HEART OF EVIL

VILLAIN

“  every  story  needs  a  hero  and  a  villain.  ”

“  this  is  going  to  be  a  little  uncomfortable.  ”

“  do  you  know  what  i've  done ?  what  i  would  do  again  if  given  the  chance ?  ”  

“  i  can't  stop.  it's  what  i  am.  “

“  they  hate  what  they  cannot  control.  ”

“  the  only  difference  between  a  hero  and  a  villain,  is  who’s  telling  the  story.  ”

“  i  have  my  reasons  for  being  this  way.  ”

“  your  death  will  mean  nothing  to  them.  ”

“  kill  me.  go  on,  i  dare  you.  ”

“  i  don’t  think  you’ve  got  it  in  you.  you’re  like  a  little  dove,  never  wanting  to  get  your  hands  dirty.  ”

“  what  do  i  want  ?  i  want  to  see  the  world  burn.  i  want  to  see  a  new  world  born  from  it’s  ashes.  ”

“  one  day  i  will  kill  you.  and  you  can  be  safe  in  the  knowledge  that  you  will  have  deserved  it.  ”

“  fate  is  an  excuse  for  people  who  are  too  stupid  or  too  weak  to  make  their  own  future.  ”

“  let  you  go  ?  do  you  really  think  i’m  that  stupid ?  ”

“  i  could  keep  you  safe.  they’re  all  afraid  of  me. ”

“  ask  me  if  i  give  a  crap.  ”

“  you’re  playing  my  game  now.  ”

“  tell me;  would  you  kill  to  save  a  life ?  ”

“  what’s  more  important  to  you ?  their  life  or  your  reputation ?  ”

HERO

“  people  will  never  bleed  enough  to  fulfil  your  vision  of  justice.  ”

“  i  will  never  turn  my  back  on  people  who  need  me.  ”

“  i  don’t  need  to  be  saved.  ”

“  rebellions  are  built  on  hope.  ” 

“  i  will  win.  that’s  what  heroes  do.  ”

“  i  don’t  have  to  prove  anything  to  you.  ”

“  you  can’t  always  be  strong,  but  you  can  always  be  brave.  ”

“  i  will  catch  you.  i  will  bring  you  to  justice.  ”

“  once  there  is  blood  on  your  hands,  they  will  never  be  clean.  ”

“  don’t  carry  the  world  upon  your  shoulders.  ”

“  you  don’t  need  a  reason  to  save  people.  ”

“  i’m  not  a  hero.  ”

“  we  will  win.  ”

“  there’s  no  escape  this  time.  ”

“  i  really  don’t  want  to  fight.  ”

“  if  it  was  down  to  me  to  save  your  life,  would  you  trust  me  to  do  it ?  ”

“  i’ll  admit,  this  looks  bad.  ”

“  i’m  proud  of  what  i  am.  ”

“  i  know  my  value.  ”

“  you’re  wrong  about  them !  ”

“  let  them  go.  they  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  fight.  ”

“  it’s  not  too  late  to  change.  i  can  help  you.  ”

❝ i will always repay my debts to you, aria— but— i was hoping i could fish a favor out of you. ❞ though the halfling invites herself to sit beside aria, she does not dare touch her without prior permission to do so ( it would be impolite, disrespectful, perhaps, to take liberties before the asari's underlings and employees ). 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗮 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼 - 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 attached to a device on her arm. there is a massive asteroid displayed, and behind it, a flickering, floating vessel coming in and out of focus. just by eye, without knowing any measurements, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚕 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚜 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚎. an ark - type ship, or a city ship. something with a lot of people and a lot of technology.

❝ i know you typically leave the dirty work to your henchmen, but i could use the assistance. it is an infiltration. covert, and i ... trust you. to guard my back. ❞ what can she offer in return but another favor? or perhaps it is currency she would prefer. 𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁. whatever is asked, the asari will have it. maya is well and firmly aware that she is entangled around her frequent companion's fingers— and 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚊 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 to the allure of aria's presence and whims.

Once she's done speaking, there's a moment of silence as Aria continues to gaze at her, the tension in the air palpable. Finally, she leans forward slightly, her voice low and measured. "Well," she begins, her voice dripping with both intrigue and caution, "You certainly have a knack for diving headfirst into the fire, don't you? Your audacity is… refreshing." Aria's lips curl into a faint smirk, amused by the situation.

"As for your proposition," she continues, her gaze intensifying, "I won't deny that your offer holds a certain allure." Her fingers drum against the armrest again, a subtle sign of her considering the potential outcomes. "However, let's not kid ourselves." Aria adds, her tone growing more serious. "Working alongside you comes with its own set of complications. I appreciate your trust, but alliances are fickle, and the stakes you're proposing are not insignificant."

“Eighty-seven.” Those were the only words she uttered as she stared at the floor of the shuttle, hands folded in front of her as her elbows rested on her knees. “I’ve lost eighty-seven people who meant something to me. My parents. My classmates as a teenager. My best friend, her family, her brother—the fifty marines on Akuze with me. The twenty we lost when the Normandy crashed.” And there were still more she’d witnessed. “I watched Liara lose her mother—hell, I shot her mother, and even if it was a necessity…” She’d hated every second of it. Asari or not, cultural differences or not, she put Liara through that.

“I don’t underestimate you. I’m just… tired of losing people.” Tired of watching people die that she might’ve been able to save. “People like Mordin. Like Thane. The Primarch’s son. Nyreen.” She gave Aria a look—one that said she knew very well that Nyreen had meant something to Aria, even if it had never been said… and something she’d never tell a soul about, either. “People we—that we need for a fight like this. People who deserve the chance to see this through.” People that were friends, that were important to others. The death was starting to weigh on her, like a heavy weight dragging her down. Death was the one thing she feared—and not her own, but others. For a human, she’d seen far too much death for one lifetime. Hell, too much for two, considering what happened.

“And every one of those people I’ve lost in the last… fifteen years, give or take. Half my damned life, at this point. And for fuck’s sake, if the galaxy needs me alive, then I need the people I know I can count on that have their heads screwed on straight. People like you, Aria. People who aren’t going to bury their heads in the sand and hope the Reapers don’t find them. People I can trust, Aria. Amusing as you probably find it, yeah—I actually trust you.” Or, at least, trusted her enough for what they were doing. But the thought of losing one more person she could trust, one more person she cherished, one more person she wanted around? That was another story.

"You're assuming that losing me is an inevitability. That I'll meet my end, or some similar fate," she retorts, a hint of weariness creeping into her voice. Empathy isn't on the menu today; the wound remaines much too fresh. "Your assumption belies a certain underestimation, Commander. Understand, I'm not being boastful, but I possess a keen awareness of my capabilities." As Kat's mention veers toward the Turian, a shadow runs across Aria's features. Nyreen's absence casts a shadow she can not easily dismiss. A situation with potential avenues for avoidance, now a chapter irrevocably written.

"People pass on, such is the nature of existence," Aria remarks in the end, tone low, her words devoid of sentiment, as if she'd grown intimately familiar with death itself—a companion that has accompanied her across the ages. The toll, a tally of lives, comrades and adversaries intermingling in a mosaic of memories, is staggering. Yet, she recognizes the futility of comparing tragedies, for that wasn't the crux of Kat's statement.

Still he could muster a polite enough expression, which was to say he wasn't actively scowling as he stepped over to her couch to take a careful seat at its other end. At least it was loud enough that neither could hear the creak in his knees. "Never would'a taken you as one for flattery, but I'll take what I can get."

To see Nick Valentine in Purgatory was a significant rarity, but here he was; standing still as the décor just under Aria's loft, yellow eyes fixed on her until she'd taken notice. It wasn't until she did that his head tilted disdainfully to the guards blocking him from a flight up her stairs.

Yeah, this was definitely not her BRIGHTEST hour. With some luck it would only be a little embarrassing for her, though knowing her this could also easily turn into something much more complicated. The universe certainly liked to kick her while she was down. Wouldn't be the first time. " An agreement then? Nothing set in stone, but its SOMETHING, right? " She wasn't sure why she even asked for clarification when it was clear Aria didn't really care about defining whatever she and Shepard had agreed on.

Her imposing presence seems to fill the room as she unfolds her arms, letting her fingers dance in the air with a faint biotic shimmer. "I don't concern myself with the details of what outsiders believe they understand about my connection with Shepard. But don't mistake my indifference for weakness. I built this empire, and I rule it with an iron fist." Her steps are measured, her eyes bore into the trespasser with an intensity that made others often quiver in fear. "Let me enlighten you. No one, not even Shepard, holds absolute power here. Omega belongs to me, and I am not one to tolerate intruders who meddle in my affairs."

mass effect meme → nine females.