Went to Starbucks this morning to do some writing and Kaidan finally started to cooperate for my Rydenko stories! <3 Here is a snippet from this morning's writing adventure...
Setting: Milky Way Galaxy, 2185
~~~
There it was again, that hint of worry and apprehension from before. Something else was going on here that Kaidan couldn’t quite pin down. “From the sounds of it, things are just about ready to go?”
“They are. We are down to a matter of weeks before departure now.” Turning towards him, she asked, “Tell me, Major Alenko –”
Kaidan straightened and lifted a hand. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate it, but it felt so hypocritical to still call himself that. “Please, it’s Kaidan. I left my rank behind when I was discharged.”
She remained silent, but her eyes seemed to survey him with new intensity. “All right, Kaidan,” she agreed at length. “So, tell me, why did you decide to join us at such a late date? Alec said you were a damn good marine. One of the best, as I recall. Why leave the Alliance and join our number?”
And there it was, the core of the matter. “My reasons for joining are similar to those when I first joined the Alliance,” he began. “I’ve always had an interest in exploration. In traveling to distant places and meeting new people.” It was true. After his experience at BAaT, that was what had drawn him back to the Alliance long-term.
Her lips pressed tightly together as she watched him. “I know who you are, Kaidan,” she said quietly. “Where you come from. So does Alec. We weren’t blind to the reports that came out a couple of years ago.”
Ah.
Been absent for a while due to life and troublesome muses and such, but in the last couple of weeks, life is finally wrangling into better shape and I think the muses are as well. So, in an effort to try to be more present, have a snippet for WIP Wednesday (if that's even done anymore lol).
“What do you miss most about the Milky Way?”
Scott hadn’t been asleep exactly and Kaidan’s question was enough to nudge him just a bit closer to consciousness. Still, it was a tough sell. Lying all warm and cozy, snuggled under the blankets, wrapped securely in the Pathfinder’s arms...
“Hmmm?” Forcing himself to move, Scott flopped awkwardly onto his back and blinked.
It was worth it to meet the thoughtful amber gaze focused on him.
Kaidan lay on his side and one arm loose but secure around Scott’s torso. He didn’t flinch with the movement, simply kept his attention on Scott through the darkness. A lopsided smile traveled across Scott’s lips. “You’ve got your ‘thinking’ face on again,” he teased.
Kaidan’s lips twitched at the corner and puff of warm air brushed across Scott’s cheek as he huffed out a laugh. “You aren’t the first person to tell me that.”
“This isn’t the first time I have, either.” Lifting a hand, he brushed his knuckles across Kaidan’s cheek. In fact, he could remember at least twice back in the Milky Way when he’d made similar comments. He’d already lost count in Heleus.
Pulling his arm free, Kaidan caught Scott’s hand. He held it close to his cheek for a moment, tipping his head into the touch, before lowering it once more. “I just found myself thinking about everything we left behind,” he explained, his voice thoughtful even as his gaze shifted from Scott out the window behind their bed to the stars beyond. “I’m not naïve enough to think there wouldn’t be times like this, but...”
Settling his arm behind his head, Scott considered the question. “Hmm. I’m guessing you mean things we couldn’t bring or people we left behind?”
“Anything, really. Whatever you miss most.”
I'm only...two and a half hours late for this one. No harm no foul, right?
Still plotting away at my Rydenko fic with the occasional scribble or two of ideas as they come to me. Here's one such scribble.
Setting: 2818, Andromeda System, Ark Hyperion just after Kaidan has come out of cryostasis
~~~~~
Cora headed out the minute she was ready, eager as ever to follow Alec’s direction to the letter. But Kaidan stayed back. It wasn’t second thoughts – far too late for that now – or disillusionment or anything like that, but the soft amber flash in the lower left corner of his omni-tool. A color and pattern set to specific protocols.
Protocols he’d thought left behind in the Milky Way over six hundred years ago.
Once alone, he took a seat on a bench and retrieved the first one.
He recognized it as Liara simply by her intake of breath.
“Hello, Kaidan. By now you are well on your way to Andromeda. At least, I hope you are. If the information I have is right about the Andromeda Initiative’s timeline, you should have just made it out of the Milky Way just before the Reapers’ arrived.”
There was a pause. When she spoke again, there was a slight quaver in her voice. He could remember clearly the last time he’d heard that – right after she’d watched her mother die on Noveria.
“They are here, Kaidan, and they are every bit as bad as we thought they would be."
Okay, eight actually, but hey, I pulled out the Rydenko and dusted it off now that I have an actual plot outline figured out! Yay!
~~~
The Presidium.
It may be the pride of the intergalactic community, but for Commander Kaidan Alenko, it brings back memories he would much rather forget. These days, without Shepard to lead the way, the battles come more frequently and urgently, and winning them is far more difficult. The fight against the politicians of the galaxy is more subtle and complex than against a rogue spectre, a reaper and the geth, but it isn’t the only one. The greater opponent is time. Yet, as frustrating and difficult as it is, it’s a battle that has to continue if the galaxy is going to survive. In order to do that, they have to make the politicians listen.
Buying them something unrequested because it made you think of them.
OKAY! Well, it's been a YEAR since you gave me this prompt, my friend, and I'd started it way back when, but couldn't quite find the way to the end of it. After about a week of silent muses (talk about nervous breakdowns! lol), and a full runthrough of Mass Effect: Andromeda again, it seems that Scott and Kaidan are talking for now. :) Seriously, I just wrote more words in the past half hour than I have in the past ten days combined!
Anyway, here you go - Rydenko once they are in Andromeda.
from this list (because YES! I still have it! lol)
Full prompt on AO3 over here
~~~
Standing in the middle of Aya’s markets, surrounded by sights and sounds that he could find almost anywhere back in the Milky Way but seem so much more foreign and exotic because he’s in Andromeda now, Scott remembers why he jumped at the chance to leave; to explore new worlds and experience new cultures. It’s all about the rush; the thrill that courses through his veins with the discovery of something new. Witnessing life experienced by other races and getting a completely fresh take on existence...
Scotty, you’re too philosophical for your own good.
Scott sighs as his twin’s 'voice' interrupts his thoughts. Of course, even in a coma back on the Nexus, Sara still finds a way to give him grief. Some things never change no matter what galaxy you live in.
A burst of raucous laughter to his left pulls him back to the present. An angaran merchant, enjoying conversation with his customer as they bargain back and forth over goods. The overall buzz and hum of this place is a stark contrast to the state of things throughout the rest of Heleus, but for just a moment, he savors it and the memories of childhood it brings back. Without the weight of the galaxy – or two in his case – on his shoulders, he is content to simply be and feel and live. It’s a heady sensation, one that leaves him nearly tipsy like a shot of good alcohol would.
As he moves from stall to stall, merchant to merchant, inspecting the wares and making a few purchases, his lips curve into a warm smile. We’ve come a long way for something like this, Sara. It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate it.
The unexpected weight of a hand landing on his shoulder makes him jump and spin around, heart racing up into his throat, but as soon as he turns, he exhales sharply in recognition and relief. “Jesus! Why do you do that?” Kaidan, lips pressed tightly together as if holding back amusement, shrugs. “Maybe you should be paying more attention to your surroundings?”
Oh, let's do a bit of Rydenko that came to me the other day in response to a writing prompt (it still has a long way to go though! lol)...
Setting: Aya in Andromeda
~~~
Standing in the middle of Aya’s markets, Scott remembers why he so desperately wants to be out here, exploring new worlds and experiencing the galaxy. It’s all about the rush; the way life is experienced by others. A fresh take on existence...
Scotty, you’re getting too philosophical for your own good.
Inhaling deeply, Scott sighs as his twin’s 'voice' interrupts him. Of course, even in a coma back on the Nexus, Sara still finds a way to give him grief. Some things, it seems, never change no matter what galaxy you live in.
A burst of raucous laughter to his left pulls him back to the present. An angaran merchant, enjoying conversation with his customer as they bargain over goods. The buzz and hum of this place is a stark contrast to the state of things throughout the rest of Heleus, but for just a moment, he savors something pleasant. It reminds him of his childhood, in a sense; without the weight of the galaxy, or two in his case, on his shoulders, the freedom to simply be and feel and experience. It’s a slightly heady sensation, almost like the buzz from a shot of good alcohol.
His lips curve into a warm smile as he heads further into the markets. We’ve come a long way for something like this, Sara. It’s worth taking a moment to appreciate it.
The unexpected weight of a hand landing on his shoulder makes him jump and spin around, heart racing up into his throat, but almost as soon as he turns, he exhales sharply in relief. “Why do you do that?”
Kaidan, his lips pressed tightly together as if holding back amusement, shrugs. “Why aren’t you paying attention to your surroundings?” he counters. "I needed to get your attention."
Scott decides not to respond to that. Instead, he asks, “How’d the meeting with Evfra go?”
Together they continue through the markets, Kaidan updating him on the meeting. The Tavetaan is just ahead, and they stop there briefly. A few minutes later, drinks in hand, they head over to the nearby balcony. Scott isn’t quite sure what the drink is, but it smells light and flowery and there is some sort of… fruit garnish in the glass. Cautiously, he takes a sip.
“Beautiful view,” Kaidan murmurs, resting his arms on the balcony wall.
Scott blinks, a small smile returning. Since their arrival in Andromeda, Kaidan has been all ‘work first,’ which is understandable as Pathfinder, but it also makes it far too easy to forget the man has a softer side, one that can appreciate his surroundings. “That it most definitely is,” Scott replies, turning to lean his hips against the wall and glancing over at his companion. “It’s kind of nice to get the chance to remember the nice things once in a while.”
Kaidan spared him a quick look. “You all right?”
“What do you mean?”
The Pathfinder chuckles softly. “I’m not used to you waxing philosophical.”
Rolling his eyes, Scott turns around and imitates Kaidan’s stance before sipping his drink. Light, refreshing, just a hint of a kick to it… at least until his tongue starts to tingle. “Says the man who just declared this a beautiful view,” he returns, using his free hand to gesture at the scenery.
It’s crazy, Scott thinks, the things that pop into his head at the strangest times, and under the most unpredictable circumstances.
That’s you, Scotty boy! Mr. Unpredictability!
Of course, having a snarky response from his twin pop into his head a fraction of a moment after such a thought, while less unpredictable, is just as crazy, if not more so.
A shot from the batarian taking cover on the far side of the room just narrowly misses Scott’s temple at the same time Kaidan shouts out a warning. Throwing himself to his left, Scott rolls out of the way – too late for it to be effective, but he does it anyway just to prove a point – and when he’s back on his feet once more, his kinetic barriers up and full, he yells back at the batarian, “Oh, no! You did not just –!”
The batarian fires again; the second shot connecting with his barriers. The hissing snap as the shot meets and is swallowed by the shields pops and crackles loudly in Scott’s ears.
Guess he told you, huh?
“Shut up, Sara!” He shouts it, frustrated and more than just a little irritated with himself because he knows better, he really does! It’s just been… a hot minute since he was in active combat, that’s all. All right, any combat, technically speaking. Anger getting the best of him in the moment, he pulls dark energy to him with enough speed to leave a normal person dizzy and starts running straight ahead toward the bastard. With a shout, a flick of his wrist, and a release of the appropriate mnemonic, he arrives in front of the batarian, jumps into the air as he forms a second mnemonic, and lands with a solid punch of biotic energy to the ground, sending out an explosive wave of energy. In the half second before the batarian is tossed backwards where his back connects solidly with the wall, it’s impossible to miss the stunned look in its four eyes. Scott finds it amusing, if not more than a little bit disturbing. When the body crumples to the ground, he steps over and takes aim at its head with his assault rifle, shooting once into the back of his head.
Pulse check – just to make sure.
That’ll learn ‘im, Scotty.
He can picture Sara’s smirk to perfection. Dammit! Some things don’t ever change.
Turning around, Scott searches for his next target. The scan he and Kaidan did from outside the room indicated four targets before they entered. He’s taken down this one plus one other, and he’d seen Kaidan take one down. Speaking of…
His gaze connects with the commander’s about a hundred fifty feet away from him. “You okay?” Kaidan asks.
Scott huffs, shrugging just a little too casually while a smirk curls across his lips as he saunters in his companion’s direction. “What can I say? He was a lousy shot.” Something about the commander inspires him, gives him a bit more confidence in himself, boosts his self-esteem to previously unattainable levels, and yet, leaves an inexplicable but gentle ache in his chest when their eyes meet.
Kaidan’s dark eyes flare a little as he chuckles; Scott notices. “That so?”
The response sets loose a thousand butterflies in Scott’s belly. Or, maybe it’s simply the way his voice drops an octave, warming him from head to toe but centering mostly in his chest, the way a glass of good whiskey does. “Mmhmm.”
Scott isn’t even a third of the way over when movement out of the corner of his eye, plus the way Kaidan’s head turns sharply in the same direction alerts him to the danger. Scott reacts without conscious thought, simply grabbing at the dark energy, wrapping it around him, and flicking the mnemonic off his hand in haste as he launches forward the rest of the way. This time, instead of preparing a second biotic attack, he moves both hands out in front of him with one singular purpose in mind; get Kaidan out of the line of fire.
Time slows around him and, as fanciful as it sounds, he swears he sees the shot flying right next to him; side-by-side, a race to see who gets there first. Scott has never really been good at racing before, but this is one he intends to win.
Just before he connects with Kaidan, he dials back his momentum, slowing as he prepares to connect. Thankfully, his fellow biotic hasn’t had a chance to re-activate his barrier, instead taking his own shot in the direction of the enemy. Barring any last fraction-of-a-second changes, this end result shouldn’t be that bad, all things considered.
Hah! You always say that!
Go aWAY, Sara!
The collision is jarring, to say the least. Yet as they connect, Scott slides his arms around the other man, enveloping him and twisting their bodies as they fall to minimize the damage. Colliding at speed, even one that is slower than a full speed Charge, can still hurt if he isn’t careful. They land with a thud, half on Scott’s right side and half on his back. He grunts in pain and hears the breath knocked out of Kaidan. The momentum sends them rolling across the floor together, until they come to a stop another twenty feet away, Scott now fully on top of Kaidan. It also cannot stop their foreheads from bumping… or their lips brushing together and lingering for just a moment.
Sucking in a deep, quick breath, Scott pushes himself up, eyes wide as he stares down at Kaidan. Okay, so… yeah, this is what he wants, but this isn’t exactly the scenario he had in mind when playing it out inside his head. And just because he wants it doesn’t mean… “Um, I can explain…?”
Kaidan says nothing, only staring in Scott’s eyes briefly before drifting slightly lower.
Scott blinks, breath catching at the implication. In the same moment, he notices Kaidan hasn’t let go of him just yet… and his eyes remain locked on Scott’s lips. He blinks a second time, and has difficulty swallowing. And still, Kaidan’s gaze doesn’t leave his lips.
“Oh, to hell with it,” Scott mutters, ignoring nerves and diving back down, this time with purpose, and fusing their lips together.
If anything, Kaidan’s arms slide further around him. Scott accepts that as tacit approval to continue and deepens the kiss, savoring it, reveling in it. His world tilts somewhat awkwardly, but no less dramatically, as they roll over and when the kiss breaks in the next moment, Scott is left looking up at Kaidan as he gasps for air.
A smug smirk toys at Kaidan’s lips. “I’m still waiting.”
“Waiting?” Scott struggles to recall what he could possibly be waiting for.
With a soft chuckle, Kaidan runs a finger down the length of Scott’s nose, tapping it once on the tip. “I believe you said you could explain?”
Mouth hanging open, Scott nods. A strangled sound escapes as memories of the attack flash before his eyes in a rush. He bolts upright, or at least attempts to – it’s rather difficult to sit up when the commander is lying across him, and damned if Scott can think of a better reason to remain where he is at the moment – and looks in the direction the shot had fired from. Their last batarian opponent lies face down on the floor in a growing pool of blood, motionless. “H-how…?”
Kaidan glances over his shoulder in that direction. “I knew he was there and took the shot.”
“But, what about the shot aimed at you?”
Lifting himself off of Scott, Kaidan sits cross legged on the floor next to him for a moment, a field of dark energy slowly enveloping him. “I had my barrier field up. You?”
“I…” He has his shields, of course, but they lose their effect for a short time when his biotics are active. For the most part, Scott accepts it as a fair trade, but Kaidan’s simple question is a reminder of his father’s arguments against him opting for the Vanguard class and his shoulders sag as he shakes his head and glances away. “Kind of pointless if I’m zipping all over the battlefield. Guess you didn’t need me after all.”
A firm grasp on his chin pulls him back until their eyes meet again. “I never said that.” There’s an insistence in Kaidan’s voice that confuses Scott for a moment, but then he forgets about it as Kaidan leans in and initiates a kiss this time; firm yet gentle, more exploratory than lustful. The kind of kiss that most definitely can lead to other things. Kaidan rises to his feet when the kiss breaks off and offers Scott a hand up.
The kind of things we don’t have time for right now, Scott realizes, accepting the assistance. Ah, well. Not meant to be, I guess.
As he lands on his feet, practically eye to eye with the commander once more, Scott catches a glimpse of Kaidan’s left shoulder. Narrowing his focus onto the area, he sucks in a sharp breath, recognizing what the groove through the metal armor, just deep enough to crease, really means. Without thinking, he lifts his hand and runs a finger over it. To the naked eye, it isn’t deep at all, doesn’t even technically ruin the armor, but it does tell Scott one thing and that leaves him chilled to the bone. His eyes drift back to meet Kaidan’s as the blood drains from his face. “You…”
Solemn yet smiling gently, Kaidan nods. “Guess I did need you, after all.”
Kiss prompts: Under the stars/power for rydenko ;)
from this list
on AO3 here
Well, it took me almost four months, but I finally got this one sorted out! :D Hope you enjoy it, m’dear! They sort of surprised me with the way it worked out! lol
Setting: Sulphur Springs, Kadara in Andromeda, Scott Ryder, Kaidan Alenko, Rydenko
~~~
Scott secures the flap on his pack and tosses it into the back of the Nomad just as Kaidan exits their rooms at Ditaeon. Nice thing being a part of the Pathfinder team; they’ve got a private suite they can use whenever the Tempest is docked. It’s definitely better than having Drack’s snoring shake the bed frame all night-cycle long.
“Ready to go?”
Scott steps to the side and gestures for Kaidan to enter the vehicle. Voice dropping slightly and with a teasing wink, he nods. “After you, Pathfinder.”
Kaidan hesitates already half inside the vehicle and tosses a look of suspicion in Scott’s direction. Scott struggles to bite back a laugh and a grin, and somehow manages to maintain an innocent look before climbing inside after him.
Once secured and while mentally going over Vetra’s directions, Scott turns the Nomad out in the direction of Sulphur Springs. Their destination isn’t far, and once they arrive it’s just a matter of maneuvering the vehicle up the right ridge until they reach the top. He isn’t used to approaching from this direction, thus the necessity of Vetra’s directions, but Kaidan, thankfully, remains silent throughout the trip allowing him to focus. Scott is nervous enough. Handling a bunch of questions on top of that would be too much.
Finally, he pulls to a stop and takes a moment to stare out the virtual windows. It’s difficult to see much with the darkness out there, but really, he’s only buying himself a minute or two to settle.
Nothing’s gonna happen if you don’t move, he reminds himself and reaches for his safety harness, tossing it aside as he announces, “Well, we’re here!”
Kaidan gives him a raised eyebrow, but is still silent. No comment, no question. Scott isn’t sure what to make of that, and cannot help it when his nerves kick into even higher gear. Somehow, even though he stumbles his way to the hatch, he maintains his balance. After opening the door, he grabs the pack from behind the seat and slips outside to wait. With the sun fully set and the skies overhead well on their way to full darkness, he finds unexpected reassurance in the sight.
A sound behind him pulls him back, and he turns to find Kaidan standing behind him. “Right,” he huffs softly, forcing a smile that he hopes looks genuine. “Over this way.”
The spot he wants is less than a hundred feet away, still part of the relatively level mesa-like outcropping. Scott pulls a blanket out of the pack and lays it out on the ground, then takes a seat and pats the space next to him. Kaidan doesn’t hesitate, but it’s impossible to miss the skepticism in his expression. “Just… thought it might be nice to get away and relax for a little while,” Scott explains. “You okay with that?”
Settling next to him, Kaidan replies, “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have let you drag me all the way out here.”
Scott chuckles. “Fair enough.”
“So, what are we here for?”
A soft snicker escapes before Scott can stop it. “You make it sound like Kandros is locking us up or something,” he jokes. “Don’t like the out of doors?”
“I’m not saying that.” There is a hint of darkness in his cheeks, and for just a second, Scott wonders if he’s embarrassed him. “It’s just… Guess it’s been a while since I took a moment to just sit and relax.” He rubs his hand over the back of his neck. “And I do like the out of doors,” he adds, glancing over at Scott. “My Dad and I used to go camping up in the mountains near our home when I was a kid.”
“Sounds like fun,” Scott muses. Reclining back until his arms rest on the ground, he stares up at the starry sky. “I never got the chance to do stuff like that. Sara and I grew up on the Citadel. By the time Mom and Dad moved back to Earth, we were on our own and enlisting with the Alliance.” He sighs. “They look so different than back home.”
Kaidan nods as he leans back to mimic Scott’s stance. “Andromeda is definitely… different, I’ll give it that much.”
“You think?” Scott can’t help but tease. “What gave it away? The bone-armored alien race bent on our destruction? Or, the dark energy cloud that wants to kill us and every single planet we wanted to colonize? My bet’s on the alien race, in case you’re wondering.”
Kaidan huffs and bumps his shoulder into Scott’s, but a laugh quickly follows. “You are so irreverent.”
Scott’s reply is just as quick and, at least he thinks, witty. “I think you mean irrelevant.”
There is a long moment of silence in which Kaidan shifts just enough to face him. Scott stares up at the sky, unwilling to face him just yet. What he expects is a dressing-down for his self-deprecating sense of humor. What he receives, however, is nothing less than perfection as Kaidan leans over, slides his hand behind Scott’s head until his fingers thread through his hair, and pulls him in for a very thorough, very intense meeting of their lips. A kiss of which Scott hasn’t experienced in over six hundred years. Heat and fire burn through him leaving him numb, and he cannot stop a soft whimper of delight as it escapes his lips.
When Kaidan breaks the contact sometime later – Scott’s brain is so scrambled he can’t even make a guess at how much time has passed, in all honesty – he pulls back only enough so they can get a clear look at one another. As usual, Kaidan’s face is neutral, not quite expressionless but difficult to fathom. Scott, well… He is well aware of his downfalls, and has no doubt the man can read him perfectly in the moment. Greedily sucking in air, he prepares for the chastisement…
… and instead, finds himself absolutely stunned. “Never irrelevant,” Kaidan insists, his voice at least an octave lower than his usual rumbly, gravely, incredibly sexy tone.
Scott blinks and has to swallow twice before he rasps out, “O-okay…”
Kaidan lies back on the blanket, tugging Scott to him. It never crosses Scott’s mind to refuse as he ends up lying next to him, Kaidan’s arm wrapped around him. It’s strange, yet not at the same time. The only other time they’ve ever laid this close to one another on purpose was back in the Milky Way. Scott thought it a fluke then, a one-time thing that never stood an ice cube’s chance in hell of surviving. But after arriving in Andromeda and discovering Kaidan made the journey as well, Scott hoped they might be able to rekindle what they once had.
It seems like they have. It’s a dream come true, to be sure, but also sobering at the same time. So, of course, Scott falls back to his usual snarky side to find his way through the moment. “Soooo, irreverent, is it?”
Kaidan laughs, his chest moving up and down and Scott’s head following the motion as he lies there. “Why do I get the feeling that’s going to haunt me from now on?”
Reaching over with his hand, Scott laces his fingers through Kaidan’s other hand and pulls it up to lie on his chest. Kaidan doesn’t pull away. “Oh, I don’t know… Maybe because you know me?” He tilts his head up, smirk in place, and meets his gaze with a twinkle of delight in his.
“That I do,” Kaidan replies, tightening his hold on Scott’s hand. “That I most certainly do.”
