#salarian romance

[sweatandwoe]

Love Garrus' negative traits

Love that he embodies everything negative we usually associate positively with renegade Shepard. Love how it doesn't fit him, how it fails him each time he tries. Love that he tries to blind himself into a world where there's only good or bad people (like a cop). Love that he decides Omega, the greyest of grey places, is a place full of bad people. "All I have to do is point my gun and shoot" but not for the people he's trying to save, the peope who call him "Archangel". Who were they again? Does he even recognize them when he's aiming for criminals on the station?

Love that Garrus is forced to confront seeing the world this way in a paragon route, that he's forced to see grey, address the grey. Realizing that everyone has something, a cause, a reason and that his brand of justice may not be just.

Love that Garrus hates the rules that surround him but he is in fact the reason C-Sec has so much red tape, to try and stop injustice among their forces. That Turians aren't meant to question but he does so much but about the wrong things; he's too blind by hate to understand what he's doing. Garrus wants to take care of people and protect people like a good turian however he thinks the best way to help is killing the "bad people". He believes in eye for an eye but hasn't heard the full quote, doesn't know "An eye for an eye will make the world blind". Mercy for one person he despised, who he hated, causes him to rethink his whole character and his previous actions.

I just love this level of tragedy and self-evaluation to a dorky, alien sniper

[hellafluff]

Still wild to me that like alot of Major Asari characters we meet in Mass Effect are Purebloods. They just keep throwing that in when I think it's way more interesting when the Asari has mixed parentage.

That being said: Samara's story still destroys me and meeting Liara's father is still one of my favorite character moments with her

[silver-turian95]

Mass Effect Fanfiction: Light Within Darkness Part 3

[matchbet-allofthetime]

Just got my first fling encounter with Peebee and I'm caught between the queer desire to have a fling with pretty lady OR to strictly let everyone down that isn't whoever I'm wanting to romance

So first playthrough, it's vetra, and I wanna live out my poly dreams SO badly like I can in say, fallout 4 (damn you fallout for letting me date everyone at one time and for spoiling me rotten) and just pretend I'm dating multiple characters at once, but I'm so caught between the choices while actually playing because there isn't any explicit like,,, "yeah I'm poly" talks or whatever which makes me feel like I'm leading characters on even though they're not real sifjfjfhfh

The aroace and the queer poly sides of me are fighting lmfaooo

[solaris2183]

how did I just find out that wrex has been added to the body pillow collection.

[watchmakermori]

mordin solus most character of all time. blorbo of the century. he is babygirl (he is an old man but also in his 30s). committed so many war crimes (but sees inherent value in all life and will die to preserve it). he is a doctor and a healer (will also fucking kill you). he doesn’t understand romance (but provides enthusiastic sex education for people in cross species relationships). worked in espionage doing unthinkable things (also performed in gilbert and sullivan). he has everything. he is the ultimate. he is the very model of a scientist salarian

[nellasbookplanet]

Wishlist for the future mass effect game that isn’t about The Ending:

Stop designing the female characters like that, please, I am begging. No more boob armor and boob windows in what's supposed to be functional combat wear. No more slinky catsuits. No more constant sexualization in both design and dialogue.

Speaking of, stop being cowards about female aliens. Give us major female krogan and turian and salarians. Give us female volus and hanar and elcor (or make them explicitly removed from the human idea of gender without going for 'male as default' with all male sounding voices and/or male pronouns)

If at all possible, include non-humanoids in the main cast. If that is too tricky on the gameplay, then at least include them more as major side characters. Put a hanar on the council you cowards.

More geth

More truly alien, unknowable minds like the rachni and the thorian and pre-reaper code geth

More romanceable aliens. More characters who are romanceable no matter the gender of the player character.

Carry over at least some of the original trilogy's themes of coming together across alien species, across synthetics and organics

A better paragon/renegade balance that isn't 'reasonable person' vs 'raging asshole who cares about no one and nothing yet eveyone trusts them implicitly anyway' and more about actually making hard choices

Stop making me scan planets

[rawliverandcigarettes]

The Empire of Preys

***

It is 2166CE when Voice-Dalatrass Tschastarissi finally dies, rearing the Salarian Union awake from the passive slumber of her decades-old regime. But while the iron-willed dalatrass Linron plots her route to power with the aid of a reluctant turian diplomat assisting from the shadows, her daughter Jurlan loses herself to the past, uncovering dormant truths that may better stay untouched —and several stars away, two asari sisters pressured by money and haunted by false-starts must decide whether to let their ambition threaten far more than their lives alone.

This is a story about the empires that cling on.

Read now!

***

The Empire of Preys is part 2 of the Halfway Homes series based on the Mass Effect universe. It is both a prequel and sequel to Halfway Home, but can also be enjoyed as a standalone. Contrary to Halfway Home, it will be released hopefully at the rate of one chapter per month, but realistically: whenever a chapter is ready.

It's a gen fic with a side-serving of romance (lesbian and straight), a deep-dive into my weird headcanons for salarian, asari and turian culture, an exploration of neo imperialism and the casual devastation that comes with soft power --and what happens when soft power no longer suffices.

This is a multi PoV story with the following cast:

Rhanda T'selvi, ex asari commando and current security freelancer on Illium

Nagatha T'selvi, ex financial adviser and current unemployed babysitter for her sister's daughter

Nemore Linron, aka the dalatrass Linron, yes this one

Jurlan Linron, her miracle of a daughter, a case in genetics whose image shapes opinion across the entire galaxy

Auren Cæpta, a chronically ill turian diplomat sent on Sur'kesh for a critical secret mission

[average-mako-enjoyer]

Mass Effect LGBTQ+ representation issues and some headcanons

I've seen a few Mass Effect posts about the sexuality of the trilogy's characters, and I'd like to add my 5 cents, since none of those posts take into account the whole xenophilia aspect of canon relationships. And some of us are here for it. For the aliens. I am here for them. I'm not sorry.

Also, I have to acknowledge the fact that Bioware has made some very questionable choices, and the in-game representation is bad. Like BAD-bad.

I.E.(this list is going to be looong):

All Male Shepard/Kaidan Alenko dialog for ME1 and ME2 was written and fully voiced, but NOT INCLUDED in the final version of the game. And I know that the same thing happened to FemShep/Ashley, but that a bit different because...

The only "gay" romances in ME1 and ME2 are for femShep, and either with a female-representing human-like aliens (who like to dress in tight clothes that emphasize the size of their breasts), or with the equally feminine Kelly Chambers in ME2. Because, you know, guys who buy this game will be more tolerant of two "hot chicks making out" (insert a bunch of mods that make your femShep wear only lingerie and look like a TikTok e-girl) than a more realistic same-sex romance.

Especially when this romance is between two guys. Because ew. Right, Bioware? But you also wanted to sell your games to LGBTQ+ folks, so you installed a…

… so-called "gay button" into your games.

Before ME3, no one except for "hot chicks asari" states their sexuality. You can go through two entire games as a straight character completely surrounded by other completely straight characters. Oh, maybe Kelly likes aliens a little too much, but "who doesn't like asari", right? Even asexual salarians are into them. Sure, a straight woman like femShep…

"Hot chicks making out" really sells those game copies, I guess.

If you think ME3 is better, think again. The only two gay characters in the game are Cortez and Traynor, and they are both supporting characters, who are not even in your squad!

Cortez and his whole "I lost my husband" drama is conveniently placed on the lowest deck of the ship, so if this story offends your bigoted sensibilities, you can just ignore him along with the "dumb jock" Vega who is really unpopular with the players. Is it because he's really friendly with an openly gay character? Oh, who knows?

Meanwhile, Traynor is either mocked (oh, she found EDI voice hot and commented on that! what a shame! awkward lesbians, amirite?) or fetishized (don't get me wrong, Donnelly is funny, but his remarks about Traynor are even more yucky than the way he talks about EDI and lube).

But don't get mad about all this, because all the women in the trilogy are fetishized and heavily sexualized. The best example of this is Samara, whose character design is a war crime.

Bioware made Benezia look horrible (she tried to make Saren change his ways not with her power or wits but with those giant bazooms and the cleavage, I guess), and then they doubled down in ME2 and gave a warrior samurai nun a boob window. A FUCKING BOOB WINDOW. Because boys buy games, and they love boobs, y'know.

Oh, and any inappropriate remarks made by NPCs in the game are directed only at the femShep. Just like the MShenko romance, the male version of the dialog is fully voiced, but conveniently excluded from the game. Because guys can't tell other guys that they look hot in "that soldier getup". That can make bigots uncomfortable.

And let's talk about bi representation, because Bioware apparently hates bisexuals as much as straights and some queers do (trust me, as a bisexual I've experienced both types of hatred, and it's ugly). The only bisexual characters in the game are Kaidan and Diana Allers.

If you're a bigot playing as the maleShep, you can "safely" kill Kaidan on Virmire in the middle of the first game and not have to deal with his uncomfortable love confession at all!

So, yeah, Bigots: 1, Representation: 0. The bisexual is successfully killed, congratulations!

If you play as femShep, you won't even know that Kaidan is/was bi. Because who wants a bisexual guy who is comfortable with his sexuality? You can't sell that kind of romance to the good ladies who buy this game.

Diana Allers romance, meanwhile, is laugh-worthy. If you play as maleShep, you won't even know that she's bi. And if you're femShep, this romance is as insignificant as the one with Kelly, you won't even get an achievement for it! You can also kick her out of your ship without any consequences, so she will be KIA offscreen. You will find about it via fucking email. Bigots: 2, Representation: 0. Both of dirty bisexuals are successfully killed, congratulations!

The bi-xenophile Kelly suffers the same fate: no achievement for her romance, you cannot continue the romance after ME2, and she will either take a poison pill and die or be killed in the Collector's Base/Citadel offscreen in ME3. If she survives both the base and the Cerberus attack, you won't even get to say goodbye to her before the final battle of the game. Bigots: 3, Representation: 0

9. And I almost forgot about Omega DLC that kills the only female turian in the game. Who's also into asari. God, they did her dirty.

"Those were different times," you might say, but all of this could have been fixed in 2019, when the Limited Edition was released. Instead, we just have fellow modders changing the design of Benezia and Samara, restoring MShenko (one of the most healthy, respectful, and mature romances in the entire trilogy) and other gay romances in the game, making all NPCs flirt with your character, adding female turians and krogans to the environment, etc., etc.

Still, I think these games are great. The characters, the cinematics, some aspects of the writing, great! I love that canon. But the LGBTQ+ representation in those games sucks. Big time. But that doesn't stop me from having a bunch of headcanons. For the sake of convenience, I'm going to separate out all the characters for the games in which they debut.

Mass Effect:

MaleShep/FemShep: Both are canonically bi. Both don't mind the alien physiology thing and polyamory. Both are "married to your job" type, so they were okay with casual sex and one-night stands, and only mellowed out while in charge of the Normandy crew. Because of convenience, both had more hetero than same-sex hookups.

Ashley: Straight as a plank and xenophobic, but not homophobic. She's definitely into maleShep, but more into the idea of him as a sole survivor/war hero/butcher of Torfan than an actual person.

Garrus: He likes turian and quarian women. And both fem and maleShep. But with maleShep, he's more busy with the whole "flirt him to death" aspect of their bromance, so there's really no time to get on the floor and get dirty.

I also feel that turian society in the game is very patriarchal, so Garrus has a bias towards femShep and feels less restricted by her rank. With mShep, I think he would have only acted if mShep had specifically pursued that relationship. But mShep is also more interested in just flirting with Garrus.

Kaidan: Canonically bisexual (more into women) and demi. Not into aliens, but not xenophobic. Not a stranger to casual sex, but would really prefer to go steady because #introverted and has enough problems already. "How can you flirt with all these people, Shepard, it's exhausting…"

Liara: She's into both versions of Shepard. And maybe a bit into one drell. Classic demi/asexual. Also, imo, all asari are agender and Liara is not an exception.

Tali: Is a mess and can definitely go cross-species (her romance with Garrus is canon, after all). She's also a massive nerd and a bit kinky. I think she's into human/turian/quarian males, but maybe this femShep really is THAT SPECIAL.

Wrex: Krogan women - that's his sexual orientation. Real bros with mShep, more cautious with femShep because bias. Another "married to his job" character.

Joker: Straight and nerdy. #Irony. Too cool for homophobia.

Chakwas: More married to her job than anyone on this list. Cool lesbian aunt.

And this post is already so long that I'll make a separate one for ME2 and 3.

[sol-consort]

Do you think there is human/krogan porn and human/krogan relationships? (Feel free to expand that into having a Krogan roommate, I love your alien roommate drabbles)

if a romance drama film about a krogan and a human falling in love/overcoming their different cultures got widespread in the milky way enough for the Andromeda initiative to pack it up amidst the other media records, then not only is there porn for this category but an over abundance of it.

But I see it being considered taboo and controversial amidst krogans to be with a human. The only reason we're even considered "datable" is through the process of elimination.

A Korgan would either eat their own quads than smooch a salarian. They'd rather cave their own skull in than ever sleep with a turian. The asari are sexy to them, but they're also partially responsible for wronging them in the past. Plus, most asari avoid krogans because they fear commitment and long-lasting relationships with their equal lifespans. Quarians are chill, but there are very few of them to go around, and many many krogans.

Leaving...the humans. The soft squishes. Only winning first place courtesy of all other contestants shitting the bed. Congratulations to humanity.

Yeah, we're not exactly a tasty cut from the sexual appeal pie to them. We're too soft, too fragile, and we have too few organs. Traits that turians find hot in us would turn the krogans off instead.

They like us for what we're not rather than what we are. Humans are not as ugly as turians, humans are not as annoying as salarians, humans are not as condescending as asari, humans are not.

They do, however, enjoy our art, find it endearing that we still attempt to drink krogan liquor despite it possibly putting us in an early grave. Humans party hard and keep up with krogans. The rest of the galactic species are too uptight. And despite our inflated egos, sometimes our bite lives up to our bark.

The problem is, would a human survive sexual Intercourse with a krogan? What's uh the situation down there? What are we dealing with in the trenches? I doubt whatever we have to offer is enough to satisfy them.

Sexually and attractiveness wise, humans are a 4/10 at best to krogans. Romantically, however? You've seen them follow in humanity's footsteps when it comes to courting rituals. The flower bouquets, the poems, the slow dancing. They're awkwardly mimicking us.

A krogan roommate wouldn't care the least bit about you being half naked lounging on his lap, but he'd have to resist melting into a puddle whenever you cup his face, call him honey, sweetheart, beloved, darling, any of your silly human petnames that hold a vice grip on each of his hearts for some reason.

He would think about it for centuries if you ever tuck a flower into his armour. Dream about it every night that one time you came drunk home and insisted on dancing with him to slow music in the kitchen, teaching his the steps, swaying together with melodic music playing in the background.

A hug, the simplest show of affection of all, coming from a human, is enough to send a krogan to their knees.

[bigfan-fanfic]

Shield of Stars (Biotic!Reader x Kaidan Alenko x Steve Rogers)

@jayfeather965 male reader x Kaidan x Steve when Steve awakens in 2181 Mass Effect universe

Historically, putting soldiers in the same platoon really was the closest way to getting people to bond.

Could it have been anything other than inevitable when you and Kaiden fell for the Captain?

Your group, the Brooklyn Squad, wasn't actually meant to see combat.

It was more of an honor guard for Steve, an honorary ambassador and a living relic - technically the first biotic made by humans.

Though Steve's body carries no element zero and he cannot manipulate mass effect fields, it was Erskine's formula and subsequent research that was able to prepare certain people for bio-amp implantation and help make safe biotics out of those exposed to eezo.

The Brooklyn Squad consists of Steve, you, Kaidan, a turian who has come to respect and appreciate Steve's ethics, an asari, and a few other human biotics. It doesn't technically have any jurisdiction or ability to enforce galactic law...

But after an incident in which the Squad discovered and liberated a bunch of sapients kidnapped and enslaved by batarians, it has become the personal overt task force of the Council.

Officially the turian is the commanding officer for the Brooklyn Squad, though the chain of command is unlike what Steve is used to, since he was in the military over two hundred years ago.

But Steve really does appreciate having not only a goal and missions, but people he can truly trust, like when he was part of the Howling Commandos.

It's different for him - seeing you and Kaidan kiss. He makes an awkward joke about fraternization to cover for his unease, which he looks into.

Steve's never only been into women. But for a long time he sort of had to be above all that, first when he was in the US Military during the war, and now when he's an icon and completely out of his own time.

It wasn't conducive to exploring romance or even his own feelings. But seeing you and Kaidan openly loving one another without any thought of retaliation or anger - it shocks him. And it gives him hope.

He talks a little to the other members of the Squad about it, about how love is now, in this world where people are citizens of planets and systems and humans are not alone - about plural marriage and polyamory and sexuality and gender expression

How turian culture differs from asari from human from salarian and so on. Steve learns and expands as the whole Squad helps him to accept himself, and everything else.

And that's when Steve asks you two out. Still unsure, but wanting to try - Steve asks you and Kaidan on a date, accepting the potential of you both saying no.

But you say yes.

Yes to a trip around the Citadel trying increasingly-unfamiliar foods and laughing at how all of you feel the same kind of wrong-footed.

Yes to a visit to a library for translated volumes of quarian legends and asari myths, and exploring writers from worlds beyond your own.

Yes to a night in to watch Fleet and Flotilla, and to start exploring not only classics that are still way past Steve's time, but things bridging the gap between his missing years and now.

Yes to finding an apartment on the Citadel for an extended shore leave where all of you can stay.

Yes to a trip back to Earth to meet Kaidan's parents, where he introduces you as the loves of his life.

Yes to the rings - beautifully crafted triple bands of gold uniting the three of you as one.

Yes to spending the rest of your lives together amongst the stars, fighting off Reapers and never, ever giving up on each other.

Because if time itself couldn't prevent your love story, nothing can.

[dilfgmancoolatta]

"lemme romance a krogan" this, "lemme romance a krogan" that

let me romance a goddamn salarian

[rp-partnerfinder]

💫 22nb looking for a 20+ partner! i’m interested in an oc+oc monster and/or alien romance role-play, preferably with queer themes [queer by human standards, at least]. we’d both play non-human characters of two different species, inexplicably drawn together and trying to make a relationship work despite their differences.

★ discord only. ★ semi-literate to literate length. ★ okay with nsfw but not required. i prefer writing as submissive-leaning characters. ★ okay with some dead dove themes [ask]. ★ can do multiple pairings/plot lines if we come up with more than one that we want to do. ★ some examples of monsters/aliens i’m interested in [none of the characters have to be any of these specifically, just want to give an idea of what kinds i like]: turians and salarians from mass effect, mind flayers from dnd, venom from marvel, clown monsters, eldritch beings, demons, vampires, werecreatures, robots, and angels. ★ while it would be a romance-centered plot, i tend to prefer there to be an overarching story of some kind, to keep things moving consistently. themes i enjoy include action, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

if you’d like, check out the pinned post my profile to view further details about me as a role-player. dm me if you’re interested!

.

[ferniliciousness]

I don't know why, but the idea of just Garrus' crew of mercenaries sitting around and gossiping brings me so much joy. Especially the married ones, you can't tell me the wives didn't want at least some tea, you can only talk about so much when you're a part of a top secret vigilante group lmao.

N7month day 11 prompt: Crew

Gold paint drips onto a work table, falling from an outstretched brush which hovers over a piece of armor. A soft hum of music plays from Gaia's headphones as she puts on the finishing touches of paint. Archangel's symbol, now perfectly placed on Erash's rerebrace, shimmers in the light as she holds up her handiwork.

"Gaia? What are you still doing here? I thought you would have left by now." Garrus' familiar voice rumbles next to her, as the turian leans over the table to look at her work. "You don't have to stay here all day you know? I'm sure you have plenty of work to do at your shop and you've already finished the work we had for you."

"Please Garrus, I'm so bored at the shop. Lunette and Kellic have literally left me with nothing to do there. I swear they run that place better without me; I mean, I'm not complaining, but some days I do wish they would leave me something to do."

"Now, hold still." With fresh paint on her brush, Gaia quickly grabs a hold of Garrus' arm, he wasn't getting away from her this time.

"Gaia really?" The surprise quickly fades from his face as he sees what she's doing.

"Oh be quiet. It's your own fault. You're never out of this armor long enough for me to paint it, and you're the only one I have left now that I'm done with Erash's. Dont worry I'll be quick, only, if you can manage to hold still for a minute."

Garrus mumbles something under his breath, but he concedes to her wishes, holding his arm still while she paints. "Isn't there an easier way of doing this? That doesn't involve paint."

"Youre looking at it." Gaia meticulously places every brush stroke, making sure that it looks perfect. "This is basically like a metal stain. It will flake off in a day or two and leave the design behind, then nothing will be able to take it off. I mean unless you just gouge it out, but if you're getting damaged enough for that to happen I think you have other worries besides ruining the symbol."

"Say, Sidonis? Is it, you know, common, for Turians and humans to get together? Like have you seen it happen before?"

"Well that's a random question." Sidonis places a card down onto the table, where he and Butler were playing a quick card game. "I've never seen it happen, but I've looked at enough Fornax covers to know it does. Why? I thought you were happily married?"

"Oh god no, not me you idiot. Look." Butler quickly gestures over to the table where Gaia is still painting on Garrus' arm. "Look at those two over there. You can't tell me they wouldn't make a good match. Heaven knows the two could use some uh, company."

Sidonis can't help but look at his friend in utter disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me." A loud sigh escapes him. "I think you have picked the most unlikely pair of them all. Those two never stop working long enough to even relax, let alone think about romance.... IF there is any romance between them at all. Which I seriously doubt. Maybe try your luck with someone else.... "

"Who are you talking about? Garrus and Gaia?" The Salarian member Melanis spoke up from behind his workbench. "Hmm, Gaia never struck me as the romance type. Always treats that topic more like a Salarian than a human. I agree with Sidonis on this one. Maybe you should leave the match making to someone else Butler. I would think you would know better by now."

"That Gaia has broken more hearts on Omega than I can count." Vortash can't stay out of the conversation, even as the batarian works away on his terminal.

"Really! Gaia?! I can't see her being a heartbreaker?" Butler sounds surprised as he and Sidonis look up from their game.

"Please. Gaia had nearly every young Merc on the station pining for her when she was making runs, hell I heard even her own crew wanted a piece of her. She never paid them any attention though. I wouldn't be surprised if Melanis was right, she might just not be the type for.... All that."

"How did Gaia ever get that many mercs going for her? I can hardly see her being their type. She's just so.... Not a psychopathic killer." Melanis leaving his work, walks over to continue talking with the group.

"You should have seen her when she was in her smuggler days. I know half those stories about her probably aren't true, but even so, I know no one dared mess with her. Plus her family name definitely helps hype up the image."

"Now, now Vortash. Are you sure we're talking about the same Gaia? The one currently painting fancy designs on our armor, the girl who owns a small shop down in the market... that Gaia.... Is the same Gaia?"

"Oh, you didn't see her when we took down that Blood Pack weapons cache. That girl definitely knows her way around a rifle." Sidonis speaks up, remembering when Gaia had helped him and Garrus find and infiltrate the gang camp. "Let's just say I'm glad she's on our side. She might not look like it but that girl packs a punch."

"I swear I think all of you are just crazy." Butler can only shake his head and return to his cards, while the rest of the group laughs at his disbelief. "I still think they would make a good couple, mark my words."

"Yeah, yeah, if you say so. Just don't be surprised if your wrong... Again. Leave them be Butler, those two have enough on their plates as it is without you playing matchmaker." Sidonis joins him again, and the hideout returns to the quiet.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 3, visiting Kaidan and Priority: Sur’kesh part 1:

Kaidan

-Why does the Council appoint the Virmire Survivor a spectre?

I suspect it’s primarily political. Udina probably traded some favors to the other Councilors to get it, although with Earth burning I’m curious what those favors may have been.

To humanity, a second spectre is a sign of hope. Even with their homeworld lost it shows faith and goodwill from the Council.

To Udina, it’s a spectre that owes him a favor. Hopefully this one is more grateful and malleable. It’s possible he’s already in the planning stages of the Cerberus coup at this point.

-This is not to knock the Virmire Survivor’s qualifications.

Kaidan’s already a decorated soldier by ME1, level-headed, and a powerful human biotic.

Ashley’s merits are less obvious, partially because her family name held her back. However, she has the grit to join and stay in an organization that’s blacklisted her family and may have performed some acts between ME1 and ME2 that would have proved herself.

And of course, both served alongside Shepard in ME1. That alone would merit recognition.

-Shepard asks if Kaidan had considered joining the Normandy. Do they always ask this or only if there’s an active romance?

Kaidan declines; he’s looking for his students that have presumably gone underground.

Sur’Kesh

-What is the Dalatrass’ position among the salarians? Is she their leader, their representative, the leader of a faction?

These details are important, Bioware!

-The conversation with the Victus, and Wrex has parallels to the conversation with Sparatus and Shepard at the start of the game.

Sparatus to Shepard: I can’t give you what you need, but I can tell you how to get it.

Victus to Wrex: Just tell us what you want.

Wrex: I’ll tell you what I need.

It hammers home how the goal of the Reaper war is just to survive. Survival is victory.

-The Dalatrass says that the krogans only know war because that’s all the salarians wanted them to know.

This feels an exaggeration. The krogans were well skilled in war before the salarians showed up. The salarians just encouraged their natural interests.

Did they prevent the krogans from learning anything else?

I suppose they may have declined to provide them education on science, philosophy, etc. but there’s no evidence of that. The krogans have also had ample opportunity to learn those on their own. If they have not, that was their choice.

-Wrex’s anger throughout this is understandable. Cure for the genophage aside, the salarians kidnapped krogans from Tuchanka. That alone would piss off any leader.

-Victus and the Dalatrass are both terrible diplomats.

Victus has the excuse of being a career military man. What’s the Dalatrass’? Her job is to be a politician!

-Neither Shepard nor the Dalatrass are wrong here, per se.

The Dalatrass is thinking of the long term. The krogans are a very real potential threat if the genophage is cured. Under Wrex there may be peace; I’m far more skeptical of what will happen if Wrex is lost.

Shepard is thinking of the short term. If the Reapers kill everyone, there will be no long term. If the krogans are a problem later, fantastic – that means there is a later.

I’m on Shepard’s side, but I do want to point out that the Dalatrass is not incorrect. It’s her priorities that need to be reordered.

-Shepard’s only a spectre in ME3 when it’s convenient. The rest of the time they’re an Alliance soldier.

Shepard can oversee the transfer of the female krogans because they’re a spectre.

But once on Sur’Kesh, if you go renegade you say the attack on Wrex is an insult to the Alliance. You never, for example, tell the STG to stand down because you’re a spectre and you can do what you want.

Given the emphasis ME1 placed on spectres, this is disappointing. Shepard being a spectre should make them a natural candidate to act as a neutral party and unify everyone against the real threat, i.e. the Reapers.

Instead the game makes Shepard an exceptional Alliance soldier acting on behalf of humanity’s interests.

That’s not inherently a bad story, but that’s not what I signed up for in ME1 and it’s not the story I wanted in ME3.

-Wrex’s reaction to Javik is amusing. He’s not even surprised Shepard found a Prothean.

-All the salarians call Wrex “the krogan”.

No wonder krogans are often moments away from violence with salarians.

-Ah, salarians, never change.

Since the krogans are too dangerous, they’re considering uplifting the Yahg instead. Because there’s no way that could go wrong.

-Of course the broadcasts on Sur’Kesh aren’t subtitled.

Do you have hearing problems? Bioware wants you to know Fuck You, personally.

-Kirrahe assumes Javik is lying about being a Prothean and he’s actually genetic modified.

More believable than being in stasis for 50,000 years.

-The policy of the STG is to create trouble for someone else if there currently isn’t any.

And the Dalatrass accused Shepard of being a bully...

[ageless-aislynn]

Just for the sake of posterity... I've completed Scott and Jaal's romance, we beat the Archon, Meridian is settled and I've got almost 580 hours in on this game! And we saved Captain Dunn while we were at it because, in this house, we love and respect Captain Nozomi Dunn and we take the time, even when we're doing a straight up romance run, to recruit all 3 Pathfinders so that Captain Dunn doesn't die at the end! *nodnods very firmly*

Seriously, it takes less time to skip the Turian and Asari Pathfinder missions (you'll get the Salarian Pathfinder no matter what) but without all 3, Captain Dunn will die when the Hyperion crashes and that makes me feel AWFUL. I already feel bad because I've spent the whole game dodging the side quests she keeps trying to give me, lol!

Anyway, I'm gearing up to play as Sara again after a lonnnnng span of playing as Scott. And, since the People Have Spoken™️😂 I'll be playing as my original red haired Sara!

There's no telling who I'll be romancing. IT COULD BE ANYBODY. LITERALLY ANY ONE OF SEVERAL OPTIONS. ANY BODY.

Although, to be fair, I'm really wanting to romance my best Turian girl Vetra again. So I miiiiiight try to resist the charms of Mr. The Charlatan but we'll see how strong I Sara can be, lol! 🤞😣🤞😉

Aww, Vetra is such a sweetie! 💗💗💗I really do love her so much and, since her Loyalty Mission is only necessary if you're advancing her romance AND I haven't romanced her in a long time, I really want to do a playthrough where I complete the mission for her.

And, of course, I need to see if there's a mod to add the (In)famous Andromeduck. Because, you know, reasons.

Heh. Just kidding on that one, of course. But if I don't at least name one of these ducks "Andromeduck," then I'm doing a disservice to my silly nature. 😂😉

Hey, maybe I should get a rubber ducky and name it Andromeduck? It could go with Garrus and/or Shepard!

Those are just too cute, aren't they? 🤗🤗🤗 (And stupid expensive, oyyyy.)

Okay, that's all for now, frens. I've finally realized what's made me continue to put off playing the OT Mass Effect but that's a rambly post for another time. I'mma get there, though!

Mission: Must... romance... Garrus!

Yeah, I love the Turians, can you tell? 🤷‍♀️😜💖

And I'm expecting my first male!Shep romance to be Tali or Jack. (Playing first as fem!Shep should give me a chance to get to know them all a little more so I can decide who male!Shep will start by romancing but I'm presuming it will be one of them. 😉) And then there are SO MANY others I neeeeeed to romance as both male and female Shep. But I've got to see if I can optimize three games like I've learned to do for Andromeda so it won't take me years and years to get through them all, lol!

Aislynn, age 502, still at her computer, doggedly trying to play all of the possible male and female Shepard romance options 😮🤣

Enough for now. Love you all, frens, and hope this finds you very well. 🤗🤗🤗