#haineko16

[ashe-cat]

A quick 10 min sketch before I get for a 2hr drawing 😸

[theforgottensheikah]

Prompt #2

@haineko16‘s prompt of how Vaun would feel seeing Rae act motherly towards a child.

It was Vaun and Rae’s turn in the shifts of scouting. The pair often went out alone, working better with each other rather than in a bigger group. Their bond being a contributing factor between them.

Most of the area surrounding them was devoid of human life, the mortals running for their lives in droves after droves. In the beginning the dark haired doctor had been reluctant to plunder any left behind items, believing in she and Goodweather’s work to reverse or wipe the infection. However, once the rations began to diminish along with fellows of her kind, the doctor changed her mind.

Nora was a good woman, smart and kind, but her heart would lead to her end if she was not careful.

Which made Vaun wonder about his mortal female. Rae was a generous person once her timid and untrusting nature relaxed. She put forth her maximum effort in whatever any one asked of her and helped wherever she was needed.

Although, the converging of both humans of the dhampirs added some strain to Vaun.

He had just gotten used to Gus’ seemingly unending lines of sexual jokes he’d toss at he and Rae when Fet entered the picture and joined in. The big man was not a fan of Vaun or Quinlan, so he did not waste any opportunity to cause either of them discomfort. While Gus bantered in friendly jest, Rae reassured him, Vasiliy Fet did not.

The exterminator gave a sense of joy to torture the Born with his comments or sneers. Quinlan had long grown old and no longer cared what harsh words were thrown at him, but Vaun did not equip such an armor quite yet; especially where Rae was concerned. It was a simple feat to rouse his ire or self disgust when Fet spoke to Rae in a manner that insulted him in one way or another.

She of course tried to be polite at first, listening to the large man’s complaints and calming explaining. Despite Rae approaching the topic as respectfully as she could, Fet would not relent. Eventually this caused her to snap and shut him down, as Dutch said, snickering from behind her hand.

Fet did not push the subject any further in light of her anger and possibly the hacker’s interference in a more private setting. They were close, Vaun could scent that much. But it was not the towering man’s degrading that set him on edge today.

Vaun had given into the stress that had been building atop of his shoulders last night and lost himself more than once in Rae in the back of a vehicle Gus had stubbornly refused to leave behind. The dhampir was so focused on her that he did not notice the young man exiting the building and happening upon them after they had finished. She blushed beautifully as being obviously discovered, but the Born felt exposed in the worst way.

“You best be careful, boss. Uncle always warned me about girls in the Camino, car’s like magic; if you know what I mean.” He winked.

He understood the implication and it felt like all that weight returned ten fold. Vaun could never give her a child. The idea a youngling never crossed his mind, except when he was mildly curious in his newborn years. Quinlan had explained the inability to breed heirs in both manners of their halves. Vaun accepted it and moved on. He had his nestmates and Quinlan, no one else was needed.

But then, Rae appeared and became the most craved thing in his life. He wanted her above all those in his four centuries and it twisted painfully in chest when the matter of children did come up briefly before this. She waved it off, saying it was entirely indifferent to her.

The Born took that with face value and it did not come up again until Gus started his jokes. He ignored them mostly as Rae diffused the immature behavior in its tracks. But, none of those instances prepared Vaun for what happened next.

They had taken what the deserted building had to offer and was rounding the corner when he heard it. A shrill noise carrying on the gentle winds. It was high pitched and sorrowful, a sound of a child abandoned.

Rae had noticed shortly after he. Her head whirled around towards the sound, brown eyes wide. There was no need for words as her gaze alone spoke to him. She wished to go to the source. Vaun rattled, vexed. He didn’t want to refuse her, yet he also did not want to face this guilt of his embodied.

His will crumbled when she turned on her heel with defiance and went to investigate herself. The Born hissed under his breath. Stubborn stubborn, woman! Although, this trait was one of many why he loved so, was it not?

Vaun followed with haste after her, of course. The bond abuzz with her determination infecting him. His instincts wondering if this was a trap as he shadowed Rae. The Master had a rough estimation of their location and it would only be a matter of time if they did not move soon.

He shadowed her trail for at least three blocks until a dim flare of heat caught Vaun’s attention. It was growing darker as the sun fell closer and closer to the horizon.

He saw the youngling before she did. The child was no higher than Rae’s knees, standing in plain view in the middle of the walkway. Its head was tilted back and releasing frightened wails. The loud noise would attract any wandering scouts if they were not silenced quickly.

She readjusted her pack and jogged over the child, slowing when her footsteps became noticed. The dim light of the eve, Vaun could make some details of the little one. The boy, his nose informed him, was of Latino heritage and no more than two or three years of age.

Rae crouched to his level, probably smiling at him for comfort. She did not reach out or move any closer, instead she lowly and calmly asked the toddler if he could say his name. Vaun could not tell decipher a name through all the sniffling and hiccupping, although Rae managed enough.

The boy rubbed at his swollen face with the heels of his palm, successfully combining the salty trails of his tears and mucus from his nostrils into one horrid mixture. Vaun shook his head, cringing inwardly. Little humans were the most messy creatures. Rae cared not and kept speaking softly to the boy.

She asked simple questions, nodding her head towards the surrounding paths to take. The boy glanced about, confusion bright and deeply embedded in his eyes. His words were rushed and not fully formed however Vaun understood that the family had left him there and had yet to return.

The dhampir was no stranger to abandonment. He had left behind strigoi that could no longer fend for themselves being fatally wounded or proven difficult to train. After all, Vaun had left his brethren to burn all those months ago, had he not…?

But the wonder of actual blood ties made the Born pause. Could he do the same if faced with a choice like previous? Could he follow through and just abandon them?

He frowned. Leaving Rae behind was unfathomable. She was his heart. Vaun imagined the choice to be the same if faced with an… heir. He could not bear the idea of it.

The proverbial knife in his heart twisted even further as he watched Rae interact with the boy.

She acted as if the child were her own and no stranger’s spawn. Cleaning his dirty face, combing his wild hair with her fingers, and handing over a bottle of water without hesitation. Vaun watched on with a blank expression of what could never result of their relationship.

His mind was terribly cruel and imagined the child as Gus’ and hers; mocked him with a fake interest between the two that he knew did not exist. But it is what Augustine could give her, his mind added with a venomous truth.

Heavy footfalls echoed in the drums of his ears and advanced with desperation. His crimson eyes looked to his left and saw what he assumed to be the kin of the child. Rae drew erect, clasping onto the little boy’s hand.

A woman with long hair tied into a unraveling bun was the first to them. She crashed to her knees and wept, touching the youngling’s face and shoulders. Rae released the grip on the child and the mother hugged him tightly as his cries were renewed for an entirely new cause.

The man, presumably the father, stuttered to a halt. He flicked his brown eyes back and forth between his family and Rae. A large and thankful smile erupted over the man’s sweaty face.

The boy was scooped up into the mother’s arms, relieved tears streaming down her richly tan face. He burrowed into the mother’s embrace, locking onto her securely. A lean but short man nodded again and again, thanking Rae in his native tongue. She understood, not displaying any sadness over the child. Happiness and relief were all Vaun could sense.

The reunited family hurried to their shelter for the night and for the first in his long life, Vaun hoped for their survival, even it was only for awhile. Rae kept in her place, watching until they disappeared from her sight.

Vaun stung at the salt rubbed in the metaphorical wound but the light in her hazel gaze helped him to be reserved and not be grieved over what his unnatural body unpurposefully denied her. He refused to be bitter over something he could not control nor what did not seem to unsettle her.

If Rae was happy with him, every piece- or lack therefore of him, then that is what truly matters.

Sheikah: Prompt#2 Complete! Again it’s not as long as I said they would be, but I hope you liked it my friend! :)

[cousinslavellan-archive]

16 for Aria and Jaal please! 😍😍😍

#16 “Why Haven’t You Kissed Me Yet?”

Slightly AU, Set after Aria’s second ‘death’ on the Archon’s ship and immediately before going to meet Sahuna. Thank you for the prompt! ♥

Battered but triumphant, exhausted but celebrating: that described the Tempest’ Crew perfectly in this moment.

The first thing they’d done after escaping the Archon’s ship with the Salarian Ark in tow was report to the Nexus for a debrief.

Then, after Aria had returned from that meeting with a scowl and a soured mood, someone in the Crew had announced it was party time.

Doesn’t matter what those assholes said! Peebee had been the one speaking, chin up and hands planted firmly on her hips, You’re alive, and the Salarians are safe! I’d say that’s cause for celebration!

Aria had relented once the rest of the Crew joined the call, grinning ruefully as she lead the way to the Vortex… but the Crew had other plans.

They brought the alcohol back to the Tempest, converting the communications room into a makeshift party-suite, and let loose.

Being docked at the Nexus meant they didn’t have to worry about drifting aimlessly or being ambushed by Kett, so even Aria - who Jaal had never once seen drink alcohol before - downed what she called a ‘cooler’ when encouraged.

Jaal spent his time on one of the couches ringing the floor, a drink he almost liked held in one hand, watching the rest of the crew in amusement.

With how hard most of them were going, he fully expected them all to have terrible headaches the next morning - though his attention rarely strayed from the redheaded Pathfinder, were he being honest.

Now, more then ever, he wanted to bring her home; introduce her to Sahuna, ask her if, somehow, she might possibly care for him the way he cared for her.

He would wait, though; Aria seemed to be enjoying herself, laughing and joining Peebee and Vetra in dancing for awhile, eventually excusing herself with a smile and a wave.

Aria grinned widely when she spotted him on his couch, face lighting up as she headed towards him, and Jaal mirrored the grin as she drew closer, happy as always to have her near.

“Room for one more?” she asked, voice raised to be heard over the music.

“Of course!” he chuckled, motioning to the seat, hyper-aware of her warmth as she plopped down beside him.

“I don’t normally drink!” Aria laughed, eyes on her Crew, “One cooler and I’m done!”

“I am not a big drinker, myself,” Jaal lifted his nearly full bottle for her inspection, happy when she laughs again.

“They deserve this. The break.” she pulls her legs up under her, settling more comfortably, “Just a little loud, for me.”

“You deserve it to, Dearest.” Jaal watches for a moment when he drops the word, then lets his arm slip down around her shoulders, glad when she snuggles immediately against him, “Though I agree. It is quite loud.”

Aria huffs out a laugh, and then they simply watch, amused by the drunken antics of the rest of the Crew.

Eventually, the others begin to disperse one by one, someone turning off the music and dimming the lights back to their standard glow. Liam shoots him a thumps up before retreating, and soon it is just he and Aria left in the room, the glow from the lights reflecting slightly off the window behind them.

At first, Jaal thinks Aria’s fallen asleep, about ready to carry her to her quarters when she shifts against him, pushing herself up so they’re nearly at eye-level.

“You know, Jaal,” she says, and there’s no trace of alcohol in her words this time, “I’ve been wondering something…”

 He unconsciously lets the arm around her shoulder drop, hand brushing up and down her back, “What is it, Aria?”

“Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

Jaal freezes, wide eyes pinned on hers, unsure if he heard her correctly or if his imagination was getting the better of him.

Aria stares right back, a sudden nervousness in her eyes now, lip caught between her teeth.

He’s quiet for just a moment to long, it seems, because she adds “I mean… with all the flirting and the banter and the comforting, I kind of thought… y’know…”

“I did not know you wanted me to kiss you,” he manages finally, hand slipping from her back to rest on her waist, leaning the tiniest bit forwards, “If so, I should like to correct this slip… immediately.”

Aria shuffles closer and tilts her head back, and it’s all the invitation Jaal needs before bending to press his lips to hers.

Aria’s lips are full and soft, slightly chapped in one spot from constant biting, and kissing her is so much better then anything he’d imagined.

She clearly has no experience, and Jaal only had one previous relationship, so the kiss is messy, at times to eager, but they make do, and by the time they pull away she’s somehow ended up in his lap.

They stare at each other for a moment, breathless, until she smiles and cups his cheek, and Jaal purrs and leans gratefully into her touch.

“My family would like to meet you.” Jaal says then, hand coming up to press over hers, “The next time we’re on Havarl, if… you don’t mind…?”

“I’ll tell Kallo to set course.” Aria smiles back, leaning in to press her forehead to his, mimicking his actions from what feels so long ago, “I’d love to meet them.”

[thievinghippo]

Courtship Replies!

A very heartfelt thank you for everyone who read, liked, reblogged, and commented on this story. It’s actually now my most popular story on Ao3, which is kinda cool! Thank you! 

theladyw said: Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it. 

Thank you! I had so much fun writing it. :D

haineko16 said: This was a great f!Ryder x jaal experience. My only complaint is that it’s over😭 is it ok to hope for a sequel?

I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I definitely have more planned for these two. I love them too much not to write more!

dearophelia said: I’ve been enjoying this so much, and the ending is so lovely and sweet (the whole fic was lovely and sweet)!

Thank you! Lovely and sweet is exactly what I was going for, so yay! :D

ladyeglantine said: Awwwwww, such a sweet and perfect ending! Loved this from start to finish :)

Sticking the landing is always tricky for me, so I’m glad this worked out! Thank you for reading!

[tiafrye]

haineko16 replied to your video: IT’S HERE AND JAAL IS THE LI!!!!! OH. MY….

What’s the Sara/Jaal tag, anyone know!?

I personally use #jaalmance because there is only one ingame pairing for him in terms of classic Bioware romance, saw people using #rydaal and standart YxZ tags.

[ashe-cat]

A real quick sketch before bed 😸 it's been a while since I've actually drawn something!

[ashe-cat]

Just a tiny sketch to show I'm not dead😅

After reading the latest chapter for Bell Peppers I had to do a sketch of my favorite character. I hope I did Callie justice @morphinetune, one of these days I need to some proper fan art 😸

[ashe-cat]

Just a quick sketch before bed. It's been long time since I've actually drawn something. 😸