DearTrickster

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

So how's the week going for everyone so far? RL has been kinda busy for Dervs and I.

Mass Effect: Borealis

@DJAtomika and @Fallenreaper Pad 1 for shenanigans

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

A playlist for Rune @Hellis, hope you like it c:

Everyone is King - 8tracks Link

Everyone is King - Spotify Link

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

A special thanks and shout out to @Hellis for joining @ShyDot and myself for the collabs. They were tons of fun to write and I hope you guys enjoyed them too~

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

_{banner credit to Hellis}

Featuring @Hellis As.... The Guardian of Stonehenge

---

Time: Present Day - Night
Location: England, UK

By the time the two would make it to the Stonehenge, Titanias' magic was already palpable in the air. The Queen had used one of her own groves for travel and was now standing, chanting at the far edge of the monument. She raised her hands to the sky and uttered a word of power, in Gaelic so ancient and forgotten only few would understand it. But everyone with magic nearby would have felt it. It rolled off her in waves, making the grass grow and wilt and grow again. Vines wrapped around her legs in intricate patterns before fossilizing and falling off her in chunks only to make the journey once more. The air shook and trembled with energies great and old. Ancient spells broke and threaded into nothingness as the Queen called upon powers known only to her now. Then she sucked in a deep breath as all the magic of the Stonehenge and its protections was sucked back into her. She was lifted up in the air as magic pumped into her, slowly reversing the aging process day by day, year by year. When she sunk back to her feet, it was a noticeably more beautiful and young Titania who stood before them.

It appeared that Titania stood to gain something from lifting the protection as well. Such was the way of Fae, one deal was just a smoke screen for other things. She smiled at them as they approached. "Try not to die Ambassador." She strode past them, apparently satisfied with her work. She had not been gone for more than a minute before the earth began to rumble underneath their feet.

I knew it. The Ambassador thought angrily. The spell to veil Stonehenge was a pocket of stored power for the Queen. Looking younger, feeling the energy coming off in waves around them. Odette was infuriated. All the lecturing over Hell and The Broker was simply a distraction. Titania wanted to lift it.

Odette took a deep breath in, all but slamming the portal door once Mandate and Bach stepped through. Bach looked on and his brow furrowed at the scene. The ground rumbling caught whatever Odette wanted to spit at the Queen, Odette and Bach both reached for Mandate to hold onto.

Mandate was familiar with the ground rumbling and shaking beneath her feet, but the fact that she was not the cause was new to her. Humming curiously as her companions anchored themselves upon her, the golem turned her head to and fro, taking idle note of the force with which the portal door had shut. "This place is interesting, Miss Ambassador. Do you want me to break it before the rumbles do? Or whatever is making the place all rumbly?" She seemed unperturbed by the shaking of the earth. It helped that she had no clear idea of what they were searching for, though she could guess that she would soon be fighting.

She was content with that.

Odette casted a look past the main historical sight, the sight had been closed for a few hours now but the security teams were in a panic at the sudden earthquake, taking shelter. The three of them going unnoticed by the panicking humans. While it felt like her bones were being jostled she held firm to Mandate's arm.

The ground shook. and then it began to bulge upwards. The earth heaved, the soil shifting and trees was uprooted where they stood. First came the Horns, massive as they speared up trough the ground. Then came the rest of the body.

"WHO ARE YOU, TO ANGER HERNE? THE HUNTER!"

Finally as the Earth settled and Odette sweeped low with a bow, speaking in Common Fey, "Great Hunter, I do humbly apologize for the disturbance! My name is The Ambassador of the Fair Folk!"

She gestured for the others to bow as well. Bach did so automatically arms straight down the length of his sides.

Mandate watched as the others bowed. After a moment, and at Miss Ambassador's prompting, she awkwardly repeated the movement. Her torso bent forward, and her hands curled into fists at her sides. The urge to stare at the wondrous creature -and break it apart- was temporarily resisted.

"Fae?! You cannot fool me human. ARE YOU ROMAN!?"

It lifted one massive hoof and smashed it down on the group in an attempt to crush them, well, underhoof.

Mandate snuck a glance upwards, and noted the size of the creature's magnificent horns. Then, she noted the hoof lifting.

After that, she did not note anything, and simply acted. Her body was upright in a moment, her foot dragging easily through the earth as her fist reared back, a metallic grinding filling the air as her hand clenched tightly enough to become audible.

An internal weight, a sense of power, shifted. Ten tons? It seemed sufficient. Without a sound and without hesitation, Mandate's fist met the descending hoof with earth-shaking force.

The noise of their collision was that of a thunderclap. The pressure tore the ground around them. Herne, or rather the construct of Herne, was surprised. Even more surprise registered on its giant deerlike face when the force of Mandate's punch shattered the leg of it. It reformed some second later. It backed away slowly, trying to devise a new angle of attack.

Mandate's powerful strike rippled around them, Bach and Odette dropped to the ground. When Herne recoiled the two dashed out of the immediate area scrambling out of the way of two giants.

"Here's our chance to test her strength!" Bach commented huffing out a a shaky breath.

"Mandate! Destroy the Guardian!" Odette commanded raising her voice. She turned to Bach, "I can sense the power of the piece, it's underground right in the center of the site. I hate to do this but we need to dig. Possess me."

They gripped each other's forearms and in sync began chanting the spell, Odette felt out for the power of the Arcane Stream and it reacted so quickly and nearly overwhelmed her. Bach compensated for the immense energy, they shared it among themselves. Blue light brightly bloomed around their bodies. The tattoo on her back glowed through her jacket, the spell reached its end when Bach's form began to fade his soul combining with his pact partner.

His soul entered her body in a whirlwind of leaves, she bent over holding her sides a singular roar ripping through her throat. Blood trickled down from her temple where the small horns appeared through the skin, her skin darkening with green tints, yellow tints washing through her eyes. The possession happened within a minute, the skin along her hands roughened, turning into bark. She stood back up, then clicked her heels.

Mandate would have blinked if she could, her eyes following the deer's -the golem's?- leg as it was shattered, and then began to simply reform. That was tricky, but more importantly, it was irritating. Singular in her focus, the mercury golem did not look away as she rambled aloud.

"It lied to me, Miss Ambassador! It's not a deer at all, it's rock! Lots of rock! How am I supposed to look inside of you and find something interesting if you're rock, Mr. Herne- If that is your real name?" Mandate lowered herself into a crouch, mane bristling as she planted a foot behind her. Her smile was gone, replaced with its reverse as she focused her power once more. It was as easy as flexing a muscle.

"I'm going to kill you for not being able to die! It's rude!" Her stance adequately explained in her own rambling manner, Mandate threw herself forward. The ground beneath her exploded as her strength was focused into a kick, hurtling her forward into a barely-human, though uncontrolled, sprint. It was a tumbling, wild gait, but quickly focused into a steady rhythm as she charged for the massive 'deer', aiming to simply ram herself into its other leg at full force.

Herne's golem-like body flinched. The thing was charging him like a locomotive with a deathwish. It overcame its doubt and began charging the other golem head on. When the collided, the shock wave was enough to rip a few nearby trees into pieces. In that moment, the golems body shattered in a million little peaces and reformed into a half man, half deer. It raised its arm and smashed down on Mandate with enough force to crack the ground.

Odette sprung from her spot, she flipped in the air then landed along the stones on the outer edge, with complete mastery of earth magic it would make the expedition easy and if time is permitting a chance to put it back together. Bach's psyche crawled at the thought of destroying the site.

A short few seconds of concentration she felt out the presence of the piece, it was unrelenting with ancient magic pouring out of it. A singular piece held so much. It fired up her imagination. First, however was to help Mandate with the Guardian.

Leaping off the stone again she landed deftly on the back of the Guardian. Grass grew between the stone rooting Odette's feet in place as her hands glowed green a spell for a trap coming directly from memory. A layered circle appeared beneath the Guardian, roots spiraling around it's legs and up its chest from the broken Earth. When the trap took hold she cut the grass at her feet leaping away again, safely out of reach while it worked.

Within a few more leaps she arrived dead center of Stonehenge, the air was alive with energy from the Arcane Stream. All around her she could feel the immense power, allowing Bach to possess gave her room to spare for storing the high input. Now, there was cause to use it. Summoning on the Arcane Stream, her arm brightened with green light as she plunged it deep into the Earth.

Mandate's sleek, mercury form was at odds with the furious energy with which she struck at Herne. She clawed at the pieces of the golem in the moments before it reformed, irritated by her inability to do more than throw the stone -albeit a great distance- through the force of her blow. "Rude!" But then her opponent was physical and vulnerable again, and all was well.

Mandate only registered the blow in the sight of its approach, and the movement it forced upon her upper body; her durability was unassailable to something that merely broke earth, but her weight required a moment to compensate for the force. Briefly weighing in at 450 kilograms, the golem slammed her foot into the ground, and felt satisfaction in the way in which it crumbled even further.

More satisfying, however, was that the kick drove her forwards and upwards, into the construct's personal space. Utilizing the opportunity presented by the interference of mysterious roots, her hand tore through the air with a vicious swipe. It was an open-handed slap aimed at the construct's torso that fully utilized the sharp tips of her fingers. She wanted to tear it apart, even if it was not flesh and bone; It had threatened Miss Ambassador.

The binding magical roots did more then just slow the construct. It strengthened its density and structural integrity. This would have been a boon against any other opponent then Mandate. Mandate had enough power to make it a moot point. Instead, the roots made it so that it couldn't separate its pieces upon impact, and Mandates claw dug in deep, tore chunks that was flung to the ground and held there by the roots.

Vicious satisfaction flared inside of Mandate at the great rends her 'slaps' left in the construct. It was so vulnerable, parting like flesh under her hand. But without anything interesting inside, she noted grouchily. Pulling her arms back and twisting her body, Mandate clasped her hands together, and drove them forward with a sharp twist and a fair fraction of her strength. A double-handed hammerfist, aimed for the construct's side. "Lying gravel!"

Twenty tons. I want to see you blown apart.

Mandates punch did better then blow it apart. With the rocks having nowhere to go, kept in place by magical roots, they could not disperse the shockwave. Instead, each rock cracked and cracked again. The ones closest to the impact were turned into fine dust, then the ones further back into fine grained gravel and sand. All but the pieces further back were smashed into pieces. It appeared, that the guardian could not reassemble from such a state.

Slowly drawing her fists back, Mandate peered suspiciously at the seemingly-destroyed construct. One more time, just to be sure. With a smile upon her fist, Mandate drew her fists back once more, and sent another devastating blow into the opposite side of her apparently defeated opponent. Then, satisfied, she called out. "Miss Ambassador, I think I broke it!" She sounded proud, rather than repentant.

Odette hardly acknowledged the fight or Mandate speaking, her lips moved as she murmured an on-going spell. Her full concentration was on the task before her. Hands dug deep into the Earth, her energy pushed through the soil in the shapes of long vines. The very ground around Stonehenge absorbed all the magic and life energy provided by the Arcane Stream. Felt akin to a sponge. Odette felt out the area for the piece buried away, the vines stretching further down. Trying her best not to disturb the ancient site. Not sure what exactly she was looking for but the closest guess she had it would be preserved in magic, if not magic then at least some sort of casing or box.

In spite of her hope to not disturb the site, the site itself reacted to her poking around. A forceful push from the piece of Solomon's Cube, sent the sorceress back several feet disconnecting herself from the vines. She skidded right into one of the stones. The wind knocked out of her she coughed, squeezing out a couple tears.

That is going to bruise.

She continued to cough pushing herself up to stand again, achingly squaring her shoulders she strode toward the spot again. Rasping out the words, she warded herself against further attacks building several layers around herself as she did. The Earth trembled at her feet, reacting to her words and within a blink of an eye she was swallowed up by the ground disappearing from sight.

"Miss Ambassador?!" Mandate had begun to move almost as soon as the Ambassador had been repulsed by some unseen force, her hurried steps flattening the dirt beneath her as she sprinted towards her companion. Naturally, it did nothing to put her at ease when the ground seemed to eat the human. The strange changes to the Ambassador hardly even registered to her, as concerned as she was.

What do I do? The ground's taken her. Or maybe she made the ground take her. She's probably alright, yes? She knows fae things. Mandate skidded to a stop above where the Ambassador had been taken, kicking up dirt and grass as she twisted to stare at the ground. Her feet carried her restlessly to and fro, an anxious pacing as she considered solutions to this conundrum, or whether a solution was required.

It could be trying to bury her. The thought was what finally set Mandate to proper action. She could suffocate. I won't let it take her. "I'm coming, Miss Ambassador!" The golem dropped to her knees with a powerful thud, her fist punching into the earth without an ounce of resistance. With barely a tug, several handfuls of dirt were sent flying off behind her with one swing of her hand.

With a goal in mind, the golem began to dig ravenously at the ground, a fruitless endeavour that was nevertheless making an impressive hole. Her mane bristled as she kicked up a cloud of dirt and stone, uncaring for the mess she made. I hope you're okay under there.

Burrowed deep, no sight, no real sense of direction. The only real guidance she had was in the vines of magic searching again for the piece. Further down she moved through the Earth searching and searching.

Minutes passed as Mandate continued to dig and Odette did the very same. The pressure began to increase as did the pressure of the magic surrounding her, the ward protecting her from every side. Finally the vines wrapped around a piece of irregularly shaped metal, as if it was a corner to a cube. She cleared away soil and rocks creating a pocket surrounding the piece of Solomon's Cube. Instinctively she reached with her bare hands but a sharp snap from Bach reminded her to lock it away. Unknown artifacts could not be trusted to be touched. Struggling she reached back to her purse fumbling through the deep confines of the enchanted accessory. She pulled forward a little red memory trunk. Perfect for protecting it's contents and keeping the likes of ancient magic under wraps. She pushed the trunk into the pocket with the lid open carefully scooping beneath the piece catching some of the dirt as well, she closed the lid around it latching it.

Allowing the dirt to collapse back into place she made the steady ascent. The noise of Mandate's activity reached her ears and her hand burst through the surface.

By the time the Ambassador's hand emerged, Mandate's excavation had reached the height of a man in depth. That she had done this with her bare hands and over the course of several minutes was of no concern to the golem; her great strength allowed scooping motions to kick great sprays of dirt loose with each swing.

Said golem barely stopped herself from cleaving one such motion straight through the newly-emerged hand, yelping as she drew back. She had yet to find anything to be scared of in the world, beyond her own memories, but it was quite startling all the same. A fairy?! No- "Miss Ambassador!" Mandate's hands hovered over the limb, as if preparing to begin digging around it, but she paused once more.

What if I dig through Miss Ambassador? Pulling will probably just hurt her, humans are usually really soft, and Miss Ambassador is soft too... Uncertain of what to do, Mandate reached down, clasping her metallic hand upon the Ambassador's own, and simply holding it. She probably has enough breath, somehow. She's been down there awhile.

The motion was mostly just to calm herself.

Odette patted the metallic hand uncertainly then gripped it. Another bark hand pushed through the Earth, the soil shifting at her command. Using Mandate's hand she pulled up wriggling free of the ground. Her head shaking free the loose dirt and looking up at the red eye. Slowly she kicked her legs free as well emerging fully from the ground.

Covered head to toe in no small amount of dirt she took a look down at herself and tsked.

"Come Mandate, we've made quite a mess. I will try to fill in the hole the best I can. Much good that will do..."

She used Mandate's back to get out of the hole, using her arms to haul herself up and her hips to step. When she found herself on solid ground she turned back to Mandate, waiting for her to move as well.

Mandate acknowledged the Ambassador's words -and the human's subsequent use of the golem's back as a stepping stool- with a simple, pleased hum of acknowledgment. She waited until the negligible weight was removed from her back, then stood to her full height, her head and shoulders easily clearing the edge of the hole. "Of course, Miss Ambassador! I'm glad you're alright, I thought another construct had taken you, or something. Or a fairy!"

The golem clawed her way out of the hole with ease, dirt sliding off of her smooth form save where it gathered at her joints. A quick clap of her hands -accompanied by a loud, metallic ringing- cleared most of it off of her arms, but her mane in particular was in need of cleaning, though she did not yet know it; she had been quite agitated amidst her digging, and a portion of the flung dirt had caught on it.

"Say, Miss Ambassador, do fairies steal people into the earth?" she asked, tilting her head and lowering her hands back to her sides.

She flinched at the noise, her heightened senses doing her little favours. "No no, my dear. I went voluntarily into the ground, the magic in the area was pushing me away. I decided a direct approach was better suited for the job." She dusted her arms a bit, rather fruitlessly. "I did retrieve what we came here for. The piece of Solomon's Cube." Finally noticing the pile of the defeated guardian, her eyes widened at the destruction then a sly smile.

"Good work dealing with the guardian, Mandate. You reduced it to dust. Your strength is proving to be an asset." She complimented the golem.

Mandate, initially concerned by the flinch from her friend, pushed it aside as the smaller human noticed her handiwork. She preened quite visibly, her hands finding her hips in an instinctive gesture as her V of a smile returned full force. I'm an asset. No, my strength is an asset. I'm a friend.

"I punished it for lying about being flesh, Miss Ambassador! There was nothing interesting inside of it, so I was done before you were even in the ground." she announced proudly. The idea of humility was somewhat lost on the golem; hers was a job done well, and the praise was absorbed happily.

Then, she tilted her head. A thought occurred. "Miss Ambassador, have I been missing your horns? I've never noticed them before!"

Absently her bark-like hand reached up and touched the horns. "I am currently possessed by Bach. Some of his features show through when we are together like this. A draw back to the power it affords me." Odette explained, pulling a face. "We really should clean up the area the best we can and leave. Our actions here tonight will draw quite a bit of attention, unfortunately."

With that said she went to work cleaning away the remnants of the guardian, filling the holes created by Mandate and herself. The disturbance of Stonehenge would surely create international stir, even if she was able to return every stone and pebble back to its original state. The very air around them had changed. Bach stirred, irritation radiating forward.

It was the best they could do.

With the business settled and Queen Titania at large once again restored with unknown amounts of magic. It was time to return home to Paris, rest, then tackle Lost Haven.

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

@Baklava Sorry about the wait, hope that bit about the puppet was okay?

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

Even on the back of her puppet, showing more confidence than the others the dreadful claustrophobic feeling weighed down on the skullkid. Her shoulders sagged, she fidgeted under the metaphorical weight. The shine and sparkle of new uncharted territory wore out pretty quick. Jillian stared down the creepy and sort of neat lookin' skull as it (quite literally) rattled off its rhyme and riddles. Lethe noted the torches held no heat and Naviela commented how the walls didn't match up. They figured out more than she had any right to figuring anything out.

If there was one way the skullkid could contribute it was testing the waters and the theories. Fearless leaders showed no fear.

She spit on both of her palms, rubbing them together she jumped off the back of her puppet. She held up the lantern squinting at the wall before them.

"If the wall is lookin' like a fake and the torches too, then may as well test out the theory."

She pointed at the wall giving the command, "Puppet! Forward!"

Without hesitation the puppet stepped up to the wall, the twine shot through the wall and the puppet disappeared to the other side.

Mass Effect: Borealis

Girl's Night Out
Part 1

@Rtron, @Dervish, and @DearTrickster

---

Serena quietly left Vellios in his room, sleeping again. She had already sent Sarah and Del to Khosin with a request to keep an eye on the Turian. Now all she needed to do was find Tanya and Dex. A simple enough job, given the fact that she knew they had headed to a gun range, and her tracking was still able to be activated in their omni-tools. A brief glance before shutting them down again, and she knew exactly where they were. Serena made her way out of the ship, walking smoothly now. The only remnants of her injuries was a discolored nose, a dark red cut on her neck, with a thin layer of medi-gel over it, a shoulder brace on her dislocated (right) shoulder, a similar application of light medi-gel on her stabbed shoulder, and discoloration over her body from where she smacked the ground particularly hard as she flew backwards.

She paused in front of a mirror on her way to the hangar, eyes lingering on the prominent burn scars on her face and arms, and briefly glancing at the rest of her injuries. She briefly tried imagining herself in a beautiful dress, before she gave up with a sigh and walked to the hangar. Who was she kidding? She wasn’t a dress person. Or any pretty clothing for that matter.

She walked through the Elysium spaceport, her Predator close at hand on her hip. Just because it wasn’t Omega doesn’t mean she trusted it to not have it’s own fair share of crime. She walked through Elysium enjoying the feeling of not having to be on edge or in pain. As she made her way through the city (Ilyira? She didn’t know) She made note of various art, knick knack, and gift shops on her way there. She’d need to stop at them before coming back to the Borealis.

In a few short moments she was at Maximillion’s Gun Range. After talking to the human at the counter, Serena got directions to the correct area her companions were in.

Dex and Tanya were there, firing into targets. Serena waited till there was a lull in the gunfire to speak up, looking appreciatively at Dex’s accuracy. “Hey, I’ve got plenty of things to work on and you probably don’t want me ruini-”

“Shut up you’re coming with us. We need a night to relax and take a break from the bullshit.” She said over her shoulder keeping her pistol in position. “Besides, you’re not getting a choice in the matter. We’re dollin’ up, might get some free drinks that way.”

She flicked the safety on her pistol and stood up. Holstering it while faced Serena. “Alright?”

“But I don’t do ‘dollin’ u-” Serena began to protest.

“No, shut up. Tanya can help you.”

Serena opened and closed her mouth in frustration, looking to Tanya for aid. “I mean, look at me.” She gestured vaguely towards her various wounds and scars. “These don’t make for good ‘Free drinks attracting’. Maybe to go away.”

“We can handle that. Are you even hearing me? You don’t have a choice.”

“Right. You’ll handle the looking pretty part and I’ll work on a VI in the corner, out of the way and out of sight. Everyone wins.” Serena lifted up a blank VI slate, as if to prove it was the plan.

“All I’m hearing are excuses.” Dex collapsed her rifle, squinting down at Serena. “Scars are pretty sexy, I’m sure there’ll be someone in the crowd who thinks so too. I’m going to get a ride for us.”

Dex sauntered away to call a taxi.

Tanya had been listening to the conversation as she was packing away her M-15 into the hard carry case she had brought it in. ”I thought you wanted to drink with us, not try to go find a one night stand.” Tanya pointed out, leaning up against poll that was supporting the covering roof. She gave Dex a lazy wave as she took off. ”You’re talking to someone who still manages to look presentable even after getting my share of battlefield injuries and covered with machine-guts for a living. Scars can be faded with make-up, and I honestly don’t see what you’re worried about; scars tell a story. You’re out in the frontier of space, it’s dangerous. It just means you’re at the leading edge of it all.” she said with a shrug, slinging the case over her shoulder by the strap.

“It’s just- I just-I don’t want to ruin the night for yo-I don’t know.” Serena finished miserably. “I just feel like that I’ll screw tonight up and I really don’t want to do that to you guys.” She sighed. “Ah, fuck it. Lead the way. I’ll let you guide me through getting prettified, and if I ruin tonight we’ll never do it again.”

Tanya playfully cuffed Serena on the back of the head. ”Are you always this depressing? Only thing you’re going to ruin is your self-esteem if you keep going on like that. We’re going out, not to impress anyone, but just have a good night away from the bloody ship. Think you can pull that off?” she asked, walking towards where the exit was. It was a short walk back to town from there.

Reluctantly Serena smiled at Tanya, ducking her head instinctively. “Only when I’m doing something I have no idea what’s going on or what I’m doing.” Serena replied,quickly following. “Sure. I think I can pull it off. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? I get drunk and flirt with a Krogan this time?” She paused. “Did I mention I’m not drinking? Because I’m not drinking alcohol. It leads to...regrettable actions.”

Soon they were back on this ship. Serena looked around, a tad uncertain. “So what now? We go to a dress shop and hope they have my size?”

”You’re drinking unless you want to be the one who hails us a cab. Dex and I are going to be hitting it hard. But you don’t have anything nice on the ship?” Tanya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I told you. I don’t have anything nice enough to go dancing with. It’s all variations of work clothes. Clothing to wear under armor for combat, clothing for working on things, and clothing for those rare times I have to relax.” Serena shrugged, blushing in minor embarrassment. “When you’re busy hopping from one shit hole to the next, you don’t exactly pack fancy clothing.”

It was something Tanya could relate to far too well. There wasn’t a lot of freetime where she wasn’t digging into some repair and retrofit project or painting to keep herself busy. Still, there were occasions where a dress worked better than something that was meant to get utterly wrecked in the line of duty. ”Trust me, Serena. If you never take time to just breathe and enjoy the small things in life, you’re not doing yourself any favours. I’m sure there’s a thrift store around here that is full of unwanted dresses around here somewhere. Probably after-prom virginity busting specials that act as shameful reminders of why minors shouldn’t drink.”

Serena blushed harder at Tanya’s colorful description of the dresses. “Remind me to carefully check those dresses before trying them on then.” She muttered. “Lets go before you make any more disturbing descriptions of them.”

Tanya reached over, throwing an arm over the younger woman’s shoulders. ”You are delightful when you’re ashamed and embarrassed over regular old bodily functions. Remind me to take you on a back alley tour when it’s after closing time, then you’re going to see some real shit…”

“I’m not ashamed! Embarrased, but not ashamed!” Serena retorted, ducking her head and hiding her increasing blush, if smiling slightly.“Note to self: never let Tanya take me to any back allies. Come on, lets go get Dex. You’re enjoying this too much.”

The two quickly gathered the turian and made their way back into Elysium, hopping aboard the rentable segways to make their trip faster (and far more enjoyable in Serena’s opinion). Soon they were walking into Lantar, Nosina, and Kav’s Emporium.

“Alright...now where are the dresses…”

“I think I see some clothing off in that direction. Maybe there’s some nice turian dresses as well. I can’t remember the last time I went shopping just for clothes.” Dex commented taking a look around at the large department store. “I’m sure there’s some deals here, if not I’m great at haggling.” She grinned at the humans.

”Turians wear dresses? Forgive my ignorance, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a thing. I just can’t imagine how that works, what with your legs and hips so much wider out from your torso than a human.” She said, leafing through a row of hangers and a small sea of fabric. ”Besides, this is a human colony, your pickings may be a bit meager.” she pointed out.

Something caught her eye, and Tanya plucked a rather hideous yellow and black checkered dress from the rack. ”What bloody century did this thing crawl out of?”

“Actually, half the population of the colony is alien. So the odds are she’ll find at least a good selection of dresses, somewhere if not in this shop.” Serena said, somewhat absentmindedly as she perused the dresses. She was examining a bright shiny blue one (a tad too gaudy for her tastes) when Tanya’s exclamation caught her attention. “I don’t know...but something tells me it’s been here longer than the shop itself.”

She pulled a simple pink flared dress from the line of clothing, holding it against her chest and giving a speculative look to her two friends. “Yes? No?”

“Different angles, colours and the obvious focus being in other places for our clothing but yes. Turians can wear dresses.” She looked at both dresses and noted, “Is… it supposed to reveal the fleshy lumps on your chest? Or just the skin?”

”Depends if you plan on bringing someone home that night.” Tanya chipped in, hanging the abomination dress back on the rack. She looked up at Serena and shook her head. ”Pink dresses really bring out the after prom special I was talking about.”

”Of course it does. Serena muttered under her breath, putting the pink dress back on the rack as Dex reached past her.

Dex tilted her head hoping her chances at understanding it would improve at a different angle. Then saw a two piece dress behind Serena, reaching past her she grabbed it off the clothing rack. The top piece was a tube top, strapless silver and reflective in colour. While the bottom skirt was long and the very same silvery colour. Holding it up, “Um, maybe this…?”

Tanya walked over to Dex, grabbing the end of the skirt to feel the fabric. ”I think it’d go well with her complexion and hair, alright. Only thing I’m worried about is miss self-conscious fretting over having her back, shoulders, and chest bare… if she wants to cover up her injuries and shit, that is.”

“Hmm…” She hummed. “I’m still confused on the scars point. Scars are objectively attractive. I suppose we could find something one piece with a back and sleeves.”

Serena looked at the dress Dex was holding, very skeptically. “It’s very pretty...but also a bit...revealing.” She glanced over at Tanya, crossing her arms somewhat defensively. “It’s less self-conscious and more…” She grasped for the word, waving a hand vaguely. “..I can’t do pretty. I’m a grease monkey who has spent most of her life in oil, shit, and blood.”

“I thought Tanya being here makes a point that you can clean up to go out and have fun. Spirits Serena, it is possible to polish a turd.” The turian laughed, “Interestingly, getting cleaned up to go out isn’t a problem. Soap has been around for centuries.”

”So, you’re saying someone who spends her life covered in oil, grease, and bloody gibbets is incapable of looking attractive?” Tanya asked with a raised eyebrow.

Serena, shoulder’s slumping slightly, ignored Dex. “You can Tanya. You’re gorgeous.” Blushing slightly, she continued on. “I’m not. I’m just-”

“I was kidding about the turd comment-”

”Less awkwardly making passes on me, more trying on pity-fuck dresses.” Tanya said, making a ‘shoo-shoo’ gesture with her hand. ”You ask us for advice, and then you whine about our choices because you think you look like something a varren upchucks after binge-eating. You don’t, so stop worrying about impressing people who don’t fucking matter.” she shrugged, wondering if anyone was wondering about the gun case on her back; so far, nobody seemed to think it amiss.

Serena blushed a vibrant red, a flush seeming to go from the tips of her toes to the tops of her ears. “I wasn’t-I wouldn’t- I- No- Passes-? What-” She stuttered out, then took the only option left to her and quickly retreated to the dressing rooms towards the back of the store, the dress held in one hand.

Dex nodded along to what Tanya was saying, then called after Serena retreating to the dressing rooms. “We’ll hunt down the soap while you change!” Laughing as Serena shot her a look. “This is fun, trying on dresses and shit talking Serena into a better self esteem.” She commented to Tanya. “Can’t wait until we get to the bar.”

Important Plot Stuff

HADUKEN!

FALCOOOOOOON PAWNCH!!!!!!

DON’T BE A WHINY BITCH SERENA.

GROSS TANYA - GROSS

Deal with it, primative.

*In the distance*

“Take off your clothes.”

“W-what!?”

“Aww. You’re cute when you blush.”

U wut. I’ll knock u in the gabber I swer on me mum.

Mass Effect: Borealis

@Fallenreaper @DearTrickster After Hellis is done posting our thing, I think its time the turians got together for a talk.

@DJAtomika

We def gotta plan something

.:: ℤ𝕖𝕝𝕕𝕒 - 𝕎𝕙𝕚𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ::.

Ohhh man. You guys gettin hyped for Breath of the Wild?

@Baklava

I am so hypedddd