#ryn bailey

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Then tag 10 of your favourite authors!

I was tagged by @mallaidhsomo - thank you!  Let’s see what we’ve got here!

Tagging back anyone who wants to participate because at this point, I’m not sure who has been tagged and who hasn’t.  Please tag me if you post so I can see! :)

This ought to be interesting.

from published works

Destiny’s Road -  The Normandy was docked at Arcturus, taking on final provisions for the upcoming shake down cruise and waiting on the final members of the crew to arrive.

Destiny’s Hand -  “Vacation, huh?”   Striding beyond the checkpoint, John Shepard’s observation nearly got lost among the usual clatter and clamor to be found in a docking yard.

Destiny’s Fate -  Small twigs and a light coating of dried leaves covered the dirt path before her as it meandered casually through the forest.

Young & Proud -  Life in the Systems Alliance, Shepard discovers, is never a dull moment and always challenging.  

Don’t Turn Around -  Morning comes far too early, but Athair’s firm grasp at his shoulder leaves no doubt that it’s arrived.

Seeing Reds -  They say that the past follows you throughout your life, haunts you until the day you die.

Slán leat  -  Dark grey clouds hang low over the Vancouver skyline weeping slow, steady tears..

Lá Breithe Shona Duit -  “Commander, do you have a moment?”

Merry Christmoose -  As much as Caleb loves his husband, he can’t help but think Canadians are weird come winter time.

Cadenza -  Fiona Shepard is not a woman to be trifled with, especially by her sons, so when Lachlan and Iain come racing into the house after school, throwing bags and coats willy-nilly and tear up the stairs to their rooms, not just breaking but shattering an otherwise calm and peaceful afternoon at the Shepard homestead on Mindoir, she’s had enough and isn’t afraid to tell them so.

Exilium - “Where are we?”  The boss’ voice was smooth as chocolate silk pie and just as tempting, but Ryn ignored it.  

Ever Constant  -  Nathaniel knew he should count himself lucky as he walked along the hall leading towards the palace gardens.

Someday We’ll Look Back ...  -  As first impressions went, this one was huge.  Literally.

To Get a King -  For all the solemnity that such a moment should call for, the pervasive atmosphere of the room was far less severe than one might have expected.

from WIPs

Straight on Til Morning -  The Presidium – the pride of the intergalactic community – brings back memories Kaidan would much rather forget; faces, places and events.  

People Like Us -  There is a certain rite of passage for students of any generation; riding in the back of the bus, bouncing high enough to hit your head on the ceiling when the wheels hit a bump.  

Part of Me -  A soft hum echoes throughout the room; just shy of an actual tune. 

Runnin’ -  Anger flows like a tidal wave over him, through him, and for the second time in his life, Rhys Shepard knows what the expression ‘seeing red’ means.  

Nerf Gun Wars (Dr. Chakwas) - It’s all fun and games … until the helmsman ends up in the medbay with a fractured toe.  That’s when it becomes war.

Chapter 16

Chapter Summary: Reyes confronts Ryn after she and Will escape Sloane’s headquarters, and finds out far more is at stake than simply facing off against her former boss.

Characters: Ryn Bailey, Reyes Vidal, Admiral Anderson, Admiral Hackett

Pairing: Ryn Bailey/Reyes Vidal, Female OC/Reyes Vidal

Excerpt:

After some time, he accused, “You openly goaded Sloane!”

This brought a soft chuckle of amusement.  She couldn’t stop it even if she wanted as it bubbled up from her lungs.  Smiling at him, she countered, “Well, I had to get her to react!  If you’d been in the same position, would you have believed me?”

Skepticism framed his features.  “If you told me the Alliance infiltrated the Initiative?”  

She nodded.  His eyes dropped closed quickly, but Ryn spotted the tell-tale twitch at the corner of his lips.  “I suppose,” he admitted, “I would have thought it too fantastical to believe.”

“Exactly.”  Loosely, she looped her arms around his shoulders. “Sloane had only one goal with her performance: get the rest of the room to believe I was the one responsible for the murders.”  She shrugged. “She nearly had them with the ‘you were the one to come up with the whole idea’ thing.  But I was prepared for that.” 

“Isn’t that a little like showing your opponent your hand at poker?”

Ryn’s smile relaxed into a lazy grin.  “Interesting analogy.  Still, believe it or not, it was a calculated risk.”

Chapter 15

Story summary:  They came to explore a new galaxy. They came for a new beginning. They came with all the hopes and dreams and fears of a people looking to make a new home. What they found waiting for them was anything but hopeful. What happened next trashed all the dreams. The fears were just the beginning ...

Author’s Note:  Thanks to @rpgwrites​, Ryn and Reyes finally stirred back to life inside my head.  It’s been two and a half years since I last updated this (wow time has flown!) but I have never forgotten about their story.  Their world has so much left to share!  

Setting: Mass Effect: Andromeda

Pairing:  Female OC/Reyes Vidal

Excerpt:

Hello, darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again …

The Old Earth song played through Ryn’s mind as she waited in the shadows just outside of Kralla’s Song, focusing on her breathing.  

Inhale … two … three … four … five …  

Exhale … two … three … four … five …

“It’s a trap, you know.”  

Reyes’ silky voice slipped into her ear via her comm and broke through Ryn’s meditation.  With a soft snort in mock irritation, she hissed back at him, “That’s the last time I let you watch Star Wars with me!”

An amused chuckle drifted across their connection, surprisingly soothing to her in that moment. “You think I need to quote a 20th Century movie when this is plain to see?”

It was pointless to argue when she had admitted as much to him already.  Instead, she shifted to the matter at hand.  “Are you inside yet?”  She peeked around the corner slowly, her head barely emerging from the shadows.  Across the markets, Sloane’s two guards stood duty just outside the main entrance of their HQ.

“Waiting on word from …”  Reyes’ voice faded away briefly. “Yes.  We are good to go on your word.”  

Her eyes closed again, the meditation returning automatically.  Inhale … two … three … four … five …  Exhale … two … three … four … five …

Pushing herself from the wall, she murmured, “Right then.  Let’s do this.”  

Oh, look, you got Ryn and Reyes!  ;)  Hope you enjoy it, m’dear!  

~~~~

The shot echoes loudly through the cavern.  A moment later, Sloane’s body falls to the ground, her last words a disbelieving grunt before the deadweight hits with a thud.  Ryn rises and hops down from her hide to join Reyes and the Pathfinder.  She is unable to speak, however, as a tidal wave of unexpected anger rushes through her until she sees red.  Their eyes meet for a moment, briefly, and hers flare; blue tinged green reflecting in his. She pauses, just the briefest of hesitation, to shove the sniper rifle against his chest.  Only then does she break eye contact and walk away without looking back.

Exiting the cavern takes some minutes; funny it didn’t seem to take as long on the walk in.  Outside, she tilts her head to the sky and closes her eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun.  It’s a few minutes before she hears steps behind her.  His steps.  She knows them well, recognizes the sound of his boots against any surface, his weight.

I could have lost you, you idiot!

She bites the inside of her lip to keep herself silent, afraid if she lets it out it won’t ever stop, and walks down the hill. There is a river nearby; a stream, really, just a hint of wet and blue as it winds its way over Kadara’s rocky terrain.  But at this point, Ryn cares not how large it is, just that it’s there.  A destination.  Something real.  Something … alive.

It takes minutes to get there, and by then her limbs tremble almost uncontrollably.  She drops to her knees and scoops cool wetness into her hands.  For just a moment, she stares at it in bewilderment.  Just days ago, it was something dangerous, violent. A killer in its own right.  But now, thanks to the Pathfinder, Kadara is changing.  The only potency left in it now is to clean or quench thirst.  

Closing her eyes, she throws it over her face, embracing the tickle of tiny rivulets that squirm beneath her collar, each in a race to see which travels furthest.  When she opens her eyes again, she catches the hint of multitudinous rainbows fringing her lashes as the sun shines down upon her.  When she blinks, they disappear.

She rises to her feet with effort, the strain of the day catching up to her, but she spins around on her heel with pistol in her hand, leveled at him with no trouble at all.  He’s there; of course, he’s there.  “You son of a bitch!” she hisses, anger snapping in her eyes now matched only by the barest haze of blue that spreads around her body.  

He stands in silence and casually leans against the rocks.  One arm is akimbo, but his face is painted with his trademark smug smirk.

Approaching him, pistol still pointed, her eyes lock onto his.  She doesn’t stop until mere inches separate them.  “You could have been killed!”

The smirk broadens a fraction.  “That’s why I asked for you,” he replies calmly. Reaching out, he runs his fingers in a light caress from her temple across her cheek.  “Your reputation precedes you.”

She’s quick, capturing his wrist in her hand, yanking it away.  Her jaw tightens as a growl rises in her throat.  “And if Sloane refused your duel?” She blows a heavy puff of air up toward her forehead to chase away the wisps of hair that knocked free by his touch and now tickle her temple.  

“She had no choice.”  A mischievous twinkle flashes in his dark eyes.  “Don’t you trust me, Ryn?”

She releases him, jams her pistol back into place with one hand and slides the other around to the back of his head.  Anger is her fuel, adrenaline, desire, and perhaps a bit of biotic assistance, but she pulls him close.  Her lips slide over his, all hunger and desperate greed.  When she pulls back for air, she opens her eyes to find … sympathy, empathy.  

Suddenly, it’s too much.  The anger drains from her in a rush and she entwines her hands in his armor to keep herself upright.  One of his hands covers hers, and she drops her forehead to his chest.  “I-I can’t lose you,” she rasps.  “Not now … not yet … not to someone like Sloane!”  He chuckles softly; not in amusement, and certainly not to demean.  This is the laughter of one who understands.  He has been in her shoes before and lost.

His free hand moves beneath her chin, gently guiding upward so their eyes meet again.  The smirk, she notices, is still in place, perhaps a bit more smugly than before.  “Certainly not to someone like Sloane,” he agrees with a wink.

In a heartbeat, her world rights itself.  She groans, drawing back, a snort of disgusted amusement escaping as she shoves him away and reluctantly laughs, but her smile is genuine.

It takes a moment or two for her to regain her composure.  A deep breath, then another, she finally catches her breath and demands, “Okay, where is it?”

One brow lifts innocently and starts walking back in the direction of the cavern.  “Where is what?” he calls over his shoulder.

“Reyes!”  Ryn picks up her pace and follows.

~~~~

from this prompt list

Thank you so much for asking!!!

Casey MacKinnon-Theirin

20. What were the most deeply impressive political or social, national or international, events that they experienced?

Well, safe to say the Blight.  She’s about three or four at the time of it, so she has some vague memories of it, plus she hears stories from her parents and their friends, as well as Fergus and her uncle in Highever.  She is very aware of the events instigated by Rendon Howe at Highever - again, through those same sources.  In fact, when she is older, she asks her mother some specifics about it because for the first part of the Blight, Serafina is in occupied Highever.  

21. What are your character’s manners like? What is their type of hero? Whom do they hate?

Casey is very well mannered for the most part; as a child, she is subject to the behaviors of a child, of course, which are as unpredictable as they are varied.  Her parents introduce her to the Hero of Ferelden - for a man who has the word in his ‘name,’ she tends to think of the Wardens as her ‘typical’ hero, though she is well aware that her Mama and Uncle Sean and Fergus are heroes in their own right, too.  Casey doesn’t really discover what true hatred of a person can be until she is an adult.  I’m not going to go into details on that right now as it is part of a plot line that will include her in the stories.

22. Who are their friends? Lovers? ‘Type’ or ‘ideal’ partner?

Oh boy, you really want me to think of her as an adult, don’t you?! lol  Let me see ... she has a group of friends (fellow pages/squires) when she is training at Highever with whom she is close.  As for lovers (I seriously haven’t given this any thought at all yet!), I suppose her ‘idea’ is someone who treats her as an equal, who respects her (as she will them) and with whom she is comfortable.  Her ideas of ‘perfect’ relationships are the ones she sees around her - her Mama and Alistair, her Uncle Sean and Aunt Josie (they’ve known one another since they were kids and always knew they’d end up together), Teyrn Fergus and his wife, etc.  I think she’d use those as ‘guidelines,’ if you will in what she looks for.  As to what she actually finds, that will have to wait and see!

23. What do they want from a partner? What do they think and feel of sex?

For the first part of this question, see the previous one.  When she’s older, Casey wants to have a long term relationship with someone, definitely, and she knows sex will be a part of that.  As for her specific thoughts about it, again will have to wait. (that’s something I need to think about more in specific terms of when I know who she’ll be with!)

24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually?

Casey is the ‘observer’ most of the time in a group.  She’s a people watcher, basically.  She’s pretty good at figuring them out based off body language and things like that.  Like her mother, she’s the lone rogue of her group, and because of some of the specific training her mother gives her from a very young age, she has a bit of an edge in that department.  There are times she likes to be the leader in the group, but those times are rare and far between, and  usually only in a closed sort of setting (like her mother and uncle, Casey and her friends like to gather down at the Cove and have bonfires without anyone else around)

25. What are their hobbies and interests?

Casey loves to read, sing and perform.  Outside of that, her grandmother (who is also in Highever when she’s there) teaches her how to knit, though she is bad at it.  At some point in her life in Denerim (before going to Highever), she spends some time during visits (either in Denerim or up at Vigil’s Keep) with the Grey Wardens and Nathaniel teaches her how to carve things out of wood.  Surprisingly, this is something she takes a liking to, and she becomes quite good at it over the years.  Figures, decorative pieces that can be turned into jewelry, etc.  It’s only later and a passing comment by her Uncle Sean that she recalls her great grandfather used to make instruments in a similar manner.  

Caleb Shepard

32. How does your character react to stress situations? Defensively? Aggressively? Evasively?

Caleb learns early on to compartmentalize things.  Life is all about survival.  He doesn’t recall his life before he was about age 6, and when he joins the Reds, the tactic comes in handy, especially if things go bad.  More than once he’s watched someone he considers a close friend die right in front of him.  This training is something that follows him through into his military years.  Only once or twice does he have difficulty shutting away his thoughts/feelings because of it.

33. Do they drink? Take drugs? What about their health? 

Caleb will drink occasionally - usually beer (if it’s Guinness) or whiskey.  Drugs are out of the question (it will tie in with his Reds experiences).  His health, outside of the punishment he is dealt on a daily basis as a soldier, is pretty good.

34. Does your character feel self-righteous? Revengeful? Contemptuous?

In a way (and he and Thane have long conversations about this during the hunt for the Collectors), he is very similar to Thane in the way he views himself.  He is a highly trained weapon.  Unlike Thane, he has a bit more leeway in deciding when to implement and utilize that.  I wouldn’t say he’s self-righteous or revengeful or even contemptuous.  However, afterr the Reaper War, he will have to face certain things that might well change that ...

35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

Colin.  Nora.  Brennan.  Aoife. // Akuze.  Virmire.  Thessia.  These are some of the biggest ‘disasters’ and ‘failures’ in his life.  He takes them hard.  VERY hard, and never really gets over them.  As he gets older, the longer he serves in the Alliance, he learns to hide them better.  He and Kaidan will actually argue about this at some point in their stories. (I’ll wait and let the rest play out then)

36. Do they like to suffer? Like to see other people suffering?

This is an interesting quesiton.  Caleb doesn’t like to suffer, no.  Will he?  If it means someone else won’t have to, sure.  But suffering for the sake of suffering?  Nope.  Not his style.  

37. How is your character’s imagination? Daydreaming a lot?

He is a son of Ireland - of course he has a sense of imagination!  I wouldn’t say he daydreams a lot - maybe once in a while, but very rarely.  Still, he loves the stories and poems and music of his native land and especially once he leaves the Alliance after the War, he will see what he can do about ‘reclaiming’ some of that in his life.  

Ryn Bailey

46. Is your character tall? Short? What about size? Weight? Posture? How do they feel about their physical body?

Kathryn Bailey is a biotic, a Vanguard to be specific, so her metabolism has always been on her side as far as that’s concerned.  She’s about 5′6 - 5′8 or so; pretty average height for a woman, perhaps a bit taller than usual.  (Reyes doesn’t mind, trust me! ;) )  She isn’t an overly physical person outside of her Alliance training.  In other words, she isn’t an athlete or into physical exercise really.  She’s pretty satisfied with herself, truth be told, and that was BEFORE she met Reyes (and oh yes, he approves! lol)

47. Do they want to project an image of a younger, older, more important person? Does they want to be visible or invisible?

Ryn sees her self as an ‘average’ human woman.  Given her training, she likes to blend into a crowd rather than be seen, and she does that pretty well.  Even within Reyes’ group, she’s there, the others know she’s there, but she can be in the same room as everyone else and people will ask, “Where’s Ryn?”  That’s what I mean by ‘blend in.’

48. How are your character’s gestures? Vigorous? Weak? Controlled? Compulsive? Energetic? Sluggish?

Um ... when she’s in biotic mode?  Definitely energetic.  She is, overall, a pretty controlled person.  “Weak” or “Sluggish” only comes into play if Reyes has been teasing her recently. LOL

49. What about voice? Pitch? Strength? Tempo and rhythm of speech? Pronunciation? Accent?

Pretty average.  She and her twin both grew up in the Midwest US (Chicago area) and have a pretty plain way of speaking, no accent really.  She’s not a shouter unless she’s in the heat of battle and then adrenaline can do a number on her!  She might occasionally get into a situation where she’s caught too far off guard by a situation and it’s obvious in her voice, but that’s only happened once to her that she can remember, and that was when Reyes found out the truth about her.  He got over it, and so did she. :P

50. What are the prevailing facial expressions? Sour? Cheerful? Dominating?