#matriarch aethyta

[ideas-on-paper]

Wow, thank you both for all that info! It certainly made me learn a lot about the Asari.

I suppose it's difficult to imagine what exactly I want to do without knowing the full context, so I'm going to give you a brief outline of my story concept and Aethyta's (potential) role in it:

My fic is going to take before and during the Morning War/Geth-Quarian War, and while most of the plot is going to be centered around my own Quarian and Geth OCs, there's a side character I dubbed "the Asari inspector" for the time being who is going to have a brief, but rather significant cameo.

Officially, she's sent to Rannoch on a "diplomatic visit", but the actual purpose is an investigation into the suspicions of illegal AI research the Citadel Council has against the Quarian government. (Which is going to be a pretty major plot point in the story.)

The reason they have to do it in this sort of "official way" is because the Quarians have very strict controls of who enters their territories. (This headcanon is sort of derived from my observation that the Quarians - like the Geth - are quite isolationist, but I like to believe that even before the Morning War, the Quarians were sort of secluded and doing their own thing in their corner of the galaxy.) You can still enter Rannoch as a foreigner, as we see with Erinya's bondmate (who, btw, is also going to have a cameo), but it's quite complicated and not too many people do it, which is why any non-Quarian on Rannoch will immediately stand out.

Now, the reason I've been considering Aethyta for the role is because she's one of the few characters confirmed to have seen unmasked Quarians. (And she would've had plenty opportunities for that if she visited Rannoch.) That being said, the concept is far from finalized - in fact, as I said, I've been considering whether Asari/Council authorities would even place her in that position, and I can totally see how her personality might not be the most suited for it. (Especially since the Asari inspector is going to have some interactions with an OC of mine who is the textbook example of a sycophant; needless to say, he'd drive Aethyta up the wall.)

However, I think you might actually given me a great idea how to solve this - currently, I'm at the point where I need to decide whether I want to create an OC for the role of the Asari inspector or cast Aethyta for it. However, given what @dr-jekyl said above, I could almost see myself doing both - maybe Aethyta accompanies an actual Asari diplomat as an assistant/bodyguard so she can gather intelligence?

Anyway, the whole story is still very much in development at this point - I created an info sheet I shared with my betas, since I wanted to gather some feedback from ME enthusiasts before moving ahead with it; actually, if you're interested, I can send you the link as well.

Also: Like I said, I'm extremely specialized in my knowledge of ME lore. I'm fairly confident in my knowledge about the Geth and Quarians, but I might have "blind spots" regarding the other species. However, since the Quarians' interactions with other races are also something I want to take into account, I really want to get this right, so please don't hold back with pointing out any lore-related issues! :-)

(The only thing that might be a problem is that I've only shared the link with my betas via DMs so far; @crapeaucrapeau if you're interested, maybe it would work if I sent it to you as an ask?)

The New Aethyta Lore from Mass Effect : The Official Cocktail Book (yes I'm doing that you can't stop me)

Immense thanks to @felassan for the work !

"And do take your Citadel recommendations with a grain of salt when you’re there (barring the guide currently in your hands, of course). Especially ones coming from the hotshot human Spectre making the rounds – that one will endorse anything for a discount."

PERSONAL HISTORY

"Nine hundred years (give or take)" ; in a previous post, @dr-jekyl noted that in ME3, Aethyta mentions having passed the 1000-year milestone. Note that Aethyta is trying to obfuscate by using the "Ambree T'Sia" persona.

"a variety of careers and aliases later" : very Aleena/Aria. Possibly also a form of misdirection.

"Yes, I’m a criminal. I’ve been a pirate and an insurgent, and my hands are far from clean."

"Before my commando days, I started running with a krogan merc group who were looking for a biotic. I didn’t have a lot of experience with krogan back then, and I admit they were an intimidating lot. Our first night together, the boys took me out drinking and I, wanting to seem just as tough as they were, did my best to keep up. Until they started ordering Krogan Burukh."

Presumably afterward, once she had more experience with krogan but before she joined the military : "I used to run with a Battlemaster in my early days whose wit was as dry and vast as an Asterian desert. We survived an Eclipse double-cross by the skin of our teeth, and when we got back to our dingy little hideout, he toasted our fortune with a Tuchanka Sunset. His own personal recipe. He claimed the bartenders at Afterlife know how to make it, if you ask. Now, I love a good sunset drink and as such was appalled to watch him dump black rum on top of an otherwise flawless concoction. Sensing my shock, with a wry half-smile he said, “Well, yeah, wouldn’t be a sunset on Tuchanka without a choking cloud of toxic ash to ruin the view now, would it?”" => Note that Eclipse was founded in the 2170s, which is far too late for Aethyta's "early days".

Probably during those krogan times, but possibly afterward (see below) : "I still remember the young krogan merc I renamed after a night of tossing back these nutty, bubbly little things together. It’s been a while, but I do sincerely hope Urp is doing well out there."

"a former asari huntress, I left the military bureaucracy to lead a small covert unit of ex-commandos focused on espionage and assassination outside of official channels. More effective and more fun that way." => So it appears Aethyta was a soldier, rose in rank, got bored at the command level, then became a black ops squad leader for asari military intelligence. Plausible deniability and all that.

"The more I relied on bars and nightclubs to gather intel, the more connections I made with the key players. Not just the ones in the back office, but the ones slinging drinks with closed mouths and open ears. I started posing as a bartender myself and got quite good at it. Enjoyed it, even."

Possibly after she left the military bureaucracy (but see above) : "I still remember the young krogan merc I renamed after a night of tossing back these nutty, bubbly little things together. It’s been a while, but I do sincerely hope Urp is doing well out there."

At some point between 2157 and 2186 : Aethyta "once led a raid on a CAT6 outpost that nabbed enough high-end military gear to outfit my crew for a long, long time"

At some point, James Vega hit on Aethyta, who tried to make himself attractive with "pull-up contests and cute little nicknames". It worked. They had a one-night stand. Since Huevos Rancheros à la Vega are explicitly referenced later on in the book, I choose to believe he made some for Aethyta the following morning. "I also picture him cracking the eggs with his biceps, but maybe that’s just me."

PERSONAL TRAITS

As an asari bartender, really believes that you're doing a subpar job if you're not using biotics : "For that authentic touch of frost, I recommend harnessing biotics to give your stick the right amount of swizzle." See also : "Be sure to shake [the Dark Star Vespertini] well – for the nonbiotics who need to do this task manually, I liken it to the amount of time until you start to worry your arm will fall off. If it feels like you’re giving the tumbler a quick ride in an M35 Mako, you’re doing it right."

"[Blue Thessia] is my favorite [mixer] for its taste and versatility"

"But as someone who tends to move around a lot due to my… profession (I’m a master of the Asari Goodbye)" : what's that reference ? The [Nationality] Goodbye ? Do you ghost people a lot, Aethyta ?

"I tend to lead a minimalist lifestyle." Her main expenses are "Guns and bribes".

"your girl is nothing if not quick to make a quick cred"

"[Blue Thessia] is my favorite [mixer] for its taste and versatility"

Aethyta thinks she has (and likes that she has) "taste and versatility". She can't stand nonsense/bullshit.

"As a former asari commando, I’ve certainly enjoyed my fair share of loud explosions, but I pride myself on having mastered the finer, more subtle arts of combat: espionage, assassination, and superior intel."

"I’m a Matriarch with a Maiden’s tastes: I like a pretty young thing on my arm, a warm Acolyte pistol, and a heaping bowl of human ice cream. Chocolate, if you’re taking notes."

Aethyta considers that krogan poetry is "thicker and sweeter than expected". She's not a fan ; it bores her. She considers Blue Rose of Illium to be a good (read : bad) example of the genre.

Serial dramas like Dynasty of Stars (apparently infamous for its plot holes) nauseate her.

However, "This one unironically loves the Blasto franchise. The acting, the writing, the backdrops? High camp, babe. A human essayist, Sontag, wrote, “You can’t camp about something you don’t take seriously. You’re not making fun of it; you’re making fun out of it.”  And what’s more fun than adding cream to grape Pucker? It creates a hanar in every shot. Try my favorite drinking game: gather your friends, fire up Blasto Saves Christmas, and throw back a Blasto Sting every time he says, “Enkindle THIS!" - Aethyta has a Blasto-themed drinking game.

"I simply love a flair for the dramatic: thieves leaving calling cards, villains monologuing, or devils bargaining. It elevates the stale and mundane, forcing you to reconsider traditional assumptions."

About asari : "Don’t underestimate young asari. Yes, there is a strong drive for at the Maiden stage to explore and experience. Curious and restless, some look for the nearest bar to dance in. But that’s no reason to let your guard down. Many don’t realize their mistake until they’re telekinetically slammed into the nearest concrete wall." ; "We asari tend to take biotics for granted."

About salarians : "excitable", "opportunists"

About humans : "I understand humans consider [four years] quite the span of time – how quaint." Aethyta finds "human Alliance officers to be particularly dull and single-minded. So new to space, with such a short lifespan, few know how to relax and have fun."

Laments "the rigidity of turians". Later on : "Turians may be imperialistic, inflexible, stringent, and bullheaded, but I appreciate that they rarely suffer nonsense."

About hanar : "Don’t let their eminent politeness fool you. Hanar know how to party"

About quarians : "There are two things quarians do better than anyone else: curse (say it with me: bosh’tet!) and get drunk."

Not fond of batarians : "Even batarian mothers raise their kids with better manners than that." ; "I… don’t know what “other” blue meat it’s referring to. I hope it’s not asari, but I wouldn’t put anything past the batarians."

A SELECTION OF AETHYTA-ISMS

"If you like your drinks stiffer than a turian’s carapace"

About uncut batarian ale : "It’s mean, it’s green, and it will leave your insides clean."

About Doran from Flux : "this little macaroon from Irune"

A joke : "An asari, quarian, and volus walk into a bar. The bartender asks, “What can I get you?” The quarian and volus motion to the asari, “Talk to her, we’re just here for the atmosphere.”"

"Not here to judge, if you need a list of extranet sites involving romantic relationships between organics and synthetics, I can recommend a few that’ll really spin your hard drive."

There's so much lore I'm probably going to have to make a post for it.

[mass-effect-anonymous]

CONFESSION:

I honestly can't stand the Asari and I think their pride, arrogance and not wanting to change helped put the galaxy in the trajectory of the reapers but I really liked Liara's father Aethyta for wanting to change the system and get rid of old traditions. And I loved Aethyta's protective nature towards Liara.

[captainkatie42]

Doing my slowburn romance with Liara but Aethyta speaks the truth and Liara’s not denying it.

[tungstenb]

requested by a follower who asked to remain anonymous (:

[ladygwyndolin]

Mass Effect characters react to you coming out (Part 1)

Part 1//Part 2//Part 3//Part 4

[writers-dilemma]

Matriarch Aethyta walking around in sweatpants that say DILF on the ass in rhinestones. Benezia doing her best to pretend she doesn’t love it.

[lord-of-the-froggies]

Another comic, inspired by another one of my friends. The idea came when I shared a headcanon that Benezia is a wine connoisseur; my friend gave me an interaction between Benezia and Aethyta:

"It's fruity-"

"You're fruity."

I had to draw it out, I never felt such a powerful urge in my life (that's a lie but you get what I mean).

[shizuu-chann]

If you've ever wondered what happened to Liara's father, Matriarch Aethyta, wonder no more!

I always acted like Aethyta was fine after the Citadel coup, despite there being a million and twelve people who insist Aethyta tragically died right after Liara got to know her. I always thought "no way she's die like that, how lame." But! I heard a line of dialogue that confirms she's alive! (At least that's how I'm choosing to interpret it.)

When you get the Library of Asha war asset for that commando in Purgatory, later on you can click on her and she'll say something like, 'make it all required reading, I have Matriarch Aethyta's backing on this!'

You can only get that mission AFTER the coup attempt, meaning she's alive and discussed the asari military reading with the commando AFTER you returned the reading material! I feel so much better just knowing this information, I really liked her character.

[hellafluff]

Matriarch Aethyta is soooo butch coded I love her so much

[writers-dilemma]

Which is all the more funny in ME3 when Aethyta is practically drooling over the memory of Benezia’s tits to Liara. Benezia was so stacked up that she made the Matriarch who digs asses pay attention to her bodonhonkaroos

“...loved showing off his war scars. Krogan think they’re sexy. Me? I go for asses.”

[randombackgroundasari]

Benezia and Aethyta visit the Citadel. Art I commissioned from BirdyRaider

[anghraine]

The Mass Effect P&P AU is taking slightly clearer shape in my head and I think it ... very roughly follows the Mass Effect story with the character roles taken by P&P characters and the dynamics being necessarily affected by that.

I've been set on Elizabeth as Shepard and an asari Darcy from basically the start, and when I was deciding if I wanted Darcy to basically occupy Liara's role (personalities aside!), I thought "yeah, I can see asari Darcy going into academic research and being like, I don't care what everyone else thinks about the Protheans, I know I'm right!"

And then I was like... wait, is Lady Catherine Matriarch Benezia in this universe??? o_O

[freedombeginsathome]

This is what happens when you have a Mystery drink from the Eternity Bar on Illium. (Mass Effect 2). Any other drink does not have the same effect.

What are your thoughts on this?

Does the Mystery drink allow you to see Matriarch Aethyta as she looked like younger?

Because this drink comes from a Vorcha world, is this how the vorcha see her? (leaning on that theory that Asari can manipulate how they look to make them more attractive to each species)

Or it doesn't mean anything at all?

[tungstenb]

when your bondmate is very supportive

[omniblades-and-stars]

Characters I would get drunk with:

Matriarch Aethyta

Gianna Parasini

Irritated customer service rep who that guy never believes when he's trying to return his toaster or whatever he's been trying to return for 3 years straight

The guy who's been trying to return his toaster for 3 years straight

The receptionist at the embassies at the Citadel pre-Geth attack

Conrad Verner

Characters I would not get drunk with:

ANY KROGAN (I would not survive)

[lord-of-the-froggies]

Howdy! There's been a lack of benezia/aethyta stuff recently, and I'm starved for content. So I'll do what I told my friend: "I'll make my own food then!".

You will all be subjected to my two favorite grumpy old ladies 👁👁