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drelldreams · 7 months

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N7 Month 2023 Challenge Day 7: Varren

Note: I had this dream where Samara came across Teltin facility during one of her investigation. So this fic was born.

Under the cut.

Fic Title: For Every Wicked One, There Is Someone Well Meaning Out There

Somewhere in the outer edges of the Terminus Systems, 2173.

Samara’s gaze wanders from the unconscious child in her arms to the disasterous view from the shuttle’s window. The flames have swallowed the facility whole by now, burning down the planet’s fruitless forest. Like the rest of Pragia it is grey and plain and too overgrown with poisonous, infecteous plants to ever offer any hope of terraforming it to provide a sustainable environment. It is rare that Samara has to take such measures to destroy an entire place. Normally, Samara’s job is not to commit arson, really; it generally goes against the Justicar Code. But this whole facility was build with one purpose: to torment. Thus, by the Code, Samara was compelled to destroy it.

Though the child could awaken any second, and is likely to attack Samara, the Justicar holds herself calm. She is a danger, that is certain. In her nearly a millenia of life, centuries of which she spent travelling across the galaxy as a mercenary, Samara has never come across someone with such tremendous biotic poweress. Especially not across someone as young as this girl was. Not even Samara herself, a Justicar with finely honed powers, could claim she surpassed this little human’s strength. That they have abused her in such horrific ways, all just to test the limits of human biotic potential?

Samara has faced many horrors in her long life. But this.. this was beyond all measure. Horrifying. Repulsive, on every level. Despite her conditioning, Samara felt a tinge of nausea in her stomach. Who could do this to a child so young and innocent?

She has not felt this way since she first learned what horrors her daughter had committed after her escape from Thessia.

A part of Samara thinks that shall this child awaken, perhaps she should.. perhaps she should not do anything. If this young human feels compelled to kill Samara, how can she blame her? The Justicar has read the notes left in the facility before she burned the place down. ‘Subject Zero’ has been raised in this place since she was a baby, treated as nothing but an experiment meant to be tortured solely for the sake of scientific results. Conditioned to kill. She could not tell right from wrong.

She never had someone who taught her that.

If this child— Samara refuses to dub her ‘Subject Zero’ in her mind— choose to attack her.. She was not sure if she could, or should, defend herself.

Maybe Samara was more resigned than calm, after all.

—

Samara has been correct with her assumptions. As soon as the child found consciousness, she hit Samara with a biotic blast so hard it would have killed one of the scientists back at the facility. But Samara was well armored, and the child was weakened from her earlier massacre. With a loud thud, Samara’s back hit the wall, and the asari found herself shockingly accepting of whatever this child decided she would do with her.

Samara’s Code did not compel her to kill this child. Not because of her age, no. But because she was unaware of what she was doing. The girl was scowling, but Samara had seen the heart wrenching fear in her eyes the moment she had awakened. She could tell by her stance and the tense set of her jaw how terrified she was, how horribly abused she had been.

It was allowes to act in self defense, but not obligatory. The choice was up to Samara; rarely did the Code offer such freedom.

She could feel the biotic field tearing at her when she thought of Morinth.

No. Samara had to end this. She had to take out Morinth, or she would continue to leave behind astronomical body counts; some of which were young, innocent children, like this poor human was;

She couldn’t die.

And, just like that, Samara felt the biotic field tearing at her perish.

But it wasn’t because Samara had been fighting it.

No.

"Why did you kill the scientists? Why did you take me with you?"

Samara had expected this young girl’s voice to sound different. It did not sound angry, nor could Samara detect any obvious fear. Though Samara could tell she was scared, the girl didn’t make it seem obvious. Rather, her voice sounded awfully monotonous. Weathered. In a way she reminded Samara more of herself, a ruined, broken vessel; an accomulation of centuries of hardship. A girl that young was not supposed to evoke such an aura..

"I am Justicar Samara, a servant of an ancient asari order. By my Code, I was compelled to bring justice and kill your tormentors. I was also obliged to save you.", Samara explained, her tone full of compassion and serenity.

"What.. what Code?", the young girl asked, still wary of Samara. "And why are you blue?"

The blunt question, had the circumstances been any less tragic, would have made Samara’s lips quirk up in a smile ever so slightly. But she could not smile. Not now.

"I am blue because I am an asari." Samara explained patiently. She remembered that this human child likely never had seen someone of another species. "We are one of the many space faring species; among your own race, the humans."

"Asari….", The child repeated, quietly. "Your Code made you save me?", she asked in disbelief.

"Yes", Samara confirmed without hesitation. "That is what I do. My role is to bring justice upon this galaxy; to protect innocents like you, from people like those scientists at the facility."

"But why are you different?", she asked, still as if she was not believing Samara.

"You may find it difficult to believe, young one, but there are many more people like me", Samara stated. "I will not lie to you. The galaxy can be a cruel place. There will be more people out to harm you, people like those scientists. But for every individual as wicked as that, I can assure you, there is someone well meaning out there."

The young biotic did not seem to miss that Samara had been evading her question. "But why are you not like them?"

"I could not bring it over my heart to harm someone young and innocent like you. It is as simple as that."

Samara was not sure if the child understood, given the puzzled look on her face. How shocking, that a child had been raised under such brutal conditions that it could not comprehend how someone could not be cruel.

"You have not yet killed me", Samara noted, gently.

"….You haven’t tried to hurt me yet", the child replied, quietly.

“And so it shall remain. What is your name?"

"They call me Subject Zero." Her answer was clinical, lacking any sort of inflection.

"No. I will not call you Subject Zero, dear. Those days are over. You are not a subject."

"I don’t have a name."

"Then it is time we shall give you a proper name."

---

Samara could not say that the child had ceased to see any violence that day. It was only shortly after they have arrived at the next port, that pirates had attempted to steal the girl. Much to their dismay, she was in company of a Justicar. Between the possibly powerful biotic in the galaxy— which surprisingly was not Samara, and herself, a Justicar, the pirate band stood no chance.

Samara hoped that this young human would soon finally see another part of reality; the beauty of this galaxy. She had saved children before, but never had she come across one as deprived of the beautiful parts of life such as her.

It pained Samara to know that she had to leave this child soon.

---

"Jack", the young child spoke after a long period of silence, as they ate together in the safehouse.

"Pardon me?" Samara answered.

"My name", she explained between hungry bites. She ate as if this simple meal Samara had prepared had been the most delicious in the galaxy. "My name is Jack."

"Jack?", Samara asked, a hint of surprise in her voice. She hadn’t ever come across the name before, but then again, she rarely ventured outside asari space.

"It’s an old name. I saw it.. somewhere..", Jack replied, the image of the tattoo studio they’d passed on Omega flashung through her mind. "Jack’s Killer Ink."

She hoped she could visit Omega again, one day. Jack hoped she could get one of those tattoos, cover the marks on her skin.

---

"That’s what you want, kid? A tattoo?" The asari spoke with an amused smirk on her face. "And here I thought human girls your age wish for ponies, or those lego stones or whatever you call ‘em."

"What’s a pony?" Jack asked, innocently.

"Some kinda Earth creature- really cute and human kids love ‘em, I hear- ah, never mind. I’m just.. surprised ya wanna get inked, that’s all." Aethtya spoke. "Don’t really think it’s legal. I mean, you’re like— what, ten?"

"I don’t know. No one ever told me my age."

"Ah, crap. Know what. Think I can probably find someone who’ll get you a tattoo, whether you’re ten or not." The woman smiled. "Maybe we can get you a pony tattoo."

"I want a varren."

"A varren? Oh, right. You don’t strike to me as the pony type of girl, anyway. Way too fierce to be one. Alright, a varren tattoo, it’s gonna be."

#n7month #n7 day 2023 #mass effect fanfiction #mass effect fic #fic #samara & jack #samara #jack #justicar samara #n7 fic challenge #varren #i did not edit this #no beta we die like men and women #thats my style #i really just write for fun #i hate coming up with fic titles #lmao

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baejax-the-great · 7 months

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Antique Shops

Happy N7 day! Finally posted a Shakarian fic that's been languishing in my WIP folder for... quite a long time.

Shepard x Garrus | T | 3548 words | AO3

It started out innocently enough. In fact, if pressed, Garrus would have said that Shepard was directing his attacks, and not the other way around. That was how it was meant to be. She was the commander, and he has no issues with the chain of command. He followed her lead.

At first.

Honestly, a lot of it was just normal battlefield synergy. They were all practiced soldiers here; they knew their roles. Garrus wasn’t even sure when he started anticipating Shepard’s movements, but that was to be expected. They’d spent a lot of time in the field together. They were used to each other.

He… was a little more aware when he started manipulating her movements.

If ‘manipulation’ was even the right term. Again, it was teamwork. He overloaded a shield, she charged in and pummeled the poor bastard to death. That was strategy. The overload caught her attention—the sparks, the sound, the fact that mercs liked to declare when they were vulnerable for some reason… Shepard wasn’t going to look an unshielded merc in the mouth, unless it was to punch their teeth out. Which she did. A lot.

And he enjoyed watching it.

So… Garrus cleared her a path. Focused on stripping the shields of the guys in her line of sight. Again, nothing fishy here. Normal tactics.

If Shepard was getting too hot in one area, he gave her an opening across the room. More often than not, she took it. Then she could find cover, cool down, shoot someone in the face… whatever. He had her back, and with the right vantage point, her sides and her front, too.

It wasn’t until he was perched over a particular marble floor with hexagonal tiles that looked a little bit like a turian chessboard that the idea popped into his head, and only then, it was after Shepard zipped across it twice managing to hit only the black tiles.

It seemed like a harmless enough challenge to see if he could get her to do it again.

Read the rest here

#mass effect #garrus vakarian #shakarian #garrus x femshep

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ndostairlyrium · 11 months

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✨ Self Rec Tag Game✨

I was tagged by the creator of the tag game herself, @shivunin and I'm terribly sorry if I came back to it super late ;; it was super fun looking at what others made with it tho <3 people are so talented!!

Rules: Share five of your own fanworks (fic, art, etc.). Then, tag five more people to share the things they've made.

Something you absolutely adore

Something that was challenging to create

Something that makes you laugh (or smile, if that fits more comfortably)

Something that surprised you (in how it turned out, how much other people liked it, etc.)

Something you want other people to see

For those I'll tag: categories aren't necessary, "they're more guidelines than rules" (cit. @shivunin)

I may have broken the rules because I'm chronically undecided << hopefully it's fine sorry in advance

Something you absolutely adore

I just... I'm into chill and comfy vibes <<' These three together bring me so much joy, like, I remember reading all their interactions on the wikia and smiling like an idiot because I wished that all of it was more blatant rather than "yea there's a 3% chance you'll get this interaction in game"

Something that was challenging to create

Probably the first batch from everything-else-but-Inktober 2020. I decided to drop the idea of messing with inks and straight up exercised on things I usually fail at / wanted to improve. The whole challenge was, well, a challenge. I remember struggling from day 1 to 30 because I'm terrible at studies, I tend to filter and filter and filter and... But I like the results!! Far from perfect, but I've learnt big deal through it ;; If you're interested, here's the links to the instagram posts: Weeks 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Something that makes you laugh (or smile, if that fits more comfortably)

I can't decide! Aaaaaargh Here, have a multitude of things that make me crack a smile :'D

...I wanted to add more but I don't wanna make another monsterpost :'D

Something that surprised you (in how it turned out, how much other people liked it, etc.)

This fanart of Ophélie from Le Passe Miroir, which I'm very proud of ;; I know it doesn't seem like a huge accomplishment or an art megazord, but I was very in my head before opening Photoshop but during the process, when I realized I was doing exactly what I pictured beforehand, I just couldn't stop being proud of myself lol which is something I don't experience a lot :'''

Also this comm I did for @n7viper that made me say "oh, you can handle this" This was quite the experience ;; thanks again for letting me work on this dude <3 I started with a greyscale then added colors, which is a technique I used some times and like, I was sure it was challenging because it's super hard to balance everything out, but when things came out exactly how I wanted them to be?? Woah, alright Picasso, slay

Something you want other people to see

-My dwarven ladies 🧔✨

you can check it out here

-The things I'm doing for this artfight lol I think I leveled up in some cases 👌

These are previews, everything will be posted in this blog, my artblog, insta, twitter etc etc

-The collabs and trades I made with some of the most talented people I know and cherish ;;

Like this one amongst the many I did with @greypetrel who dragged me back into Lord of the Rings after years and I'll be forever thankful for that ;; but also for the experience <3

Or these ones I did with @underneathestars Plus our joint effort for last year's N7 Day: her post - my post That was a challenge and your girls served 💅

Also This!!! Courtesy of @demandthedoodles This was like, one of the funniest - yet astounding - outcomes from a sketch I almost forgot I made lol I need to print this out when I can!

I would include all of them, because I traded art and collaborated with people I really appreciate but I can't possibly include other things ;; I'll mass reblog / share them in the next days!

Also, thanks again @shivunin for this tag game ;; I discovered things I've never seen from people I follow and found out awesome new things from people I didn't follow already. So super fun <3

I'm tagging (no pressure, no commitment): @n7viper @underneathestars @qwib @skeltrr @lethalhoopla @kassarts @aukanemin @ii-then @daggerbean @vaesivlasta @sparatus

#long post #tag game #self rec tag game #ndo sta l'art tag #of course I did a monsterpost siigh #listen I'm easily entertained when it comes to shitposting I had to spam :'#no I didn't have to but I did it anyway because I have no self control #I didn't include fics tho <<#I need to stop tweaking this post gdi

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meggannn · 7 months

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mass effect x imperial radch fic

happy N7 day! there's still an hour left so I am NOT LATE.

I wanted to write more of this in time for today but got distracted, so have... all of what I managed to write of this fusion fic a month ago.

Summary: When Shepard fishes a half-dead turian out of Omega’s slums, she doesn’t expect to recognize him; doesn’t expect his help in her quest for answers and revenge; and certainly doesn’t imagine the galactic upheaval that will follow. Rating: T

—

Bodies are everywhere on Omega, but this one catches EDI’s attention, even with the face caved in and the markings scraped off.

Shepard, the cool voice says in her ear, this is a former servicemate.

Sometimes it tests her last nerve. EDI is technically correct, but referring to any of the Hierarchy citizens as mates—as if her tenure had been voluntary, as if they had been equals—she finds offensive in the highest degree, and EDI should have picked up on that by now. Shepard resists the urge to curl her lip as she passes by the dumpster. She is too busy mentally reviewing her notes for her upcoming meeting with Aria to also rifle through their shared memories for a turian she has happened to cross paths with again.

A member of the Eye, EDI clarifies, and Shepard pauses.

What do you mean?

EDI doesn’t reply. It’s lately been exploring relaying information through silences, whenever it’s feeling judgmental or Shepard is being particularly dense.

Every crewmember from the Eye of Menae is dead, of course. Except her and her passenger. This one shouldn’t exist. She wonders, not for the first time, if EDI is malfunctioning, and then, not for the first time, dismisses the thought because nobody could fix it if it was, anyway.

Shepard turns around and eyes the body again.

A limp, possibly broken arm is hanging out of the skip. The helmeted head is half-crushed, revealing a pulpy mass of blue blood and a cracked, dangling mandible. The markings had been notably scraped off, crudely, likely postmortem. She thinks, based on the fringe, that it might be male. Whoever left this turian in this state did not want him recognized; Omega had already declared him forgotten. Nonconsensual Scraping was a crime in the Hierarchy punishable by jail time and/or Reeducation. It was a wonder they hadn’t dumped him in the incinerator, but perhaps there was a message in that. He wasn’t even worth the trouble to bring him down to the chutes.

She can’t identify turians without their markings, of course; even with them, it’s a challenge. But EDI can. And yet EDI is keeping quiet.

A golden symbol on the bicep catches her eye, and her stomach does sink at that recognition, because she has seen it before. On the Eye of Menae; not on any official signage, but doodled on the back of datapads, scratched into terminal corners, which she had scrubbed weekly, and could have informed a superior about, but didn’t.

She’d assumed it was some turian colony symbol, or sports team logo, or perhaps even a gang symbol. She doesn’t remember the lieutenant’s name. He had been young when he served on the Eye, newly appointed in the wake of the First Contact War due to some personal connection with the Palavenian Primarch, and everyone had known it. He had been resentful of that judgment and barely interacted with any of the ancillaries—any of the humans—which had been fine with her.

“He’s dead,” Shepard says. “And it’s not as if I can give him a funeral.” Or as if she’d want to.

He is not dead, EDI says, throwing her for a loop twice in as many minutes. He has suffered multiple contusions, fractures, and what appears to be explosion trauma to the face and neck, not to mention the Scraping. But he is alive.

His name finally comes to her. She doesn’t have any particularly strong memories of the skinny lieutenant who had served with her on Engineering Deck; outside of his graffiti habits, he had been neither remarkable nor noteworthy. Most turian lieutenants hadn’t wanted to talk to their new client race anyway: Humans creeped them out, with their ugly skin and weird, confusing fringe that “leaks” everywhere.

“After Aria,” she says.

He needs medical attention if he is to survive the night.

She nearly swears at it. All her usual rejections in response to EDI drawing her attention to satisfy some curiosity about organics—We’re busy, I can’t afford it—dry up here, because they aren’t, and she can. “Fine,” she says, aware that she sounds petulant. “I’m paying for a doctor and that’s all.”

As she drags the body out of the skip, she hopes no one would ever ask her why she saved Garrus Vakarian’s life. She couldn’t rightfully say, Because the ancillary program installed in my head told me to—nobody could know about EDI, and she’s fully capable of resisting its influence now anyway, even as persistent as it could be. She hopes no one would ever ask because even as she sets his arm and lumbers off to find a doctor with his limp body hoisted onto her back, she still does not know why herself.

–

Three hours later, she has dragged Vakarian to two clinics that refused to take him for reasons they will not explain, his face slowly soaking blood on her shoulder, and she is reconsidering every decision she’s made this afternoon.

We do not have enough information, EDI replies after Shepard has called her out for their situation. I cannot determine a cause for their disinclination without more knowledge of local politics.

They have more than enough information, Shepard wants to snap. She’s been spat on or refused service nearly every hour she’s interacted with someone here. She’s a human, and the galaxy is full of bigots. But EDI is turian-made, programmed to view and treat every Citizen as equal despite racial politics, and sometimes convincing an AI of organic realities is like arguing with a wall.

Even with her implants, lugging around a two-hundred-pound turian for hours is exhausting. She is starting to wonder if he’s actually died by now, but EDI would surely say something if he had, and not achieving her goal after this long is starting to feel like a point of personal pride.

She dumps him outside of a motel for a moment while she walks in and rents a room. The bored batarian behind the counter fortunately doesn’t blink at the blood staining her clothes; it’s nothing remarkable around Omega, but on a human, it could be used as an excuse to deny entry.

Shepard thanks him, then drags the turian inside and over to the creaking elevator. As she passes, the batarian raises his brows in a way that says, If people come after you, I’m ratting you out immediately, which she supposes is fair.

She dumps Garrus Vakarian onto the single bed and observes him, prone and anonymous. Even knowing his name, having seen him daily and stood with him onboard the Eye during routine inspections, she still would not have been able to recognize him out of a lineup now. She should really learn how to tell turians apart; but then again, he wouldn’t be able to recognize her, either.

Most aliens find humans unsettling to look at: their eye contact too alarming, their smiles too rude, their hair too weird, and on and on. Salarians are forever complaining how some humans looked identical, and others too different due to some indecipherable criteria Shepard can’t understand; she supposes whatever their categorizations, they are not unlike human concepts of gender and race, which remain baffling to most aliens fifteen years post-First Contact. Asari are at least polite to one’s face, perhaps because due to the overlap of external body appearances, though Shepard never expected help from them as a Council race who had voted for humanity’s subjugation.

Operating from a weird suspicion, before she leaves the room, she strips the logo from his armor and tucks it into her pocket.

She has done what she can for him without tools or help. She mentally questions how much effort she will put into this; but she is, unfortunately, versed in turian anatomy enough to know his state is critical, and even if she had forgotten, EDI is there to supplement her knowledge with the extranet and her own database on turian biology. So she sets off to a local pharmacy—which contains a bare bones stock of medigel, painkillers, and gauze—then asks the clerk for a local, quiet doctor, and flashes some credits. They give her the address of a fellow around the corner and warn her he might not take humans.

The turian doctor is a retired vet who indeed nearly closes the door on her, claiming he cannot help aliens, before she puts her foot in the gap and explains her turian bodyguard has been attacked and needs immediate care. She blames it on clan discrimination—the Hierarchy would have Citizens believe that is not a thing, but Shepard knows organic behavior too well to believe that’s true—and explains that he has been “Scraped” as proof, something they say only gangs are barbaric enough to perform on another.

Turians can’t pale, but he does grow eerily quiet at that news. “Wait here,” he says, and disappears into his apartment for five minutes before emerging with a medical bag and a new visor, which feeds him data. “Before I go anywhere, I’ll need half up front.”

So she pays him half up front, adding it to the tab that Vakarian will owe her when all of this is done.

In the motel, Doctor Ubex looks at Garrus Vakarian for all of half a second before tsk-hissing—a turian expression of annoyance—and getting to work.

“He’ll survive,” he tells her half an hour later, after he’s stitched Vakarian’s face back together and plastered it with a bandage. “Although in what condition, I can't say. You’ll have to stay awake and apply the disinfectant and medigel to his face every other hour for the first twelve hours, then refresh until it gets bloody. I don’t have the energy to stay up all night, and it would quadruple your bill, anyway.”

Her appointment with Aria was already down the drain today. “How much medigel will that be?”

“More than whatever you have. It’s not just the side, it’s all over his mandibles and nose. Wherever the markings were—the Scraping was unprofessional, it rubbed off a protective layer of chitin. His face will be prone to infection until it grows back, which may take months. Come here.” He motions her over and she reluctantly steps up to his side, looking where he points to a clear-blue ooze coming from the side of Vakarian’s nose. “He’ll need regular medigel applications for the next several days, until the discharge stops.” He taps his visor and more information scrolls through his feed. “The rest of it is just bone-setting. They should be done in the next few days with the splints, but he should move as little as possible and be fed non-chewables until he can use his left side without pain. I managed to save the teeth, but he’s in for a painful recovery even with meds.”

He leaves her with a set of verbal instructions that she doesn’t bother writing down; EDI records everything for her anyway. With a final word of caution to avoid going planetside until the chitin grows back, she pays him his remaining fee, and he pauses in the doorway.

“If you have any more questions, ask me now,” he says. “I won’t answer my door if you come back. I don’t want to get involved in whatever this is.”

Shepard doesn't know enough about turian biology to know what else she should ask; she has already asked EDI’s questions during the initial interrogation. “That’s all. Thank you, Doctor.”

After he leaves, EDI comments, He served him without question, unlike the others.

Shepard strides over to the sagging armchair, watching Vakarian’s chest rise and fall on the bed, his bandaged face unmoving, and doesn’t reply.

I imagine your suspicion was correct. The others recognized the logo, and feared to treat him to anger his enemies. It had nothing to do with your race.

Shepard keeps her sights focused on her inexplicable new charge, and does not say, Shut the fuck up.

#fic snippets #shepard #garrus vakarian #n7 day

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katlakitty · 3 months

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Writing patterns

Thank you @sweeteatercat for tagging me ;)

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

1. Cyberlife was the leading company when it came to the development of Artificial Intelligence and Androids. From Software Instability, Reed900, DBH

2. GV200 ‘Gavin’ considered himself to be the unluckiest Android there was. My contribution Triple Chocolate Trip to the Synthetic Touch Zine 2024 (a 900Gavin Reverse AU zine), DBH

3. 'That's it, we failed...' From One moment is all it takes, RK1K prompt week, DBH

4. Connor’s footsteps echoed ominously in the empty hall of the former Cyberlife tower. From A new day, RK1K prompt week, DBH

5. The candle was flickering, causing the light to dance on the small piece of paper in front of Markus. From Facing your love, RK1K prompt week, DBH

6. All his life he’d known who their enemy was; those who couldn’t walk in the light of day, those who had to keep to the shadows, sneaky, ominous and hungry for blood. From Behind the lies, RK1K prompt week, DBH

7. "I'm not comfortable with this," Markus repeated himself as he followed Connor around the house. From Partners in (cute) crimes, RK1K prompt week, DBH

8. Thundering footsteps, running towards demise [...] From A failed attempt, RK1K prompt week, DBH

9. To be someone. From King of Kadara, N7 Month Challenge 2023, Ryder X Reyes, Mass Effect Andromeda

10. Shepard was pacing around her cabin on the Normandy SR2. From Beautiful, N7 Month Challenge 2023, FemShepard X Zaeed, Mass Effect 2

Hmm, interesting. There kinda is a pattern. Movements and statements. 😂

#tag game #can't think of anyone to tag so just go ahead and join if you want <3

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clericofshadows · 7 months

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wip wednesday!

I'm nearly done with my next fic, so here's the beginning of it, which I quite enjoyed exploring.

if you see this and want to share something, tag me ;)

Regis ran his hand down his coat, feeling for the hidden pocket where his N7 Eagle laid inside. “Ready to get some answers?” He said, shouldering his bag.

Zaeed nodded, pulling out his Talon from his bag, connecting it to an empty holster on his belt. “Sure, but are you ready for whatever you’re going to hear?”

Regis pulled a face. “I have to be. I need to be.”

“You know this already, but don’t let it show.”

He appreciated the concern, despite already knowing how to handle Aria. Regis wasn’t sure what he thought about her. Did he like her? No. He nearly blasted her head off when she suggested that she could find him a nice man to help him loosen up.

She’s a valuable resource and nothing more to him. He wouldn’t shed any tears if something happened to her, but better the enemy you know than the one you don’t.

Chances are she feels the same way about him. He’s perfectly okay with that. “I do, but thanks.” Regis nodded, throwing his sling bag over his body.

With one last look at the apartment, they left and locked the door, ready for when whoever else in their family needs a safe and accessible place to recharge and regroup.

Afterlife wasn’t far from the apartment, and soon they both walked past the growing line, heading inside without a second glance at the bouncer. The pounding music filled the air, normally a backdrop Regis loved.

Now it’s merely the soundtrack to a conversation that could easily go south.

They approached her couch, the guards parting at the sight of Regis and Zaeed.

She crossed her legs, leaning into the couch with barely a glance. “Meeting up with an Alliance soldier. You’ve been productive.”

“Nothing misses your gaze?” Regis asked, staying standing.

“You didn’t deny it.”

“Why would we?” Zaeed interjected. “You know what happened. No need to challenge it.”

“Which means I might have an idea why you are here.” She dismissed the guards around her with a wave. “Ask.”

“Liara T’Soni met up with you regarding my body, correct?” Regis asked point blank, keeping his tone neutral.

Aria’s face slowly broke out into a smirk. “She did. Did Vik tell you about what little they knew? Shame they didn’t take up my offer. Omega misses them.”

If they weren’t surrounded by guards and loyalists, Regis would take her head off for the comment about Vik alone.

But to have that direct confirmation that T’Soni was the one who brought him back, who had the means to let him rest and give his family closure, to possibly get his goddamn ring back…

Regis found himself nearly consumed with anger.

“They don’t miss you,” Regis said, not missing a beat. She didn’t react. “So, it’s true then that she was working with Cerberus in order to get my body? Why was it even on Omega in the first place?”

Her expression darkened. “Blue Suns were going to exchange it with the Shadow Broker to give it to the Collectors.”

The Collectors wanted his body? Why? Nothing about this made any sense. Were they interested in his visions? So much about the Collectors were unknowns, and yet here they were kidnapping human colonies for some purpose.

“It sounds like you weren’t too happy about that,” Regis observed. “Not too happy about Collectors involved on your station?”

“No one’s happy about Collectors,” she replied. “But yes, you could say that. Did a major favor for me clearing out most of the trash when dealing with Archangel.”

“In other words, the idiots dumb enough to sign up for that mess of an operation,” Zaeed said. “Wasn’t sad to see it happen. Org has gone to shit since I left.”

“Vido is still at large,” she commented, turning to face Zaeed, who looked none too pleased at the mention of his name. “Perhaps one day I’ll see new leadership. Anything else? I think you’ve learned everything you wanted to know.”

He did, not that he was particularly happy about any of it, knowing how he has all the cards to approach Lawson with what he knows.

An unpleasant conversation was waiting for both of them.

“I think we’ve covered everything,” Regis said, turning to leave.

“Wait,” she said, stopping both of them in their tracks. “I’m going to ask you something in return: What was your relationship with T’Soni?”

Despite his growing anger, Regis had to hold back a snort. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t, but I am curious as to why she went to all these lengths to bring you back when you obviously find it offensive that she did it.”

“I rescued her last, refused any sort of meld to gain information, and tried to get her off my ship as I saw her as a liability. I believe she took what was mine, and I’m going to get it back,” Regis replied, staring her down with his glowing eyes.

“She’s in Illium,” she offered. “If you’re so hell-bent on confronting her.”

Regis nodded, already aware of her location but thankful she told him. “Are we done here?”

“We are,” she replied, sitting back down. “Get rid of the Collectors. They are a stain on this galaxy.” The guards returned. She made herself comfortable back on the couch, her stance loose and relaxed even under Regis’s scrutiny. “I’ll be happy when we stop crossing paths, Shepard.”

“I share the same sentiment,” he replied, turning his back on her. Zaeed followed a step behind him. “You likely won’t see me again once I’m back with the Alliance.”

“And I look forward to it.”

Regis walked down the stairs and quickly made his way out of the bar, the tails of his trenchcoat flowing behind him. He stopped once they were at the entrance to their dock, leaning against the wall by the doorway.

“What now?” Zaeed asked, giving him a concerned look.

“Going to confront Lawson because I want more answers from her. She lied to me about not knowing who had my body, who probably has my fucking dogtags,” Regis muttered, shaking his head and taking a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. “I’m not sure who I hate more. “

“What are you more angry about? Being brought to Cerberus by her or being revived by them?” Zaeed asked, his voice soft despite his usual gravel.

Regis frowned, his thoughts swirling with anger, betrayal, and a sense of loss. “She had the means to inform the most important people in my life that my body was found at the bare fucking minimum. If I didn’t have you, I may not have ever answered any call or reached out to anyone I cared about. And who knows what would’ve happened between Kaidan and I, or the Alliance and I…”

He wasn’t sure if Kaidan would have forgiven him for working with Cerberus, if he found out in the midst of his posting…

“But you do have me, and I’m here however you need me,” Zaeed replied, leaning in close. Regis closed the distance between them, more free and open with his affection now that he met up with Kaidan, that they were able to clear the air and open the possibility for more. That their triad can and will continue one day.

Zaeed pushed him up against the wall, the same spot where Regis first saw him on Omega, threatening a target. The feeling of the cold, hard panel sent a shiver down Regis's spine, heightening the intensity of the moment. Regis let out a pleased sound, letting Zaeed take over despite where they were, submitting to his advances.

Someone cleared their throat a short distance from them. “I wouldn’t say this is the best time and place, Commander.”

“And why is it that you care, Lawson?” Regis asked with a hard glare, his earlier desire replaced by irritation at the intrusion. She stood with an arched eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her expression. She folded her arms across her chest, seemingly unfazed by the situation, her confidence unshaken.

Changed out of her normal Cerberus dress “whites,” she wore a long coat belted around her body with a pair of black pants and boots, a clean and pristine look that suited her well.

Out of all the fucking people to interrupt… but perhaps this was a good opportunity to go ahead and get that damn conversation out of the way.

Zaeed slowly pulled away, tilting his head to the side as if to ask if Regis was going to go ahead and deal with what he learned from Aria. Regis nodded, answering the silent question.

“I assumed you wouldn’t want the crew to gossip about your love life,” she replied, keeping her expression neutral. “Or perhaps even beyond that. Word travels fast about you.”

Regis wouldn’t have called it concern, the barb at the end seeming to signify she was talking about the Alliance being aware of him… and all his connections there. As if she was baiting him, dangling the knowledge that she knew about his relationship with Kaidan. And what that could mean if he were to learn of this "affair."

“You’re right. Word does travel fast about me. Shame that it took me a while to learn who exactly handled my body here on this fucking station,” Regis said, watching her eyes widen in recognition. The truth hung in the air between them.

She stepped back. The gravity well stirred. “I knew your word was full of shit, but I never expected this,” he continued, staying against the wall. “We are going to have a long talk.”

#cleric's wip

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x3no9 · 7 months

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N7 Challenge Day 10- Rifle

Honestly 90 percent of stuff has rifles BUT this one is one of my newest ones and mentions a very important rifle early on...

Zaeed x Male Shep, Oleg Petrovsky x Jack Harper. My other very prominently friend fic is about 80 pages lol so this short one is a better choice.

MATURE READERS ONLY.

#n7month #n7 challenge #m/m #mass effect fanfiction #mass effect fanart #zaeed x male shepard #jack harper #zaeed massani #jack harper x oleg petrovsky #illusive man #jack harper x male shepard

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nihilnovisubsole · 2 years

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it's n7 day, so why not: here's the full transcript of anderson recruiting irina for the normandy crew. now that i mainly do personal writing projects on weekends, the fic isn't going anywhere fast, but i'm having fun, so who cares?

over most of the story, it's a challenge to retell elements of canon in a new and interesting way. for every entry, i ask, "how can i do more than just summarize? why should people read this instead of just replaying the game?" and then there are moments like these, which we didn't see at all, which makes them the most fun for a fanfic writer to seize upon. my city now!

#mass effect #irina shepard #writing #n7 day

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yellingaboutmasseffect · 1 year

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Hey so if you’re an Ashley Williams fan and interested in nuanced takes on Shepard’s crew as people who grow and develop over the course of the series, consider giving my fic, From Sparks to Flame, a look!

Ashley is one of the rotating POV characters. I definitely always hated when mentioning how Shepard is bonding with her crew skip over Ashley entirely before she gets killed off or she gets mentioned after Virmire only with something along the lines of “I never agreed with her but...” so none of that here. Below the cut is part of my take on the whole “infamous” conversation that will be going up in a future chapter.

It was the next day when Ashley worked herself up to finally talk to Shepard about her concerns. If the other shoe was going to drop eventually, Ashley decided she might as well speak her mind anyway.

“Ma’am, can I have a word with you? Alone?” Ashley asked.

“Everything alright, Williams. I know this is your first assignment on a starship.”

“I have settled in fine! Everyone has been very welcoming- this is something else.”

“Alright, let’s go speak in my officer’s quarters. I don’t think there is anywhere else private on this ship,” Shepard said motioning for Ashley to follow her. As they went to the elevator, Ashley felt the krogan’s red eyes following them which only added to her anxiety about questioning Shepard’s decisions.

Shepard may have been the best superior officer that Ashley had ever served under but she kept her expectations planted firmly in reality. It would only be a matter of time before Shepard looked deeper at her service file and treated her like everyone else had so Ashley would speak her mind.

In no time at all, Shepard led her into the captain’s quarters. The first thing that struck Ashley was how impersonal the whole room looked. There weren’t any personal effects, pictures, or even stray datapads. It looked as if Shepard didn’t spend any time here. That honestly made a lot of sense with how much Ashley saw Shepard talking with the crew or reading mission briefs in various locations throughout the ship.

“What’s on your mind, Williams?” Shepard asked, her head tilted back.

“Alright,” Ashely said, taking a deep breath. “I know things are different aboard the Normandy—it is your ship— but, uh, I’m concerned about the aliens, Vakarian and Wrex. With all due respect, Commander, should they have full access to the ship?”

“They are not Alliance but they are allies in this fight. I don’t think we’re in a position to turn down capable allies right now.”

“This is the most advanced ship in the Alliance Navy. I don’t think we should give them free reign to poke around vital systems: engines, sensors, weapons!”

“The Normandy was a joint effort between the Alliance and the Turian Hierarchy. I don’t think there is anything Garrus could find that the Hierarchy is unaware of.”

“What about Wrex?” Ashley challenged and Shepard quirked her brow.

“The Krogans are unable to have fleets but I am noticing you haven’t mentioned Tali in all of this?”

“Tali’s not doing anything-”

“Adams says she knows more than many Alliance engineers he’s worked with,” Shepard said and Ashley’s stomach sank. “I’m not saying that you should or shouldn’t be suspicious of Tali or that you can’t be wary of allies we just made but we have to extend trust to earn their trust.”

“Aren’t there other N7s that you could request work with us? We saw how little the Council was willing to believe us and, at the end of the day, humanity needs to be prepared to stand on our own.”

“It’s not like all N7s are in a group chat with each other,” Shepard joked before her expression turned serious. “You don’t trust our allies?”

“I would hardly call the Council races allies,” Ashley muttered.

“Standing up for ourselves doesn’t mean we have to stand alone,” Shepard sighed, her shoulders falling. “As noble as that sounds, I know that politics are messy—believe me.”

“I am not saying we should turn down allies, just that we shouldn’t bet everything on them staying allies. As “noble” as the council may seem now, if their backs are against the wall, they’ll abandon us to save members of their own species. That’s just how anyone would react.”

“It’s never good to put all your eggs in one basket. It’s good to have options,” Shepard replied, taking Ashley by surprise. “But refusing to forge alliances at all because they might break down later isn’t the answer either.”

“That’s more nuanced than I was expecting. Kind of expected you to be upset that I was questioning your judgment or think I was being racist. The last thing I want to do is be lumped in with those Terra Firma bastards.”

“Our allies aren’t exactly typical for an Alliance mission so I was expecting people to have concerns. You aren’t even the first person to come to me about this. As the Commander, I have the final say but I would rather discuss those worries than let them fester.”

“I appreciate that, ma’am,” Ashley said, biting her lip. “Look, my family has defended the Alliance since it was founded. My father, my grandfather, my great grandmother all picked up a rifle and swore the oath of service. I guess we tend to think of the Earth’s interests as our own. I just- I don’t want to be responsible for an incident that could put the Alliance at risk.”

“That would be my responsibility,” Shepard said and Ashley knew that her mind was made up. “You worked well with Garrus and Wrex on the Citadel. I trust that you can continue to do so.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. You say jump, I say how high. You ask me to kiss a turian and I’ll ask you which cheek.” Shepard laughed, shaking her head.

“I don’t think kissing Turians will be necessary, Ashley, but I understand what you mean.”

“Shepard-ma’am-”

“Shepard is fine when we’re not in the field,” she replied, her smile still bright from when Ashley had made her laugh. Ashley considered not continuing with her conversation but she was curious-

“Alright, Shepard,” Ashley said, brushing stray hair that had escaped her bun back. “I guess I’m surprised by your views given what happened to Mindoir. I thought you would have joined up with Alliance to get justice for your colony.”

Shepard’s smile fell as she looked away, fidgeting with her dog tags.

“You’re not the only one who’s thought that. I’ve gotten cornered by more than a few Terra Firma politicians thinking I’d endorse them given what happened to me and my family,” she said and Ashley felt a flash of anger at the thought.

“Bastards.”

“As for your question my motives were… nothing that noble.”

#Mass Effect #ashley williams #Mass Effect Fanfic #I didn't go into the dog analogy since I don't think Artemis pushes her to elaborate further

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underneathestars · 11 months

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✨ Self Rec Tag Game✨

I was tagged by @ndostairlyrium <3 welp I don't know where to start, I guess I'll mix and match mediums lol

Rules: Share five of your own fanworks (fic, art, etc.). Then, tag five more people to share the things they've made.

Something you absolutely adore

Something that was challenging to create

Something that makes you laugh (or smile, if that fits more comfortably)

Something that surprised you (in how it turned out, how much other people liked it, etc.)

Something you want other people to see

Something you absolutely adore

I made this ten years ago and for the love of god I swear I could not possibly make it today. Yes it has like million imperfections but I'm still proud of it to this day (strangely lol)

Something that was challenging to create

Well I'd say definitely my shrios long fic, Against the Odds. It took me nearly 10 years to finish it and then I went and edited it and translated it in English. And then I printed it because after all the work I wanted to have it in my hands, literally.

Something that makes you laugh (or smile, if that fits more comfortably)

This fic right here. It's very old and very imperfect (and in my native language) but I remember how much fun I had writing it and it still brings a smile to my lips. Maybe one day I'll edit and translate it so I can post it on Ao3 as well.

Something that surprised you (in how it turned out, how much other people liked it, etc.)

This one shot. Fun fact, when I wrote it, years and years ago, I was fucking embarrassed and didn't want to post it. But then I posted it anyways and 9 ( N I N E ) people liked it and I was like whoa, really? (Nine likes back then was a pretty good number lol)

Something you want other people to see

Definitely this collab I made with @ndostairlyrium for N7 Day 2022. We worked our asses off and I had the absolute pleasure to embroider her impeccable lines on a pretty big piece of fabric <3 It was days and days of work and I'm proud of what we accomplished.

Thank you so much for tagging me <3 I'm skipping tags because I'm pretty sure everybody 's already done it but if that's not the case consider yourself tagged ;)

#self rec tag game #mass effect #it was hard to find stuff im really proud of #im not used to it but i've tried as a challenge basically

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craftylittlenerd · 1 year

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January YOTP submission - First Kiss prompt

Blowing Off Steam

Crafty_little_nerd (Izzime) https://archiveofourown.org/works/44769097

Summary:

My take on Garrus and Shepard’s first time before the attack on the Collector Base. Inspiration for this fic is obviously from the game itself, including the in-game quotes, the extended romance mod, and my dirty mind.

Notes:

First and foremost, a shout out to my good friend and beta reader CitrusLemon, who helped me on this journey, especially the journey of smut writing. Who knew writing sex could be so hard (pun totally intended). Check their stuff out, especially their tales from the side stage series; its top-tier smut and storytelling all rolled into the fluff and angst we all love.

This story has had quite an adventure. It initially started as a fic for kinktober, but I didn't finish it in time. Then I wanted to have it up for N7 Day 7 challenge Free Space; yeah, that didn't happen either. Then I was introduced to YOTP and thought yeah, I'll make this January's submission. Well, a good case of writer's block and how do you write believable sex (along with the start of my spring semester and my birthday) kicked in, so now it's just a bit late, and beta read.

#year of the otp #yotp #yotp 2023 #shakarian #shakarian fanfic #mass effect 2 #mass effect trilogy #mass effect fanfic #mass effect fanfiction #Garrus Romance #garrus x shepard

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citadelnewsnetwork · 2 years

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Info and FAQ

Exchange Info AO3 Collection | Tagset | Sign-up Form | Discord Server Invite

What is the N7 Exchange? - An exchange celebrating the Mass Effect Franchise of video games! Participants create fic or fanart of characters and relationships from the games.

What are the sign up requirements? - Participants must have an AO3 account. - The mod reserves the right to delete sign-ups that contain ship/character bashing and/or kinkshaming.

What are the minimum requirements for works in this exchange? - Fanfiction must be a minimum of 500 words, and a free-standing and completed work of a quality you would be happy to receive. - Art must be a completed lineart drawing of good resolution on unlined paper and of a quality you would be happy to receive. Art may not use elements from other pieces of art. Manips are not allowed. - There are no minimum requirements for treats.

How will participants be matched? - 1 Fandom - 1 Relationship - 1 Medium More Info under the cut

Nomination Requirement Info - For the mod's sanity this year, crossovers are not allowed. We might revisit this in later years. The only exception to this is crossovers between ME and MEA. - Participants may nominate any ship or character from the ME Trilogy or MEA. - Characters from all corners of Mass Effect are welcome. Yes, even that one NPC that was on screen for a total of like five seconds. Yes, even characters that were only mentioned and never seen on screen. - Relationships do not have to be canon. Nominate all the crack!

How do nominations work? - Nominations will be open for September 2nd 12:00PM PST to September 11th 11:59PM PST. - Nomination queries will be posted to the Dreamwidth comm for feedback. Please check the comm regularly. - Nomination limits are 1 fandom with 20 relationships per fandom. - If you would like to nominate a single character please do so under ‘relationships’ by disambiguating the character with “Solo: Character name” (Ex. if you would like to receive a fic solely about Garrus Vakarian you would nominate “Solo: Garrus Vakarian”) - For this exchange “/” will denote romantic and/or sexual relationships, and “&” will denote platonic relationships. Female Shepard/Urdnot Wrex is very different from Female Shepard & Urdnot Wrex - Threesomes/moresomes are welcome and encouraged! - The tagset for this challenge can be found above or by clicking this here link - Participants may nominate items to the tagset even if they are unsure whether they would like to include them in their sign-up - The tagset has been seeded with relationships from last year's exchange - If you have questions about the nomination process, feel free to drop me a DM or comment below!

How do requests work? - Participants must request fanfiction and/or fanart in the ‘Mass Effect Trilogy’, 'Mass Effect: Andromeda', or 'Crossover' fandom with a minimum of 3 unique relationships total and a maximum of 5 relationships per request. A max of 10 requests is allowed. - Please list any Do Not Wants (DNWs) in the appropriate field. A DNW is anything — a rating, category, headcanon, kink, etc. — that you definitely do not want included in your gift because it would ruin your gift for you. Only the DNWs included in the AO3 sign-up are enforceable. - Optional details are welcome and encouraged! Anything you are open to and would enjoy receiving in your gift. They may be listed in the sign-up box or in an optional letter that you link in the appropriate field. If you write a Dear Creator letter, please make sure it is visible to the public.

How do offers work? - Participants must offer fanfiction and/or fanart for a minimum of 3 relationships total with a max of 5 relationships allowed per offer. You may make up to 10 offers. - As soon as sign-ups close, matches will be generated. If none of your offers can match a request, you will be sent an email notification by the mod. Please reply to this email within 15 hours to change your offers so that you can match a request. If you do not reply, your sign-up will be deleted. - If you would like to not be paired with a certain person, you may list that in the 'Optional Details' section of the Offers section. Only the mod will see this. Please specify if you don't want to create for them, do not want them to create for you, or you do not want to be matched either way.

Assignment Info - Matches will be based on one fandom, medium, and relationship - Once sign-up closes and assignments go out, no changes will be made. The only instance in which you can contact the mod about changing your assignment is in the rare event that AO3 makes a matching error. - Once assignments are sent out, they will be emailed to the email address associated with your AO3 account. If you do not receive an email, please try to check spam. Assignments can also be found by going to your dashboard, and then clicking on "Assignments" towards the bottom of the column on the left-hand side. - You just need to create one work that matches one medium and relationship request that your recipient has made. It must respect their DNWs. - If your recipient included multiple mediums or characters/relationships in the request that you are creating for, you need only choose 1 medium and 1 character/relationship when you make their gift. - There are no restrictions concerning rating. - The assignment must be submitted by the appropriate time on Oct 31 (keep time-zone in mind). In order to post the work, you can select "Post New Work" in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Fill out the form as you usually would, and then tick the appropriate box for this challenge and your recipient (under the "Associations" field). - You may include creator's notes in the work. However, since this is an anonymous exchange, please ensure that the Notes will not reveal or hint at the creator's identity. Please no bashing of your recip, their ships, or your work. - For the sake of preserving anonymity, please do not directly contact your recipient. If you have questions about your assignment that concern your recipient's DNWs, contact the mod at [email protected]. The mod will reach out to the recipient, and then relay their answer back to you.

What is a treat? - A treat is an extra gift created for someone that is not your assigned recipient. Even if you want to create a treat, please make sure to complete your actual assignment first! - Anybody can make treats - you don't have to be signed up for this challenge to do so. - There are no minimum requirements for treats. Similarly, media for treats are not limited to fanfiction and fanart. - However, treats still need to respect DNWs. - In order to post a treat, you will have to manually enter the collection and recipient's name when filling out the form.

I can’t complete my assignment in time. What should I do? - You are free to change or delete your sign-up before sign-up closes. - After assignments are sent, if at any point you realize you won't be able to complete your assignment, please default ASAP so that pinch-hitters can start picking up dropped assignments well before works are revealed. - In order to default, go to the "Assignments" tab displayed on the left-hand side of your dashboard, find this challenge, and click "Default". If you have trouble doing so, then you may email the mod at [email protected] to leave a message saying that you need to default. - If you default, and are then defaulted on in turn, you will not be sent out as a pinch-hit.

How do pinch-hits works? - Pinch-hitters are wonderful volunteers who complete assignments that have been defaulted, or had no matches to start with. - Pinch-hits will be posted on the Dreamwidth community and the Tumblr blog as they appear. Please leave a comment there, send an ask or email the mod at [email protected] if you are able to pick up a pinch-hit. - To pick up a pinch-hit via Dreamwidth, please reply to the post that lists the pinch-hit you can write for - anyone can comment (you don't need to have a Dreamwidth account), and all comments are screened to maintain anonymity. In the comment, please include your AO3 username and the pinch hit # you can pick up. - Last-minute pinch-hits will likely get an extended deadline for completion. - Anyone is welcome to pinch-hit - you don't have to be signed up for this challenge to do so. - The collection won’t open until all who signed up, did not later default/not show up at the deadline, and submitted their assignment meeting the exchange's requirements (by the deadline) have at least one gift.

#faq

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diaphanouso · 1 year

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Fic Wrap Up Meme 2022

Tagged by @otemporanerys! Thanks!

Words Published: 109,585 …w h a t... (o_o')

Fandoms: Mass Effect, The Shape of Water, a tiny sprinkling of Gremlins

3 Fanfics with the most kudos in 2022:

Acts of Service (138)

Vox Spiritus (137)

Flare (113)

(So grateful to everyone who read and enjoyed these ❤️)

Favourite Opening Line from a fic in 2022:

Silence blanketed the settlement as Nihlus lifted his omni-tool to check his bearings. Due north, toward the mountains. The light of the twin moons cast an amethyst outline along the edges of the slanted metal roofs. (from Stay)

Favourite Closing Line from a fic in 2022:

Their breaths joined the night air, perhaps to go off and form a storm somewhere, leaving the two of them to the sweet moment of peace they’d found together, lost in each other under the eternal watch of the night sky. (from Breathe With Me)

Fic I’m Most Proud of in 2022: That would have to be Stay, written for last year's Spec Recs fic exchange. It's a Samara/Nihlus (Specticar!) fic that explores what happened between them when she pursued him to exact justice all those years ago. It also touches on Samara's grief over her daughters. It was my first time writing her, and I really enjoyed learning more about her character! And of course, writing anything with Nihlus is always fun 😏 Also thought the smut was pretty hot, if I may say so. 😅

New Things I Tried in 2022:

Fic exchanges! Spec Recs was the first organized fic exchange I'd participated in, and it was such a great experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad for it. I also participated in last year's Fornax Exchange and the N7 Exchange for the first time and really enjoyed both experiences.

Writing classes! In August, I started taking some online writing classes. I learned and wrote SO much, ending 2022 with a lot of short original works and skills I can try to transfer to my fic writing!

Experimenting with screenwriting! I entered some screenplay challenges where we had like a handful of days to write a 5- or 6-page screenplay based on randomized prompts. While I had a very small amount of time just to learn the basics of writing a screenplay, it was a lot of fun. And it reinforced how hard it can be to convey a character's state of mind JUST through their actions. It also made me more aware of character blocking. In general, it was a great experience!

Goals for 2023:

Draft a significant portion* of Hungry Eyes; resist posting until it becomes unbearable

Get back to polishing chapters from Vox Spiritus, maybe even post them

Wildcard🎲: For whatever random plot bunny pops up that demands my attention. Appease random plot bunny.

Be more conscious of how I think about my writing. That mostly means pay attention to the negative self-talk that starts up every so often. If I'm in a "hate my writing" spiral, I want to try and identify what specifically I'm hating on and look at it constructively (maybe even kindly), the way I would with a friend. Easier said than done, but I'm gonna give it a whirl.

Keep learning and improving my writing craft!

*uhhh I'll know what this is when I get there, lol

Tagging @dispatchwithlove @angry-jager @kalliesa

#fic meme #2022 wrap up #what a YEAR

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