#wrex writes

[strawberrykidneystone]

mass effect companions masterbation headcanons

here you go you filthy sluts‼️/affectionately

garrus:

i hate to say it, but he jacks off every night if he can. it’s mostly a stress reliever for him and he’s usually all alone in the main battery, so why not?

liara:

doesn’t if she can help it. she’ll do it every once in a while but immediately feel guilty afterwards. only uses her fingers, nothing fancy (she’s too prideful to buy sex toys) maybe once a month as a treat

kaidan:

mans is a freak. he has a collection of dildos and pocket pussys in his personal apartment, but he makes due when out on ships for missions LMAO, i’d say maybe 2 times a week

ashley:

has a bullet vibrator that shes had for years that hasn’t let her down yet. easily transportable and easy to conceal!! doesn’t masterbate often, but still does it every once in a while, maybe once a week if we’re getting technical

tali:

wishes she could do it more often, but the process for it to be safe is really annoying. and even if she does it while she’s in her suit, it’s a pain to clean up. i’d say she commits to it once a month for a self care day, invested money into a wand vibrator for herself

wrex:

literally doesn’t. i feel like krogan would see it as a “waste of seed” or some shit like that so he takes most of his frustrations out on the battle field

a/n: i only did the me1 crew but if more characters are requested i would be happy to do them!!!

part 2

[litlunacy]

I don't have anything finished for N7 Day, but I do have this wip I've been chipping at for a while. Takes place immediately post Destroy ending. ~1200 words

It's deathly silent.

The quiet settles over her like a heavy blanket, thick enough to be suffocating. Though, that might be because the last time her world was this dark and silent she had been gasping for air in the vacuum of space. She remembers how her lungs had burned while she thrashed uselessly, panicking in a way she hadn't since she was a teenager watching her brother get shot in the face.

That same panic is lurking at the edges of her mind now, waiting to take over. But she won't let it. She can't let it. There are too many people waiting for her to come back. Friends, people she cares about and who care about her. A lover who would follow her to the end of the world, and practically has. A wild wrecking ball of an adopted son she has to keep pulling out of trouble. 

She is Commander Lorelei Fucking Shepard, and she did not save the whole damn galaxy just to leave it behind.

So she keeps calm. She takes slow, deep breaths to keep her heart rate steady. The wound on her side is still oozing blood between her fingers, and she tries to keep pressure on it as best she can. Her entire body hurts, but she's slightly more concerned about the parts she can't feel. Maybe they're just numb from blood loss, or maybe she actually lost them in the explosion, but she tries not to think about it. 

Instead, she thinks about her crew, her strange little family that she's built for herself. She thinks about Liara's gentle smile and Jack's rabid grin. Grunt's throaty laugh and Wrex's bone-crushing hugs. Traynor's babbling and her frightening dedication to strategy games. She thinks about Joker, and knows that he got them all out, somehow. She thinks about her hamster. Somebody better be feeding the little furball. And the fish.

But most of all, she thinks about Garrus. She thinks about his icy blue eyes, and the way they go all soft and warm when he looks at her. She thinks about the feel of his talons gently carding through her hair. His wry, sarcastic humor. His voice. The feel of his keelbone pressed against her spine, his thrumming subvocals lulling her to sleep. 

God, what she wouldn't give for that right now. She's so, so tired...

But she can't sleep. Not yet. Somebody will be looking for her, and she needs to stay awake. As long as she's awake she can remind herself to breathe. As long as she can breathe, she can get back to her people. Her family.

So Commander Shepard lays there in the rubble, and she breathes.

***

Most of the krogan teams were still on Earth when the Crucible fired. Wrex had been hip-deep in husks, blasting one to bits only for three more to take its place when the shockwave had rippled across the galaxy. 

And all the husks had dropped dead.

It's now too many hours and one cramped shuttle ride later, and Wrex is leading the search team combing the wreckage of the Citadel. Officially, they're searching for any survivors. People who were on the station when the Reapers had dragged it to Earth. Civilians, officials, even the damn Keepers need to be saved if they want any hope of getting the Citadel up and running again. 

But personally? Wrex is looking for Shepard. Wrex is only looking for Shepard, and anyone who has a problem with it can talk to his fucking shotgun. 

Thankfully, nobody has a problem with it. 

When he finds a corpse, he ignores it. There's nothing to be done for the dead and not enough time to waste on them. When he finds someone alive, but not Shepard, he calls for a medevac and moves on. There aren't many alive. 

He digs through piles of rubble, shifting hunks of metal and stone that other races would need machines for. There's smoke and the smell of blood in the air. The joy of victory is soured by the still-rising body count.

But he hopes. He has to. If anyone could survive this, it's Shepard. She's already come back from the dead and survived what should have been a suicide mission. His friend is still here. She has to be.

"I hate this," comes a grumble from behind him. Wrex knows that it's Shepard's whelp without even turning around. "It's too quiet. Makes me antsy. Like I wanna kill something, but there's nothing left to kill."

Wrex snorts. "It's called worry, kid. And it'll eat you up like fear if you let it, so stop worrying and keep looking." He moves some twisted hunks of metal out of the way and walks through the new hole. Grunt follows.

"Krogan don't worry. We shoot things, and then we die. We don't worry. We get angry. We get violent." He kicks the discarded scrap of metal as if to prove his point.

The older krogan heaves a tired sigh. "You've got a lot to learn, kid. Don't pull this tough-guy bullshit with me right now. You're worried about Shepard."

"Shepard is fine. She's here somewhere, and she's fine. Why would I be worried about her?"

Wrex whirls around and grabs him by the headplate. "Because we're all worried about her! I am worried about her! She's my friend--"

"And she's my Battlemaster!" Grunt shouts, wrenching his head free and throwing an angry punch that Wrex easily catches.

"Then you need to channel this worry like you do your battle rage. Focus yourself so we can find her." He shoves Grunt's hand away and keeps walking. But the next words out of the kid's mouth make him stop cold.

"And what if we don't find her?"

Wrex doesn't answer right away. He balls his hands into fists, biotics fizzling as he resists the urge to throw the tactless youngster. Of course he's aware of the possibility. He's not stupid. But he also knows that what-ifs won't help anyone right now. This is a rescue mission, not a retrieval, and this whelp had better get that through his head.

"We will find her," he growls, though his traitorous brain adds an unbidden dead or alive in his head. "And when we get back to Tuchanka, we'll build her the biggest fucking monument the galaxy has ever seen. Now let's go."

"How can you--"

"Shut up!"

Grunt narrows his eyes and makes to grab Wrex by the shoulder. "You can't tell me to shut up, you old fossil."

Wrex slaps a hand over his mouth. "I said shut up. I thought I heard something."

Grunt grumpily shoves the hand off his mouth, but stays quiet. He turns his head, straining to hear...anything.

The dead silence is unnerving. It reminds him of the tank. If Shepard were here, she'd be making noise. In all the time he's known her, Shepard was always making noise. Humming to herself, tapping her foot, muttering under her breath as she scoped out a target with her sniper rifle. The woman even made noise in her sleep.

Grunt hates this silence. The ash and dust floating in the air. The smell of burning and death. They just won the greatest war in galactic history, but this wreckage smells like loss.

[mostmagical]

Pairing: Female Shepard/Garrus Vakarian Rating: T Chapter: 4/?

Fic Summary:

When Shepard wakes up after everything, Garrus isn’t there. (Post-Destroy Ending, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort)

Chapter 4 Excerpt:

Her doctors tell her she’s healing nicely, which is great because maybe soon she’ll be able to leave and do something. Like start looking for her damn ship. For her people. For Garrus. The longer she’s stuck—stuck in the bed, stuck doing nothing—, the longer she’s letting them all down. It would be a lie if she said it wasn’t wearing on her. She can’t remember the last time she’s felt so… useless. And just the thought of the word is enough to lodge a stone in her throat. Shepard has never been one to sit around and wait for others to figure it out. She’s always preferred her own boots on the ground, no matter how many waves of husks, or Collectors, or goddamned Reapers might stand in her way. She doesn’t like this. She wouldn’t like it if any other ship was missing, and she certainly doesn’t like it now. How could she ever trust anyone else to find the Normandy? To turn every stone? Earmark every page?

Chapter Masterlist: 1. Earth || 2. Kahlee || 3. Captain || 4. Wrex

[sockodot]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Urdnot Wrex/Commander Shepard Characters: Urdnot Wrex Additional Tags: Post Crucible firing, Angst, Whumptober 2024 Series: Part 2 of sunshine shepard/wrex, Part 3 of sunshine shepard, Part 3 of Whumptober '24 Summary:

Wrex has nothing but time.

He’ll find them.

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF PRIORITY: SUR'KESH

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex With: Lt. Steve Cortez, Dr. Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe, and Urdnot Bakara And a Special Guest Appearance by: Adm. Steven Hackett Alliance R&D has officially begun construction on the Prothean device. The team has dubbed it: "Project Crucible". We're throwing everybody who knows how to throw a hammer at it. This is gonna be the most ambitious undertaking in human history. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge- but we can do this, Shepard. You can do this. Never doubt that. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

+BONUS (the smirk™️)

[mushroommanchanterelle]

Part 3.5 of the Shakarian fic. Just a small teaser c:<

Wrex was the person she wanted to talk to the most throughout their long, exhausting haul to Virmire. The facility sounded like it was working on genophage research, and there was no way he would just be willing to sit back and watch her blow it to high heavens. She wanted to have a calm, deliberate conversation with him before they touched ground. Stars forbid she has to deal with an angry krogan while staring down the barrel of whatever Saren would have pointed at her. Eleanor knocks on a maintenance hatch just beside the elevator door. She reaches in and pulls out a soft, squishy, stuffed varren, closing the hatch as she retrieves the plush package. Krogans liked varrens, right? Eleanor brushes strands of faded pink hair behind her ear and steps into the elevator, pressing the button to allow it’s slow descent. 

“Just breathe, Eleanor. It’s just a conversation.”

[stormikins]

Ask game: Tali Wrex road-trip!

from this wip game! and there's a snippet here

Basically, this fic is about Tali going to Wrex about seeing Shepard on Freedom's Progress and then in the middle of them hunting down Shepard, Tali gets called back to do the Haestrom mission and she just... brings Wrex along for it and surprise! they meet Shepard there lol

heres a snippet from the beginning of the fic, where they meet up to start investigating together:

The two of them meet halfway on a station on the edge of the Terminus Systems. Aeternitas. It’s filled with mercs, bounty hunters, and pirates. He finds her in the markets, haggling for reserves of levo food and it’s only when he appears behind her does the human lower the price. Thankfully, she came onto the station all armored up, and she still has that geth arm plating. Tali’s head moves with her eye roll as they step away from the merchant when the sale is done and paid for. “I hope the ads were right with this being the best place to buy levo.” “I will complain either way.” “Of course.” They don’t talk about Shepard while in the streets, instead Tali regales him with a knife throwing contest she won against a bunch of marines. “So, those lessons I gave y’all did come in handy, eh?” “Well, for me. Garrus doesn’t even carry a combat knife.” “He is a fool.”

[acciokaidanalenko]

Taking on the Universe: Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen: Searching for Proof

Summary: Commander Shepard and her squad take the investigation into their own hands.

CW/TW: None

Preview of chapter below the cut. AO3 link: here.

Natasha led the others into the small office that belonged to the Shadow Broker's agent, Barla Von. The Volus in question was seated at the desk in the back of the room, two armed mechs flanking him protectively. The decor was limited to a few small potted plants in the corners of the room, and no other furniture. The only thing to be found in abundance in this barren room were the surveillance cameras positioned in such a way around its perimeter that every square inch would be covered.

"Ah, hello, Earth Clan. What an honor it is to have the Hero of the Blitz herself visiting my humble business," the Volus said as Natasha was the first to approach. Alenko, Williams, and Garrus followed closely behind, moving slowly and uncertainly as the Shadow Broker's agent offered his greeting. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Commander Shepard?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked apprehensively, stopping a short distance in front of the desk. She stood where chairs would normally be positioned in an office such as this, though they were absent in this case.

"Come now, Commander, surely you're aware of how famous you are. Not only among your fellow Humans." He paused briefly, and Natasha imagined the sly smile that must've been on his face as he spoke. "Your exploits on Elysium during the Skyllian Blitz are known throughout the galaxy. Your bravery has been lauded over the years." Another interval of silence as the Volus watched her intently. "Though, one does wonder... What number of those people who hail you a hero, would change their opinion if they knew what you sacrificed that day?"

A pointed silence lingered as the Volus finished speaking, the final hiss of his breathing punctuating the air as Natasha glared at him, her fists clenching in response to his veiled threat. She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as she struggled to contain her anger, focusing on her need to quell the sudden wave of biotic energy threatening to spill out from her carefully contained aura.

Natasha took a deep breath to calm herself, noting the way Alenko subtly stepped closer to her. She quickly reminded herself of the objective of this meeting, her goal to acquire the information necessary to take Saren down. She couldn't allow herself to consider how this stranger knew about the cost of her victory when the Alliance had worked so hard to keep it hidden from the public.

"Sounds as if you're well-informed, Barla Von," she countered sharply, ignoring his baited words and pushing through the emotional turmoil now raging within her mind.

"Ah, so now we come to the reason for your visit today. Is information what you seek from me, Shepard?"

"We need any information you have about the recent attack on Eden Prime, or the one responsible," she replied with a swift nod of her head. The Volus stared at her for a long moment, allowing the loud hiss of his breathing to fill the silence as he watched the group squirm with impatience.

"The recent attack on Eden Prime was a tragedy, most certainly. How odd for the Geth to find themselves on a Human colony, so far from the Perseus Veil. I wonder what led to such an alliance? One of the Council's best agents leading the Geth, in pursuit of Ancient Prothean technology? Very curious behavior, indeed."

"Enough with the mind games and riddles! Just tell us what you know about Paradise and Saren so we can take his ass down," Williams interjected, her tone sharp as her patience had reached its limit. The Volus chuckled darkly and shifted his gaze to the chief for the first time since the group had entered his office.

"My, my, my. The Hero of the Blitz keeps such interesting company," Barla Von mused as he steepled his hands together and continued to stare at Williams over them. His tone had turned mischievous. He seemed to be enjoying this game of his own invention, toying with the soldiers as he dangled their secrets in front of them.

[therealgchu]

WIP Wednesday

i have been so snowed under with work, shop, and everything else. so, instead of my usual fic updates, i now present a fun idea i had.

tagging @esorydoolb, @silent-moons-camp, @atonalginger, @fangbangerghoul, and @eridanidreams for this week's WIP.

here's some of my stuff on ao3.

WIP: Grumpy Old N7

Shepard came down the stairs raking her hand through her hair. Since retirement, she’d let it grow out from the short crew cut she usually sported, but it was getting too damn long. She brushed the bangs from her eyes to find Wrex seated at her kitchen table eating cereal.

“Shepard,” he grunted.

“Wrex,” she returned a tad bit grumpily. “What are you doing here so early? I thought we weren’t heading out till noon?”

“I saw this ad on your human media for something called ‘cereal’. I had to try it,” he answered, shoveling a spoonful into his mouth.

She walked over to the table, but even before she was two feet from it, she could smell the alcohol. “What did you pour into it?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Ryncol,” he answered, lifting the bowl up to his face and taking a big gulp.

“You poured ryncol in with corn flakes?” she asked in disbelief, looking over his shoulder at the soggy, yellow mess, and trying not to gag. The smell of  the sugary cereal and alcohol was not one her brain wanted to process so early in the morning.

“Yep. It’s pretty good!” he enthused. “This ‘cereal’ is also full of sugar. Ends up tasting like those fruity ‘cocktails’ you like to drink. But, you know, as food. You humans do have some good ideas,” he explained.

Shepard sat down on the far side of the table, as far from the smell as she could get, and chuckled, “Let me tell you about Saturday morning cartoons,” she said.

“Sure,” Wrex said and lifted the bowl, “you want some?” he offered.

“No. Absolutely not,” Shepard shook her head. “Don’t suppose you made any coffee?” she asked hopefully, looking around.

“Hell no. That shit is vile. Don’t know how you humans drink that stuff.”

That’s rich, coming from someone that dumped 200 proof alcohol into breakfast cereal,” she snorted, and got up to start brewing a pot.

[help-the-horse]

If You're Still Alive, My Regrets are Few

AO3 Link

Summary: The Normandy crew deal with the aftermath of Virmire.

Pairing: Dead!Kaidan Alenko/Regina Shepard/Ashley Williams Warnings: Major Character Death Words: 2,439

            Shepard was the last one to enter the room. She walked across the comms room stiffly, sitting with strained shoulders and fisted fingers.

            Ashley was the first to speak.

            “I can’t believe Kaidan didn’t make it. How could we just leave him down there?” Her voice was cracking, but she wasn’t showing any signs of crying. Her emotion seemed to come from somewhere more strained and in pain, past the point of tears. The overwhelm of emotion was not lost on the other crew members, all intent on the conversation and still.

            Shepard’s face softened for a moment, Garrus and Wrex shooting each other a glance across the room. “Alenko knew his risks going in. He gave his life to save the rest of us.” Her tone was softer than anyone had expected, and the way Shepard’s frown deepened it seemed to even surprise herself. She knew she was being more vulnerable than was good for her.

            Ashley didn’t miss a beat. “It should have been me Commander, You know that.” The words seemed to fall from her mouth. Shepherd’s change in demeanor was enough to tell her she hadn’t thought out her reply enough.

            “Chief Williams, I am your commanding officer!” Shepard’s voice got dangerously elevated, the muscles of her jaw tight. She was holding back a rage that only ever rose to the surface on the battlefield. “I did what I had to do. Do not question my orders!” Every word was harsh and clipped.

            “I-I’m sorry Commander.” Ashley seemed almost timid, the sting of pain in the back of her throat. The level of anger had intimidated even her, and the use of rank stung. She couldn’t remember the last time Shepard had used her rank as leverage.  “You saved my life, I’m grateful for that. But it should have been me. Alenko was a superior officer. I would have gladly stayed-” Her tone was uncomfortably cool, slightly too matter of fact.

            “I will not fulfill a martyrdom complex, Williams!” The reply was biting. Shepard held Ashley’s gaze, an unbridled attention on her opponent. “Kaidan’s blood is on Saren’s hands. And when I find that son of a bitch I’ll make him pay.” The flare of rage was dying, a clarity of the enemy drawing the emotion away.

            “Yes sir, I’m… We’ll get it done.” Ashley understood that she was not to push the subject, resigning herself to agreement. The unspoken words hung heavy in the air.

            “Commander?” Liara’s voice cut through the atmosphere, perhaps a bit too soon. “Excuse me for interrupting, I have an idea.” She worked to justify herself for the social misstep. “I think the beacon in Saren’s base might be similar to the one you found on Eden Prime. It may have filled in the missing pieces of your vision, I might be able to put those pieces together.”

            Ashley could hear Wrex let out a huff in the seat next to her, focusing on her shoes and not at the empty seat next to her, or the face of the inexperienced Asari.

            “Nobody is messing with my head any more.” Shepard motioned sharply and shook her head. “I’m sick of dealing with these visions!” Her patience for experiments and ‘perhaps’ and ‘maybe’ was clearly in short supply right now.

            “I understand your reluctance Commander,” Liara shifted in her chair, clearly thinking about what words to use. “But the visions are already there, I only want to help you make sense of them.” The desperation creeped into her voice. “It may be the only way to stop Saren.”

            “Looks like I don’t have a choice.” Shepard rubbed her hands through her hair, clearly angered. She hated the way Liara was able to explain the logic in a way Shepard could not argue with. She hated being the subject of a hypothesis with two independent variables. She stood in front of the Asari now, repeating the motions of what they had agreed to after Ferros. The visions flickered across Shepard’s mind, vague and uncomfortable. It reminded her of when she tried to talk about Torfan, or when she thought about Earth.

            “That’s incredible.” Liara blinked quickly and looked to the floor with a furrowed brow.

            “What did you see?” Shepard was not going to wait for the Asari to think ten steps too far ahead.

            “The vision was a distress call sent out by the Protheans about the Reapers, but it was too late.” Liara spoke in that same way she always recalled data out loud.

            “What about the Conduit?” Shepard desperately wished Liara would understand what information was critical to the mission.

            “The Conduit is on Ilos!” Liara seemed to come to the conclusion on the spot, a revelation to all the possibilities she was running in her head.

            “Why would you not mention Ilos sooner?” The other’s in the room all shuffled slightly, Ashley in particular annoyed at the lack of thought put into the question.

            “There are hundreds of systems and thousands of planets that connect to the Mu relay, Saren could have been going to any of them. I was able to recognize landmarks of Ilos from my research.”

            “We have to go to Ilos.”

            Tali was the one to cut the two off. “Good luck. The Mu relay is in the Terminus systems.” She spoke with a kind of resigned pity. “It’s outside Council space, they don’t have power out there, not even Spectres.” She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her chair. Her nonchalance made Shepard bristle.

            “The Conduit is on Ilos. That is where Saren is going. I’m going to be waiting for him when he gets there.” The statement was closed to interpretation, her eyes trained on Tali. The young Quarian sat up straight.

            “Commander, Saren will have his entire fleet orbiting Ilos! We need to alert the Council and ask for aid, we are going to need-” Garrus poised to get out of his chair as Liara swayed on her feet, catching herself with a wider stance.

            “Commander?” Joker’s solemn voice came over the comms. Shepard was sure he had been listening to the entire brief from before she had even walked in. “There’s a comms buoy nearby, I can patch you through to the Citadel. In case you, y’know, want to warn them about Sovereign.”

            “Set up the link, Joker.” Shepard’s attention turned to the holodeck. The rest of the crew all stood, Ashley the first to shove her way through the half open doors.

            “Good job on Virmire Commander.” The Turian spoke, a hesitant congratulations in his tone. “Destroying a lab creating a Krogan army is quite the success.”

            Rage sparked in Shepard’s chest. “A Krogan army is not the real problem. Sovereign is the problem, the Reapers destroyed the Protheans and they’re coming for us!”

            “Yes, the Reapers. You reported a sentient machine, a true AI. This is concerning news, if it’s real, of course.” The Salarian councilor shrugged his shoulders. Shepherd’s retort was lost on him. “We haven’t gotten any additional evidence of what you are describing from any of our sources. All we know are the Reapers from your visions.”

            “The Reapers are real, Saren even admitted it!” Shepard spat the words, feeling increasingly betrayed by individuals that she never even trusted.

            “Saren has people all over the Citadel,” the Turian waved his hand. “He was using this information against you, talking about visions. And Reapers.” The Counselor nearly rolled his eyes.

            “You didn’t trust me about Saren!” Shepard pointed an accusatory finger at the hologram. “Look how that turned out for you!”

            “I think  you humans have a saying,” the Turian councilor narrowed his eyes. “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”

            “Here’s another saying!” Shepard shifted into a combat stance. “Fuck you!”

            “Maybe we were wrong to make humans Specters. Perhaps you are too hot-headed.” The taunt was obvious, malicious and brazen.

            “Enough!” The Asari cut through the fight, just as Shepard considered disconnecting the call all together. “Shepard has performed admirably thus far. This… discussion is just a mild disagreement.”

            “We disagree a lot, Councilor.” Shepard nearly spoke through clenched teeth. She hated the way the Asari always knew how to downplay conflict and diffuse situations.

            “Think about it from our perspective,” the Counselor continued. “Saren is a threat we can recognize. As far as we know, the Reapers exist only in your visions.”

            “Our choices affect trillions of lives. We cannot rely only on the accusations of a single individual. Even a Spectre.” the Salarian seemed to add to his sentence at the last second. “Not without solid evidence.”

            “We cannot get involved in these affairs, that is why we created the Spectres.” The Asari continued her mediating.

            “If you truly believe Sovereign is the real issue, you must end it. And Saren.” The unexpected words from the Salarian was enough permission for Shepard. She could skew that as Council support if push came to shove.

            “Good luck Commander.” The Asari nodded. “From all of us.”

            Shepard walked across the bridge briskly, stopping to confirm the course to Ilos with Joker. It seemed there was something he wanted to say, but one glance at her face resulted in only a ‘yes, sir.’ She was still in her uniform from Vermire. She would usually shower and change before a debriefing, washing away the tension of gunfire and heavy armor. She had meant to shower, but she had gotten stuck trying to step into the elevator. When the time for debriefing came, she allowed herself two additional minutes. She counted all one hundred and twenty seconds, staring at only her shoes as she stepped out of the elevator and up the stairs, then through the doors of the comms room.

            But now she found herself stuck half way down the stairs, thinking about a shower that would perhaps never come. The obstacle in her way seemed insurmountable. Perhaps this is what would truly cause her resignation from the Alliance. She had to go to her quarters, she had to pass an empty workstation. She had to see that Kaidan wasn’t there, and she had the curse of knowing why. She worked to take an additional step down, feeling her knee buckle, her body fighting her. She sat on the step, curling her knees to her forehead, holding her legs with her arms. She felt the rush of tears well up behind her eyes and she stood abruptly. Regina knew she needed to get to her private quarters, so she let the adrenaline fuel her to stumble down the remaining stairs. She gritted her teeth as her vision blurred, holding her breath as she crossed the floor of the mess hall.

            She curled onto the floor just inside the door. She whined with a hand over her mouth, and then both. Her face became red with emotion, the screams and sobs still too loud in her own ears. The thought that Ashley might find her like this crossed her mind, hoping she might find support, loathing herself for wanting a shoulder to cry on. And then the thought of Kaidan coming in after her made her stop breathing. She would never have that again, including when she needed it most. The pain was overwhelming, relentless and never ending.

            The next thing she noticed, between the screaming and crying, was the opening of the door to her quarters. She turned like a cornered animal, her cheeks still streaked with tears and her face blotchy, her eyes puffy. She drew in a sharp breath to yell, feeling her vocal chords strain, tensing her body as if ready to tackle or run. The words were scratchy and thin, which made her even more angry.

            “Get out!” She had more planned in her head before she realized she had lost her voice.

            “I just got you a plate from the mess.” Garrus stood in her doorway, slowly leaving the tray on the floor with his other hand raised in surrender. He remained for an extra moment in the doorway. “You want a drink?” He asked like he was talking to a suspect he had to get along with, like he wasn’t sure if the question would escalate the situation. Shepard took a rattling breath, feeling the pounding in her head and her fist. She looked down to see she had bloody and purple knuckles, the wall beside her headboard smeared with red.

            “Yeah.” She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her throbbing hand. She stayed sitting on the edge of her bed as Garrus returned, took her desk chair as a seat, and poured them both a glass. Shepard downed the first one quickly as a shot, and then a second, and then a third, before Garrus poured her a half glass and she got the cue to start sipping. She was just grateful it was something strong, not like the beers Kaidan always drank.

            “You get this from Ashley?” Shepard stared at the amber liquid in her glass, her throat hurting even worse from all the alcohol and lack of adrenaline.

            “No.” Was all Garrus offered. Shepard decided she didn’t want to pursue more questions or any conversation. At least Garrus recognized it. Soon enough Shepard could feel the way the alcohol dulled her senses, numbed her pain and slowed her thoughts. Garrus simply sat there silently, rolling his empty glass around in his hands. He sighed deeply, standing and taking a step forward to clap a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, hoping to find some kind of comfort in the Turian’s face.  “We’ll get Saren soon enough Commander.” Shepard frowned and looked back down to her lap. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but she didn’t have a better idea for what he could have said to help her. He nodded, taking the glasses and tray with him out of her quarters. “See you tomorrow Commander.” were the words Garrus left with.

            Regina blessed the darkness left in her room as the lights shut off., letting the drink take her closer to an uneasy slumber. She didn’t have the energy to look up as her door opened again, what felt like a long time later. She barely stirred as a body crept into bed beside her, the pressure of arms around her waist comforting.

            “I’m sorry, Reggie.” Ashley spoke, muffled from her face being buried in Shepard’s shoulders.

            “M’too, Ash.” was all Shepard could manage to mumble out. She felt exhaustion take her, thankful for the arms around her even if it didn’t feel like enough.

[salamanders-please]

The real rare pair curse is wanting Wrex and Aleena content and there not being any. I don't care if it's romance or not. I just need it injected directly into my veins. This happens every time I replay ME1.

Like imagine the interactions. She should have been an ME2/ME3 companion and i will die on that hill.

[niennandil-me-writes]

OCKissWeek 6: Wrex & Charlie

[Wrex belongs to @noxachi]

Charlie looked on intently as the flames ate up paper and wood. Her gaze was transfixed, her mind enchanted, trying to take in every detail of the process, of the dissolving of matter. Taking it apart, bit by bit, crumbling, melting, splitting, cracking, until only the smallest fragments remained and then –

“Charlie.”

 Wrex’ voice eased her out of her focus. Charlie looked up at them. There was a look of concern on Wrex’ features, adding onto the usual worry that knit their eyebrows together.

Charlie didn’t lower her head, but her eyes darted away, over to the cupboards and shelves of her workshop. But instead of chastising her, Wrex just held out their hand.

“Did you burn yourself?”

Charlie looked down at her hands. The metal one, the one she made herself, was blackened by soot, but otherwise unharmed – it was made to last. The other, however, was flushed and hot and was beginning to tingle at the fingertips.

Wrex gently took her flesh hand in their own hands. A soft kiss sent soothingly cool healing magic through her body.

“Maybe be a bit more careful next time,” Wrex suggested.

Charlie just smiled and nodded.

[nickwithashotgun]

my motivation to create stuff has been dwindling in other news, im going to write a Garrus/Wrex fic because i just think they would be a really cute pair and Wrex would start out being rough and harsh until they kiss the first time and he's really soft and gentle

[sockodot]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mass Effect Trilogy Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Urdnot Wrex/Commander Shepard Characters: Non-Binary Shepard - Character, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Tali Zorah, James Vega, Garrus Vakarian, Ashley Williams, Urdnot Wrex Additional Tags: Comedy, Dialgoue Heavy, theyre all fools your honor, their braincells apply to combat not feelings, what it says on the tin, No beta we die like Nihlus, do not copy to another site, No thoughts just vibes Series: Part 1 of sunshine shepard/wrex Summary:

5 times the crew thought Wrex and Shepard weren't together and the 1 time they learned the truth.

[flatstarcarcosa]

i lied one last thing

it's very important to me you all understand eddie shep going off the handle throughout the reaper war is entirely because he didn't expect, or intend, to live to see the fallout and a lot of his fucked up choices are because he thought dying would be a have cake, eat it too moment.

it's also why out of all my shepard's, he's the only one i have post war lore for.

his survival wasn't a reward, it's just more punishment.

you made a new world. you put your name on it.

welcome to it.

[ramblinganthropologist]

Writober 2023 8 - Toad

Summary: So... do krogan look like toads or turtles?

(this is stupid and set during ME1)

---

Nothing like surviving a shootout with krogan Battlemasters to make you really appreciate being alive.

Also, nothing like surviving a shootout with krogan Battlemasters to make absolutely everything fucking hurt.

“I see you broke another rib, Commander.”

“Sure feels like it, Doctor.”

At that moment, Alistair was out of armor and on one of the beds in the med bay. Above him, Chakwas was scanning him with her ever-so useful x-ray machine, checking to see if he had broken something.

Judging by the look on her face… looks like he had to add to his total.

“Once again, the compression caused a fracture.” Her tone was matter of fact as she put the scanner aside. “Actually, it caused three.”

Three at once? That had to be a record for him…

He would’ve smiled, but everything fucking hurt so he just lay there. “Joker’s going to be disappointed I’m pulling ahead in the broken rib leader board.”

It wasn’t exactly a big match – just himself and his pilot. Between the man’s brittle bone disease and his binder, it was neck and neck. Or should he say rib and rib? Whatever was the right term, he was pretty sure he was currently winning.

What did he win from it? Nothing but broken ribs and the pride he was a fucking mess.

“Commander, I once again have to recommend top surgery for you. You’ve broken your ribs far too many times.” She paused. “But I know your answer – you don’t have the down time needed to recover from the procedure.”

Alistair nodded, wincing. “That and the whole Saren Arterius teaming up with the Reapers to destroy the universe thing. It’s kind of putting a hitch in my plans.”

Not that he had been actively planning to get top surgery at that point. What with his Alliance duties, he didn’t really have the time needed to sit and let his chest heal. Now that he was facing the possible death of everyone he knew and cared about, he had even less time.

Also, he was kind of leading a ship now. Who didn’t love responsibility?

“Yes, I would think that may cause a problem.” Was that a quirk of a smile on Chakwas’ lips as she shook her head. “Please remove your shirt and binder and I can get started fixing your ribs.”

That made the man make a face almost jokingly as he struggled to sit up. “Come on, you know I only wear sports bras when I have the armor on, binders and active duty are a no-go.”

Besides, he was usually in armor for more than 8 hours, and binders kind of had a time limit.

At any rate, Alistair winced as he managed to peel off his shirt and the aforementioned sports bra. Topless, he lay back down, resisting the urge to glare at his chest as he did. Damn thing always caused him problems, even if he didn’t facture in the dysphoria.

“As always, stay still while it’s working and try not to jump up when they pop back into place.” Beside him, the good doctor was setting up the program. “It should take about an hour due to the fact one is cracked in two places.”

Two places – that was a multiplier. He was definitely ahead now.

Alistair nodded as he laid back, closing his eyes to block out the lights from the lab. Nobody would be coming in – he was the only idiot who got hurt on missions on a regular basis. So he had nothing to do but just listen to machines beep as they fixed his ribs.

At least until he heard someone settle in to his left.

“How many did you break this time?” Bo sounded almost amused as she ripped open her bag of chicken nuggets to replenish her energy after using her biotics. “Joker’s sulking in the cockpit because he thinks you beat him.”

He would’ve shrugged – but again, couldn’t move. “I got a double break multiplier, so… add 6 to my total.”

His adoptive sister let out a low whistle before she commenced the KT carnage on her dinosaur shaped nuggets. “You’re ahead by 3. We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t’ throw himself against the wall to catch up.”

Nah – Joker hated getting his  ribs fixed almost as much as Alistair did. Neither of them were exactly looking for intentional breaks. This was more a tally of their bad luck and bad genetics than self-harm.

At least it was for him. He couldn’t speak for Joker, but he was pretty sure he knew the man well enough to figure they were on the same page.

“I’m still amazed you didn’t break more after that guy slammed you into the wall.” Bo was still munching. “You bounced like a superball.”

Alistair winced at the memory – the battlemaster had tossed him like a rag doll. “That makes two of us. I got off lucky with just three ribs.”

“Next time, just dodge the nice toad with the assault rifle.”

Bo’s voice was flat there. She was starting an old argument between them, one that would probably never have much of a conclusion. They were entrenched in their sides to say the least in what was probably the dumbest argument they both refused to let go.

“They don’t look anything like toads.” Alistair shook his head. “Besides, they can tuck into their humps. They’re more like turtles.”

That made his sister snort, as it often did. “Turtles don’t pack heat.”

“Toads aren’t exactly packing biotics either, Bo.”

Another snort. “They might on Tuchanka.”

Yeah, he was pretty sure there were no biotic toads on Tuchanka, partially because he was pretty sure they only existed on Earth and Earth-created settlements. He’d never seen a toad anywhere else – weird alien frogs sure, but not toads.

“When you see an alien toad, you let me know.” He rolled his eyes as he winced. The familiar popping had begun, letting him know that soon he would be shifting into the healing process after the reconstruction.

This was his least favorite part – it made his bones itchy.

“We don’t because they evolved into krogan. Tuchanka made them develop biotics and killer trigger fingers.” Bo sounded so sincere and serious in her spurious assessment of the krogan evolutionary process that he almost believed it for a second.

He would’ve said more, but a heavy footstep entered the room.

“Shepard, the turian said you would be in here.” Wrex sounded impatient. “How long are you going to lie there?”

Thank the Lord he hadn’t showed up earlier…

At the same time, Alistair blushed at the thought the krogan was seeing him without his shirt on. He doubted Wrex cared – no gender in his species had breasts after all – but it was still embarrassing to be caught with his shirt off.

“He’s got three ribs to heal, Wrex.” Bo was digging into her bag of nuggets. “The big guy bounced him against a wall.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t shatter your bones.” Wrex didn’t sound impressed. “When does this finish?”

Oh… judging by how itchy his ribs were… probably about 15 minutes.

At least he managed to open an eye. Just like he thought, Wrex wasn’t impressed at the sight of the Normandy’s commanding officer flat on his ass in the med bay. At least he wasn’t staring – though that might be due to species difference.

“We’re halfway through. I can’t move until then.” He winced as his rib popped into place. “Did you have a chance to check the armor we brought back?”

Might as well have the meeting here… with his tits out… life or death required sacrifices sometimes.

At least that seemed to satisfy the krogan. “He was from a small clan, one of their few Battlemasters. Now that he’s a smear on the wall, they’ll fold.”

He nodded to Bo. “The headbutt wasn’t bad, Shepard.”

Bo beamed as she finished off her nuggets. “Just needs a bit more work and I’ll be knocking you guys on your asses in no time.”

Right, that was just what they needed – a krogan in human form. He would’ve groaned, but that would have just hurt his healing ribs. Instead, Alistair just mentally sighed and hoped she didn’t break her neck.

Maybe he would order her a stronger helmet or neck protection… she didn’t have a krogan’s hump after all.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” There was a hint of challenge there – Wrex probably wanted to face off with her. If he didn’t know his sister was a lesbian, he would’ve wondered if there was something other than battle love between them.

Thank the Lord – he wouldn’t want to walk in on that.

“Also, what’s a toad?”

Oh, fuck.

Alistair felt his face color as he realized he perhaps hadn’t gotten as lucky as he thought with their conversation. He would’ve apologized immediately, but a large pop caused him to yelp with pain. He saw stars for a moment – healing took no prisoners.

“It’s a type of…” Bo turned to him. “Is a toad a frog, or is it its own thing?”

Through his teeth, he managed to grumble. “Sub-class of frog. One on land, one on water.”

He had needed to look that up two years prior for this very argument, so it came to him easily. He would’ve said more, but… oww.

“Is it vicious?” Wrex sounded interested. “Some of you humans keep calling me a toad when they think I can’t hear them. I might as well know what it is before I start cracking skulls.”

Fuck, he was going to need to talk to the crew if it was happening on the Normandy… but that would come after he was able to put his shirt on.

“You can get high if you lick some of them.” Bo had looked that up too. “Some get big as fuck too, I saw one the size of a dog once on deployment.”

Wrex snorted. “You humans compare everything to those ‘dog’ things.”

True – there was even a TV show about it that was popular on the Citadel. Alistair didn’t exactly watch it – he had the unfair advantage of knowing what a dog was after all – but he had watched in when he had worked at the nursing home in his late teens.

“We got a lot of them, what can I say.” Bo snickered. “And if Al was up to it, he’d probably be telling you he’ll talk to the crew so you don’t have to break any skulls.”

“But that’s the best part.” Wrex almost sounded disappointed. “Can’t we space him and make you the CO?”

Gee, didn’t he feel the love… then again, Bo and Wrex got along well with such a short amount of time. Maybe it was only natural that he would prefer his favorite Shepard to get the top position on the Normandy.

“Fuck no, I don’t want the responsibility or the paperwork.”

In the end, that was what it had come down to – Bo balking at the amount of paperwork she would have to do. Well, that and Anderson recommending him. He would’ve taken the responsibility either way, but still.

“Yeah, I guess he’s got his purpose.” Wrex looked bored as he stood. “Once you can sit up, we have more to discuss, Shepard.”

Alistair resisted the urge to nod as he felt the program reach its final course. “I’ll see you soon, Wrex.”

And then the krogan was gone, leaving him with itchy ribs and a clearly pleased sister. She was unbearable smug in that moment as she leaned over, arm on her knee and her head in her chin like she had just won an award.

“See? I’m not alone with the toad thing.”

He had to resist the urge to groan. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re a sore loser.”

No, he was just sore thank you very much. At least once he was healed he could put his shirt back on and ignore this argument ever existed. It be back to work chasing Saren and the geth in the hopes of saving the galaxy, krogan included.

…

And if you asked him, they were all insane. Krogans clearly looked more like turtles or tortoises. His crew was fucking blind. Maybe he should ask Chakwas to administer vision tests…