#Ask Team Galaxy Recruit

[ask-teamgalaxyrecruit]

Part 1

[akutasoda]

Aventurine with teen reader, please.

He would meet you when you’ve just joined the IPC, becoming your superior and having you run errands or finish up paperwork 

Diligent, dedicated and hard working, those words could be describe by him to you after see you work.

But one thing you’re weak about… you can’t collect debts since you’re too soft and easy to get emotional by words. (some of them are lies)

So..

Topaz and Numby/ Aventurine and reader: best cooperation team works

personal debts

synopsis - as a new employee who has the IPC watching you, aventurine can only hope to save you from the worst

includes - aventurine ft topaz and numby - platonic!

warnings - gn!teen!reader, fluff, slight angst, IPC kinda sucks, wc - 1.2k

the IPC was a reputable and respected organisation known throughout the galaxy, or atleast to those that had never been in debt to them or worked with them. IPC soldiers and workers would complain about the awful conditions but they knew what awaited them if they spoke bad about the IPC. in reality, the IPC was a money hungry organisation that had no issues with taking planets hostage if debts were due and had no issue prying on the weak and vulnerable for recruitment.

of course some people knew all about the harsh reality of the IPC but they were either in debt and couldn't afford to speak out or they worked there. the stonehearts were a great example, each one was very aware of the real IPC but they either simply didn't care or were also trapped within it's schemes and had to devote absolute loyalty.

an IPC worker's experience could also be dictated to who they would be assigned under. the more general corporate areas were always harsher and near impossible to work in, however some lucky few could be assigned under the few kind souls left in the IPC. when you had first been roped into the IPC you didn't know what to expect and were soon pushed into a general corporate area, that's when you realised the situation you had been put in.

fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you saw it, the IPC had realised you had some talent that couldn't be wasted in the lowly areas and immediately promoted you under a stoneheart - you could tell it was a test to see your true usefulness when you became informed it was more of a secretary job but you really would take anything over your previous position. it wasn't entirely unusual for the stonehearts to have a few workers worming directly under them, especially some poor souls who were assigned to help with paperwork's and galaxy wide errands. aventurine was only informed of this change on the day you were moved to his department.

he didn't want to come of as rude, after all he appreciated the extra hand with the mountains of paperwork, but he didn't really see the need for an assistant - especially a teenager. aventurine had been in the IPC long enough to know that they were merely seeing how useful and adaptable you could be so he didn't really want to make your job harder for you by dismissing you, always letting you carry out your duties even if they really weren't necessary. just after one day, he started seeing why the higher-ups thought you'd be better off in a higher position.

you surprised him with how efficiently you carried out your duties. you were so hardworking and dedicated to the task given to you that he simply couldn't tell if you actually enjoyed your job or if you were trying your hardest to survive. aventurine didn't really want to question why a teen such as yourself was roped into affairs with the IPC, everyone had their own reason including him.

to you, aventurine was one of the best bosses you could ask for - you had heard from other workers about their situations and you counted yourself lucky. he never gave you excessive work amounts and always reminded you to take breaks if you looked worn out, sometimes he'd even replace your errands with simpler ones such as indulging him in a card game of your choice instead of traveling across the galaxy. you couldn't really understand why he was so nice to you but you never complained - he seemed impossible to read anyway so you'd rather live with the questions.

aventurine wasn't surprised that your hardworking attitude had gotten you more duties on top of the one's he assigned you, he knew the IPC always liked to test their valuable resources as much as they could - work their most valuable workers until they were exhausted and no longer useful. he understood your situation, he had been in your shoes not too long ago, and made sure to lessen the work you had under him in order to allow you to focus on your new work. aventurine surprised you a couple of times when he offered to accompany you to another are of the galaxy, you always refused as he surely had a lot more to do but he always insisted.

your new work had involved you travelling across the galaxy to collect debts and run errands for other higher-ups. you excelled in running the errands but always fell short when it came to debts, you were too soft and became easily swayed by people's sob stories and pleas for more time even if they were lying right to your face. aventurine witnessed this first hand when he accompanied you one time. you were sent to retrieve some debts from a few individuals all on the same planet, but when you got their one man spun you lie after lie and aventurine watched as your face softened and you tried promising him that you'd find a way to give him more time.

aventurine couldn't blame you. the IPC made people do horrible things to others and made most workers desensitised to destroying other peoples entire livelihoods - but they were unforgiving. if you didn't carry out your duties they would pass you off as useless and aventurine didn't want you meeting that fate at your age, so begrudgingly he would step in and collect the debts for you. it made neither of you feel good but aventurine had fallen too deep into the IPC rabbit hole and was more exposed to their methods. of course as a stoneheart, aventurine had many duties to attend to and couldn't always accompany you so he would entrust a fellow stonehearrt to your cause.

topaz was more used to collecting debts than both you and aventurine. she could be rather brutal and always made those in debt hand over the money by any means to their disposal, and so aventurine knew that she could help you with your debt collections. especially since she could also sympathise with your situation. she knew that the IPC didn't care how old or young you were, as long as you remained useful, but she could agree that roping teenagers into their dealings was a bit too far. so you became rather familiar with another stoneheart.

it became a regular occurrence for aventurine or topaz, and numby, to assist you on your debt collections, eventually you started feeling bad that they helped you so you offered to assist them as best you could on their missions. you four worked perfectly as a group and ot surprised neither of the stonehearts that the IPC would take advantage of your alliance to promote you and push you further into their schemes. so when aventurine was forced into gifting you a cornerstone on the IPC's behalf as your boss, him and topaz (and numby) could only make sure to assist you in anyway they could - it wasn't too late for you.

[sol-consort]

more on the illegally Shepard VI but it's fanmade dating sims about you. Doesn't even have to be illegal, with how much the military funds COD games in secret, it's not that surprising for the Alliance to offer compensation or even commission these games on the downlow just to boost up the annual recruits numbers. Shepard—you—is their golden goose which they'll milk for all possible clout they could amidst the galaxy.

They range from heartfelt visual novels about the protagonist player being a new recruit on the Normandy with you taking a liking to them and showing them around. A paragon Shepard is more preferable for this scenario, the nice, gentle, and reliable Commander. Encouraging the player to take it slow, not rush into battle, that everyone on the team is of equal value and has a part to play. A blossoming romance between you and the adoring player as you take them under your wing, indulge their awkward flirting, and watch them get flustered at the sight of you out of uniform.

One of the most iconic scenes in the game is the shooting range one, where you're standing behind the player, a hand on their hip to adjust their stance, your other hand overlapping their grip on the gun, lips inches apart from their ear, encouraging them with every target they take down.

While a renegade Shepard gets a more risqué game, one where 90% of the budget clearly went into these detailed animations. A choose-your-own-adventure type of game with a hasely scrambled together shooter minigame. Meeting the score requirements gives way to unlocking new interactions with you, be it meeting you at a nightclub, maybe at the gym, or even being one of your crew and stumbling into your chest in the dimly lit corridor of a sleeping docked Normandy.

The cover art alone is enough of a hook for this game to latch onto the top of the sale chart, going strong for 6 months. Depicting you standing atop a pile of gore and defeated enemies, a rather unrealistic skin-tight armour hugging your body in all the right places, tasteful in the small patches of skin it revels. A cut through the steel at the side of your thigh—hinting at a lack of undergarments—a tattered piece burnt off across your collarbone, and your helmet torn in half, showing a death glare which sends goosebumps through anyone who glimpse at the art.

A species specific spin-offs are made. The asari wanted one where a biotics Shepard turns to them in order to enhance your abilities, train amidst the asari warriors and unlock your true biotics potential. The asari tending to prefer plots where the player asari is the one rescuing Shepard or guiding them rather than the other way around.

The turians and their fantasy of Shepard recognising their talent and directly asking them to join the Normandy. Giving their turian players a cool backstory of being an ex-spectre or Omega's new ruler. Fighting side by side with you. A lot of these games targeted towards turians has Shepard end up adopting their face tattoo marking at the end of successful run.

[hecckyeah]

scars we cover up with paint

(or: Daisy just needs her mom May)

(Agents of SHIELD, post-canon, MayDaisy mother daughter bonding time)

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The first warning sign she should have picked up on was the clenching, gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Melinda May had been out of field duty for so long, she just attributed it to indigestion.

There was a time, years ago, when every warning bell in her body would have picked up on that noticeable gut feeling. That feeling meant action. Danger. Act fast, or else. She had once been able to quickly sort through the causes of it, just by scanning her eyes around the room or noticing discrepancies in her surroundings that her subconscious had picked up on before she could register them.

She would have been checking in on her team when that happened, going through names on her phone and knocking on doors, one by one, until everyone was alive and accounted for. And then she would find out what her intuition was telling her. 

That was her past life. That was always being on the move, never predicting the next tragedy, never being able to keep her family safe. 

That was then.

This is now.  

There was no reason for it. Unless one of her Academy students was secretly harboring evil intentions, the feelings were simply natural and meant nothing.

But now, even with a stomach full from lunch and a good book in hand, the discomfort persisted. 

I’m going crazy . 

The warning bells continued. She shifted in the chair, hoping it really was just a rare bout of indigestion. Even stood up, stretched her arms up toward the ceiling, then down, folding herself in half until her arms hugged her knees. Stretched from side to side, twisted her torso.

It didn’t help.

Which meant it was probably time to panic.

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The message came before she could pick up her phone to call Mack.

It really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Simply an update from Agent Payne, assistant head of the space exploration program, explaining as requested that the Zephyr Three just touched down and that the agents were currently being examined at the SHIELD medical facility in Charleston, South Carolina.

Melinda remembered, with a pang, that this was officially the end of the small team’s last mission. After five years flying missions for the space division and at least that many trips around the galaxy, the Zephyr Three and her crew were finally Earth-bound, permanently. 

“I’m ready to leave space travel to the younger kids,” Sousa had joked last year at their annual Framework meetup. “I’m like a hundred and ten – You guys think I deserve to retire yet?”

May had seen the emotion-filled look Daisy sent her husband, probably thinking she was being subtle but failing valiantly as usual.

If anyone deserved a nice life of low-stakes office work and training recruits, it was those two. Daniel and Daisy. 

She returned her attention to the phone screen and Payne’s message. Glanced over it one more time. 

In getting lost in her memories, she had missed the end of it.

Zephyr 3 just landed, the message read. The crew’s headed to the SCMSC for their workups. All healthy at first glance, just tired and ready to be on solid ground again. Don’t want to worry you.. but your girl is anxious to see you. Might be trip related, maybe not. But she asked for you a few times. Let me know if you want a ride down here.

May paused. 

Your girl.

She knew Payne was referring to Daisy. It was widely known in SHIELD that the small team had a special, unique, altogether unbreakable bond that rivaled that of even the tightest-knit family. It was forged in the years of insane trials they’d gone through – Events that would have destroyed any weaker souls. They’d lost the people closest to them. Almost lost themselves hundreds of times over. No one could go through all that and not come out changed.

Coulson had sometimes referred to Daisy as the daughter he never had. And although she rarely said it, May had always felt the same.

Your girl.

The girl she’d trained. Protected. Held up when the universe seemed determined to destroy her. 

Daisy had never needed May. But she’d always chosen her. 

Chosen her to be the mother figure she’d always dreamed of having. 

The next text message followed, with perfect timing. And even before she could see the sender’s name, she knew it was from Daisy.

Hey May. Payne said he’d update you, but I’m thinking he’ll downplay things. Need my S.O. right now. Please tell me you’re free. I’ll tell Payne to send the jet.

No emojis, no exclamation points, perfect punctuation, and she hadn't called May her Supervising Officer in years . Something was very wrong, and the thought sent a hot stone down to the depths of her chest. 

It only took her seven minutes to pack a small duffel, all while on the phone with Payne, arranging pickup. He also promised to personally call the Academy for her and arrange for a substitute for a few days. She thanked him profusely for that gesture. 

Finally she locked the door behind her, stepped out onto her front porch, let out a deep breath, and set her jaw.

On my way, she texted Daisy. Hang in there. I got you.

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read the rest on ao3

[whumpbug]

GUYS IT'S TIME. i now introduce.....

THE SCARAB CREW!!!!!! 𓆣𓆣

(scarab is the name of the ship they are all on do you guys get it. because. whumbug. beetle. scarab. the ship is shaped like a beetle--okay im done)

the vibes/tropes are: sci-fi/space fantasy, dysfunction junction, found family, accidental child acquisition, AND MORE!!!

HUGE thank you to @lemlem21 for listening to me Yap about them and helping me iron out a lot of the details!!! also for recoloring some of the skincolors!!!!

i apologize in advance. this is a long post. please please feel free to ask questions because this can get confusing. there are 6 characters all with complex traits and names so please ask me for clarification if you need it! i apologize for all the reading guys (˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥⋆)

OKAY! ONTO MY SPACE SILLIES! they are Everything to me.

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THE EXPEDITION PROGRAM (TEP):

okay just before i start, i want to briefly explain why all these people are together on a ship.

in this universe, theres a central government that spans across many planets in neighboring star systems. this is known as the Provinces of the Allied Galactic Empire (PAGE). this is the explored and "civilized" part of the galaxy.

recently, there have been more attacks on PAGE-affiliated planets and systems from the unexplored galaxy (known as the Outer Sector, or just Outsec in shorthand) and PAGE intends to get to the bottom of it.

and that's where Scarab Crew comes in! multiple teams were formed of people with exceptional talents in their species/planets and were sent on multi-year long exploratory missions under the name The Expedition Program (TEP). the scarabs are one team of many!

TEP's goal is to record and report all that they find as well as identify threats and/or the planets responible for the attacks. they are to come back with information and new technology that would make PAGE stronger and more well-rounded!

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NOW ONTO THE SILLIES!! i used different picrws for each of them to match their Vibe

(also i added pronounciation guides to the best of my abilities i hope it helps im sorry in advance)

✮⋆˙

Captain Nieven Alaric (Nee-ven Ah-la-rik)

pronouns: he/him

role: captain/leader/correspondence with PAGE

planet of origin:  Asto’is (species: Asto’isian)

age and height: late '30s to early '40s / 6 ft. 0 in.

description: the competent, calculated, and and cold head of The Scarab. he was a well-off government official before TEP, but unfortunately, he lost his family in an attack by Outsec rogues. he is a man hardened by life and unwilling to get attached to others again and because of this, is very efficient when it comes to running his ship. still, efficiency is not always the most important thing when it comes to leading a team. this is something nieven must learn.

species-specific traits: horns on the top of the head-- very interconnected with the central nervous system. decorated as a sign of age and/or accomplishment. also, asto'isians have pointy teeth! they are carnivores!

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Hari Khurana (Huh-ree Ku-rahna)

pronouns: relaxed he/him

role: engineer/medic/chemist

planet of origin:  Earth (species: Homo Sapien)

age and height: mid to late '30s / 6 ft. 2 in.

description: a simple human that started from the bottom. hari grew up in a trailer park, raised by his older sister when his father worked 3 jobs to put food on the table. since he was little, it was known he was a genius when it came to stem subjects. into adulthood, he excelled in every stem job he took on. still, no one expected him to get singled out when TEP was recruiting. aside from his smarts, hari is cheeky, sly, a bit of a Bastard™ but he also has tremendously big heart. he's passionate about what he does, no matter how hard it can be for him sometimes.

species-specific traits: despite his brains, hari is... a defective human. due to malnourishment as a child, he has a plethora of health problems that worry his team to no end. some include: asthma, lactose intolerance, allergies to many foods, marie antoinette syndrome, POTS, among others. he is also a below-the-knee amputee on his left leg due to an accident in his teens.

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Nylathrania (Nyla) Qifir (Nye-lah-trah-nya Kee-feer)

pronouns: she/her

role: pilot/navigator

planet of origin: Harye (species: Haryen)

age and height: mid '20s / 5 ft. 7 in.

description: the haryan are an extremely superstitious, winged race that place an extreme importance on flight. when a child was born with in inability to even lift her wings because of nerve damage, you can imagine it did not bode well. nyla was passed around from household to household with no place to call home. she wants to prove herself to her homeland by becoming the most successful pilot in TEP with her pride and joy of a ship, The Scarab, but even that will never make her good enough for her people, and consequently, herself.

species-specific traits: the bat-like wings and short horns are trademarks of the haryen people. unlike nieven's, nyla's horns are simply bony-keratin structures as extra protection for her brain. her wings are a bit smaller than other haryen's due to muscle atrophy.

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Ytzel (Zel) Mixca (Ee-tsel Micsh-cka)

pronouns: relaxed she/her

role: gunsman/conflict strategist

planet of origin: Huelxa (species: Huelxcan)

age and height: mid '20s / 5 ft. 4 in.

description: born to a planet of war, zel grew up around bloodshed and violence throughout her life. in her culture, getting close to people was discouraged becasue you never knew who would be on the other side of the next civil war. she was often forced to fight her siblings and friends (to an extreme level) as a test of strength, so she comes off as abrasive and rude because violence makes her feel in control. it's a familiar pattern. she hasn't yet learned that love does not need to be painful.

species-specific traits: the huelxcan actually have a second pair of arms! these arms sit slightly more towards her back, in the middle of her rib cage. the huelxcan people also have evolved with enhanced hearing, and wear accessories on the ears to enhance it further.

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Vin’ri (Vinny) L’aoh (Vin-ree Luh-ow)

pronouns: they/them

role: scribe/recorder/photographer

planet of origin: Z’edin (species: Z’edinra)

age and height: late teens (17-19) / 5 ft. 9 in.

description: vinny is heralded as the voice of reason when tensions are high amongst the rest of the crew. they are level-headed and approachable, making them an instrumental member of the team. but their secret? they're so lonely. in their culture, it's customary to stop being affectionate with children when they reach about 14 to encourage growth and independence. vinny didn't have a problem with this at first, but now that they're so far from home? they feel the need for comfort more than they'd like to admit.

species-specific traits: the z’edinra all have a prehensile tail that is about an armspan in length. it is capable of grasping, and can hold their body weight. also, z'edin is an ice planet which leads vinny to be prone to overheating in even mildly warm environments quite easily

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Ren "Alaric" (Rehn Ah-la-rick)

pronouns: he/him

role: healer/newest member (not with scarab crew initially)

planet of origin: Siea W5M (species: Amb’toman)

age and height: about 7 years old / 4 ft. 3 in.

description: ren's parent's were killed when he was only 4, and he was taken to Seia W5M to be sold as a commodity-- his species is sought after for their abilities. he was under the ownership of a man for a few years before he escaped and has been on the run ever since. he covers his eyes with a blindfold to conceal the signature trait of amb'tomans-- white scleras lacking a cornea. because of his years blindfolded, light tends to overwhelm him. he is skittish, flighty, and in need of people who will take care of and love him.

species-specific traits: the amb'toman are a desert-dwelling species that evolved healing abilities to cope with the harsh climate. the short version of how the abilities work is essentially: people spend a certain amount of energy to heal themselves of injury or illness. ren can spend that energy all at once on himself or another person to heal them exponetially faster. the draw back is gets extremely sleepy after healing, and tends to be unable to stay awake

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RELATIONSHIPS: ask me about them!!! there are Some romantic relationships but i also love platonic and familial relationships so ask about whoever you'd like! i'm aiming to start the story early on to when they first meet so it'll be fun to develop their relationships as i write!!

PICREWS: 1 2 3 4 5 6

BONUS: here is all their height differences (ren is itty bitty guys)

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and that's it!!! thank you SO much if you've read to the end, it honestly means so much. and like i said before please please PLEASE dont be afraid to ask as many questions as you want (about specific scarabs, or the crew as a whole but just know if its the crew it might not be as detailed because. theres 6 of them.) these characters can get confusing and i want to make as easy of a reading experience as i can!

i hope you enjoy my little passion project and im so excited to develop these sillies further!! (✿◦’ᴗ˘◦)♡

tagging: @sethlost and @mellowwhumps (≧▽≦)

[notgonnaedit]

Beskar and Bone

Chapter 8: The Redemption

Summary: A lone bounty hunter must make his way through the galaxy as he cares for two children with mysterious powers.

Chapter summary: Trapped, Mando and his team face off against the new enemy

Warnings: Canon-typical violence, injury, fire, Moff Gideon having the best villain intro ever, Elaine being scared and sad, use of Mando'a, Auntie Cara at her finest (If I miss a tag LMK)

@thecoffeelorian @dreamsight73

Updates on Fridays. If you want to be tagged LMK

Master list

Mando held Elaine close to him as Cara and Karga searched for a means to escape.

 "Is there another way out?" Cara asked desperately.

Karga shook his head. "No, that's it."

Mando got an idea. "What about the sewers?"

Elaine lifted her head and looked at him. "Sewers?" She asked in a small voice.

Mando nodded. "The Mandalorians have a cover down there, they can help us escape."

"Yeah, sewers are good," Cara agreed.

Mando set Elaine down and began to use his thermal vision to look for a way out. "Checking for access points."

Cara shifted her blaster. "What the hell are they waiting for?" She risked a glance at the troopers, her face falling when she saw an all too familiar weapon. "Hold up. They're setting up an E-Web," she huffed.

"It's over..." Karga muttered hopelessly.

"I found the sewer vent," Mando announced. He moved to the far side of the room where a grate hid behind a few chairs. After moving the furniture, Cara and Mando attempted to pull the grate off to no avail.

Karga peeked out the blasted window again. "It's assembled! How long until that thing's cleared?"

"Blow it?" Cara suggested.

Mando checked his belt. "I'm out of charges."

Cara hefted her gun. "Get out of the way!" She fired at the grate, and Elaine sensed her start to panic when the grate stayed put."

"You're astute panic suggests that you understand your situation," the man outside said. "I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model."

All eyes turned to Cara. The veteran had visibly paled at the mention of her name and the loss of her comrades.

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin, has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to the fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears."

Elaine looked up at Mando and was sure if she could see his face he'd have an expression similar to Cara's. But the man didn't stop there. "Or perhaps even young Elaine Solace, the last of her kind, has a memory of her home being laid waste to, shortly before her planet, Ovain, was destroyed by the Death Star."

Mando looked down at Elaine, she was stareing blankly, her brown eyes wide with shock. She was too young to even remember her home being destroyed, and now she leaned the horrifying truth. He reached down to her, and the girl clung to his arm like a lifeline.

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside," the man continued. "The structure you are trapped I'm will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Karga shifted his weight before asking loudly, "What do you propose?"

"Reasonable negotiation," the man answered, earning scoffs from them.

"What assurance do you offer?" Karga asked.

"If you're asking if you can trust me, you cannot. Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand," Elaine swallowed her bile as he continued. "The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I will give you until nightfall and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire."

"I say we hear him out," Karga said.

Cara shot him a look that could kill. "The minute we open that door, we're dead."

Karga shrugged and poured himself a drink. "We're dead if we don't. At least out there, we've got a shot."

"That's easy for you to say," Cara's voice was wavering. "I'm a Rebel Shock Trooper. They'll upload me to a Mind Flayer."

"Those aren't real," Karga scoffed. "That was just wartime propaganda."

Cara hefted her blaster. "I don't care to find out. I'm shooting my way out."

Elaine looked up at Mando. He had been extremely quiet the whole time. She reached up and tugged on his hand. "Mando?"

"I know who he is," he responded. "It's Moff Gideon."

Cara looked at him, a mix of fear and denial spreading across her face. "No. Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes."

"It's him. He knew my name," Mando said confidently.

"So?" Karga asked. "What does that prove?"

Mando seemed like he was in another place "I haven't heard that name spoken since I was a child," he glaced down at the girl by his side.

"On Mandalore?" She asked.

Mando shook his head. "I was not born on Mandalore."

Karga was just as confused as Elaine. "But you're a Mandalorian."

Cara looked at her armored friend. "Mandalorian isn't a race."

"It's a Creed. I was a foundling. They raised me in the Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age, I was sworn to the Creed," he looked down at Elaine, as if every word he spoke reminded him of her. "The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an ISB Officer during the purge. That's how I know it's him. That's how he knows who we all are."

Mando looked around at everyone before telling them his theory. "He says he need us, which means the Child got away saftey," Elaine brightened slightly at that. "I was worried when the Ugnaught didn't respond, but if they'd captured the kid, we'd already be dead."

Cara nodded slowly. "Hail them again."

Mando raised the comm to his helmet. "Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil? Nothing." 

But just then, a soft coo was heard over the comms, followed by a artificial voice. "Kuiil has been terminated."

Elaine felt Mando's anger rise as he asked, "What did you do?"

"I am fulfilling my base function," IG said.

"Which is?"

"To nurse and protect," outside, they heard faint sounds of blaster fire and troopers yelling. They all peered out, and were met with the sight of IG gunning down the troopers on a speeder bike with the Child strapped to him. The droid jumped off the speeder as it crashed into a building, sending a fire explosion through the Imperial ranks.

Mando turned to Elaine. "Stay here," he jumped over out the window. "Cover me."

Cara vaulted over the bar and began firing as Mando and Karga began their assault. Elaine watched nervously as the battle ensued. Mando fought his way to the E-Web, where he lifted it off it's stand and began to use it against the troopers. Gideon's disoriented troops were disintegrated, but Elaine watched Gideon. He had stood back during the battle, but he was now holding a blaster aimed at Mando.

Acting on instinct, Elaine ran out to him. "Mando!" But she was too late. Moff Gideon fired and hit the canisters of explosives behind Mando. The armor clad man was thrown forward in the blast, and he lied on the ground motionless. Elaine rushed to him, as did Cara. Karga and IG covered them and closed the bar door as Cara dragged Mando back into the bar.

"Stay with me, buddy," she grunted. "We're gonna get you outta here."

Karga showed IG the vent they tried to escape through earlier. "This is our only way out. Can you clear it?"

The IG set the Child down and began to take off the grate with a find laser.

Elaine and Cara stayed near Mando, the latter trying her best to tend to his wound, but she pulled away when her hands were soaked with blood.  "I'm not gonna make it," Mando grunted. "Go, Elaine."

Elaine felt tears in her eyes. "No! I'm not leaving!"

Cara looked at Mando, she also was fighting tears. "Shut up. You just got your bell ring. You'll be fine."

"Leave me," Mando ordered.

Cara shook her head and reached for his helmet. "I'm gonna need to take this thing off."

Mando pushed her away. "No. You leave me–" A sharp gasp escaped him. "–You make sure the kids are safe. Here," he pulled off a pendant and gave it to her. "When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that. You tell them it's from Din Djarin," his voice shook. "You tell them the foundlings were in my protection, and they'll help you."

Elaine started to sob as the IG finished clearing the grate. Karga told them it was time to leave, but Elaine didn't move. "I don't wanna leave you," she said between sobs. Her head fell softly onto his chest plate, and suddenly, Mando felt a rush of pain. But it wasn't physical, it was grief. He felt what Elaine was feeling, and was reminded of his parents death. Nothing compared to that, and now that's what Elaine felt. 

Mando realized he was losing a lot of blood, because the swirls on Elaine's horns seemed to glow faintly. He lifted her head of his chest. "Elaine," she looked at him tearfully, and Mando reached up to cup her cheek. "I'm not gonna make it and you know it," It was harsh, but it was true. "Keep the Child safe. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's death."

Mando knew she understood, despite her age. "I won't leave you," she whimpered

Mando wiped away her tears with his thumb, even though it was pointless. "This is the Way, Sarad'ika."

Suddenly, a flame trooper burst through the door, and fired. As the flames engulfed the room, the Child lifted his hand and held them back. He pushed the fire to the trooper, killing him in the process.

"Come on!" Karga said. "It's open, let's go!"

"Go. Go," Mando said weakly.

Cara placed her hand on Elaine's shoulder, both of them reluctant to leave. IG handed Cara the Child. "Escape and protect the children. I will stay with the Mandalorian."

The veteran slung the bag over her shoulder and placed the Child inside. She picked up Elaine, who was still crying, and turned to the IG. "Promise me you'll bring him," she couldn't lose another friend, and she couldn't bear to see Elaine lose him.

"You have my word," The droid told her. Cara nodded, glancing at Mando one last time before following Karga into the sewer.

~~~~~

Cara and Karga had no idea where to go, and neither did Elaine, but she just held on the Cara tightly. Just when they thought they were completely lost, they heard footsteps behind them. Elaine lifted her head from Cara's shoulder and saw Mando and IG, the former leaning on the droid.

Cara set the girl down and gave the Child to IG so she could help Mando. Elaine tried to do the same but she was too small, so it ended up with her holding on to Mando's hand.

"Do you know which way to go?" Karga asked.

Mando shook his head. "No. I don't know these tunnels. I've only entered from the bazaar," they started to move, but Mando grunted in pain, so they were forced to slow down.

"Well, if we get the smell of sulfur and we follow it, it'll lead us up to the plains where the river flows," Karga said as they walked.

"And the Imps will catch us before we make it to the ship," Mando said. "We need the Mandalorians to escort us to saftey."

Cara groaned as they turned a corner. "Ugh, this place is maze."

Mando halted. "Stop. I can stand," he pulled away from Cara as Elaine smiled.

"The bacta infusion is working," IG said.

Mando tapped his helmet. "I'll try to find tracks," he led the way, his helmet aimed to the floor. "We're close. Turn here," they followed him until they came to an open area, the floor littered with Mandalorian helmets.

Mando stared at them in shock, getting down to his knees as picking one up. Elaine swallowed hard and leaned closer to him. Cara rested her hand on Mando's shoulder. "We should go."

"You go," Mando said as he stood up. "Take the ship. I can't leave it this way," he reeled on Karga. "Did you know about this? Is this the work of your bounty hunters?" He pointed an accusational finger at him, but the older man shook his head.

"No. When you left the system and took the prizes, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries. They're not zealots."

"Did you do this?!" Mando didn't care. "Did you?!"

"No!"

A woman's voice broke their argument. "It was not his fault," the Armorer came through on of the entrances with a cart. She began to collect the helmets. "We revealed ourselves. We knew what would happen if we left the covert. The Imperials arrived shortly thereafter. This is what resulted."

"Did any survive?" Mando asked.

The Armorer examined a helmet. "I hope so. Some may have escaped off-world."

"Come with us."

"No," she said bluntly. "I will not abandon this place until I have salvaged what remains," she walked into her forge, the rag-tag team following her.  She began to melt the various pieces of armor, a process that was familiar to Mando, but not the rest.

"Show me the ones whose saftey deemed such destruction," ahe ordered.

IG stepped forward with the Child strapped to his chest, and Mando placed his hand on Elaine's back, gently pushing her forward. The girl tried her best not to look scared, but that was hard to do when she had been crying not too long ago.

"These are the ones," Mando said as the Armorer approached them. She took a great interest in them, and Elaine sunk back to Mando under her helmeted gaze.

"These are the ones that you hunted, then saved?" She asked.

Mando nodded. "Yes. The ones that saved me as well," he looked toward the Child.

The Armorer followed his gaze. "From the Mudhorn?"

"Yes."

"It looks helpless," the Child cooed sadly at her words.

"It's injured, but it is not helpless," Mando assured her. "It's species can move objects with it's mind," he turned to Elaine. She was half hidden as she held onto his side, his hand still on her back. "And she...the Moff said she was from Ovain."

The Armorer moved back to her forge. "I know of such things. The songs of eons past tell of battles between Mandalore the Great, and an order of sorcerers called Jedi that fought with such powers."

Mando looked at the Child. "It is an enemy?"

"No. It's kind were enemies, but this individual is not" she turned to look at Elaine. "Little is known about the people of Ovain, but they had close relations with the Jedi."

"What am I?" Elaine whispered. She wanted to know her people, but they were gone.

"You are a foundling," the Armorer said to her. She turned to Mando. "By Creed, they are in your care."

Mando looked between the kids and settled on the Child. "You wish me to train this thing?" Elaine had a chance, but how could he train the Child without even knowing what it was?

"It is too weak," the matriarch told him. "It would die. You have no choice. You must reunite it with it's own kind, and for her," she looked to Elaine. "Find another from Ovain."

"Where?" Mando asked.

"This, you must determine."

The people of Ovain knew the Jedi, and the Child had the powers of one. "You expect me to search the galaxy for the home of their home and deliver them to a race of enemy sorcerers."

"This is the Way."

Cara stepped forward. "Hey. These tunnels will be lousy with Imps in a matter of minutes. We should at least discuss an escape plan."

The Armorer turned to them with a thin hammer in her hand. "If you follow the descending tunnel, it will lead you to the underground river. It flows downstream toward the lava flats."

"I think we should go," Karga said, he was getting antsy.

"I'm staying," Mando said. "I need to help her and I need to heal."

Elaine looked up at him. "No!" She buried her face into his side, refusing to leave his side again.

"You must go," the Armorer said to him. "Foundlings are in your care. By Creed, until they are of age or reunited with their own kinds, you are as their father."

Mando looked between the children. Father? But when he realized he was still holding onto Elaine, he knew the Armorer was right. 

The matriarch approached them. "This is the Way. You have earned your Signet," she pushed Elaine away gently so she could add the symbol to Mando's armor. A Mudhorn. "You are a clan of three."

Mando looked at her. "Thank you. I will wear this with honor."

Suddenly, muffled explosions echoed through the sewers. "We should go," he said.

"IG," The Armorer said. "Please guard the outer hallway."

The droid handed the Child to Cara, who said, "Hang on. I don't do the baby thing."

The matriarch approached Mando with a beskar jetpack. "I have one more gift for your journey. Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?"

Mando nodded. "When I was a boy. Yes."

"Then this will make you complete."

Mando took it. "Thank you."

The Armorer instructed him to use it after he fully healed. Blaster fire echoed down the hall and they knew it was time to go. IG carried the jetpack for Mando, and Elaine held the Child as they made their way to the river.

~~~~~

When they reached the river, they tried to move the ferry, but it was stuck. Cara used her blaster to free it and they boarded. Shortly after they began to move, the little droid began to move the raft along.

It wasn't long before they saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel, signaling their escape. Greef Karga smiled. "That's it. We're free!"

Mando turned on his thermal vision. "No. No, we're not. Stormtroopers. They're flanking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon. They must know we're coming."

They tried to stop the boat, even blasting the little droid, but the flow of the river continued to carry them to their doom. Elaine hugged the Child closer to her, fear overcoming her. As Cara and Mando debated on what to do, IG spoke up.

"They will not be satisfied with anything less than the children. This is unacceptable. I will eliminate the enemy and you will escape."

Misunderstanding, Mando shook his head. "You don't have that kind of firepower, pal."

"That is not my objective."

Cara shifted nervously. "We're getting close. Saddle up."

"I still have the security protocols from my manufacturer.  If my designs are compromised, I mist self-destruct."

Mando stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I am not permitted to be captured," the droid explained. "I must be destroyed," je handed Mando the jetpack. "I can no longer carry this for you. Nor can I watch over the children."

"Wait. You can't self-destruct," Mando argued. "You're base command is to watch the kids. That supersedes your manufacturer's protocol, right?"

"This is correct."

"Good. Now, grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out."

Victory through combat is impossible," IG said. "We will be captured. The children will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the children are saved, in which I survive."

Mando tried to argue, but the IG made him promise the kids would be safe. "There is nothing to be sad about," the droid said. "I have never been alive."

"I'm not sad," lied Mando.

"Yes, you are. I'm a nurse droid. I've analyzed your voice," IG stroked the Child's ear gently and gave Elaine a small pat on the head before stepping into the lava river. He walked to the entrance, and all they saw from the inside was an explosion.

Elaine looked up at Mando, and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was upset.

~~~

When they reached the lava flats, the team exited the boat. They were home free! Or at least they were until a TIE fighter swooped over them and fired.

"Moff Gideon!" Cara warned as she began to return fire. "He missed."

"He won't next time," Mando said.

"Our blasters are useless against him," Karga turned to the Child in Elaine's arms. "Let's make the baby do the magic hand thing. Come on, baby! Do the magic hand thing," When the Child didn't repsond, he turned back to the adults. "I'm out of ideas."

Mando took his jetpack and put it on. "I'm not," he lifted off, leaving Cara, Karga, Elaine and the Child all dumbfounded. They watched in anticipation as Mando flew to the TIE fighter, and awaited eagerly when they saw it go down in flames.

Mando landed in front of them, albeit a little roughly. Karga smiled as they approached him. "That was impressive, Mando. Very impressive. It looks like your Guild rates have just gone up."

"Any more stormtroopers?" Mando asked.

Elaine grinned. "I think they're gone."

Cara smiled at her joy. "I'm thinking of staying around just to be sure."

"You're staying here?" Mando asked.

Karga shrugged. "Well, why not? Nevarro is a very fine planet. And now that the scum and villainy have been washed away, it's very respectable again."

Mando titled his head. "As a bounty hunter hive?"

Karga looked at him like he was ridiculous. "Some of my favorite people are bounty hunters. And perhaps this specimen of a soldier would consider joining our ranks."

Cara shook her head. "Yeah, I've got some clerical concerns regarding my chain code."

Karga waved her off. "And if you would agree to become my enforcer, clerical concerns would be the least of your worries," he turned back to Mando. "But you, my friend, you will be welcome back into the Guild with open arms. So, go off, enjoy yourself. And when you're ready to return, you will have the pick of all quarries."

The Child gurgled, turing Mando's attention back to the kids. "I'm afraid I have more pressing matters at hand," he took the Child from Elaine and ruffled her hair.

"Take care of these little ones," Karga said with a smile. "Or maybe, they'll take care of you."

Mando looked down at them. "Ready?"

"In a second," Elaine ran to Cara and gave her a hug. The veteran was taken aback by her actions, but she patted the girl's back and smiled nonetheless.

"Be good," she said. "Or I'll have to take up Karga's offer and hunt you down."

Elaine giggled at Cara's words before heading back to Mando. He set the Child in her arms and picked her up, holding her tightly to him, and blasted off.

~~~

Mando placed the last rock on Kuiil's grave, standing there in a moment of silence and respect. Elaine waited with the Child, and Mando walked with them to the ship. 

When they left the planet and Mando put the ship into hyperspace, he turned back to his kids. The Child had something in his mouth, causing Mando to lean forward. "What do you got there?" He saw it was the Mythosaur pendant he had given to Cara. "I didn't think I'd see this again. Why don't you hang onto it?"

He turned to Elaine who sat next to him in the copilot's seat, stareing at the swirling blue. He tapped her knee gently. She looked at him, her big brown eyes slightly red. Mando remembered how scared she was, and wanted to somehow amend that.

"Elaine," he said. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

She pursed her lips, a little tic she had when the was thinking. Her eyes started to well up again at the memory, and Mando pulled her into a hug. Elaine leaned her head on his shoulder and her shoulders shook silently. Mando rubbed her arm gently. "It's okay now, Sarad'ika. You're safe."

Elaine sniffed and looked up at him. "What does that mean?"

"What?"

"Sar–er, um, sirdiko?" She guessed.

Mando smiled under his helmet. He had almost forgotten that Elaine would stumble over her words. "Sarad'ika," he repeated. "It means 'Little Flower'."

Elaine wiped her cheek and smiled, and even though she couldn't see it, she knew that Mando was smiling too.​​​​​​​

Previous

Next

[hugsandchaos]

Can I ask for an infodump of Chaos Deprived au? Or the Tyrant au?

YES!!!!

Okay, so let’s go with the Tyrant AU!

In this story, Black Doom was a tyrannical ruler who used mind control on the Black Arms. Specifically, those who didn’t follow willingly. Anyone who stepped out of line was forced back in, and if they did it too many times, they were executed.

Just like canon or modern Shadow, Black Doom had intentions of using Shadow as a puppet. The first time was part of what led to the fall of the Ancients. The war against the Black Arms was devastating, and yes, Shadow was around.

After that, Eclipse was created by Black Doom using some of his own blood as a sort of back up. He was going to try again to take over Shadow in a couple centuries, but if he failed, he hoped Eclipse would avenge him or become his next vessel. He didn’t exactly use mind control on Eclipse, but he was very manipulative. Luckily, Eclipse was able to see through it over the years when he understood how he treated the rest of the hive.

Before Round 2, Eclipse would begin to secretly recruit other Black Arms for his own plan and play along with his father’s. During Round 2, Eclipse reached Shadow and told him everything. How Black Doom was treating the hive mind and how he wanted to team up with Shadow, given that he beat Black Doom once before, and kill their father.

At first, Shadow believed it was a trick, but after seeing Black Doom nearly kill Eclipse when he caught him trying to sabotage him and prevent him from killing some locals, Shadow knew Eclipse was telling the truth. This changed Shadow’s perspective on the Black Arms, and his own alien features. He was able to acknowledge it as his own power, not Black Doom’s, and he then saw the rest of the Black Arms as just as sentient and intelligent as he was.

Once it was over, there were still some Black Arms who were genuinely loyal to him that had to be dealt with, but after that, there weren’t many Black Arms left. There were barely over 100 left. Even though he did a good thing helping them overthrow and kill Black Doom, Shadow still felt a little guilty seeing them try to figure out what to do next. Everyone was expecting him or Eclipse to do something, and that’s exactly what Shadow did.

Shadow led them somewhere untouched by the growing civilizations and countries, somewhere they could be safe while they figure out what to do. He had no one else at the time, so he stayed with them to look after them. After some consideration, it was decided that they’d fix their ships the best they could, then try to find their way back to their home planet. Or perhaps a planet that had yet to develop intelligent life, since Shadow was adamant that the life on this planet wouldn’t be understanding.

During their time there, Shadow was able to learn more about his alien half. He grew more comfortable with his Black Arms features, which felt amazing. He and Eclipse grew closer and closer. He learned to communicate telepathically, and he taught them verbal languages.

Eventually, they left. It’s currently unknown why Shadow stayed behind. Perhaps it’s because he was still clinging onto the hope of finding certain emeralds that had vanished long ago. Maybe there was no real reason and he just couldn’t leave home yet.

Eclipse promised to come back and visit him, and that every year, the Black Arms would celebrate the fall of Black Doom and the rise of a new era. He gave Shadow a device that would send out a distress signal to the Black Comet if it was halfway across the galaxy, ensuring that they’d hear him and come as fast as possible should he need their help.

Years later, Seaside Island would be invaded by an alien race of black and red coloration. The aliens would rush through the whole island, breaking into houses and hospitals, jungles and beaches, every reachable corner of the island. Eggman would temporarily team up with Team Sonic to try to deal with this new threat. When Tails gets captured by one of the aliens during a fight, he discovers the horrifying truth about their sudden arrival and rushes to tell the others.

It’s not an invasion. It’s a rescue mission.

By the way, has anyone noticed that Shadow hasn’t been seen in months?

Now for some headcanons!

Shadow has a third eye, however, he tends to keep it closed. He can’t rip it out because it always grows back, and yes, he’s tried several times. Now he just keeps it closed or sews it shut. This is because he doesn’t want to be like Black Doom, and the third eye thing reminds him too much of him. He’s accidentally controlled people when he was cornered and terrified and needed to escape, they’re getting closer, he can’t go back to that place, not again--

And he screams at them to stop or get away, and they do just that. Shadow is horrified by the fact that he can control minds as well, and does everything he can to avoid it.

His quills will also merge with his body when he shifts his body to be more Black Arms. He keeps those large… things on his head, but they’re not spiky anymore. More like tentacles or something.

He can digest raw meat, btw.

The reason he activated the distress signal was because G.U.N. had caught him, and he knew he couldn’t avoid them forever. It’s been long enough. They’ll never stop as long as he’s on Earth. It’s time for him to go off-planet. It’s for the best. By the time the Black Comet arrived, it was too late. He’d already been captured.

The Black Arms respect Shadow, and you best believe he earned it. He helped them so much, so no one was happy hearing the way that he was described by Team Sonic. After Sticks called Shadow an edgelord who didn’t care about anyone but himself, Eclipse explained in detail all that Shadow did to help them survive. They know he’s a good person.

At the end of this part of the story, when Shadow is freed from G.U.N., he chooses to leave with them.

If G.U.N. wasn’t a problem, though, and we included SonShadAmy, Shadamy, or Sonadow, Eclipse would likely hold an interrogation to see if they’re good for his brother. He’s sure his brother is good at choosing partners, he’s smart, but he needs to make sure. In the end, Eclipse approves.

Black Arms traditional clothing! Shadow wearing a custom outfit made just for him, with symbols representing his status among the Black Arms! Jewelry included, like chains or charms being attached to his inhibitor rings!! Or hanging from his quills!! Clothes made specifically for his Black Arms form!!

*le gasp*

Omg, Shadow attending a celebration with the Black Arms and Sonic and Amy are invited and their jaws fucking drop when they see him!

Tails was treated surprisingly well during his capture. He’s a child and was treated as such, but they really needed someone to send a message to Team Sonic. He wasn’t tossed into a cage or cell, but rather something that looked more like a guest room. He stayed there overnight and needed both breakfast and dinner, so the Black Arms tried stealing food from stores because they didn’t know what he ate.

Then Eclipse came in to talk to him the next morning, gave him a rundown of what was happening and what he needed Tails to tell whoever the island’s leader was, assigned him an escort, and sent him on his way.

I’m probably going to be updating this little by little, just an fyi

[aceouttatime]

26 29 45 50 for your Shep!

paine! thanks for the ask!!! <33

26. Does Shepard have a Twitter account?

-> Whatever the galactic version of Twitter is, Shepard probably has one. While he genuinely doesn't have much time for it, he thinks it's important to stay up to date on galactic issues. Granted, when he does have free time he doesn't want to have to deal with petty, online issues when he's actually out there doing things about the state of things, so it's a delicate balance.

I'm sure he gets told by all kinds of sources, news or otherwise, what to post, so he's got an official account that's partially managed by a team on the Citadel that corresponds with him when he's on duty. He may have multiple important people in the Alliance muted in his DMs.

Shep keeps it professional, mostly commenting on the state of the galaxy or what other important political figures put out. But that's absolutely not to say his omnitool isn't full of memories of the crew on shore leave, and cute pictures he snuck of Garrus asleep next to him, and videos from That One Time Everyone Had Their Asses Handed To Them playing poker against Cortez and Vega.

He'd be one of those people that would gravitate more towards facebook/instagram to keep up with the lives of close friends, if he was living a civilian life, but as it is, Space Twitter is accessible and easy to put away when he needs to.

29. Does the alliance use their image for propaganda/recruitment? Did they agree to/want it?

-> This is very much in the same vein as the social media thing. The Alliance has made a figurehead out of Shepard, boosting their influence, funding, and numbers, often by cherrypicking things he's said on tape as part of whatever their current pro-Alliance propaganda is and riding off of the success of his bravery during service and induction into the Spectres. They made him their hero, their golden boy, and then discarded his autonomy in the matter when he no longer fit with that image (see: Cerberus, claims of a Reaper invasion, Arrival DLC).

Shepard himself has very little say over the matter; he'd practically signed his life away to the Alliance after the raids on Mindoir, back when he was a traumatized teenager latching on to anything stable. Even during his training and service, he disliked the media attention wrought by important events like graduation ceremonies, ballroom dinner parties, and political events, most of which were not all that optional. He felt out of place--he wasn't a politician, he was a soldier, and for a long time, he floundered during things like that, not having ever needed to learn those sorts of intricacies. So he continued being unabashedly straightforward and saw much of the socio-political nonsense for what it was: a game he had no place in.

By the era of the trilogy, Shepard held a deep dislike for the way his image was warped to further ideals that were not his own. But they fell in line with what the Alliance needed, what the Council expected, and what kept the suits of the galaxy placated.

So he tries to let his actions speak for themselves because it is too late to reverse the distortion of his public image.

45. Do they vote?

-> Yes! Shepard casts his vote in at least the most important/largest issues affecting Council and Alliance space. He's technically a citizen of Mindoir (a colony of the United North American States--economically pretty reliant on, and thus fairly politically controlled by, them), but he also has citizenship on the Citadel itself, which functions a little differently than how human citizenships typically work, most notably in the taxation and legal departments (but I won't get into that just now). (I talk politics a little here--if that bothers you, please feel free to skip to the end of the blue section <3)

Politically speaking, Shep values more socialist internal policies like accessible healthcare, a well-funded and standardized education system, and workers' rights. He believes that the material, economic, and societal profit of a governmental system should primarily benefit and be controlled by the means of production: the everyday people that keep the system running.

He also has strong opinions on the rights of individual colonies, states, and nations, as he values national identity and the preservation of culture, natural resources, and history. While he sees the benefit in a centralized government for both each specie and the galaxy as a whole, he believes that the systems put in place before the shift towards interconnectedness should not be written off as arbitrary, outdated, or inefficient. There is a balance that must be struck between overarching governmental systems and lower ones, and that balance will be different for different peoples, whether due to biology, psychology, economics, history, culture, etc. He believes that a higher government's main duty is to defend the people and systems beneath it in a way that respects their freedoms, and therefore puts a lot of importance in national defense (as a victim of terrorism, a career-long Alliance soldier, and a man who pays close mind to the turbulent state of the galaxy in places beyond Council jurisdiction, like the Terminus systems).

Socially, his opinion is left-leaning, though he has some opinions that do not fit within the mainstream ideology. Shepard is a proponent of equality as a concept: racial, gender, sexual, etc., and equity where equality does not suffice. He puts value in individual freedoms like bodily autonomy, marriage rights, protections for minors, the right to carry, voting rights, minority rights, and privacy protections.

50. What was the last thing (non-email) Shepard read? Book, play, poem, essay etc

-> The most recent undertaking is, Vuigaris Ro'tana Dime (Folk Devils), a collective biography of a number of non-asari biotics that explores the stigma, state of infrastructure, medical issues, military training, and psychology regarding biotics and being biotic in different species and cultures. Some of the highlights are the experiences of a retired turian Cabal officer, a woman who worked on the development team for multiple L-series implants, and a salarian diplomat who faced political fallout after developing late-onset biotics.

[offlineblues]

GET TO KNOW THE BLOGGER ASK GAME

tagged by @pocketsonny ♡ thank you!

i ramble on too much, so i'll make it a read more! here goes~

TAGGING in advance (if you want)

@armos @fleury @saltiestcoconut @gntk

Last Song

i've been listening to MMBN's OST for around 2 weeks straight. i would really like to play this game soon, since i bought the collection on sale for 50% off~ (looks at @pocketsonny who keeps nudging me to play as well by talking excitedly about it)

Net Battle and Fire Field are so good...

Favorite Color

i really like gray the most, i think. i really like rose pink, lavender and lilac purple, flowery yellow, and soft blue and mild green a lot as well! something like this?

i also love the colors of the sunrise, the sunset, and the galaxy

Last Movie / Show

the last movie i saw became my favorite movie! i watched it with @xx-moonluster-xx and @duelofai !

i had a lot of fun. Nausicaä's messages of decay and rebirth were so wonderful. also i love the gentle giant bugs and the extraordinary fantasy world they created (it was so beautiful and the OST is so good too)

otherwise, i've been rewatching FMAB in a group with 3 people after 12 years. it used to be my favorite series a long long time ago, so i'm really happy to watch it now that i'm older and understand the world from another perspective (and thus, understand and resonate with the grim reality this series often times presents)

Sweet / Spicy / Savory

Relationship Status

spicy, definitely! savory is always good! i'm not the biggest fan of sweet!

@armos and i celebrated our 10 years dating anniversary in January!!

Last Search

Current Obsession

definitely not the movie and show official art above—

this will be random, but, lots of people on twt have been posing and dressing up the new plush Yusaku, so i've been itching to see them in new and fun ways. isn't he adorable? i just want to squeeze him (shows you mine i bought for my partner)

additionally, i've been playing a lot of Blue Rescue Team again lately (i have almost 500 hours on record) because i'm trying to recruit them all! it's a bit of a task, though. there's tons of 1% encounters and they can take a long time to get lucky and join you. (pictured: me recruiting all 1% encounters at once in Howling Forest somehow)

[ask-teamgalaxyrecruit]

Part 2

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super 090

“Hey you.  Let’s fight.”

“Them’s fightin’ words!”

All right, so Piccolo has finished drilling Gohan and they both seem confident that he’s back to his full strength.  But Piccolo wants to test that out and he only knows one way to do that: Clobbering Goku.  So they arrange a little 2v2 match on top of a mesa, with Tournament of Power rules.

Roshi and Chiaotzu bear witness.  You know, nobody ever brought up having Chiaotzu on the team.  Sure he’s got a terrible win-loss record, but who’s to say he hasn’t been training like a maniac this whole time?  If all these other characters can stand up to Super Saiyan Blue now, maybe Chiaotzu can smoke all their asses.

Nice shot of the Milky Way.  Well, North Galaxy.  Whatever.  It’s pretty, is what I’m trying to say.

So it’s a 2-on-2 match, but Tien pretty quickly ceases to be a factor.  Gohan’s a house of fire, and he’s mainly gunning for Goku, but he and Piccolo have coordinated their attacks, while Goku and Tien haven’t seen each other in months. 

So while Goku fights Gohan, he tells Tien to focus on Piccolo, who’s currently charging up for some big attack.  Tien goes for Ki Ko Ho, but Gohan has it scouted.  He shoots an attack that sets off an explosion in front of Tien, spoiling his aim.

Then Gohan lures Goku into the range of Piccolo’s attack, which turns out to be the explosive wave he used way back in the 23rd Budokai.  It engulfs the whole mesa, which is bad for their opponents since the mesa is the ring.

And Goku seems to weather the storm okay, but that just leaves him wide open for a heavy punch from Gohan.  See what I mean about how they coordinated their attacks?

At this point the entire mesa is a crater, and Tien asks everyone to stop fighting.  But Gohan wants more, so he challenges Goku to a one-on-one fight.  Goku agrees.

Meanwhile... oh fuck, it’s Gowasu.  Way to suck all the life out of the party, Episode 90.  Okay, so he’s supposed to choose a team for Universe 10, except he’s so overwhelmed by the task that he’s paralyzed with doubt.  Also he’s still reeling from that whole business with Zamasu. 

Then Rumsshi, the Destroyer for U10, shows up and criticizes him for overthinking the problem.  The key is not to use your head, but to use your body to choose a team.  What the hell does that mean?

Then he reveals that he already went out and recruited a team while Gowasu was sweating it out.  Well, why didn’t he just tell him that in the first place?  Of course, this reveal is kind of stupid when nine of these guys are wearing robes so you can’t see them.  Although I don’t know why the leader is disrobed since we don’t know anything about him, either.

Rumsshi says the theme to this group is muscle, but I seem to recall one of these fighters was a scrawnly little lady with butterfly wings.  Still they all drink protein shakes to prove their jock credentials.  Gowasu isn’t convinced, but since he couldn’t make any decisions himself, there really isn’t any choice.  That sums up Gowasu pretty well.

Now that that’s over, let’s get back to.... Super Saiyan 2 Goku?  Awwww yeah.  I’d like to think he’s using this form to open as a sort of tribute to Gohan, who pioneered the form, but I’m probably reading too much into it. 

I love this whole episode, but I especially love this fight.  There’s not a lot to say about it, since it’s just Goku and Gohan hitting each other very hard.  But this is very satisfying for a lot of reasons.  When Goku came back for the 25th Budokai, Gohan was looking forward to fighting his dad in the ring, and then Majin Buu happened and it all fell through.  So now we’re finally getting that payoff. 

Goku has the edge here, as he seems to take more initiative.  For example, he uses Instant Transmission to ping-pong Gohan around some buttes, which obscures Gohan’s line of sight long enough for Goku to set up a Kamehameha.  But Gohan just turns and fires his own right on the spot.  So it’s like he’s taking Goku’s best tactics and matching them with raw power. 

However, Goku slips away from the beam struggle and blindsides Gohan before he can react, which is pretty slick. 

And yet Gohan is still able to keep Goku at bay.  Each time Goku out-finesses him, Gohan just drops another hurtin’ bomb.

Mmmph!

Damn!

Meanwhile, Vegeta can sense this from all the way in West City, and he likes it a lot.  I’m sure he’s looking forward to the day when he can fight his own kids in a match like this. 

Gohan challenges Goku to fight him with his full power, so Goku goes Blue, but Gohan wants everything, so...

Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken it is. 

So they have this big collision in mid-air, and they do the anime thing where they show both guys immediately after they collide, and then one of them passes out.

Gohan manages to throw one more punch, but he runs out of gas before his fist can connect.  He’s done.

Goku lets him fall for a bit, then teleports to catch him. 

And everyone’s all smiles and Gohan’s satisfied that he impressed his dad.  Very nice, very cool and good.

Aw, and there’s the martial arts bow.  This is so heartwarming. 

And before we sign off, Goku announces that he’s chosen a team captain for Universe 7, and it’s Gohan. 

Some hearty thumbs-ups are exchanged and it’s smiles all around. 

Oh, and they’re still putting the ring together.

[kopykunoichi]

Omega has lost so much over this last year.

She lost Nala Se...which was sort of glossed over in her excitement to be with her new bros, but still, that was the only "mother" she knew. And if anyone doubts how important that relationship was to her, just look at how fast she gravitates toward literally *any* female to fill that role.

She lost one brother right off. Yeah, sure, he was the surly, nasty one - but the way he initially was separated from them was not his choice.

She lost Kamino, the only home she had ever known, and as she made clear last week, she is *angry* about it.

Then, she lost Crosshair again, but in a very different way. This time, when they finally had a chance to be a whole family again with every member confirmed to be de-chipped, he chose to leave them. We heard her bitterly tell him "I was wrong about you", but she still felt terrible walking away from him.

And then the unthinkable happened. Echo also chose to leave. Echo, who is probably closer to her than any other brother except Hunter. Echo, who is the emotional anchor of the group, despite being the newest adult member. Echo, who always knows what to say to make her feel better. Echo, who is the most like her in personality - always ready to help someone in need, risk be damned. Like Crosshair, he chose to leave them...to leave her. And though his reasons are noble and selfless, it still hurts. It still feels like rejection.

And today she lost the Marauder, which isn't just a ship, it's a home. Lulu and her little trooper doll were on that ship. Gonky was on that ship. Her first bedroom with the little hanging rope lights that Wrecker decorated for her was on that ship. Echo's blanket that still smells like him was on that ship.

Every time she tries to steady herself, the rug is getting pulled out from under her. And when Tech asked her "what is your issue?" it made her feel like she was the only one struggling with it and it was wrong for her to feel that way. While I'm glad that they talked and that he admitted he still felt something about it, even though he can't express it very well...let's be honest, none of them are expressing their feelings well.

Hunter tells Tech to fix the mistake he made (in how he spoke to Omega), but I wonder if he was projecting a little. Echo left in the first place because Hunter wouldn't quit working for Cid - who clearly doesn't give a shit about them. And now their team is in shambles without him and I wonder if Hunter is questioning his choices. Echo stayed with Rex, but they could have too, it's not like Rex would have turned down the help. I know Hunter wants to keep Omega safe, but give me a break, she was safer in the Senate chamber spitting distance from Palpatine himself than she has been on any given mission they have taken for Cid, with all her sketchy jobs and spotty intel. Now with Cross *and* Echo gone, they are not nearly as formidable or effective. They're stretched thin, and that just makes their missions all the more dangerous.

Honestly, I don't want Echo to come back. I want them to go to *him*. Make some connections with Organa and Riyo, and Ahsoka as Fulcrum (when she comes back to fight). Go look for rebel base locations...on Hoth...whoever finds it first can name it. Go set up supply caches all over the galaxy and steal weapons and supplies from Imperial depots to stock them. Go recruit some new people, especially since Omega's enthusiasm and Echo's conviction is so contagious. Go help Cham and Hera with the Free Ryloth Movement by delivering supplies to them. Keep doing all the flavor of the week missions (I love those), but just do them for a reason that makes sense.

[thehivemindsys]

You guys asked for me to yap about my fallout AU so here’s a basic timetime of events, from fallout 3 to 4, based around the Lone Courier-

-The Lone Courier leaves Vault 101

-The Lone Courier begins her search for her father

-Arrives in Megaton

-The Lone Courier helps Moira write the Wasteland Survival Guide

-The bomb in megaton is disarmed

-The Lone Courier meets Three Dog at Galaxy News Radio after taking down a Super Mutant Behemoth, aided by Lyon’s Brotherhood of Steel

-Recruits Dogmeat, a wild dog.

-The Lone Courier installs the radio dish on The Washington Monument

-Arrives in Rivet City and meets Dr. Li, finding the location of her father

-Visits Underworld and recruits Charon

-Finds James in Vault 112 after around 2 months of searching, escapes and helps James restart Project Purity

-The Enclave arrives and James sacrifices himself to save Project Purity

-The Lone Courier recieves Power Armor Training

-The Lone Courier teams up with the Brotherhood of Steel to take down the Enclave

-The Enclave flees the Capital Wasteland after a bloody war

-The Lone Courier, traumatized from the events of the war, vanishes for a few months

-Events of Point Lookout DLC take place

-The Lone Courier returns to the Capital Wasteland and finishes Project Purity

-Anchoridge, Mothership Zeta, The Pitt, and Broken Steel takes place, in that order

-The Lone Courier takes a job delivering a mysterious package to the Mojave

-The Lone Courier is shot in the head by Benny

-The Lone Courier awakens in Doc Mitchell’s home with amnesia, developing a whole new personality and discovering they are transgender. Doc Mitchell helps repiece The Lone Courier into a male

-The Lone Courier sets out to find Benny

-The Lone Courier sets Primm Slim as the sherrif for Primm.

-The Lone Courier arrives in Novac, meeting and recruiting Boone.

-The Lone Courier peacefully resolves the situation at REPCONN, allowing the Ghouls to leave and the Nightkin to resolve their differences.

-The Lone Courier Arrives in Freeside, meeting and recruiting Rex and Arcade.

-The lone Courier leaves freeside to find ways to scrounge up enough caps to enter the strip, eventually meeting up with and recruiting Raul.

-The Lone Courier encounters The Brotherhood of Steel and is captured by them, managing to talk his way out of their grasp.

-The Lone Courier, with enough caps, enters the Strip and encounters Benny, sleeping with him and killing him.

-The Lone Courier meets Yes Man and initiates his plan to kill House and take over New Vegas.

-Following Yes Man’s directions, The Lone Courier takes over the strip and begins seeking out other factions to assist him.

-The events of Old World Blues take place, with The Lone Courier keeping the scientists at big mountain without killing them.

-The lone Courier encounters the Boomers and recruits them.

-The Lone Courier kills the great Khans.

-The Lone Courier destroys the brotherhood of steel, after plotting with Veronica and recruiting her.

-The Lone Courier meets and recruits Lily and Ed-E.

-The Lone Courier recruits the White Glove Society, kills the Omertahs, and begins the war with the NCR and the Legion

-The lone Courier defeats the Legion and The NCR singehandedly, creating an independent new vegas. The Lone Courier then assists yes man in creating systems for a more peaceful new vegas, creating infrastructure, rebuilding cities, and making things such as food and water more accessible.

-The Lone Courier enters a polyamorous relationship with Arcade, Yes Man, and Boone.

-The Lone Courier takes a trip to the commonwealth to recover from his amnesia, recover his forgotten memories in goodneighbor.

-The Lone Courier encounters Nate, the minutemen General, and appoints him as his unofficial successor.

-The Lone Courier returns to the Capital Wasteland to apologize for his absence, and the people vote to forgive him.

-The Lone Courier sets up trade routes between The Commonwealth, DC, and the Mojave, rebuilding the wasteland alongside the Sole Survivor and carrying on his father’s legacy.

[ravensvirginity]

I woke up today and got struck by the thought of Raven being a galaxy/interdimensional guardian, most probably be inspired by Persis Khambatta's role in Star Trek as Lieutenant Ilia.

I do feel like she would make a great space guardian, though. Raven was very efficient in coordinating and recruiting defense against Trigon across different dimensions in NTT (I vaguely remember she was even fighting Green Lantern and the Justice League to let some mystic monks complete their defense against Trigon during her travelling back and forth from Azarath to Earth to simultaneously form the TT team and beg the Azarath monks to help), and was quick/proactive in response to crises - which she could pick up timely with her cosmic sensing. Not to mention her problem-solving and diplomatic skills, and her strong sense of compassionate justice could really help sort out many conflicts. And if things get heated anyway, her soul-self is more than capable of putting people (and aliens) in their place lol.

I don't know, what do you think?

Also, was golden Raven involved in anything major related to space/time/dimensions? I only remember she was on a critical mission in heaven, but then ended up needing Donna's help because she couldn't get into heaven. (I swear our girl Raven is always on some kind of quests her entire life lol)

(By the way I am also an autistic mess obsessed with Raven, glad to be your company! Maybe you can also send other Raven stans asks about Raven? *wink wink)

That would be really cool!! I can definitely see her doing that. It reminds me of another idea I saw on twitter that I really like, that Raven should travel through Trigon's dimension and try to help the people he's hurt and bring peace in the aftermath of him being overthrown. I really just want anything with Raven in Trigon's dimension, it's so underexplored as a concept.

The biggest arc like that that golden Raven is in is definitely the Technis Imperative. It's a space adventure where the Titans team up with the Justice League.

I would love to send you asks!! Just lmk what your blog url is 🐦‍⬛

[queen-of-the-avengers]

Iron Man 2: Part Six

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Warnings: canon violence and angst

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

Ivan (that's his name, not Whiplash) is taken to an Italian jail where Tony visits him. He wants to know why did he what he did and where he got that arc reactor while you have a secret meeting with Natasha and Fury.

"Hope you enjoyed the show," you tell Natasha. "Could have used your help."

"Not with this one. You handled it perfectly," Fury says. "Have you thought more about it?"

"I'm willing to give it a try if everyone else is. I hear you're trying to recruit Tony," you say and look at Natasha.

"I never said Tony."

"Wait, you want to take the Iron Man suit from him? Did you not watch what happened at the Senate meeting? He won't give it to you."

"He might for you."

"No, not even for me. Look, I know Tony is messy and impulsive and reckless but he invented the suit. He is Iron Man. You're not going to find anyone better to wear that suit."

"He's dying."

"She said you were working on it."

"We are. We just need to prepare ourselves in case Tony can't live up to the challenge."

"And you think Hawkeye and Black Widow can live up to the challenge?" Natasha raises an eyebrow at you but you just wink at her. "What if I say they're not a good fit?"

"Look, all I'm asking you to do is take a moment and think about the dangers Earth is in. Look how easy it was for you and Carol to come here. Earth doesn't have the right amount of protection it needs to prevent such disasters from happening. If we put together a group of remarkable people, then Earth doesn't need to worry about dying."

"Who says Earth needs protecting?"

"You and everyone else who comes in here with threats on their backs. People are going to die if we're not prepared. Now, is that what you want?"

"Who else do you have lined up for this?"

"Right now, it's just you four. We're working on someone else, but you're on a need-to-know basis with that one."

"Who is it?" Fury stares at you without answering. "Fine. I'll talk to Tony and knock some common sense into him."

"That's all I ask."

After you've left the meeting with them, the thought of Earth's safety weighs heavily on your shoulders. Fury is right. Look how easy it was for you to come here. You're not a threat to anyone that doesn't deserve it, but imagine if you had been. What would your life be like if you had stuck to Markus' plan? You can kill millions with a single thought, and that's exactly what Markus wanted to do. 

If the choice came down to it, would you be able to destroy Earth? Would you ever be put in a position to do so? The team Fury is putting together is meant to protect Earth from being that can do what you can do. What if you have to destroy it in order to protect it? Are you really going to put your life at risk to save a planet so small and meaningless compared to the rest of the galaxy? The rest of the universe? 

There are a ton of other Earth-like planets that need help. Why risk your life for this one? Markus ensured you wouldn't survive the trials but you did. He poked, prodded, electrocuted, drowned, burned, and buried you to make sure that the serum inside your body was fit for a whole army. You weren't meant to survive... but you did.

Then came the Kree and that was almost as bad as what Markus did to you. The only difference was you had Yondu to go through it with you. Oh, Yondu. Is he even alive? Is Peter? Yondu made you see that even through all the torture, there can be good.

It shouldn't be like this, but it is.

Even way before you met the Kree and Yondu when you were on foreign planets, governments wanted to use you for the powers you had, so you had to do some unspeakable things to people in order to get the information they wanted. You've been through so much shit in your lifetime, so why are you going through it all for one measly planet?

While on the plane ride back to the States, you think about the Avengers Initiative and what it could mean for you. You splash water on your face in the small airplane bathroom and dry it with a scratchy paper towel. Your reflection stares back at you in disappointment but you ignore her as you turn off the bathroom light. You're on your way back to your seat when you overhear a conversation between Tony and Pepper.

"Tony, what are you not telling me?" Pepper asks softly.

"I don't want to go home. At all. Let's cancel my birthday party and... We're in Europe. Let's go to Venice, Cipriani. Remember?" he chuckles.

"Oh, yes."

That was the time that you three went to Venice and got super drunk. Someone ended up getting naked and you're not going to say who.

"It's a great place to be healthy."

"I don't think this is the right time. We're in kind of a mess."

"Yeah, but maybe that's why it's the best time. Then we can--"

"Well, I think as the CEO I need to show up," she interrupts him.

"As CEO, you are entitled to a leave."

"A leave?"

"A company retreat," he corrects himself.

"A retreat? During a time like this?"

"Just a ride. I'm just saying to recharge our batteries and figure it all out."

"Not everybody runs on batteries Tony," she sighs.

You look around the corner to see Tony and Pepper close together. He wants something to happen between him and Pepper. You can see it in the way he looks at her and talks to her. Bucky used to look at you like that. Why are you so hung up on him? You were with him for nearly a decade. You've been with Ikaris for nine hundred years, and you're not acting like this with him. Everyone has one great love in their life, and Bucky just so happened to be yours.

You sigh, head back to your seat, and stare out the window.

Once you got back home, the first thing you do is look up who the fuck Ivan Vanko is. You and Tony sit in one of his vintage cars while Jarvis rolls through everything he knows about Anton Vanko. Jarvis whips through different news articles and websites pertaining to the man as he speaks about them.

"Query complete sir. Anton Vanko was a Soviet physicist who defected to the United States in 1963. However, he was accused of espionage and was deported in 1967. His son, Ivan, who is also a physicist, was convicted of selling Soviet-era weapons-grade plutonium to Pakistan and served fifteen years in Kopeisk prison. No further records exist."

You look at Tony to see his reaction, and it's not a good one. He looks sick like death and it has everything to do with the thing in his chest.

"Tony?"

He doesn't answer you when you say his name for a second time. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Rhodey enter the lab. He's not happy.

"Tony, you gotta get upstairs and get on top of this situation right now. Listen. I've been on the phone with the National Guard all day trying to talk them out of rolling tanks up your driveway, knocking down your front door, and taking these." He points to the many suits Tony's made that are standing on the far side of the lab. "They're gonna take your suits, Tony, okay? They're sick of the games. You said nobody else would possess this technology for twenty years. Well, guess what? Somebody else had it yesterday. It's not theoretical anymore." Tony doesn't answer him and Rhodey walks to the front of the car in concern. "Are you listening to me? Are you okay?"

"Let's go," he whispers. 

You get out of the car first through the passenger side door and Tony follows. As soon as he's on his own two feet, he crumbles to the ground and uses the car for support. You're by his side instantly and help him up. Things haven't gotten this bad and you're scared that he doesn't have a lot of time yet.

"Hey, man. Are you alright?" Rhodey panics.

"He needs to get to his desk," you urge.

Rhodey helps you bring Tony over to his desk. You already know what to do since this has happened before. You grab the cigar box by one of his computers and open it to reveal the palladium cores. He has five left. Tony removes the arc reactor from his chest to take out the old palladium core which is smoking and is corroded.

"Is that supposed to be smoking?" Rhodey asks.

"No," you answer and hand Tony the new core.

"If you must know, it's neutron damage. It's from the reactor wall."

"You had this in your body?" He doesn't answer. "How about the high-tech crossword puzzle on your neck?"

If that "high-tech crossword puzzle" gets to his brain, then he's dead.

"Road rash," he sighs and puts the arc reactor back into his chest. He grabs the cup containing the liquid Jarvis told him to drink and takes a sip. Rhodey hasn't stopped staring at him since. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm looking at you. You wanna do this whole lone gunslinger act and it's unnecessary. You don't have to do this alone."

"Save it, Rhodey. I've tried to tell him this but he's not listening to me," you sigh.

"Well, I wish I could believe that. I really do, but you two have got to trust me. Contrary to popular belief, I know exactly what I'm doing."

"It's hard to believe that when you're acting like you don't."

"I know what I'm doing," he sighs and takes another sip.

At first, Tony didn't want to have a birthday party but now he's all for it. His birthdays in the past have gotten a little out of hand, and you know this one will end in a disaster. You and Tony are in his room trying to get ready but he's staring at the arc reactor on his chest. Slinging out from all directions of the reactor is what Rhodey liked to call the high-tech crossword puzzle. It's spreading fast and you're not sure how you can get your point across to Tony who is going to die if this isn't fixed.

"You're going to die if you don't do something about this," you whisper and tap on the reactor. "Look at what it's doing to your body, Tony. You're up to eighty-nine percent. Eleven more and you're dead. How many times do I have to say it before it gets through to you?"

Someone knocks on the door and Natasha enters wearing a cheetah print dress with black spaghetti straps. She has a habit of wearing dresses that accentuate her figure. She is holding a box of expensive watches for Tony to pick. She really is taking this Natalie character seriously.

"Do you know which watch you'd like to wear tonight, Mr. Stark?"

Tony snaps back into reality and starts buttoning up his shirt. You look at Natasha and slightly shake your head to let her know it's not good.

"I'll give them a look. I should cancel the party."

"Probably."

"Yes, it's ill-timed and inappropriate," you say.

"Gold face, brown hand. The Jaeger. I'll give that a look. Bring them over," Tony changes the subject.

Natasha does as she's told and brings him the box of watches. He chooses the one he wants and leaves the room, not without another look at you. Tony stands by his dresser and stares at the watch in his hands.

"Do you love her?" you ask. His back stiffens at the question but he doesn't answer verbally. His body language does it for him. "If you plan on making this your final birthday party, then she has a right to know. By not telling her, you're disrespecting her, and I think you'd have more integrity than that."

You let him think about your words alone.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[persephoneggsy]

I’ll probably ink + color this later, but for now I just wanted to get this AU idea out there. A Mass Effect Andromeda x Dragon Age AU, because of course.

EDIT: complete!

Details below!

Featuring, from left to right:

Marian Hawke:

Having come to Andromeda with her younger siblings in hopes of starting a new life after their parents died, Marian was initially a part of the Nexus’s security team. She was trained as a powerful biotic as well as a skilled medic. After the Andromeda Initiative proved incompetent (at least, in her eyes), she grabbed her siblings and joined the other exiles on Kadara Port.

The Hawke family soon established themselves as a trio of talented mercenaries and smugglers, and found more success on their own than they ever would’ve had they stayed with the Initiative.

At least, that’s what Marian figured. Her view on the Initiative begins to change when she crosses paths with the human Pathfinder…

Sebastian Vael:

As the grandson of one of the first humans to go through a mass relay and explore beyond their solar system, Sebastian always dreamed of following in his grandfather’s footsteps. Following a troubled youth, he got back on track with his dream when he joined the Alliance and rose through the ranks, eventually earning the coveted N7 designation and the praise of his superiors. His military career drew the attention of an Andromeda Initiative recruiter, who came to him with the opportunity of a lifetime.

Sebastian eagerly accepted her proposal, though many raised an eyebrow at such a young man being named Pathfinder. He was determined to prove his worth, and to many, he earned that respect as he rose to every challenge Andromeda threw at him.

Still, there are many who continue to scoff at his youth, and yet more disagree with his decisions. It doesn’t help that there’s a rumor flying about that claims Sebastian has become romantically involved with the infamous exile and smuggler, Marian Hawke.

Hildegarde Trevelyan:

Hildegarde’s entire family joined the Initiative, and she wound up getting swept along with them. That isn’t to say she doesn’t believe in the Initiative’s mission, but she was hesitant at the prospect of never returning to her home galaxy.

Her anxiety was calmed somewhat when she learned that a childhood friend of hers was going to be their Pathfinder, and that he’d asked for her specifically due to her background as a xenoanthropologist — someone who studies other alien cultures would surely be an asset in a new, uncharted galaxy. And because she’s a trained biotic, she was put on Sebastian’s ground team.

Hildegarde flourishes in the new galaxy, finding a confidence and sense of self-worth that had eluded her back in the Milky Way. And it’s with this newfound confidence that she decides a pursue a relationship with Cullen, a Nexus militia fighter who joined their team after their arrival.

Cullen Rutherford:

A model Alliance soldier, Cullen opted to join the Andromeda Initiative after he became enamored with the idea of pioneering a new era of space exploration. However, while that’s partially true, the main reason he joined the Initiative was for a new beginning; a mission gone horribly wrong back in the Milky Way left him the sole survivor of his unit, and he was traumatized as a result. While he was eventually declared fit for duty, he found it difficult to focus when nearly everything reminded him of those awful days.

Going to Andromeda got him away from those reminders, while still giving him the chance to do something good. He joined the Nexus’s security division, briefly met Marian while there, and fought on the Initiative’s side during the rebellion, though his faith in the Initiative had begun to waver.

With the arrival of the human Pathfinder and an ark, however, he found a renewed sense of purpose, asking to be placed on the Pathfinder’s crew. Sebastian welcomed him to the team, and Cullen found himself growing unexpectedly close to their resident xenoanthropologist, Hildegarde.