#artemis turian

[stormikins]

ME1 Systems

This list was made to not only catalogue where missions were, but to also make note of all the collectibles that you can scan for.

*this list was based off of Legendary Edition, but it should still be applicable for the OG trilogy(?)

The formatting is as follows:

>System Cluster -System name Planets Missions

*if there are multiple asteroid belts in a system, Asteroid belt 1 refers to the belt closest to the star.

*Cardinal directions are used to describe where the collectible is in belts, and so north is the top of the screen, east is right, etc.

A ME3 list will be coming soon! And if people are interested I can document all the discovery blurbs you get from scanning non-minerals: insignias, writings, etc. (hell, I might do it anyways but its nice to know I'm not shouting into the void)

If you find any discrepancies or have any questions let me know!

—

>Argos Rho: 

-Gorgon’s scannable planets: None

*note: only unlocked after UNC: Listening Post Theta and Alpha

Mission - UNC: Depot Sigma-23

-Hydra’s scannable planets:

Canrum (planet 4, turian insignia)

Metgos (planet 2, mission - UNC: Distress Call)

Syba (planet 5, gas deposit)

-Phoenix’s scannable planets:

Carbonaceous Asteroid (first belt, north of star; prothean data disk)

Patashi (planet 1, rare element)

Tuntau (planet 3, mission - Wrex: Family Armor)

Vebinok (planet 4, light metal)

>Armstrong Nebula: 

-Gagarin’s scannable planets: 

Antirumgon (planet 5, light metal)

Junthor (planet 1, matriarch’s writing)

Rayingri (planet 3, mission - Geth Incursion)

-Hong’s scannable planets:

Casbin (planet 2, mission - Geth Incursion)

Matar (planet 3, Matriarch’s Writings)

Treagir (planet 5, light metal)

-Tereshkova’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt (east of star, medallion)

Anitbaar (planet 1, mission - Geth Incursion)

Patamalrus (planet 2, heavy metal)

Thegeuse (planet 4, heavy metal)

-Vamshi’s scannable planets: Completed

Pregel (planet 2, turian insignia)

Maji (planet 1, mission - Geth Incursion)

-Grissom’s scannable planets:

*Note: only unlocked after wiping out all four Geth outposts

Asteroid belt 2 (north east of star, rare element)

Benda (planet 1, medallion)

Solcrum (moon of planet 3, mission - Geth Incursion)

Zagerux (planet 2, light metal)

>Artemis Tau:

-Knossos’ scannable planets:

Asteroid belt 1 (northwest of star, heavy metal)

Asteroid belt 2 (north of star, medallion)

Archanes (planet 5, gas deposit)

Therum (planet 2, mission - Find Liara T’Soni)

-Athen’s scannable planets:

Circe (planet 4, gas deposit)

Pharos (planet 5, turian insignia) 

Proteus (planet 2, gas deposit)

-Sparta’s scannable planets:

Asteroid Belt 1 (north of star, prothean data disk) 

Alsages (planet 5, rare element)

Edulos (planet 2, mission - UNC: Missing Marines)

Ontamalca (planet 4, gas deposit)

-Macedon’s scannable planets:

Asteroid Belt (north of star, light metal)

Fargeluse (planet 4, gas deposit)

Portland (planet 2, matriarch’s writings)

Sharjila (planet 1, mission - UNC: Asari Diplomacy)

>Attican Beta:

-Hercules’ scannable planets:

Eletania (planet 3, mission - UNC: Lost Module)

Syided (planet 2, medallion)

Zarorus (planet 4, heavy metal)

-Thesus’ scannable planets:

Quana (planet 4, light metal)

Sharring (planet 3, prothean data disk)

>Exodus Cluster:

-Asgard’s scannable planets: None

-Utopia’s scannable planets: None

>Gemini Sigma:

-Han’s scannable planets:

Mavigon (planet 3, mission -  UNC: Hostile Takeover)

Paravin (planet 1, matriarch’s writing)

Patatanlis (planet 5, light metal)

-Ming’s scannable planets:

Altanorch (planet 3, medallion)

Parag (planet 2, light metal)

>Hades Gamma Cluster:

-Antaeus’ scannable planets:

Edmos (planet 2, gas deposit)

Ploba (planet 3, matriarch’s writing)

Trebin (planet 4, mission - UNC: Missing Survey Team)

Vemal (planet 5, rare element)

-Cacus’ scannable planets:

Chohe (planet 2, mission - UNC: Besieged Base (Paragon Mission))

Faringor (planet 4, rare element)

Zayarter (planet 1, heavy metal)

-Dis’ scannable planets:

Klensal (planet 3, mission - UNC: Hostile Takeover)

Metallic Asteroid (northeast of star, light metal)

Nearrum (planet 2, light metal)

Rayasha (planet 5, turian insignia)

-Farinata’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt 1 (northeast of star, light metal)

Juntauma (planet 2, prothean data disk)

Nepneu (planet 3, rare element)

Mission - UNC: Hostage

-Plutus' scannable planets:

Clocrolis (planet 3, rare element)

Mingito (planet 1, rare element)

Nonuel (planet 4, mission - UNC: The Negotiation (Renegade Mission))

>Hawking Eta:

-Century’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt (north of star, heavy metal

Canctra (planet 3, light metal)

Presrop (moon of planet 2, mission - UNC: Major Kyle/Strange Transmission)

Tharopto (planet 4, medallion)

>Horse Head Nebula:

-Fortuna’s scannable planets:

Amaranthine (planet 3, UNC: Hostile Takeover *note unlocked after crime bosses are dead)

Magnalis (planet 1, turian insignia)

Therumlon (planet 2, rare element)

-Pax’s scannable planets: 

Noveria (planet 2, mission - Noveria: Geth Interest)

Veles (planet 4, matriarch’s writings)

-Strenuus’ scannable systems: 

Antitarra (planet 2, gas deposit)

Xawin (planet 4, mission - UNC: Privateers) 

Yunthori (planet 1, medallion)

>Kepler Verge:

-Newton’s scannable planets:

Juncro (planet 3, gas deposit)

Klencory (planet 2, matriarch’s writings)

Ontarom (planet 1, mission - UNC: Dead Scientists)

-Herschel’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt (north west of star, heavy metal)

Mission - Garrus Doctor Saleon

>Maroon Sea Cluster:

-Capsian’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt: UNC: Derelict Freighter

Antida (planet 4, turian insignia)

Clotanca (planet 1, heavy metal)

Farnuri (planet 2, heavy metal)

-Matano’s scannables: 

Asteroid belt 1 (east of star, heavy metal)

Asteroid belt 2 (northwest of star, prothean data disc)

Chasca (planet 2, mission - Investigate Samples (from Feros))

Supay (planet 5, light metal)

-Vostok’s scannable planets: 

Asteroid belt (north east of star, heavy metal)

Nodacrux (planet 2, mission - Investigate Facility (from Feros))

Pataiton (planet 4, matriarch’s writings)

>Styx Theta:

-Acheron’s scannable planets:

Asteroid belt (north of star, turian insignia)

Altahe (planet 2, mission - UNC: Listening Post Theta)

Grosalgen (planet 3, light metal)

-Erebus’ scannable planets: 

Nepmos (planet 1, mission - UNC: Listening Post Alpha)

Quaji (planet 2, heavy metal)

Wermani (planet 3, prothean data disc)

>Voyager Cluster:

-Amazon’s scannables: 

Agebinium (planet 1, mission - UNC: Espionage Probe)

Sonedma (planet 3, rare element)

Sybin (planet 4, turian insignia)

Tremar (planet 5, gas deposit)

-Columbia’s scannables: 

Onraheter (planet 3, rare element)

Gromar (planet 4, medallion)

Nephron (planet 2, UNC: HADES Dogs)

-Yangtze’s scannables: 

Alrumter (planet 4, prothean data disk)

Binthu (planet 2 UNC: Cerberus)

Dregir (planet 3, light metal)

Parajiri (planet 5, rare element)

[ghouliax]

Hello queer tumblr!!

A while ago I made this flag you see above you. I call it the Artemis Lesbian flag. It’s a flag and term created to represent aspec lesbians who love and protect other sapphics, aspec individuals, and women in general. 

I chose Artemis as the inspiration as She is the Greek Goddess who protects women (especially asexuals and sapphics). Greens and turquoise are chosen to represent Her here as they’re colors I associate with Her, and it’s also a color I associate with aromanticism. Silver and grey were also chosen to represent the moon and it’s feminine energy, as I see the moon as an empowerment symbol for femininity.

I created this term relatively a while ago. Back then I saw queer discourse in black and white, and I wasn’t able to stay true to my own flag’s meaning as I was bigoted towards mspec lesbians. Though as my views towards the queer community grew, I would like for this term to grow as well.

Today, I would like for the Artemis label to expand to include all queer labels. All you need to identify with the label is to be on the ace/aro spectrum, and be in solidarity with women, aspecs and sapphics. Femininity should be something to celebrate in a world where allocishet men are the biggest queer oppressors, and you shouldn’t have to be strictly a woman, feminine or wlw to appreciate that!!

Below the cut I have made more flags for more orientations to be included in this term. I also encourage anyone who wishes to create more flags like these. You may also edit/color shift them to your liking. Thank you very much for reading!!

Above: Artemis Sapphic. The dandelion was chosen as the representing flower as they symbolize growth, strength and power.

Above: Artemis Bi(sexual)

Above: Artemis Pan(sexual)

Above: Artemis Veldian/Turian (a variation of gay/mlm)

Above: Artemis Cinthean (a variation of gay/mlm)

[yellingaboutmasseffect]

Writer’s First Line Game

Rules: post the first sentence of your last ten fics. If you haven’t written ten fics, share as many first sentences as you have.

Tagged by @stormikins​ thank you very much!

No pressure tags: @skittidyne​ @jasper-the-menace @littjara-compleated-sage

“Love From The Other Side” - (Magic the Gathering) Two planeswalkers find themselves on opposite sides of the Phyrexian invasion as they both do whatever it takes to make it back to each other and those they love.

“When others told us what to expect in Urborg, no one told us to expect hospitality.”

“From Sparks to Flame” - (Mass Effect)  Artemis Shepard never set out to become an Alliance hero, let alone the first human Spectre, but an unfeeling cycle has begun anew on Eden Prime. She has to get her team to not only trust her but also each other which is easier said than done. Part one of a story about how love and bonds (with the guns they find along the way) save the galaxy.

Later, when people asked Shepard how everything started, they were often disappointed with her answer.

“Beauty and the Furnace Beast” - (Magic the Gathering) A fairy tale inspired story about Ayara and Urabrask fall in love during the Phyrexian invasion of Eldraine.

“In all my years, I have never seen the sky this way,” Ayara said, looking at the odd voids in the sky.

“The One With The Lipstick Incident” - (Mass Effect) A gift written for @angstyastro​ featuring her Shepard, Isani. Thane is thankful for the continued blessings the Gods bestow on his family but that doesn’t mean he isn’t nervous or that things will go smoothly.  With Isani Shepard giving birth to twins, things were bound to get a little out of hand.

Thane would never fathom why the Gods chose to favor him as much as they had— even if this most recent blessing seemed to be a trial into itself.

“Things That Were And Never Will Be Again”- (Magic the Gathering) Ajani and Elspeth meet on Dominaria, not knowing they will soon be on opposite sides of the looming conflict about to beset the Multiverse.

Elspeth. She was here on Dominaria and alive.

“Same Song, Different Verse” - (Mass Effect) In a different universe, Council Spectre Garrus Vakarian is investigating Saren when he is shot down over Earth. He is found by Shepard and the two of them have to work together as other turians try to hunt him down as they try to rescue his informant, Tali.

Garrus could just hear his father’s voice berating him as he looked at the view of Vancouver.

“Reunion” - (Fallout 4) Nate didn’t die when he was shot by Kellogg. If only it was that simple. Now a ghoul, he’s come to accept his new life but a chance meeting at the Third Rail Bar changes everything as he comes face to face with who his wife is now.

“There’s your shares boys. Don’t spend it all in Goodneighbor, even you, ghoul.”

“In the End” - (Fallout 4) When Shaun decides that his mother should no longer be allowed to be influenced by the surface, he decides to keep her at the Institute with a synth copy of her husband, Nate, to keep her “comfortable”. As time goes on, Nate begins to realize just how cruel that was as the pieces fall into place for the beginning of the end.

He had been made as a replacement for her. It was simply a fact of his existence. Made in the image of her dead husband, Nate. He was a gift to her from their leader, Father, as she transitioned to her new life in the institute. 

“More Than a Name”- (Transformers: Prime, Shattered Glass) An old one I am still proud of so I am throwing it here instead of my 9th fic

When a mission goes wrong, Starscream is forced to explore some harsh truths about himself and his views on the Vehicons under his command.

“Sir…I found him! Guys help me out!”

“Love in the Age of Gods” - (Smite) I cant believe this one squeaks in. I wrote it for my future wife.

Arachne and Serqet have been seeing each other for awhile but Arachne doesn't dare hope that it will last. Despite expecting the worst, Arachne isn't ready when she sees the end draw near. Serqet sees the situation in completely different light.

“That was completely unnecessary. We’re fighting but we’re not completely uncivilized.”

[forlornmelody]

Shepard Questionnaire

I was tagged by the amazing @alyssalenko  ages and ages ago to answer these questions about my Shepard and I need to warm up for some fic writing. Let's do Artemis Shep, since I need to finish the epilogue for Traitor, Martyr, Spy at some point, right? .

tagging: @bardofheartdive and @swaps55, if you want to play!

Artemis Shepard

Alias/Nicknames: Artemis Shepard

Gender: Female

Age: 32

Zodiac: Aries

Abilities/Talents: Horse-riding, animal husbandry, a green thumb, diplomacy, stealth, one of the best marksmen in the Alliance Navy.

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

Religion: She believes in a higher power, because of her time in a 12 step program, but it's more a spirituality than a religion.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English, Greek, Turian Hierarchic, Galactic

Family: Theo and Hellen Shepard (deceased), The Normandy Crew, Miranda Lawson, Oriana Lawson.

Friends: Ashley, Kaidan, Tali, Joker, Liara, James, Mordin, James, Samara, Grunt, Chakwas, Adams.

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average (present) / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other (lanky)

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red (ginger) / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / gray / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair/ olive / light brown / brown / dark / other

Height: 5'9"

Scars: Before her the Lazarus project, she had a scar on her left temple from a horse-riding accident, and was missing part of her right pinky from Elysium.

dogs or cats / birds or bugs / snakes or spiders / coffee or tea / ice cream or cake / fruits or vegetables / sandwich or soup / magic or melee / sword or bow / summer or winter / spring or autumn / past or future

Five songs that remind me of them:

Waiting on June by Holly Williams

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons

Alone by Trampled by Turtles

What's Coming to Me by Dorothy

Devi's Teeth by the Muddy Magnolias

[ferociousqueak]

Hello, my lovelies! Have a Friday-afternoon-my-brain-is-done-with-this-week headcanon about turian affection that no one asked for!

So, shortened names, right? For turians, using a shortened name for someone is a sign of intimacy on several orders of magnitude beyond how humans use short names. They’re common between family members (ones that like each other, anyway) — e.g., Garrus calling his sister Sol, Solana calling him G, and Vetra calling her sister Sid. So if two individuals who are not family use shortened names with each other, it’s a sign that they are very close and are in a relationship they expect to be more or less permanent (usually in a romantic sense, but not necessarily) — e.g., Garrus referring to himself as G in his email to Shepard, and Vetra signing as V after Ryder has romanced her.

Now, for one turian to call another turian by a shortened name when they don’t have That Kind of Relationship is extremely forward and quite possibly rude or dismissive and can cause all kinds of problems, from “who the HAPPY HELL do they think they are!” to “do they think of me like that? do I think of them like that? Spirits, I’m confused what do I do???” That convention is relaxed, though, when it comes to other races (say, a salarian calling a turian by a shortened name), but there’s still usually a moment of “!!!” before they remember to let it go as a cultural difference.

*disappears again in a cloud of eezo dust*

[cerberusdailynews]

[ARTEMIS TAU] Old Turian Colony Discovered, Looted By Humans

via The Acryx Human colonists from Athens system in Artemis Tau have reportedly discovered ruins of a turian colony dating back to the Unification War-era. The ruins were discovered on the distant planet's lone moon during a survey by colonists from Proteus in search of exploitable resources for the isolated region, Proteus representatives wrote in their QEC communique from last week. The colonists took artifacts from the ruins with them to Proteus for further analysis and contacted archeologists outside the cluster for assistance. The age and origins were confirmed when Hierarchy legion historians got their hands on the sent information, revealing the colony to be one of the Unification War-era holdouts that were not integrated with the state. The Hierarchy has sent the Proteus colony an official diplomatic note demanding them to leave the colony ruins in peace and not disturb the dead's rest, in accordance to Hierarchy laws and customs. Elsewhere in the isolated cluster, formerly Council-protected zeioph catacombs on Armeni have been already looted by Therum’s surviving fiefdoms.

[herpronuonsarefemslash]

"That Won't Do" Chapter 2 (Teaser)

Read Here : https://www.patreon.com/posts/57697764

Presenting Chapter 2 of "That Won't Do" - where Liara and Shepard from "Along Tides of Light" offer to demonstrate proper filth to the actresses of a racy asari film while their adopted daughter tries not to die of embarrassment, thirst, or feelings for her best friend.

A father-daughter moment with Shepard and Artemis gets silly, something is wrong here, Shepard gets an eyeful, and Arty answers the door to meet some famous people she was NOT ready for... ===== “You know,” Arty complains from around the corner and around a mouthful of ice cream and donuts. “Some kids only get one Talk. The Talk. Don’t get pregnant, especially don’t get another asar-”

“If you think there is anyone in this galaxy you could love that would make me think less of you, anyone, you’re wrong. Harbinger and the Illusive Man spring to mind, but I killed them. Sky’s the limit, precious.”

“Daaaaad, it’s a figure of speech. And ugh. Precious?”

The distinctive twang of compressed air being released from a biotic field sounds out. Shepard looks up at a white and green blur as the donut shop’s wrappers fly over the street, past the houses on the other side, bank left with a quick yank from a small pull field and speed straight towards a passing waste-recycling truck on litter patrol.

Arty bulls-eyes the pickup grate.

That’s my girl.

“You are, though. You’re precious to me.”

“Most kids don’t have to have a whole other talk about the home security system powered by a goddess-damned engine from a turian cruiser that can shoot down gunships. Twelve passwords, quizzes and biometrics to get to the one that I don’t expect and the one time–the one time–I messed one up, C-Sec was crawling all over me in two minutes.”

“And three Salarian STG were dead in the yard and you had the last one pinned. Your instincts are good. That’s why you were distracted that day. Arty, I know that it’s a drag to have this on the front door. I was your age once, and I was more trouble than you’ve ever been. But that day–the scariest day of my goddamned life–you were okay and that’s all that matters to me. Or your mom.”

“Anyway. Most maid-”

“Taele. You’re forty-seven.”

“So I might hit maiden stage! Any day now! You’re gonna be calling me taele when I have my first kid!” she complains.

“Just be glad you’ve got the only human dad who might live long enough to see that,” Shepard replies, turning back to the security system’s interface.

The countdown ends, and she swipes through a series of brief war-games designed to make sense only to someone with a mix of Serrice City Guard and Alliance N7 training before keying in a ciphered version of a verse of Liara’s favorite Irish folk song.

Speaking of meeting my grandkids, I need to call Miranda and ask about the most recent readout from the Mark V’s.

===== Artemis was lucky.

Too young to have melded with her mother and retained more than the emotion of a loving presence. No one to miss. Shepard heard the shrill cry, so unlike the shambling groans of the husks. They found Arty on their approach to the Temple in the ruins of her mother’s bedroom. An expensive crib slid out of sight, into a locked closet, and behind three booby-trapped shield generators. T

Orphaned for less than an hour before she was placed directly on Liara’s back after a quick dump of her combat bag. If only Kai Leng knew that the ‘useless alien whore’ who took a grapefruit-sized piece of meat and Reaper circuitry out of his thigh with a carving knife snagged from the temple’s catering cart did so with the distraction of protecting the baby on her back.

Of all the orphans in the war Arty was among the safest: two tough moms, more kick-ass uncles and aunties than a girl could dream of, a clean bed aboard an ever-moving, nigh-untraceable warship that four navies would rush to the aid of. At least until the Battle of London. But not one person in the entire Milky Way was safe that night.

Her first words were repeating something immensely colorful that Uncle Joker had said. It took Grandma Shepard to train her out of that bit of vocabulary. She remains convinced that if she could have arranged a face to face, the Elder Shepard could have scolded Harbinger into surrendering, her mom bringing the commanding Reaper to heel like she did Kate with her fingers drumming on her elbow and a single arched eyebrow that says ‘I expected better’.

The first book Arty read was a children’s version of Javik’s tract that Liara ‘contributed to’–Javik-speak for Liara wrote more than seventy percent of the original work–and in Prothean, no less. Because mom had dozed off and curious little hands found Shepard’s cheek and slid into her mind so that the funny, shifting symbols on the screen would mean something. They both woke with a start to the throaty, raspy sound of spoken Prothean, only to find Arty looking up gleefully and pointing at a projection of Thessia, which had revealed itself when she translated it.

Liara is less fond of the first few years, probably due to the hormonal bombardment Dr. Chakwas put her through to kick-start lactation and having to deal with it during the war and the deprivation after. Formula for any species was hard to come by so late in the war and food-processed eezo distilled enough to be infant-safe far harder.

“Stop,” Shepard tells Arty as finally shuts off the game and she lifts her foot to the first step.

“Wh-”

Shepard lunges, wrapping her arms tight around her little gem.

“Hug attack,” she mumbles, giving an extra squeeze to Arty’s blazer-clad shoulders.

“Can I go up to my room and talk to people who aren’t scary now, please?”

She laughs.

“Sure. I’ll find you for dinner.”

As she slides past, Arty’s hand darts out and ruffles her dad’s hair.

“See you later, fuzzball.”

=====

"Li?” Shepard calls out.

Nothing.

“Bluejay?”

Still nothing.

“...Shadow Broker?” she teases.

Liara hates the title and claims to hate the work but the nigh-manic sparkle in those tropical blue eyes when someone does something dumb and her agents catch it says otherwise.

Somewhere up ahead, a woman moans.

The bedroom door is open and the Shadow Broker servers and QEC communicators can still be heard humming. Liara never leaves the door open when she’s working on sensitive intel. That’s the system Shepard uses. Door shut equals knock. Door open means her wife is free game for a hug, a kiss, or being dragged over to the bed to continue whatever she was doing in Shepard’s arms wearing a faux-irritated look.

Instinct kicks in.

She pulls the hem of her hoodie up and yanks The Bitch out of the holster slung around her back, stroking her palm along the barrel and clicking each amplifier circuit into position with decades-honed ease. She rotates the revolver-style arrangement of ammo blocks with her thumb and pushes in the most lethal mixture: tungsten, thermite, and iridium tainted with unstable eezo. Garrus calls them ‘volcano rounds’ after the resemblance between the shells detonating and the fiery thunderclouds that gather over eruptions. Raw force, ten thousand degrees caustic flame, and high-voltage discharge from the eezo as it’s triggered by iridium atoms that hate being bent as the shell flattens into the most vicious wound possible.

Four tiny taps of the fingers on the auxiliary keypad in the hoodie’s overlong sleeves instruct her omnitool to construct two coin-sized robots shaped like ladybugs, one of which skitters up the wall behind her while the other dashes into a vent, circles the ductwork and unfolds in the vent there. Their mirrored backs let her see every place in the room large enough for an assailant to hide.

“Wow.”

She flicks the safety on The Bitch back into place, flexes her hand three times to cancel the sequence in her combat implants, and unzips her hoodie, tossing it over the nearest chair in the living room.

Liara is on the bed, rocking her hips as she rides a synthcock perched on a flash-forged tripod. Biotics ripple and arch off her skin like tongues of fire off the surface of a star and she’s roughly palming a breast with one hand while her other hand strums her clit. Rivulets of water rich in eezo, salt, and sugars–how lovely that dextrose is treated as a useless extra by asari bodies!–run down from between her crests, down her folds and between the delicate valleys and fissures of her spine. Granules of eezo hidden in the droplets trace glittering trails in the dim bedroom before splashing onto the sheets under her like miniature fireworks. Her head is slumped forward, but whether from exhaustion or an ancient urge to bare her tender folds so someone will touch her is hard to say.

Goddess, Shepard wonders. How long has she been at it?

For now, she’ll watch.

=====

“The hell?” Artemis mumbles, lifting her head from her omnitool’s side-by-side projection of schoolwork and video call.

“Language,” Neema teases at her end of the call.

“Thought it was the door,” Arty mutters. “Startled me.”

Neema has unwound her headscarf and wiped off the understated concealer she uses at school. She’s using her omni's screen as a mirror, no doubt, because Arty has a close-up view of every pore of her skin and jet-black eyelash as Neema carefully teases the gossamer-thin hairs apart with a comb before taking a bamboo stick from the cup. She glares hard at it and slices the tip off with her biotics, forming a shallowly angled stylus.

Neema dips into the kohl and starts her work, drawing dark, crisp lines around her eyes before flipping the stick around and scraping off excess while Arty watches, mesmerized. She runs a finger through a dish of honey and smears her wine-colored lips with it, making them sparkle.

Dolling herself up in makeup using her biotics while talking to some alien whore, like she does every night. All of this would have horrified her grandmother, but no belief has gone unchanged. Accidents and post-war eezo plumes over Tehran or Mecca led to the birth of human biotics, just like they did in Amsterdam or San Francisco. A ‘proper’ Muslim girl doesn’t flaunt her biotics, but she’s expected to master them just as she does her other schoolwork.

Neema’s mother seems to be of the opinion that asari count as ‘women’ for the purposes of modesty and that on a vid call linking their bedrooms, she and Arty might as well be in the women’s part of the house, so Neema can take off her headscarf and loosen the strict braid she hides in her shirt, unleashing a torrent of glossy hair that pools on the bedsheets, flowing in wide, lazy bends like the Nile in flood season.

She’s not quite sure what sort of intimate they are–reading between the lines, Neema seems to hope to lure a boy with this makeup–but she knows their evening-long chats as they study are intimate all the same and at their age, that’s enough.

An asari can hope, at any rate.

The buzzer sounds again.

“That is the door,” Neema points out, looking up at her with a left eye styled like the dangerous black mask of a tigress and a right that’s half painted and looks silly, even with her sunrise-golden iris as the centerpiece.

“Can’t be too important, no gunfire from mom’s guards. Five minutes. Miboosamet.”

Neema huffs.

“Kisses to you too. Call me back.”

Arty rolls to the edge of her bed, snags a longer robe from the hook by the door, and keys in the code. She pushes it shut behind her and turns the lever to prime the alarms again–as long as you two are alone, Neema’s father decreed–to preserve the sacred privacy for when she calls back.

The buzzer again, pulsing fast this time.

“All right, all right...”

She vaults the handrail, lightens herself with her biotics to the weight of a feather, and drops three floors.

Opening the inner door and stepping into the foyer–technically a well-decorated airlock, her dad is that paranoid–she swipes her palm on the scanner.

“Uh-huh. This is a thing that’s happening....”

[artemis-crimson]

watching voltron again and Zarkon looks like a Turian’s fursona and I can no longer see him as remotely threatening 

[mass-effect-tales]

Sparks Fly ch. 6

Decimus stuffed the few things he brought with him in his footlocker. Luckily he was able to finish repairing his drone Hermes before working on the Normandy so he won't be completely useless on this mission. Him and Garrus took up cots on the lower level to avoid the whispers from the human crew though Wrex warned them both he's a loud snorer. Decimus thought the krogan was joking until lights out.

Wrex snored like a chainsaw and collapsing building had a loud love child with an atomic explosion.

Decimus didn't know how Garrus could sleep through the noise. He assumed Tali and Kiara were sleeping soundly in the engine room. With a tired groan, Decimus rolled out of his cot and decided he'd run some system diagnostics until he passed out upstairs. When he walked into the mess hall to grab himself a drink he was surprised to see Shepard still awake and going over a few holopads scattered across the table along with a cup of coffee and a half eaten meal.

"Commander, I didn't think you'd be up at this hour." 

Shepard looked up from her holopad, giving a nod to Decimus as he made himself a cup of kava.

"Still going over everything the council sent me. We're heading to Artemis Tau to look for Matriarch Benezia's daughter first to see if Liara has any information on her mother's reason for working with Saren."

Decimus nodded, taking a sip of his kava as he sat down across from Shepard. While he was grateful to be on the Normandy, he still wondered why Shepard wanted him on her team.

"Commander, forgive me if I sound rude but why am I here? I'm a technician, not a soldier."

Shepard paused, placing her holopad down and looking at Decimus.

"Honestly? I felt like this ship needed at least one turian from the project on the ship. While I trust the team we have now, I felt it was only appropriate to have the turian that helped program the ship's navigation and VI on the ship in case we needed help."

If turians could blush he would probably be blushing from Shepard's praise. It was true that he spent many a sleepless night installing and programming the ship's VI but he didn't think it was that impressive.

"Also, Kiara wouldn't stop talking about you."

Decimus almost choked on his Kava which made Shepard chuckle. 

"Wait what? What did she say?"

"That I'm not going to tell," Shepard smirked lightly as she collected her holopads. "I'd recommend getting some sleep, we'll be reaching the mass relay soon and I have an idea which system Liara is in."

"Yeah because I can definitely get some sleep after finding that out." Decimus mumbled, glaring at his cup of kava as if it's the cup's fault for everything.

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

Kiara tried to hold in her laughter as Liara explained how she got trapped. Decimus stood by her side ready to cover her mouth if she made a sound. He was glad Liara couldn't hear them whispering

"Don't do it."

"But it's funny."

"The poor woman is stuck and the geth are after her, she doesn't need you laughing."

"But it's funny!"

Shepard cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Spread out and see if we can find a way to get through."

Kiara broke away from the group to laugh in a corner while Decimus summoned his drone to begin a sweep of the area. While his drone scanned he went over to the mining laser he noticed when they first arrived.

"If we can fire this up we could probably blast a hole under the field." He informed Shepard as his drone returned, sending the code to the laser it found to his omni-tool.

"Good idea, do you think you can get this working?" Shepard asked while Kiara ran up to rejoin the group.

"Let me handle this, I've repaired a couple of these bad boys and know how to get it running." Kiara offered as she stepped up to the controls. Decimus sent her the code and with a few buttons the machine roars to life.

And immediately fires into the ground, carving a path into the ruins.

"Jesus Christ!" Kiara yelped as she quickly shut the machine down. "Who was the unlicensed cumquat that used this last?! They turned this off in the middle of a dig!"

"Worry about that later," Shepard gestured for them to move as she readied her rifle. "That blast will have alerted anyone looking for Liara so we need to move."

Kiara and Decimus followed Shepard down the blast track and took the elevator up to where Liara was still trapped. Kiara quickly freed Liara while Decimus helped her regain her balance. A rumble from above made Kiara curse.

"This place is ready to fall apart. Let's get outta here before this place comes down!"

The group quickly ascended on the elevator where they were met with a krogan with a group of geth. Before the krogan could say anything Kiara blasted him and a couple of nearby geth back with a blast of biotics.

"We don't have time for your shit ugly! Decimus, take Liara and run." Kiara shot at the geth with her pistol. Decimus grabbed Liara's wrist and dragged her past the krogan and geth. He released his drone to cover their retreat as he urged Liara up the scaffolding ramp. As soon as they were close to the exit he pushed Liara ahead of him and urged her to keep going.

"I'm going back for Kiara and Shepard, get outside and wait for the Normandy."

He didn't wait for Liara's answer and sprinted back down the scaffolding. The rumbles were getting worse which only made him run faster. When he reached the elevator he could see Shepard and Kiara were pinned down by the remaining geth. Even from where he stood he could see the shield Kiara was keeping up was fading quickly. He sent his drone to attack two of the geth while he aimed his pistol and fired at the third. With the geth distracted Shepard was able to catch Kiara as she collapsed after dropping her shield.

"Let's go!" Shepard cried, letting Decimus pick Kiara up and race to the exit. They were able to reach the exit just as the ceiling collapsed. They quickly boarded the Normandy and Decimus headed straight to the med bay, surprising Chakwas with his sudden appearance.

"Kiara collapsed while fighting the geth. I think she might have overused her biotics." Decimus explained as he laid her on one of the beds. Chakwas quickly scanned Kiara and checked her implants.

"You're correct, she overused her amps which caused her to faint. She just needs some rest and a large meal when she wakes up." 

Decimus nodded, looking down at Kiara. "Would it be alright if I stay until she wakes up?"

"Of course, I'll inform the commander of Kiara's status." Chakwas grabbed her holopad and left the med bay while Decimus dragged a chair close to Kiara's bed.

"You really had me worried there. I never would have expected you were a biotic." Decimus said, gently taking Kiara's hand and pressing his mouthplate to the back of her hand. Even with the smell of eezo surrounding her he could smell that familiar scent of metal and lilies.

"You're just full of surprises huh?"

[detershaavv]

Greek pantheon aesthetic

Bold what applies to your muse. Italicize what partially applies to your muse.

APHRODITE . laughter loving. sweet smiles. dressed in silk and satin. flower in their hair. sees the world as a runway. unapologetically sexual. the sea washing their ankles. in love with love. stirrer of passion. cunning concealed by painted lips. secret daggers. doves. revolution in their kiss. delighting in the waves. flirtatious winks. strolling along the beach. staring wistfully from a balcony. this is how to be a heartbreaker. wants to be adored. gets turned on by danger.

APOLLO . glitz and glamour. art galleries. turning the volume up. being made of gold. neatly organized music sheets. notebooks filled with poetry. bathing in the sunlight. the powerful urge to create. collecting vinyl records. beautiful cover of wonderwall. playing multiple instruments. tasting like sunshine. healing touch. speaking in prophecies. smile mingled with wrath. shunning lies. sporting shades. hanging out at music festivals with their friends. sleeps naked. arrow to the heart. paint brushes. probably has a tinder account.

ARES . armed for battle. wants to raise a dog with their significant other. soft spot for children. gives piggyback rides. scarred body. blood on their hands and face. willing to fight the world for the ones they love. fights against injustice. warm hugs. well worn combat boots. boxing gloves. bandages wrapped around bruised knuckles. fist raised in protest. ignites revolutions. fear is a prison. more sensitive than what their tough shell would have you think. exhausted. damaged goods. force to be reckoned with. red roses. curses under their breath.

ARTEMIS . keen sense of a hunter. freckles like constellations on their skin. piercing eyes. disheveled braid. moonlight peeking through the shadows. the calm of the forest at night. lying on the grass and staring at the stars. mother doe and her fawn. protecting their kin. the moon shimmering on a still lake. quiver full of arrows resting against the bark of a tree. running with wolves. bonding while circled around a campfire. not being much of a people person. arrow hitting a target. popping egos. patience on 3%. touches heaven and returns howling.

ATHENA . discerning gaze. unreadable face. quiet museums. owl perched on their finger. armor that intimidates. eye for architecture. plays the sims for the sole purpose of building houses. studied the blade while everyone else was busy getting laid. big fan of logic. loves brain teasers. ancient buildings. sweaters in neutrals and cool colors. hair done up. can kill you with their brain. heads to the library often to research. sharpened pencils. abs that can cut steel. stoic statues. pottery classes.

DEMETER . soil covered hands. smile that can bloom flowers. skin loved by the sun. being the mom friend. can lift you and your friends. flowers kept in the pockets of overalls. takes pride in their beautiful garden. speaks to their plants. leaves rustling in the wind. stalks of wheat. picking fruit. greenhouses. heart as strong as a mountain. values simplicity. daisies dotted across a collarbone. curls crowned with flowers. folded pile of sweaters in warm hues. pulling out fresh baked bread out of the oven and the smell wafting through the air.

DIONYSUS . drunk shitposter. on their sixth glass of wine before you’ve even finished your second. seductive smirks. untamed curls. rich fabrics on dark skin. sleek furred panthers. theatre masks. stage productions. receiving a standing ovation. rose caught between their teeth. being the baby of the bunch. wild parties that last from sundown to sunup. creeping vines. inspiring loyalty. grand opera houses. masquerade balls. rolls of film. shattered chandeliers with broken glass scattered across the wine spilled floor. pouring champagne into flutes. lives for the applause.

HEPHAESTUS . the calloused hands of someone who knows labor. sweaty brow. flame burning in their eyes. inventive mind. broad shoulders. steampunk goggles. nuts and bolts stored away in little boxes. ashes. striking a match. blueprints for future projects. fixing up a busted up car and giving it cool upgrades. wrestles with bitterness. work boots have seen better years. wrinkled plaid shirts. iron melted in blazing fire. huge jackets. crafting masterpieces. greased stained overalls. fascination with robotics. pain is fuel. stack of weaponry. even their muscles have muscles.

HERA . resting bitch face. dressed to the nines. cows grazing on a pasture. cool rain. loving and hating fiercely. hand clutching a string of pearls. large chandelier with glittering crystals. plays the sims for the sole purpose of killing off their sims. romance to realism. pictures of the sky while flying on a plane. files that under fuck it. downs glasses of wine as they relax with a scented bubble bath and netflix. like their selfie or you’re grounded. knows 57 convenient ways to murder a man. dark eyes that penetrate your soul. marble and gold.

HERMES . devil - may - care smile. always up - to - date on the latest technology. will steal your french fries. does it for the vine. shitposter. puts googly eyes on everything. meme hoarder. long drives on the highway. ma and pop diners. spontaneous road trips. folded maps. fingers dancing across the keyboard of a laptop. shooting hoops on the basketball court. chatting up strangers as you all journey to your own destinations. goes jogging in the morning. mixes redbull with coffee. menace on april fool’s. hoodies and sneakers.

POSEIDON . storm with skin. colorful coral reefs. waves crashing against the shore. stroking the soft fur of a cat. their heart pounding as their horse’s gentle trot speeds into a gallop. tousled locks. clothes smeared with paint. owns several sketchbooks yet always yearns to own more. leather jackets. fondness for diy projects. handwriting that flows across the page. nimble fingers playing the strings of a violin. velvety singing voice that haunts your dreams. mood as ever - changing as the sea. the roar of a motorcycle. compass with a spinning arrow.

ZEUS . thunder in their heart. running on coffee. flash of lightning. unnatural charisma. eloquence. badass in a nice suit. aficionado of history. force of nature. lenny face. nightmare- filled nights. proud arm around their lover’s waist. highrise buildings. planes soaring through a cloudless sky. technician on the piano. maintains order. strong handshake. juggling multiple events on their busy schedule with ease. expensive watch.

Tagged by: @codeoftheforest

Tagging: @mediocrerphub @ssvdromio/@exhausted--turian @willreignite @ryderofstars @capeshifters @mindthemuse

[mass-effect-galaxy]

Joan’s Song 6: Hunting Asari

A thresher maw!? Really!? Again!? “Back! Back! Back!”, Joan Shepard was shouting as loud as she could, even though Kaidan sat right beside her, and even though he already had brought the Mako to maximum rearward speed. A load of acid spit went down where the vehicle had been a moment before. Some of it must have hit one of the front wheels for the Mako suddenly made a slight turn to the right. The motion dampers quickly stabilized the vehicle. “Lost a tire”, Kaidan just confirmed, surprisingly calm. Shepard was anything but calm. She had faced those monsters on Akuze before. And she had seen what they were able to do with soldiers trapped inside these metal coffins. Her next order should have been ‘Chief Williams, identified target, fire at will.’ Instead she just screeched “Ash!” “On it”, came the confirmation from the seat behind Shepard. The Mako’s main gun started barking. A warning signal reminded Shepard that she had been pulling the trigger of the secondary gun all the time. The weapon now had overheated and had to go through its cooling cycle. 

The Mako slightly jumped when riding over a hill. It could barely be felt inside. Kaidan said, “solid rock” and halted the vehicle. Right, even a thresher maw could not break through solid rock. They should be safe here; says so in the chapter on maws in the Alliance’s xeno-combat manual. Shepard had written that chapter after Akuze. “Damn gun needs calibrating”, Ashley said. “How long?”, Shepard demanded to know. A moment of silence, then, “done, Commander. Let’s go and get that worm!”

Finding an asari archeologist in the Artemis Tau cluster did sound easier than it was. The extranet listed three prothean sites in that cluster. Dr. T’Soni had published on all three: There was some kind of penal colony from the “Post Citadel Period” on Therum. A research post from the “Proto Imperial Period” on Sharjila, and a “presumably religious” structure from the “Imperial Era II” on Edolus. Shepard remembered that her history teacher had told her that whenever archeologists label something as “religious” they, in fact, have no idea what it is. 

Usually, she would have clicked away all those boring texts, but her “contact” with a prothean had made her curious. The University of Thessia was leading in research on the protheans. Their history was divided into three periods: the “Proto Imperial Period” before they founded their empire, the “Imperial Period”, which was further divided into four “eras”, and the “Post Citadel Period”, the time after which the protheans had abandoned the Citadel and their empire had collapsed in a civil war lasting for centuries. There was a mining colony on Therum, the other two were uninhabited. Shepard had sent a request to the miners and decided to check on the other planets while waiting for an answer.

“Wow, we should add this shot to the manual as the ‘William’s Maneuver’.” Ashley boasted while they examined the body of the thresher maw. “Dream on, Chief, you just were lucky”, Shepard replied with a smile.  “You are a space tyrant, Ma’am.” about four meters of the maw’s body were on the surface. Ashley had hit it right at the moment it came up. Impossible to say how much more worm was still underground. A few meters away was a battlefield. The scenery was all too familiar to Shepard: a Grizzly, part of that vehicle was melted; a couple of mauled bodies. Whatever got hit by the maw’s acid melted away, metal, armor, arms, legs, torsos, heads. Akuze. The images of Lieutenant Burnside’s Grizzly, she trying to get inside, slipping on entrails, touching acid, Alena, bleeding, dying, reaching out for her. Shepard had pushed her back to get away. She suddenly felt as sick as did back then and had to throw up. Ashley gently touched her back, “Let’s get you off this world, Jo.”

Back on the Normandy, Therum hadn’t responded so far. Shepard send a report about the dead soldiers on Edolus to Admiral Hackett and placed her name on the list of report recipients, meant she would be informed anytime someone else reported anything related to it. Their next destination was Sharjila.

There were no signs of life at the prothean site on Sharjila. However, there was a compound in use a few clicks away. If Dr. T’Soni was on this planet, it must be there. When the Mako climbed over a hill overlooking that compound, something came flying in their direction. A rocket. It was deflected by the Mako’s shields. “Looks like this is the right place”, Kaidan said.

The two guns of the Mako had made short work of whatever resistance was outside that bunker. “Chief, would you please be so kind as to knock at that door?”, Shepard asked with some mock “royal” accent,. “A pleasure, Ma’am”, Ashley replied and fired the main gun. The gate of that building was obliterated and Kaidan accelerated the Mako to maximum speed. The vehicle crashed through the debris of the gate and a wall behind it. They ended up in some warehouse. Lots of armed people were running around. Ashley meanwhile had manually loaded a stun grenade into the Mako’s gun which she now fired into that hall. Its sound was able to destroy the eardrums of most species and might even be lethal to some. Before anyone in that warehouse was able to recover, the three marines had dismounted and started cleaning out the room. Shepard and Ashley were wielding shotguns, Kaidan his auto-pistol. Suddenly something massive hit Shepard. Her armor started vibrating, a warning that the shields were off and she better took cover. She dodged behind a crate and saw some movement on a balcony. “Sniper”, Shepard shouted. “Got him”, Kaidan replied. He used his biotics to pull the sniper off the balcony. A turian; he was helplessly floating towards them while Shepard and Ashley used him for target practice.

“Commander, is that Dr. T’Soni?”, Kaidan was bending over an asari body. Shepard started scanning her face, “Doesn’t look like her.” It took the spectre database a few moments to compare the scan with trillions of filed faces. Finally, it came up with a name: Dahlia Dantius, wanted for murder and slavery on Kahje, reward 300,000 Credits. Also wanted for fraud on Irune, reward 500,000 Credits. Shepard whistled. Even without Dr. T’Soni, this trip had paid off. She made a full body scan of the asari and sent the results to both addresses. Now, they only had to figure out how to get the Mako back into the open. 

When entering the Knossos System, it became clear why Therum didn’t answer: Geth! “Several geth drop-ships in orbit of that planet.”, Joker confirmed. Drop-ships were not armed and the Normandy was able to destroy three of them before the others managed to jump to FTL. Shepard, Ashley, and Kaidan dropped in the Mako. Finding Dr. T’Soni was not much of a problem: they simply followed the path of destruction the geth had left. The team ran into several geths, both the normal robots as well as those large ‘Armatures’. None were a problem for the Mako. The situation, however, was most confusing. Ashley brought it up first, “Why would T’Soni attack this colony? They must have found something truly important.” Kaidan had a different idea,” Or maybe, the geth attacked it because the doctor is here?” This even made less sense. Shepard shrugged, “We’ll find out soon enough.” They had reached the entrance to the underground dig site.

This structure clearly had been a prison: there were open cells on several levels, only accessible by two elevators, one on the “wall-side”, probably the original access. A newer one was running along the “open side”, most likely built by the archeologists. In one of the cells, there was an asari caught in some kind of stasis field. “Dr. Liara T’Soni?”, Shepard asked. “Thanks to the Goddess!”, the voice of the asari sounded damped through the field. “I came in here to find shelter from the geth. Now I am trapped and can’t get out. Please, I am in here for two days now. I need food and water, and“ she continued, blushing, “a change of clothing.” “Doesn’t look like the evil mastermind we were looking for.”, Ashley said grinning. “What?”, Liara replied confused, “I am just a researcher. I don’t know why the geth are after me.” “That’s pretty obvious, honey.”, Ashley said disdainfully, “your mommy has become Saren’s pet and now his geth after your blue butt too.” It seems, as much as Shepard was able to fall in love with complete strangers within seconds, Ashley was able to develop an animosity in the same amount of time. “Benezia? But I haven’t spoken to her for years. And I don’t know a Saren.” Kaidan finally interrupted this interrogation. “We have hostiles coming down the ramp, Commander.”

Someone was trying to call the elevator, but Ashley had blocked its door: ancient trick; always works. Now, the geth had to come through the dig site. It was several floors below Shepard; no cover, a perfect kill zone. Ashley noticed a large device down there, “A miming laser. We can use it to blast a way through to the asari.” “Provided, we get it working.”, Shepard chipped in. “Shepard, please”, Kaidan said, somewhat bugged, “it is designed to be operated by unskilled workers. We’ll figure it out.” “Your turn, LT.”, Shepard shrugged.  “I am a vorcha when it comes to computers.” “And here come the flashlights!” Ashley already had raised her sniper rifle.

There was a krogan with the geth, but he died all the same. Kaidan indeed was able to get the miming laser working. However, he couldn’t turn it off again. He seemed to have launched some automated mining program that now started to demolish the prothean structure. “Run!”, Shepard shouted, “I’ll get the asari.” Kaidan and Ashley took the “external” elevator while Shepard used the prothean one to get into the asari’s cell. Another console was waiting for her. The symbols on it didn’t look like any writing she had ever seen. Liara realized the problem, “Look for one with two lines and a circle, it reads ’off’ in Prothean.” Shepard got it, released Liara, grabbed her hand and dragged her out. In time. The prothean “Imperial Institue of Correction No. 409″ had been in use for 103 years. It was dormant for another 50,000 years. It collapsed two hours after Shepard’s visit.

[yellingaboutmasseffect]

16,25,29?

16: Favorite species?

I love the look of Turians so much. Probably because they look a lot like something that’d be in a Star Trek production that’s either animated or had an unlimited budget. As a culture, Turians are a little more eh but whoever was like yes raptor people as a concept had a good idea.

I also dig the Salarians are inspired by stories of “Grey” aliens from the way their design definitely runs with that to how they totally interfere with other species who are not “advanced” as they are.

25: What mission do you dread every time you get there?

I always hate fighting the Reaper on foot on Rannoch. I know no class has any advantage at that moment but as someone who plays ranged classes on purpose for a reason, having to 1v1 a Reaper is not only something that stresses me out but also is just counterintuitive to my play style.

Special shout out to the part of Garrus’s recruitment where you have to close the shutters in that large room.

29: If you primarily play Paragon or Renegade, is there a dialogue/interrupt/action of the opposite alignment you always take?

My Shepard always punches Han’Gerrel. I play Artemis Shepard as someone who is very aware of her actions reflecting on the Alliance and humanity so she is often very diplomatic even when that courtesy is not extended to her.

Han’Gerrel is the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

It’s not that he shot at her. It’s that he shot at a ship with Tali who is a leader of her people. It’s that he shot at a ship with Garrus who is advising the Turian government and that could start an incident. It’s also that Legion could have died who is her friend. Most of all, it’s that they all did this to give the civilian fleet the chance to retreat and he refused trapping them in conflict. Her team would be horrified that she could have died because she’s so important to everyone’s war effort but that’s the furthest thing from her mind.

[forlornmelody]

Traitor, Martyr, Spy Chapter 3 -- So Far, So Close

Rating: Explicit (this chapter has smut)

Ship: Miranda Lawson x Femshep

AO3 Link: Here

Summary: The Reapers are finally here, and Miranda would do anything to help Shepard, but she has far more personal things to worry about.

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

The moment Arcturus Station blows up, Miranda knows about it. She has contacts spread throughout the galaxy, near every relay--in case someone, or in this case something shows up to threaten those she loves. Miranda calculates how long it’ll take the Reapers to reach Earth, and Elysium, where Oriana’s family is hiding. Not long. Always Miranda has stayed calm even in the worst circumstances--even when she was certain she was walking into a suicide mission. Any moment she dared to doubt herself, she only proved her father right. But now Miranda feels nearly powerless to protect her loved ones.

What can she do against a thousand-foot-tall god? What can anyone do? Miranda is used to human targets, or at least, smaller targets. How does one fool a reaper? How does one foil their destruction? It’s selfish. It’s not what Artemis or Oriana would want, but Miranda focuses her limited resources on keeping them safe. She sabotages Cerberus shuttles heading toward Mars. While Miranda can’t take care of all of them, she can stop a few. Hopefully it’s enough. Artemis has been through worse, Miranda. Get a hold of yourself.

Her fingers rattle her coffee mug when she tries to take a drink. The cup slips from her hand and falls to the floor, but nothing spills out. Apparently, she forgot to refill it the last time she took a drink. How long has it been since she slept? Since she ate?  Miranda’s kitchen stands empty, save for a box of protein bars. Munching on one, she sends in orders to move Ori and her parents to a new home. It’s a risk, but so is leaving them one system closer to the invasion.

Hours later, and the Normandy leaves Mars safe and sound--though Miranda discovers a med evac request on enroute to the Citadel. Her heart throbs in her chest as she skims the request for names, and sags with relief when she sees Ashley Williams name there instead of Artemis Shepard. Nausea fills her stomach as she looks over Doctor Chawkwa’s preliminary report. She just saw Ashley a few months ago. Ashley was alive, and... mostly well. Likely just as stressed over Shepard’s trial as Miranda was. And now she has a concussion, internal bleeding, and likely more. Despite their past, despite Ashley’s past with Shepard, Miranda can’t help but feel a loss. Artemis must be reeling. Miranda finds herself debating the morality of hacking into Artemis’s omni-tool to check her vital signs.

Ori would have a fit.

I need you to trust me. Trust that I’m just as capable as you of taking care of myself. Trust that I can protect myself. I’m 19 years old for crying out loud!

Oh, to be that young and brave. Miranda envies her all the time, despite being largely responsible for her normal life. But her sister is right. She needs to trust them both. Artemis can take care of herself. So can Oriana.

But it wouldn’t hurt to check up on her sister.

Miranda sips a fresh cup of coffee and logs into the security feeds of her sister’s home. Or, at least, she tries to. The screens are all black, and when she checks the logs, she finds an error message. Taking a deep breath, she contacts an old associate that she had moved in across the hall. Cal always responded within five minutes--Miranda had timed him. She waits 10 minutes before she allows herself to panic.

It’s probably nothing.

Ten minutes pass and nothing is exactly the response Miranda receives. She calls again. And again, without waiting. Miranda calls her other contact, and nothing. She checks the school Ori attends, and damn them--they don’t keep attendance records. Taking a shuttle to the Citadel, Miranda checks the security logs for the classes Ori should have been in the past few days. Nothing. The university Ori attends stretches nearly over an entire city. There isn’t time for Miranda to search it on her own.

Shepard would help. But Shepard has her own problems to deal with. An ex in critical condition in the hospital, a war to fight--there’s even reports that Shepard has more favors to do before she can get Turian support. As much as Shepard would want to help--she won’t be able to jaunt across the galaxy--and she likely would try. Miranda can’t ask her to sacrifice the war effort.

But Miranda can pay her a visit. If she can hardly focus because of their time apart, how must Artemis feel? While Miranda could say she’s visiting Shepard because she knows it’ll boost her morale--she must admit it’s for more...selfish reasons. As the shuttle lands, Miranda’s mind and body thrum as if her lover sits in the seat next to her. To hold Artemis close, wind her fingers through her silken hair, inspect every mark the war and Cerberus drones have left behind--

Her mind spins so quickly that when Miranda does finally spot her, walking through the docking security, she almost doesn’t recognize her. The Artemis in Miranda’s mind is happy, full of vigor, a self-satisfied smirk on her face not unlike the one she wears when she invites Miranda to bed. This Artemis has dark bags under her eyes like she hasn’t slept since Earth, and skin that hasn’t seen the sun in weeks.

“Miranda?” Artemis says her name softly from behind her, making Miranda jump inside her skin. She had just sent that message an hour ago. Hardly enough time for Shepard to make it here, unless this was her first stop. Her voice is thick and her eyes sluggish as she looks Miranda over like she’s stuck in the same recurring dream.

“Shepard!” Coyness has always been Miranda’s default with romantic partners, but then before, she’d never seen the same person twice. She must sound like a lovesick puppy right about now. “It’s so good to finally see you.” Miranda steps closer, close enough to touch.

Artemis steps back, rubbing her shoulder. “You too, Miranda.”

Not the reunion she dreamed of, but Miranda will take whatever she’s offered. She starts walking down the corridor, Artemis picking up speed to walk with her. They never hold hands but their fingers brush against each other as they talk.

“Glad to see they let you out.” Miranda passes it off like a joke.

“Had to. Who else would fight their goddamn war?”

They talk about Earth, and Artemis’s eyes go distant as she recalls all the lives she saw snuffed out. Artemis shakes the fog out of her brain, glancing back at her. “What about you? Why are you here?” She looks worried.

Miranda stops in an alcove away from the security cameras’ prying eyes. “I know what I’m doing, Shepard.” Sure, the Citadel seems like one of the worst places a former Cerberus operative should linger, but Miranda has made a career of hiding in plain sight. Not to mention Kai Leng and his ilk will have a harder time taking her out here, and she won’t go quietly. The Illusive Man would never let them heighten security here. Too many wasted opportunities.

Artemis’s eyes widen, realizing how she must sound. “I know. Sorry. I... I just have a lot on my plate.”

“When don’t you?” Miranda dares to reach over and squeeze her hand, and goosebumps race up Artemis’s arms. “I know you have a plan.”

Squeezing her hands, Shepard nods, but she doesn’t elaborate much. Is she keeping it from her on purpose? Have they really been apart that long?

“Am I part of your plan?”

Artemis squeezes her hand fiercely. “Always!”

Miranda presses a finger against her lips. “Shh. You don’t want the whole docking bay hearing us, do you?”

Artemis eyes her like a desert traveler who’s just discovered an oasis. Her words crack as they fall from her mouth. “I want you in my life, Miranda.” She kisses Miranda’s finger as if to illustrate her point, squeezing her wrist with her other hand for good measure.

“You sure?” Miranda leans closer, slipping her free hand around Shepard’s waist. “This is your chance to back out.” She doesn’t hold on, meaning every one of her words, as much as she doesn’t want to. She won’t grip onto people like her father did.

Pulling her against her chest, Artemis answers her with a kiss. Their lips crash against one another, their hands tangled in each other’s hair. Who cares about being discreet? There’s a war on, and who knows if Miranda will ever see Artemis again. It pains her to think about it--she even holds Shepard a little tighter at the thought--but she must be realistic. Accept all possibilities, no matter how much they hurt. Pressing Shepard against the glass wall, she trails her hands down her body, feeling for when she flinches. And yes, she does more than once, but more often her breath catches in her throat, and she tightens her grip. Just when Miranda’s about to lose her carefully held control, Artemis parts for air.

“Don’t be stranger, Miranda.” Artemis tells her with a grin, her lips bruised, and her breath ragged.

“I don’t want to be, Shepard. Believe me, I want to stay close.” She steps back. “It’s my sister. Something’s happened.” Usually Miranda’s so eloquent--something drilled into her by her father, but now she stumbles over her words as she explains. “I just know my father’s involved.”

“What do you need me to do?” She asks without hesitation, reaching her hand as if to whisk her away from all this.

Miranda can so easily imagine Shepard charging into Oriana’s home--her campus, even, gun in hand-finger on the trigger. As much as Miranda wants her to help--she knows Artemis isn’t one for cloak and dagger--she’ll only complicate things. And she has enough to deal with already. “I’ll be fine.”

Artemis looks unconvinced. “Okay.” She holds her arm, as if punched. “I understand.”

Miranda reaches over, squeezing Artemis’s hands together. “I was tempted to break in and see you.”

Quirking her head, Artemis scrutinizes her expression. “Wait. You didn’t.”

Unable to help her grin, Miranda replies. “Define ‘do.’”

Artemis shakes her head. “There’s no way you would’ve made it through security.” Then her voice drops low. “You’re a wanted woman, Miranda.”

Miranda lets a hand wander past Artemis’s lower back, never quite squeezing, but enough to feel that unbearably toned arse of hers. Mm. Maybe not as toned as it used to be. “I’m well, aware.”

Her breath quickens as her lips part. “When--?”

She can still feel the Vancouver rain soaking her skin. Miranda leans her forehead against hers, almost whispering. “The day they put you in cuffs.” And now every centimeter of space between them is too much--not even in a sexual way. It’s just been so long--Miranda needs to feel her Artemis close against her so she doesn’t get pulled from her orbit.

“Jesus. You have a death wish.” Her eyes slip closed as Miranda brushes her nose against hers.

“Mm. Death isn’t what I want right now.” Artemis’s skin warms against Miranda’s fingertips.

“Miranda,” she sputters, “Out here? Really? Aren’t we a little exposed?”

“The Citadel’s actually one of the safest places. For now.”

“I’m still not sure meeting out here where everyone can see is a good idea.” Her lips are still dark from when Miranda ravaged them, even as she looks away.

Miranda draws her attention back with her finger hooked under her chin. “Is it me you’re worried about?” She lets her voice drop low. “Or are you worried about getting caught with your pants down?”

Artemis flushes a helpless smile. “Maybe a bit of both. Do you have a place in mind?”

“Follow me.”

“Always.”

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

 They wind up in an office closed for remodeling, donning utility uniform costumes from some forgotten holiday. Once they’re inside a room away from the dust, Miranda pushes Artemis down into a rolling chair, kicking it back until it bumps against the desk. “God, that uniform looks awful on you.”

“Mm. That sounds like a problem.” Artemis looks up at her with the dim lights dancing in her eyes. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I can think of a few things.” Miranda straddles her lap, guiding Artemis’s fingers to each button on her jumper. She undoes them meticulously, one by one, letting her knuckles drag down the curves of Miranda’s chest, her lips parted ever so slightly. When Artemis’s breath quickens, Miranda feels it against her skin, and her lover grins as she notices the goosebumps dotting her breasts.

As she reaches the button sitting above Miranda’s crotch, Artemis digs her knuckles extra hard until her breath catches. She licks her own lips, slipping her hands around to the back of Miranda’s head, pulling her into a kiss. “I’ve missed you so much, Miranda,” she whispers into her lips after they’ve broken for air.

“I’ve missed you, too.” It surprises her to say it, but it’s true. Miranda undoes her carefully pinned bun, weaving her hands into her silken chocolate tresses.

“You could’ve had anyone. Anyone.” Artemis looks up at her with wonder as she unhooks her bra. “Why wait for me?”

“You’re different.” Maybe she says it too quickly, swallowing as Artemis retraces the skin laid bare. Why? She knows Miranda’s body’s immune to the ravages of space and time. Nothing has changed.

Ah. There it is. Under Artemis’s fierce Amazon exterior lies her true feelings--eyes that dart and fingers that tremble. Her mouth moves, but no words spill out, but Miranda can see it written all over her face. “Am I?”

Miranda kisses her nose. “You are the bravest person I’ve ever known.” Her lips graze her left cheek. “You have the whole galaxy resting on your shoulders.” Her right ear. “And yet you put everything on hold to show me how much you missed me.” Her right neck, drinking in her moan. Ah yes. Artemis is sensitive there. “And you gave me a chance when you had every reason to hate me.”

Artemis’s eyes don’t open when she answers. “I never hated you.” Another moan slips out when Miranda’s teeth graze her skin. “I hated Cerberus.” Her voice comes out jagged.

“I worked for Cerberus.” Miranda debates where to go from here. She could scoot Artemis to the edge of the chair, and really take her time with her, but time is not a luxury they have. Not in a construction zone with fake uniforms.

“So did I.”

Miranda answers her with a kiss, slowly grinding her pelvis against hers. Maybe it’s a little cliché or maybe she’s watched too many porn vids while Artemis was in prison, but she can’t help her curiosity. It feels nicer than either of them would expect. “Mm.”

“Y-yeah.” Artemis replies, exploring her mouth with her tongue as they pick up speed. Miranda feels a moan slip out of her mouth as her girlfriend pulls her closer and tighter. She manages to drown her moans into her shoulder until they both still.

Stretching her arms, Miranda gulps when Artemis pulls her back. “I’m not done with you yet,” she murmurs into Miranda’s ears, brushing her lips there until she shivers and swallows. Artemis trails one set of fingers down between Miranda’s breasts, while the other cups her ass, squeezing when she starts to squirm. “You’re--” she almost says beautiful, Miranda can see it on her lips, but she knows better--knows that’s a loaded word with her, even during sex. Her eyes widen when she can’t find a better word, and her mouth twists and turns without a sound falling out.

“Shh.” Miranda captures her mouth with her own, letting their touch speak for them. Mirroring Artemis’s fingers with her own, she finds her so exquisitely wet it makes her mouth water.

“Miranda, I--” she can’t finish her sentence, not like this, not when Miranda’s fingers are dancing across her clit. “Fuck,” she says helplessly, her eyes squeezing shut and her mouth falling open. A moan punctuates her sentence as her hips lift them both above the seat of the chair.

Putting her feet on the floor for balance, Miranda holds Artemis in place with her hand on the back of the chair. “I love it when you’re like this.” Her finger slips inside her cunt like melted butter, and Artemis’s head tips back. Warmth rushes over Miranda as she feels Artemis pulsing around her fingers.

Her chair rolls back and forth to the rhythm of her hips. Her eyes open just enough. “I love you too.”

Miranda’s jaw drops. “Excuse me?”

Still breathlessly in bliss, it takes Artemis a moment to register the shock on her girlfriend’s face. She licks her lips. “Too soon?” Artemis tries to smile sheepishly, but her eyebrows furrow with worry.

It’s then Miranda remembers where her fingers are. “You love me?”

Artemis shudders as she pulls out. “Nn. Y-yeah.” She sobers quickly, sitting up. “Miranda, I….”

Bloody hell, Miranda. You’re ruining everything. “Sorry,” is the only thing she can think to say. It’s not what she wants to say.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything,” Artemis says abruptly. She stares pointedly at the lone freckle on her right shoulder. Her father always hated that freckle. Said it was skin damage. Her skin wasn’t supposed to get damaged. Perhaps that’s why he replaced her with Ori.

“I’m not very good at this.” Miranda mumbles. She’s shaking. Why is she shaking?

Artemis coughs. “Liar. You are amazing at sex. Your pillow talk, though.” She smirks, though her eyes still search her face.

“Har, har.” Miranda does the only thing that makes sense in this moment--pinning Artemis back into the chair with a searing kiss. “It’s not you.”

“Miranda…”

“I mean it. And I want to mean it when I say it.” Another kiss aimed at her throat. “Not just return the words to make someone feel better.”

“I get it.” She doesn’t. But that doesn’t stop her from reciprocating Miranda’s touch. Artemis bites her neck to catch her attention, and Miranda can’t help her ragged gasp.

Her free hand just barely grazes the inside of Miranda’s thigh, never quite touching where she wants. “Arti--”

This time Artemis’s grin is real. “Mm?” She hums into her skin, rubbing deeper into her skin, but never touching her center.

“Goddamnit, Artemis.”

“Shh. Let me take care of you for once.” Artemis finally reaches Miranda’s clit, circling and rubbing with a featherlight touch. This time, Miranda has no reply, clinging to Artemis as her body shudders in ecstasy. The room around them vanishes--she can’t even feel the rub of her uniform anymore. It’s just her and Artemis--the salt of their sweat, and the sound of their heavy breathing mixed with the slick of her fingertips against her skin. For once, she can forget the war, and her worries, and maybe, just maybe, this is what love feels like.

Telling Artemis she loves her is a whole different story. “Thank you,” Miranda whispers breathlessly.

“Any time.” Artemis licks her fingers cheekily, stretching once Miranda pulls off her.

“I don’t want to leave.” Miranda buttons up her utility uniform, though she can’t take her eyes off her, so she keeps missing a hole, or three.

“Me either.” Artemis ignores her suit for now, focusing on putting up her hair. Her lips are still bruised from when Miranda kissed her last. “You sure we can’t stay a little longer?” The skin around her throat still flushes with heat.

“It’s not wise for me to stay in one place too long.”

Her skin cools as she sobers. “The Illusive Man. Is he after you?”

Miranda nods, telling her about her run-in with Kai Leng. Artemis’s brows furrow as she listens.

“Sounds final.” She traces her finger down Miranda’s cheek, looking for any signs of distress, scars, or bruises. Miranda’s stupidly perfect body hides it all. Just like it did when her father--

“It nearly was.” She can’t allow herself to think about him right now. She can’t break down now, especially not in front of Artemis. “He doesn’t take rejection well.”

Artemis snorts, gingerly poking her skin in what’s likely a bruise from Mars. “No, he doesn’t.” She glances back at Miranda, narrowing her eyes. “How are you sure it’s not him going after Oriana?”

“I won’t know anything until I track down some leads.”

“Here?”

“Hey. I’m owed a few favors.”

Artemis matches her grin, only to groan when her omni-tool chimes at her. She sighs as she pulls back. “I gotta get going. Be careful, okay?”

Miranda leans forward, pecking her cheek. “No promises.”

Taking a few steps towards the elevator, Shepard murmurs. “EDI says next time you want to tap into the Normandy’s systems, just ask nicely.”

[amassingeffect]

Day 1: Hello + Goodbye

Tamrat Shepard: Earthborn // War Hero // Vanguard

Paragon

Grand Tour - MShep, Tali Zorah

Rating: G

Notes: Written quick and edited faster. That’s how this particular writer does her ficlets. LOL

The past 48 hours had been a whirlwind.  Since Eden Prime, Tamrat managed to get Saren Arterius disbarred from the Spectres and then was made a Spectre himself.  And in the process, he had to suffer through a titty bar, a sleazy criminal operator of said titty bar and the dirtiest cop he’d ever laid eyes on. Not to mention winding up with a mercenary krogan bounty hunter and a disgruntled turian C-Sec officer who seemed, so far, to be quicker with his gun and his gut instinct that he was with his rationale.

Rescuing Tali had been the capper on the whirlwind. Though, honestly, Tamrat wasn’t too sure if you could even call it a rescue. When he, Kaidan and Wrex had fought their way through Chora’s to get to the alleyway, he half thought they were gonna find some poor quarian dying from something. Instead, what Tamrat found was Tali with her bravery and her grenades. She had more than handled herself and Tamrat wasn’t a fool. From what he saw, he’d take that kind of level-headed person on his crew any day of the week.

Adding Tali to the roster had gotten a look from Pressley but it was done with zero fuss. She had requested a spot in Engineering to best help out. So he’d left her in Adams’ capable hands and gotten to work on his first ever Spectre assignment: hunting down Saren Arterius. Tamrat did have to give it to the Council, they kept the situation mostly contained, not bringing anyone new in to handle it. He’d made the rounds with key Alliance personnel before holing up in his new quarters to read over Saren’s truly terrifyingly long record. Wrex, Vakarian and Tali, he wanted to give a bit of time to adjust before having a more personal one-on-one talk with them. Plus, they still had a day to go before reaching the Artemis Tau cluster to try and locate Dr T’soni.

That whole whirlwind from yesterday was why Tamrat was currently waiting for the elevator to crawl on down to the hangar deck. The ship had just started its day cycle and this was a top priority in his mind. Once the elevator doors finally opened, he rounded the corner to Engineering. The familiar hum of the drive core greeted him as he walked in, everyone at their stations doing…. well, something. He was never too sure what exactly happened in Engineering besides making sure everything ran smoothly. Tali was at  a console off to the left, fiddling with something on the screen.

“Tali Zorah?” he asked as he approached.

“Oh, Commander,” she half turned her head, before finishing up something to face him completely. “How can I help you?”

“Just wanted to introduce myself. You know, properly. It was a bit crazy yesterday,” Tamrat held out his hand. “Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy.”

The glow of Tali’s eyes narrowed a bit and he wasn’t too sure if he’d fucked up something. But then, “Tali Zorah of the Flotilla. Think I heard something about you,” she waited a beat, amusement evident in her voice. “Aren’t you a Spectre?”

Tamrat grinned  at that. “That’s me. Probably wouldn’t have happened if this quarian on her Pilgrimage didn’t help out.”

“Oh, really?” Tali held it together for a little bit longer before she chuckled. “Thank you for the formal introduction, Commander.”

He nodded. “I know it’s been a day already, but you’re settling in okay?”

“Yes, thank you. Most of your crew has been very nice.”

“Most of?” Tamrat took in how she started wringing her hands. “Did something happen?”

“No, no, no,” Tali said quickly. “I’m sure it’s just getting used to one another. We all haven’t even been on this ship a week.”

He frowned but decided to let it slide. “All right. Just keep in mind that I maintain an open door policy. If you need to discuss something privately or escalate a situation.” Hell, that two names came immediately to mind was not a good start to his running of a ship.

“Thank you,” Tali sounded appreciative. “If you—”

“Would you like a tour of the ship?”

The silence that fell after his blurted words was a bit awkward. Mostly because Tali seemed shocked if her still posture and wide, bright eyes said anything. And also mostly because he could not, for the life of him, figure out why he had blurted it out like that. Sure, it made sense. Wrex and Vakarian could easily handle themselves if someone dared to get too pushy with them. But it wasn’t that Tali couldn’t handle herself, but she probably made a hell of a easy-looking target. And she seemed to be tech inclined. It would be a win-win in Tamrat’s book, giving her a tour. The crew saw that he trusted her enough to show her one of the most cutting-edge ships in the galaxy and she got to look at all that tech without anyone potentially bothering her.

“I mean,” Tamrat cleared his throat, hoping his flush of embarrassment wasn’t too noticeable. “Would you like to see the ship? Tour it properly?”

“Oh!” Tali’s whole body seemed to perk right up, her eyes folding with what had to be a smile. “If you have the time, Commander. I just finished my calibrations, they’ll keep for a bit.”

Well, definitely no denying the excitement in her voice. Tamrat grinned as he gestured to the door. “Right this way then, Miss Tali Zorah.”

[ferociousqueak]

Artemis x Vetra, 10s please

10. Which one staresat the other's booty like "damn" and how does the other react whencatching them?

Artemis is definitely more likely to ogle Vetra instead ofthe other way around, but she’d focus more on her shoulders and thighs than herbooty (let’s be honest, turians tend not to have much to look at there). WhenVetra catches her, Artemis just leans into it and whistles or makes asuggestive remark, and Vetra has no idea how to handle it and basically justturns into pile of blushing tuxedo tails. Artemis knows how her flirtingaffects Vetra, so she makes sure to do it when they’re alone to keep it ablushing-in-a-good-way kind of moment.

20. Say they werecuddling on the bed while listening to record player playing the background.Which song is playing?

That would depend on the mood. If they’re keeping it chilland lazy, probably Top 40. If cuddling is step one of a ten-part plan, theyhave a rotation of different playlists, from fun and flirty to slow andromantic.

30. Do they dancetogether?

Oh absolutely! Vetra still has a difficult time lettingherself have fun in front of others, so Artemis tries to ease her into it byrandomly turning up the music and offering her hand to invite Vetra to dancewith her. At first, she sticks to Latin music because it’s supremely easy todance to and Artemis has a least a pedestrian knowledge of the steps to therumba, salsa, cha-cha-cha, and mambo. Eventually, when Vetra hears certainbeats starting to play, she knows exactly what Artemis is planning, so shesighs and makes a show of reluctantly getting up, but she loves it more andmore every time Artemis initiates one of their impromptu dance parties.

40. Who would fightin honor for the other if someone would insult them?

I guess this depends on your definition of “fight.” Artemiswould absolutely headbutt anyone who said a cross word about her tolgirlfriend—including, and perhaps especially, a krogan. Vetra might not reactin the moment, but the person who had the gall to insult her girlfriend wouldsuddenly and inexplicably be completely unable to get their orders deliveredcorrectly and on time, or have their rations suddenly changed to the packagesof freeze-dried meals that absolutely no one wants to eat, or find their nameon a Do Not Travel list because they’re under investigation for smuggling.There’s more than one way to hurt someone :P

Ask me about my ships

[cousinslavellan-archive]

Broken Souls Pt 3

HI HAVE PART 3. And guys this is pure fluff and sap cause I never planned to keep these losers apart very long for this. And had I just been focusing on them, this is probably where this fic would have ended. BUT. It’s not! More to come in regards to certain other couples >:3 ♥ Tiberius borrowed from the wonderful @wafflesrock16

But yeah. Pure Fluff. This is what I needed to write today. Enjoy ♥

“She’s here, isn’t she? You’ve barely said a word since you got in last night.”

“Jus’a long day, Teren.” Rainer does his best to clamp down on his sub-vocals as he works at getting his his boots laced up, purposely avoiding her gaze, “Nothin’ta get excited about.”

“That’s a load of shit and you know it, Rainer Vakarian.” Teren’s standing in front of him by the time he’s finished with his boots, giving him an annoyed stare. “I do talk to my brother, you realize - so I know about the human squad, and I know about the N7 with a very familiar name.”

Rainer lets out a quiet growl, staring past her. “Teren…”

“But it’s her, isn’t it?” Teren turns his face back to her with a hand on his face, her own mandibles quivering, “Artemis told me he’d assigned you to be her guide - he wouldn’t have done that if you hadn’t given some sign, Rainer.”

Rainer stares at her for a moment, thinking. Teren is an elegant, beautiful turian, and a good friend; just yesterday, he’d been content to be engaged to her.

Now, though…

He slumps, vocals whining quietly. “Ah… Ah’m not sure, Teren. Ah haven’t talked ta her yet.”

“Well then what the hell are you waiting for?! Times wasting!” in typical Teren fashion, she’s swapped from curious to ecstatic, shoving him physically towards the door of the flat, “Go get her!”

“Ya do realize yer shovin’ me outta my own flat?” he trills, amused, even as she gives him another hard push.

“Details, schmetails, git!”

“Ah’m goin’, Ah’m goin’!” Rainer barks out a laugh, near stumbling out the door and throwing an amused look back at the woman, “Make sure ya lock that door when ya leave!”

Teren just closes the door in his face, leaving him to sigh and shake his head before slowly making his way to the elevator.

He calls up his omni as he walks, opening a call to the other member of the Primarch’s central defense. “Oi, Tiberius, ya there?”

“Morning, Rainer.” comes the somewhat groggy response from the other end.

“Ya stayed up all night playin’ that game again, didn’t ya?”

“Mmm. What’s going on?”

Rainer just chuckles, hitting the button for the level the Alliance soldiers are staying on and letting the doors slide shut before answering. “Primarch’s assigned me ta show one a’those Alliance elites around, keep’er outta trouble while she runs whatever programs she needs ta. Wanted ta give ya a heads up.”

“Ah, gotcha. I’ll keep my eyes peeled, then.” Tiberius yawns, starting to sound more awake, “How long are they here for?”

“Few weeks.” Rainer mumbles, thinking. Hopefully longer, if it really is…

“Alright. Keep me updated.”

“Can do.”

Rainer disconnects the call as the elevator comes to a halt, forcing himself to seem casual as he strides out through the hallway and towards the rooms Artemis had given the twin N7’s.

A separate set seemed appropriate, given they will be working more closely with our systems then the rest of the squad. Fedorian had grinned the day before, still wearing that knowing look, Rose, at least, will be working very close - and I expect you to stay close to her, as well. A guide of sorts.

He’d known better then to question the Primarch, though he’d wanted to - he would do as he was told.

And maybe, stop bein’ a coward and just ask.

With that thought in mind as he reaches the specified door, Rainer takes a moment to steel himself, then knocks - fighting back a startled chirp when it almost immediately open.

Rose stares back at him, eyes a little wide, and it takes everything in him to stop the trill that wants to escape, to appear calm and collected.

“Mornin’.” he manages after a solid ten seconds, clearing his throat and eyeing her armor, “Were ya, ah, expectin’ me?”

“The Primarch said to expect someone by about this time.” she says, sounding a little frazzled, and somehow that makes him feel better, “You’re, um, supposed to bring me to the Defense Grid?”

“Right. Ah’m yer guide, while yer here.” Rainer inclines his head slightly, unable to help inhaling slightly and squashing a pleased rumble, “C’mon. Ah’ll lead the way.”

Do ya know me? He wants to ask, the Mark still burning, Do ya wear ma name, as Ah wear yers?

But he keeps quiet, for now, stepping back at Rose’s nod and waiting until she’s joined him in the hallway to start walking. He tries to make small talk as they walk, but he’s never been good at it, and she seems just as flustered as he is.

Could be a good sign. Just… don’t blow this, Rainer.

 An hour later, Rose is done her diagnostics on the Spires Defense systems, and she’s even more flustered then she had been before.

Rainer is charming, in a rough sort of way, and talking to him had made the whole process go much quicker - though she’s still on edge, Mark still throbbing, and she doesn’t know how to broach that subject or even if she should.

Are you my Soulmate? Because let me tell you, buddy, this Mark has caused me a lifetime of stress…

That’s not fair, and she’d never say it, but having him so close, finally, maybe, and doing nothing about it is killing her.

“I’m done running the diag.” Rose says aloud, spinning in her chair to find Rainer watching her, “I have to give it some time before I’ll know what areas to patch, though.”

“Damn impressive. Done that quickly?” Rainer’s mandibles flair out, and there’s a sort of awed trilling accompanying his words, “No wonder yer an Elite - woulda taken most’a our techs least a few hours.”

Rose flushes under the praise, but lifts her arm to showcase her omni with a grin. “Amped omni. I’ve been tweaking it since I joined the Alliance at 18. As I said; tech is my specialty, not close combat.”

Rainer considers that for a moment, humming, then “Ya any good with a gun?”

“I’m a decent shot with a sniper rifle.” she boasts, lifting her chin in the air at his startled look, “What? Don’t believe me?”

“Ah’d like ta see it, is all, consderin’ ma own choice of weapon is a sniper rifle.” he purrs back, the sound making her shiver, before offering her a hand up. “C’mon. Ye’v done yer work fer now. Let’s go test this prowess of yers.”

Rose laughs loudly, startled and pleased as she accepts the grip - shivering again as a little tingle rushes from where their hands are clasped.

Rainer goes momentarily still, staring at their hands and then at her, before tightening his grip and leading her off down the hall - her heart pounding all the while.

Rainer sets them up in one of the private Shooting Ranges meant for the Primarch’s higher ups, letting her pick out a rifle before pulling his own from it’s holster.

Rose takes the time to tweak the settings on the weapon - similar to her own prefered rifle, perhaps just a smidge bigger - before forcing herself to focus on the target and ignore the incredibly attractive turian in the booth next to her, getting ready-

She fires, the shot striking just to the right of the bullseye, then readjusts and fires again - two, three, four strikes on the centre dot.

“Holy hell, Princess, ya weren’t kiddin’! Who taught ya ta shoot like that?”

Rose jolts up at the exclamation, startled both by the name and the question. “Uh…” she stammers, blushing at the utter excitement on the mans face, “Just the Alliance training - and my own practice, really.”

“No kidding? Damn, that’s amazin’, especially with an unfamiliar rifle.” Rainer’s mandibles are quivering, green eyes lit up, “Yer talented, Princess.”

“N-not really. I just worked really hard.” Rose nearly drops the rifle in her fluster, feeling herself going red, “Needed to get into the Alliance, so, y’know… just worked by ass off to get away.”

Rainer pauses at that, mandibles drawing in a bit. He looks almost confused, rumbling. “Ta get away from what, Princess?”

“Oh, um. Just… my parents.” she shrugs, gaze turned away.

“Why did ya need ta get away?”

I just met this guy, but it feels… comfortable, talking to him. Is it because…?

“They never liked me. No, scratch that, they’ve despised me since I was born. All because they’re fucking xenophobic assholes.”

Rainer’s gaze is very intent, she notices, looking back at him after a moment, like there’s something he wants to say.

“Why would they hate ya because ah that?” he asks, voice a quiet rumble.

Rose’s Mark stings suddenly, and she presses her hand against her chest out of habit - a movement that Rainer follows immediately, mandibles flickering.

Is it you? Is that why the Mark keeps hurting? Is it…?

“Because my Soulmate is a turian.” she whispers, trying to be brave, “And I joined the Alliance to find him.”

Rainer goes silent for a moment, watching her, before a low purr seems to leave him, eyes going soft.

“Tha’s funny.” he chuckles, taking a short step closer, “Cause ma Soulmates a human, and Ah was startin’ ta wonder if she’d ever show up.”

“Is Rainer a common name on Palaven?” Rose asks quietly, sighing a little as he cups her face with one hand - leaning automatically into the touch and the strange sense of comfort it gives her.

“Not really.” Rainer purrs, watching her expression carefully, humming a little when she lifts her hand to press over his, “Ah donno how common a name Rose is, fer humans… but yer th’first Ah’ve ever met, an’-”

“My Mark’s been burning since I got to Palaven.” she admits, quirking a smile. “I think I know why, now.”

He chuckles, bumping his forehead against hers in a way that makes her grin, “Ah think Ah know too.”