you have any questions, please reach out to me via the inbox or on discord.

NEW FOLLOWER INTEREST CHECK (FORM) - If we're not mutuals, and you want to write together, this brief questionnaire covers the basics of which muse(s) you're interested in interacting with, among other factors that will help determine compatibility. Required for all new followers/non-mutuals who are interested in writing together - I will not follow your blog(s) back until this form is filled out.

INTEREST TRACKER - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we are mutuals, this form is required in order to interact, as it covers everything from which muses you want to interact with, the verses you want to interact with them in, and other roleplay preferences. All mutuals are required to fill out this form.

SHIPS & DYNAMICS - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we're mutuals, and you're interested in writing more in-depth dynamics between our muses, including but not limited to romantic and/or sexual dynamics, you should fill out this form.

BEST FRIENDS CALL - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - If we're mutuals, we've already been writing together, and you're looking for the 'permanent starter call' (with bonus features), this is the form you'll need to fill out.

REQUEST INTERACTIONS - MUTUALS ONLY (FORM) - The all-in-one call for interactions, be it requesting I send you memes, respond to your open starters, write you starters, etc. This form is available at any time - you don't have to wait for me to make a post about it to fill it out - but please understand that I won't always be able to provide an immediate turn around.

I think I got all instances of the links to these forms updated on all the pages, but since I'm also going to be reworking a lot of the muse info (ie the dossiers and verse pages), I'll be doublechecking while also handling those updates.

Some muses (including NPCs attached to a few muses that are written occasionally as part of larger threads but not as independent muses in their own right) will also have their info moved to new Irregulars pages that I will be setting up in the near future, in addition to the new guidelines regarding the selectivity with which they'll be handled.

Regardless, this blog will remain low to medium activity for a while longer. I will return here eventually, but I want to do a total overhaul of the dossier and verse pages here before doing so, so please don't expect too much out of this blog for the time being.

[anderwhohn]

His mandibles pull tight against his jaw, green eyes studying her closely for a moment nodding slowly. "I know of a clinic nearby. The doctor is human, but she's trained to deal with all other species. I've been to her a few times myself," he notes, absently giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before letting go.

It's a struggle, in the confines of the access point, to open his omnitool, having to work over the quarian's head as he hacks into the door controls. "It's too risky taking you back out the way we came. We'll get you to the clinic, and I'll deal with Saren's men while you're getting patched up."

With a hiss, the access panel into the keeper tunnels opens, and Nihlus gives her a gentle nudge to get her moving into them. Something's not right - he can feel it, deep down - and while this quarian has undoubtedly got herself into some kind of trouble, he has his doubts that whatever she's done warrants the death Saren seeks for her.

"I'm Nihlus, by the way," he offers casually, mandibles flaring in a small smile to her before doublechecking their route on his omnitool, guiding them through the tight corridors deeper into the inner workings of the station towards the lower wards. "I don't think I've seen you around before. First time on the Citadel?"

Not that he'd know everyone on the station, but quarians tend to stand out more than most, and given the... issues some tend to take towards their species, he makes a point of at least being aware of how many are on the Citadel at any given time, mostly to ensure nothing untoward happens to them. And given how young this one seems, he's guessing she must be fresh from the flotilla, probably on her pilgrimage.

"Once you're patched up, there's a restaurant nearby that's equipped with a sterilisation unit. We can go there, and you can fill me in on why those men were after you. Arterius's methods tend to be... extreme, but this isn't typical, even for him."

@smokedanced asked: [pin] - Sender and receiver are caught in a small space, causing their bodies to be close together. / tali for nihlus????????????

💌 seggsual tension! [ meme - accepting ]

Spirits! What-- Those are Saren's men!

While not entirely an unusual sight for Nihlus, it is strange seeing them outside of the Terminus Systems - stranger still to see them on the Citadel, chasing after a quarian. It's this reason that he doesn't even truly think about it as he grabs the quarian, shielding her with his own body as he pulls her into the small alcove leading into one of the keeper tunnels, his own height and bulk a challenge to not crowd her overly much as he tries to get a sense of what exactly is going on and check her for injury and damage to her suit.

"Spirits... Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asks quietly, gloved fingers curled carefully over her shoulders as he keeps her close - though there's not really room for her to get any further from him as it is, with the tunnel firmly sealed off and only his Spectre access allowing him to close the entry panel off from the assassins.

[anderwhohn]

“Is that the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?”

[anderwhohn]

Levelling a considering look on this 'other Shepard', Isabela only offers a contemplative hum when asked about the hypotheticals were their positions reversed. It's difficult, having grown up on Palaven, imagining a world where she had had to grow up on Earth instead, if she had even survived that long at all, considering how young she was when she found herself abandoned when her parents never returned from work one day.

To try to imagine a world where Garrus hadn't known her since they were teenagers in military training, where he'd had to deal with everything from Castis on his own, knowing how many times she got into arguments with his father over her encouraging Garrus to follow his dreams, regardless of Castis's expectations for him? Her heart aches at the mere thought of how different that Garrus could truly be from the one she'd follow into hell and back without his even needing to ask.

"We'll see," she says for now, still too wary to even consider accepting any real 'help' from a stranger to their entire galaxy. The political implications alone are enough to drive her to a migraine just thinking about it. "For now, I think it'd be best to get you a suitable Codex first to learn our history before we risk... meddling. What might have worked for you could have had very different outcomes here."

A frown tugs at her lips at the reality of their situation with the differences and similarities between what they know. "Oh, there are humans - particularly those old enough to have fought in it - that call it that as well, though I didn't hear of such until I enlisted at 15, and even then, it was from my instructors at basic, preparing us for what we might face once in any assignments offworld. I didn't see another human until I was 18, and even then it was months into my assignment, when our patrol came across a group of pirates attacking a human colony."

"Humans have an ambassador, of course, but they don't have a dedicated embassy - their office is within the volus embassy, much to Ambassador Din Korlack's chagrin. He and Ambassador Anita Goyle do not get along very well, though I think one of her staffers - Donnel Udina - is even more of a thorn in Din's side than she is..."

Though, given the investigations into Udina by Blackwatch, what with the suspicions that he may be involved with the rebels looking to 'free humanity' from their status as a client race, it's not that surprising to her that the man is likely insufferable. The fact that he takes personal offence of her very presence whenever they cross paths, however, is a whole other story.

"It's more likely that humans will end up forcing the Council to even more extreme measures in response to their... discontent with how things went than it is they'll succeed in getting a spot on the Council themselves anytime in the next century. Especially if they continue on the paths they're current treading."

Not that she can truly go into detail there - between Blackwatch and Spectre top level classifications, even she doesn't have clearance for everything regarding that situation. She knows Nihlus is aware of more, but besides teasing banter between the two of them about it, she knows better than to press for actual answers, much less share them with a complete stranger, even if that stranger is supposedly a different version of herself.

"As for Nihlus... He had followed my service record pretty much from the beginning, though it wasn't until I was on leave on the Citadel that I met him for the first time. Even then, I was still a young cabalite with only a handful of missions under my belt when he introduced himself to me in the Dark Star Lounge. I didn't realise he was a Spectre until..."

A faint blush heats her cheeks at the memory, shaking her head as she quickly changes topic away from that particular memory of a somewhat drunken but highly pleasurable introduction to the man who would become her mentor - and more - in the years to follow. "Well, suffice it to say that he certainly made an impression, and apparently it was mutual, as I kept finding myself running into him over the years. After I was admitted into Blackwatch, I learned just why he always seemed to show up at the oddest times, when he requisitioned me for his crew for a mission, which, unknown to myself at the time, began my evaluation as a potential Spectre candidate."

"Whereas Saren... Saren is... was... complicated. I knew him - what little he allowed me to know him, at least - before the indoctrination led to... Well..." She sighs softly, shaking her head as she notes, "He had saved my life, once. Pulled me off of Akuze, after I had been 'on loan' to the Alliance to assist in uncovering what had happened to the colony. Saren got me safely to the Citadel for treatment. Because that had been the second time disaster struck while I was meant to be providing Hierarchy assistance to the Alliance - of only two times I had been on loan to them, even - he began investigating deeper while I was in recovery."

"I later served under Saren for the mission on Torfan, when the Alliance once again asked for Hierarchy aid. After that... Nihlus pulled me back for what was publicly disclosed as being field support with Spectre level clearance, but in truth it was the start of my training as a Spectre. Soon after, we were told to retrieve the beacon on Eden Prime..."

Isabela looks wary at that thought, rubbing her forehead as if to stem off the visions that still plague her. "When the researchers said there was another turian on the colony... it was suspicious enough, given the general animosity between our species. To learn it was Saren? It was... difficult, for both myself and Nihlus, seeing what he had become."

"I was up on the hill overlooking the space port, having taken up a sniper position while Nihlus went to speak to Saren on the docks. Everything looked fine, at first, until Nihlus turned his back to Saren, and Saren immediately raised his pistol... If I hadn't been there, watching through the scope... If I hadn't taken the shot, disarming Saren - near literally, with the damage I did to his arm... Saren's shot went wide, clipping some of Nih's fringe - which bled like crazy, but was survivable."

"Saren had bombs in place to destroy the colony, which I dealt with while Nihlus and the others fought their way through the geth to try to catch Saren. By the time I disarmed all the bombs, Saren had used the beacon and escaped. When we got near the beacon, Nihlus got caught in its tractor beam field and it began pulling him in. I was able to knock him free from it, only to get captured by it myself, and..."

She closes her eyes tight against the memory flashes of the warning, grimacing at the cruel reminder of what they're up against if they fail. "Well, the Council wasn't pleased by the beacon's destruction in the process, however Nihlus was able to convince them to consider the evidence regardless, even if it could only viewed through more... limited means than usual, given the circumstances of all the data now being in my head. But Councillor Tevos couldn't deny the truth when she witnessed it for herself, and the others took her for her word, though Councillor Sparatus was inclined to take me at mine already, given my service record and his cousin's insistence that I was telling the truth."

Isabela huffs in what seems to be bemused agreement, a slight smirk playing at her lips as she shrugs, unapologetic as she offers, "You're a danger, whether you want to be or not."

Her smirk fades as she listens, trying to make some sense of what's different between then besides the obvious. It's the way Wren talks about the Alliance as though it were its own truly separate entity and not a subsidiary of the Hierarchy after humanity became a client race that has her frowning, brow furrowed in thought.

"This was a Cerberus ship - they constructed it from designs for the SR-2 stolen from the Hierarchy. While some of the crew is still Cerberus, they barely staffed the ship beyond little more than a skeleton crew, and after facing a tribunal with the Hierarchy, I was allowed to request a full staffing of volunteers for this mission," she offers, her gaze flicking away to look around the cargo bay thoughtfully.

"The Alliance... My guess is that it doesn't hold the same status as it does where you're from... Humanity lost the war in the Relay 314 Incident, and were inducted as a client race of the Turian Hierarchy, after three years of fighting. The Alliance is an auxiliary of the turian military, much like the volus bombing fleet."

Looking back at the prisoner, she notes, "I was six years old, orphaned on the streets of Earth, when I was found by a turian patrol, only days after the fighting stopped, where they then took me to the Citadel for medical care and was deemed a ward of the state. I grew up on Palaven, and am the only human to date with citizenship above the first tier in the entirety of the meritocracy."

But it's not like there aren't Alliance members on the ship, though she continues to watch Wren closely as she notes, "Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau is our pilot - I wouldn't trust anyone else at the helm. And Major Doctor Karin Chakwas is our Chief Medical Officer, given her expertise with a wider range of anatomy beyond just human."

"I had to stop Nihlus from trying to arrest Kasumi - she was with me when I reported to the turian embassy to arrange a meeting with the Council, and to arrange the tribunal for my... unexpected leave of absence... Zaeed... Well, Urdnot Wrex says he's worth having onboard, and if he proves otherwise, to shoot him. There's only one merc I truly trust, and Wrex is it, so we'll see how well Massani plays with others."

As for the situation on Omega... Isabela sighs wearily as she explains, "Aria told me of the plague, but the situation regarding Archangel was much more time sensitive. Fortunately, the mercs were a chatty bunch, and their encryption was horrible, so it didn't take long to sabotage their efforts before getting across the bridge." Shaking her head at that thought, she absently rubs the shoulder where Garrus had clipped her with a concussive round. "It wasn't enough, thanks to how the mercs were already entrenched, but at least we didn't end up with any casualties..."

"After getting Garrus off that shithole of a station, I immediately went back while Chakwas and the med team worked on saving his hide in order to recruit Dr. Solus - he was present for the actual surgeries. Lawson wasn't happy we were using Cerberus cybernetics, but between myself, the good doctors, and Nihlus, she came around."

There's a deadly sharpness to her smirk then at that thought before she shrugs. "I won't let anyone compromise those few that I trust and care about, and Garrus and I have been friends ever since he enlisted into boot camp. Much of the Cerberus crew weren't exactly thrilled when I brought in a more trustworthy, loyal crew. Should the Illusive Dick try anything, we're more than prepared and appropriately staffed to handle the situation."