A redraw of a screen redraw I did on my main blog in 2020!
I grew tired of the end locker. It can stay like that.
Extract if the scene (for reference, Phoenix is 5ft 2 (about 158cm ish) because not enough playable female protags are short and I take affectionate offence (by making 90% of my main female ocs under 5ft 3).
Phoenix took Kaidan's offered hand. A hand that was warm compared to the one The Council offered weeks before. Kind compared to the one the Milky Way's powerful seats stripped from her once they considered her usefulness over. Stalwart. Eternal. Solid. Even as he had to lean down to the left a little to reach her, he was there when no other was.
And when no other gave a hand that said we have this, he did.
She brought her left leg closer to her chest, her right leg further beneath to get as much force with as little space as possible, and she pushed off her left foot as he pulled. The difference in height between him and her caused an imbalance. Her right leg was partially left behind, catching against her left at the speed she did not brace for, and she would have toppled to the floor face first had Kaidan not guided her in his direction.
Bodies clattered. His left arm wove seiftly and firmly arund her waist, fitting the curve of her side as if it belonged, and his right only let go of her hand to lay on her shoulder. Her left settled on the top of his shoulder, barely moving even when he guided her back just enough to check her over.
But eyes met.
And the magnetic pull was too much to resist. Like his gaze saw every cold, bloodied secret and did not fear it; saw every fear and the parts of her too hurt to ever return home, and sought to comfort over fix her. And beneath it, the last frosts of spring melted in moments to grace the seeds of hope that had laid dormant.
She could do nothing to resist, her gaze darting between his eyes and his lips with every blink being so fast it felt like a twitch.
She allowed herself the vulnerability of being seen — known. Of opening herself up to him with broken locks and exposed weaknesses.
Like a cat showing its belly, or a rabbit flopping on its side to sleep with both eyes closed. Or a dog on its back, unable to defend itself should an attack come.
She allowed herself to be fully vulnerable.
Time taken at this point: 21 hours, 39 minutes (just digital, not inckuded the traditional sketch i did. That would probably take it 22/23 hours) 1 of Thea Ryder's... uh... section? If she were to be a page in a guide book? I'll probably change the background and font colours to match the andromeda guide I have, but this works fine. I also don't remember whst Lexi's updated version of the psych evaljation for Thea is exactly, but it's adlibbed here. The fully finished version will have the littler details.
The write up for tbe read is below the Read More! Remember to reblog if you like it <3
Alethea "Thea" Ryder
DOB: 30th December 2163 | Height: 163cm (5ft 3) | Age: 20 | Class: SOLDIER | Affiliations: Human Systems Alliance, Andromeda Initiative, Nexus | Romance: Liam Kosta | Hero(es): Phoenix Shepard | Lexi's Psych Eval: Empathetic, Actions are louder than words, level headed
Two days before Earth's New Year's Day, Alethea was born two minutes before her twin brother, Scott, to Ellen (a biotic researcher) and Alec Ryder (N7) on The Citadel. Although she spent large swathes of her childhood on the Ancient Space Station, she always longed to explore planets and be part of big, history making digs that discovered ancient, long extinct life. As a result, she always pleaded to go on school trips to Human colonies in Alliance Space.
By the time she was ten, she had already been to colonies, such as Demeter and Benin, five times, and saved up pocket money to buy a map of the galaxy and its systems to tick off visited colonies. In 2176, at twelve years old, her luck ran out; Alethea was caught in The Skyllian Blitz.
Despite her near death experience, and Scott's biotics coming to fruition, she's eternally grateful for it; Phoenix Shepard, then an LT Commander, saved her life. Quickly after the she was given The Star of Terra, Alethea viewed her as an exceptional role model, and truly life changing. This, alongside Alec's history, gave her the drive to join The Alliance in 2181.
Alethea's early stations were in The Attican Traverse, and often involved working with Shepard. Within the first year, and switching to Dig Site Secruity, she had developed a close bond to the War Hero, and she was keen to congratulate the Commander in person when she became the first Human Spectre.
Alethea was on a supply run on The Citadel in October 2183 when The Geth and Sovereign attacked.
Though going to Andromeda was not something she wanted to do, and carries deep regrets about leaving The Milky Way, Alethea has risen to the challenges, often putting herself into"Shepard Mode" to get the job done.
In addition, she brought as much Shepard merchandise as she could, with her room on The Tempest being covered in posters, and Scott sneaking on what she couldn't carry, for motivation.
Regardless of her regrets over leaving home, she's grateful for the chance to meet her crew and for meeting Liam.
Happy (mega belated) Birthday to Commander Shepard - or, well, Phoenix Shepard, in my case. Colonist. War Hero. Hero of The Citadel. Destroyer of The Collectors. Paragon.
Bit of fic below the cut (apologies for typos! I didn't have the time to edit, and tumblr hates the indented feature atm for me!)
@crqstalite !
16th September, 2183
Her skin stung. Tiny embers, raining down in the clouds earthen dust, landed on her cheeks — tiny needles desperate to stick like javelins in the ground, only to disappear the moment they struck.
Her eyes hurt no less. Even with them squinted in pinpoint focus, dust breached the barrier of her lashes. Her helmet was done for, the visor cracked in three places and malfunctioning to such extremes that even the life support was as worthless as a destroyed ear-drum.
Didn't help that it got ran over by a military tank, currently operated by the same pirates who's base was being bombarded by orbital fire.
Her Naginata had an updated scope, making the pirates, mercenaries, and slavers easy pickings through the murk. Explosions were zoned out by her, long becoming normal since Phoenix blew the base's main garrison building from inside. Her armour's left bore scorch marks from an exploding pipe; they'd clean up easily enough with the cleaning solution she usually used, but Doctor Chakwas would, nonetheless, quadruple check for burns and invisble injury from it.
Then there was her Crossfire, venting out from overheating. It may have been Armax make, but Aetius wasn't going to back down from giving it to her as a gift the moment she was pronoted to Lieutenant-Commander. Four years, a promotion, and N7 gradutation later, it bore a few scratches and carried a coupr of upgrades, but it had outlived that Lancer, and it undoubtedly had twice as many years left if it's overheating system continued working.
It was what had kept her alive all these years, and continued to do so now, even as she picked off another five mercenaries, and hastily ducked from an Asari's shockwave.
Shield regeneration starting in five seconds.
"I don't have five seconds." Phoenix hissed at an ember catching the bridge of her nose, and the cut on her forehead, hidden by her fringe, splitting open at the depth of ber scowl.
Shield regeneration at sixty per cent.
"Come on, come on." She turned rigid in defense at the bright light of a mercenary frigate's engine exploding, so intense thay, even hudden behind her arm with eyes firmly shut, the light hurt.
"Commander, please tell ne you're still down there."
"Still here, Joker."
"Hope you're ready to put that three-hundred sprint speed into action."
She frowned deeper still, and threw her head to her left — passing through the frigate's smoke trail was the SSV Andraste (it fell into the frigate class, by all accounts, though it was small in comparison to many, yet too large to be anything else. It had saved her life more than once, was stolen by Joker on only their second meeting, and when she wasnxt it, her Uncle was). It's lower cannon was starting to ascend back into the ship, and the ramp was already stsrtinf to ascend.
"Joker, it's too heavy down here for extraction!"
"I can do this, Shepard. You've seen my records!"
"I doubt the ship, not you."
It's front guns took out another frigate. "I'm coming in for emergency evac, Commander, like it or not. I'll be there in ten seconds."
Evac was at the end of the overgrown runway. She cussed flashes, fixing her position as she ensured bother her naginata and crossfire were upon her shoulders and holdinf down her shield button until:
Shield boosting to four-hundred per cent. Recharge time: three seconds. The box behind her weren't the blocks on an athletics track,and the quaking ground wasnxt the piston within them, either, but going from crouched into a full speed sprint woukd be disjointed without the boost.
Shield capacity recharge: complete.
Phoenix shot off, remaining in drive position for as long as she could, piercing the slipstream to gain speed, and then straightened. She focused on the ship coming in and rounding, front guns offering covering fire. She focused on the ramp, fifteen troopers already offering extra cover.
Shields at 300%.
Dust from orbital strikes kicked uo. She piwered through. Embers struck harder, faster, and at a higher quantity. She kept going.
And even as lactic began to drown her thighs, she powered to the ramp — Shields at ninety per cent — and up into the ship's shuttle bay.
She slowed to a stop by the time she was im the left, crouched low on her knees and fasping for oxygen.
"The Commander's aboard, Joker." Drago clapped her back. "Pretty sure she broke the Alliance record for that."
"And not even a dent in this baby's shields."
Phoenix rolled her eyes, still unable to speak through the lactic-burn.
"Alright, Flight-Lieutenant, pack it in. Wexve got to pick up Xander." Phoenix tilted her head with a perplexed look. "Your Uncle."
Phoenix raised her head in understanding. It would do little good to remain stagnantly regaining her breath. Her body would recover by the time they got to his extraction point, and she'd have to be ready to give cover.
"Commander, I have a comm coming in for you."
"Who from?"
"Your Captain."
She hoisted herself onto her feet and focised her breath into normality. "Put him through."
"Shepard, Hackett told me you weren't home."
"N7 mission — Ryder was unavailable, and called me especially to ask me to fill in."
"Hope I'm not interrupting."
"Got a couple minutes, Sir."
"Right." She heard his chair squeak as he shifted. "I'm gettinf reassigned to this new ship — Turian design, Human made; a prototype stealth ship: The SSV Normandy. Found out yesterday and got told to asisgn thecrew ready for the turn of the month. Thought I'd ask my XO if she wanted to join."
"Sir, you could haveput my name down as a transfer withiut telling me, and I've accepted without complaint."
"I'm nkt your last CO, Commander."
"Know if Alenko would be willing to follow?"
"He's on my list to ask, donxt worry. I doubt youxll be without your right hand."
"Then I'm in, Sir.
"I'll let Brass know. Oh and, uh," Anderson sighed, disappointment in his voice. "Bring Flight Lieutenant Moreau, too. I know the Turian General behind the shop wants to choose its pilot, but your opinion's important to me, and The Alliance's list is... well... missing it's best."
"Doesn't surprise me." The lidt door opened. "The Alliance doesn't aend him anywhere unless I request him. And then they send him jsut so they lose a headache. But I'll say it a million plus times: he's the damn best, and a protype only deserves the best."
"Good luck out there, Commander. I'll keep you posted. Anderson out."
"Breaking a record older than you and getting assigned on a new ship in one day?" Drago clasped her shoulder. "Your parents would be proud."
"Not as proud as I am to have know them." Phoenix stood beside Joker. "We're going to Arcturus Station after this."
"Arcturus?" She nodded. "Why?"
"There's a new ship that needs a pilot, and I'm guessing Anderso wants to show your skills to thoae behind its design. Or to look pretty." He looked at her for a brief second with no amusement in his expression.she shrugged. "You never know. Either way, I'm gonna try and get you that spot. That ship deserbes the best, and you're the goddamn best pilot on the galaxy."
A WIP that's going to be a VERY belated happ birfdayeeee to her, because... i'm not paying attention to the date lmao 😂😂
The plan is to have a ship flying in (that'd be Joker), explosions making the dirt go POOF with some embers in it, and maybe some fires somewhere. Anyway. Pre-Normandy N7 semi-solo Mission where she 100% would have broken the 300m human female record by a full second if it counted. 100/10 full of heavy lactic and just ded on the ship floor for two hours.
There's an absolute reason whenever she lines up for like charity races and anniversary bits, everyone she's next to false starts chronically. Shexs not even that fast out of the blocks all things considered, but she just runs like she's on a mission all the time. Every raxe plan? "Run like you're entire existence depends on escaping a thresher maw".
If she was a sprinter as a career, she'd be the 2170s/80s and Attican Traverse version of Shelly Anne Fraser-Price in terms of achievements. Luckily for the Athletes, she's getting paid for going through traumatic experiences 😂
Joker probably: *gets out the kodiak and runs as fast as his bones allow* Shepard needs rescuing
Anderson on comm: what?
Joker, takinf over the frigate: Shepard needs rescuing. I've got it thiugh. *puts his tow against the xupbosrd with rhepolot ko'd in it* don't worry.
Five minjtes later
Joker on the comm: bey. Commanderm can you do my a favour?
Phoenix, on the floor, absolutely chugging in oxygen; i'll rec you for a medal.
Joker: yes! Yiu're thebest. Except for,you know, always making me save your ass. You're luxky i was there
.(Phoenix does one better: gets him as pilot of the Normandy 💪)
Just my human-raised Turian Spectre OC, Aetius Umbilia, and his four armour sets :3 i suggest clicking the images to have a better look if the quality seems poor!
I have his ME3 page, though it does overlap with the others, too, of course, that I'll post once I've fisjed up these last two armour sets and organised his talents into groups!
A day late, because i only had the energy to colour his ear and eyelids yesterday, but my final addition of OCtober (that I usually post on OC Sundays 😅)!
Sergeant Sevens eat your heart out!
A former member of the Coruscant, he was promoted to ARC Trooper after the Zillo Beast escape and was transferred to the 210th. As he used to worked under Thorn, when he died Sevens took it hard and would have met the same fate if it were not for General Aurora's presence. In hia grief, he paints tears from his visor in corrie red, and the right side (in this art, the left of the helmet) goes down the length of his bucket from the visor, and drips onto his chestplate. Over his heart is one of Thorn's wings painted.
