#f!ryder x reyes

[vorchagirl]

Moments

Pairing: Reyes Vidal x Cerys Ryder

Rating: Explicit

Summary: Reyes Vidal has always taken pride in his ability to keep his personal and professional lives separate, but all that changes when he meets the new Pathfinder. Cerys Ryder isn't what he expected and she isn't like anyone he's ever met before, and Reyes finds it impossible to keep away from her - even when he knows its the right thing to do in order to protect his true identity.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56477644/chapters/143521081

(Art is by @beemot )

[silurisanguine]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Mass Effect: Andromeda Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Female Ryder | Sara/Reyes Vidal Characters: Reyes Vidal, Female Ryder | Sara, Keema Dohrgun, Kian Dagher, Jarun Tann, Foster Addison, Nakmor Kesh, Tiran Kandros, Sloane Kelly, Male Ryder | Scott, Umi Henon, Kaetus (Mass Effect), Vetra Nyx, Nakmor Drack, Cora Harper, Liam Kosta, William Spender, Suvi Anwar, Kallo Jath, Jaal Ama Darav, Peebee (Mass Effect) Additional Tags: Vaginal Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Oral Sex, deep delve, Canon compliant, canon expanded, Aeryn not Sara,

Chapter 3: Thorn in their sides

Summary:Reyes works to convince Aeryn of who the murderers are whilst juggling a possible traitor in the ranks.

[thebonerpit]

pinned post

Lou. 35+. She/her. Ao3 / Tumblr Writing

This is a multifandom blog. My main interest will likely always be Dragon Age but you will find anything and everything: other video games, MCU, old Hollywood, films, art, architecture, books, astrology, cats, fashion, etc. etc.

I always try to tag so if there are things you aren't interested in you can filter them out. I will tag "common" triggers but obviously I can't catch everything. If there's something I post frequently that you need a warning for just let me know! I also try to tag anything NFF as such but consider this blog NFF as a whole.

I like a lot of ships and tropes that some people may consider problematic. You can either accept that or unfollow me. If you message me on anon complaining or accusing me of being gross I will simply ignore you so don't waste your time.

That being said, my askbox is open and I would love to get (friendly) messages or prompts!

Current ships under the cut...

This is absolutely not an exhaustive list! These are pairings I have read and/or written and will continue to do so. I didn't include pairings I adore and support but wouldn't necessarily seek out fic for (eg. Elena/Nate from Uncharted).

Dragon Age - Cullen/Dorian, Cullen/Dorian/The Iron Bull, Dorian/M!Inquisitor, F!Lavellan/Solas, Alistair/F!Cousland, Fenris/M!Hawke, Anders/M!Hawke, Anders/Fenris, Fenris/Sebastian, Davrin/Lucanis, Emmrich/Rook

Mass Effect - Kaiden/M!Shepard, Garrus/F!Shepard, Harry/M!Ryder, M!Ryder/Reyes, Bain/Reyes

Other Video Games - Ceolbert/Ivarr (AC Valhalla), Erke/Stowe (AC Valhalla), Alexios/Thaletas (AC Odyssey), Gavin/RK900 (Detroit Become Human), Corvo/The Outsider (Dishonored), Colt/Frank (Deathloop), Andrew Ryan/Sander Cohen (Bioshock), Jacob/Staci (Far Cry 5), Jason/Tim (Gotham Knights/DCU), Bruce/Dick (Gotham Knights/DCU)

MCU - Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Harley Keener, Peter Parker/Harley Keener/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Felicia Hardy, Stephen Strange/Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes/Zemo, Loki/Thor

TV - Hannibal/Will (Hannibal), Amos/Prax (The Expanse), Frank/Karen (Daredevil/The Punisher), Alice/Luther (Luther), Mulder/Scully (The X-Files), Buck/Eddie (9-1-1), Buck/Tommy (9-1-1), Lestat/Louis (IWTV), Armand/Daniel (IWTV)

Film - Arthur/Eames (Inception), Eames/Fischer (Inception), Joe/Nicky (The Old Guard), Erik/Charles (X-Men series)

[masseffectarchive]

What if in Hunting the Archon Ryder didn’t just have two choices. What if there was a third choice. What if there was a way she could choose the Salarian Pathfinder as well as Drack’s scouts.

Primary characters involved: Female Ryder, Reyes Vidal, Lexi T'Perro, Cora Harper Primary pairing (if any): Female Ryder/ Reyes Vidal Verse: Mass Effect Andromeda Word count: 26k+

[casino-lights]

I always fall for the wrong guy Things that are bad always taste nice That’s what girls like me do... – Lana Del Rey, Hollywood’s Dead

OTP: You’re Someone To Me - Elizabeth Ryder and Reyes Vidal

[amarmeme]

meet me in the moonlight / slip into the sunrise / I don’t mind if you stay  → for the rest of my life

[acatinabox]

Ambrosia - Day 1

The Kadaran sun was creeping through the large windows of Shea’s prefab house in Ditaeon. Reyes was still asleep and Shea spent the last five minutes watching him move unconscious, wrapped in his arms, unable and unwilling to move away. Although the air was hot already, she still enjoyed the warmness of his skin on hers. He looked peaceful, with a relaxed expression that he never wore when he was awake. His brows weren’t frowning or laughing or anything, his lips bore a faint smile, his eyes closed, didn’t sparkle with lust or amusement. He turned around when the light hit his eyelids, and Shea moved closer to whisper in his ear.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” she said, hearing him grumble in response. She hugged him from behind, feeling him startle at the touch of her hand on his arm. He kept his eyes closed but smiled, he was awake. She kissed his neck, and then kept pecking his shoulder to move him. He groaned but didn’t react, she knew the attitude, he did this when he craved attentions. She smiled, sighed, pulled him closer to lay on his back. He finally opened one eye, with a smirk. She kissed him on the lips smiling and sat on him with legs astride.

“Are you going to get up?” she asked, chuckling. She could feel his morning glory pressing against her underwear. She enjoyed it. He finally opened both his eyes and shook his head. He lifted his head to kiss her, deeply, playing with his tongue to tease her. He brought a hand to her neck, caressing her head, and then turned her around to be on top of her. He was in the mood for dancing.

Later, while he was arranging breakfast with what she had in the pantry, mostly dried food or tin cans to Reyes’ extremely eloquent disappointment, Shea checked her messages on the omni-tool. The apartment felt still quite empty. Shea tried to bring some souvenirs from her travels in the Heleus cluster, presents from Angara kids or finds from Remnant ruins, but she expected him to do the same to some extent. He didn’t even bring in his clothes. He stayed to sleep when she was there, but he kept living in his apartment at the Port when she wasn’t. He said it was the practical choice, of course, but that answer didn’t quench her uneasiness. She observed the tiny movements of his bare shoulders from behind, while he was cooking something that smelled like beans and bacon and probably egg powder with something. He didn’t look less affectionate or less invested, but what if he was pretending? While still lost in thought, she felt her hand buzzing. It was her omni-tool. She opened the message that Ryan sent her and scrolled it down: it was a long and detailed account of a conversation he had with Christmas, the mayor of Ditaeon. In short, colonists started to disappear after going to the Port and Ryan thought that Reyes might know more and can you please ask him? She sighed. Her break was over.  SAM chirped from her omni-tool “I agree that asking Mr Vidal would be a sensible option. He might know more about this”. She rolled her eyes.

“Ask me what?” he said, turning around. Shea wished to at least have breakfast without talking business but apparently, it wasn’t meant to be.

“Do you know Trent Oswald?” she asked, scrolling up and down the message from Ryan to look for other useful details.

“Isn’t he the technician from the Nexus that helps in the wind farm at Varren’s Crest?” he asked back, returning to his cooking “Thanks for lending him to us, by the way, he’s helped a lot”.

“He disappeared,” she said, and suddenly noticed how his back muscles tensed and he lifted his head from the pan. She couldn’t see his expression, but she could imagine it. Right now, he was appraising the information and deciding if this was worthy of the Collective leader’s full attention. He tilted his head to the side, thoughtful. He wasn’t Reyes anymore, he was the Charlatan now. Shea could tell the difference.

“How?” he simply asked.

“We don’t know” she answered, trying to remember if the message she got from Ryan said something about it “but he went on leave to the Port and never came back”. He nodded and resumed his cooking, silent. That wasn’t the reaction she expected “Should we investigate it?” she asked, tentatively.

“He’s not the first to disappear” he answered, not answering in fact “But I didn’t know it spread to the outpost” he simply added.

“Should we investigate it?” she repeated, annoyed.

“Don’t bother Shea, I’ll take care of it,” he said, flatly, finishing up the cooking. He put the breakfast on two nice plates she bought on Aya and served it to her at the counter. He was smiling, he had put his mask on, but he didn’t really manage to conceal well his serious expression. His mouth tried to smile, but it was sour, and his eyes, frowned, looked a shade darker than usual. It almost frightened her. She knew she had nothing to fear from the Charlatan, but she wasn’t used to seeing him often and right now she was grateful for it. He glanced at her and his face softened in the usual sweet and awkward smile that was only hers. He cupped her cheek in his hand “Don’t worry, it’s probably no big deal” he said. She smiled faintly, unable to forget how his face transfigured in just a few instants.

He left her home in a hurry, just after breakfast, said he couldn’t stay, as always. As she heard his shuttle depart from the settlement, she approached the counter to clean the dishes and keep her mind occupied. She noticed that he left his brass lucky necklace that he brought from Earth. She considered messaging him to tell him but then decided that he would get it when he got back. Maybe it was a sign.

[hirasuki]

Thanks to @iamsonothere I know now how to use the MEA flycam. Thanks to my stubborness I used it with the patched game version (where the description says it will not work 100%) and got that super stupid funny glitch. Have fun with Ryder giving Reyes a lapdance XD

[a-mongoose]

AKA “However Many Sentences I Want” Sunday.

This is from my Ryder/Reyes Modern!AU where we’ve got a nice dose of Forced Roommates and “Ah yes, teasing but with Tension(TM)”.

Warnings: Mentions of injury, poisoning, alcohol.

“If you follow their instructions which, knowing your type, you probably won’t. Unless I force you to.” Cole realizes exactly how that sounds as soon as it comes out of her mouth. The grin that spreads across Reyes’s face just about makes her shift her morals.

“Force me, hmm? I don’t doubt that you could. Physically, at least,” He leans towards her, their faces mere inches from each other.

Cole straightens her back, staring back at him. “Don’t underestimate my ability to Mom you into submission– Wait, that came out wrong! Reyes, don’t–”

He’s already laughing, stumbling backward to lean against the wall.

“Stop it! It’s not funny!” Cole shouts but the giggles leaping from her say something else.

Reyes wipes a tear from his eye while he tries to contain his laughter, “Hoo, I think that’s the hardest I’ve laughed in weeks! Who knew I’d be getting so many perks in one person?”

“Glad to know you’ve got the sense of humor of a twelve-year-old.” She says, squishing Bear a little as she pouts. The cat mews in protest and leaps to the ground.

“You’re the one that pointed it out, cariña.” Cole doesn’t know what the word means but it stirs something within her that she quickly moves to squash. 

She opts to roll her eyes, saying, “As if you weren’t about to laugh before I said anything. Anyway, I have to ask, what are your plans for dinner? I have some chicken in the fridge that I was going to make for lunch but given fact that I slept through it…”

“Inviting me on a date already?”

“Okay, so I’ll be poisoning yours.” Reyes gives her a look. “I’m kidding, I promise! Besides, you’d probably just say ‘it’s not the first time I’ve been poisoned’ while driving yourself back to the hospital.”

“Actually, that’s never happened. Unless you count mild alcohol poisoning.”

“... huh.”

“What? It’s not so surprising. You’ve read too many romance novels about these kinds of things.” [I’m so in love with their banter]

[biotic-commando]

Sarianna Ryder x Reyes Vidal

      Both looked back then on the wild revelry, the gaudy wealth, and the unbridled fornication as an annoyance and they lamented that it had cost them so much of their lives to find the paradise of shared solitude.       Madly in love after so many years of sterile complicity, they enjoyed the miracle of living each other as much at the table as in bed, and they grew to be so happy that even when they were two worn-out people they kept on blooming like little children and playing together like dogs.       →  Gabriel Garcia Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude

[For @pathfindersemail, my first and best fandom friend.]

[vorchagirl]

Fic Stats Meme

I was tagged by the wonderful @alyssalenko . Thank you! ❤️

Rules: give us the links to your fics with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the fewest words.

(Okay - I'll be honest. Purely by chance, the response for 3 of these was the Through A Mirror Darkly, so I chose the next closest fic that I hadn't already chosen for 2 of these!)

Most Hits: Distance Mass Effect / femShep x Kaidan Alenko / Hits: 18,170

Second Most Kudos: Through a Mirror Darkly Mass Effect / femShep x Subject Zero Kaidan Alenko / Kudos: 686

Third Most Comments: Sweet Little Lies Mass Effect Andromeda / Reyes Vidal x f!Ryder / Comments: 925

Fourth Most Bookmarks: Lights in the Sky Mass Effect / James Vega x femShep / Bookmarks: 102

Fifth Most Words: Burn Mass Effect / Vega x femShep x Kaidan / words: 43, 715

Fewest Words: Waking the Tiger Mass Effect / Subject Zero x femShep / words: 393

Tagging: @ashenlavellan @fereldanwench @silurisanguine @xoshepard @trajektoria @queen-scribbles @vela-ad-astra @ripley95 and ANYONE else who would like to do this

[nightingaletrash]

leather jacket babes...

[cullenstantonrutherfuck]

Okay new Ryder x Reyes head canon!! Spoilers ahead I guess?

Can you imagine someone from the collective being in the bar when Drack and Ryder are fighting everyone?? They'd call up the charlatan and be like "hey Ryder's about to get their ass kicked in Krallas Song" and Reyes would just run all the way there to help but instead he'd see Drack and Ryder chilling and drinking because they already beat everyone up. When Ryder sees Reyes all they'd do is point a finger at Drack and say "wasn't me"

[masseffectarchive]

a fRyder/Reyes Vidal story, word count 1.2k

Reyes loves his jacket but someone else doesn’t. Things go awry when someone asserts their opinions.

[amarmeme]

Zero-sum Gravida, CH 2

CH 2: The most natural thing in the world F!Reyder 3073 words CH 1 | Read on AO3

After the complete mess she’d left behind on Kadara, the tangles of Havarl were hardly a challenge for Casarra Ryder. While the orange creamsicle sun fell beneath the horizon, the Pathfinder sliced through a thicket of large, spiny plants in an effort to find the last piece of a broken spaceship. The lush plants were beautiful, their leaves tinged pink like ink leeching onto a page and a delicate appearance belied by a strength as tough as nails. Casarra smiled to herself while clearing back the overgrowth. It reminded her of Jaal, though the Angaran was less spiky than the flora native to his homeworld. With the oddity of Havarl’s ecosystem, these particular monocots would likely grow back fully in the next day. She still disliked hacking at their admirable efforts to reach the sun though.

Avitus Rix had asked her to do look for remnants from the Natanus, and while the effort seemed pointless, Casarra couldn’t deny the sentimentalism that clearly wracked the Turian’s heart. It would take a great deal of pain to affect a spectre’s judgement. She didn’t desire adding to it.

Determined, she cleared away the last bit of overgrowth with a strong swipe of the knife, muscles in her arm already tired from exertion. Scooting the fallen leaves out of the way with the tip of her boot, Casarra crouched down in the dirt. The worn metal disc was half buried in the ground, and she began to dig instead of fruitlessly tugging. The earth raked between her gloved fingertips was cool to the touch and the first thing that came to mind was a nice chilled bath. Perhaps with some flower petals and a bottle of wine, she thought. A trickle of sweat slid down the side of her face as if to punctuate her desire.

Casarra positioned herself for better leverage, attempting to yank the debris free. Suddenly, a nearly silent swoosh that sounded like a bird taking flight was followed by the spark of blue light off the metallic surface of the disc. Casarra looked back over her shoulder, reactions fine tuned by SAM’s presence, and gasped as a streak of plasma ripped through the thick, humid air, straight for her head. The disc came out of the ground at last, and the force her tugging suddenly uninhibited sent her stumbling backwards. In her fall, the metal was gripped so tight it threatened to split her palm clean open, despite the armored suit. Casarra realized almost painfully that a year ago, or really six hundred and one years ago, she would have been far too absorbed in work to react. The plasma bolt slammed into a tree trunk, leaving a sizzling, gaping hole. Without SAM, or the light reflecting off the useless piece of the ship, her head would have been sliced as cleanly as the Jaal-plant at her feet.

Casarra stumbled finding her gun, hand stinging with the bite of the disc. Before the mystery shooter could aim her up again, Peebee’s sing-song voice chimed in.

“I don’t think so!”

Ammo speeding through the barrel of the asari’s hand cannon sent a thrill of relief through Casarra. Her heartbeat pounding in her ears threatened to block out everything else, but SAM always helped amplify her surroundings. Usually cloying, having too many senses for a normal person, Casarra was grateful for the superhuman response now.

“You alright, Ryder?” asked Peebee.

The asari appeared in the frame of the large plant, two spikes on either side of her head. Her smile was crooked; her eyes glinted mischievously in the twilight. Casarra still sprawled, one hand drowning in a puddle of rainwater, the other clutching the disc to her chest like a precious child.

“Now that you're here, Peebs. Help me up?”

Casarra shifted, threw her dripping free hand aloft and blinked away stray droplets of water as they splashed in her face. Peebee ducked around the trailing leaves and grasped Casarra’s hand. She playfully yanked the Pathfinder to her feet, and on the way back up, Casarra’s heart jumped into her throat.

Casarra bent at the waist instinctively, hands coming to rest on her knees, the bruised one stinging sharply as she palmed her kneecaps. It felt as if bones shifted in her grasp as her legs grew weak, the friction and sliding doing nothing but driving her sudden nausea further. Her head swam, fragments of sound and light pushing in on her consciousness. Even SAM’s enhancements could do nothing to stop the inevitable. His disembodied voice was the only thing she could make out clearly, though if it was only in her own mind, she was too far gone to tell. She was caught in the spiral, rushing downward.

“You are losing consciousness, Pathfinder.”

Casarra woke to the gentle rushing of leaves, of alien grass tickling her cheek and Vetra hovering above her. She’d fainted once before in her life, twisting an ankle at a college party, causing far more commotion than necessary. Half the women hated her for the attention; the other half rushed to help. She’d met Emily that night.

The current situation promised to be just as dramatic. Casarra blinked slowly, clearing the cobwebs that were dragged out of the attic of her mind. There was no point in ruminating on the past; all those people were gone. It was a bitter truth, and one she was still getting to used to. Vetra sighed from above, mandibles flaring, and spoke into her comms.

“Peebee, where’s Lexi? I told you it would have been much faster if I’d gone.”

While Casarra couldn’t hear Peebee’s response, Vetra’s golden green eyes narrowed. It was clear enough what kind of retort the turian received.

Before altering her guardian, Casarra checked herself. Her fingers were chilled and tingled, the only indication that she hadn't just been taking a catnap in the middle of the wilderness. Taking a deep breath, she managed to perch on her elbows, drawing Vetra’s attention.

“You’re awake.” Vetra smiled down at Casarra, then spoke into her comms again. “Lexi, she’s up.”

Kneeling down, the turian pressed Casarra’s shoulders as she attempted to rise to her feet. Casarra knew she was fine; fainting was hardly a reason to grab Lexi off the ship. But Vetra kept her there until the two Asaris showed up.

Peebee took one glance at Casarra and teased Lexi. “Doc, she looks ready to go.” She winked at Casarra, who returned it in kind. This was far too much fuss for a little fainting spell.

Lexi frowned slightly, a delicate crease in her fine blue skin. “All the same, I would like to do a few tests, Ryder. Just to make sure you really are alright.”

“Really, Lexi, I’m fine.” Casarra looked back to Vetra. “Just tell her to let me up. You’d think I was made of porcelain.”

“You practically are,” Vetra said, poking Casarra’s cheek. “Then again, humans are so smushy.”

“Smushy?” Casarra laughed. “Sorry I’m not born with any natural body armor, but I do okay.”

“You fainted trying to stand up,” Vetra pointed out.

Casarra sighed, pushing away  Lexi’s hands. “Okay, enoughs enough. I’m really  fine.” To prove her point, Casarra sprung to her feet, much to the dismay of everyone but Peebee. The young Asari just smiled and cocked a hip.

“There’s remtech all over this place, Ryder. Let’s go find it.”

Casarra shifted the little disc that caused all the commotion in her grasp. It was battered and covered in dirt. Casarra felt very much the same. “No, I’m taking a bath and getting the sweat off of me.”

“I really recommend a few tests before you--”

Casarra cuffed Lexi on the shoulder, cutting her off. “Lexi, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. Besides, SAM would tell me if something’s wrong and he’s had nothing to say. Right, SAM?”

SAM didn’t immediately reply. An exaggerated pause was all it took for a creeping suspicion of doubt to rise over her skin. Perhaps something was wrong. SAM had been suspiciously quiet since she fainted.

When the AI did answer, the words echoed only in her head. Another worrisome sign. “Actually, Pathfinder there is a matter with which I need to discuss with you. I believe it best handled in private,” SAM advised.

Casarra blanched, looking away from the three figures examining her closely. She whispered a response to SAM under her breath. “Let’s go now then.”

“I agree, Pathfinder. I will tell Doctor T’Perro there is no cause for alarm.” SAM then switched back to speak to the group. “The Pathfinder experienced a slight loss of consciousness from a combination of lightheadedness and shock, Doctor. No additional tests are necessary at this time. I advise the best course of action is rest. The Pathfinder has not been sleeping well since Kadara.”

“Wow, thanks, SAM.” Casarra’s heart raced at the reminder of Kadara, not that she ever truly put it out of her mind. Most nights she tossed and turned, the Charlatan never far from her thoughts.

While a new storm was brewing inside Casarra, Lexi merely narrowed her eyes and accepted SAM’s assessment as fact.

“Okay, SAM. Ryder, you know you can come to me for more than just physical ailments. If you’re not sleeping well you should have let me know. I still want to see you, but it can wait until tomorrow. ”

“Okay,” Casarra said, nodding. “I will. I promise.”

A chill ran down her spine at the echo of Reyes Vidal’s words from her own lips. Weeks later and she was still impacted by him. Even though in scheme of her whole life they'd spent so little time together, he’d rubbed off on her completely. No doubt every wink would forever reminder her of him, sending a little jolt of regret, of longing for an alternate version of Reyes. One where he didn’t lie to her. She’d be watching the shadows for the rest of her life too.

With her thoughts fixated on dangerous territory, Casarra flagged her team to follow her back to the ship. She wanted nothing more than to sink into bed, close her eyes and forget about Reyes Vidal for a few hours. Perhaps whatever SAM had to say, given its level of severity, would help her accomplish that. She’d give anything for a distraction; even a medical one would be better than thinking about her ex.

If you could even call him that, she thought.

The trip to the Tempest was quick. Casarra pulled off her armor just as soon as she breached the ship’s airlock, stripping down to her tank and skivvies. None of her companions said anything about the fit of pique their leader seemed to be in. Peebee’s midriff baring ensemble was actually suitable for once in Havarl’s heat, and Vetra didn’t begrudge Casarra anything. Lexi simply strode past. For her part, Casarra really wanted to take that chilled bath, but the Tempest had no such luxuries. A cold shower would have to do, once SAM had his say, of course.

Armor stored away in her locker, Casarra walked down to her quarters. Surprisingly, no one else was in the hall. Everyone seemed to be off-ship or squared away out of sight.

“Okay, SAM, what’s going on?” Casarra waited for her automatic doors to part, cracking her knuckles, a terrible habit but one borne out of restlessness.

“I think you should sit down, Pathfinder.”

“Have you been watching hospital dramas again, SAM? When I said you needed to work on your bedside manner I didn’t mean that.”

“No Ryder. Given your recent ailment, I thought it prudent to take any precaution should the situation repeat itself.”

Casarra rolled her eyes, but sat down on the sectional opposite her desk. Somehow the AI managed to sound sassy, despite the monotone. “I’m sitting. What wouldn’t you say in front of the others?”

SAM took a moment, another pause, similar to earlier. Casarra was sick of pauses; she’d had enough dramatics for a lifetime. Before she could prompt him on, SAM spoke, the terminal at her desk flickering with the waves of his programmed voice.

“Your loss of consciousness was caused by a drop in blood pressure. While I’ve been regulating your cardiovascular and nervous systems, the sudden shock of the incident earlier activated the vagus nerve, widening the blood vessels. On top of the state of your current condition, I was unable to properly compensate for the loss of blood flow.”

“What do you mean by current condition?” She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, staring at the physical manifestation that represented the AI. “SAM?”

“You are pregnant.”

Despite her teasing before, Casarra suddenly appreciated SAM telling her to sit. If he hadn’t, her legs would have gone weak beneath her. Those were the absolute last three words she expected to hear. As it was, Casarra felt as if she was standing under that cold shower already, a shock of icy water running over her back, hairs raised on her arms. Her fingertips were numb again and she raised them up in front of her face. There was a mark on her palm from where she grasped the metal disc earlier. It had bruised through her suit.

“How did this happen?” Her voice was hollow, shell shocked.

“When you and Mr. Vidal engaged in--”

“No,” Casarra barked. She did not need a reminder of that. “I thought I couldn’t get p--,” she couldn’t even say the word. “That wasn’t supposed to be possible. Before we left, we all took the right medication.”

“When you took over control as Pathfinder I believe I may have overridden the procreation blockers in your system.”

“You may have or you did?” She started at the wavering blue ball of light on her desk. If she could have strangled SAM, she would have. She would even unplug him, if not for the direct line to SAM Node in her brain.

“I did. I should have researched the reason for the blockers’ existence. I take full responsibility for my part.”

“And you didn’t tell me about my own body because? It would have been nice to know I was fertile before he and I--”

Casarra choked down the words. Reyes had taken her here, in her ship, on this very spot. They’d been drinking, that stupid ancient whiskey, and it had been so easy. Nothing seemed more natural than what had happened next.

Isn’t pregnancy what they call the most natural thing in the world?

“I didn’t understand it to be a problem at the time. Not until after conception, and then I was able to see what I had done.”

She closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. Getting angry would solve for nothing. While SAM monitored her body for the purposes of being able to fight, to be more spatially aware and more capable than her opponents, he had no idea what it was like to be a woman. Women were expected to bear the consequences of being ill-prepared -- pregnancy was a woman’s condition, not a man’s. Of course an AI designed by a man would never fully grasp the implications of upgrading all systems upon integration. Wisftully, Casarra wondered what would have happened had SAM been a SAMANTHA.

It was completely dark in the Pathfinder’s quarters, save for the blue light of the AI’s terminal. The orb was still for some time, perhaps SAM was absorbing his errors fully, calculating for next time, logging this unfortunate situation in an attempt to never repeat his mistakes again. Eventually the warmth returned to Casarra’s limbs, though the frozen hold on her mind persisted. She could not think forward, or backward, only on the three words. You are pregnant.

Casarra thought the death of her father was the most monumental moment of her life. But this? This was a contender.

Iridescent blue waves of light flickered in the corner of her vision. SAM’s artificial voice was smooth, as always.

“You will remember, Pathfinder, what you said on Voeld. You had closed down the operations at the Kett facility.”

Casarra couldn’t remember anything she said on Voeld with the rush of this new information. Who cared about Voeld at a time like this? Besides, memories of Voeld were clouded with things SAM had said, still new to her head, reminding her about the temperature every chance he could get.

“Remind me,” she said.

“You said, ‘Look at the stars, SAM. Aren’t they marvellous? They’re formed with an exacting balance of forces, but they seem effortlessly beautiful up there.’”

It was surreal to hear her words parroted back to her from the AI; his memory was better than hers would ever be. They were all her memories though. Or were they partly his? She shook her head. The lines between where she ended and SAM began continued to blur, stepping over one another until they were a tangled mess.  And it would continue to tangle; in some ways, the child was a part of them both.

“And? What does that have to do with right now?” She rubbed her palm, where a fallen piece of spaceship had left a mark on her skin, saving her life. She looked down at hands. She felt removed, as if her hands were foreign, her life was not her own. Who was she? What was she doing here, now in this spaceship in the middle of an entirely different galaxy? Surely this wasn’t her life.

“I thought this new development would find you similarly, Ryder. Perhaps I still misunderstand. This situation is unheard of.”

She could have cried. Not from the AI finding beauty in the nature of the human condition, but for the fact that this was unheard of. She was the only woman pregnant in the whole of the Initiative, in the entirety of the human race, or at least in this galaxy. And the father? He was off in another system, orchestrating assassinations and lying to most everyone he knew. She bit her lip to keep from making a sound. The walls of the Tempest were not thick -- the extra weight it would take to insulate them hardly necessary. Today of all days she could have used it.

“Ryder, would you like me to contact Mr. Vidal?”

She did cry then, a few tears slipping out as she laughed, a bit off-balance. The child was better off having an AI as a father.AT least SAM admitted his mistakes.

SAM probably would be a more responsible father...

[acatinabox]

Ambrosia - Day 2

Reyes was distracted, browsing through the merchandise of a stall in Kadara Port market square. Angara, Turians, Krogans and Asari mercenaries were all around the place, trying to buy stuff that could be found only there. Kadara had many flaws but the good thing was that the Nexus kept a looser eye on regulations there, and it profited commerce, peace, and prosperity - greatly. While Sloane bred fear, the Charlatan inspired the certainty that if somebody adhered to the few rules of the Port – and paid taxes to the Collective, of course – they could consider themselves safe. The rules were simple enough: don’t mess with the Collective, or the Initiative, and don’t damage commerce. Those who disobeyed simply disappeared, sent to work on some rock in space and left there. Everything else was left unsaid, and this made room for the exchange of wares that weren’t allowed in other outposts, such as prototype weapons and biological samples. The Nexus and the Resistance looked for wares there as well, having a black market helped everyone. The taxes on commerce paid to the Collective were used in part to keep control of the city, in part to help the development of the place. People were sometimes stabbing each other in the alleys, but nobody was starving or overdosing on Oblivion anymore.

Reyes loved strolling in the beating heart of Kadara and observe, unnoticed, the fruit of his long, hard work. To see people of every species pulse, say profanities, be obscene in his city. It made him feel complete in a way he couldn’t describe and provided some sort of comfort from the anguish he bore within. His bronze skinned fingers were handling gently some kind of Angaran jelly conductor of sorts. He wasn’t particularly curious, but he needed a distraction. He couldn’t suppress his anxiety any longer, although the jelly helped, if only a little. He sighed. He knew he was hurting Shea by not speaking to her frankly about the elephant in the room, but he just couldn’t do it. How could he express it with words? He couldn’t, and he kissed it away at first, and at first, it was enough. But now things were starting to get serious and he couldn’t escape it any longer. She demanded that they talked, he could see it in her eyes. And she was right, of course, and she deserved it because she was precious, but he was just too scared. I love you, there, was it so hard, Reyes? It wasn’t just the words that scared him though, it was everything that they implied. And words weren’t enough for that. A house… Emma, what about Emma? Was he expected to be a father to her, when he barely knew his? How could it even work? He couldn’t even start to hope for that kind of happiness. He sighed again, shaking his head. Shea would probably know how to deal with this. She was so composed and invested and sure about what she felt and he wasn’t even sure about what to eat for dinner. His only certainties in life were whisky and his shuttle. He didn’t even consider the Collective his own, not for long anyway, how could he know how long it would last? Any attempt at a serious relationship with him was doomed to fail, and he couldn’t bear to stand her disappointed look again. He wanted to be the man she thought he was, but he simply wasn’t. He was deluding himself by trying and disappointing everyone else around him in the process. He wanted to give her – and Emma – something better, someone better, someone they deserved.

“Still wound-up in gloomy thoughts?” said Keema from the other side of the stall. He raised his gaze, she was enveloped in a lavender veil that covered her face enough to grant her a temporary anonymity. He shook away the jelly from his hand and moved away, followed by his Angaran friend.

“Have you found the info I asked you for?” he demanded, impatient, turning his back to her.

“You were more talkative the other day” she commented, amused, moving to his side “did you and Shea have a fight?”.

Reyes bit his lower lip, annoyed “We didn’t” he said, “can we act like the shady criminals we are, for once?”.

She chuckled handling him a datapad from under her tunic “I don’t know the content, I haven’t had time to browse it. It just arrived” she said touching his arm in an affectionate gesture “Do you really want to take this matter directly into your hands? It seems trivial”. He shook his head, unconvinced.

“They started taking Initiative personnel” he answered irritated “if we let this go it might send the wrong message”.

“She will be fine” commented Keema, with a knowing smile.

“I cannot risk it,” he said, before leaving.

He went quickly to his apartment in upper Kadara, to change clothes. The datapad was clear enough: as he suspected all the people who disappeared had one common characteristic. They all started frequenting Ambrosia, the new club in lower Kadara. Kian was complaining constantly about the recently opened competition, but there was nothing he could do without raising too many eyebrows – until now. He needed proof though, and information. He wore some neat white shirt and dark trousers, what you would wear in a fancy new club to hit ladies and gentlemen alike. He rapidly smoothed back a few strands of hair with his hands and tossed the datapad on his bed. The ride to lower Kadara was infinite as usual. While descending to the slums, he could see the Tempest resting in the docks. He wondered if Shea started to resent his coldness if he was losing her already. Before heading to Ambrosia he went to his Tartarus room to leave back his omni-tool. He knew that as a rule, they didn’t accept them in.

Ambrosia had a strange allure. Its walls were made of a dark, smooth metal, and the signs outside it were purple. A bouncer was waiting outside, bored, attending a long, inevitable, queue. Over the door, a camera, to observe those who approached the building.

“Name?” asked the Krogan, a foot or so taller than him, definitely bulky.

“Reyes Vidal” he answered, waving his hands dramatically.

“Ah, the smuggler. You’re not on the list” he said back, after checking a datapad he kept in his hands. Of course there was a list, there was always a list.

“Look buddy” he started, winking at the camera that was on top of the entrance door. “Can’t we arrange something? I can spare a few extra credits to get in”.

The Krogan nodded at the camera and then went silent. He was probably listening to a conversation through an earbud of sorts. He looked like Shea when she was listening to SAM on their private channel. As much as a Krogan could look like the most beautiful creature of the Universe, that is.

“You’re a lucky bastard,” the bouncer said, after a few seconds “you can go in. No omni-tool?”.

“No omni-tool” he repeated showing him his arms. The bouncer scanned him to check and he didn’t even have the time to say more: the Krogan pushed him in.