Ryder Vas Tempest

Squadmates + tempest crew react to Jaal being exalted by the Kett?

Pain pain pain pain pain pain

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Cora: There is a pit in her stomach. Her hands are shaky and her head is light. Jaal. Jaal was sweet and kind and...gone. Jaal is gone. This thought this...feeling reels in her head. And then she's angry. She's very angry. her biotic build and build and she nearly tears the haul of the tempest apart with her biotics as she went through the stages of grief. Her plants got the worst of it, and for months on end, her biotics sparked with her emotions as she couldn't keep it together. She will find who did this and will kill them.

Liam: Off all the squadmates, Liam was one of the people to take it the hardest. He Jaal were friends, better than friends. He confided in him and they loved to joke around with each other. But now Liam doesn't tell his jokes anymore. If you go into his room, you'll find his couch overturned, and several of his items smashed. Assuming that Jaal actually did make him that Rofjin, Liam will wrap himself in it weep softly.

Peebee: She tried to rationalize it. She tried to work it out in her head to make it make sense. She didn't want to think about Jaal being dragged away by the Kett. she didn't want to think of him getting his mind wiped. she didn't want to think of him in their creepy school. She didn't want to think of him being stuck with all those needles and his body being constructed and shade and formed and - it was too much. this was too much. She knew she should have stayed solo. She decided to go back to being solo. She left the tempest and then threw herself into her work, refusing to look back. she was done with making ties.

Drack: Anger. pure, blinding rage. He went into a krogan blood rage like no other, tearing down anything and everything in his path. the kett didn't stand a chance. he would tear every god damn exaltation facility himself. He was planetside for days, trampling any and every kett he saw. but is old, and he is tired. eventually, his body breakdown and Kesh has to come to get him. He told Jaal that he got both his hearts broken before, but now they are absolutely shattered.

Vetra: At first it didn't hit her. It didn't seem Real. she was numb so her body just was just reacting on autopilot. it was all she could do. Go to the tempest, check supplies (there is too much leftover, some of it was for Jaal). Read com links (there are some from Jaal. he hasn't answered in while) She just kept working. she had to keep working. If she stops, once she stops - she will break down. So she works.

Gil: He felt empty and hallow. His work in the garage gets more and more backed up as he finds comfort in a bottle of whiskey. He finds comfort in several bottles of whiskey, actually. He and Jaal weren't that close, but he was still a part of the crew, you know. He went to Jill and vented a bit, trying to work out how he is feeling. But in the end, his work remains undone. He eventually gets it together long enough to start working again, but his usual humor isn't even there anymore.

Suvi: She cried for hours. Litteral hours, she tired herself out with all crying. She put her research on the back burner, to have a wake and time of mourning for Jaal. Her usual sunny disposition was gone. She likes to believe Jaal is in a better place now. That all his hard work and effort and kindness paid off that he is somewhere he can rest. He deserves that.

Kallo: He need a moment, he needed several moments. Jaal's exaltation felt like it was a fate worse than death. He got to thinking about his old team and all the time they spend building the tempest. and soon his memory is flooded with thoughts of Jaal. the movie nights, the excitement he got when taking stuff apart, the kindness he showed when making gifts. But not part of that is tainted by how he looked as a kett. he can't do this. he needs to breathe. Kallo takes an indefinite shore leave.

Lexi: She told him there wasn't a cure. she told him it was permanent but- by the goddess does she wish she was wrong. She wants to be wrong so bad. She needs to be wrong. She has to be wrong. She knows she told Jaal not to have false hope, but damn it she will fix this. She has to  be wrong.  She will be wrong.  She's gonna research this till her fingers bleed. even if she cant help Jaal she can help others.

Ryder: This was their fault. All they can think of is that this was their fault. They let him down. Looked away for too long.didnt move fast enough, wasn't a good enough shot.. every move , every decision they made they questioned. Ryder is on the verge of a guilt ridden nervous break down, especially is Jaal was romanced. Oh god, what are they going to to tell Sahuna.

Bonus Sahuna (Jaals True Mother): No. No. No. No. No. No. Her son, her child Cannot be gone. When Ryder told her the new she punched them and was beyond grief stricken. Jaal was supposed to be safe. He promised her hed be safe. She went onto the tempest and into his room. The space he had carved out for himself. It was messy and there were tinkerer's tools scattered on the floor. Half finished projects. It was so ....Jaal. she brakes down and weeps for what felt like the hundredth time.

No I will not explain. Just let me have this

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Cora: she likes the classics. Babe, sweetheart, honey, pumpkin

Liam: he's a sweetheart and likes the cheesy ones. Love, Sweet Pea,Ducky ( he's from London), even sometimes missus "hang on, let me ask my missus".

Gil: terrible horrible over the top ones. Honeybunch, shnookims,Shmopsie- some one stop him. But when he's not being annoying, he uses terms like Stud, Sugar, Doll and occasionally Big Boy.

Suvi: she likes to use the more romantic ones, the ones that seem like they're out of a book. My dear, my love, buttrrcup

Reyes: the ones that will make you swoon. Mi Amor, mi vida, darling, Lover, Angel, Beautiful - some one stop this man.

Vetra - she isn't big on pet names, but occasionally one or two will slip out. She also goes for classics like babe or Hun but sometimes love bug or sugar plum slips out.

Jaal - this man lives by pet names. My darling one, my heart,my love, light of my life - some one stop him. He struggles with human endearments sometimes especially the ones that compare a person to food. "What even is an apple an why is it in my eye?"

If so, can I request romanced companions (+ Gil, Suvi, and Reyes (if possible)) react to Ryder dying again and coming back? There wasn’t any mention of the death between romances, except for Cora, I believe.

I hope you guys are staying safe and doing okay!

Im gonna include the other LI’s save for Cora and Peebee as they both already have cannon reactions. Also for those who are a part of the squad, they saw Ryder die first hand while those who stay on ship heard about it second hand. Mod Di

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Liam - Terrified didn't even begin to cover it.  Watching her fall like that would haunt him for months on end. Even after she got back up - even after she's in his arms again, just seeing her so...motionless scared him. The instant they were back on the ship he pulled her close to him before they even got a chance to get out of their armor. Later in the night, when Ryder was asleep, Liam was too restless to do so, and instead watched her, watched the way she moved. she was alive, she was breathing, so why won't that lump in his throat go away? He’ll try to replace the image of her on the ground with the image of her sleeping, hoping he can trick his brain into thinking everything is okay.  “never do that again. Scared me d-, just please don't do that again.”

Vetra - In the moment it was the right choice. In the moment it was the only way to escape that field. “you're gonna be fine” - if sam hadn't been able to revive Ryder those would have been Vetra's last words to them. And it didn't even occur to her until she was back on the ship, in her room the mission finally catching up to her.  When Ryder came by for a post-mission check-up, Vetra reached out to them hugging her close, voice wobbling

“you - you're fine. You’re fine. you’re fine-”

Jaal - So many emotions rushed over him the moment Ryder fell. Sadness, grief anger, hope. What made it worse it that he was stuck - unable to move as Ryder lay there. He let out a choked sob of relief when they took a gasping breath. he knew that a fight was not the best place to share sentiments, but the moment they were safe he held them close.  Later on in his room, he found his hand beneath their shirt, simply to feel their heartbeat. ”my soul was crushed the moment you left this world, please stay with me.” Gil - For the first time, Gil was quiet. Mostly because he was pacing around the garage worried out of his mind, Jill on video call trying her best to soothe him.  the instant Scott stepped foot in his garage, Gil flew towards him. A fist connected with Ryder's face, before he was quickly enveloped by a hug, shaking hands cling to his shirt.

“You asshole, you - I thought I lost you.”

Suvi - When she got word of what happened, practically bolted out of the bridge.  Was it true? did they die? are they okay? So many questions flooded her head as she looked for Sara. yet the instant suvi saw that soft smile as she felt was relief. tears began to fill her eyes as she collapsed in Sara's arms ”oh, oh thank God you came back to me.” Reyes -  Unlike with the other romances, Ryder told Reyes themselves. they were having drinks and catching up - talking about the stress of the job when Ryder let it slip. Reyes gave a chuckle assuming Ryder was joking, but when Sam confirmed it, he paused, before his whole deminer changed, and his hands were on them instead of the bottle, checking to see if they were alright. “I thought we agreed on no more death-defying decisions”

Evfra was always a bit of a tense guy - in almost every sense of the word. He had every right to be - there was a lot on his plate. Never the less Ryder could tell that it was becoming a bit too much, even for him. He needed to decompress and while there was no way in hell Efrva would even consider taking a day off, Ryder had manded to convince him to take a few hours to rest. Which is how they found themselves in his home, relaxing. and by relaxing it means that evfra is doing some light work on a holo pad while Ryder rummaged through his kitchen. He isn't too worried about people coming by to visit him - as the others are respectful of the fact that Evfra likes to be left alone so someone seeing him so comfortable with the pathfinder isn't something he's worried about. Despite them being home, Ryder still wasn't satisfied with Evfra’s lack of rest. He needed to fully decompress, and now that he wasn't in his usual armor Ryder could actually feel his shoulders and how stiff they were, hence the offer for the message. “No.” “oh, come on babe! Even your knots have knots - you must be a little sore.” “I do not see how the tenseness of my body affects you.” “Because you're my boyfriend and thinking about you in pain makes me sad.” “......” “Evfra?” “Fine but make it quick. I have to get back to the resistance soon.” that's how Evfra found himself sitting on the floor between Ryders legs, fingers gently pressing into his shoulders. “you gotta relax, Blue.” “I am relaxed” “oh my god” He will admit, it hurt a bit at first, the tension was harder to work through than Ryder imagined, evfra was ready to jump up at any moment. but eventually, the more difficult knot eased up, and Evfra actually found it quite pleasant. Son evfra was fully relaxed, shoulder slumping. he hated to admit it but he did feel lighter. His voice dropped from hissing down to a satisfying vibrating hum (no it was not a purr. He doesn't purr shut up Ryder). 

Are you guys still active? Is everything okay?

oh whats this? a post? How the ME:A romances wake up next to Ryder on a morning off

--- Liam - Liam likes lazy mornings. Days were he can just wake up next to Sara and relax. They usually wake up around the same time, pressing small kisses to each others faces with giggles and whispers. He prefers to have her sleep curled against his chest, one arm wrapped around her (even if it fell asleep ages ago) so that he can run his fingers along her arm while they talk about last nights dream “have i died in my sleep and gone to heaven?  because surely your an angel” “its too early in the morning for pickup lines, Costa” “its never too early for pick up lines”

Cora - Cora wakes up first, laying on her back with Scott  practically pressed on top of her. She never really could relax, even on days off. It was always an endeavor trying to wiggle out of his grasp without him waking up and he pouts like  a puppy when he realizes shes gone. Normally Cora shoves a pillow in her place to keep him sedated  and gives him a forehead kiss, before she does her morning routine and puts on a fresh pot of coffee, making it jsut the way he likes it and leaving the cup by the bed. By the time Scott even bothers to sit up she's already pressed, dressed and watering her plants.  ”Im starting to think you love the plants more than me” ”good morning to you too, Scott. Did you sleep well?” ”yes i did. Thank you for the coffee, by the way” Peebee - Bold of you to assume PeeBee even gets up in the mornings on the days off. Shes a heavy sleeper, so  she can and will sleep in any time she gets. (She sleeps alot to regain all that goblin energy)Ryder, bless their hearts, cannot escape PeeBee’s octopus grasp, as she raps herself around them and clings to their warmth, happily snoring until its nearly noon. When she actually does wake up, she still remains in bed for another 10 minutes and always jokingly calls ryder a weirdo for watching her sleep. please, please let go peebee, they really have to pee. “i know your awake. Come on babe, my legs are going numb” “snore” “did- did you just say snore instead of actually fake snoring?”

Jaal - Jaal tends  sleep with Ryder on his chest, the skin to skin contact really does him in. He tends to be an early riser, though unlike cora hes content staying where he is. He watches them sleep, carefully running his thick fingers through their hair  committing every detail to memory as if it were the last time he will see it. He just holds them until they wake up, giving them soft rapid fire kisses (that he totally doesn't use that as a tactic to wake them up early what are you talking about). Every time Ryder cracks open their eyes they are instantly met by his vivid blue ones, grinning at them as he nuzzles their face. 

”Good morning my darling one” ”I swear if you ever wake me up in any other way i would never forgive you” ”*Chuckling* good to know” Vetra -  Early riser by nature, and usually gets out of bed instantly , even if ryder is clinging to them. However, modern problems require modern solutions and she will literally carry ryder around while doing her morning routine and checking her logs for any supplies she has to pick up. Vetra is a busy body,even on days off and it isnt untill she’s resituated on the bed when ryder wakes up, pushing her data pad down and demanding kisses “ugh do you ever stop? Can i at least get my morning kiss before you start jumping into work?” “Not with that morning breath you’re not. Go brush your teeth.” “oh, so cruel to me” 

Gil - Like PeeBee, gil tends to sleep in. Though not as late. He usually tends to take his time wake in up in increments, always ending with a big stretch and  loud, obnoxious yawn before “gracefully” flopping back down on the bed full force, causing it to bounce a bit.  Gil runs like  furnace, so Scott usual has his arms rapped around him as soon as he sits up, nuzzling into his neck befoe the two go to do their morning routings together, constantly messing with each other as they do.

“Did you just give me a shaving crème moustache?” “you look ever handsome with it” “Scott i don't even shave. And i  already have a  great beard and mustache, thank you.”

Suvi-  Suvi sleeps curled into Sara, and  Sara complains the moment she rolls away from her. Suvi is a long time practicer of “late to bed, early to rise” often sliding in and out of of bed at the weirdest fucking hours. Though is alot more difficult on days off because ryder wraps around her like a vice grip, knowing that Suvi actually doesn't have anything to do and is forced to stay in bed jsut a little longer. Suvi can easily be convinced.

“Let go, Sara. I have some reports i need to go over in the lab.” “5 more minutes” “....You’re lucky you’re cute”

Reyes -  Waking up next to Reyes was rare in itself, so you bet your ass Ryder is going to take advantage of it. Reyes wakes easily and normally slides away from Ryder without being seen or heard, leaving them feeling just a bit colder. But after things settle down, so does he, slowly but surely. If they ever do share the same bed, Reyes likes to sleep with his arms wrapped around Ryder, holding them close  to convince himself that they are actually there.  He always wakes up first, no matter what, and sits up with their head in his lap, letting them rest as he checks his omni tool, running one hand through their hair. “ Hmh- wait. Your still here?” “Dont sound so surprised to see me, amore” “Its a good kind of surprised, Reyes”

Jack: she looks at you like you’ve lost your mind. And you probably have with the way you are smirking. Its a gag gift, obviously, but it's one you put a whole lot of work into because this is a whole ass sweater. You made it a deep dark red “to hide thee bloodstains” you say with a smile, and jack punches you. Not full with her full force before snatching the sweater from your hand swearing up and down she’d never wear this. But on the days when the shit is particularly cold, you peek over the edge of the engineering deck to see a flash of red go down the steps.

Joker: the fact that you even managed to slip the gift in was a miracle, considering the fact that he rarely left the cockpit. but there it was, a nice cushy pillow placed in his chair. Edi swears she has no idea were the pillows came from, though joker spots a similar pillow in her seat as well. He sucks it up and sits down, god on a stick this is the comfiest chair in his entire life. he does a  very small hip wiggle to get a feel for it and delights in softness. “so, is there any other secret old people power you have? Can you bake cookies? please tell me you can bake cookies.”

Tali: She fucking delights in the stuffed dolls of characters from fleet and flotilla. The time and effort to put int to make one doll alone is a lot, but to make three? From her favorite movie????? You have carved a place in her heart forever. And if sometimes she is seen recreating the scene from a movie to suit her better, well that nobodies business but her own.

Evfra: you know the tired older sibling eye roll. Where everything is happening all at once, so the body’s reaction is to just say “well I guess this is happening now.” That's Evfra when he figures out Jaal had fallen for Ryder. That sweet, pink idiot feels every emotion so strongly love is no different. And while Evfra gives off the vibes of disapproval, deep down he hopes and prays Jaal does not get his heartbroken.

Jaal: The slow, knowing gremlin smile he picked up from Liam spread across his face as he silently stares at Evfra. The stern, strong, unwavering leader, has fallen for the pathfinder! this is the best day of his life! He will tease Evfra, naturally all in good fun, but really he wants Evfra to pursue. He wants his friends to be happy. After everything they both went through and sacrificed, he sincerely hopes they find happiness and compassion in the other. 

Jaal was already frowning as this unknown craft had found their safe harbor. Their home. Evfa gave a dry laugh as Angara sent coordinates to land, but never the lest sent members of the resistance out to….escort them if they got too upity. The voice over the coms sounded female, speaking clearly and with power, save for a brief moment when it dropped to a whisper, words unable to be understood.

the ship had landed, resistance guards on all sides. They watched at the ramp was lowered…and aline of the likes that he had never seen came down. Hushed whispers broke out across the crowd as she approached, hands raised in peace. Not a gun in sight. but that did not mean she wasn’t dangerous.  She went to the steps without hesitation, keeping her hands raised as she approached Paaran Shie. Jaal wasted no time for pleasantries as walked right up to her, asking her intentions. 

Before she could speak, a pair of smaller footsteps followed down, and everyone had turned to see a small child waddling down, evading the grasp of hands that tried to keep her on the ship. The Angara watched the aliens face morph into a face of shock and then panic and worry. Jaal signals the resistance to lower the barrels as the child comes sprinting up, the “human” as Paaran Shie had said leaning down to embrace her.

She looked up at them in a silent plea, and they all respectfully take a few steps back as she addresses the child“Efrideet, you were supposed to stay on the ship with Uncle Liam. It is very dangerous for out here.”

“But mommy-” 

“but nothing Effie, now be a good girl and go back up. Wait for mommy to come and get you when it’s safe.”

Sara places a kiss on her forehead, still very much aware of the now lowered guns, as she leaned protectively over her daughter

“we are not so cruel as to harm your child pathfinder.” Paaran Shie speaks up “We shall give you a moment to take her back before we continue.”

Liara- Well, this is - unprecedented. She pauses her work, sitting down at her desk for a moment. She...she was here for the sake of knowledge. For the beacon. Nothing more. Right? She Right? She wishes she could ask her mother what she should do. But for now, she’ll choke it down trying to hide the flush that she felt every she saw Shepard. Maybe they would just mistake her stutter for her normal nervousness, and maybe they would mistake her staring as a curiosity about the beacons’ effects on them.

Kaiden-This was...this was….he couldn’t tell this was. Insubordination? Wanton self-indulgence? It’s a known fact that Kaiden wears his heart on his sleeve. He feels what he feels, and he feels it fierce. But this? This had to be hidden right? He receded into himself, his conversations became half-hearted as Shepard was on his mind. He wanted to confide in someone, maybe Chakwas. But for now, he’ll hold on to it.

Jokes on you, I'm already sick