#horse girl kaidan

[powdermelonkeg]

Assorted headcanons about my current Team Dragonborn:

Lydia Iron-Forged:

Former Companion, left after being invited into the Circle

Serious to a fault—a fan of deadpan humor, to the point where you often can’t tell if she’s actually joking

Older sister ran off to join the Stormcloaks, carries an amulet of Talos that was sent home shortly after

Can lift a werewolf if she really tries

Likes her mead with snowberries

The kind of drunk that laughs at everyone and everything. Tally thinks it’s an unsettling change

Practices, either with sparring or with forms, her swordplay just before dawn

Has a soft spot for horses, uses them as a litmus test—good people always take care of their animals

Can cook, mostly hunts for her own meals. Makes a good hearty stew

Sword is named “Stormblight,” enchanted with shocks. Was a gift from her father, bought off a Khajiit caravan

Has a scar on the back of her neck from a fight with a troll

Mikael used to pick on her when she was a little girl. Her sister taught her how to punch to break noses, and Mikael’s nose hasn’t been straight since. She’s the one woman he won’t flirt with

Bisexual, with a preference for Ysolda women

Kaidan (of Northwind):

Once had an affair with a young noblewoman named Isabel. She got engaged to the count of Bravil, so he tried stealing her away and was thrown in the dungeon for it. Paid the fine, was going to serve sentence (40 lashes), but Isabel got in the way of one and stopped the whole thing. She didn’t say anything else except to tell him to leave. She still has a scar on her cheek

A thrill-seeker, though won’t admit it. Takes vampire contracts for the rush of adrenaline

The tattoo on his face marks him as blood-kin to the Orcs

Has a faded lightning-pattern scar spread across his back, beneath the newer interrogation lashes. Rosalind gave it to him

Could learn a shout if he really, really tried for it. Not as easily as the LDB, but in a vastly shorter time than the Greybeards (as per the Akaviri Dossier). Would learn Aura Whisper (Laas Yah Nir) if given the chance

Can follow being read to much more easily than reading. Not that he can’t read, just prefers a voice—pages blend together after awhile

Very much a “hold my beer” kind of drunk. Don’t tell him he can’t do anything or try to show off in front of him

Does scrimshaw to burn extra stress, especially after a nightmare. Tries to make his work useful in some way (ie a horn, some cups, a knife, etc)

Sells his scrimshaw in between contracts

Gets tense and snappy from moon sugar withdrawal

Caryalind Thallery:

Wears gold lipstick when in town. It’s very subtle and usually only noticeable to fellow Altmer

Is a slow morning person—the kind to wake up early, but spend the next hour basking in morning sunlight in a silk robe with a coffee

Skyrim’s air is NOT good for his curly hair. Whenever he can manage it, he scrounges up some septims and stops by the caravans to see if there’s any orange oil in stock. He always smells faintly of oranges

Whenever Cary senses magicka, he immediately goes on high alert, even if it’s just Restoration

Cary got a handful of threatening/hateful letters as prince, and kept them, feeling terrible and not as if he should be allowed to throw them away. His friend back home (Termia) found them one day and convinced him to burn them with her

His hair is soft. Very soft. Feather-down soft. Yes, it’s natural

His calian (sphere of aetherquartz that denotes his place in Altmer society) is clear magicka blue, the size of a clementine, and has translucent etchings of his birthsign’s stars set in it. Sometimes he almost laughs at the irony

Taliesin (alias):

He used to write up letters on the field about things he’d seen to send to his sisters. Couriers were sparse, so sometimes he’d wind up sending 5 at once because he’d been holding on to them. He keeps them in his robe, next to his chest

He had a packet of letters on his person when the Talos Shrine incident happened. They got bled through

He still writes sometimes, even though he might never be able to send them

He once swiped the head Justiciar’s hood and pretended to be him to amuse his colleagues. Said justiciar walked in on it

He will judge you SO HARD if you eat dog meat. No it’s not the same as when he eats slaughterfish, slaughterfish at least have the decency not to slobber everywhere!

A decent cook, if only because he got tired of having to special request everything

Very intelligent. Not in the sense of book smarts (though he does have those), but he has an uncanny knack for reading the room and gauging reactions—part of it is to be of service to whatever his current task is (knowing when someone is about to run, playing good cop/bad cop with other agents) but the majority is because he had to learn how to read his father’s bad moods

Pays extremely close attention to how his friends react to others’ mistakes. Especially mistakes he has in common with them. What’s the difference between his past and Paarthurnax’s? Kaidan’s? Caryalind’s? Bonus points, this means you can gain his trust more effectively by treating people besides him well

His jokes and wit double as a litmus test. When he meets someone, it’s to test how much of a pain they are to get along with. Past that, it’s his subtle way of checking in; if someone who normally laughs at him is annoyed, or someone who’s usually annoyed doesn’t react, something’s wrong

Complains because it’s cathartic and misery loves company

Has a few dragon scales in his pocket once he starts traveling with the LDB. It’s to show his sisters if he ever sees them again

Accidentally acquired a taste for firebrand wine—Summerset cuisine is notoriously delicate, so drinking firebrand was the “cinnamon challenge” in the Solitude Thalmor ranks. Naturally he wanted to show off and one-up everyone

Like Kaidan, is a “hold my beer” kind of drunk. If the two get drunk together, they’ll keep one-upping each other until they either black out or are physically separated

Never learned how to swim because when he was little, his father deadpan-joked about maormer in the water kidnapping altmer that didn’t behave. He avoided deep water like the plague, then never remedied it when he got older

Calian is milky-rose quartz, big as a gooseberry. It got chipped once on the field; after repairing it, he’s padded its box with as much cotton as he can get

An absolute ace at card games, and decent at dice. Won his horse in a game of cards. Loves her to death and spoils her

Has a lovely voice but makes you earn it. Favorite song to sing is “Star-Eyed Bride of Alinor”

Very much an “I told you so” kind of person, takes it to the point of “Oh, I was right? What was I right about? Speak up, my pointy ears can’t detect your whispers of shame.”

[wellthebardsdead]

Shamat: *smiling through tears as he slides the wedding ring on Kaidans finger and trying to hold his shaking hands still as the swordsman slides the other onto his* Were married.

Kaidan: aye, I’m a married man, I never thought I’d have happiness like this in my life- I-

Shamat: *tears pouring down his face as he holds his husbands hands* neither did I, y-you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me Kaidan, my love…

Kaidan: *smiles and pulls him in close kissing him softly* and you’re the best thing to me too my darling… *lifts him up and carries him to his horse* I’ve got a surprise for you. *places him on the saddle and climbs up behind him, holding him for the ride through the rift and to a little cottage by ivarstead* surprise.

Shamat: what did you? You? For us?

Kaidan: Aye, I figured it’d be a perfect honeymoon location, and a safe haven for us if we’re ever in the area on our travels. *slides off the horse and pulls him down into his arms*

Shamat: it’s lovely… *leans into him* …So are you going to carry me across the threshold or am I carrying you- haha! *laughs as Kaidan scoops him up carrying him inside*

———

“Nerevar don’t- please- why aren’t you listening to me- help me! Get me out of here- the heart it’s so loud- it’s so loud I can’t fight it- help me- help me!”

Shamat: whose saying that?… I? Where am I?

“No! Nerevar please don’t! Don’t kill me! I’m your friend! Please please!!”

Shamat: nerevar? *blinks and suddenly sees through the eyes of another* lord nerevar? What’s he-? This place? I’m inside? Red mountain?…

Nerevar: Your oath was to guard these tools for me Voryn, and you betrayed me by using them on the heart!

“No I didn’t! I didn’t want to- please it’s making me! I can’t fight it! Please! Get me away from here!”

Shamat: that voice? Voryn Dagoth? He?… sounds like me?… why isn’t nerevar responding to him though?…

Nerevar: You broke your oath to me, to house dagoth, to the chimer people! We drew the blood of our dwemer brothers to stop them from abusing this power and this act is a foul betrayal to all of us!! You die today Voryn Dagoth!!

“NO PLEASE!! NO!!”

———

Shamat: *sits up right gasping for air, his body feeling like it’s on fire and his head pounding like a drum, the last image in his mind a sword aimed for his chest* I- I…

Kaidan: *jumps a little hearing his husband stir* Love?… what’s wrong?… another nightmare?…

Shamat: *looks down at him, the odd birthmark on his forehead almost glowing as red as his eyes* I- I think- I?…

Kaidan: *sits up and pulls him into his arms* shhh, it’s okay, it was just a nightmare… it can’t hurt you…

Shamat: *cant speak, doesn’t even know what to say or how to explain it, just whimpers and cries into his husbands chest*

*Meanwhile in whiterun*

Taliesin: I’m still mad they wouldn’t let us come along for the wedding.

Caryalind: Now now, Shamat wanted something small and intimate between him and Kaidan, we can always have a party for them when they get back.

Khash: *pouting* I wanted to be the flower girl.

Lucien: you still can be Khash, well have a second wedding here for them.

Inigo: *smiles* heh, technically their third following the evening with the goat. *ear twitching catching a conversation at the bar* hm?…

Hooded Figure: *seated at the counter* I’m looking for a fellow I tracked to this city, a dunmer, dark hair, red eyes, and a strange birth mark on his forehead.

Hulda: Oh the dragonborn? *pulls out a notepad and a pencil* if you’re needing a job done just write it down and I’ll pass the message onto him.

Hooded Figure: Dragonborn huh?… My Voryn… you have been busy indeed…

Inigo: *claws growing and ears pinning back*

Lucien: inigo?…

Inigo: …I think I’ve identified a Threat, to our friend…

[sundove88]

Here are more stories:

Parasyte: A Hand in Need (The Girl Without Hands)

Yuki Yuna is A Hero: Petals of Promise (The Chrysanthemum Vow)

Berserk: A Test of Courage (The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Learn What Fear Was)

Guilty Crown: A Weightless Dance (The Light Princess)

Lyrical Nanoha: What Lies Within (Riquet of The Tuft)

Beyblade: A Tail of Deceit (Tamamo No Mae)

Aikatsu: Lady Loyals (The Twelve Huntsmen)

Mob Psycho 100: Path of The Hero (The Bold Knight, Apples of Youth, and Water of Life)

Clannad: Falling Cosmos (The Star Money)

Azumanga Daioh: Horsing Around (The Magic Horse)

Free! Iwatobi Swim Club: Hidden Depths (Tokoyo and The Sea Monster)

Lucky Star: Unbearably Adorable (Masha and The Bear)

Toradora: Scaled Up (The Snake Prince)

K-ON: Ballad of Monoceros (The Fair Maiden and The Snow White Unicorn)

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: Dragon of The Alps (Heidi, Girl of The Alps)

Samurai Champloo: A Little Bravery (Issun Boshi)

The Rising of The Shield Hero: An Unlikely Journey (The Traveling Companion)

Corpse Party: Revenge of The Ronin’s Bride (Yotsuya Kaidan)

Hetalia: The Vacation of All Vacations (Around The World in 80 Days)

Pop Team Epic: The Perfect Storm (The Sun and The Wind)

Digimon: Frog Wild (Tiddalick,The Thirsty Frog)

Yuri on Ice: Cold Reception (Mother Holle)

Crayon Shin Chan: Luck of The Mooner (Hans in Luck)

Belle/Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime: A Love For Music (Eros and Psyche)

Fist of The North Star: A Warrior in Emerald Armor (Sir Gawain and The Green Knight)

Shugo Chara: Golden Eggs, Golden Hearts (The Goose That Laid The Golden Eggs)

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day: Bravery Beneath The Hood (Tatterhood)

Your Lie in April: Song of Determination (Orpheus and Eurydice)

Osomatsu San: Uncharted and Unknown (Sinbad)

Inazuma Eleven: A Game of Courage (The Wolf and The 7 Little Goats)

Little Witch Academia: Toil and Trouble (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)

Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt: The Puppet’s Secret (Coppelia)

Akira: Thread of Destiny (Theseus)

Elfen Lied: Spiritual Bonds (Giselle)

Angel Beats: A Matter of Love, Life, and Death (Romeo and Juliet)

Higurashi When They Cry: Crimson Escape (The Robber Bridegroom)

Ghost Stories: Scary Fairies (Fairer Than a Fairy)

Samurai Pizza Cats: Sneaky Yet Skillful (Clever Gretel)

I Want to Eat Your Pancreas: Leaves of Resilience (The Last Leaf)

Monster: Feline Instincts (Belling The Cat)

Chihayafuru: Blades of Determination (Ushiwakamaru)

To Love Ru: Stone Beauty (Pygmalion)

Usagi Drop: Someone To Help (The Little Red Hen)

Death Parade: Grim Charity (Godfather Death)

Violet Evergarden: The Path of One’s Will (Tam Lin)

Trigun: A Test of Loyalty (The 3 Snake Leaves)

Made in Abyss: Little Hands, Big Changes (The Ants and The Grasshopper)

Baccano: Forgiveness is Divine (Les Miserables)

Symphogear: The Beauty of Mistakes (Bright, Deardeer, and Kit/The Story of Blondine, Bonne-Biche, and Beau Minon)

The Prince of Tennis: A Little Big Match (Gulliver in Lilliput)

Perfect Blue: Web of Perfection (Arachne)

Is The Order a Rabbit: Spinning Up a Plan (The Three Spinners)

Komi Can’t Communicate: Heiress in Disguise (Costanza/Costanzo)

Summer Wars: True Treasure (Treasure Island)

Houseki No Kuni: Set in Stone (The Stonecutter)

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End: Rose of Destiny (The Little Prince)

Date A Live: Til Sabotage Do Us Part (The White Bride and The Black One)

Nura: Rise of The Yokai Clan: Melon Madness (Urikohime)

My Dress Up Darling: Very Fairy Fashion (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Yona of The Dawn: Swallowtail (Why The Swallow’s Tail is Forked)

Maid Sama: The Value of Effort (The Diligent Girl and The Lazy Girl)

Lum Invader: Extraterrestrial Assistance (Androcles and The Lion)

Darling in The Franxxx: Self Love Too Far (Echo and Narcissus)

Midori no Makibao: The Heart of A Champion (Black Beauty)

The Saga of Tanya The Evil: Metallic Entrapment (The Iron Stove)

Wedding Peach: Something Sunny, Something Moony, and Something Starry (The True Sweethearts)

Weathering With You: Into The Eye of The Storm (The Legend of Rain, Thunder, and Lightning (A Cambodian Legend))

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K: The Falling Sky (Chicken Little/Henny Penny)

High School DxD: A Bad Case of Beauty Sleep (Sun, Moon, and Talia (The Original Sleeping Beauty))

Introducing Anime Ever After!!

Ever wanted to experience classic fairytales but through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime?

Well, Anime Ever After is for you!!

Synopsis: An anthropology of famous stories from around the world retold through the lens of legendary and lesser known anime, with modern twists, turns, and lessons about. From the depths of the sea in DBZ: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid) to the realm beyond the clouds in One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk), this ever expanding treasury of tales has something for everyone.

Framing Device: An anime loving teenager is telling classic fairytales to the kids they babysit as bedtime stories- with a twist!

Side Note: Nursery Rhymes being adapted is more for Shrek. So they won’t be here- sorry about that. But they do a good job at it. This anthology is meant for readers 12 and up, due to some of the themes in some of the stories.

Btw, look for the posts that have anime ever after on them as one of their tags. Here’s the list of tales (So Far):

Dragon Ball Z: Waves of Freedom (The Little Mermaid)

My Hero Academia: Heart of Glass (Cinderella)

Attack on Titan: Red Hood (Little Red Riding Hood)

One Piece: Beyond The Sky (Jack and The Beanstalk)

Naruto: Sleeping Shadow (Sleeping Beauty)

Sword Art Online: The Match Player (The Little Match Girl)

FullMetal Alchemist: Iron Wolves (The 3 Little Pigs)

Fairy Tail: Mirrors of Deceit (Snow White)

Inuyasha: Soul of The Beast (Beauty and The Beast)

Bleach: Brushes of Fate (The Magic Paintbrush)

Fruits Basket: The 12 Dancing Zodiacs (12 Dancing Princesses)

Black Clover: The Frog Knight (The Frog Prince)

Hunter X Hunter: Spreading Your Wings (The Ugly Duckling)

Demon Slayer: Demon of The Northern Wind (The Snow Queen)

Black Butler: Beyond The Tower (Rapunzel)

Yu Yu Hakusho: Sweet Temptation (Hansel and Gretel)

Doraemon; Fearless Feline (Puss in Boots)

Gintama: Peachy Keen (Momotaro)

Sailor Moon: Lady of The Waxing Moon (Princess Kaguya)

Haikyuu: Bear-ly Faltering (Snow White and Rose Red)

Railgun: Little Warriors, Big Impacts (Thumbelina)

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All That Glitters (Rumplestiltskin)

Yu Gi Oh: Diamond in The Rough (Aladdin)

Konosuba: The Royal Test (The Princess and The Pea)

Tokyo Ghoul: The Crimson Amulet (The Red Shoes)

Akame Ga Kill: Fashion Gambit (The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Ouran High School Host Club: Wings of Perseverance (The Wild Swans)

Rurouni Kenshin: The Ronin’s Trials (The Steadfast Tin Soldier)

Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan: Cage of Steel, Heart of Platinum (The Nightingale)

Cowboy Bebop: Written in The Stars (The Weaver Girl and The Cowherd)

Death Note: The Golden Pen (King Midas)

Neon Genesis Evangelion: No Strings Attached (Pinocchio)

Fate: The Chosen Sword (King Arthur)

BanG Dream!: Melody of Deceit (The Pied Piper)

Code Geass: The Princess and The Pig Man (The Swineherd)

Jujitsu Kaisen: The Light Within (The Buried Moon)

Blue Exorcist: Blazing Bonds (The Firebird)

Spy X Family: Secret of The Statue (The Happy Prince)

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic: The Enchanted Key (Alibaba and The 40 Thieves)

Re:Zero: Gilded Feathers (The Golden Goose)

Saint Seiya: Divine Trials and Godly Tribulations (The 12 Labors of Hercules)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya: Claws of Gold, Hearts of Gold (Goldilocks and The 3 Bears)

One Punch Man: A Hero’s Humility (King Thrushbeard)

Future Diary: Wishful Obsession (The Fisherman and His Wife)

Sket Dance: A Tale of Three Tricksters (The 3 Billy Goats Gruff)

Precure (All seasons): The Sweetest Holiday Ever (The Nutcracker)

Food Wars: A Recipe For Courage (The Brave Little Tailor)

Spice and Wolf: Against All Odds (The Princess on The Glass Hill)

Noragami: Stolen Sun (Amaterasu and The Cave)

Monogatari: Secret Confidants (The Elves and The Shoemaker)

Steins;Gate: Azure Secrets (Bluebeard)

Tokyo Revengers: Neverlanding, Never Faltering (Peter Pan)

The Promised Neverland: Emerald Truths (The Wizard of Oz)

Toriko: Sweet Pursuit (The Gingerbread Man)

Kill La Kill: A Royal Mix Up (The Prince and The Pauper)

World Trigger: The Silent Springtime (The Selfish Giant)

The Seven Deadly Sins: Curse of Shade and Malice (The Shadow)

Cardcaptor Sakura: Salt and Sugar (The Salt Princess/Cap O Rushes)

Assassination Classroom: Honeyed Words (Diamonds and Toads)

Way of The House Husband: Out of The Cage (Jorinda and Joringel)

Danganronpa The Animation (It covers all the games): Makoto in Wonderland (Alice in Wonderland)

D Gray Man: Song of The Sparkling Swan (Swan Lake)

Persona 5 The Animation: Way Down We Go (Hades and Persephone)

Soul Eater: United We Stand (The Six Who Went Far)

Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The 5 Magical Musketeers (The 3 Musketeers)

Aggretsuko: Four Man Band (The Bremen Town Musicians)

Tokyo Godfathers: A Holiday Journey (A Christmas Carol)

Revolutionary Girl Utena: Emotions Set Free (The Princess Who Never Smiled)

Sonic X: True, Blue, and Noble (Hans The Hedgehog)

Magiknight Rayearth: Noble Flame, Changing Tide, and Guiding Wind (The 3 Princesses of Whiteland)

A Silent Voice: Beyond All Boundaries (East of The Sun, West of The Moon)

A Whisker Away: A Feline Fairytale (The White Cat)

Your Name: A Little Bird Told Me (The Singing, Springing, Lark)

Love Live: A Fateful Adventure (Journey to The West)

Captain Tsubasa: Winging It (The Seven Ravens)

The Ancient Magus Bride: Entrapped Beauty (The Lindworm)

Overlord: Seeds of Trust (The Juniper Tree)

Delicious in Dungeon: Cooking Up Trouble (The Magic Porridge Pot)

Medaka Box: The Truth Above All (The Goose Girl)

Chainsaw Man: Demonic Assistance (The Golden Bird)

Taikobo: Legend of The Lost Kingdom (Urashima Taro)

Revue Starlight: Masked Secrets (Phantom of The Opera)

Ginga: Nagareboshi Gin: Path of The Canine (The Boy Who Cried Wolf)

Dr. Stone: Into The Wilderness (The Jungle Book)

Fire Force: The Flames of Charity (Robin Hood)

Shaman King: Mystery of The Marsh (The Marsh King’s Daughter)

Rave Master: Cloak of Secrets (Donkeyskin/Many Furs)

Ranma 1/2: Loyal, Brave, and True (Mulan)

Karakuri Circus: The House Within The Woods (Vasilisa The Brave and Beautiful)

Devilman Crybaby: Three Hairs of Gold (The Devil With 3 Golden Hairs)

The Irregular at Magic High School: Ring of Enchantments (The Bronze Ring)

Bobobo: One Hairy Tale (Prince Hyacinth)

Shakugan No Shana: Three Dogs, Three Heroes (The Tinderbox)

Nisekoi: Yellow With Affection (The Yellow Dwarf)

Kaiju No. 8: Don’t Get Salty (Why The Sea is Salty)

Kinnikuman: A Mission in Patience (The Tortoise and The Hare)

Oshi No Ko: The Price of Stardom (Little Brother and Little Sister)

Case Closed: Stolen Hearts and Stolen Fortunes (The Master Thief)

Pokemon The Series: An Electrifying Rescue (The Lion and The Mouse)

Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Animation: A Tale of a Thousand and One Nights (1,001 Arabian Nights)

Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Ribbiting Adventure (The Frog Princess)

Dr. Slump: A Quacktastic Journey (Drakestail)

Katekyo Hitman Reborn: Windows to The Soul (One Eyes, Two Eyes, Three Eyes)

Kochikame: From Faux to Genuine (Don Quixote)

Yo-Kai Watch: Cat Artist Unknown (The Boy Who Drew Cats)

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War: To Love and To Be Loved (Turandot)

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Feathers of Joy (The Blue Bird)

DanMachi: Forgotten Evil Unleashed (Pandora’s Box)

Hellsing Ultimate: Blood Ties (Dracula)

Claymore: The Monster Unleashed (Frankenstein)

Thanks to @sam-rexian and @crystallinedreamsfinelypowdered for helping with some of these!

[arsonwithgojo]

snippet sunday

I was tagged by @cwahsont​ to do a snippet sunday, so I think I’ll (belatedly because that’s how I am) share a piece that never made it into Wolves  ^-^  I wasn’t sure anyone would care about Fox chatting up a random guard that I had no plans for other than to show her starting to sway the guards of Whiterun in her favor.  So anyways, I cut the following, but it would have fit in Chapter 22, right after Lucien calls Kaidan a teddy bear.  (team dragonborn arriving in Riverwood right after BleakFalls)

I tag @tastelessforestdragon​ and whoever else would like to share stuff!

~~~~~ 

Late afternoon finds us in the guards' training yard, somehow looking like a respectable team of adventurers.  The damaged plates of Kaidan’s armor have been replaced with fresh steel and Lucien looks almost battle ready in his new leather armor, complete with a shield strapped to his back - or at least he would look battle ready if it wasn’t for his giggling as he haphazardly swings his new sword back and forth at a pell under Kaidan’s direction.

“Well look what the cat dragged in!  If it isn’t my favorite dragon hunter,” says a familiar voice as a guard emerges from the stable next to the yard. “Glad to see you’re still in one piece!”

“And if it isn’t my favorite blue eyed guard,” I grin, recognizing him from the inn and more than a little pleased that he seems to remember me so fondly.  “Glad to see your town’s still in one piece.”

“Barely.  I’ve never had charge of such a drunken, disorderly lot.  If someone isn’t brawling in the streets, there’s a drunkard drawing his name in piss on our door.  Even had to break up Camilla and the smith’s wife yesterday.”

I laugh at that, “I do remember Camilla being a little excitable.  She’s certainly a girl who knows what she wants.”

“Yeah and what she wants is the attention of every man within a five mile radius, married or not.  I think you might have been the only woman I’ve ever seen calm her down.”

“I’m pretty good with that kind of thing.”

“Pretty good with flirting, you mean,” he counters, giving me a playful grin and a nudge as we stand side by side and watch the training together.  “I saw.  Felt a little left out though.”

“Well, maybe you need to get better at flirting yourself,” I laugh again, enjoying the banter.  “Your pickup line was to buy me a drink when I already had one in hand.”

“Not all of us have a honeyed tongue like yours.  Maybe you could show me a few tricks,” he fires back.

“You know what, I take it back,” I smirk, looking him up and down.  He’s in uniform, a rugged and well fitted light armor of leather and chainmail, with the dark yellow sash signifying a guard of Whiterun Hold.  His helmet is held under his arm, showing off his short, messy hair, much darker than the average Nord, almost a dusky chestnut.  He’s, well, there’s no denying he’s attractive with his impish smile and laughing eyes and I’m very certain he knows it.  “I'm starting to think you are actually extremely good with flirting.  Did you use a bad line just so I'd think you were harmless?  Good lord, your marks probably don't even know what hit them until you’ve already got them wrapped around your finger.”

“Normally, but my latest mark is giving me a bit of trouble,” he laughs, easing back into friendliness.  He nods at Kaidan and Lucien, now working on how to hold the shield properly.  “Your boss looks like he picked up a new protégé.  Wouldn’t mind having someone like you joining up with us then if you’re interested.  I’ve got fighters aplenty, but the job is mostly deescalating confrontations.  Something a lot of our recruits don’t understand - but a skill you seem to have in spades.”

“Tempting, but we’re already on a job.”

“I heard.  Some mission up to Bleak Falls to get a fancy rock.  I had half a mind to send a guard or two with you, or even go myself.  No offense, but you’re built like a bird.”

“A hawk?”

“A sparrow.”

“Thanks a lot,” I laugh.  “If you’re done hitting on me or making fun of me, maybe you could bring out our horses.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he grins again, motioning for me to follow him inside the stable, “you’re just enjoyable to talk with.  And I admit I’ve been worried my indecision might have led to something bad happening to you up at the barrow.  I’m not usually one to question the Jarl, but I couldn’t believe he sent just the two of you up there on your own.  Either your boss is every bit the warrior he looks or you’re a lot tougher than you look.”

“She is.”

We both turn around and find Kaidan has followed us into the stable.  And looking past him, I can see Lucien on the ground outside struggling to do a push up.

The guard, for his part, seems eager to finally have a chance to talk to Kaidan, “I’m sure she is or she wouldn’t be here.  How was it in there?”

“About what you’d expect.  Every nasty manner of man and monster, but she held her own.  Even saved my life in fact.”

“Saved your life?” the guard looks back at me, surprised.

Our conversation is cut short by the sudden kicking of hooves against a stall door and a loud snorting.  Following the guard leads us to a massive, black warhorse, looking absurdly oversized in the standard size stall.

“That’s…” Kaidan starts, his voice softer and more gentle than I think I've ever heard it.  “How much for that horse?”

“More than you can afford.  It’s meant as a stud for the Jarl’s horses.  I’m just holding it till they take it to the stables outside the city.  Besides, it’s a nasty piece of work,” he adds as another kick shakes the wooden stall door.  “One of ours is laid up in bed with some broken ribs from a kick this morning.  Lucky he wasn’t killed.”

“How much?” I ask, echoing Kaidan’s question and noticing the stillness in his features and the clenched fist betraying that stillness.  He did say he had a horse before the prison…

“I bought it off the Thalmor for two thousand, but it’s worth twice that.”

We don’t have anything near that amount.  We might be able to scrape together eight hundred if we sell off a few things… “How much for me to buy it?”

The guard laughs, “You think I should give you a special rate?”

“I thought I was your favorite dragon hunter.”

“Well, yes, but I can’t just write off a loss of two thousand gold to make a pretty woman smile,” he says, oddly looking almost frustrated that he can’t just let me have my way.

That’s good.  He’s loyal to his duty, but it seems like the challenge of finding my favor might come in a close second.  Again, it seems extremely strange that he’s so eager and that I made such an impression on him, but I’m not going to question my luck.  Now I just need to figure out what he responds to… he said he enjoys my conversation and he’s very quick witted… maybe he’s just bored and enjoys the dance my conversation provides.  …I think I’ll just throw everything at him at once then and see who dances better.

“You wouldn’t need to.  The Jarl will cover all two thousand,” I begin.

“The Jarl is just going to give you two thousand gold?  I find that highly unlikely.  If I take your word and it ends up coming back to bite me in the arse, it'll be a demotion if not worse.”

“He’ll pay if he wants his rock.  And I’m sure he does because it’s needed to help fight the dragons.  It’s up to you though.  I can ask by courier and we can sit here for a few days and wait for an answer while the dragons burn down another village, possibly this one.  Or, I can finish our quest and ride into Whiterun tonight on the back of that stallion.”

“You’d let Riverwood burn to have this horse?”

“No, but it sounds like you would.”

“Fucking hell.  Look I can’t just…”

Another kick splinters the door of the stall as the horse continues to snort and toss its head.  And the next moment, Kaidan’s inside the stall, whispering something too low to catch.  Slowly, the horse quiets enough that Kaidan can get in closer, stroking its neck as he continues to talk to it.  And… it wickers, nuzzling into his neck and blowing at his hair.

I’m almost positive now.  “Look, this was his horse.  It was stolen and we’d like it back."

"That's not my problem."

“The destruction it's wreaking on that door is.  How much will it be to fix that?  And once Kaidan’s gone, who knows how that horse will react?  Maybe you’ll need to rebuild the entire stable.”

“It wasn’t kicking down the door till he got in here.  The stallion’s wild, but I’m very good at gentling wild animals.”

“I hope so, because I imagine you’ll be out a lot more than two thousand if you’re not.  Or… we’re borrowing the Jarl’s horses anyway.  Let us borrow this one.  Your stable remains intact, and we either drop the horse at Pelagia Farm ourselves or we return in a few days with the money."

"And suppose you run off with it?"

"Do I look like a bandit?  If my word is so worthless to you, I’ve got collateral.  We’ve got an original Nordic dragon claw, silver and sapphire, worth at least five hundred gold on its own, and it supposedly unlocks a small fortune in a barrow over in Ivarstead.”

He answers slower this time, "Maybe… give me a moment to think."

Nope, I want to keep the momentum.  "Please?  Anything else you want too, just name it."  I'm well aware of how to tilt my head, the seemingly worried little bite of my lower lip that just happens to draw attention to my mouth, just how much of a subtle pout and batting of eyes I can get away with before it's obvious what I'm doing.

“Fucking hell,” he repeats again, definitely eyeing my lips as he runs a hand back through his hair, “did you actually fight monsters in that barrow or did you just ask them to keel over and they listened?  I know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Is it working?” I ask, my pout now something a little more mischievous with the hint of a grin and a raised eyebrow.

“You can borrow the damn horse.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that, though you might get more if you keep making that face," he smirks, looking me up and down.  "It seems I completely misjudged who the leader of your group is."

“Thank you,” I smile, not a flirting one or some lighthearted grin, but a real smile. “I don’t think I caught your name?”

“Lieutenant Erich Emberson, Ma’am.”

“Alexandria.”

He smiles, “Alexandria.  I’ll watch for your return then.”

“Kaidan?” I ask.

“Aye?” he answers, still focused on looking over the horse… no, his horse.

“Can you ready the horses for us?  I’ll just be a few minutes.”

“Sure thing,” his voice is gruff, a little more husky than normal.

“Erich, how do you feel about magic?”

“Depends why you’re asking.”

“I’m a healer.  If you want, I can see to your man.”

“You’re just one surprise after another, aren’t you?” Erich says, suddenly looking desperate and leading the way.  “Follow me.  We’d be glad to have any help you can lend.  There’s no alchemist in the village, so potions have been impossible to come by.  And priests don’t travel much anymore with the war.  Truth be told I’m not sure he would’ve lasted the night.  He’s been coughing up blood and wheezing something awful.  If you can help him, you can forget about the money.”

“I’m not helping to get something in return.  And I certainly don't want my debt relieved by holding a man’s life over your head,” I frown, trying to keep pace with his long strides.  “I was bluffing earlier about the village thing too.  I wouldn't use people's lives and livelihoods to blackmail you and the Jarl.”

“You sounded damn convincing.”

“I was trying too.  But honestly, I was kind of expecting you to turn me down.  My real plan was to just flirt, get you drunk, and come back and steal the horse later.”

Erich bursts into laughter, “Gods help the man or woman that stands in your way, eh?  Well, if there’s nothing else you’ll accept for payment just know you have my gratitude and respect then.”

[dragonbornell]

Kaidan might have the cowboy energy but Lucien is the horse girl

[yellingaboutmasseffect]

50 (even more questions) with Artemis Shepard from @spookyvalentine​ ‘s Shepard Questions! Art by @seealandraw​

1. How often does Shepard use the omni-blade?

Often as it’s one of the ways she takes people out while using her tactical cloak. She has totally had it the entire trilogy no matter what the mechanics say.

2. What does the Virmire Survivor think of Shepard?

Shepard and Ashley are very close on the SR-1 since Ash is unafraid to ask personal questions which let her get to know Shepard a bit deeper than most people. Ashley highly respects Shepard for how she leads her team and how Shepard doesn’t hold the Williams family name against her. Ashley also has a bisexual awakening because of Artemis but doesn’t really figure it ou everythingt before Artemis and Kaidan get together so she never acts on in. By the time of Shepard’s death, Artemis considered Ash one of her closest friends and had even told her that she could use her first name.

Things are tense in ME2 as Ash hears from Tali and Garrus in the team chat that they’ve seen Shepard and joined her respectively but neither of them go into much detail. Ashley had been worried since Liara confided in Ash that Cerberus had Shepard’s body. It leads to Ash having a bit more understanding as to what happened to Shepard, further helped by Artemis sending her a video before they meet on Horizon, but she is still worried as hell that Artemis has a control chip that no one knows about or they are doing something to her. She doesn’t join up with Shepard on Horizon but it’s never really offered as that conversation is more Ash trying to get Shepard grab Garrus and leave with her. 

In between ME2 and 3, I think Ash is concerned as hell by the whole blowing up a relay thing but I feel that Liara would reach out to not only apologize but also urges Ash to reach out to Artemis and hear her side of the story. Between meeting and talking with Thane and Artemis coming to visit her in the hospital, she is willing to believe Artemis during the Cerberus coup. Afterwards, Artemis and Ashley reconcile which is a huge relief to Ashley who missed her friend a lot.

3. Top three comfort movies:

I feel there would be a future horse girl movie here

Fleet and Flotilla because it’s an action romance that Tali and Garrus love

I wrote that Liara shows Artemis a movie after how hard Bring Down The Sky DLC was on Shepard. It’s pretty much the Mummy but Asari with a similar charm so Artemis likes those. It’s also the first in a long, long running Asari movie franchise

4. How many languages can they speak (without the translator)?

Spanish and English

5. Does Shepard keep a log/journal?

I don’t feel she would until after the Reaper War as a way to log and process what she went through.

6. What kind of driver is Shepard

I don’t think she’s actually that bad of one. She learned to drive in her grandfather’s pickup truck which is a world of difference between the Mako or a hover car during a high speed chase. I feel post war she and her partners will freak former squadmates out by having her drive back to their place only to realize she’s a completely fine driver.

However, she isn’t good at driving the Mako.

7. Shepard witnesses a petty crime. What is their response?

I think it depends on the crime but I feel she’d get involved. Like if it’s someone stealing some poor lady's purse she’s going to stop them but if it’s kids who clearly are doing it because they need to she’s going to figure out how she’s going to help those kids.

She’s getting involved somehow but it might be to help out the person who did the crime much like Iroh helped out that guy who tried to rob in in Avatar the Last Airbender

8. Revenge, or the high road?

High road even when it hurts her personally.

9. What will always distract them?

A competition of some sort but especially sniping contests

10. Does Shepard ascribe to any sort of faith?

Not really but I feel she’s open to the idea that something could be out there. She still observes Dia de Los Muertos as it was something she grew up doing with her family and the Latino community on Mindoir and she finds it comforting.

11. Fondest childhood memory?

I feel it’s when she saw her brother, Daniel, for the first time after he was born and he grabbed her hand. I think it was always a fond memory but becomes incredibly important after Mindoir and he’s lost too.

12. Most embarrassing adult memory?

Maybe when she joked with Kaidan about how silly it was that Joker thought Kaidan had feelings for her and Kaidan says that he does. It led them to talk to each other about how they felt but it was deeply embarrassing that is how she broached it because she was so convinced that Kaidan didn’t like her that way.

13. What does Shepard choose to do about Gavin Archer?

She takes David to Grissom academy after threatening Gavin within an inch of his life. She would have killed him for what he did but her first priority was helping his brother after everything that his brother put him through. When she sees Gavin again in ME3, she does not tell him where she took David or feel bad about the consequences for doing so.

14. Is Shepard the type to gossip?

Artemis is a nosy bitch at heart so she loves to learn stuff about everyone. She never shares anything anyone tells her in confidence though which is part of why people feel comfortable telling her things.

15. How does Shepard react to Garrus’s Archangel reveal?

Artemis freaking out internally by everything she has gone through at that point in ME2 so she is visibly relieved to see him and rushes up to hold his hands and prove that he’s real to herself. Garrus, who has seen her not lose her cool in more stressful situations, knows something is up at that point but they agree to talk about it once they get him to safety.

Then he gets hit with a rocket and Shepard nearly loses her shit.

16. What was the N7 program like for Shepard?

I imagine it was hard on her and not something she would have gone for on her own but she kept hearing she could help more people and take on more dangerous missions that could keep colonies safe. Next thing you know she’s reenlisted and going through some hellish training.

17. Go-to karaoke song?

This took me too long to figure out but Pat Benatar’s Hit Me with Your Best Shot feels right.

18. What choice does Shepard make on Rannoch?

Artemis chooses to let Legion upload the upgrades to the Geth and Tali trust both of them enough to back them up on this plan. Losing Legion when everything else on Rannoch had gone relatively well was hard but she knows she would have made the same choice in their position. 

And seeing Tali on her homeworld as she talks to the geth that Legion gave themselves for is a bright spot during the Reaper War that she needed.

19. Which kind of reaper do they think is the ugliest

Probably the human one XD

For reaperized forces, the Praetorian.

20. Can they dance?

When it comes to merengue, cumbia, or reggaeton, she totally can. She just finds the beats of the future club music hard to follow.

21. What is Shepard’s relationship with Hackett?

Strictly professional but more wary after the events of Arrival DLC and how she can see that Hackett would sacrifice her for his own ends. From then on, she is more cautious when it comes to interacting with him, especially when he tries to communicate with her post war.

22. What’s their alignment? Paragon, renegade, a mix…

Paragon but it’s definitely a conscious choice even when it would be easier to take the renegade options.

23. Got any allergies? How bad?

I feel she has to take allergy meds to keep her sinuses clear when she moves back to Earth since she had not grown up there so it’s manageable with meds.

24. When’s their birthday, and how old are they?

The Mass Effect canon birthday of April 11, 2154 so she’s 29 at the start of ME1.

25. Trash talk or potty mouth

She is pretty professional but curses in private when she gets pissed. By late ME2 and throughout ME3 though I think her patience is pretty worn down and she’ll say fuck on duty.

Joker is happy with that development as he’s believed she should say fuck on duty since they met.

26. What’s their temper like?

Her temper is sharp and focused, something she channels into righteous fury as she works. The “renegade” scars really messes with her anger as she feels she has to avoid being angry because all she knows is her face is doing this splitting and glowing and it reminds her too much of the husks or what Saren became. It’s something she works through with the therapist that Anderson puts her in touch with during her incarceration but it takes a while before she feels fully comfortable with her anger again.

27. What does Shepard think of Bakara?

She likes her a lot and admires her strength and conviction. She is really glad that Bakara is also there to lead her people into the future along with Wrex.

28. A recurring nightmare:

Tw for child death and suicide

While leaving Earth, Shepard and Anderson come across the apartment that was across from where Shepard had spent her incarceration. There she sees the kid she had seen playing in the apartment’s courtyard but they’re trapped on the balcony by a fire that’s raging in the apartment. Artemis wants to help them but Anderson pulls her back because there is no way except through the flames. The kid, seeing no other way, chooses to jump.

Artemis faced a similar choice when Mindoir was attacked but she survived her leap into the colony’s reservoir. There was no way that the child leaping from the balcony could have and it’s why Artemis has recurring nightmares about being unable to save this kid.

29. Which news correspondent/journalist does Shepard bring on the Normandy? What’s their relationship like?

I headcanon that Artemis is approached by Khalisah in ME3 about being an embedded reporter and also getting an interview of Shepard denouncing Cerberus to be broadcasted on Westerlund news which caters to a news audience that is more critical of the Alliance and more susceptible to being recruited by Cerberus. Khalisah and Shepard have an existing professional courtesy for each other (even with Khalisah hating how good Shepard handled surprise interviews) but I feel they’d come to really respect each other and probably even be considered friends but Khalisah is always a reporter first.

30. Who’s got the biggest crush on Shepard?

That’s so hard to quantify. With the way I write it, anyone who has a canon crush on Shepard still does. I even have a scene I wrote where the ME-2 squadmates ask Garrus and Tali if the squadmates on the SR-1 also had crushes on Shepard and then talk about their own feelings.

31. What kind of relationship do they have with Dr. Chakwas? Which doctor do they bring her on board for 3, and why?

I feel it would definitely be one where Shepard knows she can always trust Dr. Chakwas and respects her immensely. The Prothean beacon leaves her with really bad migraines from her brain trying to process the message until they’re able to get cipher. Kaidan and Dr. Chakawas helped her with dealing with those without telling anyone else. Chakwas also ensures that Shepard had other clothes to wear besides that Cerberus uniform. When it comes time to pick a doctor for the Normandy during ME3 and she finds Dr. Chakwas, there was clearly no other doctor Artemis wanted aboard.

32. Who has Shepard’s grudging respect?

In a less fun way, Kai Leng or at least his combat abilities. She finds his views revolting but acting like he shouldn’t be taken seriously would be foolish.

33. Reaction to the window over their sr-2 bed

Artemis gets angry. It is also what leads her to try getting drunk with the alcohol she finds in her room after she first sees it.

After Garrus find her during a bad panic attack that was triggered by waking up to looking out to space and he helps her without judging her, she chooses to confide in him and shows him the window. Next time they stop by the Citadel, they buy paint and he helps her paint over it.

In ME3, the team refurbing the Normandy stripped the paint from the window so Garrus and Artemis paint it over again.

34. Does Shepard want children?

I don’t think it’s something Artemis let herself consider until Garrus brings it up. When she is recovering post Reaper War, she’s had time to think about it and decides that she does want kids but doesn’t want to carry kids after everything her body has been through.

Artemis, Garrus, and Tali adopt one of Garrus’s distant relatives on his mother’s side after the war who is a young turian who has a drell friend they survived the refugee camps with (she’s a drell child that was taken in for assassin training but her handler was killed during the war but the Hanar won’t admit that) and they adopt both of them. They also adopt a human girl that clings to Garrus while he’s helping out with turians who are still living on earth (she was helped during the Reaper war by a turian who died but had blue markings too). I think Tali would have a biological kid with a donor as part of the Quarians efforts to get their population higher post war. That quarian kid is the one who gets really into sniper rifles much to Artemis and Garrus’s delight.

I haven’t decided if Artemis has a kid with Liara as the father but it would definitely be down the line when Ash has retired from her military career since Ashley is Liara’s primary partner.

35. What does Shepard consider their greatest mistake?

Artemis didn’t take part in the operation on Torfan but she told them how to do it. Anderson pulled her from it before she was too entrenched in it but she told them the tactics that worked during the Skyllian Blitz. Learning that they then used those tactics to kill anyone there, even those who surrendered or could have been enslaved, is something that she deeply regrets. 

36. Did Shepard enjoy the heists with Kasumi?

Kasumi’s loyalty mission was Artemis’s favorite and Kasumi found Artemis to be a great partner in crime. During Citadel DLC, Kasumi sent Artemis a message to invite her to hang out and Shepard is more than happy to help Kasumi with her heist to help get resources for refugees.

37. Does Shepard ever play matchmaker?

Artemis encourages EDI and Joker to get together. 

 While grounded in ME1, Garrus takes time to reflect on his actions and make up for what he said to Tali (ME1!Garrus saying the words “I’m sorry”, ha!). Afterwards, Tali and Garrus become closer due to their technical talents. After they defeat Saren, Shepard encourages him to stay in contact with Tali which he dismisses because she just puts up with him. I think if Artemis hadn’t died, she would have probably would have played matchmaker between the two of them, completely obvious that they were both also into her.

38. A silly daydream:

Taking Grunt to see all the big animals on Earth to see his reaction.

39. What kind of media do they consume the most?

I feel movies because I don’t think she’d have enough time to get invested in tv shows and books were another thing she had to be worried about packing up when she got a new assignment.

40. Favorite ice cream flavor

I feel she’d like fruity ice cream flavors and sorbet over more milk based ice creams.

41. If Shepard has a LI, what would they say are a couple of Shepard’s flaws? And strengths?

They would all say that she is prone to taking on a lot by herself and she hesitates to ask for help for herself.

As for her strengths, they would say it’s her determination and how she sticks to her beliefs even when things are difficult.

42. Are they quick to laugh, or slow to smile?

She is quick to laugh and smile which is part of why most people don’t pick up on how closed off she can be at the start of the trilogy.

43. What does it take to earn Shepard’s trust?

Time and patience and a lot of it. 

44. Top three people shepard thinks are hotties:

Going with NPCs for this: Giana Parasini, Emily Wong, Nihlus

45. What’s the easiest way to gross them out?

Rations are rations but if you get the chance to cook and skimp out on seasonings? That’s disgusting.

46. What are some of their favorite combo moves with team members out on the field?

She definitely enjoys moves where her teammates distract or draw out an enemy so she can line up the head shot.

47. Can they forgive easily, or are they the type to hold a grudge?

I think she can forgive the little things easily or even bigger things where a friend hurt her will take time as long as the other person is willing to put the effort in to repair the relationship. 

Something like hurting or killing civilians, shooting at her team or actually harming them? You’re on her shit list for life.

48. Does Shepard have a good sense of direction

Definitely does from having a colony she’d explore growing up and then going on hunting excursions with her grandfather.

49. Did they enjoy their party on the Citadel?

It’s one of her fondest memories and she cherishes how they were all able to come together to let loose.

50. What is Shepard’s ending?

Oh they’re are so many ways to answer that. Artemis chose destroy and is badly hurt during the explosion of the catalyst but is found early enough to help stabilize her. Miranda being able to find her so quickly after that, also helps her recovery immensely. So while there are injuries and scars Artemis always carries from her experience with the Catalyst, she is able to have that much more peaceful ending that she wanted after a good life instead of dying in the line of duty.

+1 …got any kinks?

There is no way she doesn’t have a voice kink with the partners she has and people she’s attracted to.

I also feel she likes to not be in charge when it comes to intimate activities

[funkypoacher]

WIP game - I am very intrigued by "9 - Two Selves" and "jj - JULY," if you please

Interestingly, you asked for the last chapters in two stories (which are actually bridges to other stories). Oh em gee :o

here be spoilers, but it's very unlikely these gets published anytime soon, so.

Two Selves (or, more accurately, The Girl With Two Selves and apparently I was too lazy to write the whole thing out, fml)

Throughout The Illusion of my Being Self-Conscious, Or Even Conscious, Commander Shepard struggles with her identity in relation to the Alliance. As early as their initial rejection of her following her Lazarus Project reanimation, Shepard feels abandoned and betrayed, especially after the Alpha Relay incident. She gets pretty cozy living the civilian life (even if it's one of an incarcerated criminal), and she finds it particularly hilarious that the Alliance turns to her to fight the Reapers, but she steps up because who else is going to do it?

In Two Selves, the Shepard clone very recently has reared her gorgeous head, leading to more self-questioning than usual. On the one hand, Shepard appreciates how she herself has grown, left the strict military mentality largely behind, and now focuses on the trees instead of the just the forest. On the other hand, she's spiraling after the loss on Thessia, and realizing that the 'old' Commander Shepard would have done a lot better in the war.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand then there's Kaidan, doing a whole

Basically it's a chapter of Shepard coming to terms with the fact that she's both 'the old' Commander and the new, and that she can't just pretend like her past sins were the work of someone else. She has to embrace her past, which in part means forgiving the Alliance. This plot point plays into the sequel, Can Mankind Survive, where Shepard has been living on Earth for four years, and etc etc etc.

jj - JULY

This will be the last chapter in the first part of my Courier/Daniel story (which is code-named July July after the Decemberists song but still doesn't have a proper name). Their story is in two 7-part series. "July" sees my Courier, July (derp) Wells, returning from Dead Horse Point with all the Sorrows and Dead Horses' children, sick, and elderly. It's a very happy time, and the first half of this chapter (Daniel's POV) is one of celebration. At the end of this half, though, Daniel learns in a letter from his family that the NCR have been seen in the area, looking for "someone responsible for crimes related to the war." July admits that she sent a missive concerning Joshua to the NCR four or five months back, so it's assumed that they're coming for him and preparations are made. Also, Daniel slaps July, and it's super dramatic, I can't wait to finally write that scene.

As it turns out, the NCR aren't after Joshua Graham. They're after the person who signed the letter. Because July is responsible for giving the Platinum Chip to Ambassador Crocker, and of course the NCR tried to none-too-sneakily abuse its power, and this got Crocker killed and the NCR booted out of Vegas. July was also responsible for making the NCR aware of the Divide, which, when it blew, led to another loss for the NCR (she wanted the NCR to help and provide for the people there, so she very specifically led the NCR to stationing there). Ultimately, July is getting blamed for a lot of stuff because... uh... scapegoats... and also there's a small theory that she's working for the Legion maybe (an idea which would make her literally barf).

The extremely small contingent of NCR soldiers comes and arrests July, taking her back to the Mojave. They don't see Joshua, but they aren't there for him, either. However, Joshua, still power-drunk after the slaughter of the White Legs, decides that they should go rescue July. Yay! This serves as a bridge into the next story, where Daniel and July are separated and get to enjoy their own personal arcs away from each other, because I really didn't want the whole of their growth to depend on one another. July goes to the Divide and finds herself (sob), and Daniel travels with Joshua, visits his family, does some New Canaanite stuff, and is generally depressed. But he also heals, and learns to accept things the way they are.

[theoriginalladya]

OC Profile - Rhys Shepard

(commissioned artwork of Kaidan Alenko and Rhys Shepard by @xla-hainex)

GENERAL-

Name: Dr. Rhys Daffyd Shepard

Alias(es): Doc, Shep, Dinosaur Brain

Gender: Male

Age: 2 years older than in the games

Birthdate: April 11, 2152

Place of birth: Arcturus Station

Hometown: Shepard Family ranch, Wyoming

Spoken language(s): English

Sexual preference: Bisexual, Demisexual

Occupation: Prothean specialist - languages, to be specific

APPEARANCE-

Eye color: blue

Hair color: blackish-brown

Height: 6'

Scars: a few here and there from his years helping work the ranch

Favorite-

Color: None

Hair color: None

Song: Anything he can dance to

Food: steak

Drink: whatever's available

HAVE THEY-

Passed university: Rhys has a doctorate in Prothean studies with a specialty in the Prothean language

Had sex: yes

Had sex in public: no

Gotten pregnant: no

Kissed a boy: yes

Kissed a girl: yes

Gotten tattoos: no

Gotten piercings: no

Been in love: yes

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: yes

ARE THEY-

A virgin: no

A cuddler: Only with Kaidan

A kisser: not sure

Scared easily: No (unless Kaidan's involved)

Jealous easily: middle of the road

Dominant: no

Submissive: probably more submissive than dominant, but really neither

In love: Yes

Single: No

RANDOM QUESTIONS (TW FOR SELF HARM/SUICIDE MENTION)-

Have they harmed themselves: if you count excessive drinking in this category, yes (after Kaidan dies over Alchera)

Thought of suicide: Not as such

Attempted suicide: Not as such

Wanted to kill someone: One or two over the years

Have / had a job: a professor of Prothean studies, a Prothean researcher, goes on digs, etc.

Have any fears: outside of losing Kaidan? Not really

FAMILY

Sibling(s): None

Parent(s): Mum: Hannah - still alive, estranged; Dad: Malcolm - died in First Contact War. Rhys considers his grandparents, Evelyn and Callum Shepard, as his 'real' parents. (he adored Malcolm; his mom, not so much)

Children: Grunt kind of adopts him, actually.

Significant other: Kaidan

Pet(s): couple of dogs on the ranch, (not really pet but) Thunder, his horse, etc.

***Rhys is a Wyoming cowboy through and through. Favorite clothing = jeans, flannel shirt, cowboy boots, wool lined denim jacket, his Stetson. He ended up a biotic and was sent to BAaT where he and Kaidan first met. Their lives have been intertwined ever since.

[kaidans-alenko]

what if i just,, ask for every section for buttercup? 👉 👈

Lmaoooo valid because I never talk about ever so grab some snacks and buckle up :D

BASICS

Buttercup Amanda Shepard, usually goes by butters because her name is a mouth full and she’s often asked why she doesn’t go by her middle name since it’s “normal” but she likes her first name, it’s unique. So the flower itself symbolizes humility and childishness and I think that sums her up pretty well. They were her mother’s favorite flower(i’m also a ppg stan but I digress) 

She’s 29 at the start and 32 by the end, her birthday is may 27th making her a gemini! She likes to read her horoscope when it pops up in her extranet news feed but she doesn’t take it too seriously. She’s an engineer! Like her dad, she’s always been fascinated by tech and when she was old enough she finally got her own omni-tool for her birthday and spent everyday tinkering with it and just scanning everything she could. 

sadly I only have 3 pictures max but here she is <3

I don’t typically do face claims, idk why I think Aiden is the only one with a concrete face claim 🤔 

She loves comfy clothes, her outfit around the ship is just her uniform and n7 hoodie, for civilian clothes she’s a fan of overalls and rompers and anything she pair sneakers with. She’s worn her hair in pigtails basically her whole life, she just thinks they’re fun. Loves bubblegum pink lipstick and usually just puts on foundation and calls it a day. Very friendly, she’s bubbly carefree, usually seeing with a smile on her face and says ‘hi’ or ‘good morning’ to everyone she passes on the ship. She’s relatively healthy, needed braces as a kid but that’s about it.

What’s their alignment?

Neutral good

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? 

ISFJ 

 Her favorite food is her grandma’s chicken and dumplings, she’s more of a comic book gal than anything, she’ll read a novel sometimes but not often. She enjoys painting and doing cross stich, anything that keeps her brain and hands busy

What are they bad at? 

she’s good at most things she tries but she’s never been able to whistle, 

What kind of things do they dislike/hate?

she doesn’t like spicy food or rainy days

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses?

hmmmm not really I mean she has a major sweet tooth but that’s it 

What are their goals and motivations?

she wants to make the galaxy a safer place even pre-reaper her family(including Jacob) motivates her if she can at least keep them safe she’ll be happy

Her grandparents weren’t strict really but they made sure they instilled manners in her so generally she’s very polite. As for habits she’s been known to talk to herself and she can’t really be called out on it because she admits to doing it but to her it’s not weird.

What are they most afraid of?

Generally, despite growing up on a farm she’s scared of pigs, she’s fed them before and almost fell into their pen during it and her grandfather teased that if she wasn’t careful they’d eat her too. 

as for deepest darkest fears it’s losing her grandparents, she’s already lost her parents she wouldn’t want to lose them too.

She was born in Illinois! Childhood was pretty happy, she lost her parents when she was about 10-11, they were on the same ship and died in a crash, her grandparents raised her from that point

What’s their family like?

She’s an only child and after her parents died it’s just her and her grandparents, she has a few aunts and a handful of cousins but they all live hours away. 

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? 

She’s an N7 and a spectre with quite a few titles

Commander Shepard

Hero of the Blitz

First human spectre

Savior of the Citadel 

How do they fit into their “story”?

She’s the star of the show! The one responsible for the fate of the entire galaxy and while she’s proud of the work her and her crew have done sometimes she wishes she was ‘just a soldier’ 

She currently resides on the Normandy and has a really swanky cabin, was never one for fish but loves her hamster and while she didn’t bring many personal belongings she has a picture of Jacob she keeps on her nightstand  

How do they eventually die?

She dies in her sleep of old age, Jacob died a few years prior and she was happy to finally be with him again

Buttercup has tons of friends, she considers her crew her friends but as for a best friend it’s def Edi and Kaidan(she’s responsible for a lot of his headaches tbh) Buttercup was never one for dating around and she was more interested in her job...until she met Jacob they end up having a couple kids after the war. A boy and a girl(I can go more into them later if you’d like :3c) 

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust?

She looks up to her dad, she became an engineer because of him and strives to be just as good as he was. She trusts all her crew, if she couldn’t they wouldn’t be there.

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies?

She hates the reapers and Cerberus, in that order

Do they have any pets?

Yes! On Earth she has a horse named Penelope <3 she loves both kids and animals, she didn’t grow up with any younger siblings though so animals are bit easier for her to handle. 

Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes?

A mix of the hero and the innocent as far as archetypes go and def the girl next door trope

Do they play any instruments? Sports?

No instruments and was pretty good at kickball as a kid, enjoys golf too

What are some items they always carry?

Package of bubblegum, hair ties and lotion

Do they collect anything?

As a kid she’d catch and pin butterflies but as an adult not really 

What position do they sleep in? She sleeps on her side, sometimes on her stomach

Which emoji would they use the most?

😏

What languages do they speak?

English, took german in high school but only because she had to pick a language class

What’s their favorite expletive?

she says “what the hell?” a lot lol

What’s their favorite candle scent?

Fresh cotton <3

What songs remind you of them?

Paradise by coldplay :D

Which animal would you say represents them?

A bunny! 

What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into?

She’d be more of a drifter, friends with everyone regardless of clique and able to fit in most places

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be?

Roller coaster!

Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else?

She doesn’t but she likes to tease people who do as for reincarnation she occasionally entertains it in regards to her parents but she isn’t much for spiritual stuff

Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays?

Her grandparents took her to church growing up but she never believed any of it, she had no problems celebrating Christmas tho lol

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue?

hmmmm probably pride and courage 

If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be?

Strength! Def the strength card <3

[actuallykiwi]

Inner Dragon, Chapter 1: The Fall of Helgen

**DISCLAIMER: The character Kaidan is a mod created by Liv Templeton. This character, as well as most of his dialogue, belongs to her. Annie Sinclair is my OC, she belongs to me. And the world of Skyrim belongs to Bethesda.** 

Anneka “Annie” Sinclair is the Last Dragonborn, but she has no idea. When she came to Skyrim with her Imperial soldier brother, the last thing she expected was the return of dragons, and on top of that, there's a civil war already going on! When she and her brother become separated, she must find him and figure out why dragons are coming back. She, as well as a mysterious swordsmen, will unravel mysteries about the Dragonborn and fight their way through the chaos of Skyrim, and hopefully, save the world. 

“Do you really think they caught the Ulfric Stormcloak?” Annie wondered aloud. 

She, her brother Alec, and several other Imperial soldiers were waiting in Helgen for the troop’s arrival. They had just gotten word that they captured Ulfric and some of his followers at Darkwater Crossing. He had been so elusive before, not to mention a challenge in combat, that some were finding it hard to believe it was finally happening. The war was about to be over. 

“I believe it. Why else do you think General Tullius would have called so many of us here?” Her brother stood almost anxiously beside her, clad in his broad Imperial armor. Had it not been for the nearing climax of the war, they would have both been back at home in Cyrodiil with their parents. Their father was a personal guard for a noble family, otherwise he would have been there as well. Annie was here to make sure he was safe in his place, despite not being a soldier herself.

“That’s true...” She nodded. There certainly was an air of... tension. Sure enough, that tension was confirmed when the town gates opened and several horses and carts of prisoners poured in. 

And among them, Ulfric Stormcloak sat bound by his hands and mouth. 

She had heard the stories. How the great and terrible Jarl Ulfric Shouted the High King of Skyrim to pieces. How could something like a Voice be so powerful? And how in Atmora did they capture him? 

Alec stood at attention and gently pushed Annie behind him, her cue to stay out of the way, out of harm’s way. She obliged and stood beside some of the bystanding citizens. 

All was silent as the carts and horses strode into the city square. The Thalmor High Elves looked down their noses at the passing crowd. Each prisoner was led out of the carts one by one, but Ulfric had at least a dozen soldiers with arrows and swords at the ready for him. He kept his head down. When he landed on the ground, a chill went through Annie. And maybe it was all the rush and excitement, but she could’ve sworn he ever-so-slightly glanced up at her as he passed her. She was frozen to the spot. 

The Imperial Captain and another soldier went through the names of each prisoner, including Ulfric. Annie watched one of them try to escape. claiming he wasn’t a Stormcloak soldier. She grimaced as an arrow pierced his back, his body flying to the ground. Soon, the prisoners were rounded up to the square, where the chopping block was waiting for them. General Tullius approached Ulfric, an almost smug look on his face.  "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like The Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Ulfric grunted, his voice muffled by the cloth around his mouth. If looks could kill, the daggers in his eyes would have plunged directly into Tullius’s heart by now.  "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace." 

Tullius seemed like he was about to say something else, but he was stopped by a sound. An indescribable roar, coming from somewhere beyond the mountain range. “What was that?” The soldier with the list asked. Tullius’s eyes never left Ulfric’s. “It was nothing. Carry on.” 

“Yes General Tullius! Give them their last rites.” The captain ordered. A priestess stepped forward and began her prayer, “ "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for-” A red-haired Stormcloak stormed up to the chopping block. “For the love of Talos, shut up, and let’s get this over with!” 

The priestess seemed taken aback and genuinely offended, but stepped back. “As you wish,” she spat. The captain stomped up behind him as he yelled more, “Come on! I haven’t got all morning!” She scowled and shoved him hard onto the stone block. The executioner took his place and raised the axe. “My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?” were his final words, before the axe was brought down and the block was stained as red as his hair. His headless body was tossed to the side to make room. Sounds of outrage and cheers sounded across the square. “Well, Ulfric, I was going to let you have the honor of leading your little rebellion into Sovngarde, but second will do just fine.” With that, the general grabbed Ulfric by the back of his collar and lead him to the block. 

Everyone was on edge. The end of the war mere seconds away. Tullius was not gentle as he threw the jarl onto the stone, and received no resistance from him. Annie held her breath as the axe was raised. 

And then the unthinkable happened. 

The roar sounded again, much louder this time, and a great, black, winged beast appeared in the sky. “What in Oblivion is that!?” Tullius cried. Annie instinctively ran to her brother, who already had an arm out for her, his other gripped his sword. The beast then landed above the square, and Annie made direct eye contact. It’s as if she was looking at Death itself. Black and dark silver scales shaped its entire body, flowing from it’s menacing horns to its massive onyx wings, and glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness it seemed to emanate. She was once again frozen in place, and time seemed at a standstill, until- 

“DRAGON!!” 

And all hell broke loose. The dragon Shouted, sending everyone flying in all directions. Annie lost grip of her brother, and slammed into a wall somewhere, the world going black for a moment.

When she came to, she was on the ground, ears ringing and eyes blurry, delirious and in pain. “Unghh.. Alec..” she coughed and tried to sit up, “Alec..!” Someone ran up to her and draped her arm around their shoulder. “Come on, Imperial, get up! The gods won’t give us another chance!” When her vision became clear as the stranger helped her towards a tower, she saw the carnage: the sky was raining fire, the cries of men and the roars of the dragon sounded through the town, and bodies lay strewn and on fire all around them. Once inside, the door was shut behind them and the stranger let her go. She realized she was now face-to-face with Ulfric Stormcloak, unbound. 

 “Jarl Ulfric, what is that thing? Could the legends be true?” The stranger asked. Annie now recognized him as one of the prisoners, Ralof she thought. Ulfric scowled, “Legends don’t burn down villages.” His booming voice shocked Annie into full consciousness, just in time for a meteor to slam into the tower from outside, almost caving it in. “We need to move, NOW!” Ulfric yelled. “Come on, Imperial, up through the tower!” Ralof pulled on her arm. “Wait, my brother is still out there!” He pulled her along. “There’s a lot of people out there, but we can’t afford to-” As they reached the top of the stairs, the dragon slammed through the wall, and sent a rush of flames inside. “GET DOWN!!” He dove onto the staircase and Annie with him as the flames burned above them. “Gods above, this thing is relentless,” he muttered as it flew off and they charged to the gap it made. “I’m sorry, but you need to get moving. Jump through the roof of that inn and keep going!” “But what about-” “You’ll find him, just GO! We’ll follow when we can!” She gulped and jumped from the tower, through the hole of the roof of the inn, and rolled painfully onto the floor. She pushed past the pain and dropped to the ground, running as fast as she could.

 A citizen, young boy, and an Imperial soldier stood by a burning building ahead. The boy was running from the street to the soldier. “Haming, you need to get over here, now! Atta boy, you’re doing great-!” Just as the boy reached him, the dragon landed on the street he was just on, rearing to blow. “Gods, everyone get back!” All of them dove behind the debris, including Annie, as a rush of fire roared around them. The heat was so intense that she forgot to breathe momentarily. She realized she was behind the debris alone a second later. “Still alive, girl? Keep close if you want to stay that way.” He leaned down and helped her up, then turned to the man and child. “Gunnar, take care of the boy! I have to find General Tullius and join the defense!” 

“Gods guide you, Hadvar.” The man said. “Come on!” Hadvar grabbed Annie’s arm and pulled her across the street into an alley outside of the wreckage. “W-wait! Do you know my brother, Alexander? I have to find him!” She panted. “No, I don’t, I’m sorry. Stay close to the wall!” She had no time to argue before Hadvar pushed her to the wall, and the dragon landed above them. She held her beath, because one if its wings was mere inches from her face. Time to slow in terror before it finally lifted itself, and she nearly collapsed. “Quickly, follow me!” He pulled her along again through a collapsed house, and when they appeared from the other side, General Tullius stood gathering soldiers. 

“Hadvar! Into the keep, soldier, we’re leaving!” Annie wouldn’t miss this chance. “General Tullius, please, have you seen Alexander anywhere?” Tullius grunted as they braced from the ground shaking. “No, I haven’t! Maybe he made it out, but you need to go, NOW!” Hadvar rushed her along. “Come on, we need to leave!” She hesitated, but eventually followed. 

They entered another courtyard where the keep lay. Ralof, the Stormcloak soldier from before, entered through the other side. He and Hadvar almost slammed into each other. “Ralof! You damned traitor, out of my way!” 

“We’re escaping, Hadvar! You’re not stopping us this time!” Hadvar grunted, “Fine, I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde!” Ralof shot him one last glare and headed into the keep. Hadvar shook his head and did the same, and lead Annie in as well, just as the dragon flew right overhead.

Both of them were panting heavily once they were inside. The only other sound in the room was the roars and crashes coming from outside.  “Looks like we’re the only ones that made it. Was that really a dragon, bringers of the End Times?” He wondered. “It sure seems that way. I’ve never seen anything like it...” They took a moment to catch their breath. Annie looked at him and noticed his arm was red and beginning to blister. “You’re burned!” 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. It’s nothing-” Annie immediately began rummaging through the room and found some linen wraps. “It’s not the best bandage, and I’m not yet the best healer, but it’ll do for now.” Despite his attempts at refusal, Annie forced her away around his arm and used some healing magic on it, then bandaged it. He winced. “Thanks. But we really should get moving.” He smiled at her briefly before heading further into the keep. Annie cast one more glance at the door, quietly hoping her brother would barrel through at any moment. “Come on!” Hadvar snapped her out of her thoughts, and she hesitantly followed him. 

“These Imperials should have left some supplies we can take...” “Just give me a minute.. I’m out of breath...” Hadvar paused and lifted a hand to Annie. “Hear that? Stormcloaks. Maybe we can reason with them...” He crept forward into the room the Stormcloaks were rummaging in. “Now hold on, we just want to-” 

“You Imperial bastards!” They all drew their weapons and began approaching Hadvar, who in response unsheathed his. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Wait!!” Annie ran out between them. “Out of the way, girl!” One of them yelled. She realized they saw her as just a citizen, due to the fact she was wearing her leather armor instead of Imperial. “Guys, there is a literal dragon attacking Helgen. You have bigger problems than the war right now, like getting out of here!” As if on cue, a roar sounded from above. “Whatever differences you have can be put aside for now, until that.. thing is gone.” They all seemed to hesitate. “Please. We’ve already lost so many lives today. No more needless bloodshed.” 

The Stormcloaks looked at each other for a second, then sheathed their weapons. “Fine. But make no mistake, Imperial, the minute we sense hostility from you, you’re dead.” Hadvar sheathed his own. “Right back at you.” Annie looked at both parties and sighed. “Good. Now come on, Hadvar, lead us out of here.” He eyed her wearily, but lead on, Annie and Hadvar taking the front, and the Stormcloaks following carefully behind. 

The entire length of the trip was spent in awkward silence, and a tension just below the surface. As they moved on, they found another group of Stormcloaks and faced a similar problem as before. But this time, the original group decided to stay behind with their fellow soldiers and find another way out. “Suit yourself.” Hadvar seemed a little relieved when it was just him and Annie moving on. 

Eventually, they reached the torture room. Annie gasped, “A... torture room? Why in Atmora would you need one of these...?” Hadvar sighed. “I wished we didn’t. Hey, torturer. We need to get out of here! A dragon is attacking Helgen!” The torturer scoffed. “A dragon? Don’t make up nonsense. You have no authority over me, boy.” “It’s true! We’ve got the burns to prove it!” Annie pointed at Hadvar’s bandaged arm. “Come to think of it, I did hear strange noises coming from above... But even still. If a dragon is attacking outside, what better place is safer there than in here?” The torturer shrugged,

“That’s not the point, we need to get to safety!” Hadvar argued. The torturer’s assistant stepped forward. “Forget the old man, I’m coming with you.” Hadvar nodded and looked at Annie. “Grab what you can and let’s move.” She did as instructed and began taking any useful supplies. “Yes, take all my things, please.” The torturer rolled his eyes. She came across a book on an end table, labeled “The Book of the Dragonborn”. She wasn’t sure why, but something prompted her to grab the book. Maybe it had something to do with the return of a dragon... 

Once finished, the now group of 3 moved onward. Hadvar pulled a lever in a corridor that let down a small drawbridge. There was rumbling above them, and Annie gasped as she saw the roof begin to cave in. “Look out!” She cried, and she and Hadvar leapt forward as the roof caved in onto the bridge, blocking the path. She coughed and sat up, calling back to the assistant. “Are you okay?” 

She heard his coughing from the other side. “Yeah, I’m fine! You two go on ahead, I’ll stay behind with the old man!” Annie stood and helped Hadvar. “If you’re sure! Be safe!” They examined the pile of debris that blocked the corridor. “No going back now. Come on, I think we’re almost to the end.” He continued to the lead the way into a cave with a stream flowing through it. Soon they came across a cavern with one of Annie’s biggest fears: spiders. Big ones. 

“Ohhhh, gods no, you’ve got to be kidding me!” She shakily drew her dagger and readied her lightning when she saw the spider-webs begin to surround the cave. Hadvar couldn’t help but chuckle. “Not a fan of spiders, eh? Stay behind me, then.” So she did. When the battle began and the spiders began to swarm them, Annie let him take the lead and supported with lightning from a distance. When a giant one lowered down from the ceiling, she shrieked and cast a massive bolt at it, sending it launching across the cavern. She panted and sank a little, her magicka drained from the last blast. Hadvar laughed again, “What’s next, giant snakes?” She shot him a glare and pointed her dagger at him. “Do. Not. Jinx it.” 

When they entered the next cavern, he suddenly stopped and crouched down, beckoning her to do the same. “Hold up. There’s a bear just head, see her?” Annie crouched next to him and followed his finger. She sighed when she saw the huge, furry beast fast asleep in a clearing. “They couldn’t have made this keep a little easier to traverse?” He nodded. “Agreed. Regardless, I’d rather not tangle with her right now. We can try and sneak by. Just take it nice and slow, and watch where you step. Or if you’re feeling lucky, you can take my bow, might take her by surprise.” Annie chuckled. “With our luck today? I’m not taking chances.” He grinned back. “Good. I’ll follow your lead and watch your back.” She nodded and began creeping along the edge of the cave slowly. Hadvar stayed close behind, keeping an eye on the bear until they reached the connecting tunnel. 

“Alright, I think we’re in the clear. And there’s the exit! I was starting to wonder if we’d ever make it!” Indeed, just ahead the light from outside was pouring into the cave, and Hadvar and Annie smiled with relief as they reached the exit. 

“Well, at least the land out here looks- wait!” He ran to take cover by a boulder when he heard the flapping of wings overhead. Annie dove down with him and watched as the black dragon flew directly over them, heading northwest. They waited and watched until they were sure it didn’t see them. “Looks like he’s gone for good this time. But I don’t think we should stick around to see if he comes back.” Hadvar began walking away from the keep. “Wait! What about my brother, Alec? He might still be there!” 

“I don’t think anyone would have stayed in Helgen, not after that. Closest town from here is Riverwood, I think that would be your best bet if he... made it out.” Annie bit her lip in worry when he said that. She looked back at the wall of smoke coming from behind them. “Look... my uncle’s the blacksmith there. I’m sure he’d help you out. And maybe someone has seen him there.” He reassured her. She thought for a minute. “...Yeah, maybe you’re right. Lead on, then.” He nodded and walked down the hill. “I never caught your name by the way...” 

“Oh, my name is Anneka, but I usually go by Annie.” She said. Hadvar shook her hand civilly. “Thank you, Annie. I wouldn’t have made it without your help today.” She smiled at him, and they began to make their way to Riverwood, where  hopefully, Alec would be there waiting for her.

Next

[unlucky-words]

hm

[wellthebardsdead]

Riiju-Lei: *quietly walking across the bridge into windhelm* gods I forgot how cold home is.

Kaidan: I’m still trying to wrap my head around why you’d willingly live here.

Riiju-Lei: it’s where I was raised. My parents used to own the stables. They’re buried in the hall of the dead here too. It’s home. *walks through the gates immediately seeing another dark elf being harassed* even if it doesn’t feel like it… *walks over wedging himself in front of the woman* What did I tell you about harassing us Rolff…

Rolff: oh look if it isn’t the knife eared lizard boy~ what are you going to do about it outsider? Hit me?

Riiju-Lei: I’ve lived in this city longer than you you your fathers before you. I’ve seen it fall into ruin under ulfrics rule. And I’ve watched countless of my friends die for his senseless war. So I’m warning you now. *folds his arms, his hair floating up like fire as arcane energy crackles through his skin making his birthmark glow like hot metal* Leave us alone. Because your brother won’t be able to save you from me…

Rolff: … *backs off a little*

Riiju-Lei: *glares at him before turning his back to address suvaris*

Rolff: *suddenly goes to hit him while he’s not looking*

Kaidan: *socks him hard across the face knocking him out cold, the claws on his gauntlets ripping half of his skin clean off* Oi! You want to fight like a coward then you deal with me! *shakes his hand cracking his knuckles* Stone fist more like stone head- *glares at Angernor* You want a focking round too ay?

Angernor: *jumps and quickly runs off with his tail in between his legs*

Suvaris: well then. Thank you for that, it’s good to see you again Leilei. We all thought we’d never see you again given your house burned down.

Riiju-Lei: …what?…

Taliesin: *hurries through the gates after getting the horses boarded for the night* right I’m h- *looks at the bloodied and possibly dead nord on the ground and the look of shock on Riiju’s face* …what did I miss?

*a few minutes later*

Riiju-Lei: *staring at a burned wreckage that used to be his home, now blanketed in snow and the remaining brickwork covered in slurs written in soot* …my house… it’s… gone…

Taliesin: I wonder if anyone saw what caused it…

Kaidan: *looking at the slurs* Or who caused it- LeiLei be careful-

Riiju-Lei: *climbing through the wreckage, seemingly emotionless as always as he moves boards and snow out of the way, hoping, praying, then sighing with relief as he finds a small chest*

Taliesin: Leilei?…

Riiju-Lei: *opens the chest up and pulls out an old piece of fabric before draping it around his shoulders like a scarf* I’m okay… *climbs out of the wreckage and sighs*

Kaidan: what’s that? *gestures to the scarf*

Riiju-Lei: the sling my mother brought me to skyrim in… it’s all… all I have left of my parents now…

Taliesin: *gently pats his back* at least… something important survived…

Riiju-Lei: *sighs and nods* I suppose we should go see if the corner club has any rooms… *walks down the street and pauses as a little girl runs out in front of him*

Sofie: mr? Would you like to buy some flowers for your pretty lady?

Riiju-Lei: pretty lady?

Kaidan: *snickers and nudges Taliesin* I think she’s talking about you~

Taliesin: …Well she got the pretty part right at least~

Kaidan: Pffft, if your ego got any higher we’d need a permit to grow it.

Riiju-Lei: *suddenly picks Sofie up putting her on his back* You two are going to have to put your bickering on hold until we get back to whiterun. I have a daughter now, Sofie.

[crqstalite]

character questions.

tagged by the lovely @the-sith-in-the-sky-with-diamond! for my canon commander shepard, kodelyn velasquez. (yes, i’ll take any excuse to show her off a bit lol. you can totally block her tag if you’re getting spammed lol)

GENERAL

name : kodelyn amara shepard-velasquez [alenko post-war]

gender : female

age : 29 [me1], 31 [me2], 32 [me3]

place of birth : present-day los angeles

spoken languages : english, some spanish [her stepfather and sister are fluent]

sexual orientation : bisexual

occupation : staff commander of the earth systems alliance, spectre of the citadel council

APPEARANCE

eye color : brown

hair color : black

height : 5″11-6″0

scars and burn : surprisingly, not many. armor is usually well built, and scarring doesn’t happen often. lots of tiny scars from accidents and fights out of armor, and bruises from various fights and falls. the only one that is very obvious is the one left on her spine from the lazarus project. post-war, a burn takes up the right side of her face.

overweight : no

underweight : also no

FAVORITE

color : blue

music genre : early 21st century alternative

tv show : [movie]  has looked at fleet and flotilla once on tali’s request. doesn’t watch vids often.

food : is a fan of mostly fruits. likes the occasional sour candy though.

drink : isn’t a lightweight after the lazarus project, but doesn’t have much of a preference. says it doesn’t give the same kick anymore.

book : doesn’t read much anymore. with a war on, she’s basically married to every report that comes in, but before and after she says she enjoys a good mystery murder book.

HAVE THEY

passed university : yes

had sex : yes

had sex in public : no

gotten pregnant/gotten someone pregnant : no

kissed a boy : yes

kissed a girl : yes

gotten tattoos : yes

had a broken heart : yes

been in love : yes

stayed up for longer than 24 hours : definitely. has a very questionable sleep schedule that kaidan tries to rectify but ends up failing multiple times.

ARE THEY

a virgin : no

a cuddler : yes

a kisser : not particularly, but doesn’t mind it

scared easily : scared, no, startled, yes

jealous easily : no

trustworthy : yes

dominant : should i answer this?

submissive : not gonna answer this.

in love : yes

single : no

RANDOM QUESTIONS

have they harmed themselves : yes

thought of suicide : no

attempted suicide : no

wanted to kill someone : yes, the illusive man. succeeded, in the end.

rode a horse : no, actually has yet to see one in person.

have / had a job : yes

have any fears : fears losing the galaxy before she can save it. fears losing the people she loves.

FAMILY

sibling(s) : citlali velasquez, mason velasquez.

parents : hannah shepard [mother], joaquin velasquez [stepfather]

children : none [as of now]

pets : urz ;)

tagging anyone who’s interested, no obligation :)

[forlornmelody]

About my OC

Tagged by @alyssalenko, thanks friend!

And I’ll tag @n0rmandysr1​ and @starsandskies​, if you want to play.

Looks like I’ve done this already for Jane Shep. Let’s do this one for Cass Shep, as I’ve had Shoker on the brain lately. 

(Art by @trash-effect​)

GENERAL

Name: Cassandra Maria Shepard

Alias(es): Cass, Shepard. Don’t call her Cassie, ever. 

Gender: Female

Age: 29 when she first joined the Normandy SR1 as Captain Anderson’s XO.

Place of birth: Arcturus Station

Spoken languages: Galactic, English, Spanish, conversational in Serrican, Armali, Turian (of all the council races, I think they are the most likely to have a single, unified language), and Talatian. Relies on a translator for everything else. 

Sexual orientation: Heteroflexible. 

All Occupations: N7 special ops Alliance commander, Council Spectre, occasional mercenary. 

APPEARANCE

Eye colour: Black

Hair colour: Black

Height: 5'4"

Scars: a few battle scars, especially the ones on her shoulder from Torfan, were erased in the Lazarus Project. Now she bears the scars of being stitched back together, and as the days go on, they only get more and more visible. 

Burns: one acid burn on her cafe from klixen, one explosive burn on her hip from the Reaper invasion

Overweight: No

Underweight: No

FAVOURITE

Colour: Red

Hair colour: She’s not too particular. 

Eye colour: Greeeeeen. She can get lost in Joker’s

Music genre: Anything with a beat

Movie genre: Bad movies. Really bad movies. 

TV show: Uuuuuh. I don’t think she really has time to get involved in watching tv. 

Food: her abuela’s  asado y parrillas

Drink: girly drinks, the stronger the better. 

Book: She’s not much for reading, but in a pinch she’ll read Shakespearean tragedy

HAVE THEY

Passed University: Does N school count?

Had sex: Of fucking course.

Had sex in public: Does the bridge count?

Gotten pregnant (themself or a partner): Just before the end of the Reaper War, yes. >:)

Kissed a boy: So many.

Kissed a girl: Of course!

Gotten tattoos: No

Gotten piercings: Nope

Had a broken heart: On Horizon, yeah. 

Been in love: With Joker, and with Kaidan on the SR1

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: Happens a lot when she’s planetside. Sometimes the time between LZs stretches out, y’know?

ARE THEY

A virgin: Ha, no.

A cuddler: Depends on her mood.

A kisser: Yes, a smokin’ good kisser–she’s had years of practice

Scared easily: Yes, but she won’t let you know it. 

Jealous easily: No

Trustworthy: Depends on whether or not you want the same thing.

Dominant: She loves to be in charge and take control 

Submissive: Not really, though she’s more submissive with women than she is with men. 

In love: Yes. With Joker. 

Single: Not lately.

RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they harmed themselves: mostly through self-sabotage, and general not taking care of herself. 

Thought of suicide: Sometimes

Attempted suicide: No.

Wanted to kill someone: Well, yes. 

Ridden a horse: She’s low-key terrified of them. 

Have any fears: losing, disappointing her loved ones. Dying. 

FAMILY

Sibling(s): None

Parents: Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard. Admiral Steven Hackett

Children: She doesn’t survive the Reaper War, but her baby girl, Masha, does. Joker raises her once Hannah tells him what’s up. 

Pets: One space hamster named Donnel (after Udina), and do the fish count if she keeps forgetting to feed them? 

[foofyschmoofer]

About My OC

Tagged by @alyssalenko.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it.

-

GENERAL

Name: Rebekah Leigh Shepard

Alias(es): Bex, Skipper

Gender: Female

Age: 30 as of the current chapter

Place of birth: Vancouver, BC, United North American States

Spoken languages: All Earth languages, most alien languages; most fluent in English, Asari, and Krogan

Sexual orientation: pansexual

All Occupations: gang member, soldier, N7 operative, Spectre, mercenary, animal sanctuary founder

APPEARANCE

Eye colour: ice blue

Hair colour: naturally, blonde; currently, red

Height: 5′2″

Scars: above left eyebrow, several gunshot wounds in various body parts, length of right side of face/through right eye

Burns: jawline, shoulder, inside of elbows, behind knees

Overweight: no

Underweight: probably

FAVOURITE

Colour: blue

Hair colour: salt n pepper 

Eye colour: pale blue

Music genre: celtic punk

Movie genre: old school romance

TV show: no idea

Food: chocolate

Drink: asari whiskey

Book: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

HAVE THEY

Passed University: yes

Had sex: yes

Had sex in public: yes 

Gotten pregnant (themself or a partner): no?

Kissed a boy: several

Kissed a girl: several

Gotten tattoos: hahahahahahah oh lord so many

Gotten piercings: ears (three in each), nipples

Had a broken heart: yes

Been in love: very much, yes

Stayed up for more than 24 hours: yes, especially during N-school

ARE THEY

A virgin: not since she was 16

A cuddler: definitely

A kisser: definitely

Scared easily: scared? no; startled, definitely

Jealous easily: no

Trustworthy: absolutely

Dominant: with Kaidan, yes; with Hackett, not often

Submissive: more often than not

In love: absolutely

Single: not for several years now

RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they harmed themselves: yes... not outwardly visible, but she used to starve herself to prevent Vido from being able to use her biotics 

Thought of suicide: no

Attempted suicide: no

Wanted to kill someone: Vido Fucking Santiago

Ridden a horse: no

Have/had a job: several

Have any fears: harm to her friends/family

FAMILY

Sibling(s): none

Parents: Dr. John Shepard, DVM; Moira Burke (both deceased); Zaeed Massani

Children: none

Pets: Chip, chocolate lab; Bentley, box turtle; Capote, black kitten

[briarfox13]

I want to know your Sheps: if you can, list some facts about Saskia, Mara and Deidre? As many facts as you want! 💕

Aww thank you, my friend!!

Saskia 

Her favourite animals are Friesians and Welsh Cobs. She absolutely adores horses. 

She has won several sniping competitions and keeps her medals in a glass case. 

She is fluent in English, Russian and Welsh, Saskia is also quite competent in some of the council races. She is now attempting to learn as much Turian as she can

She almost never swears and of she does, it’s only in Russian

She and Garrus have a very small intimate wedding on a beach, all her previous crews and friends are invited. She leaves empty chairs one each for Thane, Mordin, Ash, Anderson and Legion (I HC the EDI lives ‘cause screw Bioware)

After the destruction of the Citadel Saskia has prosthetic limbs on her left side and a few implants.

Saskia suffers greatly from PTSD and survivors guilt-between therapy, Garrus, their adopted family and her friends Saskia slowly feels better

She cries when Mina’Mar and his sister Misa’Mozu call her mum for the very first time.

She always carries Julius the tiniest Turian in a papoose. 

Her full name is Saskia Annwin Shepard

Mara

Mara’s brother Freddie also survived the attack on Mindoir but he has been in a coma since the event. Mara hopes that one day he will wake up.

She is the first non-Krogan member of Clan Urdnot, Wrex calls her sister and Grunt mum. She is also godmother to Wrex’s children and takes on them on hair raising adventures.

She and Kaidan have a little girl named Ashely Eve, and a little boy David Mordin Alenko. Both of whom develop biotics. 

Mara has seen a lot of things and is a very tough, angry and hard woman but she is very caring once you get inside her circle of friends. 

She leaves Alliance service after becoming disillusioned with them as they didn’t listen to her warning about the Reapers. 

Mara becomes a lobbyist for colonist and farming communities off planet. 

She has an Immortal Jellyfish tattoo that coverers her burn patch on her side-it represents growth and rebirth. 

At firtst, she absolutely hates Batarians with a passion but after initiating the destruction of Bahak System she comes to understand them better and makes a formal apology to the Batarian Hegemony. She will never forgive them for Mindoir. 

Kaidan and Mara get married and live in Canada overlooking English Bay. 

Mara had a twin called Millie-May (Mara is Mara-Mae), they were often known around the farm as ‘The Troublemakers’   

Deidre

Deidre’s Cerberus scars never really fade-she keeps them as a reminder what the group did to her and who she became.

She’s incredibly nervous, anxious and sad. Because of this people always underestimate her.

Her longest shot is around 3000 metres and is famous in and out of the Alliance for her skills.

She is often referred to by young cadets as ‘Deadeye Deidre’ for her skills

She and her older brother Ronan are orphans and grew up in a crowded orphanage until Roman joined the Tenth Street Reds and dragged Deidre with him.

She loves tech, EDI and Legion are her best friends.

She likes to tinker especially on her rifle and armour.

Her favourite power is Tactical cloak from an elevated position. 

Hackett and Anderson are why Deidre is an N7-they brought her into the Alliance when she was a child and encouraged her to train. They were both very proud when she became an N7. They are like fathers to her. 

Deidre likes photography