#cora x sam-e

[omegastation]

scottharper replied to your post “while i’m working on the codexes and my database, i’m curious: do you...”

I still have so much love for Cora/SAM-E and it hurts so much that most people don't even know about it..

THIS SO MUCH

I wrote a ship manifesto of those two (not yet published) but I feel like I could just copy/paste the whole book and do the Will Smith “see???” image because every interaction between them made me ship them. And the variation of Cora/SAM is also very very interesting to me. 

[omegastation]

i’m writing that cora/sam(-e) ship manifesto and every time I share an excerpt from the book i feel like that will smith meme

i mean...

“SAM-E, if you had a mouth, I would kiss you.” Could a disembodied voice blush? It sounded like it when SAM-E responded, “If I had a mouth, Lieutenant, I would be honored.”

and

“Okay, we need to find a way to make this kiss happen, SAM-E.”

me:

[omegastation]

Okay let me ramble a bit about soulmate AUs for my MEA pairings (I know soulmate AUs are not everyone's favorite concept but I love them)

I read a fic recently where multiple soulmarks appear all over the body and show your soulmate's interest. Can you imagine a young Scott Ryder getting marks that he doesn't recognize at all, in a language he doesn't recognize because his soulmate is Jaal? What if he has a giant soulmark on his back that basically represents Aya? The first time he sees it he realizes it's real! And Jaal appears asking him what he is doing there and suddenly everything makes sense. Jaal's siblings are being fascinated but at the same time kinda scared by his own marks because they don't recognize the language and everyone is suspicious since the kett invaded. 

Or what about people having the name of their soulmate written on their wrist for as long as they're alive? Cora has SAM-E, until the "-E" disappears and she watches it leaves her skin, shaking and terrified. But it stops and she's left with "SAM". Or Liam having Pelessaria and it takes him forever to connect the name with Peebee. Like months. Or Peebee seeing the name Liam appear on her wrists and she realizes her soulmate has been born? The mindfuck.  Kallo has the name Gil on his wrist and Gil has Kallo, but nothing changes at all because they're both stubborn and just because they're soulmates doesn't mean they have to let the other do stupid shit :D

And going back to marks with soulmate's interests or what they care about, what if Suvi has Sid written on her and she always wondered who this Sid was until she meets Vetra, who can't ever stop talking about her baby sister and how much she loves her. Vetra would ask her if she's bothered by this but Suvi would say she's happy to have the name there, because it says a lot about who Vetra is and how much she cares. Suvi wouldn’t have it any other way. Vetra has a sort of painting-like mark meant to represent science and faith on her back, it looks like a galaxy and it's beautiful. And she tells Suvi this every time.

[omegastation]

Receiving this message after having read Initiation, I’m all !!!!

They’re botany geeks!!! Together :)))))

[omegastation]

Uhm hey sorry if this sounds kinda oblivios but who is SAM-E, I mean I know who SAM is but....what's the -E all about?

Hey! 

It’s not obvious at all actually! SAM-E is a character from the book Initiation written by NK Jemisin and Mac Walters. It’s the second MEA book after Nexus Uprising, and it’s a prequel. 

In the book Cora gets implants to have a VI assist her for a dangerous mission given to her by Alec. The VI turns out to be SAM-E, an AI who is a sort of “earlier version” of SAM. I can’t say more without spoiling you but Initiation spends a lot of time with Cora and SAM-E and I ship them a looooot.

[omegastation]

I'm done with Initiation. And it was so so so so good. Cora's relationship with SAM-E is truly beautiful, from beginning to end (expect a ship manifesto soon). And Cora is such a fascinating character. The book did justice to her character (showing us the good, the bad) and made me think, not for the first time, that we're VERY lucky to have her in the Mass Effect universe.

The only "negative" comment I can make: All the questions I had about the Initiative and its backstory, the reaction of the "major players" regarding SAM's existence, Alec's role in Cora's life and his decision not to make her the next Pathfinder- they were not answered in MEA like I had hoped. I thought, if not at the beginning of the game, surely at the end of it or in a DLC? But no. Months later, the book is the one to answer my questions. It does so really well but still... Another issue linked to this is the slight disconnect between book!canon and game!canon, starting with Nexus Uprising. You can see where it all fits, but there are cracks in the foundation.

[omegastation]

scottharper replied to your post “What are your MEA rare pairings? I feel like with the trilogy I have...”

I'm not gonna lie I had an extreme soft spot for Cora/SAM-E the whole time I was reading that book.. <3 Another one I don't see very much of is Ryder with some of the other pathfinders. BroRyder/Avitus I think could make for a pretty good pairing once Avi had time to process and heal, especially since they potentially share quite a few struggles that many others wouldn't fully understand without personal experience.

As soon as I’m done with the book (I KNOW... I’m so ashamed!) I’ll write the Cora/SAM-E Ship Manifesto. 

And I’m so sad about Avitus and Macen. I’m kinda in denial about it, like Macen isn’t really dead :/ But yes, BroRyder/Avitus could be beautiful! And agreed, they would find what they need in each other. 

Oh and speaking of Pathfinders, there is also Raeka/SisRyder or Raeka/Vederia

[omegastation]

spoilers for initiation 

Cora drifting in space and thanking SAM-E for being there for her and him saying it's an honor, are you kidding me?????!!!!!! What is this book doing to me???? Basically their relationship so far is just beautiful and has moved so much. I'm going to do their ship manifesto now (like I did with Garrus/Miranda, Sloane/Kandros), I have to!!!!!

And I have a feeling SAM-E will be gone at the end of the novel and it's BREAKING MY HEART ALREADY