#tali burrows

[grendel-menz]

I'm rewriting Aeaea Academy, but here's some of the old pages

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

patricia anthony fanart i made while expressing my love for her over on my twitter -- cause each chapter of Brother Termite makes me really swoony with the author; patricia anthony hasn:t written prose that strikes out at me as being super beautiful, and even her imagination with plots seems a little pale compared to {the parts of stephen king that i love}, but there:s this very strange cold love in brother termite that (combined with interviews i:ve read with her and some retrospective reviews of her body of work, mostly juxtaposing her late novel Flanders that broke from her preceding body of sci-fi genre works) just seems to me like the author expressing her own depressions and unlikelinesses with her and humanity; the little termite bruder so fascinated with humanity and a real sentimental love felt for the species that he:s pied-pipering into birth-rate-0 euthanasia, like him and his kind were these little wood louses that burrow themselves into the good wills of other species and then start to sneakily spit-and-chew out the ovums and testes and leaving just shitty little piles of dust and sand behind, cause that:s how the little bruder termite knows to love and knows to exist; it seems like an alien washington invasion story, but really: it:s Catcher in the Rye with an alien that realizes it can only violate consent;

--then reading the brief synopses of her other works like Gods Fires and Flanders and Happy Policeman, it--the cold depressed love--all seems like an ECHO of an idea (or some malignancy of her own character) that stuck with her, first expressed through little grey bruder termite alien men, and extra-extra-terrestrials, and then sombered down into a honed little realist muscle with Flanders: struck down from space, Patricia Anthony's career dead, and mired in the mud of World War I to critical acclaim and commercial disaster;

from chapter 13:

" The worst part of the waste will peak inside another fifty years. At that point we can retire the few workers left, give them lake cabins and motorboats, and allow them to enjoy the remainder of their lives.”

“Yes. That sounds perfect.” Reen had always pictured himself as the benevolent caretaker of the last of humanity.

“I see no point in wasting resources,” Tali said. “I suggest we begin the process of euthanasia.”

[bluebunnymoose]

Hopping on the Steven Universe meme bandwagon with two comfort characters, old and new: Tali’Zorah (tech wiz and from Mass Effect and Tula from Dimension 20: Burrow’s End!

Tali is my favorite ME Trilogy companion and holds a special place in my heart because I cosplayed as her for my very first convention. The construction of the outfit was an adventure; we accidentally melted plastic to the inside of the oven in our apartment (shh) and used a homemade foundry in the parking lot (extra shh) to cast some parts in aluminum for kicks and giggles. I doubt I’ll be able to cosplay her again, but I hope to remake her helmet properly (opaque visor, proper EVA foam or 3D printing, etc.)

As for Tula, she’s one of the best fictional portrayals of an incredible mom that I’ve ever seen. No spoilers here; if you haven’t seen it, please do. It’s so worth it, and as a parent I feel her struggles in my soul.

[asirensrambles]

Cultural Exchange

@flufftober

Flufftober Day 4: Zaeed Massani/female Shepard Cinderella Moment

"Some women find facial scars attractive. Mind you, most of those krogan are women." In which I take Garrus' line from ME2 after taking a rocket to the face and use it as the basis for krogan attraction as a culture, then explore how that would influence their perception of Zaeed Massani.

Not in a million years did Zaeed ever think he'd end up on Tuchanka. Then again, ever since accepting the contract from Cerberus, he'd been places and done things he never could've even dreamed of. So honestly, going to the krogan homeworld to visit the current clan leader should just be par for the course at this point. Considering they were meeting with Urdnot Wrex, one of Shepard's old squadmates from chasing Saren, he'd been surprised when she told him to suit up instead of Garrus or Tali. Nevertheless, when the Commander asked him to go somewhere, Zaeed followed.

Considering how rarely humans went to Tuchanka -if they'd even ever been there before- Zaeed was expecting to get more than a few looks. What he was not expecting was to get double takes and blatant once or twice overs. Grunt and Shepard were getting their fair share of looks too, but Zaeed was the only one getting stares. It was guddamn unsettling is what it was. None of the stares seemed to hold any malice, but Zaeed made his living by flying under the radar. So much direct attention burrowed under his skin and set fire to his nerves. Phantom pain prickled out from the edges of his synthetic skin grafts. Trying to remain as nonchalant as possible about it, Zaeed shifted his hands closer to the weapons strapped to his person. Shepard, by contrast, seemed more at ease than he'd ever seen her, even moreso than on Illium.

One of a kind, that woman.

Grunt, for his part, had an air of superiority about him that seemed to be setting other krogans on edge. If they made if off Tuchanka without a fight, it'd be a miracle. Hell, if they made it to see Shepard's old squadmate without someone getting decked, Zaeed would be surprised. It wasn't that they were looking for a fight, but with whatever was going on with Grunt and Shepard never one to back down, the odds of violence were significantly higher than zero. Fortunately, they made it to Urdnot Wrex's throne with minimal incident.

The reunion between the krogan leader and the Commander was far warmer than Zaeed would have ever guessed. The two had clearly bonded while hunting for Saren, easy affection on display. Wrex looked at Shepard with almost fatherly pride, and she seemed like a kid whose parents just got back from a long trip. As Shepard introduced the clan leader to her companions, Zaeed nearly sneered when Wrex's eyes lingered on him, giving him a once over. The once over didn't feel malicious, but the mercenary's nerves were on edege from all the looks and being in the center of so much attention. Strangely enough, the once over felt similar to ones he'd received from women and a few men in bars before Vido blew half his face off.

Wrex turned back to Shepard and chuckled. "Damn Shepard, of course you of all people would manage to find the one human that's actually good looking."

The gears in Zaeed's brain ground to a halt. Good looking? Him?

By necessity, he was not a vain man. Although he'd been considered handsome when he was younger, Vido had made sure that was never the case for the rest of Zaeed's life. While in the grand scheme of things, his appearance wasn't nearly as important as his life. Mercenaries didn't need to look pretty to get the job done. Still, it hurt the way people couldn't quite meet his eyes or would try and ogle him from the corner of their eyes while trying to be subtle about it. Mirrors were something Zaeed actively avoided for years after the incident with Vido, to the point where it was still a habit even now. So for anyone, even a krogan, to find him good looking? Well, he didn't have any idea about what to do with that.

Shepard grinned broadly at Wrex, but there was something softer to it Zaeed didn't want to think about as her gaze slid over to meet his eyes. "Didn't I just? It's nice having someone around who's good with a gun and a pretty face. That combination is so much harder to come by than you'd think."

Wrex roared with laughter. Meanwhile, Zaeed was fairly certain the rubble under him just experienced a landslide. A pretty face? Him? Shepard, one of the most beautiful, incredible, competent women he'd ever met thought his scarred, damaged face was pretty? There was no teasing to her tone, and while the commander could poke fun, she would never be cruel enough to joke about something like this. She meant it. Zaeed couldn't even begin to consider the implications of Shepard thinking he had a pretty face and giving him a soft smile, one he was now realizing had only ever been directed at him. While Zaeed tried to keep himself from fullblown spiraling, Wrex clapped Shepard on the shoulder.

"You really are part krogan, Shepard, you know that?  You get that there's nothing sexier than some good scars."

So that's why Zaeed had been getting so many stares earlier. He'd forgotten about that particularity of krogan culture. Unexpectedly, a ball of warmth settled in his stomach before spreading out to the rest of him. Maybe most of the galaxy would always find his scars ugly and repulsive, rather than a sign of everything he had survived and endured. If that's how it was going to thing, so be it.

But at least here, amongst the krogan, Shepard's people in spirit if not blood -and weren't the implications of that just something to deal with another day- Zaeed was beautiful.

[astorythatwritesitself]

Fandoms

Taking a break from characters to give a rundown of fandoms I like to dabble in & any ships! List is subject to change, and is far from all I'm into- these are just the things I most engage with in a fannish way.

💭 - ready supply of headcanons

📓 - can always request in writing prompt games

🌟 - A Fave

It's gonna get Long.

Shows:

Hellsing Ultimate

💭 📓 🌟🌟🌟

Have seen: the OVA, read about half the manga, Crossfire included.

Will answer ship prompts for: Alucard x Integra, Seras x Pip, Heinkel x Yumie.

Heinkel and Anderson are the ones I probably have the most thoughts on, but I'll answer for anyone except Millennium members (aside from Walter).

One Piece

💭

Have seen: Dub up to... early 600s? Vegapunk island, bodyswap just happened. Several movies.

Will answer ship prompts for: Robin x Franky

Can most reliably come up with stuff for the main Straw Hat crew, fun gen stuff but I doubt I'll be doing much that's involved.

Fairy Tail

💭, maybe 📓

Have seen: Entire dub, both movies; read Rhodonite.

Will answer ship prompts for: Gajeel x Levy

Look I'll level. I'm here for Gajeel, Levy, and occasionally Juvia for some reason. FT falls deeply into 'canon is a polite suggestion' territory ok.

The Owl House

💭

Have seen: Seasons 1 & 2

Might be able to get me to answer stuff for Eda x Raine but I'm mostly here for gen stuff.

Sailor Moon

💭📓🌟

Have seen: oh god it's so piecemeal. Most knowledge comes from the manga up through about Dead Moon Circus and original run (sub & Viz re-dub) up through roughly Chibiusa's introduction.

Will answer ship prompts for: Mako x Ami, maybe Haruka x Michiru x Setsuna.

Honestly this one's been so very headcanon fueled & canon is a very, very loose suggestion xD

Steven Universe

💭📓🌟

Have seen: Original run & movie. (Never quite got around to Future)

Will answer ship prompts for: Amethyst x Pearl, Lapis x Peridot; virtually any gem x gem combo tbh.

It's definitely died down but I've still got a bit of a soft spot, y'know?

The Clone Wars + The Bad Batch

💭

Have seen: Full run of TCW, S1 of TBB

Will answer ship prompts for: Hondo & Cad Bane is the only valid Star Wars pairing

Ok no though for real I just don't really have any ships here, but it's definitely fun poking at little headcanons.

Video games:

Mass Effect

💭📓🌟🌟🌟🌟

Have Played: Vanilla trilogy (no DLC events or squadmates (Kasumi, Zaeed and Javik) will factor in to my work), read all 3 novels. It's been a while since I've played, so some finer details may be missing!

Will answer ship prompts for: Shepard x Thane, Shepard x Garrus, Garrus x Tali, Joker x EDI

Mass Effect is not a fandom. Mass Effect burrows into your fuckin soul and never lets go. Rundown of my Shepard can be found here. As far as hcs/games go, I will answer for most Normandy crew.

Final Fantasy

Have played: VII, X, X-2, XII (it's been a little while though)

💭📓🌟 (primarily X-2 & XII)

Will answer ship prompts for: Cloud x Tifa, Balthier x Fran. (& ask me about the Crimson Polysphere lol)

Favorites are Paine & Balthier

Pokemon

Have played: All main series games up through US/UM, working knowledge of Indigo League anime & first 5 movies.

💭📓🌟

Games only. Outlines & characters are derived from playthroughs- not quite nuzlockes, but similar vibe; canon NPCs are altered as fits the story. Trainer rundowns & outlines can be found -here when made-

Half Life 2 + Portal

Have played: Half Life 2 & episodes 1 & 2, Portal, Portal 2

💭

Will answer ship prompts for: Gordon x Alyx, Chell x GLaDOS

Strong come & go love for these, like I'll get Going once I get warmed up but it takes a bit.

Books

A Series of Unfortunate Events

💭

Have read: 13 books + Unauthorized, original movie & Netflix series.

Not a huge one, but it's fun to poke at now and again.

A Song of Ice and Fire

💭📓🌟

Have Read: All 5 books and chunks of The World of Ice And Fire.

Will answer ship prompts for: Brienne x Jaime.

Will write for most Starks, everyone else is kinda case by case. Currently in a bit of a lull but this one comes back Hard.

Xenofiction Hell Corner

💭

Warrior Cats up to TPoT, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Wings of Fire

Honestly these are more about the world & OC tinkering, but if you have a burning desire to hear thoughts on canon characters/ships, go nuts?? I guess?

I'm more embarrassed about these than ASOIAF honestly.

[louisahalewrites]

What I'm Working On... 19Jan2024

Currently Posting

no promises on posting. life is hectic.

Goal: finish one fic a month

Operation: Complete Some WIPs

Draco Lafoi of House Black: Prince Coven Series. Draco oneshot featuring his parents, his brothers, and his redheaded nemesis.

The Tonkes of House Black: Prince Coven Series. Short fic 2-3 chapters max

House of Aliases. Xmen/MCU fusion. Magneto and all his kids get to live. Oh, he gets to have his baby mama alive. and Charles and David are a part of the family too. Crackfic on crack

Things I Will Work on After I Finish Some WIPs

The Revival of House Targaryen:Fire and Blood/House of The Dragon fic. Outlines a monster like Together Always and Forever so I plan to only post when I’m finished with and arc as to not hang on a cliffhanger like TAaF.

Tales From The Burrow: Prince Coven Series. 3 chapters outlined, with plans to return as Prince coven series continues.

Untitled NCIS AU Fic - Was rewatching with the family and my Kari obsession came back. Featuring Alive Tali David and Alive Kelly Gibbs

Together. Always and Forever: TO/TVD Fanfic. I have a monster of a outline and no muse to motivate me.

The Wolves of Beacon Hills. Marked complete until I have a oneshot finished to add

Steadfast: A Sciles Brotp fic. Marked complete for now.

Hold My Hand A Top Gun Maverick Fanfiction Rooster/Trace!OC. I had plans for three more chapters.

Flames: a “Power Over Me” Sequel. Troy Otto/Beth Greene. I miss Beth and Troy.

[ritiual]

@wsteros said: “you have a greater purpose than any of us could’ve ever imagined.”

he'd always been overshadowed by nina. she was the commander shepard— the savior of the universe more times than he could count, carrying the weight of such a burden upon her shoulders. [and not a single did, did john ever hear her complain of such things.] she had been born for the position, he was the substitute. the failsafe in case things went wrong.

Q: HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN A PERSON CARRY BEFORE THEY CRACK? BEFORE THEY ROT, CRUMBLE, AND DECAY? A: NINA SHEPARD WOULD KNOW.

the normandy had been deemed inoperable and grounded with the departure of their beloved commander shepard. the idea of the failsafe rising the occasion was more challenging for those to understand, primarily the council. [john shepard? the john shepard who has been reported to have numerous sexual relations aboard the normandy? the john shepard who nearly blew up a town because his gun accidentally fired?] there was a bigger threat than the council's and alliance's poster girl being out of commission; the reapers threatened galactic life, taking planets left and right— it was only a matter of time before they succeeded in their mission if action wasn't taken hastily. [even the blinded council bore witness to that.] commander john shepard was born, while commander nina shepard sat in a rehabilitation center with a permanent leave from the alliance. he still wonders if everything has set in yet, or if he's fully numbed it— the weight of the entire galaxy's existence burrowing itself into his heart, forming a driven mission.

“i don't know about that, tali. the way i see it: who else is willing to do the job? i didn't see alenko stepping up to the plate— second human spectre, my ass.” a hand is brought down his face, rubbing at the corners of his eyes as a sigh is exhaled. “glad to know someone believes in me, though. none of these other assholes do. makes the job easier to get done.” TALI MAKES HIS ENTIRE LIFE EASIER.

[storiumemporium]

how about a cute little drabble of viktor finally getting a day off, and spending it at home cuddled on the couch w/ reader? I love your work so much, I hope you have a good day <3333

I LOVE YOU AND I HOPE YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT WEEK MY DEAR! For your viewing pleasure, 451 words of uwuddles :3c

Viktor was a simple man.

No, truly, he was.

It was a baffling thing to learn about the man after years of doing pigeon dances around the concept of him with excitement; the eccentric scientist, inventor of Hextech alongside Jayce Talis. Most of your peers had eyes for the hammer-smith, noting his natural charisma and perfect Piltover pedigree, but you’d taken a shine to Viktor- the one who never spoke, who never attended parties, the mystery.

The stories of his work ethic- from the mouth of his partner nonetheless, only added to your intrigue and admiration, and later your further amusement at some of his… lesser known quirks.

Viktor was… a cuddler.

An extreme cuddler.

It was rare that you two were given the spare time to be together on downtime, you, working on your research in the hopes of graduating soon, he, working on the next great advancement in Hextech. It meant that when you did get spare time, it was something cherished.

You remember the first time you both got time off, you’d started prattling off all the things you could do together, make dinner or go out to eat, watch a play, stroll the gardens— then Viktor had, without word or warning, marched straight to you and promptly fallen into your arms.

And that’s how you learned the way Viktor likes to spend his free time with you.

It’s where you were now.

You can’t see much of his face from where you are, just the slope of a pale nose and the gentle sunlit expanse of a sharp cheekbone, the majority of your vision is taken up by the beautiful copper and bronze of his perpetually insane hair, tickling gently against your neck.

He’s just the right amount of heavy, you find- he doesn’t crush you, just a warm weight enveloping you, stretching out your aching spine and leaving you feeling safe, comforted. It’s paired with the gentle whistle of his nose, and the occasional giggle fit as Viktor randomly blurts out the latest dumb thing Jayce had said without thinking. It shakes you pleasantly, and his rhythmic hums as he speaks burrow their way into your chest, soothing you down into a deeper rest.

He smells like coffee and dark chocolate, and you wonder idly if he stole your conditioner this morning. You want him to do it more, it suits him.

“You know I love you..?” Comes his soft voice, he’s so gentle when he talks to you, his acerbic nature cast far off along with the rest of his armor.

“I do.” You hum, nuzzling your face against his head. “I love you too.”

[vorchagirl]

Distance - snippet

A/N - Just a little snippet of the next chapter of Distance. And yes, I know I’m a beast of a person for taking a hiatus of two years and no one is probably reading this anymore, but dammit I’m going to finish it!

----

After the team had left, Gina all but flung herself into Kaidan’s arms and groaned as she curled her arms around his neck. “Why tonight of all nights?”

Kaidan laughed, exhaustion and relief sapping his energy. “Never a dull moment with you, love.”

She groaned dramatically. “The day was exciting enough already with a clone showing up.” Abruptly, Gina pulled back and wiggled her fingers in front of his face, making her engagement ring flash in the light. “I can’t believe we're engaged!”

“Believe it.” He scooped her up and headed for the nearest bedroom, too tired to navigate the stairs. “What kind of wedding do you want? Something outside? On earth?”

He’d always liked the idea of a wedding on his parents property in Canada. 

Gina burrowed close to him and shook her head. “Something traditional,” her voice was very certain, and Kaidan had the sudden realization that Shepard had thought about this far more than she'd ever let on. “I want our wedding to be on Earth. I want to get married in a church, in a while dress, with Liara and Tali as bridesmaids! I want the works. Hell, if I can Jack in a bridesmaid dress then she’s joining in too.” 

“And you’ll get it.” Kaidan kissed her, more determined than ever to see the end of this war and to make sure both he and Gina made it out alive. Because after all the shit Shepard had been through, all the horror and the fighting, she deserved her happily ever after.

They both did.

[amalthea-fictions]

Shakarian | Alternate ME2 Reunion

So, I wrote this when I first played through ME2 immediately after the tutorial because I was like --WHAT! Dead for 2 YEARS?? So in my mind I immediately started wondering what Garrus was doing and of course thinking that Shepard would jump at the first chance to see him. He rejoined C-Sec and became a Spectre in this scenario :3

-

Her heart is pounding in her chest. She knows he’s nearby. It’s felt like ages of searching and finally, finally she--

She’s found him.

She rounds the corner and he’s right there. Walking across the bridge, armed with sniper rifles as he always used to be.

“Garrus!” His name leaps from her chest as she runs to him.

But he barely turns his head, marching forward.

“I don’t have time,” he snaps, not sparing her a glance. “Go place your request through C-Sec.”

She furrows her brow and reaches out. “Garrus--” she tries again, and touches his arm.

He draws his pistol with practiced speed and whips around. “No one said you could touch me,” he snaps.

She watches in that instant as the annoyance and frustration warping his expression melts away. His eyes flicker over her, and she can practically see the storm of emotions in his eyes. Confusion. Then disbelief.

“Amalthea?” He breathes, his jaw agape. “It...It can’t be.”

She nods at him. “It really is me, Garrus,” she says softly, praying that he’ll hear in the sincerity of her voice, urging her tone to convey how much she’s missed him.

He frowns, though, and keeps his pistol trained on her. Again, the storm brews in his eyes. He searches her features, his gaze hardening.

“How dare you,” he finally growls.

She falters. “What?”

He storms forward, gripping her neck and pressing his pistol into her chest, pushing her against the walkway railing. “How dare you impersonate Commander Shepard,” he growls again, rage bubbling at the bottom of his throat. “Stooping so low as to get facial reconstruction is sick, but then coming to me claiming to be her-- you disgust me!”

The blaster inches deeper into her skinsuit. Tears begin to well in her eyes as she searches his eyes and finds only pain, only loss.

“Garrus,” she breathes, his fist still closed around her throat. “It’s really me.”

“Shut up. Tali warned me there was someone parading around claiming to be her. I ought to wipe you off the face of galaxy--”

“It’s me, Garrus,” she pleads. “I’ve been unconscious the past two years. Please, I came to see you as fast as I could--”

“Enough of this,” he rumbles. The pistol clicks.

Her throat works. He has to believe her. “The day Kaiden died on Virmire,” she pleads, “you held me in the Comms room as I cried. I know you remember it.”

His eyes narrow. There’s still suspicion in his expression.

She continues, her heart breaking in her chest. “You said that day you’d always be by my side for as long as I asked you to be. The first time you called me my name-- the first time I heard you say Amalthea-- was right after we killed Saren. When Sovereign crashed through the tower windows.”

He blinks. Something else is there, now-- confusion? Hope?

“At the celebration afterward, on the Normandy, I asked if you would keep calling me Amalthea. And you said, ‘Sure Amalthea, as long as you don't mind me sticking around.’”

Finally, finally, his eyes soften, searching her.

“We were--” she chokes on a sob, and feels hot tears spill down her face. But Garrus has released her neck now. “We were supposed to go have dinner together. After the last geth shakedown. But then the Normandy was attacked... and-- and--”

Words are catching in her throat and the tears are coming fast now. She can’t believe she’s crying, again. But something’s cracked inside of her. All of the weight of the past few weeks have sent splinters through her composure. Seeing Garrus like this, so angry, so broken, only adds to the cracks.

Garrus traces the back of his hand across her cheek. His fingers brush against the cracked skin, gently, delicately, as if she would shatter like porcelain at his touch.

A moment passes. He soaks in the scar tissue, scrutinizing the glow of the new biotics implanted in her face keeping her alive.

“I was dead, Garrus,” she whispers, her eyes pleading with him. “But they brought me back. I just woke up. I came to find you as soon as I could.”

When she looks into his eyes now she can only find sorrow. She can practically feel his heart bleeding.

“I’m sorry,” she breathes. “Garrus, I’m so sorry. All these years you’ve been alone and told I was gone… I can’t imagine how much has changed. I know I can’t expect you to--”

The gun clangs to the floor.

Suddenly his arms are around her.

The splinters finally crack. She buries herself into him, the same as after Virmire, and heaves a sob. He clutches her even closer, one arm wrapping around her waist and one hand burrowing into her hair. He’s never held her this tightly, not even after the Citadel battle, clutching her body as if she would dissipate like a--

a ghost.

“Garrus,” she hiccups into his chest. “I’m sorry.”

He doesn’t respond. He just pulls her closer.

“It’s okay,” he finally says, in a voice so low and hoarse and broken she barely recognizes it. “Just. Please. Never leave me again.”

--

Also on my AO3!

[grendel-menz]

Curiosity

[cousinslavellan-archive]

9 for shrios (the writing prompt post!) <3

"I fed your pets while you were away."

[OKAY so I normally write Willow as the cousin of Commander Shepard for everything she's in (and she still is!!) but... this pulled an all new AU into mind and I'm rolling with it so enjoy lmao gjbg. He never actually says the prompt line but ah well. This got kinda long cough. ]

"Welcome aboard the new Normandy, Commander Shepard. I'm specialist Traynor."

Willow flinches at the title, covering it with a half-grin-half-grimace that she hopes is convincing.

She'd gotten used to playing pretend, before being locked away for six months, but now - in the face of this new Normandy, this new crew, Alliance colours splayed everywhere, she feels that façade breaking.

Cerberus had been easy - they'd needed her skill-set and experience, her biotics and ability to lead - most importantly, they'd needed her face, needed her to be the Shepard that had been lost, to be the ghost returned from the grave.

They'd needed Arisa, but in the face of her death, they'd settled for Willow.

Only those who had been close to the original Shepard knew - Anderson knows, but had kept his mouth shut out of respect for both of them.

Joker and Tali and Garrus and Wrex all know, but - luckily - they'd been friendly with Willow, too, and followed her through the impossible task of defeating the Collectors - somehow, somehow making it through with everyone alive.

Only people she trusts implicitly know the truth: know that Arisa Shepard, the Hero of the Citadel, had died in space.

Know that the Ghost walking amongst them is no ghost at all, but her cousin - a cousin lucky enough to share similar skillsets and looks, easily explained away by Cerberus rebuilt me, things aren't... quite right.

Doctor Chakwas knows. As does Mordin Solus. And so does-

"-you'll be happy to see that your fish are happy and healthy, Commander, as is your hamster."

Willow tunes back in with a startled blink, lips pressing together in surprise at the news. "They are?"

"Yes! To be honest, your hamster, um, got loose for a while... I couldn't for the life of me catch him. But then he reappeared in his cage, healthy as ever."

Willow hums, amused despite her nerves - even managing an almost full smile as she steps out of the elevator onto her cabins deck, "Boo is a quick little bugger when he wants to be. Who caught him?"

"The same person who's been looking after your fish, actually! He's been quite helpful, though he avoids most of the crew." Traynor's grin widens, "EDI says he's always been like that, though, so I didn't worry."

Willows hand freezes inches from the door lock, her heart thumping violently. "He?"

"Specialist Traynor, you have an urgent call in the CIC." EDI's voice rings through the deck, making the dark haired woman jump to attention.

"Apologizes, Commander, I'll see you later! Take some time to get settled in - we'll alert you as soon as we've arrived at the Citadel."

Willow says nothing - only waits until she's alone to find the spot where she knows EDI's camera is, glaring. "EDI, what the hell is going on?"

"Something good, Shepard." the AI sounds as calm and collected as always, though there almost seems to be a giddy lilt to the words, "Welcome back to the Normandy."

Willow stares the AI down for another moment, skeptic, before she palms the door lock and takes a breath, slowly entering the space.

It looks the same as it had before she'd turned it over to the Alliance - even the model ships she'd painstakingly recovered in an attempt to mimic Arisa are still in their places.

The fish tanks glow blue in the semi-dark space, the little creatures swimming happily - and Boo pops his head out of his burrow when she steps close, chittering at her.

It's at once comforting and disconcerting, to be back in this space, to see it still preserved despite everything else being different. This space that should have been hers...

"Hey, Boo." Willow whispers, pressing her fingers to the glass wall of the cage and smiling when the hamster comes up to chitter at her, "Glad to see you're doing okay, buddy."

"He was notoriously difficult to catch, I must admit - we are lucky that he likes me, Siha."

Willow's back snaps straight at the familiar voice, gaze sweeping over the lower area of the room even as she turns to head down the stairs, heart thumping.

And there he is, like he'd materialized out of thin air - standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands clasped behind his back, forever calm and collected - mouth pulled in the softest of smiles as he watches her.

"Thane!"

She's down the stairs and in his arms in a moment, her own wrapped tight around him and her face buried in his shoulder as she clings to him.

She hears him mumble Siha into her hair, one of his hands smoothing over her back while the other keeps her tucked close against him - and she only presses closer, feeling relieved for the first time since fleeing Earth earlier that day.

Then Willow yanks backwards, staring at him intently, "Your surgery. Did it...?"

Thane's expression shifts from startled to smug almost instantly, his hand finding hers to bring it to his chest - slipping beneath the loose fabric of the shirt he'd worn, so different from his usual clothes, feeling the line of uneven scales beneath.

"The transplant was successful, Siha. The Keprals is gone." he lifts her hand then, holding her gaze as he presses his lips to her knuckles, "And you?"

Willow smiles, though it's a bit strained. "The AEND is cured, thanks to Mordin and Miranda - but I'm not back at 100% yet. The damn Reapers cut my recovery short." she takes his other hand in hers, mimicking him and pressing kisses to his fused knuckles, "Not that the Alliance knows any of that, of course."

"Of course not. And they will never know." Thane drops her hand to slip his arm back around her waist, drawing her in against him, "You have my arm, Siha, and the rest of me as well. You need only say the word."

"What would I do without you?" Willow sighs, allowing herself to be drawn in, a thought striking her just before he bends, "Thank you for feeding my pets, by the way."

"Think nothing of it." Thane tilts her head with a gentle hand on her chin, dark eyes capturing her attention as he leans closer, "I have missed you, Willow."

She responds with a sigh, eyes fluttering closed as he kisses her.

[pro-bee]

Tali kneels at the bottom shelf of the bookcase in the living room one afternoon, and pulls out a stack of books, sending the rest of the tomes tumbling and crashing down, completely oblivious to the destruction in her wake. She plops the photo albums on Ziva’s lap and climbs up into the couch next to her. “Here, start with this one, Ima,” as she impatiently grabs one from the pile. Ziva runs her hand over the “2016” on the cover. She tilts up the stack on her knee, noting the dates on the spines. 2017. 2018. 2019.

“That one came down to the wire.” She glances behind her to find Tony looking over her shoulder, a hint of wistfulness to his smile. “We had some last minute additions to that one.”

It was a complicated year to say the least. (A complicated decade.)

“Sorry for derailing your plans.”

“Are you kidding? Highlight of the year. Definitely made the book. Right, Tal?”

The girl isn’t listening to her parents. She’d much rather be the centre of attention again with this show and tell.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she answers distractedly, suddenly giving him visions of a sarcastic teenager ten years from now, “Daddy said we had to keep it a secret, until the book got here. But it was a good secret, so it was okay.”

A good secret, like a Christmas present. (Not a bad secret, like pretending to be dead for three years and keeping all your loved ones in the dark to grieve your loss.)

Tali has enough of her mother’s lollygagging, and takes matters into her own hands. She hastily pulls open the first book and flips it to the first page.

“See Ima? That’s me. I don’t remember, but Daddy told me. I was just a baby then, but I’m big now.”

“You certainly are, my love.” Indeed, the antsy six year old directing the show next to her hardly resembles the toddler asleep in the stroller in the photo in front of her.

“Daddy says that we had to make a book every year so that we could remember all the fun that we have, because when we get old like Pop Pop we don’t always remember.”

Ziva chuckles at her candour. “That is a very good idea.”

“And we want to remember it all, because we had to make sure we could tell you all about it when you came home. Daddy said sometimes Ima couldn’t be here, so we had to have all the fun for her, and then share it when you got here.”

Ziva’s eyes begin to well up in spite of herself. She thought she had cried all the tears she has left in her, and yet an innocuous comment from her daughter breaks her all over again.

This time, she beams through it, though.

“Well, that is a very thoughtful idea, and Daddy is absolutely correct. You were, in fact, in charge of having all the fun, and it looks like you passed with swimming colours.”

Tali giggles. “Flying colours, Ima.”

Ziva smiles to herself. “I know, honey. That was a joke for your dad.” Now it’s Tony’s turn to laugh.

“Grown ups are so weird.”

Ziva smiles again, and kisses her daughter on the head.

“Yes, they are. Now, tell me all about this one...”

The girl burrows into her mother’s side, to get a closer look at the book, and before the know it, they have spent a whole afternoon chatting about memories real and imagined. And with each turn of the page, the family mends a little piece of their broken hearts.

[lopithecusfanfiction]

Old Nightmares

Author: Lopithecus Pairing: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard Rating: General Audience Word Count: 1294 Alternate: AO3 Summary: Shepard has a nightmare about Akuze and finds comfort in Kaidan Warnings: N/A Author's Note: This is for Day 1 of Mass Effect Trilogy Appreciation Week! Do you think, even with the Reaper Invasion, Shepard would still have nightmares about his past? Please enjoy! Prompt: Day 1 - Nightmare

The wind is blowing, there’s dirt getting into his hair and eyes and all the nooks and crannies his armor has. Blood curdling screams are all around him, loud in his ears, only to be drowned out by the roar of the attacking creature as it drags another crewmember down into the ground.

Shepard squints out from where he is kneeling behind a rock, wishing he had worn his helmet to keep the dirt out of his eyes. It’s not the best of hiding places, the giant worm very easily being able to find him if it so wished. Shepard reaches up, swipes at the sweat gathered on his forehead, and takes a shaky breath. The moon is bright, its light shining down on all the Marines, but it doesn’t make it easier to see the monster that keeps appearing out of nowhere.

Shepard jumps out of his hiding spot, raising his gun, and shooting a couple rounds into the huge creature. “Connolly, move!”

Connolly, one of the younger officers, scrambles up from where he had tripped, the monster turning its attention on to Shepard. It spits acid at him and Shepard rolls out of the way, just barely getting out of the splash zone. The creature roars in anger, quickly burrowing back into the ground.

Connolly halts beside Shepard, breathing heavily. “What is that thing?”

“I don’t know,” Shepard states, gun at the ready. He looks around. Five Marines are left, including him, out of the fifty that were sent to investigate the missing colonists. “Keep sharp.”

The ground rumbles and Connolly loses his balance, grabbing a hold of Shepard’s shoulder to stay upright. Then the ground explodes and dirt goes flying towards them, Forbes screaming in agony. When the dirt settles, Shepard watches as Forbes' body, covered in blood, is dragged beneath the surface, the man clawing at the ground but finding no purchase in the loose material. Shepard hears Forbes scream for help ringing in his ears.

“Everybody move!” he yells and the rest of the terrified team start running, in no particular direction. Shepard turns to Connolly, shoves at his back to get him moving, and yells at him to get going. But the man is frozen in his spot, eyes fixated on where Forbes disappeared. They had been good friends. More than friends. This is why you don’t fraternize.

“Connolly!” Connolly’s eyes dart to Shepard, the ground rumbles again and suddenly Shepard isn’t close to the officer anymore. Instead he’s meters away, the entire crew gone except for the two of them and the giant worm is right there, above Connolly and…

“Shepard,” Connolly’s voice is a whisper in Shepard's ear and it shakes with fear. He’s only nineteen years old, practically a child, and Shepard reaches out, the monster roars, bears down on Connolly and…

“Connolly!”

Shepard wakes suddenly, taking a quick breath in, as if he’s coming up for air. He blinks the fogginess out of his eyes, runs a hand through his damp hair, and tries to calm his rapidly beating heart. His body is covered in a cold sweat, the sheets sticking to his skin uncomfortably. He squeezes his eyes shut, forces himself to breathe calmly once, twice, three times, and then reopens them to stare at the window on the ceiling.

He lies there, watching the stars go by slowly, reminding himself that Joker is flying them to the Citadel for a much needed supply run. They should be a few days out still and Shepard had planned on going around to the crew members to inquire about materials they might need that the Alliance budget could buy them. Tali had mentioned something about needing more dextro cheese a few days ago and Garrus had grunted in agreement which had prompted this little trip to the Citadel in the first place.

Shepard takes a deep breath, licking his lips, and knowing he is safe, he can feel himself calming down now. He turns onto his side, in the direction of his bedmate, and watches as Kaidan sleeps on his stomach, head facing away from Shepard. He’s surprised his nightmare hasn't woken him up. It’s a testament of just how tired Kaidan must be. Shepard doesn’t blame him. After all, they all have their own nightmares that keep them up at night.

Shepard reaches out and places a gentle hand between Kaidan’s shoulder blades. The biotic’s back is bare, the two of them being naked, and the covers have slid down to the small of his back, exposing the skin there. Shepard drags his hand down Kaidan’s spine in one long swipe and Kaidan startles, jumping slightly. Shepard tilts his head, places a soft kiss to Kaidan’s shoulder, and whispers, “Sorry,” before dragging his hand back up his back.

He feels Kaidan relax, enjoying the glide of Shepard’s hand on his skin now that he knows who is doing it. Shepard adds a little pressure, massaging the tight muscles as best he can at this angle. He kisses Kaidan’s shoulder once more, peppering it with light pecks, before reaching up and dragging his index finger over Kaidan’s amp port. Kaidan groans, low in his throat, and Shepard does it again to elicit the same sound from the man. “Does that hurt?”

Kaidan, more awake and alert now, turns his head to look at Shepard. “Sensitive.” He yawns. “What’s wrong?”

Shepard should have known that Kaidan would still realize something was wrong despite Shepard’s efforts in distracting him with his question. “It’s stupid.” He goes back to rubbing Kaidan’s back, abandoning the amp port. He doesn’t want to make Kaidan uncomfortable.

Kaidan takes a deep breath in and he looks tired but he’s obviously too worried to go back to sleep. “Tell me.”

Shepard eyes the biotic before turning back onto his back, removing his hand all together from Kaidan. “I had a nightmare. It was weird though.” Kaidan keeps quiet, giving Shepard the time he needs to talk about the dream. Shepard huffs at remembering what exactly his brain had made him see. “It was about Akuze.” He shakes his head, huffs again, and reaches up to cover his eyes with the crook of his arm. “There’s a Reaper invasion going on and my mind decided to give me a nightmare about Akuze.”

“Well,” Kaidan starts, in that breathy way that he does and Shepard loves. “A Reaper invasion doesn’t just erase the other past traumas.”

Shepard sighs and lowers his arm to look at Kaidan, making eye contact with him. Kaidan’s own eyes are half lidded with exhaustion and black circles underneath them. He could probably stand to get a few more hours of sleep but Shepard knows that if he gets up, Kaidan will too to keep him company. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

He reaches out again and cups Kaidan’s cheek. Kaidan smiles at him and turns on to his side, pulling the covers up to his chin. “Cold?” Shepard questions, scooting closer to Kaidan and wrapping him up in his arms. He doesn’t really want to talk about Reapers or nightmares anymore so he changes tactics, practically rolling on top of Kaidan and attacking his exposed neck with ticklish kisses.

“Shepard,” Kaidan says, voice full of laughter and, well, Shepard is glad that he has someone who can help him through his nightmares, someone to wake up next to, and someone to love and protect and maybe even grow old with if they both make it out of this war in one piece.

And as the nightmare gets pushed to the back of Shepard’s brain, he enjoys Kaidan’s laughter in his ears and his warmth in his arms as they both lie in bed, content to pretend everything will be okay.

—————————————————————————————————

A/N: Thanks for reading!

[spookyvalentine]

Could I ask for Stellan + C please? (Also, just wanted to say I love their name, Stellan sounds so cool!)

ABSOLUTELY!!! also ahh I’m glad you like their name! I’ve loved it since I was in high school, and if I didn’t like my middle name so much, I would’ve chosen it when I transitioned :’)

C: Comfort

1. how do they sit in a chair?

answered here!

2. in what position do they sleep?

occasionally starfished out across the bed when they’re exhausted, but usually they’re curled up on their side, hands tucked under their cheek

3. what is their ideal comfort day?

as a kid, fixing farm equipment with maman, playing kepesh-yakshi with grand, helping father and renny out in the gardens. chasing after their siblings and building computer games for them (stellan was the eldest), building bonfires with mamere and helping prepare large meals for the commune with paré, grandmama and mother. burrowing under blankets with their enormous family to watch vids and drinking hot chocolate

in the alliance, it was really hard to justify taking a break to themself—they rarely indulged in it. working on the mako and playing chess occasionally with crew helped.

post-me, a leisurely day spent with shiala after going into town and visiting with the colonists of zhu’s hope, teach some kids about mechanical repair or chess. sunsoaked hours tending to flowers and making jam and pickles. watching shiala paint (sometimes, blushingly, they’ll pose for her). a picnic at night where they share warmth and watch the stars. and finally, curl into shiala’s strong arms in their soft bed, whispering and trading kisses til they fall asleep :’)

4. what is their major comfort food? why?

their renny’s butternut squash and spinach lasagna, or the peaches their grandmama smoked on the grill, brushed with salted honey. their memories as a commune kid will forever be printed on their soul.

and i wanna say that shiala makes some really fuckin good soup

5. who is the best at comforting them when down?

in 1, tali and kaidan. wrex is like a grumpier version of their grand. and their aunt (KARIN CHAKWAS I HAVE DECIDED AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME)

for 2, samara and mordin. in 3, it was nice to have kaidan around again, but vega and cortez’s antics and the two of them flirting always cheered them up

and of course, shiala. her emails, and eventually love letters, were the tethers to sanity and reality that stellan desperately needed

[louisahalewrites]

What I'm Working On... 14Oct2023

Currently Posting

no promises on posting. life is hectic.

Goal: finish one fic a month

Completed and Editing: The Heirs of Hogwarts: Prince Coven Series. 15 chapters - I kept deleting what I had. trying to get this completed ASAP

Operation: Complete Some WIPs

Draco Lafoi of House Black: Prince Coven Series. Draco oneshot featuring his parents, his brothers, and his redheaded nemesis.

The Tonkes of House Black: Prince Coven Series. Short fic 2-3 chapters max

House of Aliases. Xmen/MCU fusion. Magneto and all his kids get to live. Oh, he gets to have his baby mama alive. and Charles and David are a part of the family too. Crackfic on crack

Hold My Hand A Top Gun Maverick Fanfiction Rooster/Trace!OC. I had plans for three more chapters.

Flames: a “Power Over Me” Sequel. Troy Otto/Beth Greene. I miss Beth and Troy. Going to work on finishing this when I’m through with Billy and Izzy.

Things I Will Work on After I Finish Some WIPs

The Revival of House Targaryen:Fire and Blood/House of The Dragon fic. Outlines a monster like Together Always and Forever so I plan to only post when I’m finished with and arc as to not hang on a cliffhanger like TAaF.

Tales From The Burrow: Prince Coven Series. 3 chapters outlined, with plans to return as Prince coven series continues.

Untitled NCIS AU Fic - Was rewatching with the family and my Kari obsession came back. Featuring Alive Tali David and Alive Kelly Gibbs

Lost Excitement/Writers Block is Winning/Hope to return to eventually

Together. Always and Forever: TO/TVD Fanfic. I have a monster of a outline and no muse to motivate me.

Fear The Living More Rewrite. Probably never happening. That fic scared me. Might end up using Helen and Troy for a happier fic in the fandom though

Untitled HP Merope Gaunt lives AU. Might come back to this.

The Wolves of Beacon Hills. Marked complete until I have a oneshot finished to add

Under Blackbirds Wing. A Punisher Omegaverse AU. Billy Russo/OC marked complete for now

Steadfast: A Sciles Brotp fic. Marked complete for now.

Paint it Black Sequel. Not happening. Using all the ideas for it in my Prince Coven series