#AskAvory

[citadelsushi]

1, 26 & 32 for your Shepard?

Thank you for asking! Soft Headcanons are difficult with Avory, so this was a nice challenge.

1. What is your muse's love language / how do they show affection?

Acts of service, 100%. Talking the talk isn't enough, she needs to see it. Avory's a self-serving person who also takes everything from everyone else upon her self and is independent to a fault. So if someone were to just notice that she was doing a lot and, say, do laundry for her? Some little task that doesn't offend but also takes a load off? She'd melt.

That's also how she chooses to show affection. Tiny acts of service that most don't notice or go "huh, that was nice" but don't think anything of it. They're huge to her.

Of the other languages, words of affirmation makes her most uncomfortable.

26. How would your muse react to being abruptly kissed by their crush?

Aside from being very surprised that she wasn't the one to make the first move, she'd go with it. It's after the kiss that she wouldn't know what to do.

32. Describe a soft scenario or memory involving your muse?

I don't think I've ever posted anything about this headcanon although it's been in my head for years:

Avory and her brother, Nick, grew up homeless. In their early teens, they got their hands on a tattoo gun and decided to doodle something on each other. They were hungry at the time and chose food items. Avory chose a waffle, Nick chose a strawberry. Avory has zero artistic talent, so the waffle looked awful, and she hates strawberries. They considered themselves even.

Flash forward: Kaidan once day brings Avory strawberries as a special treat because of her tattoo.

[citadelsushi]

@pigeontheoneandonly​ asked for N on ABCs of your OCs

My asks were turned off, so oops!

N: Never Have I Ever

1. What would they never do?

Betray a friend. Despite all her flaws, Avory is loyal to a fault. And she will remain loyal to a friend, a cause, or to herself, at great detriment to her career or anyone not in her immediate circle. Deciding what loyalties take priority becomes incredibly difficult during the Reaper war.

2. What have they never done that they want to do?

Have a pet. She’s never been in a position to own a dog or a cat. She doesn’t even stock her tank on the SR2 because she knows she doesn’t have time to properly take care of fish. And she would never accept Chamber’s offer to feed them for her because…well, a million reasons. Most relevant being she doesn’t see the point in taking on that responsibility if she can’t handle it herself.

3. Is there anything they absolutely can’t believe people do?

Scuba dive for fun. Fuck that. Water is among her biggest fears. 

4. What is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done?

There was never a singular moment. Avory is pretty hard to embarrass. But having anything private exposed without her consent is absolutely mortifying for her, even if it’s nothing significant. She’d be super embarrassed if anyone saw the photo of Kaidan on her desk, for one, even if they knew the depth of their relationship. Because it’s cheesy and pointless and pathetic. But it does provide some sort of sad comfort.

5. Have they done anything they thought they’d never do?

Leave the Reds, join the Alliance, enter into a relationship with anyone, let alone a soldier under her command. Become a Spectre. Basically, her entire adult life. As a kid, Avory really didn’t think she’d amount to much of anything. She expected to die young. Maybe live a little longer if she got locked up.

[citadelsushi]

For the excessive headcanons, 10 and 19 for Avory? :D

10. Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

Bad coping mechanisms, yes. Nothing to the level of neuroses. If she did have them, she definitely wouldn’t recognize them as such. Avory can barely accept that some of the things she does are to cope. 

19. What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

*makes a plan for the next day in great detail* *thinks of all the different ways that could go wrong* *adjusts plan with back up plans for every possible scenario she can imagine* “Fuck it, we’ll do it live.” *plans her workout cause it’s simpler*

The Excessively Detailed Headcanon Tumblr Meme

[citadelsushi]

for Avory's ABCs: G3, U2, N4

These were fun! From ABCs of your OCs

G3. What benefits come with being their friend?

She will sacrifice nearly anything for her friends, always taking on the heavier burden to lighten their load. And she is always down for anything. Want a buddy to go to the grocery store? Sure! Want to try something new but afraid to do it alone? She’s there! Need someone to help you kill a 6 pack of beer? She’s in! Need someone to help you kill a scumbag? You’re in luck! Though, she’s not really the friend you want for deep, emotional conversations, unless you just want an ear to listen with not much input back.

U2. Have they bullied anyone?

Never for the sake of bullying itself. She’s a bastard, but not an outright malicious one. And while she is a firm believer in tough love, it’s always for a purpose.

N4. What is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done?

There was never a singular moment. Avory is pretty hard to embarrass. But having anything private exposed without her consent is absolutely mortifying for her, even if it’s nothing significant. She’d be super embarrassed if anyone saw the photo of Kaidan on her desk, for one, even if they knew the depth of their relationship. Because it’s cheesy and pointless and pathetic. But it does provide some sort of sad comfort.

[citadelsushi]

Avory's ABCs: W1, X2, X4,

Hey! Thanks for sending another one of these.

W1. Do they drink enough water?

Yes. Avory is pretty health conscious. At least, she goes to the gym and cares enough about muscle recovery to keep hydrated. Gains, bruh. She carries a water bottle with her everywhere.

X2. Do they have a favorite song?

Not an all time favorite. It varies depending on mood. Out of the artists from our time, I imagine she'd be a big fan of Childish Gambino.

X4. Can they sing well?

No. She sings worse than she dances. But she wishes she had a nice singing voice.

[citadelsushi]

for Avory's ABCs C1 or C4 and N4

Ooh! I answered N4 here, so I did both C1 and C4.

C1. How do they sit in a chair?

One knee bent to her chest. Or cross legged. Unless it’s a formal occasion, then she’ll sit normally and with good posture.

C4. What is their major comfort food? Why?

Waffles. It’s been her favorite since she was a kid. They were always hard to get ahold of, but her brother built her a primitive waffle maker. 

She despises maple syrup, though. She prefers blackberry syrup and powdered sugar and a shit ton of butter.

ABCs of your OCs

[citadelsushi]

10, 22, and 24 for Avory, please and thank you. :)

thank you for asking!

from Detailed OC Asks

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

She definitely doesn’t want children, and she’s not necessarily good with them either. It’s not that Avory dislikes kids, she just doesn’t get them, or the way other adults treat them. She treats them like mini adults, expects them to have their shit together and to understand things they are not yet mature enough to understand.

As a godparent, she’d probably be great. Not super present in the kid’s life, maybe, but would protect the shit out of that kid if that’s what someone told her was the duty of a godparent. As a babysitter, that parent would be terribly disappointed to come back to find their child cooking their own dinner, kitchen on fire, because the 5 year old told Shepard they could do it and she was like, “sure, why not”.

Avory Shepard: badass reliable soldier, dangerously irresponsible with kids.

22. What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?

Avory likes to stick to the classics. Wimp. Scrub. Multiple variations of “fucker” and uses of “fuck”. Mainly she’s insulting people for incompetence or what she considers weakness, refusal to shut up and do what needs to be done. And, of course, her foes. I’d like to think she’d come up with some colorful names for TIM, but she’d likely just refer to him as “that fucking douchebag”.

Definitely not the type to bitch behind someone’s back. Douchebag is probably the last thing she said to TIM before she told Joker to lose his channel.

24. What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?

Left side on the thickest, softest pillow top mattress she could find. Usually she keeps a pretty regular sleep schedule: early to bed, early to rise. But when she’s stressed out or has too much to do, she’ll stay up all night to get everything done while everyone else is asleep and there’s no one to interrupt her.

Avory can go a few days of staying up most the night and rising early with very little sleep, but obviously that’s not ideal and her fuse goes from about 5 inches long to 1 inch when she’s exhausted.

[citadelsushi]

5, 8, 16 for Avory?

I swear I didn’t forget about these, just got super busy!

5. What calms your OC down the best under severe stress?

Physical exertion. Exercise has always been her release and under severe stress, she overdoes it.Kaidan helps a lot once they’ve gotten to that point; he’s an immovable force that all her swearing, yelling, and tantrum throwing can’t shake, and that speaks volumes.

8. What does your OC hate and appreciate in others?

She absolutely loathes people who can’t just say what they want/need, who dance around the subject or are otherwise not straightforward with their motives; she has no time or desire to decipher what they’re saying. Along the same lines, behind-the-back dealings and sneakiness; she will march you to confront your problem yourself rather than listen to you bitch or try to pit people against one another. Not a big fan of greedy people, anyone who would hurt someone lower than them to get ahead.Appreciates honesty, probably above all else. She admires people who can be upfront and open about their emotions as well because for as much as she goes on and on about not dancing around things, she has a hell of a time doing it herself. Other things she appreciates in others: drive to push harder, kindness, ability to move on, desire to help others, and being able to do what needs to be done.

16. How openly does your OC show their emotions?

Not very. Avory tends to hide behind a veil of sarcastic disinterest. It was a coping mechanism on Earth as a kid, to protect what made her happy and hide her weaknesses, and a lot of that has just become a part of her. When emotions bubble over, she tends to express them all as anger.One on one, and as she grows to know the team, she can be a lot more open, but it’s slow going and usually with plenty of steps back. She shows how she feels with action, and the “softer” the emotion, the smaller the action. Saying thank you may be something as small as nudge on the shoulder. 

OC Psychology Ask Meme

[citadelsushi]

1, 7, and 16 for Avory!

1. Them as a child

Thin, way too thin, because no matterhow much she and her brother, Nick, can scavenge, it’s not enough tokeep up with her biotic metabolism. She’s all knees and elbows andpointy shoulders. Light blonde hair darkened with dirt and facecoated in grime from sleeping on the sidewalk. Her eyes are thebrightest thing about her, pale blue rimmed by shades of grey. She’sfull of piss and vinegar; she kicks at the shins of people who catchher stealing, yells at them from taking food from a child. She rarelysmiles, but when she does, it’s with such enthusiasm her cheeksdimple and her lips crack.

7. Their interactions with their pets, if they have them

Oh, she has them. Two dogs after thewar: an Olde English Bulldog and a Cane Corso. It’s probably nosurprise that they are fiercely loyal to her as she is to them. Theymay not always be at each other’s sides, but they stay where they cansee her and she takes them most everywhere. She loves them to death;Kaidan often finds them all huddled together on the couch when hegets home. When she has to leave them behind, she throws herself onto the floor for a literal dog pile when she returns. The Bulldog, though, has a soft spot for Kaidan and willclimb onto his lap even though he’s way too big. Avory thinks it’sadorable. They’re very well trained and also spoiled rotten. Kaidancooks them their own steaks.

16. Them sleepy

Avory is incapable of forming completesentences when she’s only half awake, suspended somewhere betweenlevels of consciousness where she thinks she’s living a dream. Beingpulled from this realm makes her incredibly grumpy and she willblindly swing her arms at who/whatever is disturbing her. When she’sfalling asleep peacefully, or at least not woken up constantly, hergibberish is almost always uncharacteristically sweet. Kaidan lovesit and will remind her what she said the next morning; she alwaysdenies it.

character description ask meme

[citadelsushi]

multiples of three for avory and kaiden?

3. Most common argument?Whether or not Shepard is being an asshole, if she really should have killed that person, and whose turn it is to pick a movie.

6. What is their favorite feature of their partner’s?Avory’s favorite feature of Kaidan’s is the little dimple in his chin. Kaidan’s favorite feature of hers is probably a tie between her eyes and the random freckles on her body.

9. Who worries the most?Definitely Kaidan. Avory pretty much says “fuck it, we’re doing it live” about everything.

12. Who initiates kisses?In the beginning, Kaidan. Toward the end of ME3, they’re pretty evenly split.

15. Who wakes up first?On duty, Avory. On a day off, Kaidan.

18. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)Avory would leave inappropriate little drawings, most likely. Maybe write something short that doesn’t seem outwardly romantic, but means something to the two of them.

21. Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?Avory. She can’t dance, so it would just be playful. Kaidan would be the one to initiate a serious dance.

24. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear during inappropriate times?Definitely Avory.

27. Who would sing to their child back to sleep?I don’t headcanon them having children, but if they did, probably Kaidan. Avory would just like sitting back and watching him be a good dad.

30. one headcanon about this OTP that mends [your broken heart]?After a major argument in the ME1 period, Avory doesn’t take Kaidan groundside for missions involving Cerberus. Kaidan can’t tell her how he feels, but tells her to “be careful” as she’s headed out. And that becomes a thing for them until she’s willing/able to say “i love you”.

OTP question meme

[citadelsushi]

@rock-paperback-scissors tagged me to do this archetypes personality quiz and of course I did it for Avory Shepard. I’d say it’s pretty spot on!

I’ll tag @lonyn @susurrusilous @vorchagirl and anyone else who hasn’t done this yet and wants to.

Art by the wonderful felleyan-art

[citadelsushi]

RULES: YOU CAN ONLY SAY GUILTY OR INNOCENT FOR YOUR OC. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING UNLESS SOMEONE MESSAGES YOU OR ASKS YOU.

I’m doing this for Avory Shepard!

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent

Kissed one of your friends? Guilty

Danced on a table in a bar or tavern? Guilty

Ever told a lie? Guilty

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have? Guilty

Ever kissed someone of the opposite sex? Guilty

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Guilty

Kissed a picture? Innocent

Slept in until 5pm? Guilty

Fallen asleep at work or school? Innocent

Held a snake? Innocent

Been suspended from school? Innocent

Worked at a fast food chain/restaurant? Innocent

Stolen something? Guilty

Been fired from a job? Innocent

Done something you regret? Guilty

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent

Laughed until liquid came out of your nose? Innocent

Kissed in the rain? Guilty

Sat on a roof top? Guilty

Kissed someone you shouldn’t? Guilty

Sang in the shower? Innocent

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent

Shaved your head? Innocent

Slept naked? Guilty

Had a boxing membership? Innocent

Made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? Innocent

Been in a band? Innocent

Shot a gun? Guilty

Donated blood? Innocent

Eaten alligator meat? Innocent

Eaten cheesecake? Guilty

Still loved someone you shouldn’t? Guilty

Have/had a tattoo? Guilty

Liked someone, but will never tell who? Innocent

Been too honest? Guilty

Ruined a surprise? Guilty

Eaten so much that you can’t walk after? Guilty

Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty

Dressed in a man’s clothes? Guilty

Dressed in a woman’s clothes? Guilty

Joined a pageant? Innocent

Still have communication with your ex? Innocent

Been told that you’re beautiful by someone who meant it? Guilty

Cheated on someone? Innocent

Gotten totally drunk and missed an exam? Innocent

A total stranger treated you by paying your fare? Innocent

Got so angry that you cried? Innocent

Tried to stay away from someone for their own good? Guilty

Thought about suicide? Innocent

Thought about murder? Guilty

Actually murdered someone? Guilty

Thought about mass murder? Guilty

Actually committed a mass murder? Guilty

Rode in a stranger’s vehicle? Guilty

Stalked someone? Innocent

Had a girlfriend? Innocent

Had a boyfriend? Guilty

Gotten totally drunk during a holiday? Guilty

I don’t know who has done this already, but I’ll tag @rock-paperback-scissors @alenkotrash @cactuarkitty @vorchagirl and whoever else wants to/hasn’t done it yet!

[citadelsushi]

Meteor! Stardust! Black hole! Galaxy! (For either or both of your Shepards)

First of all, you are wonderful and I love you for always supporting my OC ask memes lol.

Meteor and galaxy answered here

Stardust:What kind of clothes do they usually wear off-duty? (sporty, elegantor specific clothes like sweatpants, jeans, etc)

Woo!I was hoping for this one!

Avoryis all about comfort, functionality, and feeling like she could stillkick ass; she usually looks like she just woke up or is about to goto the gym. Slim fitting sweats, leggings, spandex, loose fittingtops, tank tops, sports bras, etc. Her wardrobe is mostly in shadesof black, grey, and blue. If she’s trying to dress up her look,she’ll usually opt for soft, tight fitting jeans and draping tops.She’s also a fan of leather jackets and will wear boots witheverything.

Addysonis about deep, rich colors; hunter green is a favorite, but alsomaroon, plum, navy, cream, etc. If something is a color she likes butnot her typical style, she’ll get it anyway. Ideally, she’d wear asoft, slim-fitting pant and a soft sweater all the time, but she’sopen to pretty much anything. She has a thing for shoes; if she hadthe opportunity, she’d have a different pair of shoes for literallyeverything.

Blackhole: What is your Shepard’s greatest fear?

Makingthe wrong choice. Strangely enough, that doesn’t stop her from actingquickly at the time, but afterward she’s often struck with a sense ofdread: what if she killed the wrong person, made the wrong call? Ifshe had acted differently, would things be better? I’m loving writingher post-Toombs reaction right now because she kills the scientistand then, in ME2 hears that there was insufficient testimony to bringlegal action against Cerberus. Making mistakes like that are herbiggest fear and she has even bigger choices coming up.

ForAddyson, failure. She’s still young and not as experienced ascanon-verse Shepard and she’s thrown into a leadership position witha lot riding on her shoulders. If she fails, she fails all bioticsand will see everyone she loves die.

Shepard Ask Meme

[citadelsushi]

N7 Helmet, Thermal Scope, and Dog Tags!

N7 Helmet: 

Answered here!

Thermal Scope: Howdoes the character go about reading people? Do they take people’swords and actions at face value, or do they tend to dig for othermotives? 

 Avoryis a face value kind of woman; if someone isn’t being up front abouttheir motives, she doesn’t care to know about them. She may knowthat what they’re doing/saying isn’t the whole truth, but in hermind, if they aren’t willing to be up front with her then she isn’twilling to pursue it further and she will base her judgements on whatthey present. If she makes a call based on what she knows at the timeand finds out later that there was more to it, she won’t feelremorse.    Addysonis pretty much the opposite, like she is on most things. There’salmost nothing she takes at face value. She likes to take her time,peel away the layers, get to really understand the why behind aperson. It’s to the point that she might be a bit deceptive; shewon’t hesitate to put on the charm to find out something sheneeds/wants to know. 

DogTags: How do they want to be remembered? 

 Ithink Avory wouldn’t want to be remembered at all, honestly. Not in ahistory book kind of way, at least. By people close to her, she’djust like to be remembered as who she was: a gym rat, a fiercelyloyal friend, a guardian, a hell of a soldier, and someone alwaysdown for doing something stupid and reckless for the sake ofentertainment. 

 Addysonwould want to be remembered as a bringer of change. Not for her ownego, but because she genuinely wants to change the world in which shelives for the better. By the people close to her, she’d want to beremembered as kind, an open ear, a shoulder to lean on, and a boot tokick them in the ass when they need it.

Mass Effect OC Asks

[citadelsushi]

Dwarf star, meteor, galaxy ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

Dwarfstar: When was your Shepard’s first kiss?

Technically,Avory’s was when she was like 10 or 11. She was in the Reds and wentthrough a phase where kissing boys was hilarious and fun, so she justwent around pecking them on the lips to watch their faces. Her firstone that was anything more than that was when she was 15 with a boyin the Reds who she regularly fooled around with for a while.

Addyson’sfirst was when she was at 18 and on leave after graduating BAaT. Sheavoided becoming involved with any biotics in training, not wantingto do anything that might jeopardize her career in the Alliance.After graduating her class went out to a bar and she and a guy shewas interested in got drunk and made out; she was underwhelmed by theexperience.

Meteor:Does your Shepard have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoyinghabits, or other defining characteristics?

Doesbeing kind of an asshole count? Cause that’s Avory. But seriously,she has an annoying habit of eating really slow. Like, if she has thetime, she’ll take an hour to finish a meal. Physically, she tends totrace her lips with her fingers when she’s lost in thought, and ifshe’s stuck anywhere for a long period of time she gets really antsyand will bounce her legs constantly. She also cracks her knuckles,her neck, and her back regularly and if it grosses someone out, shedoes it again just to mess with them.

Addysonfiddles with her hair all the damn time; runs her fingers through it,plays with the ends, puts it up and takes it down, braids it, etc.She hates having to have her hair up. That’s probably her mostannoying habit.

Galaxy:Under what circumstances do they find killing to be acceptable orunacceptable?

Ohboy. Avory doesn’t have many qualms about killing shitty people.People considered shitty: anyone hurting someone else, threatening tohurt someone, someone who hurt someone close to her, anyone who aimsa gun at her. She’s not a murderer, she won’t kill anyone she can’tjustify to the Alliance, but she’s more likely to shoot than delveinto negotiations.

Addysonkills because she has to. That’s it. If she even thinks there’s achance of talking her way out of something or being stealthy to avoidit altogether, she’ll take it. It took her a long time to get used tokilling other people, even in the line of duty.

Shepard Ask Meme

[citadelsushi]

Got this from @susurrusilous. Unfortunately I don’t have screenshots of my OCs, but I wanted to do this anyway.

Avory Shepard

↳ Bold what applies to your muse!

⚔ FLAWS

moody | short-tempered | emotionally unstable | whiny controlling | conceited | possessive | paranoid | lies impatient | cowardly | bitter | selfish | power-hungry greedy | lazy | judgmental | forgetful | impulsive vengeful | stubborn | sadistic | petty | unlucky | over analytical

♛ STRENGTHS

honest | trustworthy | thoughtful | caring | brave patient | selfless | ambitious | tolerant | lucky intelligent | confident | focused | humble | generous merciful | observant | wise | clever | charming cheerful | optimistic | decisive | adaptive | calm