#shipverse au || caught up in the moment ( compact / smokedanced | shepard )

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: ❛ you look absolutely irresistible right now. ❜ / from garrus for izzy in compact

Emerald green eyes turn away from her own reflection as she'd been inspecting the final touches of her hair and makeup in preparation of the infiltration mission Kasumi had asked for her assistance with. Though even she has to admit that the formal wear came as a bit of a surprise, even if she was appreciative of the other human's tastes.

Though she did have to wonder just how much the clever little thief knew about herself and Garrus, between Kasumi's inviting him on the mission as well, and how the dress she provided for Isabela was in a style that would certainly be appreciated by turians as much as humans, given the way it accented her waist, collar bones, and neck.

Perhaps for the first time since their reunion, she was grateful that they hadn't found time yet in their busy schedule to redo her bond mark, with how much of her throat and shoulders were on display, though she suspected they would make time after this particular mission, given the look her mate was giving her.

A sly smirk tugs at her ruby painted lips as she brushes her hair back over her shoulders to give him an unobstructed view as she turns her focus back on her last minute checks. "Then I suppose your sniper's patience is going to be tested this evening, since we have a job to do," Izzy notes with a flirtatiously teasing lilt as she fastens the necklace around her throat to complete the ensemble.

Not that she intends on making it easy for him by any means, as she turns her attention back on the turian standing in the doorway of the bathroom, giving him an appreciative look over of her own at the suit they'd acquired for him on the Citadel before heading toward Bekenstein. "Then again, with you looking as you do, I might find it harder to say no…"

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: [ KEEP ] sender fell asleep on receiver and when receiver tries to get up, sender whines so they stay put. +reverse / garrus for izzy in compactverse

Ever since they departed from the Citadel with her Spectre status fully reinstated despite the verbal sparring match with Sparatus, Valern, and Tevos over whether or not the Reapers were truly the threat she claims them to be, Isabela has been running herself ragged between upgrading the ship, recruiting new squadmates, and trying to find proof that the Collectors are working for the Reapers.

In one of her rare moments where she's finally sat down for longer than two minutes, Izzy had been listening to Garrus and Tali discussing some of the further upgrades they both had planned when the familiarity of the technical talk and the soothing voices of her best friends and her mate lulled her to sleep propped up against Garrus's side.

Though the moment that Garrus starts to move, a low whine of protest is heard from the human as Izzy only barely wakes enough to wrap her arms around his waist and tangle her legs around one of his before dozing right back off the second he stills again.

"Oh," Tali laughs quietly as she realises what's happened, her smile clearly heard in her voice. "I had wondered why she wasn't offering any suggestions of her own." Glowing silver eyes crinkle in the corners as she looks to Garrus in amusement at the situation he now finds himself in with their commander asleep on him. "Should I bring you some kava? I don't think she's going to let you up anytime soon."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: { kneel } : one muse orders the other to their knees / uhm he saw it and wanted it. garrus for izzy in compact!verse, garrus doing the ordering

💌 random, kinda kinky prompts [ meme - accepting ]

The command - and she has zero doubts that that is exactly what it is - comes as a surprise the moment it's issued, interrupting her tirade just as she compares their last disagreement regarding her squad composition decisions when she had initially planned on taking on a merc base solo rather than at least taking him if not a full squad with her groundside to his refusal to be left behind on the ship when she went into the quarantined zone on Omega in search of Mordin. Clearly still a sore spot for Isabela, as she seems unable to let it go, feeling like her own ability to command is constantly being called into question now that she's alive once more and shoved right back into the forefront of the fight against the Reaper threat.

Emerald green eyes narrow in angry defiance at Garrus as she remains silent, glaring up at him as she fights against herself not to give in and submit so readily, even as her conditioned instincts are all but screaming at her to with the authoritative rumble of his subvocals. But it isn't long at all before she succumbs to his demand, lowering herself to her knees as he's ordered.

But it's clear in the way she continues to glare up at him from her position on the floor, and the way she's mindful of how her head is angled not to bare her throat to him any more than absolutely necessary in order to meet his gaze still, that she remains pointedly defiant, not submitting to her mate so readily as her compliance to the command might imply from an outside perspective.

And yet, for a fraction of a second, there's a flicker of emotions that she's barely able to mask in her eyes, of the fear and uncertainty she's clearly been struggling with ever since waking up two years later after her own death, of the desperate need for something that she can never seem to find the words for but has always found in the end with Garrus, of the pain and anger and hurt that she feels constantly now, with no real suitable outlet for it all as she struggles with herself to be who everyone else expects her to be, except she's still herself from two years ago...

It's then that those emotions are overshadowed with a glimpse of shame as her thoughts grow steadily darker in her silence, and she finally breaks her gaze away from his, some of her defiance softening with a hint of self-defeat. As is common with Izzy, she offers no apology for her behaviour - at least, not verbally, as the tilt of her head changes subtly enough to acknowledge her shortcomings.

Before she can even fully process her own thoughts, tears are staining her cheeks, and it's only when they drip onto her hands that she seems to register them at all, a choked gasp escaping her as she looks back up at Garrus then, her panic and obvious distress overriding everything else as she seeks out the one person in the galaxy that she knows is safe, a pleading whimper all that she can manage as her defiance crumbles in an instant when she bares her throat to him in full submission all while silently begging him to help, to make the hurt go away, even as she can't process why everything is suddenly so much, too much, all at once.

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: ( tug )  for the sender to tug on the receiver’s hair. / HE SAW IT AND GRABBY HANDS'D IT. garrus for izzy, compact!au

💌 'sunday' themed prompts [ meme - accepting ]

'I'll be down in a minute. Just let me wrap this up.'

Those had been her words when Garrus had called up to their cabin when she hadn't showed up on the crew deck for lunch. Tali, in her infinite genius, had brought Izzy a levo protein bar when the lunch period ended and their captain still was a no show.

When Izzy failed to show up for dinner as well...

She barely takes note of the cabin door opening and closing without any announcement of who is entering. Of the few people who have unrestricted access to the captain's cabin, there is only one person who enters completely unannounced unless it's an emergency, and that's because it's his quarters as well.

Isabela's focus, however, remains on the terminal in front of her as she goes over yet another email from Hackett, her emerald gaze narrowed with a fury that his 'requests' for her 'assistance' always seems to incite. She's been at it for hours, and even the protein bar Tali had provided her with is only partially eaten, laying forgotten on the desk beside the holographic keyboard.

The sudden grip and insistent tug on her hair draws a startled gasp from her as her gaze is forcefully redirected up and back as Garrus looms over her, her throat bared to him by the action in a way that even she rarely offers on her own simply by the differences in height with her sitting at her desk as she is.

Her anger at Hackett and the Alliance momentarily forgotten, her eyes widen in shock as she meets Garrus's gaze with a touch of trepidation. She knows her mate surely isn't pleased with her missing not just one but two meals in the same day, even if it is a transit day, so there hasn't been any combat to wear her down more than usual, especially while she's still adjusting to the new L5 biotic implant.

Still, there's no denying the effect the dominant display has on her, even as her eyes narrow once more in irritation despite her obvious arousal as her pupils dilate, and she barely manages to swallow back the moan that is nearly drawn from her. And with her hair still firmly in his grip, she's left with no real choice but to keep her focus solely on him.

"Garrus," she acknowledges quietly, a touch breathless with the state he's put her in so effortlessly. Most days, it's still hard to believe some days how much the last two years have changed him while she was dead, but then there are undeniable reminders when he takes control whether she's anticipating it or not. Sometimes she just wishes she wasn't so quickly turned on by it all in moments like this.

A soft sigh escapes her as she thinks she probably should at least admit that she doesn't really have an excuse for missing the meals - there hadn't been an active mission or any time sensitive matters to deal with, and if there was one thing that certainly hasn't changed, it's Garrus's insistence on Izzy taking proper care of herself. Perhaps even more so now that she's quite literally returned from the dead than before.

But at the same time, she wouldn't be herself if she didn't choose some of the worst times to be particularly stubborn when she refuses to offer an apology. She is the captain of this ship, and the commanding officer of this mission. Even if her mate is also her second-in-command, and she values his opinion and insight, it's not as though she has to explain herself or her actions to him.

It is one thing, however, to think these things, and something else entirely when she can't even do little more than what he allows under the current circumstances as she continues to meet his gaze head on. Though the sudden spark of mischief that settles in her gaze isn't necessarily encouraging when she teases, "If you want me to suck your cock, you could simply ask."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: “You really thought you could win? How cute.“ / garrus for izzy but it's archangel and alison gunn antics?

The fight, if you could even call it that with how quickly she was disarmed and pinned with her back against a wall, is over nearly as soon as it began, her breath heavy from exhaustion from trying to outrun a turian through the back alleys of Nos Astra. Her pistol lays discarded several feet away, her wrist still caught in the turian's grasp and held above her head as he all but looms over her...

Taunting her...

A frustrated snarl curls her lip as she glares up at him, defiance shining bright in her emerald gaze. "You're a long way from your usual haunt, Archangel," Alison Gunn notes, reaching out with her still free hand to rest her hand against his chest. "Surely you haven't run out of mercs to harass on Omega that you had to put your sights on little ol' me. I'd hardly think my band of misfits would be worth your time."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: [ 17 ] an entirely water-covered planet with structures built above the stormy seas for safety / garrus for izzy in compact

💌 private meme collection

Stepping out of the shuttle onto the landing platform, Isabela pauses to look out over the choppy ocean waters, for a moment reminded of the day she first arrived on Kahje as a small child, the wonder of water as far as the eye could see in every direction with only the Life Domes providing solid surfaces for the drell and other species visiting the hanar homeworld.

It's little surprise that the hanar chose this planet to colonise as they expanded into the stars, another ocean world prime for the taking by the aquatic species. Life Domes are sparse on this world, only providing enough to facilitate trade and to house the drell serving within the Compact.

Turning at the sound of the others stepping out of the shuttle, she nods to them before heading towards the covered entrance to the dome. "Thane, I trust you know your way around. Be back at the rendezvous in an hour for the hearing."

"Of course," Thane agrees easily, bowing slightly to the both of them before breaking away once they reach the dome interior in order to attend to his own business.

Isabela hesitates for a moment, wary as she looks around at the near exclusive hanar and drell wandering the dome, because while she may feel at home in such a place, bringing Garrus here... well...

"Stay close to me," she murmurs quietly, glancing up at her mate. "This world doesn't get many visitors outside of the Primacy, so people are likely going to be suspicious. No doubt we're being shadowed already."

With a weary sigh, she starts back on their path toward the center of the city. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry to be dragging you into this. Hopefully it will simply be a matter of having my records updated to show my status as being bonded, but... My superiors aren't pleased with my 'disappearance' on top of everything else. Having Thane at the hearing should help, but... They may still find it necessary to test my loyalty to the Primacy."

Looking up at him once more with deadly seriousness in her gaze, she notes, "If they do, I need you to promise me you will not interfere. Any action on your part may be seen as outside influence, and they will question if I have defected to the Hierarchy after bonding with you."

[anderwhohn]

Smiling with fond exasperation, she shakes her head before taking another sip of her drink, only to pause when his hand begins sliding over her hip. Breath catching as it comes to rest on her thigh, she looks from his hand back to him, her gaze darkened, but with undeniable lust as she subconsciously leans a little closer to him.

"Well," she starts, her smile turning more coy as she allows his hand to remain where it is as she takes another drink. "You found me. I just... needed off that ship for a bit..." All the security cameras and the ever present AI certainly don't make it easy for her to relax on the Normandy. Especially with so few people that she feels she can trust onboard. It says a lot when she feels safer being alone on Omega than she does on the ship.

Not to mention the unnerving feeling that she's wrong in a way that few other things in the galaxy is, when people keep getting startled simply by her presence once they realise who she is. For now, aside from Aria and some of her lieutenants, few people pay much attention to who she might be beyond a human clearly more comfortable around other species than many of her own. Unlike on the ship, where she's even caught Chakwas and Joker seeming to have to remind themselves that she's really alive again...

It's overwhelming, to say the least, especially when, for her, it had only been days since she was laying under the mako with Garrus, pulling out geth pieces from the undercarriage, trying not to grin at his clearly exasperated grumbling at the damage done to the vehicle because she'd decided to simply run over the geth when the main gun overheated while chasing after Saren on Ilos.

Strange to think how those had been simpler times, facing down galactic extinction at the hands of an indoctrinated Spectre hellbent on opening a relay to dark space for the Reapers. Only now, a few weeks later from her perspective, the galaxy is at risk again with the Collectors getting increasingly bold and entire human colonies disappearing.

"Sorry if I worried you," she offers softly, one hand coming to rest on his, though doing so only seems to bring her own attention to just how high on her thigh it rests and she squirms a little in her seat at the thought. "I... I didn't want to bother you, when you were finally getting some rest..."

@smokedanced asked: [ possessive ] your muse resting their hand on mine’s leg or the small of their back while they’re sitting beside each other . / garrus for izzy

While she would never admit to it aloud, there is one thing that Isabela was in complete agreement with Miranda Lawson on: Omega is a piss hole…

And yet, she herself finds some comfort in the strange familiarity of the place after the few years she spent on the streets of Earth, running with gangs that wouldn't put too much thought to her oddly alien behaviour as she adjusted to being human again before approaching the next phase of her assigned mission in her youth. Though it's probably that comfort, even among criminals, murderers, and thieves, that draws more than a little of the attention that she's gained to her, even as all she's done is to take a seat at the bar after putting her drink order in with the turian bartender.

While never fully taking her eyes off the turian handling her drink, she does spare enough of her attention to her surroundings, taking note of the piqued interest a number of the other patrons have taken in her. It's flattering, in a way, particularly when she knows how many of the other species view humans, and yet a wasted endeavour for anyone who decides to try their luck with her.

Emerald eyes focus back on the bartender as she nods in thanks when her drink is placed on the bar in front of her, taking it in hand to sip at. At least until a familiar weight and warmth of a three-fingered hand comes to rest on the small of her back as a different turian invites himself to the stool next to hers.

A wry smirk tugs at her lips as she looks up at Garrus, a single brow raised in silent question at the way his talons curl slightly into the material of the jacket she wears, though there's a hint of uncertainty that lingers in her gaze as she's still clearly thrown by the lack of the auditory implants that once allowed her to fully hear subvocalisations. Between her missing implants and his claim on her as bondmates, she is certainly finding herself at odds with this strange new galaxy two years past what she last remembers…

Another sleepless night had led her to leaving the docked ship to venture alone into Afterlife, but she hadn't expected any of the crew to follow her. Though, in hindsight, she should have known her mate would track her down as soon as he realised she was no longer on the Normandy…

"Hey, you," she murmurs in quiet greeting, head tilting to the side slightly in curious interest as she eyes him while taking another sip of her drink. "Everything okay on the ship?"

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced || height comparison: Garrus & Izzy (+ Izzy in Armour)

Just because I can...

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: [ possessive ] your muse resting their hand on mine’s leg or the small of their back while they’re sitting beside each other . / garrus for izzy

While she would never admit to it aloud, there is one thing that Isabela was in complete agreement with Miranda Lawson on: Omega is a piss hole…

And yet, she herself finds some comfort in the strange familiarity of the place after the few years she spent on the streets of Earth, running with gangs that wouldn't put too much thought to her oddly alien behaviour as she adjusted to being human again before approaching the next phase of her assigned mission in her youth. Though it's probably that comfort, even among criminals, murderers, and thieves, that draws more than a little of the attention that she's gained to her, even as all she's done is to take a seat at the bar after putting her drink order in with the turian bartender.

While never fully taking her eyes off the turian handling her drink, she does spare enough of her attention to her surroundings, taking note of the piqued interest a number of the other patrons have taken in her. It's flattering, in a way, particularly when she knows how many of the other species view humans, and yet a wasted endeavour for anyone who decides to try their luck with her.

Emerald eyes focus back on the bartender as she nods in thanks when her drink is placed on the bar in front of her, taking it in hand to sip at. At least until a familiar weight and warmth of a three-fingered hand comes to rest on the small of her back as a different turian invites himself to the stool next to hers.

A wry smirk tugs at her lips as she looks up at Garrus, a single brow raised in silent question at the way his talons curl slightly into the material of the jacket she wears, though there's a hint of uncertainty that lingers in her gaze as she's still clearly thrown by the lack of the auditory implants that once allowed her to fully hear subvocalisations. Between her missing implants and his claim on her as bondmates, she is certainly finding herself at odds with this strange new galaxy two years past what she last remembers…

Another sleepless night had led her to leaving the docked ship to venture alone into Afterlife, but she hadn't expected any of the crew to follow her. Though, in hindsight, she should have known her mate would track her down as soon as he realised she was no longer on the Normandy…

"Hey, you," she murmurs in quiet greeting, head tilting to the side slightly in curious interest as she eyes him while taking another sip of her drink. "Everything okay on the ship?"

[anderwhohn]

"Ah," Isabela starts, feigning embarrassment as she shifts to stand more casually, forcing herself to relax a bit and allow herself to fidget as if self-conscious. "I've been waiting for a message from my family to come through, but my omnitool is faulty, and I haven't had a chance to replace it yet," she offers in a mixture of lies and half-truths.

She is waiting on a message - albeit from her handlers rather than family - but her omnitool is perfectly functional, just locked down so much that it would appear faulty to anyone without extensive technical knowledge, with the extra encryption and limited network connectivity to ensure her data - particularly her Illuminated Primacy ID - stays hidden from the galaxy at large.

Knowing she hasn't done anything more than weird out some people who noticed she wasn't acting as human as she appears to be, she tries flashing him a sheepish smile, "It still occasionally lets me connect to the public terminals' networks, but not the wider comms system, so I've been stuck here waiting for hours."

"Last time I checked, there wasn't anything wrong with that, is there?" she asks, cocking her head a bit as she looks up at him curiously, hoping that he wouldn't push the issue for her identification, because at this point, she was going to have to find another access point to check the dead drop inbox in hopes that the message came through while she's been dealing with this.

@smokedanced || semiplotted starter.

She should have known better. The last time she spent any significant time on the Citadel, she was much younger, only a child at the time, one of the many 'duct rats' as they have come to be called. Or, as she knows of them herself now, the drala'fa - 'the ignored'.

Now, however, she's an adult, and at this exact moment, one her handlers would no doubt be frowning in disapproval at had they been around to see her at any point in the last several hours as she has waited by the public terminals, growing increasingly more antsy the longer time passes without a message received.

She's awaiting orders, and not from who most would assume based on her species and the Systems Alliance dog tags tucked away under her shirt. She's not in uniform, instead having opted to spend what time she has left on this shore leave in standard civilian clothing, only neither does she hold herself as most human soldiers do, even those who had undergone the rigorous training of the N7 program.

Just as she also manages not to hold herself as one would expect of an untrained human civilian, her training under the Compact giving her a harder edge than most humans on the Citadel, more of what you'd expect to see from one of the few drell that occasionally board the station.

So to say that Isabela is annoyed at herself when she's approached by a turian in C-Sec armour is an understatement, her emerald green eyes narrowing even as she quickly scans the area for any other officers.

Just the one…

She knows it's far too late to try to look like a perfectly innocent civilian tourist, so she doesn't even try to change her demeanour, simply shifting her weight to better position herself in case she needs to bolt. But for now, she'll at least try to see if she can talk her way out of this - it wouldn't be the first time.

"Is there a problem, Officer?" she asks, crossing her arms as she subtly disconnects her omnitool from the network, not wanting to risk the message from the Primacy coming in with C-Sec actively watching her.

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: ❛ i didn’t actually hurt you too much, did i ? ❜ / aftercare meme garrus for izzy!

💌 aftercare sentence starters [ meme - not accepting ]

Emerald eyes blink open drowsily to look at him, her brow furrowing with just a hint of exasperated frustration at what she feels is undue concern for her. Reaching up, she presses her fingers over his mouthplates, mumbling a quiet 'shush' at him before she drags herself up a little higher on his chest to better meet his gaze.

"Garrus," she sighs, leaning in to press her forehead to his, nuzzling into the action with obvious affection for her turian, even if he can be ridiculous at moments like this. "I promise, if you're ever too rough with me, you'll be the first to know. I know my safe words. And I trust you - I know you'll stop the moment I might need you to."

Clever fingers work their way up from his cowl to gently caress his neck, working their way up behind his head and under his fringe. "I want you, and that means all of you, talons and all. So stop overthinking it and just enjoy knowing that out of all the people in the galaxy, you are the only one who gets to have me all to yourself."

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced || semiplotted starter.

She should have known better. The last time she spent any significant time on the Citadel, she was much younger, only a child at the time, one of the many 'duct rats' as they have come to be called. Or, as she knows of them herself now, the drala'fa - 'the ignored'.

Now, however, she's an adult, and at this exact moment, one her handlers would no doubt be frowning in disapproval at had they been around to see her at any point in the last several hours as she has waited by the public terminals, growing increasingly more antsy the longer time passes without a message received.

She's awaiting orders, and not from who most would assume based on her species and the Systems Alliance dog tags tucked away under her shirt. She's not in uniform, instead having opted to spend what time she has left on this shore leave in standard civilian clothing, only neither does she hold herself as most human soldiers do, even those who had undergone the rigorous training of the N7 program.

Just as she also manages not to hold herself as one would expect of an untrained human civilian, her training under the Compact giving her a harder edge than most humans on the Citadel, more of what you'd expect to see from one of the few drell that occasionally board the station.

So to say that Isabela is annoyed at herself when she's approached by a turian in C-Sec armour is an understatement, her emerald green eyes narrowing even as she quickly scans the area for any other officers.

Just the one…

She knows it's far too late to try to look like a perfectly innocent civilian tourist, so she doesn't even try to change her demeanour, simply shifting her weight to better position herself in case she needs to bolt. But for now, she'll at least try to see if she can talk her way out of this - it wouldn't be the first time.

"Is there a problem, Officer?" she asks, crossing her arms as she subtly disconnects her omnitool from the network, not wanting to risk the message from the Primacy coming in with C-Sec actively watching her.

[anderwhohn]

A mischievous smirk plays at her lips with his groan, fingers focusing on the spots that get the most reaction from him before she finds herself pushed back to meet his gaze. That same smirk fades as he pushes, the sparkle in her eyes dimming as she closes herself off in an instant.

There are things she doesn't want to think about, things that were done to her, that she had no say in or control over, while she was dead - things that Cerberus did to bring her back to life - and some of those things have left very obvious, glowing scars littering her body. Human flesh is sensitive to turian talons and plating at the best of times, but when already more vulnerable than usual with the recent surgeries to piece her back together from 'just meat and tubes'?

"It's nothing to worry about," she insists, a bitter edge tinging her voice. She's been through far worse, after all - not that he would accept that, she's almost certain. With a weary sigh, she squirms to wiggle herself free of his arm to put more space between them, her mood dampening with her discomfort with the conversation.

"Chakwas says the scars aren't exactly healing like you'd normally expect. And I'm still... adjusting... to how everything's different. I... My body doesn't feel like my own anymore," she admits quietly, unable to meet his gaze while doing so. "But this helped... You help. I..."

Closing her eyes against the tears trying to well in her eyes, she mutters, "I needed this... To really feel this body as my own. And... I needed to feel you... in all this... To make the last two years real for me..."

@smokedanced asked: ❛ i didn’t actually hurt you too much, did i ? ❜ / aftercare meme garrus for izzy!

💌 aftercare sentence starters [ meme - not accepting ]

Emerald eyes blink open drowsily to look at him, her brow furrowing with just a hint of exasperated frustration at what she feels is undue concern for her. Reaching up, she presses her fingers over his mouthplates, mumbling a quiet 'shush' at him before she drags herself up a little higher on his chest to better meet his gaze.

"Garrus," she sighs, leaning in to press her forehead to his, nuzzling into the action with obvious affection for her turian, even if he can be ridiculous at moments like this. "I promise, if you're ever too rough with me, you'll be the first to know. I know my safe words. And I trust you - I know you'll stop the moment I might need you to."

Clever fingers work their way up from his cowl to gently caress his neck, working their way up behind his head and under his fringe. "I want you, and that means all of you, talons and all. So stop overthinking it and just enjoy knowing that out of all the people in the galaxy, you are the only one who gets to have me all to yourself."