#thread: izzy 003

[tonibeltran]

[ OUTGOING SMS 📲 IZZY BEAR 🐻 ]

ANTONIO: How much longer do I get to gush about how cute he is before you're officially over it? @izuluzakwe

[dutyworn]

So, it seems to be... either identical (Cerberus bringing them both back to life), nearly the same with small variations (such as the situation with Archangel escalating sooner than the plague), or entirely different (humanity as a client race to the turians?). It’s... a framework Wren doesn’t expect to hold, but she’s grasping onto whatever sense she can make of her situation.

She doesn’t interrupt Isabela, just watches her as she listens, trying to memorise everything (easier said than done when she’s not slept in... gods know at this point? at least she’s gotten to eat), file it into a timeline. There’s so much... If they both were to share  ⸺  from what point onwards, even? Saren? The Beacon? Their entire military history? Childhood? It would take days.

Hierarchy rings the strangest, for sure.

Wren gives a wry smile, then lowers her gaze again as she speaks.

❝ We have that in common when it comes to our people. I didn’t meet Garrus until Saren went rogue, ❞    if that even happened in this... timeline? universe?    ❝ but he’s my best friend. I know that him... Here? He doesn’t know me. But would you not do anything to protect him, even if he was  ⸺  not yours to protect? So whatever I can do to help, here. If you let me. Not just for the people I know, but for everyone in the galaxy. ❞    If she has to fight those fights all over again... well, that’s been her purpose all along.

She finds it hard to imagine what it would be like, knowing Garrus Vakarian from practically childhood. She finds it hard to imagine any of it.    ❝ The Alliance, where I come from, refers to the Relay 314 Incident as the First Contact War. The Council stepped in to armwrestle a peace. I was just a kid; by my time in the military, humans had an embassy on the Citadel. By... well, now? We have a Council member. ❞

As for more common friends. She gives a little, softer, smile, staring at her fingers.    ❝ Joker and Chakwas are with me, as well. And Wrex. For what it’s worth, Zaeed came through in the end, but if he made a contract with the Illusive Man that you’d help him out with something? We had some trouble with that. I don’t know if I’ll make it better or worse if I... ❞    What if by sharing details she’ll, instead of preventing something, make something happen? Set off some chain reaction? She’s two years ahead of Isabela, but nothing says things are about to progress similarly. This definitely was never something she was trained for...

❝ I grew up an orphan as well, ❞    she says, not knowing if it’s relevant.    ❝ At an orphanage, though, until I was ten. On the streets, after. In Los Angeles. Enlisted at 18. ❞    It’s not really very exciting.

She should probably explain her reaction to Nihlus, but... She raises her eyes for the topic, feeling as if she owes that much.    ❝ I never got to know Nihlus. We barely met. He was killed by Saren Arterius. On Eden Prime. I think I can assume Eden Prime happened for you? Maybe the locations are different, but the first Prothean Beacon, that started all this? Nihlus recommended me for the Spectres. He was supposed to mentor me. He never made it back from that first mission. ❞    She shakes her head, but giving condolenses feels... too strange, not relevant? Then again, Wren knows how she had reacted to not her Garrus being injured, here...

Isabela huffs in what seems to be bemused agreement, a slight smirk playing at her lips as she shrugs, unapologetic as she offers, "You're a danger, whether you want to be or not."

Her smirk fades as she listens, trying to make some sense of what's different between then besides the obvious. It's the way Wren talks about the Alliance as though it were its own truly separate entity and not a subsidiary of the Hierarchy after humanity became a client race that has her frowning, brow furrowed in thought.

"This was a Cerberus ship - they constructed it from designs for the SR-2 stolen from the Hierarchy. While some of the crew is still Cerberus, they barely staffed the ship beyond little more than a skeleton crew, and after facing a tribunal with the Hierarchy, I was allowed to request a full staffing of volunteers for this mission," she offers, her gaze flicking away to look around the cargo bay thoughtfully.

"The Alliance... My guess is that it doesn't hold the same status as it does where you're from... Humanity lost the war in the Relay 314 Incident, and were inducted as a client race of the Turian Hierarchy, after three years of fighting. The Alliance is an auxiliary of the turian military, much like the volus bombing fleet."

Looking back at the prisoner, she notes, "I was six years old, orphaned on the streets of Earth, when I was found by a turian patrol, only days after the fighting stopped, where they then took me to the Citadel for medical care and was deemed a ward of the state. I grew up on Palaven, and am the only human to date with citizenship above the first tier in the entirety of the meritocracy."

But it's not like there aren't Alliance members on the ship, though she continues to watch Wren closely as she notes, "Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau is our pilot - I wouldn't trust anyone else at the helm. And Major Doctor Karin Chakwas is our Chief Medical Officer, given her expertise with a wider range of anatomy beyond just human."

"I had to stop Nihlus from trying to arrest Kasumi - she was with me when I reported to the turian embassy to arrange a meeting with the Council, and to arrange the tribunal for my... unexpected leave of absence... Zaeed... Well, Urdnot Wrex says he's worth having onboard, and if he proves otherwise, to shoot him. There's only one merc I truly trust, and Wrex is it, so we'll see how well Massani plays with others."

As for the situation on Omega... Isabela sighs wearily as she explains, "Aria told me of the plague, but the situation regarding Archangel was much more time sensitive. Fortunately, the mercs were a chatty bunch, and their encryption was horrible, so it didn't take long to sabotage their efforts before getting across the bridge." Shaking her head at that thought, she absently rubs the shoulder where Garrus had clipped her with a concussive round. "It wasn't enough, thanks to how the mercs were already entrenched, but at least we didn't end up with any casualties..."

"After getting Garrus off that shithole of a station, I immediately went back while Chakwas and the med team worked on saving his hide in order to recruit Dr. Solus - he was present for the actual surgeries. Lawson wasn't happy we were using Cerberus cybernetics, but between myself, the good doctors, and Nihlus, she came around."

There's a deadly sharpness to her smirk then at that thought before she shrugs. "I won't let anyone compromise those few that I trust and care about, and Garrus and I have been friends ever since he enlisted into boot camp. Much of the Cerberus crew weren't exactly thrilled when I brought in a more trustworthy, loyal crew. Should the Illusive Dick try anything, we're more than prepared and appropriately staffed to handle the situation."

[lcstpaths]

izzie stevens   ,   canon ( teen : headcanon based )

[lcstpaths]

izzie stevens tag drop.

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: He does not look dumb, stop it. He's so handsome. Straight out of a Jane Austen novel, if you will. ANTONIO: I know that. Logically, I know that. Well. I do now, anyway. It felt that way, for a long time. But then he happened, and, I don't know. Suddenly it was there again. Just buried under piles and piles of years-long heartbreak. ANTONIO: I don't. ANTONIO: I'll tell him. Eventually. Let me work up to it. ANTONIO: He's not my boyfriend. ANTONIO: I don't think? ANTONIO: I haven't asked him. Should I ask him? Is that weird to ask?

IZZY: well if he learns a single thing about you that doesn't make him like you more, he's dumber than he looks IZZY: but you know that's ridiculous, right? elijah didn't take all the love you were capable of giving. loving the wrong person doesn't take anything away from the right one IZZY: i know it's scary, toni, but you don't want to start this off by hiding things from him, do you? IZZY: ok ok i'll do my best not to kill your boyfriend xo

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: I fear he may have only just scratched the surface of my patheticness, actually. ANTONIO: That he thinks my feelings for him aren’t real, or valid? That he hates me for loving Eli first? That he somehow sees what I felt when ANTONIO: Listen. I just don’t think it’s pertinent information. It’s in the past. Best not dig it up. ANTONIO: I love you. But you know that would 100% give Roman a heart attack.

IZZY: first of all he already knows how pathetic you are 💕 he probably thinks it's cute

IZZY: what's the worst case scenario, in your mind? if you told him?

IZZY: i wouldn't but i could. look out.

IZZY: damn i was absolutely going to show up naked

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: Well, for one thing. That he'll know how pathetic I am. ANTONIO: For another, I don't think it's the best idea to tell the man I currently have feelings for that I used to be in love with a man he despises. Feels like not a great vibe ANTONIO: You would NEVER ANTONIO: Clothes would be good I think

IZZY: NONE of it? why can't he know? what are you scared of? IZZY: don't tell me to calm down falkor!!! I'll kick your butt IZZY: okay. why am i nervous? what should I wear?

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: Yes. Well. I agree. ANTONIO: None of it. What do you mean? NONE of it. He can never know. ANTONIO: Calm down, Empress. This isn't about you. Roman's just allergic to most social interactions. ANTONIO: It's fine, he'll be there, I'll make sure of it.

IZZY: i don't think it's healthy for either of you to be around him. IZZY: how much does roman know, by the way? about you and elijah IZZY: do you SEE, even you admit he'll want to weasel out of it! hates me

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: Right. I know. I know that. ANTONIO: I also need to try to keep him away from Elijah altogether, now. Don’t think it’s healthy for him. ANTONIO: You are 😔 ANTONIO: I’ll get back to you on the day. Let me see what day works for him. So he can’t weasel out of it.

IZZY: i know. but you know how roman feels about what elijah did, and that's as good an indicator as any that he wouldn't do that to you IZZY: i'm the best half of you, I believe you said IZZY: i still think it could happen. but you know him much better than I do. and you know I can't say no to you, so. which night for dinner?

[tonibeltran]

> ANTONIO is typing... > ANTONIO is typing... ANTONIO: Yeah. But that's what I thought about Elijah at one point, too. ANTONIO: Yes. Of course. You're a sure thing. And it's mutual, always, you know that. ANTONIO: Well, I would warn him about it beforehand. I'm not gonna SURPRISE him with you. This would be a consensual thing, Iz.

IZZY: i'm sure he knows that. you've been there for each other before, that won't change now IZZY: and i'm here for you, you know that too, right? always IZZY: i'm not worried about him being affectionate, I'm worried he might run away at the sight of me. he's like a flighty little bird

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: I know. I'm trying to be mindful of that. I'm not pushing him to figure anything out. I think he needs to work through that himself. ANTONIO: Just trying to get him to understand I'll be here through it. No matter how long he needs. ANTONIO: Okay, listen. No. You wouldn't be third-wheeling. I highly doubt he'd be affectionate with me in front of you, for one thing. For another, you are both the two most important people in my life. ANTONIO: Kind of important to me that you can spend a couple of hours in the same room, at least.

IZZY: if everything you've told me is accurate, he is just as obsessed with you as you are with him IZZY: that being said, there may be moments when it's a lot for him. he thought he was straight, so this is a Big Scary Thing, you know? life-altering. so you have to be prepared for a possible freakout. but it won't be your fault, or his. you can get through it. IZZY: toni, i KNOW you're not asking me to third wheel with your extremely new relationship

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: You don’t think I’ll mess it up, do you? ANTONIO: I don’t want to mess it up. I don’t want to, like. Scare him off me by coming on too strong. ANTONIO: Oh, he’d hate that. That’s funny. I’ll try my best for you. ANTONIO: Or you could come over for dinner next week? Him and you. I can get him blushing in five seconds flat.

IZZY: stop, it is not too much at all. you're the human heart-eyes emoji, it's adorable IZZY: every version of you is annoying and I love every single one IZZY: okay I have never seen him blush in my life, and I can't even picture it. it's like trying to imagine a blushing cactus IZZY: take a picture

[tonibeltran]

ANTONIO: Yeah, maybe I'm doing too much. ANTONIO: I promise I'm doing my very, very best to be the least annoying version of myself possible. ANTONIO: It's just his pretty face. And his everything. You know how often he blushes now? Christ. ANTONIO: Okay that's the last of it I promise

IZZY: you know, I started to get a bit sick of it about... six hours ago?

IZZY: BUT

IZZY: BUT I will take this every day over the whining and pouting. I will never complain about knowing you're happy, even if you are annoying about it 🥰💕

IZZY: what's he done now that's cute, or is it just his pretty face?