#kadara port

[ompfafa]

I am many MANY years late but hear me out:

KA-DA-RA OOH NAH NAH

[husband-steve-cortez]

I mean the thing is finding out Reyes is the charlatan is the ending of his arc/the relationship arc when it should frankly be just the beginning. And like, the game leaves off casually enough that it is kind of just the beginning, but also. Idk. There's just not a lot there.

[onedismay]

So I went nuts about three super unimportant NPCs hanging out in Tartarus and I'm now releasing my headcanons into the wild. Only Derc has a name and dialogue in-game, so I guess the asari are my OCs.

Some fun headcanons:

Sophri's dad was a hanar diplomat, mom is an ambassador

Iyenna's dad was a vorcha who cleaned streets, mom was a dancer

Sophri taught Iyenna how to swim when they were students at the same university on Thessia. That's when they fell in love!

Derc has been kicked out of three separate communities for embezzlement (his clan's company, the Nexus, and Kadara Port)

He had hardly met any aliens prior to joining the Initiative, and is still dreadful at reading non-salarian social cues

Iyenna will lie about anything for fun (did you know Sophri is the secret princess of Kahje? And that she came to Andromeda to escape an arranged marriage?)

Derc falls for Iyenna's lies 50% of the time, Sophri never does (she knows her too well)

Iyenna is a big fan of batarian metal (the other two... are not)

BACKSTORY SUMMARY: The asari were a pre-established couple even before Andromeda. They met Derc during the Nexus uprising when Sophri got wounded and Derc (reluctantly) let the ladies use the medical supplies he'd hoarded in a storage closet. On Kadara the three discovered they were safer and could get more stuff done if they stuck together, and that dynamic evolved into them straight-up living in the same shipping container (hehe shipping) and who knows what else!!

More detailed backstory beneath the readmore.

The two asari met each other in a Thessian university where Sophri was studying to become an interior designer and Iyenna was getting the engineering degree her mom always told her she should go for. Both were struggling in their studies for different reasons (Sophri was incredibly shy and meek, Iyenna had no study skills), but managed to graduate with each other's help and fell in love along the way.

Sophri's mother didn't approve of their relationship ("but your kids will be pureblood :( why not find a nice drell instead"), and Iyenna had recently lost her own mother to a sudden illness. Both of their fathers were also long gone, so when they heard of the Initiative, there was no one around to talk them out of leaving for Andromeda. It was primarily Iyenna's idea, as she's by far the more adventurous half of the pair, but her enthusiasm quickly brought Sophri on board as well.

They joined the Nexus uprising on a whim, thinking it'd be a wild but ultimately harmless little riot... However, they quickly regretted their actions when Sophri got badly wounded. Looking for help, they stumbled upon Derc and his secret stash of Valuable Stuff in a storage closet. Derc fainted at the sight of blood (yeah....) but once awake again, he supplied the ladies with the products they needed and gave the panicking Iyenna instructions on how to use them (from under a desk) (not looking) (so he wouldn't faint again). Somehow they managed to save Sophri's nearly severed head tentacle just before security discovered them and took them all in.

After all three were exiled from the Nexus and ended up in Kadara Port, Derc attempted to restart his stash of Valuable Stuff and swiftly got himself banished from the Port as well. (he also got punched in the face for the first time in his life and he was SHOOK :( consequences for his own actions? they just keep happening??) The ladies were like "that man will not survive on his own, we have to adopt him" and the rest is history.

They live in a shipping container near Tartarus, where Iyenna works as a bouncer (and occasionally engineer when something breaks...) and where Derc does most of his networking and scheming.

Iyenna makes sure no thugs hassle Derc, and Derc has sort of come around to the idea that he might NEED friends in this stupid galaxy that doesn't work by the rules he was used to, and so he makes an effort to repay the kindness he's given. Example: the ladies had to leave half their luggage behind when they were exiled from the Nexus, but Derc got it all smuggled to Kadara for them. uwu

Sophri's dream career as an interior designer hasn't quite taken off, but she's got stable work in construction as she's very good at moving heavy things with her biotics. Comes to Tartarus on her lunch breaks. She's still processing everything that's happened and probably regrets coming to Andromeda the most out of the three; getting scarred and exiled was not something she'd even considered an option, yet now it was her reality. As the trio settle into a new normal, however, her regrets do dissipate over time. The one thing she REALLY misses now is swimming. Kadara pool when

[himluv]

HIMluv's Masterpost!

I've only been on this hellsite for damn near a decade, I should probably introduce myself and link all my fics.

Hi, I'm HIMluv (she/they)! By day I work in libraries, writing Speculative Fiction in my free time. In my free-free time, I write fanfic, mostly for Bioware games. Find links and details for my various fics below!

Aggressive reminder: THIS BLOG IS HOSTILE TO AI!

Dragon Age:

Title: Say My Name (say it twice) Pairing: Lucanis Dellamorte x Embria "Rook" Aldwir Rating: E for (eventual) Smut Status: Complete Summary: Lucanis's life is a mess. Thanks to Rook, he escaped the Ossuary, but now that means he might have to actually do something about all of his problems. Between blighted gods, a demon, his city under occupation, and his idiot cousin, Lucanis barely has time to think. So then why do all his thoughts keep revolving around a certain elf with violet-tinged eyes? Why can't he stop thinking about Rook?

A chronological collection of linked Lucanis/Rook oneshots. The slowest of burns. Pining galore. Demisexual Lucanis (and probably Rook too, let's be honest.)

Title: Inevitable Pairing: Solas x Riallan Lavellan Rating: M Status: Complete Summary: A series of linked oneshots, following Riallan Lavellan through her journeys with the Inquisition, and her doomed relationship with a certain bald elf. (this is the fic of my heart)

Title: The Warden and Her Crow Pairing: Zevran Arainai x Cerine Tabris Rating: M Status: Complete (w/potential for more?) Summary: A collection of oneshots for my Warden Cerine Tabris and Zevran.

Title: Through the Eluvian: Dragon Age Stories Pairing: Multiple Rating: M Status: Complete (w/potential for more?) Summary: A collection of Dragon Age short stories, featuring a slew of pairings and OCs (yes, I did the god-awful thing and put a mashup of pairings and characters in one fic. I'll fix that someday, maybe.)

Mass Effect:

Series: Santa Sarita: The Patron Saint of a Third Rate Smuggler Works: The Fall of Santa Sarita, The Cost of Salvation, The Sacrament, Sanctified, Sanctuary (wip), The Lost Sermons (oneshots) Pairing: Sara Ryder x Reyes Vidal Rating: M-E Status: Hiatus (work #6 = wip w/intent to finish) Summary: After defeating the Archon, Sara and Reyes try to find a new normal. But when the Charlatan's shadows grow too dark, can their relationship survive?

Title: The Charlatan and the Coinshot Crossover fic with Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn universe Pairing: Sara Ryder x Reyes Vidal Rating: T Status: Complete Amazing Art by @artsyblacksheep Summary: After tragedy strikes in Elendel, Sara Ryder flees into the Roughs, the wild west of Scadrial. But, at the very edge of the continent rests a town nestled in the cliffs: Kadara Port. And in the Port there’s a suave smuggler that just might prove to be more trouble than he’s worth.

Reyes Vidal had seen enough hopelessness in his days in Elendel’s slums. That despair had settled so solemnly in Kadara Port infuriated him. He would have to do something about Sloane Kelly, and the arrival of a Pathfinder might just be the key to all his schemes. But getting Sara Ryder to help him might be a bigger risk than he can afford to take.

Title: A Gift for the Dying Pairing: Thane Krios x Female Shepard Rating: G Status: Complete Summary: Thane's perspective of the attack on the Citadel, from before the attack to his final moments. A gift for @forlornmelody

Horizon Forbidden West:

Title: Medicine Pairing: Kotallo x Aloy Rating: M Status: Hiatus (wip w/intent to finish) Summary: After the Embassy, Kotallo finds his life in shambles. He is half the man he was, the last of Hekarro's Marshals, carrying the shame of surviving when he could have had an honorable death. So when his Chief gives him orders to escort an Outlander to the Bulwark, he considers it just one more embarrassment to shoulder.

What he doesn't expect is to find a new direction, a new path for his life in the Nora Huntress. He knows he will never truly heal, but he cannot deny, her touch is medicine to him.

If you made it this far... damn. Well done! If you read any of my work and enjoyed it, please let me know! I love hearing from readers :))).

[blightedbutdelighted]

Prompts: @fictober-event prompt #20: “I saw your eyes light up” + @flufftober prompt #31: Make a wish Fandom: Mass Effect Andromeda Rating: Teen and Up Relationship: Natalie Ryder/Reyes Vidal Warnings: Alcohol, Suggestive Dialogue Summary: The Charlatan’s identity has been revealed, and the Pathfinder has to resolve her feelings about being kept in the dark.

AO3 link: here. Preview below the cut.

The shuttle gently landed beside the multilevel prefab building situated at the center of one of the many valleys on Kadara. He'd chosen the location carefully, as it was his own personal residence outside of the port. The only people that knew of its location were those that also knew the true identity of the Charlatan. So it seemed fitting that this was his first time bringing Ryder here. To this secret, sacred place. Following the fall of Sloane and her Outcasts. The reverence of the occasion was lost, however. She was unbuckled and out of the shuttle before he'd even turned the engines off. It wasn't a particularly long ride from the Slums, but he had grown fond of their usual banter and her silence had been deafening. Reyes sighed heavily as he exited the shuttle and walked to the front door. Ryder pushed past him roughly as it opened, walking over to the couch near the window and sat down. She turned her attention to the sulfur spring that rippled peacefully below them, a stark contrast to the simmering rage he felt was being aimed in his direction as he let the door close and walked toward the kitchen. It was kind of adorable, if he was being honest. The way her eyebrows pulled together over her bright blue eyes angrily, the way her lips were set in a hard line as she pulled her knees up against her body and wrapped her arms around them. All while refusing to look at him. "I suppose we should talk about what happened in that cave," he suggested boldly. He pulled two glasses down from the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from his private stock. It was no Mount Milgrom, but it would do.

[vorchagirl]

Saints and Liars - Chapter 12

Saints and Liars - Chapter 12

Cerys returns to Kadara with Kandros, who is hoping to track down Reyes and convince him to back down. Unfortunately for him, Reyes is one step ahead and has no intention of being found. He is, however, fully intending to get Cerys alone so he can show her just how much he's missed her.

Artwork is by the incredible @beemot and a snippet is behind the cut...

“I know very well who you are and what you want,” Keema drawled and glanced behind him at Cerys. “What I don’t understand is why you brought the Pathfinder with you? If you’re looking for Reyes Vidal, you’re not going to catch him by dangling her as bait.”  She smirked and raised her glass at Cerys in a mock salute. “Everyone knows she’s old news.” 

Cerys had expected something like this - a show to prove that Reyes was no longer attached to her - and she smiled icily at Keema.

That seemed to catch Kandros by surprise, and he floundered for a moment before he recovered. “She’s familiar with the port and knows places that Vidal frequents-”

The angaran laughed. “Do you really think Reyes Vidal allowed her to see anything of importance? She was a dalliance. A diversion.” Keema’s luminescent eyes focused on Cerys again, and seemed to gleam. “She knows … what? The bar he preferred? The safehouse he used to bed her in when he wanted some fun?”

Cerys shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though every eye in the room was on her. Keema's little speech was an act, but it was a good one and she squirmed as some of the Collective soldiers audibly chuckled. 

“I can tell you with some certainty that the only regret that Reyes Vidal has about the Pathfinder is that she survived her wound on Port Meridian. In fact, he asked me to give her this if she ever showed up here.” Keema set her drink down and reached into a pocket. She produced something small, gold and shiny, and she tossed it at Cerys. “For you, my dear.”

It was a bullet.

Cerys didn’t say anything, but her heart beat a little faster, and she very deliberately bent down and picked it up. She tossed it up in the air and then caught it, holding it firmly in her fist as she grinned back at Keema, aware that she probably looked half-crazed.

“Tell Vidal I have a few of these with his name on them too.” She spat on the floor and grinned as hands seized her from behind and began dragging her to the door. “Tell him I have a whole bunch waiting for him.” 

Read the full chapter here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53353261/chapters/139852816

[heroofshield]

Whumptober Day 9: Obsession (ME:A, Reyes/Ryder)

Some would say that Reyes was obsessed with the Pathfinder.

He would reply that he saw the strategic advantage in making the Pathfinder an ally in the fight for control of Kadara Port.

He'd made the decision in trying to get the Pathfinder long before he realized that it was Alec Ryder's daughter in the position, but once he learned that fact it changed his plans. Instead of highlighting the alliance with the Resistance, he'd play the rogue and helpful hand in solving some of the many problems the port presented.

"A little game of cat and mouse never hurt anyone." he thought while taking a sip of the glass of whiskey in his hands. His omni-tool buzzed as he set the glass on the table in front of him and he opened it to see a message from his spy in the loading bay.

Tempest just landed.

Letting a half-smle appear, Reyes opened the feed to the bay in time to see Ryder and some of her crew disembarking.

He'd be the first to admit that Ryder was attractive, but at same time knew that he needed to keep his distance so he didn't lose focus of his goal to wrestle control of the port from Sloane Kelly.

"Which is why I need to endear the Pathfinder to me. Luckily that can be easily arraigned." he thought as Ryder waved to her crew and peeled off from them.

He continued to watch as she headed towards the elevator that led to the slums of the port, switching feeds in time to see her exiting onto the acidic pool covered ground. "Any minute now." he murmured out loud, absently reaching for the glass and finishing it in a smooth motion.

Setting the now empty glass back down, he continued to watch as she made her way towards the collection of pre-fab buildings that defined Tartarus and the few barely legal business's that Kelly allowed to exist down here (for a price of course). Movement from the top of the screen caught Reyes's attention and he straightened as a small gang of humans sauntered to where the Pathfinder was.

He'd chosen the number carefully, too few and she could easily take them out while too many and she'd be seriously hurt. Reyes didn't want that, just the right amount of pressure and then he'd appear with a quip and a right hook.

"It also helps that they've been promised good positions within the Collective once we win the port." Reyes watched as the gang surrounded Ryder slowly, giving her room to move but still making it so she couldn't escape easily. She put a hand on her hip, above where her pistol was but didn't draw it; probably making a quippy remark that she was known to do when she felt threatened.

Good. That meant she was going to make it an equal fight.

"Not that I hadn't planned for her pulling her gun."

Reyes stood as one of the leaders threw the first punch and Ryder ducked, twisting as she moved so she could throw an elbow- catching his chin as he went by. The rest followed and Ryder held them off for a few more minutes than he had thought, which only made Reyes's admiration for the Pathfinder grow that much more; she was handy in a fight, he would admit that.

Then the other men gained the upper hand, landing punches and shoves that Vidal knew would leave a mark, and he knew that his time to 'stumble' onto the scene had arrived.

Smoothing back his hair, Reyes closed his omni-tool and stepped out of his private room in Tartarus, the music and conversation filling the room before cutting off once more as the door slid shut.

Enter stage right.

[skyeknight-hyperfixations]

Playing Kadara again and anyone siding with Sloane at "High Noon" and justifies how she's the lesser evil compared to Reyes...

Even with the book justifying what she did, which I totally understand cause Tann's a bigger dick than the Archon is.

The Sloane who went against leadership (Tann) because she sympathized with the people is a different Sloan to the one who runs the Outcast and becomes a tyrant at Kadara Port.

That Sloane only cares for herself and her people because it keeps her in power. Maybe she cares about Kaetus too, but again, her people. For anyone backing her, how can you justify her 'protection fees'? Or that she allows drug distribution?

Reyes is a Shady bastard and maybe you can never really tell what he's planning. But for all that the game did show us, you can gather that Reyes does care for Kadara port and the Angara people having a voice there and it's not just about him wanting to have the power. He even has the Collective supplying Nakamoto for his underground Clinic. Sure, it was to possibly recruit him, but the supplies didn't stop coming even after Nakamoto refuses to side with either group officially.

As for the sniper ploy, yeah, not cool. But Reyes can't be perfect. It was obviously to ensure the win, no matter what. I would do something underhanded if it meant killing a dictator, too.

Still, imagine the number of people killed because they were sent out to the Badlands because they couldn't pay their protection fees. Remy was sent out even though she paid, and while that's the fault of an Outcast member and not Sloane, it wouldn't have happened if there were no protection fees to begin with.

As for Sloane needing money to pay her people and other things that needed paying... She saved the Port from the Kett. It would've been a good opportunity to build on a relationship with the Angara and they could work on something, build on the Economy or whatever instead of taking the entire port for herself.

If they had made a sequel for the game, which I doubt there ever would because of the damn haters and critics who stopped the story from evolving to what could be another ME Trilogy, and it showed that Reyes was really as worse as Sloan if not more, then yeah I would admit to being wrong.

As for what the game actually showed, Reyes was the best choice between Sloane.

[husband-steve-cortez]

Noah/Reyes just also wouldn't work because while I don't think Reyes is super morally reprehensible I see him as still wanting to be pirate king of Kadara ykwim.

[persephoneggsy]

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

EDIT: complete!

Details below!

Featuring, from left to right:

Marian Hawke:

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

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

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

Sebastian Vael:

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

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

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

Hildegarde Trevelyan:

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

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

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

Cullen Rutherford:

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

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

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

[dgcatanisiri]

Even if I wasn't opposed to and even repelled by Reyes on a character level, my core issue with him as both a romance and taking over Kadara Port ultimately is the how of it. Where to have the opportunity to lock him in as a romance or even just let him take control of the port is not just letting Sloane die, but actively choosing to do that, and in doing so, betraying someone who does not trust easy.

She turns to Ryder for help with facing the Charlatan, at a time when the Initiative as a whole is on her shit list. She chooses to trust Ryder to watch her back. And to side with Reyes is saying that she was wrong to do that. That Ryder was not someone to ask for help when she needed it most.

Like I understand not liking Sloane's MO and attitude, sure, and even not trusting her based on her history, both in game and expanded universe-wise. But considering that Kadara is an ongoing gang war where no one has clean hands in deed or motivation, I refuse to consider that worthy of a summary death sentence. Everything Sloane and the Exiles are up to is something that Reyes and the Collective do as well - the Collective always shows up at the Oblivion lab, Sloane calls the Initiative paying her a protection fee and Reyes calls it a tax. Hell, at the Collective base we go to, the ONLY REASON the prisoners stop being tortured is because Reyes put out orders of the Collective being on its best behavior for the Pathfinder - which is controlling the image that Ryder gets of them. And those prisoners end up being executed if Reyes is forced to run.

And then you have the romance lock in being Reyes and Ryder making out like five feet from Sloane's still warm corpse, which... Ugh.

I don't care what popular fandom opinion is. I'm always saving Sloane.

[cityandking]

ok made it to kadara port and I have thoughts

damn this planet sucks to drive around

tbh I always thought kadara was a ship? or a spaceport/station? like omega? apparently not

the slums are like. one building. what.

I love the slums bartender I want to romance him

reyes vidal! I have many thoughts about reyes vidal

first: I don’t trust him at all. I think he’s the other gang leader or whatever. I think he’s setting me up and I’m waiting for the shoe to drop

second: love that you can flirt with him and then be like “let’s keep this professional” and then immediately go back to flirting

which, on that note, I’m being sooooo patient about getting to jaal’s romance (except for sleeping with peebee) but wow I want to hit all these flirt options

in my head I’m writing an epic love triangle where vidal shows up and he and ryder have a thrilling fling and there’s weird tension with jaal and then he’s revealed as a traitor or something. idk. I’ve never played this game but I think I’m right.

my squad are such wimps about being here. it’s just a criminal trade port chill out

[vorchagirl]

Haunted - Reyes x Sara fic <3

Title: Haunted

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Sara Ryder never thought she would see Reyes Vidal again after their breakup - not when she'd been cut so deeply by his lies and deception, and not when she'd ended things so decisively. But when Reyes finds his leadership of Kadara Port under fire from a mysterious new enemy, he turns to her for help and Sara can't deny that there is still something between them. Something bigger than she wants to admit. When things go from bad worse on their mission in the badlands, Sara and Reyes find themselves trapped, with no choice but to face the ghosts of their past, and face up to what's really going on between them.

A/N - Yes, I've finally written some fluffy Reyes x Sara fanfiction again! I've put a snippet below, and you can find the full chapter at AO3!

The bartender handed her a drink, and Sara took a sip of the fiery whiskey. Behind her, a door opened and there was a flurry of movement in her peripheral vision and a ripple of quiet voices. She sensed the subtle emptying of the bar as people seemed to recede like the ocean until only a few patrons, all of them the Charlatan's men, remained.  Her heart thumped in her chest, and she struggled to keep her breathing even as Reyes slid onto the stool beside her, a very neutral expression on his face as he glanced at her.

Sara downed her drink on one gulp and looked away, flustered.

"Ryder," he signalled the bartender for a drink. "Mind if I join you?"

"Reyes," she replied, nervous tension keeping her rigid as he reached past her for his drink. "Since you've already taken a seat, the question's a little moot, isn't it?"

He chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "I wouldn't go where I wasn't wanted.  Say the word, and I'll leave you in peace. But," he gestured for her glass to be refilled, "you're on my turf, so I'm assuming my company isn't entirely unwanted...?" There was the hint of a question in his voice,  and the look in his eyes faltered for a moment,  uncertainty peeking through his usual cockiness.

Sara considered him over the rim of the glass, and shrugged. "You can assume that, " she agreed.

Reyes smiled, and Sara quickly looked away, not liking the way her stomach fluttered pleasantly at his attention. Her head was still so messed up. 

She wanted to stay mad at him. 

She wanted him to crawl. 

She wanted his arms around her. 

She didn't know what she wanted.

-

Read the rest here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52182916

[heroofshield]

Whumcember Day 20- Drugged (Mass Effect Reyes/Ryder)

@whumpcember

Warnings: secretly drugged drink

The party was billed as a celebration of the Pathfinder resetting the Monoliths and dealing with the lingering Kett presence on Kadara. Although it was Kadara so they would use any excuse to throw a party.

Annabel Ryder watched everyone dance and drink in Tartarus, knowing that the party was going just as strong up in Kralla's. She was tired after a long day in the Badlands, but didn't want to be a wet blanket so she waited a few hours before getting up and starting towards the exit. "I'm ready for water that doesn't smell like sulfur." she thought, ignoring the whistles and cheers that rose up around her as people noticed.

She was halfway to the door when she heard the familiar smooth voice say, "Leaving before the party gets good? That's unlike you Ryder."

A half-smile appearing, Anna looked towards the voice and saw Reyes Vidal with his trademark flightsuit on and a smirk to match. "And how would you know what's unlike me? I'm complicated. Or at least that's what several ex's have said."

Reyes closed the distance between them, ignoring the rest of the partygoers that surrounded them. She had that effect on him, making his world shrink until it was just the two of them. "What do you say to one more drink...somewhere private?"

"Just the two of us?" Anna replied, inhaling softly at Reyes's feather light touch of his fingers against his arm. They might have to keep whatever this was between them a secret, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun with it.

Reyes leaned close to Anna before saying, "Get us some drinks and meet me up in my room."

Not waiting for an answer he left Anna and threaded his way through the crowd, up the stairs and into the VIP room that he'd 'rented' from Kian; a convenient way to launder credits when he needed to.

He wasn't alone very long, Anna showing up carrying a bottle of moonshine and two glasses. "I figured we could have more than one drink." she said as the door closed and the sounds of the party became muffled.

"I like the way you think." Reyes said, taking the bottle and giving them each a a hefty pour. Taking one of the glasses he raised it in a salute, "To the Pathfinder."

Anna raised an eyebrow but clinked her glass with his, "To me."

The moonshine wasn't Kadara's best, the bitter taste making Reyes grimace. "That's rough, even for this place." he coughed after downing almost the entire glass, wondering where Kian had gotten it.

A look of panic appeared on Anna's face and she started to say, "Reyes the drink-"

Then Reyes's vision became blurry and he blinked rapidly, trying to sharpen it. But it only increased and he started to feel wobbly. Turning towards the couch that was in the room, he was somewhat aware of Anna continuing to talk, but couldn't understand what she was saying. Black starting to creep around the edges of his vision, Reyes was somewhat aware of his legs giving out and falling towards the floor.

Then nothing.

--

The pounding headache told Reyes that he was still alive and slowly opening his eyes also told him that he was still in the rented room in Tartarus, albeit in the small side room that he used as quarters when he didn't want to make the long trek back to his apartment in the port proper.

His tongue feeling fuzzy, he struggled to sit up and found that his limbs felt like lead weights.

"Hey, don't move just yet. The drug is still in your system." Anna said,

"What?" Reyes asked in a gravely voice, slightly confused as to what Ryder had just said.

"The moonshine. It was drugged. That's what I was trying to tell you as you passed out." Anna let out a sigh, running a hand through her short red hair. "SAM detected it almost right away and told Doctor T'Perro. It...took awhile for her to get here and when she did, found both of us passed out." She licked her lips, trying to order her still reeling thoughts. "I only had some of the moonshine so I wasn't out for very long but you...why did you have to be a dumbass."

"To be fair, I wasn't-I was just really thirsty."

"Goddamn it Reyes, you scared me." Anna swallowed thickly, trying not to cry in front of whatever Reyes was to her.

"Hey." Reyes slowly reached for Anna's hand and took it, giving it a slight squeeze. "I'm okay. And when I'm better I'm going to ask why the fuck Kian wanted to drug me."

Anna shook her head, "It wasn't Kian. I forget who gave me the bottle, but I know it wasn't him."

Reyes just nodded, not saying anything but mentally running down the list of enemies he'd made while on the planet. It was a short one and once he'd fully recovered there would be hell to pay. But for now he focused on Ryder and reassuring her. "I believe you. And it's okay, I"m here."

Anna wiped the not-quite tears away and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to Reyes's lips. "I'm here too."

[skyeknight-hyperfixations]

Stalking Reyes

because I like pretending he's an actual squad mate after meeting him.

Also, the fact that Reyes rides in with the resistance, specifically Evfra, makes me think Evfra has a soft spot for him. I mean. Reyes is an alien, an Outcast to these "initiative species" in Kadara port that's more or less a lawless place and yet, Evfra trusts him enough to a degree to count on him being an official contact for the resistance.

[clairedelune-13]

So my new headcanon is:

Two years after Meridian was founded, The Initiative turns into Hollywood and all the Pathfinders essentially morph into “The 7” from the Boys (except the Pathfinders are The Five: Avitus Rix, Sarissa Theris, Raeka and the Ryder Duo)

Just a Media Monster, really.

But before she moved back to Meridian, Dani lived on Kadara for two-plus years - 2820 to 2822 (the Port is renamed to “New Port” and has grown to where it’s a slightly smaller New York).

Reyes surprises her by having rebuilt NYU after Dani told him (at the start of their situation-ship) she attended it back on Earth from 18-19. But was forced to move back home to LA when her mom got sick and Alec cut her trust fund, which paid for her education. Something she’d always resented him for.

Reyes rebuilt the campus and entire system so she could finish her schooling where she left off. He called it an “early-24th birthday present”.

Yeah, that’s how it starts. It gets sadder but this is a Tumblr post. And I’m bored and the game’s story ain’t continuing… so I’m finishing it.