#ladya replies

[theoriginalladya]

15 Questions and 15 Friends

I was tagged by @mtreebeardiles and (sort of) @shadoedseptmbr, so here we go.

Not sure I have fifteen people I can tag, but (no pressure!) how about @painterofhorizons, @tiny-banana-time, @keriweird, @happychica, @wrathbites, and anyone else who would like to participate! <3

Are you named after anyone?

Two grandmothers and a great grandmother (and great aunt with the same name)

When was the last time you cried?

Technically, just a few minutes ago while laughing my ass off at a tumblr post? Outside of that, not sure. Painful tears I try to forget ASAP, and happy ones usually just leave me with a smile. :)

Do you have kids?

Yup! Kiddo in his mid-20s and two rambunctious 6 year old (probably teenaged) cats.

What sports do you play/have you played?

Oh gosh, here we go. starting waaaaay back in the day and moving forward...swimming, softball, volleyball, basketball, does cheerleading count?, (manager) soccer, (horseback) riding. (I count the soccer because it counted as PE credit in college)

Do you use sarcasm?

Nahhhh, whatever gave you that idea? (Whenever possible.)

What is the first thing you notice about people?

Their eyes. Their smile. Their voice.

What is your eye color?

Ummm...Technically, I'm listed as brown, but ever since high school, there's been a vague hint of green in there? So I guess I'd say hazel at this point.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy Endings 1000000000% I can't do scary. It's never been my thing.

What are your hobbies?

Knitting, crocheting, spinning, sewing, writing, gaming (video and tabletop): basically, CREATING

Do you have any pets?

Two cats, as stated above. Today they were my eclipse buddies.

How tall are you?

At my tallest 5'4", but have started the inevitable shrinking process, so not sure where I'm at right now

Favorite subject in school?

High School: Choir and French

College: history, history, history

Dream Job?

Actually had it for a year and a half about twenty years ago before the airline industry started to get weird and our airline folded. Worked as a Flight Attendant Administration Assistant. It was a blast and I would have gone on much longer if I could have!

[mtreebeardiles]

WIP Wednesday

Was tagged by @illusivesoul — many thanks! Very excited to see where that seraghast is going btw 👀

Haven’t been writing as much but I’m hoping to move past my temporary hiatus soon. I do have a little bit of the next part of Stardew Effect written tho, so here ya go!

Not formatted because tumblr hates me lol

Tagging let’s see @tiny-banana-time @pastelroyce @dandenbo and I see LadyA did a WIP Wednesday but tagging you anyway lol @theoriginalladya 🧡 no pressure as always (gonna also tag @urdnotflexthejedibard though if you wanna share it with us in discord instead since it’s original 👀 still wanna see how that project is going 🥰)

"So, okay… run this by me again."

Kaidan was perched on Evvy's bed, cross-legged, elbows braced on his knees as he watched the other man resettle beside him. On the nightstand before them was Everett's laptop, lid open, screen aglow, the bird he'd rescued peering down at the keys as if in deep concentration.

"I'm like, ninety percent sure that bird is actually Liara."

"And she's cursed?"

"Like, super cursed."

"And you came to that conclusion because something… repelled you? When you tried to heal her?"

"Something like that." Everett mirrored Kaidan's position, and for all he looked even more exhausted than he'd seemed earlier that day, there was a quirk to his lips and a glint in his eyes that echoed the sort of good-humor Kaidan had come to associate with him.

"You seem amused by all this."

"I'm amused by you."

"Hey! Why!" His outrage was undercut by his own inability to suppress a smile. Despite the weird and frankly worrying circumstances, it did him good to see Evvy in better spirits. He reached over, prodding Everett in the ribs, doubling his efforts when the other man tried to squirm away. He captured him, pulling him against his chest and running his fingertips along the sensitive areas he'd mapped once before. "I went all the way to that tower for you! Climbed way too many stairs! Tried to understand Wizard!"

Everett was laughing, only half-heartedly trying to escape.

"I almost tried re-creating that hallucinogenic tree tea! And I come all the way here just to get sassed! Unbelievable."

"You weren't gonna try to make that tea, Kay."

"True, but saying I would've helps my case here."

Everett shifted, looking up at him, cheeks lightly flushed. "Fighting dirty there, Kaidan?"

"If it gets you to laugh like that," he replied with a shrug, smiling a little. "Worth it."

Everett's smile softened, and he leaned up to brush a kiss to Kaidan's cheek. Kaidan gave him a little squeeze in return, resting his chin against his shoulder. "So what's actually amusing?"

"Just how outraged you are at the idea of curses," Evvy admitted. "We know Liara can teleport, but this is where you draw the line?"

"This is a step beyond 'odd,' Evvy. This," he gestured towards the bird, watching as it lifted a delicate foot and attempted to smack a few keys with it, promptly falling over. "This I can't even take seriously."

The bird turned its head then, fixing him with what could only be considered a beady-eyed glare.

"I don't know how else she can communicate with us!" Everett leaned forward without actually leaving Kaidan's hold, reaching out to set the bird to rights. "Try your beak?"

[theoriginalladya]

trick or treat 🎃

Have a treat! Here are my little goblins earlier today, actually sitting together without fighting!

[theoriginalladya]

@painterofhorizons - That job was so much fun! I worked in Flight Attendant Administration with someone else. We were responsible for a number of things, but she ran the medical/leave side and I was running the "paperwork" side of things (not sure exactly how to categorize it). One of the things FAs had to do on each flight was complete a quick trip summary. Especially if there was an 'incident' on board (that could be something as simple as someone tripped on the way to their seat, the emergency doors being opened, someone having a medical emergency, etc. Basically, anything "out of the ordinary" happening). Those were sent back to our department and I was responsible for looking through them and spotting any immediate issues then filing them away in case they were ever needed for follow up investigations (and often times they were). I read some really interesting stories, let me tell you!, and a few times even had to get further involved with the investigations down the line. I found it fascinating, to say the least! (my mystery/story loving mind coming up with all sorts of ideas, let me tell you! lol) But, alas, it was a small airline and a year and a half after I joined, they downsized (lovely to get a 'you're being laid off' notice two days before your birthday). They lasted another year or so before going completely under, I think. It was too bad. They were a great place to work and I really enjoyed the job!

[theoriginalladya]

What is Caleb's favorite comfort food? And where is his favorite place to have it?

[Note: I will include links to a couple of recipes, but I have not tried them yet myself]

*pokes Caleb*

Caleb ponders for a few minutes.

"Well, when I was young, Nan used to make this cheese and potato soup that was great on cold winter nights when the wind liked to howl outside of Old Neddy's. That and some crusty bread - it was about the only time she didn't chide me for using my fingers to eat! - made for a good way to warm up."

Irish Potato & Cheese Soup

"After I enlisted in the Alliance, Hammersmith [Coats] introduced me to Oxtail Soup - family recipe, he said. Not quite as good as good old Irish Stew, but close. Not sure what he put in it - to this day, I don't think he's ever made it using the same veg as that first time - but I'd swear he raided some garden just off base! like Nan's soup, good to warm you up on a cold night. At least Hammersmith was smart enough to pair it up with some Guinness."

*from a distance* "Hey, I heard that!"

Oxtail Soup

"Now, if you're talking about something sweet, gotta say my go to is Moose Tracks ice cream. Can't recall where or when I came across it first, but I can't imagine living without it."

*Kaidan chuckles.* "Are you saying you saved the galaxy from the Reapers just to save the moose?"

*Caleb looks around the table at Kaidan, Tadhg and Niamh, all who are eating Moose Tracks as well. Mooses Squoosh [Niamh's plush moose from Aunt Abby] sits on the table next to her as she eats her ice cream*. "Maybe not just the moose," he replies while grinning around a mouthful of ice cream and winking.

~~~

So, there ya go. Honestly, I think he's less 'favorite' comfort food and more 'comfort from the people he spends the time with'. Depending on the point in his life, he could be sitting at the dinner table with Ned and Nan, hiding in a damp, cold hideout with some of the Reds during the war with the Greystones, hanging out in a pub with Coats and Kaidan, or at home with Kaidan and the kids after the war and be equally happy.

Thank you so much for the ask - what great questions!!! <3 And thanks for dropping by my inbox!

[theoriginalladya]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you. learn to know your mutuals and followers :)

Awww, thank you, my friend!

Let me see here... (and in no particular order)

My son's laugh. No matter how old he is, his laughter never fails to bring me all kinds of delight.

A new story idea! Developing characters and plot, figuring out the details of what's going to happen, etc. (*eyes notes* Especially when it's an original fic idea!)

Pocket friends! <3

A pretty colored yarn, some knitting needles and an idea of something to create with them!

Kaidan kitty coming over to snuggle with me!

Bonus picture of #5:

[theoriginalladya]

So, @painterofhorizons asked me about one of the projects I listed on that last meme.

Mass Effect: The Shanxi Files is a background piece for Caleb, sort of. I'm still sorting out bits and pieces of the plot, but it's going to focus on a few characters who play important roles in Caleb's life later on. For example, you'll get to see...

a younger Dr. Chakwas on her first deployment who is paired up with a young Irish medic named Ciaran O'Connell (Caleb's dad)

Anderson and Connor O'Bannon (aka: Athair) when they fought in the First Contact War...

Remember that tiny side quest in ME1 that involved Dr. Michel, Anderson and Admiral Kahoku? The one about Armistan Banes? Yeah, he's in it too and has a run in with one Jack Harper at the end of it...

So far, I've got most of my outline done and a draft of the prologue which will be the message General Williams sends out to Arcturus to let them know the colony's being attacked. I'm hoping it'll start grabbing hold soon because I really want to get it written and out there to share!

[theoriginalladya]

Hello! Your Caleb Shepard has inspired me to make the last push to get in touch with my Irish heritage, but I don’t know where to start. I definitely want to learn Gaelic.

Hello! Oh, what a lovely compliment and wow, how exciting!!!! Thank you!! I will admit, Caleb has become very dear to my heart and I have used him to learn a lot of things Irish that I never would have otherwise!

I'll be honest up front: I do not know Gaelic myself. That's one of those things on my 'to do' list that I probably should bump up to the top. Most of what I use in my stories come from a lot of searching around the internet. I have some experience learning a foreign language (French) as well as researching documents in others (the joys of being a history major lol) so I understand enough about phrasing and structure once I've found a few examples and can get a feel for it, but I also tend to do an over abundance of research to make sure I get a word or phrase as accurate as possible. I also follow some Irish blogs that help, too.

As for actually learning of the language, I have a couple of friends who have suggested I look into starting with Babbel. (I honestly know nothing about Babbel, but I have seen advertisements for it as well) I'm sure there must be other options out there, but I haven't started checking into them yet.

As for the other aspects of his Irish background - history, folktales, places, etc. - that is something that comes far more naturally to me! I was a history major in college ages ago and eventually ended up getting my MA in Medieval History. One benefit to that was learning how to research and how to discern reliable sources. It's a skill that has come in handy over the years (and as a result, when the research bug hits, I tend to go deeeeeeep into a subject just to satisfy my curiosity! lol).

Now, as for deciding where to make Caleb come from, I won't say I threw a dart at the map to choose (I'm not nearly so good at darts as he is!), but my parents visited Ireland about a decade ago and shared a bunch of photos and stories of their adventure. That fed into my love of geography, all things Celtic and history, and so I sat down at the computer, did a quick, general Google search on Irish history to get me started, and ended up chasing after bits and pieces that caught my interest. My Master's thesis was on the history of an abbey in England (of which I hope to one day publish an original fic with that as a large part of it's story) and in doing my research for that, I occasionally came across references to events in history that tied back to Ireland that piqued my interest as well. It's a research adventure that is still ongoing today - some thirty years after my MA Thesis and three and a half years after creating Caleb, but there's still more to learn about!

But like I said, I honestly cannot say what made me decide to plant Caleb in Shannon. He has the character background of an Earthborn Shepard, so I knew he'd be from a city. The foundation of his character, though, stems from a different game where I play Brigit, his mother, who is most definitely from rural Ireland. He was a natural fit for Mass Effect, and once I plonked him into Shannon, I started to explore the surrounding areas on maps, in folklore, in history, etc. It all kind of snowballed from there. I've scrounged up some 2nd hand travel guides for Ireland at used bookstores, read numerous books of Irish folktales I've collected over the years, and continue to search the Web for new and interesting tidbits to feed my fancy. My latest fixation has been on discovering more of the fae/fairy stories and folklore so I can adapt it to a Mass Effect/Fairy AU idea I have. Now to be fair, some of my fae knowledge is influenced by an RPG game I play as well as the information I've gathered, so please don't take it as 100% accurate, especially once I've added in the Mass Effect side of things!

So, all of my rambling aside - sorry about that, get me going on my characters and you might have to tell me to stop! lol - I would suggest a Google search to get you started or, alternatively, to help you narrow things down a bit to a starting point. Do you have a place you are really interested in? A story or bit of folklore? An ancestor from over there you'd like to learn more about? (trust me, tracing genealogy is just as dangerous for me - still happens to me whenever I pull mine out to update!) Could be something as simple as wondering about the history of Guinness beer or what Irish wool/yarn is native to the country or a W.B. Yeats poem you want to track down the meaning behind.

Come to think of it, a friend did pass along some W.B. Yeats back when I created Caleb. And my mom did give me some 'real Irish wool' yarn when she came back from that trip that I really need to dig out and make something with. Hmm....

(and feel free to drop other asks if you have specific questions! I'm sorry I've rambled on so long, but what a delight to find your comments in my inbox! thank you so much!!!)

[theoriginalladya]

♛: Sharing a dessert for Aubrey and Kaidan?

from this list

On AO3 here

Okay, so this got way out of control almost from the moment I first saw it. Just dropping a snippet here, the rest is over on AO3. Hope you like it! :)

~~~

Brain Freeze

The heat was a problem.

Since coming to the orchard, Aubrey had settled in surprisingly well, if Kaidan and his mother were to be believed.  Never having been around nature before, let alone so much all at once, it was a bit of a shock.  Tree branches drifting gently in the breeze were not Aria’s troops closing in, nor was the subtle shift from daylight to dusk a sign someone was messing with the power grid.  It had taken time to get used to it all – and truthfully, he would admit he wasn’t quite there yet – but Kaidan’s reassurances that they had the time now to be together and that was the most important thing, made the process of adjusting here so much easier.

And then there was Kaidan’s mother.

Anna-Marie Alenko was not what Aubrey had expected.  Perhaps that wasn’t quite fair, since the only woman with any major influence in his life before now was Brooks and that had been the absolute worst sort of relationship.  However, Kaidan’s mother was well beyond the opposite end of the spectrum from Brooks.  Kind, patient, understanding; so many of the same qualities Aubrey had come to find in Kaidan.  Anna-Marie had sensed Aubrey’s initial discomfort immediately upon his arrival and gone out of her way to welcome him; not with open-armed hugs or excited words, but with a warm smile that reached her eyes and a knowing look.  Most importantly, he’d discovered, she was willing to share.

Aubrey’s lack of knowledge – of nature or anything else, really – didn’t seem to be a concern to her.  As she told him in those first days, it was an opportunity to learn and grow.  A blessing, plain and simple.  Now, all these weeks later and even though he still couldn’t tell an apple tree from a peach unless the fruit was present, she never showed concern but instead patiently explained it yet again.  Small successes were still successes, and who was he to argue with her?  And the very fact he could new tell the difference between those trees that produced fruit and those that were merely decorative was one such success.    

How could he not fall in love with this place?

Find the rest over on AO3!

[theoriginalladya]

From the Soft OTP prompts: "cuddling into each other’s warmth under the covers when it’s cold and winter" for abboats, please!

Hehehe Somehow, I knew you'd ask for them! :)

On AO3 here

from this prompt list

~~~

London, England, Winter 2186

For the first time in what feels like years – and maybe it has been, who can tell what day it is in this bloody war when each one feels just like the day before – it isn’t a hoarse, harsh whisper in his ear, waking him just before reaper troops arrive to scour their location.  The shell of a building around him doesn’t shake, tremors induced by the giant forms of their alien overlords moving ever closer.  There isn’t a fight between civilians, scrabbling over scraps of rotting food and contaminated water.  And it isn’t the ice of winter’s breath hitting him full in the face and chilling him to the bone because not just the window, but the whole side of the building is shorn away.

No.  Blinking his eyes open to darkness that surrounds him – someday, he will sleep the night through again – it’s to find warmth instead of a chill.  Hope, such as it is, instead of despair.

Who knew the old, sappy songs had the right of it?

Movement against his hip paired with the softest, sleepiest, most adorable hum draws his attention.  Through the dark, Coats meets the chocolate brown gaze and lazy smile directed at him.  Despite the cold – the kind that seeps deep into the bones and refuses to relent all season long – she’s never once complained.

Returning the smile, he tugs the edge of his coat around Abby’s shoulders before taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, tipping it slightly upwards and brushing her lips with his.  “Go back to sleep, darlin’.”  He tucks a few strands of hair back around her ear.  “Morning’ll come soon enough.”  At least one of us can get some sleep.

Her smile tilts drastically to the right as she rests her head into the crook of his shoulder and curls into him.  “’S’at so?”

Chuckling softly, he tweaks her nose.  “Cheeky thing, aren’t you?”

Her eyes close, but her smile widens.  It is, he thinks, the most beautiful sight he’s seen in this living hell. 

“Took lessons,” she murmurs around a yawn, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.  When it lowers, her eyes pop back open, exhaustion still present but sparkling with amusement as she stares up at him.  “Learned from the best.”

“Hmm.”  He reaches beneath the coat and pulls one of her hands to his chest, covering it with his to hold it in place as well as warm it up.  “Does your mother have any idea how sassy you are?”

She snorts softly, but there’s a hint of an giggle mixed in.  “We Williams women are not ‘sassy.’”

It’s an old protest, one he’s heard many times in the months since they met; he believes her now about as much as he did before.  He tugs the coat more snugly around her before tipping his head to rest against her crown.  “Sleep, Abbs.  You’re exhausted.”

She yawns again, ducking her head to hide it from him.

As if she can. 

“Only if you do,” she says as she sidles up as close to him as she can, ducking beneath his other arm to hook it around her shoulders.  “We both need rest.  And I…”

Her voice trails off and he allows the silence to hang for almost a minute before he prods, “You?”

She’s still hesitant and won’t look directly at him as she whispers, “Stand watch in my dreams?”

Biting back a groan of dismay, he guides her to sit across his lap, tucking her head beneath his chin before wrapping both arms around her.  Still having dreams about Fulham, are we?  God, what he wouldn’t do to get her away from all this.  Too damn many close calls!

“’Course, I will, darlin’,” he promises, kissing the top of her head one last time as she settles against him, “but only if you’ll do the same for me.”  After all, he still has nightmares about Fulham, too. Her lips part, warm breath fanning across the underside of his chin just before her lips touch.  “I’ll meet you there…”

[theoriginalladya]

Found in a different ask game and was curious :D Based on your recent reference searches, what would the FBI assume about you?

LOL I've seen this going around. Hmmm. Well, I'd say the first thing they'd assume is that I'm a fan of the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. I've been checking scores and occasionally, schools participating.

Outside of that, I've been kind of boring of late. Should've asked me a couple of months ago when I was looking into what poisonous plants commonly grew around Wiltshire, England. :D

[theoriginalladya]

🎀🕯️

Oooo, nice ones! Let's see what I've got here...

from this list

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

Oh gosh, this is the third time answering this one. I'm horrible at complimenting my own stuff, but here goes...

I like to think I am pretty good at coming up with characters who are interesting and unique and who capture the reader's attention pretty well.

How's that? (first response is here, second response is here if you're interested)

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn’t think it would take you?

Oh, excellent question!

I think I have to go with If London Falls... It's still a work in progress, but it's really a challenge to write for a number of reasons. I never expected Abby Williams to become such a compelling character to me, let along end up grabbing hold of Coats' attention, but there ya go. Setting them in London at the beginning of the Reaper War is a great idea - on paper - but when I sat down to start writing it, boy did it become a challenge! There's some element of worldbuilding to it, I suppose, since we only get the barest glimpse of the city when the reapers attack and we don't really hear much about the war on Earth until the very end. But, yeah. And honestly, these two and this story are why I am able to work on another Shepard story set on Earth during the war (Biotic Pinball Wizard series, but not posted yet, sorry).

Thanks so much for the ask! These are great questions!

[theoriginalladya]

✨ 🎀 💞

Thank you for asking!

from this list

✨What’s a fic you’ve posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

Oh goodness, let me see. There are so many I could choose from! Still, I'd have to say of my more recent fics, probably Young & Proud or May The Road Rise To Meet You.

Young & Proud is about the first time Caleb Shepard and (Major) Coats meet at sniper school and the rivalry that develops between them and eventually turns into a long, life-lasting friendship. That story is a very special one to me because they essentially start off by hating one another because of their backgrounds, but by the end of it, they're brothers. Found family is a big thing, for Caleb and turns out, for Coats as well.

May The Road Rise To Meet You is Caleb's Akuze story. Caleb has a history of losing people in his life, and Akuze is no different, of course, but his story has a more positive twist at the end of it.

🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

Hehehehe. Well, I'm pretty good at coming up with plot ideas! :D (points at Shepard spreadsheet which is now at... 141, I think?) Coming up with ideas is a LOT of fun and, yeah, might be a bit addictive to me! :D

💞what’s the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

Ahahaha. *points above* I'll say this: Plot first, but characters second. They're both pretty close, but I still think plot wins out. Gotta have a story that drives the characters in the first place, right?

Thank you so very much for asking!

[theoriginalladya]

Let's Get ((REAL)) fic writer asks 💘Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write? 🍭why did you start writing? 🦋what are you most insecure about when you post a fic?

LOL You jumped right on that, didn't you? :D

from this list

💘Is there any posted fic you want to rework/re-edit/re-write?

Actually, I really want to rewrite most of my Serafina Shepard stories to reflect a few headcanon changes I've made for her background, not the least of which is I reworked her family. In her original fics she has an identical twin sister, Kaysey. In here revised version, which more fully reflects the original incarnation of her character, she has a twin brother, Sean, and Kaysey will be an older sister. It's just a matter of sitting down and reworking it into the fics, and one day I'll do it, but I'm still mulling over changes at the moment because I'd like to get it all done at once!

🍭why did you start writing?

Oh gosh. Well, I used to write back in high school and stuff, but when I went off to college, writer's block hit me BAD. I went ten years without writing. Without even thinking about writing. College, graduate school, teaching - it all took so much out of me, I just couldn't even think about it. But when I left teaching, a few little ideas started niggling around in my head and I decided to try to capture them on the page again. If nothing else, it helped increase my typing speed! LOL But then I was introduced to Dragon Age by my Ex. Somewhere after my first or second playthrough, as I was making dinner one night, I got an idea for a story. I wrote it down, fixed it up and eventually (something like 2 months later!) got the nerve to publish it on a fan site. That opened up a whole can of worms and my life and writing hasn't been the same since! So, I suppose the real answer to the question is, I write because I want to be able to read all the 'what if' stories I come up with inside my head.

🦋what are you most insecure about when you post a fic?

Oh, this is a very good question because I've been rather insecure about my writing for a while now. I'm not quite sure why, but it feels like my writing is actually going downhill for the past couple of years. Maybe it's because I got myself so used to writing every single day or maybe because I'm often reminded that literature/writing wasn't my major in college, but there are days I feel like a huge fraud with my writing. Either that or no one is interested in my ideas. I spend an awful lot of time anymore trying to prop myself up and find encouragement when I write. I've backed off of writing as much as I used to, partly due to real life but also partly to give myself a rest. I do soooooooooo many drafts anymore, writing and rewriting just to get a chapter or work to 'feel right' before I publish it. It's probably mostly in my head, but gosh I wish it would go away. Self doubt is the biggest gremlin in writing for me.

Thanks so much for asking the questions!!!

[theoriginalladya]

Ship asks 7, 13, 32 - Shep/Kaidans of your choice

from this list

*shakes the spreadsheet* Let's see who's talking, shall we?

7. What annoys them the most about their partner? Would they change it if they could?

Okay, going to stick with Caleb and Kaidan here, I think.

What annoys Kaidan about Caleb... Well, up through the war, I suppose it's that Caleb has this mentality of thinking that just because he can do the job he acts like he has to do it alone. Not that Caleb doesn't know how to delegate duties - he does - but he has the tendency to take on the more dangerous aspects of it himself. Whether he does it unconsciously or by choice, Kaidan isn't sure. He does know that Ashley has at him about it at least once during the hunt for Saren, and Kaidan has pointed it out a few times over the years. Whether that leads to him changing or not...? Kaidan's going to say not; then again, he doesn't really want Caleb to change who he is, either. It leads to a few...intense, shall we say? discussions between them over the years.

If there is anything about Kaidan that annoys Caleb, Caleb isn't saying. (have I mentioned he's stubborn?)

13. What do they do for fun? Do they have a favorite activity or do they like to switch things up?

Oh gosh, this question is so dependent upon at what point in them knowing one another... but I suppose you could say their favorite activity is playing piano together. Something as simple as chopsticks or more complicated - doesn't matter. They'll start of, both just savoring the time together, the music, the company...and it'll inevitably end up with one of them missing a note in a chord that leads to a teasing comment and they'll dissolve into laughter, falling on the other to keep from sliding off the piano bench.

Outside of that, I'm sure they must have others, but this is the only one grabbing my fully, undivided attention at the moment.

32. Do they ever get into trouble? Is it serious, or are they just mischievous?

Welllllll...define trouble?

They will get into 'trouble' after the war, mostly of a serious (think game type level of 'adventure'). Occasionally, they'll have some of the more mischievous kind, I suppose. I'll have to think about that and see what I can come up with - maybe another writing prompt?

Thank you so much for asking! You never fail to inspire new bits and bobs for their backgrounds with the questions you ask! <3

[theoriginalladya]

Your top 5 knitting projects!!!!

Oh, now that is SO NOT FAIR! ROFL

Hmmm... To narrow things down, I'm going to focus on projects that I've made as gifts for others (because, dammit, I've knit and started to knit, so many things that could be on this list! LOL)

Well, of COURSE, since you asked, I have to start with the 'Yang Gang wreath I made for you for Mass Effect Holiday Cheer. Figuring out ways to represent all of those characters was a challenge, but fun! And then finding ideas on how to MAKE them (who knew there'd be a pattern to make tamales, for pete's sake! lol) made it even better. I had a TON of fun putting that one together.

2. The D20 I made for a gift exchange during the pandemic. My giftee liked purple and Critical Role, so I knit up a D20 in shades of purple with the Vox Machina logo on it as their gift.

3. You again, my friend! This was from years ago before you moved so far away and UK was close enough to go see live! :) I made you a pair of mitts and a cowl (or was it a scarf?).

4. When my granddaughter was born fifteen years ago, I went on a knitting tear and made her four or five blankets, all of which I designed on my own. I had a blast coming up with ideas for them. Here is one of them.

5. I'm going to give in and actually share one that I made for myself - one which I'm in the process of making a second one in a different color scheme. This is the Wild Swan shawl that I made a few years ago during a KAL on Ravelry. I love how it turned out, even though I had to substitute a darker blue when I realized I didn't have enough yarn to finish it. (I made sure this time around I have enough! lol)

Needless to say, I have a bit of fun when I'm knitting.... ;)

Thanks so much for the ask!