#also DAMMIT GARRUS

[thefloatingstone]

Me discovering a new game detail in Mass Effect 2 at midnight.

aka that time I gave Garrus a lethal disease

[xenonsreturn]

Garrus Gets Legos

A Mass Effect Story

This story takes place after Shepard “dies” at the beginning of Mass Effect 2. Shep and Liara are a couple and Shepard has an 11 year old daughter from a previous relationship, Ridley (sometimes referred to as RJ). Liara has adopted Ridley in Shep's absence.

--------------------

"Hello, Garrus. This is Liara calling. I hope you are well. I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor. I need . . . well, I need someone I can trust. I have a project, an important project I am working on and I need to be away from home for an evening next Thursday, but I cannot bring Ridley with me. If you are not otherwise occupied, would you consider watching her, spending the evening with her while I am out? I believe the human term is babysitting, which I do not understand, because Ridley is neither a baby, nor should she be sat upon. When I talked to her about it, she said she would be willing to “hang out” with you. I don’t understand this term either, especially because it would be incredibly dangerous, considering the level we live on. At any rate, if you are free, I would very much appreciate it. Just don’t sit on her or allow her to dangle out of our windows. Thank you, Garrus. Please call me back."

----------------------------

Garrus stood at the comm in his apartment, waiting for his call to go through. After a few moments, a familiar face – well, mask, really – appeared on the screen.

“Hey, Garrus.”

“Hey, Tali.”

“What brings me the pleasure of your call, G?”

“Well, I need some help.”

“You do? That’s unusual – not that you need help, but that you would ask for it.”

“Now, wait a minute –“

“Just teasing. What’s going on, Garrus?”

“Okay, well, I’m looking for some sort of gift for Ridley. Liara asked me to watch her next Thursday. I want to bring something.”

“Garrus Vakarian, babysitter.” She chuckled. “Okay. What sort of thing?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’m afraid if I just show up empty handed, we’ll just stare at each other . . . and I want to make a better impression than that. I hope I can . . . I mean, I’d like to help with Ridley, for Liara, and for Ridley, of course, but also . . . for Shepard.”

Tali sighed. “I know you miss Shepard. We all do. But she’s gone, Garrus. You have to let her go . . . as hard as that is.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m trying.”

“But now you’re trying to somehow connect with Shepard through her daughter.”

He opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again. “Well, yes, I guess that’s true.” It was difficult to admit, and he hadn’t thought that’s what he was doing, but now that Tali said it . . . well, she had a way of getting to the point. “But also, I think Ridley needs more than just Liara, and I . . . I think being part of that would honor Shepard’s memory. It would be what she’d want. But also, it’s been awhile since Ridley’s seen me, and what if she doesn’t like me? Or we don’t have anything to talk about? I mean, she’s been so lonely and withdrawn since Shepard – since she . . . ”

“Since she died, Garrus,” said Tali sadly.

Garrus took a deep breath. “Yeah, since she died.” He looked at the floor. “Dammit,” he muttered. “It’s still so hard to say.”

“I know. It’s hard for all of us.”

“But it’s so much harder for Liara. And even worse for Ridley. Hence, the gift. A toy or something. I want to try to give her something else to think about, something she can maybe sort of lose herself in. Liara wants her to be able to connect with her roots, so it has to be something made by humans, but something we can do together. Like a game, maybe. Or a puzzle. She’s good with puzzles.”

“How about music? Liara has mentioned more than once that Ridley shows an aptitude for it.”

“Yeah, but that makes one of us. No rhythm, see?”

“You know, I have seen you dance. Don’t sell yourself short, Garrus. You’ve got moves.” He could hear the smile in her voice and he felt his face smile back. “Okay, let me see what I can do. Talk to you later.”

--------------------

The next morning, Tali called.

“Hey, Tali.”

“Hey, yourself, Garrus. I think I can help you out.”

“Fantastic! Thanks. How’d you do it?”

“I found a shopping VI on the extranet and hacked it to widen the search parameters, and then I put in all you told me about what you were looking for.” She paused. “It took me four hours.”

“Tali, I think I love you.”

If Tali blushed under her mask, she gave no sign of it.

“What did you find?” Garrus asked.

“Quite a lot, actually. Puzzle games, strategy games, word games, building toys –“

“Building toys. She’s a creative girl. Let’s start there.”

“There are several made on Earth which utilize mass effect technology to create a virtual space to be populated by virtual creatures, designed by the player.”

“Hmm. Can we try something a little less, um, virtual? She seems to really enjoy the tactile, something real.”

“Well, there is one that you both might like. It also has a connection with Earth’s past. When I found it, I thought it would be perfect, but getting a hold of it is going to be a little more involved than the others.”

“Okay, what is it?”

“They were called Legos.”

“Lay Goes?”

“Yes. They were interlocking plastic blocks that could be connected in almost infinite ways, made on Earth in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. They were immensely popular. Here, I’ll send you a feed.”

An ancient video started playing on the monitor, showing human children building vehicles, creatures, houses . . . and plenty of other, harder-to-define, objects. Garrus watched for approximately ten seconds.

“That’s it. That’s perfect. Where can I find them?”

“Well, that’s one of the problems. They haven’t been made in over 150 years, and they are very difficult to come by, even on Earth.”

“Difficult, but not impossible, right?”

“Right. I looked into it last night. There is an art collector on Bekenstein who has quite a variety of Legos in his collection, and has offered them for sale on the extranet. Considering their scarcity, the price is fairly reasonable. It seems the best choice – or at least, the best place to start.”

“Sounds good. I didn’t have anything planned for the weekend, anyway.”

“What about next weekend? You free?”

“Uh, I don’t know,” said Garrus, puzzled.

Tali sighed. “Never mind.”

“Thanks, again, Tali.”

“No problem, Garrus. Let me know if you need anything else. You know I’m here for you.”

“I know. Thanks.” He disconnected the feed.

“Well,” he said to the empty apartment. “I guess I’m off to Bekenstein.”

----------------------------

The billionaire’s house – no, mansion – was impressive, to say the least. So much wealth, on such obvious display . . . well, Garrus's time in C-Sec had made him suspicious. And not a little uncomfortable.

The art collector, dressed impeccably in a tailored, tasteful suit, strode forward to greet him.

“Hello, Mr. Vakarian,” he said in a clipped accent Garrus could not identify. “Thank you so much for your inquiry. I believe we have exactly what you are looking for.”

“That’s good news,” said Garrus, eyeing the security protocols out of habit. They were impressive. “I’m so glad you were available to meet me on such short notice, Mr. - ?”

“Hock. Donovan Hock, at your service.”

Garrus could not help but grin. “Well, that’s a refreshing change.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m just used to being at other people’s service. Especially people with your . . . assets. Never mind. Just a joke.”

“Ah, well. Step this way, Mr. Vakarian. I have the collection on display for your perusal.” Hock turned back to Garrus. “May I ask, what prompted your interest? A toy, from Earth’s past? Unusual for a turian, don’t you think?”

“Well, I’m . . . uh, babysitting a human kid in a couple days and I just wanted to bring her something from her roots. Plus, this kid . . . well, I have a feeling she’ll really like these Lay Goes.”

Hock stopped. “Ah, Mr. Vakarian, I’m afraid I must correct you. They are not called Legos. They are, collectively, Lego. The word is already plural, you see?”

“Hmm. But there are a lot of them, all different. Each piece is a single Lay Go.”

“I’m afraid that is not correct. They are Lego Bricks and Toys, or Lego Elements. I have done extensive research on the subject. The Lego company was quite adamant about the way their brand name was discussed.”

“Well,” said Garrus, deciding in that moment that Donovan Hock was, in fact, an arrogant prick – and Garrus was going to call them whatever the hell he wanted. “Okay. Lead on.”

Hock wound his way through the opulent home, pointing out various priceless works of art along the way. Garrus nodded at all the right moments, although he truly couldn’t care less. In fact, this place was giving him a bad feeling all over.

Finally, they arrived at a heavy security door, which opened at Hock’s approach.

“You keep your toys under some pretty impressive scrutiny,” said Garrus.

“Yes, toys, certainly. Have you ever seen a child deprived of his toys?” Asked Hock. “I was. And I stopped at nothing to get them. And now, even as an adult, I make sure that will never happen again. But there’s more in here than just toys, my friend.”

The door opened upon what had to be one of the largest museums Garrus had ever seen – although, truth be told, he hadn’t seen that many. Works of art and historical artifacts from a thousand worlds were preserved and on display, behind glass or, in some cases, effect fields.

“Well, I have to admit, I’m very impressed with the size of your collection,” said Garrus. “The diversity, too. A lot of races are represented here. Wait,” he said, thinking of Liara. “Do you have any Prothean relics?”

“Oh, a few,” said Hock.

“I have a friend who might like to study them sometime, if that would be all right.”

“Certainly. When our business is concluded, let’s get the contact information set up and they can visit whenever they like. Ah,” said Hock. “Here we are.”

He pointed at a large display case. In it were probably a few thousand small, multicolored plastic blocks, sticks, and other pieces.

“Wonderful,” said Garrus. He took another look at them. “Hmm. They’re a little smaller than I expected.” He glanced down at his hands. “Oh, well. They’re perfect for . . . my charge.”

“I’m glad they are to your satisfaction. You have the credits?”

“Right here,” said Garrus, pulling out a datapad and handing it to Hock.

Hock examined the pad, performed a transaction, and a broad smile crossed his face. “Excellent. The Lego are yours.”

“Great. Now,” said Garrus, looking at a large empty space in the museum, directly ahead. “What’s missing there?”

“Oh, there is a large piece I just made room for, which I hope to acquire quite soon. In fact,” said Hock. “You are going to help me do just that.”

“What?”

The sting of the dart hit Garrus in the neck. His hand reached up to the wound, and dizziness started to overcome him. He fell to his knees.

“It’s nothing personal, Mr. Vakarian,” said Hock, his voice sounding distant and fuzzy. “It’s just that you yourself are worth so much more than the price of the Lego.”

--------------------------

There was some sort of bell that would just not stop ringing. An image of soldiers, their boots marching through mud, kept swimming in and out of focus. He was aware of a dull ache that wrapped itself around his head and penetrated his skull. Every part of his body felt heavy and listless as he slowly awoke from the feverish dream.

“Ah, Mr. Vakarian,” came that clipped voice again, still sounding far away, like it came from the other end of a tunnel. “Glad you could join us.”

“Fuggoff,” slurred Garrus. His hands were bound behind his back, and hi s legs were shackled.

Hock gave a chuckle, sounding a little closer now. “Such spirit. I see why you made so many enemies. No compromise with you, eh?”

With tremendous effort, Garrus lifted his head and said, “Fuck. Off.”

“No, I don’t think I will. See, my friend, when one makes enemies, as you so diligently have, those enemies tend to, well, flock together.” Hock lowered himself to meet Garrus’s eyes. “And they will pay, gladly, to see you suffer.”

Garrus tried to spit at Hock and succeeded only in drooling on his own chin.

“Please, Mr. Vakarian, try to maintain a modicum of decorum. The poison introduced into your system will break down within a few minutes. Then you will be able to spit to your heart’s content. And you will be able to feel this,” he pinched Garrus’s arm. “You see, the people who want you, want you to really feel what they - well, what I have in store for you. It just won’t work if you’re numb.”

Garrus glared at Hock. The art collector stood up and turned his back on his captive. “Ah, Mr. Vakarian,” he said. “You are wanted by four people - well, four groups, actually, and they all have rather sizable bounties on you.” While Hock was talking, Garrus shifted his attention around the room. His vision was still a little blurry, but he could make out cameras, a guard, a door. The guard was armed, assault rifle in hand, pistol in holster.

“At first, I thought of just offering you to the highest bidder. That would go a long way to getting the piece that I want – a piece that, like your Lego, also has a connection to Earth’s past, I might add.”

Garrus was feeling sharper by the second. He subtly flexed his arms, testing the cuffs at his wrist. They were solid, connected to the chair, but separate from the shackles on his ankles.

“Then I thought, well, everyone enjoys a show. So I made them a deal. For all four of the bounties, they could tie your arms and legs to different vehicles, and then they could just . . . pull you apart. Each group could take a different piece of you.” Hock turned around. “They agreed so quickly. We didn’t even have to negotiate the price. In fact, I already have the payment.” Hock smiled. “Either they are naturally bloodthirsty, or . . . well, maybe you just bring that out in people.”

“Yes, well,” said Garrus. “I guess I have a knack for that. Just like you have a knack for being a lowbrow motherfucker, pretending to have good taste.”

Hock’s smile disappeared. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me. You have no appreciation for anything you’ve got. You don’t have any Prothean relics – if you really think you do, then whoever sold them to you lied and you didn’t know any better.” Hock’s face had darkened like the sky before an oncoming storm, and his hands had clenched into fists. “You’re just a spoiled brat who collects what other people tell him are worthwhile,” Garrus went on. “It’s all just . . . toys to you, so you can feel important, like a big shot. But I bet all the people who come here are laughing behind your back. Because they know you’re really just a little boy, hoping the grown-ups will let him play.”

Hock’s fist slammed into Garrus’s face. At that moment, Garrus dislocated his left thumb and pulled it free of the cuff on his chair.

Hock glared at Garrus. “It’s been a long time since I hit another man, but that was worthwhile.”

“Yes, I’m sure that brought back memories of grade school, where you hired bigger kids to hold down the little ones, so you could really show them all what a big man you are.”

Hock hit him again. Garrus took the impact, allowed it to throw him backward, and swung his legs up, over his head in a reverse somersault as the chair fell over backwards with a clatter. In a heartbeat, he was on his feet, shackled though they were. He swung his right arm - and the chair, still attached, slammed directly into Hock’s stomach. The man doubled over with a grunt, and Garrus brought his left fist down onto Hock’s head. Hock crumpled to the floor. Garrus spat at the unconscious billionaire – successfully, this time.

The guard already had his rifle trained on Garrus, but the turian held the chair in front of him as the guard got off a single shot, which buried itself in the chair’s frame. By then, Garrus had closed the distance and pressed the top rail of the chair into the guard’s throat, holding it there until the guard turned pale, his eyes rolling back into his skull. Garrus held it there a moment longer.

“These close quarters, should have kept your pistol out, slung your rifle over your back,” he said to the unconscious guard. “Amateur.”

He was prowling the corridor less than a minute later when the alarm went off. “Oh, crap.”

He grabbed the pistol and fired into the chain between his feet. Now, about this chair . . . He looked down at the guard, searching for ideas. One obvious one presented itself immediately. “Oh. Keys. Well. Maybe I’m the amateur.”

He had no bearings, no way to see if he was heading in the right direction for the landing bay. There was a doorway up ahead. He threw himself to one side before he opened it, keeping his stolen pistol up and checking the rifle over his shoulder.

The door opened onto a walkway above the museum. Garrus glanced down, finding the door he’d come through earlier almost immediately. Unfortunately, there were a dozen guards below, as well. What I wouldn’t give for a sniper rifle right now, he thought. The last one would be gone before the first one hit the floor.

He thought he saw movement on this level, too, just ahead, out of the corner of his eye. He started forward, then a man stepped out, a few yards ahead, pistol in hand. Garrus started to bring his own up, knowing even as he did so that the man had the drop on him, that he was dead. The man fired, twice.

Garrus froze, feeling a tightening in his belly as the bullets . . . went by his ear. He turned and saw one of Hock’s men behind him, a couple new holes in his face, drop to the floor.

The guards below drew their weapons and fired. Garrus traded his pistol for his rifle in one smooth motion and returned fire, dropping four of them in seconds.

The other man dropped to the floor and tossed something down towards the guards. In two seconds, it exploded, shredding men and priceless artifacts alike.

The man stood up. “That oughta do it.’

Garrus turned back to the other man. “Uh . . . thanks?”

“My pleasure,” the other man smiled. He was asian, with close-cropped hair and a single line of a goatee from his lip to his chin. “Anything to throw a monkey wrench into Hock’s plans.”

Garrus relaxed. “Well, then, you’re my kinda guy, Mr - ?”

“No names,” said the man. “I’ve still got work to do. And so do you.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to get the hell out of here.”

“Yes, but first,” said the man, grinning, “don’t forget your Legos.”

-----------------------

Garrus carried the Lego case toward the landing pad.

Almost there, he thought. Seems too easy.

As he approached the nearest ship, he heard a voice behind him.

“Where do you think you’re going, Vakarian?”

He turned around. There were seven mercs there. Blue Suns, Eclipse, Blood Pack, and another group he didn’t recognize. All armed to the teeth. A human in Blue Suns armor said, “We paid good money to see you torn apart. Now we’re gonna make that happen.”

“Ah,” said Garrus. “You know, you guys should really start working together under a single name. Should call yourselves ‘The Cowards’. Making a rich guy do your dirty work for you. Taking on one guy with seven, all hiding behind your guns.”

“Fuck you, Vakarian!”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Garrus. “Besides, you can’t pull me apart alive if your shoot me first. Come on, there’s seven of you. Surely you can take me together, hand to hand.”

The mercs glanced at each other.

“If you don’t, you know you’ll always know you backed down, took the easy way,” Garrus goaded.

The mercs put down their weapons.

“Okay,” sighed Garrus as he cracked his knuckles. “Who wants it first?”

---------------------

Twenty minutes later, a badly wounded, but exhilaratingly alive Garrus was prepping the stolen ship for departure.

“Hang on, kid,” said Garrus as he lifted off. “I’m on my way.”

----------------------

The door chime rang, finally, and Liara tried to send a smile at Ridley. “That would be Uncle Garrus.”

Ridley looked at her momma. “Great,” she said, her voice flat.

Liara felt her heart drop. She knew Ridley was upset and felt – once again - abandoned. If only I could talk to her, tell her what I am trying to do . . . But she knew she couldn’t. If she got the girl’s hopes up that there was a chance to bring her mother back, and then it didn’t happen, it would just further damage her. And Liara felt Ridley had been damaged enough. The galaxy is so . . . cold. So she could take the pain of Ridley’s mood, if it meant protecting her from disappointment. She sighed and went to answer the door. It would be nice, she thought, so see a familiar face.

When the door opened on his face, however, it wasn’t so familiar. She gasped. “Goddess! Garrus, what happened to you?”

“You should see the other guy. Or, guys, actually.”

The turian’s face was bloody and bruising. One arm was crudely bandaged, and . . . “Garrus, is that . . . is that a bullet hole?”

“It’s not so much a hole as it is a scrape. I’m okay, Liara. I just need a little medi-gel and I’ll be good as new. Well, good enough, anyway.”

Liara’s hand went to her mouth. “Oh my goodness,” she said. “Well, come in.” She offered a hand, and Garrus took it. He limped into the apartment. “Sit down,” she said, indicating a chair at the dining room table. “Ridley?” she called. “Can you get some medi-gel from the bathroom?”

“Fine,” said Ridley from the other room. “What, did you get a paper cut?”

Ridley appeared a few seconds later, scowling, but then she dropped the medi-gel at the sight of Garrus. “Oh!”

“Hi, kid,” he said, managing a grin. “Don’t worry about me. Just had a little . . . detour on the way back from getting you a present.”

“A present?”

“Ridley!” snapped Liara. “The gel!”

“Oh, right!” said Ridley, picking it up the floor and handing it to her Momma.

Liara wasted no time in applying the gel to the turian’s many wounds. Garrus’ mandibles quivered a bit when she touched the bullet graze, but he made no sound. Ridley helped a bit and looked on until she was sure her Uncle was okay, then disappeared back into the other room.

Liara whispered, “She has been so clingy, questioning everything I do, but when I ask about her, she barely says a word. I don’t know what’s going on in her head – and I’m scared to ask, because I think I’ll just push her away.”

“My sister was like that when she was about Ridley’s age,” said Garrus. “Seemed to live in her own little world . . . Population: One. Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll grow out of it. Just keep doing what you’re doing – which I know is hard. Just so, if she decides to talk, she knows you’re there. But yeah, don’t push. For now.”

Liara sighed. “It’s so hard to be patient sometimes.”

“Sounds like Shepard rubbed off on you some, Liara,” Garrus chuckled.

Liara caught herself, and grinned. “Maybe she did, at that.”

When she was done and he was properly bandaged, she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay to stay with Ridley?”

“Absolutely. After what I went through to get these, there is no way in hell I’m not playing with RJ.”

---------------------

“You mentioned a present?” said Ridley, after Liara had left.

“I thought you’d never ask. Go sit at the table and I’ll bring ‘em over.”

Ridley did so and Garrus brought out the Lego case.

“So, Ridley, these,” said Garrus proudly, “are called Lay Goes. They were made on Earth, by humans, a long time ago.” He dumped the contents of the box onto the table with a clatter. Multicolored plastic pieces spilled across to Ridley.

She was unimpressed. “Uh. Thanks.” She picked one up. “What do they do?”

“Well, it’s not so much what they do, as it is what you do with them,” he said. “See, they kind of fit together, and you can build things with them.”

“What kind of things?”

“Pretty much whatever you want.” He grabbed one block and attempted to snap it on to another. His large fingers made this task more difficult than he had expected. “Hmm. I wish they were a little bigger,” he muttered. He started to wonder if this had been a good idea. She obviously couldn’t care less. He tried to contain his growing disappointment. He hadn’t gone through all this to give up now. “Should be perfect for your hands, though. Give it a try.”

With a noted lack of enthusiasm, she picked up two pieces at random. She turned them over in her hands, looking at the bumps and crannies. “Hmm,” she said. She snapped them together. “Oh,” she said. She grabbed another block and fit it onto the other two with a click. “Oh!” she said again, her face lighting up as she started to see the possibilities. “Ooooh.” She grabbed a handful of pieces and started to put them together.

Garrus smiled as he watched her and saw the wheels turning in her mind, and he relaxed. He’d been right – this was perfect for her.

“What do you say we build something extraordinary?”

Garrus picked up the pieces and clumsily attempted to work with them while Ridley built away. He was thrilled at how much Ridley was enjoying this, but he himself was having trouble fitting the small pieces together, and it was a little frustrating, particularly because this toy really appealed to his need for order and detail. It was an incredible, yet simple, design. Eventually, he limited himself to the largest pieces he could find and did the best he could. But he kept glancing back at Ridley. She was building . . . and building . . .

“Oh, yeah!” she said, her eyes glued to the pieces, her fingers nimbly constructing at random. No, not at random, Garrus thought – there was already a pattern emerging.

He had to ask. “What is that you’re putting together, RJ?”

She didn’t take her eyes off her project. “I have no idea, yet, but this is so fun!”

He got up to get them both a snack. When he came back, a bowl of Tierrot Root chips for himself in one hand and a slice of banana bread for Ridley in the other, he suddenly let out a yell.

“OH GODDAMMIT MOTHERF-“

He slammed the bowl and the plate down on the table and hopped on one foot over to the wall, steadying himself with one hand.

“Uncle Garrus! Are you all right?” Ridley’s forehead creased with concern as she half-rose from the table.

“Ah, yeah, RJ, I’ll be fine,” panted Garrus. He bent his knee and looked at the bottom of his foot. Gingerly, he reached down and extracted a bright blue cube from his biggest toe. “I just . . . stepped on a Lay Go. Ah, man,” said the turian. “That hurts like hell.”

He looked down, and saw a half-assembled smattering of Legos where he had stepped. “Oh, no, RJ,” he said as he picked them up. “I smashed it.” He sheepishly handed it back to her. “I’m sorry.”

She was trying, but failing, not to laugh. “Sorry, Uncle Garrus.”

"It's okay. Just don't tell your Momma I said some of those words."

She took it and turned it over in her hand. “That’s okay, Garrus. I can put it back together in just a sec. Wait,” she said. “No, see this? I can take this part off,” she did so, “and add it back over here,” she snapped the part onto the ever-growing assembly in front of her on the table, “and HA!” She smiled. “See, it’s a cave now!”

Garrus’s jaw dropped. This kid was something else, all right.

In the end, her Lego creation turned out to be a partially synthetic dragon (a cyborgon, Ridley informed him) attacking a starship because the starship had accidentally gotten too close to the dragon’s eggs. Garrus marveled at the complexity of the set, especially considering the girl had only started playing with Legos just over an hour ago. And he was particularly impressed with how she had constructed an entire story around her project. While her hands had been building the model, her mind had been building the story.

Garrus suddenly felt an enormous wave of love for Ridley. He had not felt so happy since before Shepard died. To see her daughter playing . . . just playing . . . brought him a feeling of immense joy that he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed. And he knew that, if Shepard could see Ridley now, she’d be smiling.

Garrus finally gave up working with the Legos himself (damn huge fingers, stupid tiny blocks) and just contented himself with watching Ridley play, occasionally offering suggestions or asking questions.

“How’s school these days, RJ?”

She was now working on what was becoming a pretty close Lego approximation of the Destiny Ascension.

“It’s okay. Music is my favorite, of course, but we only get to do that twice a week.”

“Ah, music. Love listening to it, can’t play or sing or dance worth a damn.” He sighed. “Got any friends?”

“I have two. Katora and Holden.”

“Let’s hear the scoop.”

“Well, Katora and Katie and I share a study pod together. She’s asari and pretty neat. I help her with her homework sometimes. Holden is human and we’re in math class together. He’s blond and smart and he’s good at math and science and he talks a lot and he’s, um, really cute.” The words came out in a rush as Ridley turned a deep scarlet.

“Well,” said Garrus, giving no indication whatsoever that he’d noticed her response when talking about a boy. “They sound like cool kids.”

“Yeah, they are.” She paused, and looked at him. “Can I tell you a secret, Uncle Garrus?”

“Of course.”

“Promise not to tell Momma?”

“Well, that depends on the secret. Will this secret hurt anyone?”

“No.”

“Then, yes, I promise not to tell your Momma.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I really like Holden. Like, really. A lot.”

“Ah,” said Garrus. “I think I see what you’re saying, RJ.”

“Yeah,” said Ridley. “He makes me laugh a lot. He’s super funny. He’s always making up stories. Sometimes, I hear him just singing a song he’s just making up as he goes – and the words rhyme at the right time.”

“Kind of like you, just now,” chuckled Garrus.

Ridley turned an even deeper red. “Stop it!” she giggled.

“Sorry,” said Garrus, grinning. “But I’m not surprised you like that he sings.”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “Anyway, at first I just thought he couldn’t shut up – like maybe he had a condition - but then he would remember things that I’d said like a week before. I think he listens almost as much as he talks.”

“Well, that’s a rare thing,” said Garrus. “So why’s this such a big secret? Why can’t you tell your Momma about him?”

“She’d never let me be his – I mean, she wouldn’t want him to be my – well, she wouldn’t like it if we were . . . more than friends.”

“Have you talked to her about him at all?”

“No. No way.”

“Well, then, how do you know?”

Ridley sighed. “Because Momma wants me to stay her baby, forever. But I’m growing up. I’m not a baby.”

Garrus looked at her. “Well, that’s true. You are growing up. And I know she’s proud of you. It’s just that . . . well, you’re very special to her, RJ. You mean the world to her – the galaxy, even. And you have to remember, she’s an asari and asari kids don’t grow as quickly as human kids do. So it’s a little scary for her to see how fast you’re growing up. Maybe she feels it’s a little too fast for her.”

Ridley thought for a moment. “You think that’s true?”

“Yes, I do. She can take her time doing things because she’s going to live for over a thousand years, but your lifetime is barely a blink of her eyes.”

“But it’s my life, and I’m not an asari, and I’m growing at human-speed.”

“Of course you are,” he said. “But really, I think she’s scared of losing even a minute with you. She wants to savor every moment of it because she knows that time has a way of slipping away from us. She knows how life can change in a heartbeat. I mean,” he cleared his throat, “she already lost your mom. I think she’s scared to death of losing you, too.”

He could tell this last had an impact on Ridley. She stopped, the Legos frozen in her hand, and she stared out the window, focused on nothing. A full minute passed in silence.

“I . . . I didn’t think of that,” said Ridley. “Sometimes I forget that Momma lost her, too.”

“Try to remember,” said Garrus gently, “that it’s hard for her, just like it’s hard for you.”

Ridley gave him a sad little smile. “I’ll try, Uncle Garrus.”

“Good. In the meantime, why don’t you invite Holden over to play sometime?”

She flushed again. “Oh, I don’t know . . .”

“Invite Katora over, too, then, if that makes it a little less scary.”

“Hmm.” She turned the idea over in her head. “That’s a good idea. They get along, too . . . although,” she grinned slyly at him, “not too well.”

“There you go.”

“You know what else?”

“What’s that?”

She smiled. “I bet he’d really like Legos.”

“You think so, huh?” She nodded. “Good,” he said. “Then you’ll have something to do together when he comes over.”

They played together without speaking for a few moments, each enjoying sharing the other’s silence. Then Ridley piped up.

“Uncle Garrus?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you still wearing that?” She pointed at his face.

“Huh? Oh,” he said, reaching up to touch his visor. “I don’t know. I pretty much always have it on. I needed it earlier, when I was . . . getting your Lay Goes. It helps me out when I . . . run into trouble.”

“Are you expecting to run into trouble now?”

Garrus chuckled. “Heh, no. Unless you want to fight me for the last bit of ice cream.”

“Come on, you can’t eat that anyway,” she laughed. “Why don’t you take it off?”

“I . . . don’t know. I guess I’m so used to it . . . “

“Well, give it a try.”

Garrus looked away, then back at Ridley. He could face down mercs, but taking off his visor . . . still, here she was, Shepard’s daughter, challenging him. And here he was, trying to build her up, trying to show her courage, when she needed someone to look up to . . . He reached up and unfastened the visor, then looked at her.

She looked at him for a second, then turned back to the Legos. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

If only you knew how hard, kid, he thought. But why?

“You look weird. Like, you’re not yourself.”

“Well . . . uh, thanks,” he said.

“I’m just used to . . . “ she said, then she looked at him. “But this is how you really are. Underneath.”

“Hmm,” said Garrus. “Well, I guess so. Maybe that’s why it’s hard for me to do.”

They looked at each other, then each looked away.

“Did you really beat up seven guys?” Ridley asked.

“Well, not so much ‘beat up’ as ‘make them sorry for getting in my way’.”

“But, seven?”

“Maybe I should have said seventy. And a thresher maw.”

She smirked, and Garrus thought, She looks exactly like Shepard, and he felt a pang deep in his heart.

“You’re gonna have a lot of scars,” said Ridley. “Well, a lot more, anyway.”

“Yeah, well, maybe. Most of them will heal up fine.”

“What about this one?” She pointed at a deep, thick line on his forearm.

“Yeah, that one . . . won’t. But that’s okay. See, I got that one helping your mom.”

Ridley turned away. “Did she end up hurting everyone she touched?”

Garrus reached out and gently turned her face back to his. “No, she inspired everyone. To stand up and fight for something more than themselves. It’s just that, sometimes, that means you get hurt. But the galaxy is a better place because of the things she inspired us to do. Besides, I don’t want to die without any scars. Means I lived through something. And your mom knew a thing or two about that – hell, she could have taught a class in it. She had a few scars, too.”

“But there was one thing she didn’t live through.”

“Yeah.” Garrus swallowed hard and let out a breath. “I could tell you how brave she was, but you’re probably sick of hearing that. And you probably wish she hadn’t been so brave, anyway. I know I do.”

Ridley ran her thumb over the edge of a Lego, then pressed it into her palm. Softly, she said, “I really hate Joker. And I kind of hate her for going after him.” She looked into the turian’s face. “Didn’t she know I needed her? Wasn’t I more important than him? Wasn’t I more important than her stupid duty?” She almost spat the last word.

“I know,” said the turian, quietly. “I was mad at Joker, too. Still am. Should have followed orders, left his post – ah, but then, he loved the Normandy. I mean, loved it. Maybe almost as much as we,” he had to remind himself to use the past tense, as much as he hated it, “loved your mom. And he wanted to save it.”

“It was just a stupid ship!”

“Yeah, it was. He made a bad mistake. The worst. Your mom would have punched him in the face, if she’d . . . ah.” He took a breath and let it out. “And when she . . . when she died . . . as much as I missed her, I was also furious with her for being so damn brave. Because the galaxy was a better place with her in it. And I was a better man, for being her friend.” He put his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. “But there is something you need to know. She loved you. Maybe she didn’t know how to show it all the time, but you were more important to her than anything. Everything she did, as brave as she was, she did because of you, for you. So you could have a better life, a better future. So you could have hope.”

“But I needed her!” Tears were running down her face in tiny rivers.

“I know. But maybe . . . maybe she never understood that. Maybe she never believed that anyone needed her. Maybe she never believed that she was anything special. The best never do, I guess.”

She looked at him with an expression of equal parts bewilderment and despair.

“Maybe being brave,” he said. “And doing her duty, was her way of showing you how much she loved you. Maybe it was the only way she knew how.”

“Couldn’t she just tell me once in a while? Or just . . . be around?”

“For her, that might have been harder than charging into a thresher maw nest.”

“But she was supposed to be so brave. Why was it so hard to talk to me?”

“Well, there are different kinds of courage. Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t scared – it means you are scared, but you do what you’re afraid of anyway. Your mom wasn’t scared of taking a bullet, or getting a scar – so maybe it was easy for her to see everything as a battle. But just talking to someone she cared about, letting them see how much they meant to her . . . well, I don’t know, but I think that scared the hell out of her. And I know." He took a deep breath. "Because I'm the same way."

“I don’t understand her. At all.”

“I know. But I know you loved her. And I know she loved you. Maybe that’s what love is – just . . . trying to understand the people who are important to us. Even when they make no sense.” He sighed and picked up a Lego. “It’s not like these. I wish life could fit together as perfectly as these things do.” He looked at her. “She would have loved seeing you play like you did tonight.”

“I just . . . miss her.”

“I miss her, too.”

“I don’t know why I even miss her. She was barely around at all when I was little. I was always just a burden to her, like I was a duty.” She stopped and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Maybe I should have stayed a duty,” she muttered. “Maybe then I would have been more important. But then . . . when Momma . . . she talked my mom into letting me stay with them. And I started to think . . . I started to hope that maybe I wasn’t just a burden after all. Maybe we really could be a family. And maybe someday, I’d get to know her.” She looked at him, and he could see the pain crease her face as the tears started anew. “But now I never will.”

There was nothing he could think of to say, so he just enfolded her in his arms, feeling helpless to soothe this wounded girl. She sobbed into his shirt.

“We’d just started to –“ she sobbed. “I barely had her at all when I was little, and then we got this chance to be together, and now she’s gone! She cheated me out of herself! Because she made Joker, she even made strangers, more important than me! I’ll never know her, I’ll never know what’s it’s like to have my mom love me anymore! I’ll never know what it might have been like someday . . . and I’d just started to wonder what it could be like, growing up with her around . . . and now I’ll never know.”

And Garrus, his arms around Ridley, sobbed as well. Sobbed because he missed his friend, sobbed for the pain in this girl, and in Liara, and in the rest of the crew. Sobbed because they all had to carry on, without their friend and commander. And together, they cried . . . until at last, they fell asleep, their arms around each other, Ridley breathing deeply against the slow rise and fall of Garrus’s chest. And that’s how Liara found them when she returned, well after midnight. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of them, and a single tear fell from her eye, but she could not sob as they had, for the loss of Shepard and the need to be strong for Ridley had built a hardness around her heart. She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a moment, then fetched a blanket and tucked it over them, the turian warrior and the human girl.

Liara went to bed, but she did not sleep for a long time.

[dispatchwithlove]

📖

Thanks for the ask!

Okay here goes. Mind you I've written a bit of this, like little snippets, but nothing fleshed out. When I get fire dialogue in my head I have to put it somewhere, and then I start writing all the emotional stuff around it, because I am the writer of emotions. SO I have bits of this written but I’ll honestly probably never post it so it’s technically a daydream fic.  

Antagonist Shakarian fic. 

Take Garrus and make him a little snarky. His disillusioned soul has changed him a bit, and Shepard is not prepared for his low level sass. He used to be such a good boy! Listened to her speeches about being safe and doing things right. She comes back and he’s proudly making drug dealers choke on their own product. It freaks her out, she tells him so and… he doesn’t care. She doesn't know what to do with a Garrus who doesn’t listen to her. For the first time in her entire career she wants to punch a subordinate. He sees her disappointment, feels shame, but digs in harder.

She’s been dead, hates working with Cerberus, tells herself she has to keep doing things the right way. But dammit it’s hard when you’re constantly seeing the little guy lose and you’re being jerked around by the big guy yourself. Deep down, she sees Garrus’s side for the first time. She hates it.  

They’re both a little right, and both a little wrong. But neither will admit it. 

They argue, say rude shit they mostly regret, they slam doors, they shoot each other glares or smug grins during missions.

They fuck A LOT. Rough, hot sex that’s also incredibly tender. He fingers her in a club and she’s insanely embarrassed by her behavior. So she does the only sane thing: gives him a bj in the skycar back to the ship. They’re a mess. 

Because deep down they love each other, and it’s hard to see someone you respect and love flailing. But all they know how to do is yell and say smart ass shit. 

It’s a story about Garrus turning Jane into a bit of a vigilante and Jane bringing a bit of Garrus’s old self back. They bring out more rounded, better versions of themselves.

[jdijwa-blog]

Encountering Horizon

Whatever it was that had him paralyzed had started to wear off.  Slowly he was able to feel his limbs again.  Move a pinky there, move his foot off that pebble there.  That was an instant relief.  Just not as much relief as finally being able to get out of the sun with his dark armor.  Maybe that’s why the overgrown cockroaches ignored him.  Must’ve stunk too much.

Things must have been quieting down as the gunfire came to a stop after something exploded.  Disconcerting as it came near where the defense tower is.  Finally enough feeling came back into his legs that Kaidan was able to turn around and see that it was still standing and now it was time to go assess what damages may have incurred and who managed to get the tower up and running.  But not enough feeling  to prevent him from tripping over some of the overgrown grass.

Do they not have lawn mowers here?! This is a main foot traffic lane!

As he neared the tower area he could hear some ruckus going on.

“I did what I could”

Wait…Shepard?  That can’t be?!

“Don’t beat yourself up, Shepard”

He turns the corner to see Shepard standing alongside a turian and some other human female.

Is she seriously fighting in a catsuit?  Who is she?! Cute though.  Good to see Garrus is alive and well.  Lost track of him when he left Citadel.  Wonder if Joker ever paid up his debt to him.

“Shepard?  Wait, I know that name.  Sure, You’re some type of big Alliance hero.”

“Commander Shepard. Captain of the Normandy.”

Kaidan can’t believe his eyes.  Shepard is looking healthy.  Few new scars.  Few missing as well.  Strange.  

That’s not a HMWSR sniper rifle.  He always hated the Mantis… Strange.

“The first human Spectre.  Savior of the Citadel.  You’re in the presence of …

As Shepard arches his arm over to finally put his rifle away, Kaidan’s eyes roam over the not-dead…Undead?  Whatever-he-is Spectre.  More like spector.  But then stops abruptly in his track as he sees it.

You have got to be kidding me

“You’re not Shepard.”

“What” exclaimed both the poorly dressed but cute human and Shepard at the same time.  Garrus kept quiet but just did some funny thing with his mandible that showed his shock.

“There’s no way you’re Shepard.  He would never find this acceptable!”

Apparently the irritable mechanic turned around and left after saying something but no one was paying any attention to him to know what he said.  Or the fact he slipped on a Collector heat sink hiding in a patch of tall grass that no one mowed down yet.

“Kaidan, this isn’t what it looks like.  Cerberus brought me back from the dead and I’m abusing their resources to fund the kicking the Collectors to hell campaign.  I tried to…”

“Wait! Cerber… That makes it even worse!  There’s no way those terrorists who love experimenting on whatever the hell they get their hands on would leave you with that!” Kaidan aggressively interrupted.

Shepard and Garrus turn to each and share a confused look.

“Dammit Kaidan, you’re so focused on whatever it is you’re focused on that you’re ignoring the real threat!” Garrus finally manages to spit out.  “What are you so upset about?”

Kaidan is fuming by now.

“Seriously Shepard, what would Tali think if she were to see you now?!  And Garrus? You’re allowing this as well?  I thought we were teammates!”

Shep always took Garrus and me with him on missions and he’d chat about it with Adams and Tali constantly in Engineering.  We even teased Ashley about hers!

“Kaidan would just spit out what you're trying to say!”  Shepard was starting to lose his patience now.

Really Shep?

“Why?! Do you?!! Have?!!! A Bluewire?!!!!  They’re so junk they don’t even classify as omnitools!”

Also why we back to standing in the sun?  We have buildings right here where we can grab a drink!

Shepard and his companions just stared agape at each other.  Normally composed Miranda even managed to drop her pistol.

Shepard glares at Miranda.  Then at Garrus albeit a bit less.

“Look Kaidan. I’m the same person as before.  Apparently,” Shepard continues his glare at Miranda, “Cerberus spent too many credits on reviving me and building space ships with fish tanks to have anything left over so I can have some decent equipment.  Do you see this rifle?” Shepard grabs his rifle again and starts shaking it in front of Kaidan’s face.  “A Mantis! A friggin Mantis! They manage to find my body but can’t recover my equipment that I spent how many hundreds of thousands of credits on!  It’s her fault!” Shepard exclaims while pointing at Miranda.  Miranda just icily glares back.  “She’s the one who brought me back.  I thought having her along would let you ask any questions you needed.  I know you’re slow to trust.” 

“To be fair, Shepard, we did pick up that Incisor rifle,” Garrus adds.

“It's worse than the Mantis!!  The only way to kill a pyjack with it is to just hit the monkey with it!” Shepard heatedly exclaims, “So I gave it to the cranky merc so he'd have something relevant to complain about.”

Kaidan worries he may be starting to get a migraine from all the events today.

“Look, I still know where my loyalties lie.  And it’s not with a company that ruins their product with their encryption overlay.  I’ve got to head back to the Citadel.  They can decide to believe your story or not.  Take care, Shepard.  And please stay safe.”

Kaidan turns around and starts checking which pocket has his medication in it, not able to hear Shepard chewing out Garrus how he didn’t have enough credits for a new omni tool because he just had to get Garrus that new rifle mod that only improved performances by .01 percent.

-x-

Back on Citadel

Shepard enters into Councilor  Anderson’s office all grumpy. 

“Hey, Anderson.  Decided to take a stroll on Horizon for kicks and you’d never guess who I ran into there.  Too much to ask for a simple correspondence to let a certain someone know I’m alive?  Instead I’m forced to deal with a stinky situation!”

Anderson had been side eyeing Shepard the moment he walked in, his face stoic as ever.

“Are you done, Son?”

Shepard crosses his arms in front of him and sulks against his mentor's desk.  “Fine.”

“Kaidan made mention how you were there," Anderson continues. "Says he regrets some of the things he may have said.  He figured if you come through here he left something for you.  So if you calm down, turn around, and open the second drawer you can have it.”

Shepard blinks.  He quickly turns around to see what his mentor alluded to:

No way!  I haven’t had time to see if I could haggle any merchant  for a new Savant.  All of the dead mercs we’ve come across so far have only had Human brands.  Kay always knew what my preferences were so this will be great!

His heart is warmed by the hand written note attached to the top of the box:

Hey Shepard

I’m sorry for my actions on Horizon and what I may have said.  I should have given you more time to talk.  Guess the stress of the day got to me.

It took me a long time to get over the stress of surviving that day over Alchera.  My friends have tried taking me out for drinks but it's never been the same without you.  They have no taste for good whiskey.  They like Old Crow can you believe it?!

Anyways, all I want to say is I’m sorry.  Hopefully, this can be of use to you and also help start to mend our friendship.  I already downloaded some of those antique games you always liked on there.  I also left a secondary extranet address of mine that should be untraceable in case you need to get ahold of me.  

Please be careful.  I’ve seen too many die around me – Eden Prime, Vermire, Horizon.  I couldn’t bear it I lost you again.  I know you’ll find a way to get rid of the Collectors once you get rid of that Bluewire .

When things have calmed down a bit… Maybe.. I don’t know.  Please just take care.

Kaidan

Shepard carefully tucks the note in a pocket and eagerly turns his attention to the box.  He starts to open it and sees that shiny brand of his new tool.

Logic Ar…

“Oh you sonofabitch!”

[clericofshadows]

9 and 25 for Regis? Or dealer's choice if those have already been asked.

Thank you for the questions :D

I answered 9 here. I'll replace it with 15: Does your OC have a face claim? If so, who?

Not really. I'm also kind of bad at coming up with face claims. Fun fact: The headmorph I used as a base for his sculpt was default shepard/sheploo, but definitely edited a ton to get to where he is now. If I removed his beard, piercings, and hair mods, and changed his textures back to being default shepard's, he might look like a cousin of Sheploo ;) maybe... I've never actually tried that.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?3

I'm going to get sappy here. Regis is the only reason why I'm a mod developer in the first place. Back in the fall, a mod released called Custom Head Mesh Framework that also came with a tutorial that laid out how to make a custom shepard using blender. I made it my goal to make Regis come to life, and dammit I succeeded. From there, I started finding resources and things to port that would fit his sense of style and canon, and it spiraled from there. Now I have multiple releases, some pretty neat blender and GIMP skills, and have really made myself at home in the ME modding community.

If it wasn't that, then my favorite thing about him is honestly his final appearance. I'm very proud of how he turned out with all my personal ports, edits, and jank, and I have made so many backups of his files :) he's so so dear to me, and I could talk for hours about all my favorite things about him. I also love that he's become kind of an "alternative" Shepard who makes a lot of decisions that aren't exactly popular with the greater community, such as not recruiting Garrus in ME1, saving Liara last, having a couple casualties in the suicide mission, and so on.

[cullenakingirog]

I posted 305 times in 2022

That's 277 more posts than 2021!

155 posts created (51%)

150 posts reblogged (49%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blue-eyes-white-privilege69

@marhikit

@snowberry-pie

@dreadfutures

@bluephoenix1347

I tagged 279 of my posts in 2022

Only 9% of my posts had no tags

#dragon age - 78 posts

#marh rambling - 51 posts

#dragon age inquisition - 41 posts

#my art - 33 posts

#marh art - 32 posts

#dragon age 2 - 26 posts

#dragon age inquistor - 22 posts

#dragon age oc - 18 posts

#dalisay kato bagwisan - 16 posts

#commission - 14 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#dalisay's sire named her that after her bearer insisted on alab naming her so she was named pure because alab hoped her heart would stay pur

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Inquisitor Drawing Meme 1: Skyhold Outfit

So I designed Dalisay's outfit with a lot of heavy references from Pre-Colonial Philippine outfits and it was fun to give her a lot of headpieces NGL. Dalisay’s vallaslin is different cause homebrew Dalish clan do be like that, she has the snakeskin which means safety, protection, health, shield and strength while the one on her forehead are people holding hands/family which means harmony and unity. These are what I imagine the Sylaise tattoo of her clan/people to be.

I've been wanting to do the Inquisitor drawing meme for awhile and since I have two leaders for the Inquisition, expect the second one, Mahalina, to come in soon!~

After Mahalina, I’m opening some OC portrait requests as commission samples cause I want to save some money because this country’s got me paranoid RIP

59 notes - Posted August 3, 2022

#4

"ito ba ang ninanais ng aking Ina at Amba Poon? Na ika'y maging datu at simulan ang pagbagsak ng ating angkan, o kasuklam-suklam na ama?"

TRANSLATION: "Is this what my mother and grandfather wanted?To see you become datu and to begin the fall of our clan, o loathsome father?"

My DA4 Main WS protag Himagsikan on the day of their rigged trial that led to their disownment and exile after years of leading and protecting their people while also trying to make peace between Clan Magsumakit and the others who their father had offended. Himagsikan's hair was cut to brand them as a criminal and traitor and also to bring shame to them, their jewellery and fine silks were also taken back by their father to be given to their younger sister and the protective spells that's been put in every tattoo of my Dalish clans were taken back thus leading it to become the plain white colour it originally was.

Clan Magsumakit will regret the fact that they didn't fight to keep the young leader within their clan after Himagsikan's exile.

Also, all these tattoos mean something! Each of the tattoos used by my various Filipino-coded Dalish OCs have either their wishes, dreams or sometimes their parents' wishes for them tattooed with the different symbols that meant the different wishes they have. For Himagsikan it's mostly tied to strength, guidance, courage, protection with only the sun and moon meaning life. You could tell their wish is uhhhh obvious

65 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

#3

See the full post

67 notes - Posted August 18, 2022

#2

Happy N7 Day! I decided to do a Dari/Garrus piece to parallel the Dari/Thane piece I did last time! This is either during shore leave in ME3 or post ME3 where Garrus, Thane and Dari are living together (yes I'll ignore canon thanky) and these two are just doing cute stuff cause dammit I want them to do cute stuff

74 notes - Posted November 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS

Hi guys so this morning at 6 am, my elder sister found out  my younger sister had vomited and was shaking but limp but also in a way jerky in her movements, i took out money from my paypal to try and help with hospital funds but my dad just messaged us saying that we’ve exceeded the amount we had on hand (currently running on minimal sleep while also trying to run the house)

I’m opening commissions right now to try and help with the excess costs because apparently trying to make sure my family is healthy would mean paying an arm and a leg at the hospital

If you guys can’t afford to commission me, please reblog this!

See the full post

164 notes - Posted October 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[captainderyn]

WIP SOMETHING

I’ve been tagged by @elveny and @kunstpause in a variety of writing things in the past month or so and haven’t had anything to participate with. Finally have a small Mass Effect fic in the works so...here we go :’D

—

Everyone kept telling him to give up hope.

The nameplate in memorial burned a hole in his personal storage as the echoes of one day needing to present it swirled around him.

Ever since pulling Shepherd out of that wreckage, no one had given her the same hope she’d unfailing held for them.

Yes, the burns that had melted her N7 armor to her flesh were severe. Horrifying enough that even the unfailing doctor ChaowasIt blanched at the sight. It was undeniable that her heart still beating now was nothing short of a miracle. She kept fighting, but how could she fight for those who wouldn’t fight for her to live?

Garrus sat at her bedside whenever he could spare, or more than he truly could. Talking to her passed the hours, detailing their future together. Her hand, pale with veins starkly blue beneath paper skin, clenched tight in his.

She’d never been much for handholding. Her hands were always far too busy.

Garrus held it anyway. The unconscious twitching of her fingers reminded him she still lived. Maybe she would even rouse enough to pull her hand back.

Too many hopes, maybes, and unknowns for him.

He’d never seen living eyes so void of life before this moment. Shepherd stared unerringly at the wall ever since her eyes had opened. It sparked excitement in the ward, bringing Chakwas over to run this test and that test. Shepherd hadn’t spoken a word, moved a muscle, or done anything more than let the doctor’s instruments beep at her.

Garrus flinched when Chakwas’ hand rested on his shoulder.

“I have hope she’ll come back.” She said. He hummed in wordless agreement. “She’s been through a lot.

It was the understanding of the century. War heroism, two suicide missions. Death, revival.

“She truly has been.” He agreed.

[duckuwu]

The remaster is making so many friends try out the game for the first time, and I'm so excited for them to experience it all.

I'm also excited to see them do what I've never been able to do: play the renegade options.

[incorrect-mass-effect-quotes]

Garrus: hey, is it true you let an obese man coated in red into your house at night once a year to leave gifts and take food in exchange??

Shepard: god dammit, what else is Joker teaching you?

Shepard: that’s just some kiddie legend for a holiday

Garrus: oh...

Garrus: so I take it that the human-like insect that also sneaks in at night to take your teeth is fake?

Shepard: yeah, the tooth fairy, fake

Garrus: if you sneeze, you’re technically dead for a second?

Shepard: oh my god

Garrus: all children have a predator laying under their bed at night?

Shepard: why did he phrase this shit so horribly?

Garrus: that your God’s name is “Betty White”?

Shepard: I-

Shepard: actually yeah, no, that’s pretty much true

[otemporanerys]

SpecReqs Recs!

This year, I took part in the Spectre Requisitions @spectre-requisitions-exchange Rare Pair exchange! While I can’t reveal which fic(s) I wrote (yet), there is SO MUCH GOOD SHIT, FRIENDS (full collection here). So I thought I’d throw together a few of my faves from the first day of frantic reading.

Mass Effect Trilogy

Hearts and Stars - James/Ashley, 4.1k, Mature

Five times James and Ashley sleep together and one time they don't.

I adored this fic so much: friends-to-lovers who keep having casual hookups, but it genuinely does feel like a friendship. There’s helping each other through rough times, getting wistful at weddings, all the good stuff. Vega is so sweet in this.

The Incident with the Elevator - Kaidan/Miranda, 4.9k, General

Oh no, they're stranded. In an elevator together. For hours. No choice but to...get to know each other.

Doesn’t go where you’d think sadly. Really nice rapport-building between Kaidan and Miranda, who I sneakily really love together.

Slivers of Time - Female Shepard/Wrex, 8.9k, Mature *

Shepard was alive, dammit, and Wrex would do whatever it took to bring her home. A look backwards at Shepard's recovery, life, and happiness after the Reapers were defeated - as seen by an old krogan.

Yooooooooo this fic is so perfectly bittersweet - also GREAT supporting turns from Zaeed and Jack. The ending is *chef’s kiss* (The M is mainly for violence, apologies Wrexfuckers.)

Stay - Samara/Nihlus, 14.2k, Explicit

While hunting down her daughter, Samara encounters a Spectre who has killed an innocent. The Spectre flees into the wilderness, and the pursuit ends up being more than either of them bargained for.

SCREAMING, CRYING, YELLING. It’s not only the Samara/Nihlus hatesex you always never knew you wanted, but it’s part horror, part devastating character study, part unlikely connection between lonely, broken souls. Run, don’t walk.

To Catch a Thief - Samantha/Kasumi, 3.3k, Mature *

Samantha Traynor is rather stuck on the enigmatic "Master Thief" working alongside her on her latest project for the Alliance. But can she catch the thief for herself?

Cute, hot, EXCELLENT Samantha. I need a Leverage-style TV show of this yesterday.

Mass Effect Andromeda

Be Kind, Rewind - Peebee/Female Ryder, 2.6k, Teen

In a quiet moment, Ryder and Peebee share memories of their respective childhoods.

I’m not as big into MEA as some, but I think Peebee’s romance is way underrated and this really captures their energy. Very sweet melding, but with an edge of playfulness.

I would also like to give a quick shout-out to my gift fics (thank you nonnies):

Fly Along With Me, I Can’t Quite Make It Alone: Kaidan/Garrus, 5.3k, Explicit

“I quit C-Sec today, Kaidan. I’m going to Omega.” He pauses and looks Kaidan square in the eye. “You could come with me.”

Takes One to Know One: Female Shepard/Aria, 7.5k, Teen

“Nice to see you, too,” Aria drawled. “Even if it took you entirely too long.”

“I believe she told you to fuck off,” the bartender said in a mild tone.

Shepard rather wanted both of them to fuck off.

“Humor me, Shepard,” Aria said coolly. “You owe me that much.”

Thanks to the hard work the mods put into making this exchange happen, and to the other participants for creating so much brilliant fic and art - please go forth and comment/kudos!

(* In the interests of full disclosure, I do know who wrote these, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re good)

[sketchyfletch]

Dammit Zom.

Thanks to @zombolouge​ for giving me the first Shep and Garrus I’ve cared about in years and also damn her for the SLOWEST GD BURN, I SWEAR TO GOD and also if you like krogans you’ll love this fic, go read ‘The Color of the Cosmos’ and ‘For her Grave a Galaxy’ on AO3

[thefloatingstone]

“Fix it” Shakarian Mass Effect Sequel concept

Hundreds (thousands? Considering Asari) of years go by after the end of ME3. Things settle down into normality. People settle down into their now new existence, cut off from the rest of the galaxy. Eventually they forget how to be homesick. People become happy. Shepard goes from being a hero to being a pietist.

Then something goes wrong. Something threatens what is now the known galaxy once again. The galaxy, settled and peaceful, is struck by the sudden threat and unprepared in their almost utopia. But they fight back, and they manage to stand their ground.

However things are not going well. The known galaxy simply does not know how to handle this threat. And although they’ve managed to dig in their heels, the leaders are doubtful as to how long they can last before this threat starts pushing hard and they all get trampled. This goes on for years, each side inching back and forth against each other.

During this time, a radical idea is suggested. Although outlawed for hundreds if not almost a 1000 years by this stage, it is suggested that what the Known galaxy needs is its savior once again, and the proposal is made to clone Commander Shepard so that she may lead them against this new threat, as someone who has not only seen and defeated the reapers, a much greater threat, but as someone who by now has an almost religious connotation to her. The idea is denied.

However, not long after, a heavy blow is struck by the threat against the known galaxy. The leaders find themselves facing total destruction as a very real possibility. In desperation, the cloning idea is reconsidered, and eventually approved.

(This is getting very long so more under the cut)

The cloning process does not take long. Despite the illegal nature of genetic engineering, the loophole that is Omni-gel had been refined again and again over the centuries, and the simple structure of the medical gel helps smooth over the next step of proper genetic engineering. off the record, a few unscrupulous scientists are enlisted as well, who have had more hands on experience with genetics. As for Shepard, things were a bit trickier. Having been lost during the last stand, it takes time before someone is contact by the being known as “The Shadow Broker”. The Broker offers the leaders a small box, supposedly made by Dr Tsoni, a scientist and comrade of Commander Shepard. It seems she had foreseen a possibility as this, and had stored a small sample of DNA from Commander Shepard before she was killed. The sample is old and despite preservation efforts, deteriorated in some parts. But after a brilliant suggestion to patch up the missing DNA code with the DNA sample from the Lazarus Project by the agency known as Cerberus from around the same time, a working DNA code is compiled, and not long after, an adult clone of Shepard is grown.

Reportedly the first thing the clone asks upon awakening is “Did it work?”

The Shepard Clone is a perfect copy of the former commander as far as genetics go. However, accurate accounts of her personality are hard to come by. And hero worship had all but stripped her of her humanity in cultural memory. The idea of Shepard being a mortal human with opinions and emotions comes as a difficult reality to the leaders. Nevertheless, she is filled in on the current threat and brought up to speed. Due to her genetic heritage, she is treated somewhere between a tool and a religious icon, neither of which she seems to like. But she recognises the threat, and despite misgivings about her current existence, agrees something needs to be done.

She jokingly states “That’s the second time I’ve died and had to come back. Third time I’m gonna demand a free coffee.”

The rest of the “Game” takes place after this as Shepard travels across the known galaxy, trying to piece together a plan against the threat which has already taken deep root n the Known Galaxy. After encountering some scientists and theorists and the usual group of kooks and weirdoes for teammates, an idea is formed to somehow reunite the Galaxy as one once more. An impossible task considering the destruction of the Mass Effect Relays during the Reaper War. However, Shepard mentions meeting the creators of the Reapers once, and considers they might have the knowledge needed to construct something similar to the relays. The only problem is, how to contact them again?

The story ensues, meetings are made with new friends and new enemies, the peaceful and borderline utopian society ends up being more of a setback than a boon as Shepard discovers, with the Galaxy residence not only being unequiped and inexperienced when facing this threat, but also hostile towards the very concept of the threat existing, and anyone that challenges their world view as they’ve come to enjoy it, including those people directly trying to save them from it.

On top of this, Shepards status as a clone is problematic for many higher-ups, and fractures start to appear in the Known Galaxy’s group of leaders. on TOP of this, Shepards near religious status also becomes problematic, as two groups slowly start to form around her return. The first being religious zealots, eager to owrship her as a reincarnated diety, and the OTHER is a group of religious zealots denouncing her as a false prophet who will doom them all.

Both have “security” forces. which become problematic.

One thing the leaders and scientists did not account for when creating Shepard was her strong emotional bonds to her former team-mates. Not only is her emotional scars from losing friends during the Reaper War still strong, but now its expounded upon by her loss of her friends who survived the war but are now long dead. She starts becoming prone to moodiness and brooding.

It is at this point that the scientists she recruited early on, the same scientist who suggested the Reuniting the galaxy idea and who worked on Shepards cloning project, suggests privately to Shepard that perhaps, due to the unique situation, he might make a suggestion. He mentions Tsoni’s box, saying that although the box did contain Shepard’s DNA and Tsoni’s obvious foresight that it might be needed some day, there were also personal affects in the box, seemingly addressed to Shepard herself. On top of this, there were also instructions to any geneticists planning to do what they did in cloning Shepard. He says it was not in his department, but he feels that, logically, if Shepard’s emotional state is compromised it might affect her resolve, which in turns hurts the Galaxy’s chances of survival. And he feels perhaps Tsoni’s message may help. (this dude is obviously a Salarian. Or whatever it is Salarians have become by now)

a mission is launched to retrieve the box, off the record as it is currently in custody by the Galactic leaders. However, Shepard has friends on the inside, and they help her and some squadmates slip in to retrieve it from the facilities.

They retrieve the box, and upon reading its contents, both addressed to her and to the geneticists, Shepard makes a shocking discovery; Liara it seems, was a VERY good Shadow Broker. But an even better friend. When she compiled the box for future generations should they ever need it, she had been approached by Garrus who pretty much kicked her door down and demanded she take a DNA sample from him and include it too. It seems there had been an argument that lasted several days of back and forth messaging and Garrus periodically showing up to shout at her. Eventually, Garrus managed to win her over to the idea, although Liara does not disclose what he eventually said that convinced her. The instructions to the geneticists tell them it is imperative to Shepard’s success in whatever it is they need her for that the turian sample also be cloned. She states they can ignore this advice if they want, but doing so would greatly diminish Shepard’s ability to fight their battles for them, and ignoring Liara is a good way to doom them all. After some searching Shepard and her squad locate a different facility where the second cloning process would have taken place.

Shepard is obviously angered that this has been kept from her. She is furious that Liara’s instructions were ignored, she is furious that Liara is no longer with her to support her, and she is furious at the thought that Liara’s instructions may have been ignored completely and there would be nothing to find.

However, again her scientist by-now-friend recommends giving it a shot. As he’s mostly concerned with surviving all this and figures any unorthodox means to keep him and the rest of the galaxy alive is perfectly ok no matter how weird it may sound. (this guy was also obviously one of the more unscrupulous scientists hired to work on the Shepard Clone project)

Another mission where Shepard and crew infiltrate the second facility. The mission is tense and Shepard is emotional compared to her usual steely resolve (although as usual only her friends would really notice the difference). However, it seems that the geneticists did follow Liara’s instructions, and Shepard finds Garrus locked up in the facility, patiently waiting for her. He apparently had no worries that if he waiting long enough she’d eventually show up guns blazing to come find him. It’s a difficult reunion, being in the middle of a mission, but Shepard and squad manage to smuggle Garrus out and onboard Shepard’s ship.

A more personal and emotional reunion happens in private.

The Garrus that joins Shepard is a Garrus that lived past the Reaper War. It’s a Garrus that is familiar, but a little sadder. But at the same time, whatever extra sadness he carries, seems to fuel his devotion and happiness just to be near Shepard again. It’s an intensity in affection, but being completely alone in this future galaxy, its the companionship Shepard needs. Together, the two of them manage to heal both their wounds by being together. Shepard’s wounds of existentialism and her questionable humanity, and Garrus as a grieving lover in a peaceful world where everyone else was happy and content but him.

Garrus is also helpful in filling in gaps in Shepard’s memories she suffers due to the DNA gaps filled with her Lazarus DNA, which was before the end of ME3. Garrus does not like talking about it very much, but he talks anyway.

At some point during the adventure Shepard asks Garrus what he said to convince Liara. He shrugs and jokes “That you’d never make it without me around.” he then softens and corrects himself. “Actually, what I really told her was that there is no Shepard without Vakarian. And after the whole reaper mess… it was clear to me there was no Vakarian without Shepard either. Not really.”

The “game” goes on. Shepard gets in trouble with the galactic leaders for breaking rules like she always does. She fights religious zealots. She patches up diplomacies that have broken over time. She breaks physics to try and find the creators of the Reapers and THEN by building a new Relay.

The religious zealots on both sides eventually join forces somehow. Possibly those seeing Shepard as a false prophet have decided she IS a diety, but one of destruction, and the religious zealots who already believe she is a diety agreeing. They need to be dealt with AS WELL as the outside threat.

After many battles, missions, recruitment, close calls, diplomacy missions, digging up the past, questioning Utopia vs Imperfect survival, What it means to be “human” etc etc we find out the “outside threat” is, in fact, coming from within the Galaxy. It is not an outside threat at all, but a part of the fracture galaxy that has become war-like, and eager to absorb and “unite” the rest of the galaxy under it. Much like Shepard is trying to do… but the “evil” way.

big fights, big missions blah blah blah and eventually, in the end, Shepard and her team are victorious.

This time however, she survives and Garrus survives and they live to see the Galaxy reuniting, slowly, as they construct new relays.

At the very end, Shepard tells Garrus she feels guilty. She wonders if Shepard 1 resents her for surviving this time. That it may be better if she had died during this mission too, and that perhaps it was the fate of every Shepard to come, save, and then die. And if she has somehow broken the very idea of “Shepard” by daring to still be there after the end.

Garrus comments that he remembers being Garrus 1, unlike her. And Garrus 1 was pissed off that he didn’t get to survive with Shepard beside him. He also comments that “Garrus 1 is probably sitting at the bar and yelling down “Shut up and live happily ever after already!” over his drink.” and that he’s pretty sure Shepard 1 is sitting right beside him,

The end.

(P.S. hire me, Bioware.)

[ficbrish]

Weekend Chapter 3

“Wait! There’s no Smut in this One!” [AO3 Link]

Rating: Explicit, 18+ only

Tags: During Canon, Mass Effect 2, Post-Horizon (Mass Effect), Pre-Suicide Mission (Mass Effect), Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), Colonist (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect), Sentinel (Mass Effect), Paragade (Mass Effect), POV Alternating, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Shameless Smut, Fluff and Smut, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Some Humor, Reunion Sex, Dom Kaidan Alenko, Light Dom/sub, Mutual Pining, Grief/Mourning, Misuse of Biotics, Rough Sex, Kissing, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Masturbation, Shower Sex, Choking, Dorks in Love, I Will Go Down With This Ship

[Previous Chapter]

[All Chapters]

Get a grip on yourself, you’ve faced worse than this.

She could barely look at herself.

Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

The water was running in the sink. She needed to shut it off if she wasn’t going to use it.

There was a knock on the door. Her panic grew.

“Sorry, I just thought maybe you’d need this.”

“What?”

“Open the door.”

She could open the door, that was certainly an option. Or she could never open the door. She could die in there and never face him again.

Shepard opened the door.

Kaidan wasn’t wearing a shirt, and he was looking at the floor. He was also holding—

“It’s a toothbrush,” he said, “I thought you might want one.”

He wasn’t meeting her eyes. Great, that could mean anything.

If Liara were here, she would just ask him. Wrex… Wrex would just punch him in the face and run. Tali would be saying it constantly, she’s Tali. And Garrus… Garrus wouldn’t be caught dead saying it at all.

“Thanks,” she said, taking it and shutting the door. Slam! She leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.

“You okay?” he asked from the other side of the door.

“Yeah,” she called out.

It was so embarrassing.

Kaidan clutched his datapad, frantically searching for messages. Out of his 14 students, only 3 could be that awkward. Okay, maybe 5. Or any of them. He put the tablet down to rub his face stressfully with both hands.

Shepard opened the door, saw him, and shut it again. He didn’t even notice.

He picked up his tablet again and frowned at the screen. He had no new messages, but that didn’t tell him anything. So he looked at who was on grunt duty today, and—

Oh no, not Marianne!

Out of the two on schedule for today, Ben and Marianne were both capable of the fumble, but Marianne was also the biggest gossip. She was very sweet, and a massively talented biotic, but if it wasn’t locked behind red tape, the girl couldn’t keep a secret.

He sighed and stretched, arms above his head. He put the datapad down and went about salvaging their breakfast. At this point, the damage was done. Why not enjoy the rest of the moment while waiting for the fists to fall?

Right?

No. No, nothing about this was right.

Shepard was brushing her teeth like she was angry at them. They played their part, they were guilty as accomplices.

A fucking toothbrush?! How considerate. This is why she hated him. She slammed it on the counter when she finished and spat.

He did say he loved her. Loved, past tense. He was bristling then, and he walked out of her life, refusing her open arms. This wasn’t love for him, he’d moved on. This was closure. After all, she came to him. He just took the blessings as she gave them. Who wouldn’t?

She leaned over to get water from the faucet in her mouth for one more rinse. As she bent over, she thought about if he was behind her in such detail that she could almost feel him there. His solid thigh pressed tight against hers as he moved back and forth...

God dammit!

It was clear, and it was blaring.

A single message from Ben to Marianne: Yoooooooooooooooooooooo

Of course it was fucking Ben! He reminded Kaidan of himself at that age in every way except that Ben was an asshole. And he told Marianne… oh no, no, nonononononono—

In any other circumstance, Commander Alenko would never abuse his security clearance to read the private messages on the base’s network. He also never thought he’d brush off work for sex.

Shepard finally stepped back into the room. His stomach flipped with happiness and guilt. She was covered in a robe he always had around but never wore. Her hair was in her face again. She looked shy, but she had a smile on her face. Then her eyes widened at the display in front of her, and he smiled too.

Reheated eggs and toast were neatly plated next to each other on the table from the night before. Datapads were decoratively spread around its surface, displaying soundless videos of various flowers swaying in the wind.

She felt her face burn. Why was he like this?

To make things even worse, he came up to her and held her close. She heard his heart beating against her ear that was pressed into his chest. He kissed the top of her head and pushed her hair back, out of her face. His voice boomed through her torso as he said, “I thought you might want something to eat.”

That was just Kaidan. Things like this were easy for him. He wasn’t alone in the world the way she was. The stakes were not the same.

It had nothing to do with what she said.

Teach fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks ya’ll (Marianne to 13 other recipients)

Kaidan snatched away his wrist as the group chat notification came up on his omni-tool. He turned it off as they sat down together, and tried his best to ignore the blinking yellow light that indicated new messages from the personal datapad by his side.

Shepard couldn’t read his mood until she saw his face when they sat down. She definitely said it. Most likely while crying, and for sure while, well—But she still didn’t know what that mood meant. Was it because he didn’t feel that way anymore? Or maybe he thought she didn’t really mean it?

Did she mean it?

Kaidan was looking down at the tablet without flowers.

I thought he was an angry virgin (Ben again).

Oh, he FUCKS! You can tell, it’s in the eyes. (Oh God, not Shy little Shawna!)

“Kaidan?”

“Huh—What?” He looked up and she was staring at him.

Shepard wanted to ask him if he was okay, but was afraid of the answer.

“Thank you,” she said.

He was mad at himself. They had such a small sliver of time together and he was missing it.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“Why are you sorry?”

“My mind hasn’t been here where it needs to be.”

Here it comes. Shepard started eating.

“Woah, these are good,” she said, totally not trying to change the subject.

“Oh, yeah, we have chickens.”

“You have chickens?”

“Yeah.”

“In space?”

“Yeah.”

“Space chickens?”

“I mean, technically all chickens are in space. And we are on a moon, Shepard.”

“With a toxic atmosphere!”

“Beside the point.”

“Why space chickens?”

“It’s cheaper.”

“Cheaper?”

“Yeah, than shipping. It was my idea,” he said, then, “Wait, why are you interested in space chickens?”

“So you’re saying it? They are space chickens?”

“Essie...”

“Don’t ‘Essie’ me, Kaidan!”

It was annoying how much it turned him on when she got all stubborn. She was annoying when she got all stubborn.

“What’s going on with you, Shepard?”

And of course he asked her outright. That was Kaidan too.

It spilled out, “I don’t think you want me here, and if you don’t, I’m not ready to talk about it, because I don’t want to leave yet.”

He took her hand. “I want you here,” he said.

Then he looked back at the screen by his side. He looked horrified.

Oh god.

What happened? (David C.)

Ben didn’t want to leave the stuff he had to give him on the floor. left it on his office desk instead (Marriane’s nosy ass)

Slapslapslapslapslapslapslap (Ben)

No way! I’m waking up David Lee. (David C.)

Some moon bitch in there screaming like he’s killing her. (Ben. God Dammit, Ben!)

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! (Shy Shawna)

Please tell me we aren’t listening to Ben and Marriane (Jerrol)

There’s no bitches on this moon (David Lee)

Then who was it then?! (Ben)

Moon Bitch! (David C.)

Slapslapslapslapslapslap (Ben)

It would be hot if it was that Krogan. (Shy Shawna)

Moon Bitch! (Jerrol)

What was his name? Wrex? (Shy Shawna)

Moon Bitch! (Ben)

Kaidan knew he had to handle this, but how? And more pressingly, he didn’t want to handle it. Shepard was here. He didn’t know why or how, but that stuff wasn’t important. Well, it was, but he wouldn’t let it be. Not right now.

He started to eat too, and Shepard watched the way his jaw tensed angrily as he chewed.

This whole thing was probably a lot for him, and she didn’t blame him. That didn’t stop the dry feeling of dread from growing in the depths of her shoulders. It felt like her back was screaming for wings to grow and carry her away.

“They’re alive,” he said absently.

“What?”

“The flowers, it’s all live feeds.”

She cocked her head, and he gestured to the screens decorating the table.

“Oh!”

“Do you recognize these?” he asked, pointing to the tablet in the middle.

They were yellow and purple, and had a lot of tiny bunches of petals united on one stem. They were from Mindoir. She'd told him about these last year, three years ago. He’d asked her about her favorites. Who does that?

She turned back to him with a curious look. He answered with a pleased expression.

“I always told you I’d bring you flowers on our first date.”

“This isn’t our first date.”

“Shepard, bending you over some ruins in the Presidium is not a date.”

“But it was fun!”

“Still doesn’t make it a real date.”

She laughed, and Kaidan watched the expression play out on her face while stroking her hair. It smelled exactly like his renewed memory of it, but her shampoo was different.

And so was her hair.

"Purple, Shepard?"

"You don't like it?"

"It's great. I've just been wondering since Hor-" Kaidan's throat ran dry and he cleared it, "Since I saw you last. Why change it?"

"Did no one ever give you the bisexual code of conduct?" she asked sheepishly, and winked, "Dyeing one's hair is a certified trauma response."

She smiled at him, obviously proud of her joke. No one was going to take this from him. No matter the fallout from Alliance brass, or even Cerberus.

“I still don’t get why you’re with them and not here,” he said.

No one was going to ruin this for him, except himself.

“Kaidan…”

“You’re right, sorry. I told myself I wouldn’t let that matter right now.”

A healthy person would probably appreciate him saying that, but she was undead, not healthy.

“It didn’t seem to matter to you earlier when you were knee-deep in my neck.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“You did.”

“No, not that! Use you like that. Who do you think I am?”

“I don’t know, Kaidan, who do you think I am?”

He wanted to make everything better, but all he could say was, “I don’t know.”

That stung. But she understood it. When things settled down a little meant after Cerberus, and she was still—But after Cerberus was no guarantee! What if she didn’t come back from where she was going? What if this was all they had left?

“I don’t have a better option.”

“I can think of a few.”

“Really? And what have they done?”

He couldn’t answer.

“Kaidan, I’m using them because the world is burning.”

He nodded, “And they handed you the biggest bucket.”

“What?—Sure.”

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes,” she shrugged, saying it with such a practiced air of casual pep that she sounded like a door-to-door salesman. Her hands were shaking very slightly. It was more apparent when she held her fork.

“But you don’t want to be there?” he asked, stern concern mixed with bit of hope in his voice.

She wasn’t meeting his eyes when she answered, “It’s fine.”

He knew not to press further.

“So,” he said, “How are you going to save the world this time?”

“If I told you the details, you’d never let me leave this room.”

“That’s not true, I’d let you use the bathroom.”

They smiled at each other, amused, but it didn’t lift the heaviness around them. The reality of their situation was tearing at the seams of their happy reunion.

“Are you going to be okay, Shepard?” Kaidan asked her. Other furious questions churned within him, but they didn’t deserve to be heard.

Shepard wanted to lie, as she always did when people asked her that these days. But she'd given Liara her first honest answer, and Kaidan was the person she used to tell everything to.

Used to.

“I’m going to be fine,” she said, then met his eyes, “I think. I don’t know.”

Kaidan grabbed her hand. He’d travelled the stars, and nothing he'd ever found felt better, or was more beautiful to look at, than her hand.

“I’m terrified,” she admitted, “I was dead, and now I’m not, and I’m running right back to it while I can still feel my lungs bursting whenever I shut my eyes.”

She stated it like a fact, like they were just talking about weather. But her hands were coated with an anxious sweat. He had no idea how to fix it.

“Tell me about it.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Because of Cerberus?”

“No, because I’m here with you, and I don’t want to think about anything else.”

There was always enough detail, enough truth in what she said, but there was also always something missing. Suspicion clawed at his heart, and those old doubts bubbled up.

“I don’t want to think about anything else either,” he said, squeezing her hand. He felt her squeeze back.

“Then let’s not,” Shepard said with relief.

She was either sincere or protecting Cerberus secrets. The yellow light on his tablet was blinking like madness.

Shepard saw his eyes wonder to the same datapad that occupied him earlier, the one right by his side. She wondered what important work she was keeping him from. She’d asked him to step away from it all before, but she still felt bad for tearing him away, even for a day.

Slapslapslapslapslapslap (Zara)

What if it was Commander Shepard? (Marianne)

Slapslapslapslapslapslapslap (Kenny)

She died. It can’t be her (Talitha)

Cummander Sexherd (Ben)

*link to video “Commander Shepard Wrecks a Reporter”*  Oh, she’s alive. (Marianne)

Ben, you ruined it (Zara)

Slapslapslapslapslapslapslap (David C.)

Moon Bitch! (David Lee)

Cummander Sex-Her! (Ben)

“Am I keeping you from something?” asked Cummander Sex-Her—Commander Shepard!

“Just typical Alliance stuff,” he said dismissively. His cheeks were burning.

“Anything I can help with?” she offered.

That anxiety was back. He hated it.

“I can’t discuss anything Alliance with you, Shepard.”

“Oh.”

“Not while…”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

She took her hand away, “No, I get it.”

The growing distance between them descended like a horror.

“I just need time,” he pleaded. “I still don’t know what to believe. All I know is you’ve been out of my life for over two years, and now you’re working for Cerberus.”

“I’m not working for them, I’m using them!”

Great. They were back here.

“How do you know they aren’t using you back?”

Her eyes were dark when she answered, “I know they’re using me, Kaidan. They’re so obvious about it that it’s insulting.”

Her voice had that pitch in it that was only there when she was truly irate.

“Everyone there has been bought and paid for until they’re blinded, but I was literally bought and paid for without a say. That’s the vital difference. I hate them. I see them. The Illusive Man isn’t smart, he just has a lot of money. The Normandy and I cost him a lot of it, and when I destroy the Collectors, I will rip us both away from him with his best people on board. When I win this, he gets nothing!”

This must be the final view many have seen in their moment before death. She was fury, murderous and gorgeous. Kaidan's biotics flared in his eyes. He was ready to kill when she was.

They had both changed so much.

“What do you get though, Shepard?”

The truth was, she was fighting for nothing more than a world where he could stay alive. Kaidan would always be home, even if she wasn’t welcome anymore.

“I get revenge. I want to see his face fall when he loses everything the same way he gloated over mine when—” she stopped, her face hot.

He started to laugh. It made her furious.

“What?!” she snapped.

“I’ve been hunting them down since you—”

“Died, Kaidan. I died.”

“Okay, since then.”

He held out his hand to her. She grabbed it again.

“My only solace this past year has been sabotaging them and shutting down their cells.”

“How many did you manage?”

“Four, but there could be hundreds.”

“One of them was bringing me back to life.”

“I’ll have to send them a ‘thank you’ card.”

She snorted. It was ugly and adorable.

Her laughter stopped.

Then she said, “I woke up with two years of my life stolen, and the rest of it gifted back.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Then we won’t.”

“Thank you.”

The yellow dot was angrily blinking up at him from the table. He picked up his datapad and moved it to the shelf nearby.

“We don’t have to deal with anything we don’t want to right now,” he said as he sat back down.

“We don’t?”

“No, I just want to enjoy you.”

“Me too.”

“Oh, and for the record,” Kaidan said, “This still doesn’t count as our first date.”

[Next Chapter]

[All Chapters]

[fanfoolishness]

Interview with a Fic Writer

Tagged by @novantinuum, thank you!

__

How many works do you have on AO3?

242 works. The actual fuck??? Wow, me. Of course, this does span about 9 years, so I guess that's not that insane?

What’s your total word count on AO3

549,737! But that averages out to only 2271 words per story, haha. You got me! I think I have less than 10 fics that have more than 1 chapter. I love one-shots, what can I say?

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Oh, you want to get into this? All right. We'll get into this:

The X-Files, proto-fandom, ur-fandom, first OTP ever... yeah, 15-year-old me went. WILD. Many horrible Mulder/Scully stories, and some Doggett/Scully and character study stories as well. Mostly not very good, but with occasional flashes of decent writing. Really had a difficult time writing romantic feelings between 30+ year-olds given a) I did not date in high school and b) was 17 and not an emotionally stunted FBI agent.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - not a huge volume of stories, but definitely some very angsty Spuffy and Spike tales.

Harry Potter - just one published fic (Lupin grieving Sirius), and one with Snape and Harry having a heart to heart I could never quite get right.

Then came the dark times (vet school) where I was exhausted and hard at work for a few years and I thought, horribly, I might have outgrown fandom. Thank god for...

X-Men First Class and the undying love of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr! I'd never fallen for a slash ship before but my god I fell hard for this one and wrote my first fandom smut and my first real AU (mutants with zombies) that I never finished.

Then.... let's see...

Quantum Leap drabbles!

Two Avatar the Last Airbender fics!

Agents of SHIELD fics, mostly focused on Coulson and FitzSimmons, and super angsty.

Bioshock Infinite sads (god I love writing the sad bad dad)!

And then the juggernauts of Mass Effect (my longest fic to date with 30 chapters!) and Dragon Age, which were endlessly productive and are still productive given the variety of different protagonists you can create, different choices, and different relationships to canon characters. I'm still working on a Hawke/Varric fic in the back of my mind here.

There's one random Gravity Falls fic (wish I could have got a little more obsessed with it, or gotten into it while it aired) of Stan sads, and one tiny Avengers ficlet of a sad Tony and Peter.

There's one Wheel of Time fic! Dammit I wanted Rand and Tam to reunite so much sooner than they did.

40-odd Steven Universe fics! So many SU fics!

One random Schitt's Creek fic of David and Patrick!

And finally, The Mandalorian, with 47 fics. Phew!!!

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. The Invitation, The Mandalorian. Din Djarin finds himself in dreams that seem realer than real, reminding him of his loss, but he begins to find a sense of hope again. A promise is kept.

2. The Outstretched Hand, The Mandalorian. Din Djarin is a man of action, but sometimes, the quiet finds its way in. Din reckons with the aftermath of the events of Chapter 14, the Tragedy. (My very first Mando fic!)

3. Not the Sentimental Type, Steven Universe. Priyanka Maheswaran has long prided herself on keeping her emotions in check. But a mother's love can only grow, and sometimes it expands to people she never anticipated. Like the Universe boy.

4. Translation, The Mandalorian. Din Djarin was a man of few words, but many languages. Some might have thought the Child had no language at all. Din Djarin and the Child grow to understand each other.

5. Full Disclosure, Steven Universe. Just as the world begins to recover from Spinel's attack, Steven starts having nightmares. The more he ignores his fears, the worse they become, until he's left with no other choice but to ask for help. (My thoughts on what would drive Steven Universe Future, and I wasn't far off.)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I really try to! Even sometimes years later if I realize I've missed some. I appreciate each and every one, and have definitely made friendships through comments <3

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Oh, hell... I'm too lazy to link these but if anyone wants to read them let me know or find them on my AO3!

A Stopped Clock from Bioshock Infinite has Booker DeWitt ravaged by Korsakoff's amnesia from his long-standing alcoholism. Is Columbia real or imagined? Hard to say.

The Viscount's Way shows Varric Tethras having become his parent, and a cruel, hard viscount of Kirkwall.

Songs in the Key of Red shows how Cullen fared under the dark future in Redcliffe in DAI, and they write happy endings, don't they? shows what happened to Varric. Both horribly depressing in different ways!

Two by Two, Hands of Blue shows a not unexpected end to lyrium addiction :( Poor Cullen, he got a lot of angsty developments, didn't he?

Do you write crossovers? If so, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever written?

Never really got into crossovers or AUs. Just... meh for me!

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

No, I don't think so.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Charles/Erik, Shepard/Garrus, Shepard/Liara, Shepard/Tali, a mess of different f/f femShep drabbles, and most of my Dragon Age pairings have gotten sexytimes. On the other hand I helped start the NoRomo Mando tag for the Mandalorian to help find non-pairing Mandalorian content. Depends on the pairing and the fandom, for sure.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope, thank goodness!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think so! There used to be a Spanish-language wiki linking to some of my old X-Files stories XD

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but friends and I definitely will beta each others' things to help with sticky points.

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

ALL-TIME? Just, why? So many ships I loved in years past turned out to have pretty damn problematic elements I didn't see at the time, so it's hard to say... Mulder/Scully actually has a ton of issues, Buffy/Spike obviously has issues... so maybe Hawke/Varric (except not canon!) or Garrus/Shepard or Brosca/Alistair.

What’s a WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Still need to finish my Hawke/Varric fic for after Adamant! I have 3 chapters written that I haven't posted. Maybe posting them will help inspire me....

What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue and POV writing from different characters; I feel fantastic writing Steven and Greg, though totally at sea trying to write from Connie's POV, randomly. But I think my dialogue and emotional beats are what people tend to tune in for. When I do write romance, it's usually very sweet and silly and pulled from life. I also love writing nature scenes and settings to help establish mood. Mood and emotion and catharsis are my bread and butter, and I like my poetic prose.

What are your writing weaknesses?

What the hell is a long, well-thought-out plot? Like what even is that???? My longest fic with 30 chapters is basically "Shepard has PTSD and hangs out with her crew. They have some funerals." THAT'S IT. How the heck people actually come up with plot that ties into the lore of a fandom I genuinely have no idea and it's the biggest thing that's held me back from finishing original work. I can come up with a setting and characters and then trying to make them do stuff that's more than just talking to other characters and deepening their relationships with them... how the fuck???

I also definitely have 10-20 words that I am in constant danger of reusing like every other paragraph, LOL!

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I don't speak any other languages so I always avoid it as much as possible. I've seen people describe sign differently in fics and picked one way to depict it that made sense to me for Grogu, but that's about it.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files, of course!

What’s your favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Towards Another Day, the tale of how Cullen went from being a templar in Kirkwall to commander of the Inquisition, is definitely up there.

Reverberations is one of my rare multi-chaptered fics and one of my favorite for the catharsis at the end. It makes me tear up every time. 5 times Din and Grogu encounter the Dark Side, and one time they find the Light.

Either a world for the birds (Steven develops a closer relationship with his Uncle Andy, learning birdwatching along the way) or on the subject of rocks (Steven and Jasper finally reach a peace) might take the prize for favorite SU fic.

__

Tagging (if you’re super bored and would like a fun thing to do) fellow writers:

@lastwordbeforetheend, @runrundoyourstuff, @honestlyhufflepuff, @art3mys, and @fake-starwars-fan if you would like to play!

[thanksjro]

All Hail Megatron #15: Dang Bro, That Sure is a Redeemable Dude Right There

So, before we get into Season 2 of MTMTE, I thought it would be prudent to take a gander at all the stuff Megatron’s gotten done in the IDW publications. Y’know, for plot reasons. And also because of this little nugget of info I found forever ago:

Of course, just jumping straight into the 15th issue of a run isn’t going to give me a proper understanding of what happens narratively, so here is a very brief rundown of the events of AHM #1-14.

First thing I see- cover with Megatron holding the American flag in one hand and Optimus Prime’s head on a fucking pike in the other.

Shane McCarthy wrote several issues of this run. So expect some Empire of Stone vibes.

2009 Josh Burcham appears to not know how to color black people’s skin. I have no idea if he’s improved on this deficiency in his skills, but a person can hope.

Megatron kills a literal skyscraper���s worth of people. (was that allowed in 2009? I thought we were still being weird about that sort of thing back then, with 9/11 and all.)

A fighter pilot looks at a photograph of his significant other. This is how you know he’s going to die.

Megatron slaps a plane so hard it explodes, and then laughs about it. While all this is happening, Optimus is fucking dying on Cybertron. This makes Jazz very upset.

What seems like the entire goddamn US military is called in to deal with this intergalactic terrorist attack.

The Decepticons destroy all the bridges and tunnels connected to NYC.

Los Angeles and San Diego are also under attack.

Estimated 200K people dead. This is issue #3.

Megatron holds all of NYC hostage.

The Decepticons annihilate a destroyer-class warship.

San Francisco and Washington D.C. are overtaken.

Air Force One has been destroyed.

Megatron acts like an asshole to Starscream.

The Decepticons attack all of the United States.

The President of the United States is dead.

Megatron ripped the Matrix out of Optimus’ chest.

The shit that’s happening to America is also happening at all the other Autobot outposts.

This is also about the time that Overlord starts his terrorizing of Garrus 9.

Megatron says that the destruction of those weaker than himself is a “reward”.

Megatron doesn’t believe in the sanctity of life.

Beijing and Israel are destroyed by the Decepticons.

Megatron commissioned the Insecticons as beings of pure torment, for reasons.

Megatron commissions Bombshell to do some really fucked up shit to Hunter O’Nion.

Megatron waits around for Starscream to Starscream it up, then beats the everloving shit out of his employees.

Megatron doesn’t believe in an academic approach to warfare, for some reason.

Megatron’s totally cool with NYC getting nuked.

Megatron was planning on reprogramming his troops into being nice fellas once he beat the Autobots.

Megatron believes in ownership in those beneath him. He’s completely convinced that anyone in the Decepticon forces is essentially his property.

Megatron knees Optimus below the belt. That’s just poor sportsmanship.

The only reason Megatron survives a gunshot to the face is that he messed with Starscream’s head earlier in the day.

Thundercracker caught a nuclear bomb, tossed it into the stratosphere, and shot it. I don’t think he realizes that the fallout is still going to spread across the globe.

The Matrix is still in Decepticon hands.

Starscream’s head is in a friggin’ dark-ass place.

Then there’s some stuff setting up Galvatron and Cyclonus’ whole deal, but who cares about that? On to issue #15!

Motherfucker, that’s a Radiohead song-

The proper story of AHM ended with issue #12, and the issues after were split into two separate stories, written by two separate teams, which detailed events taking place after the main story was resolved. A series of epilogue scenes, if you will. We’ll only be looking at the first story, because it’s the only one that’s relevant to what I’m doing here.

Our official writer for “Everything in it’s Right Place” is Nick Roche, who we’ve run into several times over our journey through IDW. A majority of the story beats will be attributed to him, of course, seeing as Roberts was, at the time, only mentioned as assisting, and also not employed by the publishing company.

Our story opens with Prowl getting socked in the face by Springer, because he’s upset that his grandpa has gone AWOL. Perceptor’s also missing, but this isn’t about him. Prowl, whose shins are looking especially shiny today, lets Springer know that they’ve “got Kup back.”

See, once upon a time, Kup was stuck on a little planet called Tsiehshi, where Shockwave was growing one of his ores. Kup became addicted to the… thrall, I guess, of the crystals, and it drove him mad, making him hallucinate that he was being attacked by ghosts. What was actually happening was he was violently murdering his rescuers with his bare hands. When the Autobots finally managed to get him off the planet, he got shipped to Kimia, where the smartest boy in all the galaxy, Brainstorm, could work his science on him.

Guess they don’t call him Brainstorm for noth-

I’m so sorry.

Springer very much dislikes the fact that some dweebs in a lab are poking around in his Pap-pap thinking meat. He’s even less thrilled when he finds out how exactly they fixed said thinking meat.

Kup’s now a Pretender. The Stormbringer miniseries covered this process, and let’s just say, Springer’s got every right to be concerned, considering that the last time someone tried something like this, Cybertron was made completely uninhabitable. They’ve made breakthroughs, however, as Prowl keeps saying. He says it a lot, actually.

This is because Prowl is a bastard, and is also using the Pretender tech to make Kup into something for his own agenda. Which, I hopefully shouldn’t have to tell you, is kind of a shitty thing to do.

Springer is shown footage of Kup kicking some ass, and notices that he’s got something in his mouth. This is his vape rig, full of medicinal marijuana.

Dammit, Prowl, let me make a weed joke! This is because you’re a cop, isn’t it?

Prowl continues to be a complete and utter fucker in his internal monologue until Springer asks to see Grandpa. They head to the lab to find Kup in pieces, though it’s completely medically sound in this case. Kup has a minor absolutely-horrific hallucination, but he’s okay once he gets his cy-gar back.

We get a flashback to Prowl making sure Perceptor put the nasty, nasty bad-time programming into Kup’s head, because he’s sick of losing the war, and a single old man will surely turn the tides. Or, at least, it will when he’s damn charismatic and folks listen to him way more than they do Prowl.

Back in the present, Springer asks that Kup not be told what happened on Tsiehshi, because it’s kind of a major bummer. Prowl reflects on how only the cool kids get paid attention to, and assumes that the Decepticons are a much more organized machine. Clearly he hasn’t heard about how Overlord lives his life.

Anyway, so Kup is now a mouthpiece for Prowl, and he doesn’t even know it. That’s pretty fucked.

So, what have we learned from this experience? Well, even though Roberts didn’t personally assist on the actual Megatron-related portions of AHM, we can see where the character was, and I think that’s far more important than deconstructing Prowl’s whole deal at the moment.

God, I don’t know that redeeming this bastard’s going to be possible, James, but somehow I think you already knew that, given how you’ve written the guy in the past.

Yeah, you fuckin’ thought I forgot about Literally Hitler Megatron, didn’t you?

Well I didn’t.

[fanfarescribe]

Kiss Prompt: semiconscious kiss, Garrus/Shep

Mass Effect! I dont remember much of Mass Effect so please bear with me. I think this would take place around the second game before they hook up.

This might be massively OOC. But I love these two and I can’t resist throwing my favorite Scientist Salarian in the mix. 

If this seems shmaltzy or cheesy, just know that I created this with LOVE dammit! Hope you like it @secretwriterstudentjaune

Warning: Battle mentions, burn mentions, hospitals

Shepherd opens her eyes slightly, her ears are ringing and the entire world is foggy. She’s laying on a terrain made of stone, that much she can tell, that and the agonizing pain coursing through her body and her head. Her ears are still ringing very loudly, but she can start to hear the muffled booms from the battle. As well as the muffled sounds of a voice. She can feel someone shake her, trying to stir her awake, but to no avail, try as she might, Shepherd can’t bring herself to full consciousness, she keeps slipping in and out. She feels someone pick her up and carry her away, likely to safety. The person smells familiar, she likes this scent, she can never place her finger on what the scent is, but it’s a comforting one.

“...Gar...rus…?” She mutters, her throat feeling dry. She can hear the Turian say something in response but she barely makes it out.

“...ry not to spea… st...with me….Commander…” He’s talking too much, he needs to calm down. She instinctively reaches up and kisses him on his...lips? She was never sure…

Well it worked, he’s quieter now. Just as her consciousness is fading, she feels herself being handed off to someone else.

---

Shepherd feels herself stirring awake, confined on a hospital bed. She looks around, her vision clearing up. The medical bay on the Normandy.

“Ah. Good. Finally awake.” She knows THAT voice. Mordin makes himself known, the hyperactive Salarian doctor checking her vitals, rapidly asking questions like what her name is, what her birthdate is, making sure she is fully conscious. But she has her mind on one thing.

“What happened with the mission? Did we manage to capture...” “Worry not, the mission was a success. You and Garrus compromised during infiltration, grenade tossed at feet.”

“That doesn’t sound like a success…” Shepherd mutters, and her anxiety heightens. “Is Garrus--??” “Garrus is fine. From what he told me, you pushed Garrus out of the way. Blast would have killed you, had Garrus not called for me instantly as he did. Held onto you as if his life depended on it. He took control of the mission when it was clear you weren’t waking up anytime soon.”

Shepherd feels a sense of pride in her chest, as well as a sense of guilt for putting him in that situation.

Mordin smiles at her. “Be at peace.” He pets her head. “Sustained some burns and internal bleeding, need to stay in bed for a while.” He looks up and sees Garrus lingering by the door. “Must go to storage. Please excuse.” He injects Shepherd with a sedative and leaves the room with a coy smile on his face. Shepherd wonders what that’s about.

Garrus looks at Sheperd and looks a bit nervous about something, but also looks like he really wants to say something.

“Hey.” Shepherd smiles, voice soft. “How are you doing?” “Well, I’m not confined to the med-bay bed because I got blasted by a grenade.” Garrus says. “That was you.” He sighs. “Why did you do it?”

Shepherd chuckles. “It was an instinct for me. Guess I’m just as protective as you.” “Please try not to do that again. You really scared me.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll try.” Shepherd smiles. She’s feeling very lighthearted and sleepy. Whatever drugs Mordin gave her, it’s working.

“Hey, do you remember...What happened when I carried you to safety?” The Turian tentatively asks. Shepherd tilts her head. “No. Just remember infiltrating. Why did I do something weird?” Shepherd asks.

“No no. You just… Startled me a little when you woke up briefly.” “Hm..” Shepherd couldn’t really ask why as the drugs were kicking in and she was drifting off to sleep, knowing fully well that she has her trusted partner by her side.