#raina:ask

I will always answer asks, regardless of whether it belongs to an oc ask thing (just point me at it!) or just a random question. Feel free to send them at any time! Thank you so much! :D

4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

Kaidan knew of Commander Shepard, so he was looking forward to working with her, but nothing more. At first on the Normandy before Eden Prime, she was intense and bold, but also flustered (casual conversation is really not a strong talent of hers) and evasive about herself so Kaidan found himself very intrigued. 

Raina ended up being surprised by Kaidan. Most people are either intimidated of her or cautious around her so the fact that he didn’t flinch/look away when she glared at him caught her attention. He was smart and competent (and yes, good looking) without being cocky about it. Definitely not love though. Ha. Raina doesn’t fall in love. What utter nonsense. ;)

9. Do they discuss big issues? Religion? Marriage? Children? Death?

Death, yes (lol). The rest, not so much. Those things haven’t come up because they’ve kind of got other pressing issues. They will though. 

19. What do they fight about? What are their arguments like? How do they make up?

Usually they argue about Raina taking stupid risks or trying to handle everything by herself. Trying to infiltrate Ontarom all by herself comes to mind. Sometimes she’ll give in, other times she ices him out and does what she wants anyway. Eventually though, she usually thaws enough and can admit that she was an ass (especially when he ends up being right and shit goes sideways). 

36. What’s their greatest strength as a couple? Their weakness?

They really complement each other well, both in personality and in combat. They’re stronger together because their individual strengths feed off one another. His caution and kindness tempers her boldness and sharp edges but those same things in her make him stronger too. They’re better together (when they’re not being dumb).

See above re: dumb. They’re both really headstrong and both really good at masking/denying their feelings out of fear and caution and just plain idiocy sometimes so it makes the being a couple part hard. lol

44. Are they comfortable with each other? Anything they have to have their privacy for?

Sorry to be getting to this so late! I started working on it and saved it in my drafts (which means I lost it for a bit). Thank you for sending questions though! I’ll do these for Raina and Kaidan (since, duh).

7. What annoys them the most about their partner? Would they change it if they could?

Kaidan is most annoyed (this is an understatement really; concerned is much better) by the fact that Raina has a hard time letting people help her. She shoulders the weight of the world and doesn’t give it up easily. He, and others, would gladly share that burden with her, if she’d just let them. She’s just so damn stubborn.

Raina, at least ME1, is very annoyed with how competent Kaidan is. She enjoys it and respects him for it, but she grumbles a lot (to herself) about how he’s so much more diplomatic and kind, etc, etc and that the Council should have just made him the damn Spectre. She’s pretty sure he can charm his way through just about any situation and it annoys the shit out of her because charm is just not her thing and she can’t even dislike him for it!

8. What do the like best about their partner?

Kaidan is one of the first to see how much she cares beneath her hard exterior. He loves that about her: that she’s been through so much but still cares about people, even if she has a hard time expressing that.

Raina loves that he can tell her no/stand up to her. It’s one of the things that really struck her, as early as Eden Prime. Yeah, sometimes it can still be annoying, but for a long time people were too intimidated by her to consider speaking up to her. 

37. How much would they be willing to sacrifice for the other? Any lines they refuse to cross?

Kaidan won’t sacrifice his integrity. If Raina was to do something he didn’t agree with, he wouldn’t go along just because he loves her. Same with Raina really; she’ll do what she believes is right/best even if that puts them at odds with each other. 

42. Do they let each other get away with things that would normally bother them?

I’ll split these up a bit and do some for multiple pairings, just for variety. :) And thank you so much for the ask and for the compliment about Connlaodh! I love him, even though he’s a giant asshole.

4. First impression of each other? Was it love at first sight?

Amelia/Fenris/Anders: 

Amelia and Anders - Amelia is rather intrigued by Anders: grey warden, mage, healer. Lots of story there and even though he’s kind and obviously cares about people, he’s also not intimidated by her. Oh, and he’s quite pretty. Anders finds her beautiful, but even without Justice’s opinion, sees her as a complication to his goals.

Amelia and Fenris - Amelia is not a fan of deception and doesn’t appreciate being used as bait. However, he is lithe and deadly and she wouldn’t mind a little tumble between the sheets if he’d continue talking. Fenris sees Amelia as a necessary evil given her associations (Merrill and Bethany are with her at that first meeting) but he certainly won’t be turning his back to her.

Anders and Fenris: LOLOLOL

19. What do they fight about? What are their arguments like? How do they make up?

Connlaodh/Ashley: They argue a lot about politics; he’s surprised that she’s not a supporter of Terra Firma. Given one of their earliest conversations, he expected her to be more human centric. She knows he has his reasons, but she tries to convince him not to generalize and to stop letting his past dictate how he perceives the entire galaxy. He sulks when she doesn’t alter her opinions, she rolls her eyes at his sulking, and then eventually they move on (I didn’t say all my ships are healthy). There’s not so much as a making up as there is an ignoring it because neither are willing to budge. They’re both pretty damn stubborn. (ME1 Era)

22. Does their work ever interfere with the relationship?

lol - I’d be hard pressed to think of any of my current ships where work is not an interfering factor in their relationships

40. Any special memories? Do they have a special place they like to go to?

Raina/Kaidan: So hard to answer for stuff when there’s an ongoing longfic! Do I answer for current timeline, their entire storyline including stuff far in the future? I don’t know! Without getting too spoilery, let’s just go with these two treasuring whatever alone, down time they get since it’s so, so far (recreation is hard when you have a galaxy to save). 

WEALTH -

$ financial. // wealthy / moderate / poor / in poverty ⭐ class. // upper / middle-working / poor / slave / unsure + medical. // fit / moderate / sickly / disadvantaged / disabled /not applicable ✔education. // qualified / unqualified / studying / other ✖ criminal record. // yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no / has committed crimes, but has not been caught yet

FAMILY -

◎ Children. // has one or more children / has no children / wants children / verse dependent ◎ relationship with family. // close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) / has no sibling(s) / sibling(s) are deceased ◎ affilation. // orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent(s) / not applicable / kidnapped

TRAITS + TENDENCIES -

🔶 extrovert // introvert // in between 🔶 disorganized // organized // in between 🔶 close minded // open-minded // in between/contextual 🔶 calm // anxious // in between 🔶 disagreeable // agreeable // in between/contextual 🔶 cautious // reckless // in between/contextual 🔶 patient // impatient // in between 🔶 outspoken // reserved // in between 🔶 leader // follower // in between 🔶 empathetic // indifferent // in between 🔶 optimistic // pessimistic // in between // realistic 🔶 traditional // modern // in between 🔶 hardworking // lazy // in between 🔶 cultured // uncultured // in between 🔶 loyal // disloyal // in between 🔶 faithful // unfaithful // in between

BELIEFS -

★ faith. // monotheist / polytheist / atheist / agnostic / it’s complicated ✩ belief in ghosts and spirits. // yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ⭐belief in an afterlife. // yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ❇ belief in reincarnation. // yes / no / don’t know / don’t care ❇ belief in aliens. // yes [lol] / no / don’t know / don’t care ❇ philosophical. // yes / no / sometimes

SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION-

💜 sexuality. / heterosexual / homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual / demisexual / questioning ❤ sex. // sex repulsed / sex neutral / sex favorable 💘 romance. // romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable 💓 sexually. // adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious / inhibited ❇ potential sexual partners. // male / female / other [either gender, human only; she ain’t got time to try to figure out what bits go where with aliens] / none / all ❇ potential romantic partners. // male / female / other / none [according to HER, though, honey that ship has sailed, deal with it] / all

ABILITIES-

♦ combat skills. // excellent // good // moderate // poor // none ♦ literacy skills. // excellent // good // moderate // poor // none ♦ artistic talents. // excellent // good // moderate // poor // none ♦ technical skills. // excellent // good // moderate // poor // none

HABITS-

☕ drinking alcohol. // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ☁ smoking. // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess 🌸 other narcotics // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ✌ medical drugs. // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess 🍪 indulgent in food. // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess 💲 splurge spending.  // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess ♣ gambling. // never / sometimes / frequently / to excess

Aww, thanks! I missed being around!

A3. what abilities do they have that they’ve worked for?

Copied from here: Raina worked really hard at her military training. She’s in amazing physical condition and has expert qualification in both her rifle and pistol but it didn’t always come easy for her. She had to practice and train often. During basic, she only qualed as sharpshooter and just barely. When she went on to do her infiltrator training she was better with her sniper rifle, but only marginally. So after basic, when other marines were out getting shitfaced on the weekends, she’d take her spending money to private ranges and blow almost her entire paycheck on ammunition blocks and range time.

Sidenote: I headcanon that Alliance recruits are trained with pistols rather that rifles (unlike today’s marines). Since all classes have access to pistols and only some have access beyond that, it makes sense to me that basic is pistol training and then the school following that deals with class specific training, including secondary weapons when applicable

C1. how do they sit in a chair?

No one could ever accuse her of being ladylike. She can be if she thinks about it. But usually when she sits, she tucks one leg under her and/or pulls a knee up to her chest.

G1. what is their most attractive external feature?

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder so it depends on who you ask. If asked directly, Raina would likely respond with “my guns” and let you decide which she means. 

P3. what of their personality do others love?

Copied from here: Anyone who has gotten past her ‘default’ state as described above, is familiar with how giving and selfless she can be and how devoted she is to the people she cares about. There aren’t many people who have seen this side of her though so most people who know of her/have seen her in the news/worked with her briefly would likely say determination.

Maybe so! Big Raina infodump coming right up!

A1. what are your oc’s natural abilities, things they’ve been doing since young?

Being sneaky? She’s got a fairly natural ability for moving quickly and quietly, developed by years on the street and in the Reds and then honed and perfected with infiltrator training.

B3. how tall are they?

Raina is 5′7″

C3. what is their ideal comfort day?

I mean, can we get one where nothing goes wrong? She’d be happy with a business as usual kind of day as long as it involves copious amounts of coffee.

D4. what type of clothes and accessories do they wear?

When not in her gear, she usually prefers comfortable clothing that’s easy to move in (since you never know) and almost always layers a leather jacket over top. Thanomluk did a great job of showing off her casual style. As for accessories, does a concealed pistol count? lol

E5. do they portray their personality intentionally or let people figure it out on their own?

This is kind of hard to answer; maybe just the way it’s framed or just because of who Raina is. She’s herself around people and doesn’t try to hide her sharp edges or anything. She’s just extremely guarded about her softer sides. 

F4. can they have fun while conforming to rules?

Considering her job is shooting things and making things go boom and she considers that a good time, absolutely. :P

G4. what parts of them do they like and dislike?

She’s pretty proud of her discipline and also likes the competitive side of herself. However, those things directly tie into how hard she is on herself and even though she knows she’s earned what she’s got, she constantly feels the need to prove herself and is scared of failure/not being good enough. Outwardly, she can be pretty cocky/confident while inside she’s feeling incredibly insecure. Come the timeline of the Mass Effect events, she’s pretty exhausted by this especially because the stakes are so high. She knows she can’t afford to be lax or careless when so many lives are on the line so she’s 10x more critical of herself which puts everything on a negative feedback loop. 

H2. do they prefer summer or winter?

She’s not really thought about that since she was a kid. Warmer weather was easier when she was on the streets. She also has a lot of fond memories of Rio during ICT and it was usually warm there as well. So if asked, she’d probably go with summer. She’s not really experienced seasons or been back to Earth since enlisting other than ICT though. And it’s not like it really matters since she’s almost always on some space station that is climate controlled unless she’s on assignment in which case both can be equally miserable conditions to work in. 

I2. have they ever questioned their sexuality?

Nope. She’s attracted to both men and women and is just kinda “shrug, that’s the way it is” about it.

J4. are they happy often?

She’s had a pretty shit life. Of all my OCs, she’s probably the least happy (but it’s because I love her the most!) in part because she doesn’t let herself be happy a lot of the time. When she is though, it’s a beautiful thing. 

K4. who would miss them if they died?

I mean, it goes without saying that the entirety of the (surviving) Normandy crew. They’re the ones that know her best and manage to crack through her tough outer layer. 

Thank you for the warm welcome and the questions about my favorite OC!

A3. what abilities do they have that they’ve worked for?

Raina worked really hard at her military training. She’s in amazing physical condition and has expert qualification in both her rifle and pistol but it didn’t always come easy for her. She had to practice and train often. During basic, she only qualed as sharpshooter and just barely. When she went on to do her infiltrator training she was better with her sniper rifle, but only marginally. So after basic, when other marines were out getting shitfaced on the weekends, she’d take her spending money to private ranges and blow almost her entire paycheck on ammunition blocks and range time.

Sidenote: I headcanon that Alliance recruits are trained with pistols rather that rifles (unlike today’s marines). Since all classes have access to pistols and only some have access beyond that, it makes sense to me that basic is pistol training and then the school following that deals with class specific training, including secondary weapons when applicable. 

J5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

Most joy…hmmm. One thing for certain that is sure to bring her joy is personal success. She’s not ambitious as in climbing the professional ladder or seeking personal glory. However, little successes achieved by working hard at something, whether it be making a headshot from a thousand yards or beating Vega’s pull-up record, always fill her with pride and joy. She’s got a lot of self doubt and is very hard on herself so moments of success like that are affirmation that she’s doing alright. 

N1. what would they never do?

Hug someone they’ve just met. 

(Except hand on forehead might end up more like gun, lol)

U5. have they surprised people with being good at something?

Raina is a pretty blunt instrument (that quote in ME1 to Gianna Parsini “I can bludgeon pretty hard” is accurate af) and not shy about it, so some people, even Kaidan at first, are surprised by her tech prowess. 

Y2. what inspired you to create them?

Raina is my canon Shepard. So when I first created her, it was just with this vague idea of a protagonist who ended up in their position not out of ambition or effort, but kind of forced into it by forces outside their control. I’ve mentioned before that the Reluctant Hero is one of my favorite hero tropes and though I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into at the time, that backbone of her character has really inspired the direction I’ve taken with her story. 

TLDR: I just wanted a cranky, “I-guess-if-noone-else-will” protag and Raina was born.

Thank you for the questions! I answered #1 and #26 here (got the asks pretty close together), so I’m going to skip those.

10.What kind of friend is Shepard?

If you manage to reach friend status with Raina, she’s the kind that busts your balls and picks at you, but will always, always go to hell for you. She doesn’t say how she feels, but she pays attention and listens and will show her feelings through her actions.

29.What was their first impression of each other?

Kaidan had heard of the already famous Commander Shepard before he ever met her and was looking forward to working with her, but when he met her, there were all these little things about her that just made him want to get to know her more. 

Shepard was...surprised by Kaidan. He was one of very few people to look her in the eye and hold her gaze. She’d perfected the staring contest of getting people to flinch and look away first, but he didn’t. Most people are either intimidated of her or cautious around her, so the fact that he was straightforward (even on Eden Prime when he called her out for punching Manuel) was something she respected and came to really appreciate.

40.Is there someone in the squad of ME/ME2/ME3 Shepard dislikes? Why?

Raina doesn’t like a lot of people. However, her persisting dislike of a squad member is Liara. In ME1, Liara’s constant fawning over her makes Raina really uncomfortable. There are times when she feels like if Liara says “you are remarkably strong-willed, Commander” one more time, Shepard might scream. It doesn’t help that the situation they find themselves in requires melding with her. Raina is a very private person and greatly, greatly resents sharing her thoughts with anyone.