#frid ocs

5. “I don’t wanna get up– you’re comfy.” - thorax

Axilus yawned and stretched his neck, turning his head and nuzzling into the pillow.

“Ax.”

Wait. Pillows didn’t talk.

He cracked open an eye and was greeted with the underside of folded arms. “Oh,” he grunted. “Hi, Thie.”

Thie’s arms parted, and Axilus had a clear view of Thie shaking his head at him. “You know we have to get up now, right? Ship’s not going to pilot itself.”

“That’s what the AI is for,” Axilus mumbled, already closing his eye again and nuzzling him again. “You’re comfy.”

Thie jabbed a finger into the skin at the base of his neck. “I’m also your boss. Come on, Ax.”

Axilus yawned again. “Five more minutes.”

“Keelah, and your mom said you’d grow out of this… I’ll make you a deal. You get off me so I can go do my job, and you can sleep in another couple hours.”

“But Thie,” he whined, “you’re warm.”

“No getting off, no sleeping.”

Axilus considered, then sighed and rolled off Thie, instead burying his face in an actual pillow.

“Thank you,” Thie grumbled. There was some rustling, then a soft brush of flesh against Axilus’s zygomatic ridge. “I’ll bring you some breakfast in a while. Don’t fall out of bed or anything.”

3. “I’m here for my daily fix of hugs and kisses.” - aerlia/cephia

Aerlia was usually alone in the cargo bay in the mornings, except the geth, who kept to themselves on principle, and Chesk, who kept to himself because nobody wanted to risk a wrench to the head. And the varren, but honestly, they didn’t really count. And- well, okay, it was less that she was alone in the whole cargo bay, and more just that she was the only one who checked the shuttles in the morning.

So when a knock came at the door- well, the side of the shuttle next to the open door- she jumped and almost hit her head on the ceiling of the cockpit.

She flailed her arms about for a second to regain her balance, then spun. “Okay, who’s the- oh, Cephi!” Her bark cut off with a chirp as her gaze landed on her girlfriend waiting patiently outside, arms folded daintily under her keel. “What’s up?”

Cephia’s mandibles quirked up into a smile. “Well, you weren’t at breakfast,” she drawled, leaning against the shuttle. “So I came to find you.”

Aerlia blinked, then made her way over and hopped out. “Do you need something? Is anything wrong?”

Cephia’s smile only grew, and she reached out to grab one of Aerlia’s hands. “Just this.”

Without further ado, Cephia dragged her over and wrapped her arms around her torso, burying her head at the base of her neck. Startled, Aerlia stiffened for a moment, then registered what was going on and enthusiastically returned the gesture. Cephia had always told her she was a great hugger, and she was always happy to live up to that expectation.

Cephia purred, then pulled her head back again with a little trill. “Oh, I need some kisses, too. It’s for charity, you know. Smooches for Cephi.”

Aerlia blinked again, then barked a laugh. “Aw, how’d you know my favorite fund?”

4. “You’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.” - shaeloh

Shala grunted as twiggy arms wrapped around her from behind and a light weight eased onto her head. “Hi, Kael.”

“Hi.” Kael squeezed her in a gentle hug. “Did you ever notice you’re the exact right height for me to rest my head on top of yours?”

She thought about that for about half a second before snorting. “And did you notice that if you were anybody else, I’d’ve suplexed you into the floor before your elbows touched my sides?”

“Yeah, I know. Thank you for not kicking my ass.”

Just then another weight dropped down, digging Kael’s chin into Shala’s scalp with a whine from him. Then, “I sense I am being mocked.”

There was a throaty chuckle, and Shala raised one arm to trace Kael’s arm back until she found another on top of it. “Hi, Ciloh. Do me a favor and humiliate him like this every time he tries to be all high-and-mighty like this from now on, yeah?”

10. “It’s nice that your voice was the first thing I heard today.” - darae

Hiae was slumped in her usual corner when Dara wandered into the mess hall. She wasn’t even sure if Hiae had moved since last night. Was that the same outfit she’d been wearing yesterday?

Well, that wouldn’t do.

Dara got her food and ambled on over, plunking her tray down at the seat next to her girlfriend. “Hey,” she said, nudging Hiae with her elbow, “you up?”

Hiae flinched, then picked up her head off her arms, looked at Dara, and immediately threw up her hands over her eyes to protect them from the bright lights. “Ah, fuck…”

Dara obligingly moved to block the light for her, folding her arms. “Were you sitting there all night?”

Hiae blinked slowly, then glanced around the room. Dara could practically see the “buffering” symbol over her head. After a couple moments, Hiae groaned and put her head back down. “I was talking to some old friends on the extranet… Must’ve passed out…”

Dara smiled and sat down. “It’s okay, I think everyone falls asleep in the mess hall sooner or later, haven’t you noticed?”

Hiae grunted ambiguously, then turned her head so she could peer up at Dara. “Still,” she mumbled, “it’s nice that you’re the one who woke me.”

Dara blinked. “Why’s that?”

A smile slowly stretched its way across Hiae’s face. “Your voice is the first thing I heard.”

2. “I would’ve had breakfast ready, but you were sleeping on my arm, and I didn’t want to wake you.” - solihim/dexirrim

Dexirrim was woken by a soft squeak, followed by the kind of babble that could only come from a turian toddler. She cracked open one eye, then both, sitting up a little as she located the source: Trian was happily chewing on his father’s claw, sitting in his lap.

An affectionate subvocal rumbled out of her, and Solihim turned his head, a bit awkwardly since she was leaned up against his side, to look at her. “Morning,” he cooed, running his hand up her arm. “Seems we passed out during the vid last night.”

She glanced around the room, noting that, rather than the shared cabin Solihim’s bosses had graciously allowed him to share with her and the baby, they were in one of the observation lounges; they’d decided to watch a goofy vid with Trian the night before, a moment of peace in the middle of a war. “I see that,” she hummed. “Trian, sweetie, you didn’t wake Pari, did you?”

“No, Mari,” he chirped, ducking his head deferentially. The moment of respectful submission didn’t last long, naturally, as he decided his mother’s lap was far more interesting than his father’s and tried to clamber over to her. “Pari, food now?”

“Did Pari not feed you?” Dexirrim teased, before Solihim could respond. “Sol, what have we said about starving the baby?”

Solihim snorted over Trian’s grumbled protest that he wasn’t a baby. “You know, I am the head cook on this ship. I could have food ready any time I wanted. But, y’know, you were sleeping on my shoulder. And you’ve been sleeping awful light since the little peeper was born- I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Aw.” She turned her head to kiss the side of his cowl. “That’s sweet, you big lug. Here, I’m up now, so why don’t I hold onto Squeaks here while you go do your job? And if anybody complains about late food, you tell ’em you answer to me first and them second.”

14. “You say I got us into this, but you didn’t stop it from happening, either.” - thorax

“Nice going, Axilus,” Thie hissed from the other side of the holding cell wall.

Axilus clacked his mandibles indignantly. “Me? What’d I do?”

“‘Let’s bring Crux with us up to the Presidium,’ you said. ‘It’s only for a minute,’ you said. ‘Nobody will notice,’ you said. I think they fucking noticed, Ax!”

Axilus snorted. “Okay, first of all, it’s totally not my fault he decided tap-dancing was an appropriate response to being pulled aside by C-Sec. Second, I notice you didn’t say shit in opposition, so you can’t pin it on me!”

“I said plenty in opposition!”

“Making a ‘hold my beer and watch this’ joke isn’t opposition, Thie.”

“Oh, shut up.”

1. “You’re cute when you’re worried.” - aerlia/cephia

“Aerlia! Aerlia, you get your little butt out here right now!”

Aerlia had barely had time to turn off the shuttle and hop out before she was almost shoved right back into it by the force of Cephia’s tackle-hug. She yelped and took a step back to brace herself, then returned the hug as best she could while shoved up against the wall of a drop shuttle. “Woah, hey, hey, I’m glad to see you, too,” she said, patting the back of her cowl awkwardly. “Let me up, I like breathing.”

Subvocals singing reluctance, Cephia released her and backed away, wringing her wrists. “I- I’m sorry, I was listening to the comms, and it sounded rough, and I, I got so scared…”

Aerlia blinked, then smiled and took one of her hands in both of her own. “Hey, it’s okay,” she hummed, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the back of her hand. “You’re cute when you’re worried and all, but I’m fine, really.”

Cephia, head bowed, looked up at her from under her brow plate ridges, eyes wide and almost sparkling. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah,” she said, trying to put as much reassurance as she could into her subvocals. “Fancy flying is kinda my thing. But y’know what, if it’s got you so spooked, we’ll go to medical anyway, just to make sure.”

11. “I like the way your hand fits in mine.” - seyyanna

Siri kicked her feet a little, perched on the couch facing the big observation port in the lounge. “Isn’t it beautiful, Han?” she enthused, turning her head back and forth to try to take in as much of the view as she could. Axilus had parked the Eijalsen in orbit over a pastel-colored gas giant, and now that the novelty of the view had worn off, the other sight-seers had left the lounge to just her and Han.

Beside her, Han gave her hand a little squeeze. “Yeah,” he said simply.

That was a satisfactory answer. Sometimes, you didn’t need to say much. Siri smiled and leaned against him, cuddling in close. “Isn’t this romantic, Han? Some actual privacy for once…”

Han snorted. “Careful. Now that you’ve said that, Nahza and Savval will feel an inexplicable need to come find us again and barge in.”

She giggled and turned her hand over so she could squeeze his, lifting them up slightly. “If Savval and Zahiya aren’t too busy.”

“Why did you have to put that image in my head?” he said, but there was no complaint in his voice and a smile on his face.

She laughed, then gave a little sigh of contentment and nuzzled his shoulder. “You know, Han,” she said, “I’ve always liked how my hand fits in yours.”

Han snorted quietly. “You mean how it doesn’t?”

“Exactly.” She turned her head to plant a little kiss on his bicep. “It’s perfect.”

12. “First second I saw you and I couldn’t get over how beautiful you were.” - gahlan/sephira

Sephira hummed and stirred her tea, eyeing Gahlan across the table. The mess hall on her son’s ship brought back a fair amount of memories, many of them of this exact situation, just with a different turian- staying up with Aephis until the last possible minute before they’d get in trouble for being out of bed, making themselves snacks and drinks with what was left out for soldiers and crew to have between meals, and talking long into the night. It wasn’t much different now that she was nearly fifty years older and on a ship that laughed in the face of the Hierarchy, really.

They’d started talking at dinner, and then just never left their seats, except for more tea and snacks. She’d admit, it was kind of fun, playing catch-up with a friend she’d thought she’d never hear from again.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” she said now, taking a sip of her tea. “Back on the Villentos, you were always mooning after me, and you looked so dejected when you found out I was a thing with Aephis. Were you into me, back then?”

Gahlan’s neck went blue, and he looked down at his talons. “I, uh…” He cleared his throat. Twice.

She snorted. “I’m a widow with two sons, a turian and an asari granddaughter each, and a whole fuckload of unofficially adopted other children. Don’t be shy, Tirnonnis, I’ve heard shit you wouldn’t believe.”

He swallowed, but didn’t look up. “Well,” he began, “to be honest, I mean… Spirits, from the first second I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen.”

She blinked, then choked on a laugh, mandibles quirking up. “Poetic, Tirnonnis. I’m flattered, really. At least you said beautiful instead of, y’know, sexy or whatever. You’re in an exclusive club.”

Gahlan’s neck somehow managed to turn even brighter blue, and she smirked. “So, then, still think I’m that good-looking?”

She turned her head for emphasis, putting her mandibles on display, and Gahlan coughed into his fist. “I, uh, well...” He cleared his throat. “Well, maybe not the most beautiful, there’s my ex of course, but...” He looked up finally, mandibles chancing a small smile. “Definitely in the running.”

7. “All I want is you.” - darae

Hiae knotted and unknotted her fingers, looking at the ground. “So, um, yes,” she concluded, “Justicars have to travel a lot, so, um, if you want to stay behind, I’ll, ah, I’ll understand...”

She couldn’t see Dara’s face, but her hands slowly reached out and took hers, making them go still in her gentle grip. “Hiae,” she said, “I don’t care about any of that.”

Hiae blinked and looked up. “You... you don’t?”

Dara shook her head. “I don’t care where we’re going, or how much hopping around it takes us to get there. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy.”

Blink. Blink. Blinkblinkblink. “You mean it?”

Personal History: Xala was a horribly shy and anxious child, rarely seen outside the shadow of one of his parents despite frequent attempts to force him to socialize. As he grew older and still panicked if his loved ones went somewhere unknown, concerns about this attachment led his parents to take him to a psychologist on the Alcata’s medical team, who diagnosed him with separation anxiety disorder. While humans consider this a common childhood disorder, the close quarters and communal society on the Fleet make it a concern for quarians, as it can easily be accidentally nurtured well into adulthood.

On his Pilgrimage, Xala chose to travel to asari space and study there, picking a smaller colony well within the bounds of Council space to avoid the relaxed laws on sapient tracking on worlds like Illium. Still shy, he kept his head down, working in a lab to learn about food preservation methods that he wanted to take back to the Fleet. His employers liked his work ethic, and agreed to let him take his notes back as a Pilgrimage gift.

While he enjoyed the atmosphere of the asari labs, Xala had no interest in pursuing a career with Special Projects, so he instead turned to the Neema and the Migrant Fleet Marines. He was designated and trained as an infiltrator, which suited him just fine; he quickly discovered that hovering away from the main action in a sniper's perch allowed him to stay calm and focus on the task at hand, which he struggled to do when in the thick of things.

During one particular mission, Xala accidentally stole a kill from one rather belligerent marine, who started to yell at him before his friend talked him down, apologized to Xala, and drew him away. On the shuttle back to the Neema, Xala found himself sitting across from the very same marine, by now calmer- and very taken with Xala’s face, as Xala had set his visor on its lowest opacity by then. He introduced himself as Han’Gerrel, and his friend as Kalon’Hazir, and before Xala was even aware of what was happening, he had two new friends who hung around him like they’d always been there.

Over time, Xala and Gerrel struck up a romantic relationship. From Gerrel, Xala learned to relax a little more, and how to socialize more without draining himself. They balanced each other; where Gerrel was impulsive and exuberant, Xala was quiet and patient, and they supported each other and provided necessary feedback to help keep each other grounded. And as he grew older, Xala realized his separation anxiety was taking a backseat.

CC 5. Share a quote, image, or song that reminds you of the character.

oh boy lmao lessee here....

Aediteia Epirian - wife of Councilor Ierian Sparatus and intrepid reporter for Citadel NewsNet: Obvious by Hey Monday [lyrics, audio]

Gurji Taeja - 120x-great-granddaughter of Gurji Beelo, the first Spectre, and following in his footsteps: One for the Money by Escape the Fate [lyrics, audio]

Rothok Shad’derah - a batarian petty criminal who has the good fortune to encounter and befriend Gurji Beelo in prison, and eventually becomes the second Spectre in history: Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin [lyrics, audio]

Tarvok Shad’derah - Rothok’s modern-day descendant; high-ranking member of a batarian anti-Hegemony resistance and deep-cover operative for said resistance: Superheroes by The Script [lyrics, audio]

Serlius Ezekian - turian combat engineer with the 27th Armiger who distinguished himself at Relay 314 as worthy of the Spectres: Diamond Eyes by Shinedown [lyrics, audio]

Milotia Ezekian ne Paryik - turian Cabal officer, married to Serlius Ezekian: Hate It When You See Me Cry by Halestorm [lyrics, audio]

Hiae T’Saeri - Ardat-Yakshi in hiding, and eventual justicar: Astronaut by Simple Plan [lyrics, audio]

Haziko Raels & Sitrith - salarian twins; Raels is groomed to take over a criminal syndicate from their aunt, and Sitrith becomes a pop punk star: It’s Time by Imagine Dragons [lyrics, audio]

Tiberitus Nemeraka - homesick turian archivist aboard the Nexus in Andromeda: Paint the Town Green by The Script [lyrics, audio]

Kael’Todor - a quarian who runs away to avoid the pressure and expectations of being an admiral’s son: Missing You by All Time Low [lyrics, audio]

Axilus Madelivio - turian biotic, pirate, pilot, and, eventually, historian: Bad Company by Five Finger Death Punch [lyrics, audio]

Galeana Arterius - grandmother of Saren and Desolas Arterius, and matriarch of their bloodline: Dancing With a Wolf by All Time Low [lyrics, audio]

bonus: 2 canon characters i’ve essentially made ocs

Gurji Beelo - first Spectre in history, from the Citadel DLC: How Did You Love? by Shinedown [lyrics, audio]

Lt. [Valis] Abrudas - turian officer under Desolas Arterius, from Mass Effect: Evolution: Survive by Rise Against [lyrics, audio]

Psych 1. What is the character’s greatest strength? What do they *think* is their greatest strength?

CC 1. What is the character’s full name, and how did you come up with it?

her full name is calvetorin sparatus, and honestly i just hopped over to a name generator and kept generating until i found one i liked shrug emoji

CC2. What inspired you to create this character?

i’d already created her mom, aediteia, and i knew teia and ierian had kids, so i just sort of.... bs’ed a few, so now we have callie and her brothers areus and verres. since i’d already decided verres and areus would be military officers, i wanted callie to be different, so there’d be more variety in the sparatus brood. and i just sorta.... meandered along from there until we have her current version lol

PSH 1. Does this character have a connection to any major/canon characters?

she’s the youngest child of councilor sparatus, and his only daughter

PSH 2. Where, if anywhere, does the character consider their home to be?

the citadel. it’s where she was born and raised, and after she finishes mandatory service, she moves back to the station and lives with her parents for a while until she and her mate decide they want to move into a place of their own and start a family. they find a place in the same ward, and visit her parents frequently. she’s very much someone who finds home with her loved ones.

PP 1. What is the character’s greatest strength? What do they *think* is their greatest strength?

she likes to think her greatest strength is her attitude in life- she’s spunky and tomboyish, and likes to look on the bright side of things. it’s helped her come out of some scary situations mostly okay. really though, it’s probably more of her sense of justice; growing up with a reporter for a mom and a xenocriminal prosecutor-turned-diplomat gave her a strong sense of right and wrong.

PP 2. What (if anything) do they wish was different about themselves?

she wishes she was taller, for one thing.