#Sana T'Oriza

[ferociousqueak]

🍄 What are your OCs favourite snacks? Their favourite comfort food which always cheers them up when they’re down? Favourite meal to make? Do they enjoy baking and cooking and are they any good in the kitchen? For any or all of your OCs (but especially Hannah, Dess, Sana <3) please and thank you!

Thank you, dear friend! <3

Hannah Shepard

Hannah has an insatiable sweet tooth. She has her personal VI keep track of birthdays aboard Einstein for two reasons: morale and cake. The first reason is important, but the second is not insignificant. Given her choice of sweets, however, she loves anything that’s chocolate and hazelnut. Little chocolates like Reese’s Pieces or peanut M&Ms are dangerous because she’ll lose track of how many she’s actually eaten until the bag is empty.

When it comes to comfort food, though, she’ll go for anything that’s easy. Canned tomato soup. Grilled cheese sandwich. Jarred alfredo on frozen raviolis. If she’s sad, she wants carbs and a short wait time.

Her favorite meal to make is ordering pizza (New York style, with pepperoni and onions). She’s been told more than a few times she’s not a great cook, so prefers to embrace her other skills while also feeding her family :P

Odessus Ravaka

Dess is a grazer, so she usually has some kind of food within arm’s reach. Her favorite grazing snack is a bit like trail mix: a mixture of turian chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit, especially when that fruit is Taetrian, but that’s harder to find on the Citadel. Her second choice is graxen, but it doesn’t have the salty/sweet taste she prefers.

Her favorite comfort food is louza soup, which is a bit like chicken soup. Her dad used to make it for her when she was a kid and either sick or “sick.” Her mother tended to be too busy with state affairs and usually delegated the more time-consuming things, like being an attentive parent, to her husband and house staff. Louza soup was pretty much the only thing Dess’s dad knew how to make, but Dess loved it every time he did.

Generally, Dess is pretty good in the kitchen—it’s just too bad she’s the only one who can eat most of what she makes. She’s especially proud of her ability to make the perfect, medium-rare nathak steak every single time, and other than a pinch of salt, it's flavorful enough to need little seasoning. When it comes to baking, however, she tends to keep her distance from things that require kneading or chilling. For one thing, she hates getting the dough stuck in her talons; for another, she gets impatient when she can’t eat the thing she’s making the same day she starts to make it. She will, however, make a pretty mean dessert that resembles a fruit cobbler :P

Sana T’Oriza

Sana’s approach to food is the picture of organization. While there are foods she enjoys more than others, she thinks of nutrition before anything. Her snacks tend to be fruits and vegetables and sometimes nuts. She’ll have one snack midmorning and one snack midafternoon, and before bed, she’ll have a warm drink to help her sleep. She is disgustingly healthy.

That being said, she’s always had a weakness for carbs when she’s feeling down, and ever since humans started opening ice cream parlors and bakeries on the Citadel, she’s found herself more tempted than ever. After acclimating herself to human confectionaries, she’s found a new affinity for oatmeal raisin cookies and will indulge every now and then :P

She’s had a long time to learn her way around a kitchen, regardless of how full her pantry is, so she has quite a few recipes she knows by heart. Her favorite to prepare is a dish with lots of sauteed and preserved vegetables and poached eggs, not unlike shakshouka. It’s easy and tends to clear out lingering veg, but mostly she enjoys watching the eggs turn white and then spill when she cuts into them. She’s not partial to baking, but she enjoys learning new recipes and techniques. If she makes anything sweet or on the dessert end of the spectrum, she’ll usually give it away to someone else to enjoy, saving only a single portion for herself.

Thank you again :D It’s fun to get back inside their heads after such a long hiatus!

Soft OC Asks

[bloomingjellies]

@ferociousqueak‘s Dess and Sana because someone needs to give them the love that she denies them.

[ferociousqueak]

Last Line Meme

@theherocomplex, @swaps55, and @serioussamiam tagged me (ages ago, sorry about that!) to post the last line I wrote, and since I’ve finally written something, I can now participate :D

This one is from All’s Fair, and it’s a bit longer than a line BUT I DO WHAT I WANT:

“It’s fine, Sana.” It was becoming increasingly difficult to school the annoyance out of her voice, but somehow, she held on. She pulled a light, linen tunic over her shoulders, indicating her clear intention to wind down. She turned around again as she tied the tunic closed. “Don’t worry about Cassia. She’s fine. I’m fine. We’re just . . . not doing that anymore.”

Despite Dess deliberately refusing to meet Sana’s eyes, she could feel them light up. “By the goddess, of course. It all makes sense now. You poor thing.”

Dess stepped around Sana before those long blue arms ensnared her in an awkward embrace. “No, absolutely not. I’m not a poor thing. I’m not sad. Neither is she. We were never even together, not really. Things just got . . . complicated.”

A look of understanding came over Sana’s face and she nodded. “Of course. One of you wanted something more, and the other one did not. I have seen this sort of arrangement play out exactly like this so many times. But you need not worry. I will not pry into who wanted more.”

Part of Dess wanted to insist that no, Sana had it all wrong. Neither one of them had wanted anything more—at least not with each other. On the other hand, however, it was a convenient dodge to let Sana believe whatever narrative she’d begun to weave in her imagination.

She pulled the linen bottoms over her hips and turned back, carefully avoiding Sana’s pitying stare. “It’s not a big deal, Sana. Just drop it already.”

Sana bit her bottom lip and seemed to consider what she would say next. “You know, if you cannot talk to Cassia, there is always . . . Hannah?”

“No.” Dess responded so quickly, her mandibles clacked against her jaw.

Now for tagging! How about @1esk19, @forlornmelody, @mordinette, @thievinghippo, and @rpgwarrior4824. Only if you want to, of course :D

[ferociousqueak]

OC Face Claim

@1esk19​​ tagged me to post a face claim for one of my OCs. Thank you, friend!

I’m elbows deep in All’s Fair right now (I think I’ll be able to start posting again for Femslash February :D), so let’s go with some of the more prominent ladies and lady-coded characters from that fic!

First up! The woman who negotiated the end of the conflict on Shanxi, Hannah’s mentor, and all-around unstoppable force pulling humanity into the fold of the galactic community whether they like it or not, Systems Alliance Admiral Kastanie Drescher, a la Taraji P. Henson!

And of course I hardly need any nudging to fawn over my Hannah Shepard :P Jessica Chastain just captures her look and vibe so well, and I love her <3

And while Kate Moennig looks nothing like a turian, her character Shane in The L Word is a vibe twin for Dess!

And last but certainly not least! The only person I can think of who captures Sana’s regal gravitas is Viola Davis, and gosh do I love her for it <3

Now for tagging! How about @forlornmelody​​ and @theherocomplex​​. Only if you want to, of course!

[ferociousqueak]

Describe your OC using 1 gif

Thank you for tagging me, @rpgwarrior4824​.

Let’s see, I’m gonna cheat a little and do one gif for each of the Family Resemblance crew!

Hannah Shepard

Odessus Ravaka

Alli Shepard

Sana T’Oriza

Michael Shepard

Bethany Greenwood

And now for tagging! How about @black-rose4​, @s0me-writer​, and @bronzeagelove​. Only if you want to, of course!

[ferociousqueak]

I’ve done a Fictober! Be warned that it’s kinda . . . upsetting? Upsetting. Anyway, blame @pagerunner.

“I know you didn’t ask for this”

At one week, Sana had grown used to the smell on Omega.

At one month, she’d learned to keep her omni-tool safe from pedestrian hacking attempts—not the dedicated thieves, just the everyday grifters looking for easy, unguarded data.

At three months, she knew the slight body language the gangs used to communicate their targets.

At six months . . . why was she living somewhere that required her to keep her guard up at all hours and to learn more and subtler signs of danger all the time?

On the bright side, she’d found a building that would let her run her clinic and also live in a connected residence for the low, low price of squatting. After the upfront cost of updating the dilapidated rooms to be fit for treating patients, however, it wasn’t quite the money-saving venture she’d thought it be when she first found the abandoned unit.

Between the renovations, the bribes, the protection fees, and just daily costs like eating, Sana’s savings had taken a significant hit over the last six months. Despite offering her services for nearly free, the locals were still—perhaps especially—wary. Sana could hardly blame them, given the way the rest of Omega seemed to lure in victims in need only to bilk and bamboozle them at the first opportunity, but she would need a more consistent clientele if she was going to break even anytime soon.

“You need a sponsorship,” Raegor advised her one particularly slow day as they hunched over their ‘tool, “upgrading” it with hardware Sana was sure was stolen. “Get in with one of the gangs and they’ll send all their people to you. You can ride that wave to a pretty hefty profit.”

Sana rolled her eyes, wondering not for the first time why Raegor had chosen her to annoy. Their krogan were a nice bit of security, but at what cost?

“Shouldn’t you be dead right about now?” she said, returning her attention to her patients’ charts, the few of them there were. “I thought salarians only lived a few years. I could’ve sworn it’s been decades since you lodged yourself here.”

Raegor’s chuckle was warm and jovial, and Sana hated it. Why were they still there?

“I’m just saying your financial troubles would be over,” they said. They looked up, considering. “You’d be a target for all the other gangs, but that’s a trouble to consider another day.”

Sana closed her ‘tool’s interface in a huff. “I’m not here to—”

A noise from outside drew their attention and the soft whisper of Raegor’s bodyguards’ weapons readying turned the atmosphere cold and crisp. Only a moment later, a batarian in yellow and black heavy armor barged through the front doors, cursing loudly and wrestling with a blue blur. Following close on his heels, was another batarian in civilian clothes with her hands outstretched in supplication. Between his swearing, her garbled words, and the blue blur’s unintelligible squeaking, it was difficult for Sana to make any accurate first impressions of what was coming into her waiting room.

“Shut up already, for fuck’s sake!” the Eclipse mercenary said. “We’re here aren’t we?—FUCK! Fucking thing!”

The blue blur—a pyjack, Sana could now see—had paused long enough to clench its flat teeth around the batarian’s exposed wrist and hung there now in what looked like defiance.

Sana reached for the pyjack softly and caressed the back of its neck until its eyes glazed and then closed and the rest of it, including its jaws went limp. From there, Sana pulled it off the batarian’s arm and handed it, still dazed, to Raegor. The batarian merc started to step forward, but his partner stepped in front of him and put a hand on his chest to stop him.

“You better kill that fucking thing,” he said through clenched teeth and pushed his companion aside. “I held up my end and look what I fucking get.”

Sana reached for the batarian’s arm and began to inspect it for any incisions. “Sir, are you allergic to pyjacks?”

He pulled his wrist away from Sana and crossed his arms. “Of course not. I just don’t fucking like the fucking things. They piss and shit everywhere. Disgusting creatures.”

“I understand your frustration, sir,” Sana said, adopting her most calming tones. “Would you like me to inspect your wrist for injury?”

“And pay you out the ass for a scratch? No fucking thanks. Just kill the fucking thing and end my misery,” he said and started to head toward the door. “Get your ass out here, Rhea’kal. I held up my end, now you hold up yours.”

“My pet!” Rhea’kal called after his retreating figure.

“It’s not a pet, bitch,” he said without turning around. “It’s a fucking pest.”

Rhea’kal hesitated, looking between Sana and the other batarian. When the doors closed behind him, she reached for Sana’s hands and held them tightly. “Please,” she said quietly, her eyes watering. “No damage. New home.”

Sana looked on instinct at Raegor. “I’m not sure what she’s saying.”

Raegor sat with the pyjack, massaging its neck and keeping it in a malleable state. “Her translator is probably broken. Her friend probably deleted the program on her ‘tool. She’s speaking so you’ll understand.”

Rhea’kal squinted at Raegor and took two steps toward him, reaching for the pyjack. “No hurt. No kill.”

Sana put a gentle hand on her shoulder to stop her, but Rhea’kal hit away her hands. “No touch.” She returned her attention to the pyjack now purring softly in Raegor’s arms. “Please,” she said, her voice now watery. “No hurt. No kill. Good.”

Raegor stood, stroking the pyjack’s cheek and neck and nodded at Rhea’kal. ���No kill.”

A great weight seemed to lift from the batarian, and she turned, hitting away the streams of tears starting to run from her eyes.

Once she was gone through the doors, Raegor shook their head and clicked their tongue. “Poor thing. Who knows how long she held on to this guy before that asshole found out.”

Sana furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, still trying to process the whirlwind that just happened in front of her. “What do you mean? We didn’t even get a chance to question them.”

Raegor glanced at her with a smug grin and said, “We?”

Sana took a breath to argue, but Raegor stopped her. “I’ve seen it before. She’s more than likely a house slave. This guy,” they held up the now sleeping pyjack, “was probably a stray. She fed him. He stuck around. He probably peed on something. And her owner found out about it. A hundred credits says he doesn’t even care about pyjacks. He just doesn’t want her having something that makes her happy.”

The pyjack stirred in Raegor’s arms and put its chin on their shoulder, letting out a loud breath before settling in again. Raegor frowned and scratched gently under the pyjack’s chin. “I know you didn’t ask for this, buddy. You’re in good hands.”

With that, Raegor held out the pyjack to Sana, and she reached out on instinct before she could object.

“I can’t take care of a pyjack,” she said. “They’re . . . dirty, and . . . I can’t take of a pyjack, Raegor!”

They shrugged. “Okay, but she’s gonna be back. She’s gonna look for him. How do you think she’s gonna feel when he’s not here.”

“Oh, varren shit,” Sana said, while simultaneously scratching the pyjack’s chin. “I never said I was going to take care of this thing. I don’t even know how.”

Raegor was already collecting the bits of ‘tool they’d disassembled. “Okay? Figure it out, I guess. She needs you to keep him safe. Either do that and help her. Or don’t. See how that works. Doctor.”

Sana frowned. “I don’t like you, Raegor.”

They grinned. “So you’ve said. Good luck with your new pyjack! See you tomorrow.”

When Raegor and their bodyguards were gone, Sana held up the pyjack, now stirring from the daze he’d been in with all the neck rubs, and frowned at him. “If you’re going to stick around, you need . . . a name, I guess. Like . . .” She paused, trying to think of something appropriate. “Lucky.”

[ferociousqueak]

So, @mordinette tagged me for a Last Line meme, @theherocomplex tagged me for Six Sentence Sunday, and @rpgwarrior4824 tagged me for WIP Wednesday. Let’s quench you thirst friends :D

Last Line

The urge to smile and play it off was strong. She could fold and wait for the next hand, or she could raise and see how the river played out.

Six Sentences

Hannah pressed her lips together, considering whether to ask her next question. “Do you ever have trouble understanding me?”

Dess rubbed the back of her neck and stood, walking briskly to the bowl of stones and ladling more water over the heat. The sweat ran down Hannah’s neck and back in an uncomfortable stream and she took small breaths waiting for the answer. She returned to her seat, nearer to Hannah than she had been before, closing her eyes as she leaned back.

“It’s not something I think about anymore,” she said, her voice oddly flat.

WIP snippet

Their eyes locked, and Dess paused in her pacing. She twitched her mandibles in a silent question, her brow plates drawn together in anxiety, and Hannah shook her head once before turning her attention to Sana.

“I don’t suppose it matters if I tell you I don’t want to do this now?” Hannah asked crossing her arms.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Alli said from the door, her arms hugging her torso.

Hannah walked the few steps toward her and kissed the top of her head. “Nothing’s wrong, I promise. I just need to talk with Sana and Dess for a few minutes. Go ahead and get the popcorn ready, and I’ll be down soon.”

No part of Alli’s expression said she believed Hannah, but after a moment, she nodded and headed back down the hall toward the stairs. Hannah closed the door and set it to Privacy before turning back to Sana.

“No,” Sana said, answering Hannah’s question. “We need to address this now and we need make a plan for what to do.”

“Wait, Sana,” Dess started, holding her hands up to stop her. “I don’t know what you—”

“Vyrnnus is coming to the gala,” Hannah interrupted Dess before she could start to give an explanation that only made things more complicated. “Conatix invited him as a special guest because he’s training the first generation of human biotic children. He’s their shining example of human-turian collaboration.”

Now for tagging! Let’s go with @servantofclio, @tarysande, @pagerunner, @thievinghippo, and @forlornmelody. Don’t worry, you don’t have to do all three! Just pick the one you feel most inclined toward. Or don’t! No pressure! Do you, friends :D

[ferociousqueak]

Let’s play a game!

Snuck Marry Kill

Which of my OCs would you Snuggle and/or make the Beast with Two Backs with, Marry, or Kill? Maybe all three? Who could know!

Please be prepared to share with the class your reasons :D

[ferociousqueak]

Taking a cue from both @dearophelia and @theherocomplex because this looks fun :D But with a little twist — instead of me vs. my OCs, here’s me with some of the female characters in the Family Resemblance crew (using this dollmaker)!

(Of course, Dess and Cassia are turians and Sana and Kardi are asari, so just assume these cuties are their human versions :P)

Hannah Shepard | Alli Shepard | Dess Ravaka

Sana T’Oriza | Me | Admiral Kastanie Drescher

Bethany Greenwood | Kardith Oraya | Cassia Laeptus

[ferociousqueak]

What, hypothetically, would any or all of your OCs wear to a gala? Get as detailed as you feel like :D

OKAY!

So I’ve put a lot of thought into what Hannah, Dess, andSana will be wearing to this gala. Because it’s a military gala, I thinktechnically Hannah is supposed to wear her dinner dress whites, but like

Ew

So we’re gonna handwave that so that she can get a prettydress too :P

For Hannah, I’m thinking something in dark blue, sleevelesswith a bodice that’s fitted from the neckline down over her hips in tight foldsof chiffon criss-crossing each other. The skirt is fuller, with layers of thesame chiffon. There’s a slit up the front for easy movement, but the layers andfolds of chiffon hide most of the time.

This is the closest approximation I could find (minus the flourish on the bodice), so justimagine it in dark blue (gosh I wish I could draw)

Sana is regal but understated. I see her in dark jewel tonesand absolutely rocking a cape or some other kind of flourish. Something a lotlike this

Figuring out Dess’s gala threads was a bit more difficultbecause, well, she’s turian. There’s a whole different formalwear traditionthere, so for my own sake, I’m keeping it at least somewhat similar to human(and asari) fashions—i.e., turians do occasionally stray from their leggingswith weird buckles now and then to wear a fancy dress.

So for her, I imagine sage green silk, one-shouldered andflowy, wrapping around her waist, flowing into a skirt with one side long andthe other ending about halfway up her thigh. There’s a series of complicatedknots holding the together on the shorter side, though it’s still just slightlyopen. The long side reaches the floor, so technically it meets the “floor-length”stipulation for the dress code :P

So this length

But less frilly, like this (imagine the shorter side with the knots and such)

And while this isn’t a concern for Dess or Sana, Hannah doeshave to figure out what to do with her hair. I’m thinking loose—very differentfrom the low bun she usually keeps it in—with finger waves over one shoulder.The other side is kept out of the way with a fancy barrette that holder hair inplace vertically

Dess is gonna be floored :P

[ferociousqueak]

So now that Hell Month is drawing to a close, I’m turning my gaze to May and it’s . . . so wide open it’s practically Wyoming. Like, I haven’t had a month like this in a long time. So you know what that means?

SANA’S SPRING EXTRAVAGANZA!

I’ve been champing at the bit to do a month of daily fics for Sana and I think May is gonna be the perfect time for it :D I’m so excited! I have so many headcanons for her, and I’m finally gonna start writing some of them down in fic!

I’ll have to go through my drafts to find a suitable list of daily prompts, but if any of y’all have suggestions or requests, I will definitely take them :D

Also, for anyone wondering: Sana’s character page and her tag.

[ferociousqueak]

About the Character

@rpgwarrior4824 tagged me for the thing! Thank you, darling!

Since I’m working out my Sana muscles currently, let’s go with her :D

Sana T’Oriza

― your muse’s name:

Sana T’Oriza

― one favorite picture / faceclaim of your muse:

From the lovely @bloomingcnidarians <3

― two headcanons you have for your muse:

She is aroace but also a consummate matchmaker. Just because she doesn’t have any interest in romantic relationships doesn’t mean she won’t try to pair up others she thinks would be good together :P

As a Matron, she’s calmer and more calculating, but she spent her Maiden years being fairly reckless and, outside of university, didn’t usually put much thought into future plans beyond, “Let’s see where this goes.”

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

She’s intensely introverted, which means her profession (doctor, asari fertility specialist) tends to take a toll on her energy. When she has some free time, she prefers to recharge her batteries with mostly solitary activities, like reading, catching up on her stories (yes, she absolutely watches soap operas), and quietly organizing the week ahead of her (meals, finances, to-do’s—it relaxes her to know what to expect).

― seven people your muse loves/likes:

Her cousin, Odessus (she’s utterly devoted to Dess, even if she’s not overly demonstrative of her feelings)

Hannah Shepard (both because Hannah is a good sort and because Dess loves her)

Allistair Shepard (she’d deny it if you asked her, but she considers Alli to be almost like her own)

Lorit B’Rasa (they were roommates in college and remained lifelong friends, even after spending decades apart)

Raegor Laika (I’ve only just introduced them, but I have plans for their frenemosity)

Aria T’Loak (their history is complicated and maybe it’s too much to say Sana likes her, but she trusts her)

― a phobia your muse has:

Sana’s not afraid of anything. Fear is afraid of Sana.

And because she’s so connected to Sana (and also because no one can stop me) let’s do Dess too!

Odessus Ravaka

― your muse’s name:

Odessus Ravaka

― one favorite picture / faceclaim of your muse:

Also from the inimitable @bloomingcnidarians :D (I just really love this picture with all my heart <3)

― two headcanons you have for your muse:

Oh, I have so many headcanons for my dearest Anxiety Turian :P

While she would never admit to any kind of religion or even spirituality, a part of her is still very much drawn to and comforted by the thought of being part of a greater spirit—of a family, a home, a team. When she was younger, she thought of “spirits” as more or less wishful thinking. But in her life with Hannah, she’s come to understand—and more importantly, feel—what the spirit of a place and the people who make it actually is.

At the request of an old friend, Castis Vakarian, Dess investigates Garrus when he’s at C-Sec, but she does it on the down low to keep his record clear. She has a sit-down with him after Dr. Saleon gets away to warn him to get his head on straight or he’ll end up like Harkin. Her little pep talk does absolutely nothing.

― three things that your muse likes doing in their free time:

She likes going to Armax Arsenal Arena with Hannah for a little simulated dogfighting.

Every morning, she sets aside time to write; it’s almost an act of defiance against the worst influences of her past.

Hannah :P

― seven people your muse loves/likes:

Hannah Shepard (completely and irretrievably—seriously, girl’s got it bad)

Sana T’Oriza (she’s been following Sana around as long as she can remember and considers her a much older sister than a cousin)

Allistair Shepard (she’s not sure when it happened, but one day she woke up and suddenly she was another parent to this human child full of sass and anxiety, and she will break the bones of anyone who calls her the Butcher of Torfan)

Adrian Nyx (in another life, maybe things would’ve worked out between them, but it just wasn’t the right time for them)

Cassia Laeptus (theirs is an odd but supportive friendship, and they work well together as partners in C-Sec Internal Affairs)

Castis Vakarian (they served on the same ship that attacked Shanxi and were always friendly)

Hadrian Ravaka (they haven’t spoken since their mother disowned Dess, but they were always close as kids and one day I promise they’ll talk about some very pressing issues they need to work out)

― a phobia your muse has:

Ironically, she’s afraid of heights, but only falling from them. She’s fine flying combat sorties, but if she were to approach a cliff or a sudden dropoff, her soul would try to claw its way out of her plates.

Now for tagging! How about @servantofclio, @thievinghippo, @tarysande, and @black-rose4. Only if you want to, of course!

[ferociousqueak]

modern day AU: what jobs would your OCs have and how they would goof off on a slow day

Oh fun! Okay, let’s see.

Allistair: Ithink she’d probably work as an engineer for someplace like Boston Dynamics. Ican also very definitely see her on a show like Mythbusters :P And I mean, there’s not a lot of difference between goofing off and experimenting with robots and/or explosive materials, so she always has something to do and get paid for it too!

Hannah: I can seeher waking up one day to find suddenly she’s a tenured professor at somewherelike Caltech, where she teaches climatology when school’s insession, and chases tornadoes when it’s not. On a slow day, she’ll sit in her office, close the door, turn out the lights, set her status to Do Not Disturb, and read fic on AO3 until it’s time to go home.

Michael: He’ddefinitely be a SEAL. And once he’s done there, he’d move on to a place likeBlackwater. I really don’t think he’s suited to do anything other than killpeople under very clandestine circumstances. During down time, he’ll shoot things far away (trees, bottles, etc.) just to see how awesome he is as a marksman.

Dess: Without thestructure of the Turian Hierarchy moving her through its various systems, Ithink she’d end up living somewhere like Hawaii, where she runs a charter planebusiness and flirts with tourists looking to make a Mistake while on vacation:P Heck, she might even give private surfing lessons to that cute Cal Techprofessor if she’s asks nicely :D And when she’s goofing off, it’s usually in a hotel room with one of her passengers :P

Sana: She’dprobably work for the World Health Organization or Doctor’s Without Bordersduring the early years of her career, and then settle down with the CDC whenshe gets a little older. Sana is very diligent, but if there’s nothing to do (and there’s very rarely nothing to do), she’ll just go home. No reason to stay at work and be bored.

Bethany: She’d bea (very much hated) high school gym and an underground MMA fighter duringbreaks. I mean, they don’t pay teachers during the summer, so she has to do something to pay the bills. On a slow day, she finds her way to the weight room and gets in some time with the punching bag.

Kardi: I thinkmaybe she’d run a daycare or even a summer camp for kids. The best part about working with kids is that most of your day is just playing and keeping everyone entertained, so she’s an expert at always having something to do :P

[ferociousqueak]

TMI Tuesday rescue! Any embarrassing or funny date stories for Dess and Sana? (or anyone else if their stories are better ^^)

Sana’s been on one date in her entire life anddecided it wasn’t for her. Nothing went wrong, really, and it was prettystandard—dinner, drinks, a long walk in the park. But she felt like there werecertain expectations she had no interest in fulfilling. Her date wasdisappointed, of course—that Sana didn’t want to date, that is, not that she didn’t want to have sex—but she understood, and Sana and Lorit are still verygood friends even several centuries later.

When Dess was younger, she didn’t date so much as prowl.Throw on a slinky number, hit the club, scan for a suitable person to spend theevening with, and engage. Most of the “dates” she had at that time were onesarranged by her mother who was trying to use Dess to advance her own politicalties with other powerful families on Taetrus. So pretty much every single oneof those dates were disastrous, mostly because Dess would sabotage themherself. There was a brief period after her mother unofficially disowned herthat Dess is not exactly proud to remember—so it’s probably lucky she doesn’tfully remember all of it. She vaguely remembers going home with a krogan andmight not have remembered it at all if it weren’t for the bruising the next morning. It was atthat point that she decided she needed to get her shit together and deal withher emotions in a less dangerous, self-punishing way.

Adrian Nyx was her first real relationship, but it didn’tlast long enough for them to date much—it started just before they went out ona tour and ended very shortly before the tour ended because Dess got cold feet(talons?) and broke things off with him. She has a thing with her partner atC-Sec Internal Affairs for a while, but Cassia’s not really the dating type andneither of them considered it a romantic relationship.

Which leaves dates with Hannah :D They’ve been dating muchlonger than either one of them fully realizes it because they’re both emotionalidiots who “don’t want to assume anything.” Once they get over that hurdle,however, suddenly there’s all this pressure to do things Right (at thebeginning, anyway). Before they were Together, they mostly just did whateverfelt like was fun at the time, like going to see a new film or having afriendly/competitive bout at the Armax Arsenal Combat Flight Sim. For theirfirst “real” date, Dess gets in her own head because she’s positive she doesn’tknow how to do this sort of thing and arranges a very stiff evening of dinner,a movie, and . . . what else do people do? Spirits, what do humans do?? Whilethey’re on their way to the movie, both feeling a little awkward after a mostlyquiet meal, Hannah takes Dess by the hand, drags her to Armax, andproceeds to absolutely decimate her in the flight sim. Things ease up afterthat and it turns into a nice evening out where they do the things they’vealways enjoyed . . . which now includes each other :P

[ferociousqueak]

1, 6, 7, 13, if you please!

1. Which OC has thebiggest family? How do they get along?

If we’re going by the size of immediate family, I think it’s Hannah (bothparents, two brothers, Alli). She had some friction with her mom when she wasgrowing up, partly because they’re very much alike (both are pretty strongwilled) but with different interests. She’s always had an easy relationshipwith her dad and brothers, but as an adult, it’s really her mom she’s growncloser to.

When it comes to family they’ve actually interacted with, though, Ithink Sana has pretty much everyone beat, if only because she’s already livedthrough several generations of Ravakas and would need more than her fingers andtoes to talk about the cousins and extended family members she remembers.

6. What OC is the MomFriend?

Sana is very much the Mom Friend, but I think she wouldobject to the idea that she’s always taking care of everyone, even thoughthat’s exactly what she does almost on instinct. She also has a certain authority that she neverreally asked for or wanted, and I think part of that is from the way she carries herself,and part of it is that she’s experienced a lot in last 400 years or so. Dessand Hannah rely on her insight, and though neither one would openly admit it,the thought of her disapproval is terrifying.

7. What OC reallyneeds the Mom Friend around?

You know, I think this is also Sana. She’s happy to be asource of guidance and compassion for her friends, but it’d be nice if thingsflowed the other way now and then.

13. Which OCscomplement each other the best?

I mean, I can’t NOT say Hannah and Dess :P They build each other up and anticipate what the other needs almost effortlessly. They’re driftcompatible in the best way and their Jaeger is the Cross-Species Liaison :D

I also think Michael and Bethany complement each otherpretty well because he has a penchant for wallowing and she has no patience forit, while she’s more likely to run headlong into something without thinking itthrough and he’ll hang back to at least work out an exit strategy (on the fieldanyway, he’s a disaster in his personal life). They’re both competent, smartoperatives, and neither one of them is happy that they work as well as they dotogether.

[ferociousqueak]

“You’re gonna die here”

Okay! First installment for the Spring ExSANAganza! I have a lot of thoughts about her time on Omega, so here’s the start! Enjoy :D

Omega.

It had been all of thirty seconds since Sana had stepped off the transport, and she was already reaching for the menthol balm she knew wouldn’t be in her pocket. She’d done plenty of rotations in the morgue during her years of internship on Thessia—she hadn’t expected to find the same here on the fringes of the Terminus Systems.

She adjusted the pack on her shoulder and brought up her omni-tool, putting in a quick bulk order for the balm. Her nose would just have to deal with the malodor in the meantime.

“You’re gonna die here, you know.”

Sana’s fingers stuttered before she could finish placing the order. Turning slowly, she caught sight of a salarian—bluish with purple markings swooping around their eyes and brow—blinking up at her.

She was absolutely certain this false prophet was just trying to get to her. Omega was infamous for its lawlessness, its lowly snake-oil salesmen, its desperate swindlers. As far as she was concerned, they were just trying to get by, same as anyone. Both engaging and rebuffing this morbid soothsayer were equally inadvisable.

After all, she had no intention of dying here. Omega was just a stopover. A place to get her head on straight, to get her hands dirty, to desanitize her practice, help the people who need it most, who have the least access to help.

Sana shrugged, adjusting her pack for a second time, and turned away from the hapless fortuneteller to make her way through the docks. If she really wanted to help people, she’d need to set up a place for them to go. Real estate on Omega was far more expensive than even on Thessia—the gangs here made sure of that—but she’d saved up plenty. But that was irrelevant. Even if it wiped her out, all she needed was a foothold.

An explosion shook the floor plating, and Sana paused, waiting for something else to happen. No one—not the dock workers, not the heavily armed muscle patrolling the area, not even the recent arrivals—seemed to be fazed by the bass reverberations she felt even in her bones.

“Mine explosion,” a voice said behind her. “Based on the aftershock, I’d say probably a couple slaves died. No big deal.”

Continue reading on AO3.