#MEHalloween2017

[cactuarkitty]

Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular Incorrect Quotes.

Scream.

[vorchagirl]

Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular!

When: October 24th - October 31st Tag: #MEHalloween   (remember to put this tag in the first five so we can find them when we search!) Who: @vorchagirl, @cactuarkitty & @joufancyhuh Why: because it’s going to be a lot of spooky fun! ^_^

Welcome to the second annual Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular! This event is all about the ‘what if’ idea of the Mass Effect world embracing the commercialism and silliness of Halloween! 

But most of all - it’s about us having fun! We know this is a holiday not celebrated everywhere on Earth, but the spooky pumpkins and skeletons invade a little more of the Earth each year … it’s only a matter of time until they spread to the stars too!

So, this Halloween it’s all about creating awesome Halloween themed fanworks and head canons, and sharing them! Fics, art, gifs, drabbles, head canons, musings - feel free to let your imagination run wild - though please be culturally sensitive with your works.

@joufancyhuh is hosting Fanfic Prompts here!

@cactuarkitty is hosting Incorrect Quotes here!

@vorchagirl is hosting Art Prompts here!

Signal boosts appreciated - and remember to tag your work! :)

[poweredbycoffeeandwine]

It’s Halloween, Kaidan Alenko!

Here is my small contribution of MEHalloween! It’s fluffy, silly, and features my Tavrien Shepard! I didn't use any of the MEHalloween prompts, just one I found, but can't find again to link to... ah well. Hope you enjoy! Kaidan Alenko x Commander Shepard - Pre-Relationship - Fluff - ME 1

After hours of kneeling, body cramped, trying to fix the faulty console in the Normandy, Kaidan stood and stretched. Actively reminding himself to stay calm, otherwise kicking the damn thing was a real possibility. As much as that small part of himself wanted to, his rational thought was to avoid the pain kicking metal would cause him. His weary eyes and hands needed a break from wires and components, and the console would likely short circuit again soon. He was starting to believe the machine was being tampered with.

A loud thump pulled his attention toward the mess table. Shepard stood, hands on hips, eyes narrowed, bottom lip caught between her teeth. A number of crates filled the table, causing him to wonder how long she had been in the shared space. Fighting the idea that she looked ridiculously adorable, surely that was a dangerous line of thought, and approached her. “Commander, do you need any help?”

Her face turned to him, intense blue eyes sparkled, and lips turned up in a full smile. Kaidan worked hard to keep his breath even, and ignore the rising tempo of his heart. “Alenko,” she greeted, “I will gladly accept your help, on one condition.”

“Ok, I’ll bite.”

“What you see here is not fodder for teasing,” came her deadpan reply.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Commander.”

“Great!” she replied ripping the lid off the first crate. Kaidan didn’t know what to think as she began unloading various items from inside. Black fuzzy crows, bats, cats, strings of lights and other decor formed piles on the table.

“Um, Shepard?”

“Yes?” she questioned sorting through a new crate.

He lifted a plastic skull from the nearest pile, eyebrow lifted, and asked, “What exactly are we doing with this stuff?”

“Stuff?” her voice filled with disbelief. “Alenko, don’t tell me you haven’t ever decorated for All Hallows Eve before? I lived on a ship all my life, but mom and I always made time for Halloween. When I was young, crew members played along, and gave me candy door to door. As I got older we settled for popcorn and Halloween vids.”

Kaidan chuckled. “Well, yeah, I understand Halloween, but what are we planning on using these things for?”

Shepard gave an exasperated sigh, and shot him a look full glee, “Well Lieutenant, we are going to decorate the Normandy of course!”

Her enthusiasm, he found, was infectious, and honestly he would do whatever he needed to do to keep the happy glow on her face. She did a lot for the crew, and the Alliance. Holiday fun was well deserved if that was what she wanted. “What do you want me to do first?”

If the looks she gave him earlier got his heart racing, this one nearly stopped it. She grabbed his hand, put a string of lights into it, and beamed at him. “Will you hang these across the entry way, please?”

Kaidan nodded, small smile on his lips, not trusting his voice with her hand still covering his. Searching about, he located a small step ladder, and proceeded to place the lights where she had asked. “Is this about right?” he asked turning his head over his shoulder to look at her.

Shepard jumped, blushed furiously, and answered, “Yup, um yes. That’s - that’s great, Alenko.” Stammering a bit more, and grabbing the first item off the table within reach, she finished, “I’m just going to take this, um, this cat over there.” Her brisk pace took her across the room near the console he had spent the entire morning working on. Kaidan’s face flushed as he turned back to the lights. Had she been looking at his ass? He wasn’t trying to be smug, but he certainly felt, due to her reaction, that she may have been checking him out. That was ludicrous though. Tavrien Shepard would not waste her time on a subordinate like him. He shook his head, and continued working, determined to get over his silly infatuation with his CO.

Time passed; they made small talk, discussing various topics. She spoke more about how she spent holidays aboard ships, and her personal life. He shared a few of his own childhood memories, although he had a hard times remembering those since BAaT. However, with her, it seemed they flowed out easily, the joy back in the memories rather than the pain he had begun to associate with the past. A startling revelation to be sure. He had become so used to being reserved around colleagues.

“So, you said you watched Halloween vids with your mother. Which one was your favorite?” he asked, no longer concerned over personal questions.

“Hmmm,” she paused her actions, looking thoughtful while pressing a single finger to her lips. Kaidan watched the finger in fascination, before remembering his job to hang the paper bats she was making. “I have two, no way to choose between them. First, Hocus Pocus is a classic, and I watched it repeatedly.”

Kaidan remembered watching that vid once. It was older, and had been a favorite of his mom’s. She didn’t make him watch it again, he hadn’t shown much interest. Maybe it was a good time to watch it again. He cleared his throat, “And the second?”

She leveled him with a serious stare, as if determining if he was worthy of the answer. “Okay, Alenko, but again, no teasing.”

“Cross my heart, ma’am.”

“Ok,” Blowing a stray hair out of her face, eyes on the table, she answered quietly, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

“Shepard, isn’t that for kids?”

“Yes,” she replied as she put her forehead on the table. “I love it. Nothing anyone can say will ever make me change my mind. Lucy is my favorite. She is snarky, and I wanted to be just like her as a kid.”

“I remember her being very bossy, Shepard.”

She laughed, and he knew he hadn’t ever heard a sound so beautiful. “She was a handful, but she knew what she wanted.”

Kaidan stepped off the small ladder he had been on most of the afternoon. They had decided he should do all of tasks requiring height. He looked around the room, and couldn’t believe all they had accomplished. His family’s Halloween activities revolved around the scarier aspects of the season, all nightmares and haunting, yet Shepard had turned the place into a fairy tale come true. It was downright cute, and he was starting to find a new appreciation for the holiday. “Wow, the place looks great Shepard; but, can I ask you one question?”

“Shoot,” she replied, digging through the last box.

“Well, like I said, you did a great job,” he started hesitantly not wanting to ruin the mood. “But, you know it’s still September, right?”

Shepard walked toward him, laughter in her eyes, and said, “Of course I do.” She plopped something on top of his head, and leaned in to conspiratorially whisper, “I did mention how much I love this holiday.” She turned and walked back to the table collecting crates and packing up unused items. Kaidan was not at all surprised to find a black and green sparkly witch hat perched on his head.

[shaken-veil]

Lucy & Reyes for ME-Halloween. Steampunk Outfits for the halloween party ^^

[starsandskies]

Hallo… what? (AO3)

It takes place during Mass Effect 2, somewhere near to the Crescent Nebula. I’m assuming they spent Halloween aboard the Normandy, though I don’t know if that would be even possible.

Shepard’s name is Evelyn. Joker refers to her as Evie or Evs.

I want to thank @ilyasvieltrevelyanshepard, @nalimeria, @innercherryblossomsoul and @conqueringthespace for encouraging me to write and share it. I usually get quite anxious about these things and their support is very important to me.

“It’s almost Halloween,” Shepard mumbled to herself, her gaze lost between flickering stars, purple nebula and the infinity of the space. Like every night, she was resting on the copilot’s seat, covered with a smooth blanket and cradled by the muffled hum of the Normandy’s engines. She was trying to get some sleep taking advantage of the relaxed mood of the cockpit. Tali was sitting on the floor with her back against her legs, reading a fan fiction based on Fleet and Flotilla as Joker, focused on his task, was running the last diagnostics of the ship before the end of his shift.

“Hall-o-what?” Tali inquired turning off her omnitool, her question directed at Joker. Her voice sounded curious even though her expression was impossible to read through her helmet. “What’s that Hall… whatever thing?”

“Oh boy, here we go…” Joker laughed keeping his eyes fixed on the data sliding across the screens. “This one’s for you, Evs!” Stretching on the chair, Shepard chuckled staring at him. His left hand was covering his mouth, trying to -unsuccessfully hide a giggle. She could spend hours watching him work, his graceful hands flying over the controls, barely brushing them with his fingertips.

“It’s an old tradition from Earth,” Shepard answered studying Joker’s face. Tali tilted her head to the right, visibly interested in hearing more about human culture. She was still amazed every time Tali asked them about their history or customs, eager to learn and embrace the diversity between them. “On this date, Celtic people honoured the end of the summer and the beginning of their new year. They also thought during a few hours, the souls of the dead people were close to the world of the living.”

“Like… to communicate to them? Keelah!” Tali exclaimed, jumping to her feet, her voice trembling.

“That’s not even possible, Tali'zorah.” EDI’s orb blinked as her metallic tone filled the cabin. “Shepard, the dead can’t talk. And the metaphysical conception of the soul has been long discussed throughout the human history…”

“Geez EDI! We already know. It’s just a popular belief!” Joker interrupted EDI rolling his eyes, shaking his head in disapproval but smiling at the same time. “That little wise-ass orb… Anyway, that was many centuries ago. Now it’s just about having fun decorating homes, celebrating with your friends, wearing spooky costumes or watching old horror vids. That kind of thing.”

“Have you ever worn a costume, Shepard?” Tali sounded excited, her glowing eyes widening through her violet helmet.

“That’s the big question, Tali!” For the first time in the last hour, Joker stopped working to stare at Shepard with a naughty grin drawn on his lips. His green eyes darkened by the shadow of his cap. “No pressure, Commander.”

“Yep, long ago. It wasn’t too scary though.” Shepard answered lowering her gaze, her cheeks flushed. Few people could see beyond the Commander, but Tali and Joker? They were different, unique. It was natural to talk to them, even when it was about things she’d rather forget. “A somewhat… sexy nurse?”

“Who would want to dress up as a sexy nurse? What’s the point of that…? I mean, I can’t even imagine how…” Despite the initial surprise, Tali seemed more intrigued than shocked. Her answer hadn’t been for Tali, though, she wanted to tease Joker and see his reaction. “Wait, do you have any pictures?”

“Oh yes. I’m wondering the same thing.” Joker’s youthful voice was deeper as usual, almost like a groan. His gaze never leaving her face.

“Oh, Shepard! Could we have a Halloween party? I know it’s not the proper time, but it sounds fun!” Tali was rambling, pacing behind Joker’s chair as she frantically typed on her omnitool. “Could I dress up as Shalei? Oh Keelah, I wish I had more time to get the perfect pattern for my shawl… Ah yes! I need to call Liara!”

“I don’t mean to be picky, but maybe Shalei is not the most spooky costume for a Halloween party?” Shepard asked. Tali was right. It wasn’t the best time, but those relaxed moments were positive for morale, and it was possible that they wouldn’t have another opportunity like that.

“Said the sexy nurse.” Tali stretched her body as she crossed her arms over her chest. If Shepard had to bet, she would’ve said she was smirking, raising her eyebrows. In case quarians have eyebrows.

“Headshot!” Joker crowed shooting an invisible rifle aimed at Shepard, turning then to Tali. “So, if you’re Shalei, who’s gonna be your Bellicus? Wait, let me guess, maybe some turian with a peculiar kink for calibrations?

For a few moments, all they could hear was Tali’s quick footsteps across the cockpit while her six fingers brushed against each other. "I… I have to go!”

Still laughing, they watched Tali walking in a rush towards the elevator. “I bet she was blushing.” Shepard chuckled softly, punching him in his right shoulder. “You’re impossible Jeff.”

“Yeah… And you know what? You love it.” Joker grabbed her arm, tugging her towards the chair, forcing her to sit on the armrest. She leaned on him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, resting her head on his. “And… speaking of that, when are you going to show me that nurse costume? I’m free tonight…”

“Keep dreaming, flyboy!” With a quick movement, Shepard stole his cap, putting it on her head as she messed up his short reddish hair.

“Ah c'mon Evie! Let me show you! I could be your creepy zombie doctor!”

[vorchagirl]

A commission present from @bbb35 of my Zi Shepard that was done by Carrinth - it seems appropriate to share this Mass Effect / Shining crossover again in time for Halloween! Especially since it’s the Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular! ^_^

[vorchagirl]

Oh noes! Looks like Mass Effect has been plunged into a zombie apocalypse and the Commander is now one of the living dead! Poor Garrus! (I had a lot of fun making this Zombie AU Commander Shepard pop vinyl! I hope you guys like him! Happy Halloween!)

[vorchagirl]

Mass Effect Halloween Art Prompts

When: October 24th - October 31st Tag: #MEHalloween   (remember to put this tag in the first five so we can find them when we search!) Who: @vorchagirl, @joufancyhuh & @cactuarkitty Master Post: HERE

Yaaaay! It’s the most spooktacular time of the year! The Mass Effect Spooktacular! And here are some suggested art prompts in case anyone is coming up dry this spoopy season. These are totally just suggestions, and you don’t need to feel obligated to use them at all! Be as creative as you like and remember that this event includes Andromeda as well as the Original Trilogy!

1. Pumpkins / Pumpkin Carving

2. Ghosts & Graveyards

3. Zombie AU

4. Trick or Treat!

5. Horror Movies 

6. Halloween Costumes

7. Character Outfit Swap

8. Classic Horror Monsters

9. Space Invaders / Alien Menace

[himluv]

The Derelict

Day 4 of MEHalloween, “What if Mass Effect were a Halloween Movie?”

@joufancyhuh @vorchagirl I don’t watch horror movies, like, ever, so hopefully this isn’t utter rubbish.

Sara stepped onto the derelict ship and knew that she’d made a terrible mistake. Her stomach dropped, her pulse raced, and her grip tightened on her Equalizer. “This is bad, Ryder,” Reyes said from behind her. The lights flickered twice and then went out. “Very bad,” her brother agreed. In unison they activated the flashlights on their hardsuits, washing the hallway in a swathe of pale light. “SAM?” Sara called to her AI. “Any changes?” “Negative, Pathfinder. All scans confirm there are no lifeforms on board.” She inhaled, the sound shaking through their comms. “See? It’s just us on this rust-bucket.” That’s when an inhuman, mechanical wail assailed their comms. The sound was so loud she heard the rattle of a blown speaker in her helmet. “Yeah,” Scott said once the sound faded away. “Just us and whatever the fuck that is.” “Weapons ready,” she said.    “Way ahead of you,” Reyes replied, his assault rifle cradled to his shoulder. Sara nodded, then took point to lead them further into the ancient, abandoned vessel. They scanned each doorway, with their weapons and their omnitools, but nothing appeared out of place. “Pathfinder,” SAM said. “Both climate control and life support are operational, however, oxygen levels are unusually low. I would advise keeping helmets on.” “If life support is working, where’d the air go?” Scott wondered aloud. “Something’s not right,” Reyes said. The trio paused before a large door, its maglock engaged. “That’s weird,” Sara said. “None of the other doors were locked.” “Maybe we should leave it that way.” Reyes’ amber eyes were dark, not with fear exactly, but it was close, and very unsettling to see. Despite the strong sense of foreboding she felt, Sara ignored her survival instincts and directed SAM to deactivate the lock. As the door slid open with a pneumatic hiss, the Pathfinder knew she should have listened to Reyes. It was the bridge, as they’d expected, with all the consoles and controls one would imagine. What they hadn’t expected were the bodies of a dozen crew members slouched in chairs, laying across consoles, and sprawled on the floor. The withered faced were alien, thought they bore some resemblance to the anagara with large eyes, wide, full mouths, and skin tones that suggested vibrant hues in life. Sara pulled up her omnitool to start scanning the deceased, and then a sharp, stabbing pain swelled behind her left eye and her vision went white. The screeching sound from before rattled through the bridge, punctuated by very human screams. The ship felt as if it were the victim of an earthquake, rumbling and shuddering and, as the screams continued, Sara still couldn’t see. “SAM?” Reyes shouted over the wails and screams. “One moment, Mr. Vidal,” the AI replied. “We are under attack.” Strong hands held her down, and the pressure felt like fire scorching her through the hardsuit. The world stilled but the screaming intensified. It was her. She was the one screaming. “Mr. Vidal, we require your technological skill,” the AI said a moment later. It felt like an eternity to Sara. The hands released her and the fire under her skin abated, but the shaking started again. That was her too, she realized. She was having a seizure. Should she be able to know she was having a seizure? Her mind spun out to ponder the question, momentarily escaping the bridge of the derelict ship. Hands on her chest tore her from her reprieve. They were larger, broader, taking up more space as they struggled to hold her still. Her screams renewed, sharper than before as the fire flared back to life in her skin where those hands pushed her into the floor. Instinctively, she reached for her biotics. “Shit, her brother cursed from somewhere above her. “Hurry up you guys!” The fire raged on and the mechanical screeching hit a fever pitch. Somewhere in that time Sara’s voice broke, her throat silent despite her body’s convulsions. And then there was silence. The wails stopped. Her body relaxed and the fire ebbed away. Her vision returned to her and she found two pairs of eyes, one pale blue, the other warm and golden, watching her. “SAM?” Reyes asked, his voice thin with fear. “What the hell just happened?” “Entering the bridge alerted the ship’s AI to our presence. Due to her implant and connection to me, it assessed her as the largest threat.” Sara groaned, and Reyes helped her sit up. She put a hand to her head, a residual ache thumping behind her eye. “So, what? Was that some sort of cyber attack?” “Precisely,” the AI said. “It accessed you nervous system via your SAM implant.” “Shit,” Reyes cursed. Worried eyes gazed over her face, as if he could assess the damage just by looking at her face. “What happened to the ship’s AI?” Scott asked. “With Mr. Vidal’s assistance I was able to bypass security protocols and successfully bug core processing. The AI is functioning, but currently restrained.” “We should have terminated it,” Reyes growled. “Destroying the AI would have made departing the vessel extremely difficult, Mr. Vidal. Additionally, I believe the Initiative would prefer the AI remain intact.” “Why’s that?” Sara asked. She rubbed Reyes’ arm, trying to convince him she was all right. “Because,” Scott said from where he crouched beside one of the corpses. “It was made by the Jardaan.” She and Reyes both stared at her twin. “Further genetic analysis is required,” SAM said. “However, the AI used Jardaan language and coding sequence. It is likely that Scott is correct.” Sara snorted. “There’s something you don’t hear everyday.” “And here I’d hoped the AI might have fried your sense of humor,” Scott said. Reyes glared at her twin, but Sara hushed him with a hand to side of his helmet.

“Help me up?” She asked him. He nodded and did so, his hands careful and firm. “SAM, get everything you can from the terminals, and let Lexi know we have a present for her.” “Of course, Pathfinder.” Scott groaned. “I’m going to carry the body, aren’t I?” Sara only nodded. “Why do I always have to carry the bodies back to the ship?” “Porque siempre lo mereces, pendejo.” Reyes’ voice was low, but it filtered through their comms anyway. Sara smiled at him, but the concern never left his eyes. She sighed. “SAM?” “Yes, Ryder?” “Please tell Lexi that I’ll need a medical exam as well.” Reyes nodded his approval. “Already done, Sara.” She growled to herself, frustrated by her AI’s compliance with Reyes’ wishes. She watched as Scott hefted one of the bodies over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, and then shrugged out of Reyes’ supportive grip. “All right, let’s get off this boat.” The sooner they did, the sooner they could solve this particular mystery.

[himluv]

Under Her Spell

MEHalloween day 2 “A Spell on You” @joufancyhuh and @vorchagirl

Reyes watched Ryder hurry off, no doubt in a rush to free Vehn Terev and secure her alliance with Evfra. Despite her sarcastic tone and sharp wit, the Pathfinder was eager to please. He groaned as his train of thought completely derailed, scrubbed at his face, and then started his long walk down to Tartarus. He liked to take a circuitous route, browsing through the market, listening to the idle chit-chat of the general populace. He needed a finger on the pulse of the Port, and there was no better method than spending an hour or two with the masses. But, it seemed he wasn’t the only one caught up by the Pathfinder’s arrival in Kadara Port. “Did you see her?” An asari shopper asked a salarian merchant. He nodded. “Not what I expected,” the clipped voice replied. “Small, unassuming… smiling.” The salarian blinked, as if perplexed by Ryder’s good humor. Reyes moved on, opting to lean against a shipping crate just within earshot of a pair of angara. “They say she saved the Moshae,” the first said. “Why would she do that?” The second asked. “The Milky Way aliens don’t care about us. She must want something in return.” The first shook her head. “She even has an angara on her team.” “Who?” “Jaal ama Darav.” Stunned silence followed and Reyes made a note on his omnitool to look into this Jaal’s history. “Do you think she’d help us?” The second angara wondered out loud. The first shrugged. “If anyone could rein in Sloane, it’d be her.” His sentiments exactly. Reyes moved on, his mind spinning with possibilities. The Pathfinder had the people of the Port spellbound, and if he played his cards right e could use that to his advantage. He smirked to himself and made his way to the lift to the slums.

Less than two hours later his omnitool pinged. Vehn Terev was safely in the hands of the Resistance. Ryder was as good as her word, if not better, and Evfra was grudgingly pleased. Reyes was impressed; the Pathfinder has forced her way into Evfra’s good graces in less than a month, and that was no easy feat. His omnitool pinged again, this time a note from Kian.

To: Reyes Vidal From: Kian Dagher

Pathfinder inbound.

Reyes told himself that his smile was in anticipation of manipulating Ryder into his plans. That he was excited to finally have the missing piece to the puzzle that was overthrowing Sloane. Using Ryder was a risk, sure, but the potential payout was well worth it. That was the reason why his stomach flipped when the door opened, and his grin spread from ear to ear as she appeared. He was excited to put his plan into motion and finally be someone. It had absolutely nothing to do with the sparkle in her blue-green eyes when she saw him, or the mischievous tilt of her lips as she looked him up and down. And it definitely wasn’t caused by the tantalizing way she cocked her hip, crossed her arms, and raised a sandy eyebrow at him. Ah, shit, he thought. Even he wasn’t safe from Ryder’s charms. He would have to be more careful going forward, or he just might find himself in a similar situation as all the others who interacted with Sara Ryder; firmly under her spell.

[himluv]

Midnight Confessions

Day 6 of MEHalloween, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”

@joufancyhuh @vorchagirl

Warning: torture mentions, Dark!Reyes, mild nsfw

Sara woke slowly, blinking at the darkness, unsure of what woke her. The dark was deeper than it should be; there was no flickering blue light of the Tempest in FTL, and there was no gentle hum of the engines as they traveled through space. But there was the dim, pale light of stars. The Casita, in Varren’s Scalp. She’d convinced Tann to give her a weekend off, the first since they’d returned from Alcaeus, and she’d wasted no time in getting to Kadara Port. It turned out that Reyes needed the break just as badly as she did. Keema had warned her that his current work had him on edge, and that was an understatement. Sara had never seen him so visibly stressed. Usually Reyes hid away the feelings attached to his work. He liked to pretend he didn’t have any, that by slipping into the mask of the Charlatan he was able to avoid the guilt and self-loathing that some of his more morally dubious actions left behind. He was full of shit. But if it helped him cope, she wouldn’t try and peel the mask back, not until he was ready. When he saw her walk into Tartarus his mask cracked. The cool aloof man gave way to relief, longing, and regret, but only for a moment. It’d taken two whiskeys and the promise of their long awaited reunion to get him to agree to leave the Port, but Sara knew it was the right thing to do when Kian nodded to her, guarded thanks in his eyes. That’s why she was at the casita, and why she felt that bone-melted peace through her very core. But apparently Reyes had not found such release. He groaned beside her and twitched, his breath quick and shallow. Sara stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. She’d never seen Reyes have a nightmare before, and though there was much about the man that was still a mystery, she knew that he was likely to defend himself against any perceived threat. If he hurt her in his disoriented panic, he would never forgive himself. His brow furrowed, his lips pulled down in a hard frown. “No,” he whispered. “Please.” “Reyes,” she said, careful not to touch him. “Reyes, wake up.” He kicked a leg out and turned his face from her. A sound tore from him, like a sob. “I can’t.” “Reyes!” she reached out, desperate to soothe him, her hand brushing his chest. It was a mistake. He jerked, eyes snapping open and his right hand clenched her wrist. Sara went still, her instincts telling her that she needed to present as little a threat as possible. His eyes wandered the space, cataloging his surroundings until they found her face. He stared at her for a moment, and Sara waited for his memories to catch up, for him to recognize her and where they were.

He sighed and released her wrist to run both hands through his hair. “Fuck.” She reached for him again, but he flinched at her touch. “Don’t,” he rasped. He swallowed, trying to gain control of his voice. “Just, give me a moment, please.” “Okay,” she whispered. She settled back into the bed and waited for his breathing to return to something like normal. A few, tense minutes went by, and then she ventured a hand out to him again. Her finger tip feather over his shoulder, and when he didn’t pull away she scooted closer to wrap her arms around him. She pulled him to her, his back flush against her chest, but didn’t say anything, demanded nothing. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “For what?” “Grabbing you like that.” Sara shrugged. “I knew not to touch you, but you wouldn’t wake up, and your dream was getting worse.” He nodded, but didn’t offer to explain. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked after a long silence. He stiffened against her, and Sara was certain he would decline to give her the details, but then he exhaled. “It’s a recurring nightmare,” he said. His voice was low, the words spoken into the pillow, but she caught them. “I haven’t had it in a long time, but these last few weeks…” “Whatever you’re working on triggered it,” she said. He nodded. She wanted to ask what he was working on, but didn’t think he was inclined to tell her just yet. She didn’t want him to shut down on her, so she opted for second best. “What’s the dream about?” Stillness. Silence. Again, she thought he wouldn’t answer her, and again he surprised her. “It’s a memory, from my time with the Suns.” “Obviously a bad one,” she said. He grunted. “There aren’t many good ones from that time.” He inhaled shakily. “It was the first time I’d witnessed torture, and suffered the consequences for trying to stop it.” Her arms tightened around him, and she whispered his name at his ear. “I became someone else that night,” he murmured. “Whatever was left of Reyito died, and the beginnings of the Charlatan replaced him.” “Hey.” She used her fingers on his chin to convince him to roll over and look at her. “You are Reyes Vidal, grandson, son, brother. Boyfriend, lover, best friend.” He watched her as she said it, but his eyes were guarded. He wasn’t ready to hear it. “Smuggler, crime lord, torturer,” he spat. “And who have you tortured lately, besides yourself?” It was a risky question, but he obviously needed to talk about it. Plus, this sounded like big stuff. Stuff he shouldn’t be keeping from her. The fear behind his eyes told her he knew it, too. “I found our Initiative leak,” he admitted. She raised an eyebrow. “Who?” He looked away. “One of mine.” “And so you…” “I needed his information,” he said, and then sighed. “And I needed to make an example of him.” She thought of asking if he did, but really, that was dumb. Reyes wouldn’t be so coiled and drowning in self-loathing if he hadn’t done his worst. Instead, she asked, “is he alive?” Another surprise, Reyes nodded. “I understand his position and his motivations. He’s not forgiven, and he’ll not forget the Charlatan’s capacity for dealing out pain.” “And mercy,” she interrupted. He stared at her. “You let him live, didn’t you?” He nodded. “Then you were merciful too. If the Initiative caught someone trading secrets to the Collective, they’d be tried for treason, and most likely killed, or exiled.” She ran one hand through his hair, hoping her words wouldn’t haunt him the way they did her. They lived a risky life. “Is it done?” He shook his head. “Almost. I’m done with him, but we’re still tracing how far up the ranks his intel went.” “At least as far as Addison,” she said. “Yes, but how?” His eyes got that distant look that she knew meant he was working out the puzzle. “Reyes,” she cooed. “Not now. It’s our weekend off.” She leaned forward and kissed him. He needed to know that she wasn’t mad, that she didn’t think less of him, or fear him because of what he’d shared. She’d always known there were secrets in the man’s past, things he didn’t want to share, or simply couldn’t bring himself to. She was convinced she never would have heard this particular story if she hadn’t been present for his nightmare. She refused to punish him for revealing himself to her, piece by agonizing piece. He returned the kiss, his mouth tentative, and a tremor rolled through him. “I love you,” she whispered against his lips. Because he needed to hear it, and because it was true. He swallowed, and nodded. “Te amo, Sarita,” he breathed. He kissed her again, and then rolled so that she lay across his chest, her head on his shoulder, and one leg crossed over his hips. Sara hummed her contentment, and soon both their breathing settled and they fell back to sleep.

[cactuarkitty]

The Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular Incorrect Quotes

The prompt is simple:

Step 1: Take a line from one of your favourite scary or halloween movies/tv shows/books. 👻

Step 2: Find some cool caps to go with it, or make some gifs. 👀

Step 3: Add the line to your caps or gifs. 👌

Get creative. You could add props to the edits/gifs, such as halloween decorations etc… or you could cut the Mass Effect characters from the caps and add them directly to the movie/tv show in edits or gifs. The world is your jack-o-lantern! 🎃

Runs from October 24th - October 31st 🔮

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Mass Effect Halloween Spooktacular 🐍