#connection / dutyworn ( nihlus & wren shepard ) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

anderwhohn · 7 months

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@dutyworn asked: "Do I have to ask permission to do anything, now?" / for nihlus, i got no context at all

"When your actions put the security of the entire galaxy at risk? Perhaps you should," Nihlus growls in frustration. He hadn't put much thought to allowing Shepard and her squad go on ahead while he finished up some work on the Normandy before joining them on the Citadel, only to be interrupted by an Alliance Rear Admiral making an 'inspection', and having to use his own Spectre authority to throw him off the ship, consequences be damned.

"It might not seem like it due to the publicity and media attention that you've fallen under, but as a Spectre, your missions are classified, Shepard. The only ones who have authorisation to perform an inspection on this ship and crew are those who have Council approval through the offices of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance."

Shaking his head, he sighs wearily as he explains, "While the crew itself may be mostly Alliance military, the Normandy is currently 'on loan' to the Citadel Council, and as such is considered a part of the Citadel Fleet. The Alliance does not have the authority to perform inspections right now."

"While I ensure everything is as secured as possible in my quarters, I do have highly sensitive classified information unrelated to our overall mission stored, that could have been compromised had the Admiral gained access to it."

#dutyworn #dreams of elsewhere ( ic )#cool under pressure ( nihlus kryik )#shipverse || wren shepard / dutyworn ( nihlus )#wren shepard || dutyworn ( nihlus )#connection / dutyworn ( nihlus & wren shepard )#there was a point to this story ( answered )#//pretty sure i remember you saying wren allows the inspection #//you're not online at the moment #//so correct me if i'm misremembering

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anderwhohn · 8 months

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@dutyworn asked: our muses are in an arranged marriage / betrothal / nihlus, first contact war era?

There were certainly downsides to being not only one of the most highly respected and decorated Spectres in the Council's employ, but also the cousin of one of those very Councillors, when it was him that the Hierarchy and Council had agreed upon to represent the Turian Empire in this arrangement for peace with the newly discovered human race.

Nihlus knew too that part of the reason he was selected was due to his own vocal protests about the whole Relay 314 Incident, that the humans were calling the 'First Contact War'. While it certainly hadn't been a full scale war by turian standards, at least not yet, there had been enough questionable choices from the top on both sides that had eventually led to the Council's intervention and forced peace talks.

Now if only those 'talks' hadn't somehow led to the arrangement he was currently facing...

A human bondmate... Not that he had anything against humans himself - if anything, he found them fascinating and full of potential, a potential that could benefit the galaxy on a whole in the future - but the lack of choice in the matter...

He wonders if the human had volunteered herself, or she had been volunteered in a similar manner that he was. It was certainly frustrating, though looking over the dossier he'd been provided of her, she had some of the greatest potential he'd seen from her species so far.

Perhaps, once things settle a bit, he'll get back at Sparatus for this by putting her name forward as a Spectre candidate. It would certainly make his own job easier if she were a Spectre herself, rather than having to keep everything classified hidden from her. He doubts that would make their situation any easier if he was always having to hide things.

Walking through the Citadel Tower, he pauses when he spots a small cluster a humans in the atrium, most of them in business suits or military dress blues, while one human female stood out in civilian clothing. Curious, he wanders closer, enough to overhear one of the older males refer to her as 'Shepard' - his bondmate-to-be, it seems...

"Excuse me," he interrupts, stepping closer with what he hopes they understand as a friendly smile flaring his mandibles just a bit. "I couldn't help but overhear - you're Commander Wren Shepard? Nihlus Kyrik, Spectre. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

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anderwhohn · 7 months

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@dutyworn asked: [ APPROACH ] our muses haven’t been intimate yet and receiver finally broaches the subject to sender. / nihlus first contact

💌 some more smutty memes [ meme - accepting ]

He knew their species' governments and the Council wouldn't stay out of their personal lives forever, though he had certainly hoped it would have been longer than a few weeks before they started asking him about the more intimate details of their bonding. Not even a full month after their ceremony, and Nihlus had been forced to endure one of the most awkward conversations to have with the Council in his entire Spectre career - and the most awkward conversation to have with Sparatus in his entire life so far.

At least they're putting the pressure on him and not Shepard, as small of a mercy as that might be. But he knows it will only be a matter of time, if he tries to give her more time to adjust to... everything, given how it was her life that was completely uprooted by this whole arrangement in the first place, before they start assuming she - and thus humanity - aren't keeping to their end of the agreement. That's the last thing she needs...

He pauses as he taps a selection of items from a menu on the datapad he holds, trying to select levo foods he knows she's tried and enjoyed, and avoid anything he knows she didn't like or care for. He had wanted to spend this evening out in the Wards, taking her to dinner and to some of the local entertainment, to continue her tour of the Citadel of where would be safest for her to go on her own whenever he's away on a mission, but his earlier meeting with the Council was forcing him to change his plans.

He was determined that she would at least have a quiet dinner to enjoy, even if nothing else went the way he had hoped to spend their evening. After all, he didn't put it past Valern in particular to send spies to follow them if they left their apartment, and if he was going to have to have this discussion tonight, he was at least going to ensure they would have complete privacy, as he'd already scanned the entire apartment for bugs, and removed and destroyed the few that had been planted while no one was home.

Looking up at the sound of the door's chime announcing it's swift opening and closing, his mandibles spread in an easy smile to see Wren returning. She looks relaxed, at least, which is hopeful, as he turns back to the menu to submit the order to be delivered.

"I just finished ordering us dinner," he offers, setting the datapad aside as he stands to greet her properly. A quiet purr rumbles deep in his chest as he moves to meet her, leaning in to lightly press his crest to her forehead affectionately. "It should be here soon."

Though the matter of 'Council business' was never going to make for polite dinner conversation, he shakes his head as he gestures further into the apartment toward the bar in the back corner. "Join me for a drink while we wait? After today's meeting I had with the Council, I think we'll both be needing one," he notes wryly.

"I wanted to allow you as much time as you could have, considering how you were clearly rushed into this arrangement with even less information than I was granted. But it seems the powers that be can't leave well enough alone for more than a few weeks before trying to raise issues..."

He sighs wearily as he pours himself a glass of brandy from the bar, taking a long drink from it before topping it off again before he continues. "There have been 'concerns', from both sides, about the 'legitimacy' of this arrangement. While it's not uncommon for turian bondmates to not rush into..."

Spirits, he's just going to get this out as clinically as he has to. Better that than risk any misunderstandings, he imagines.

"Into sexual intimacy with their partners, especially given that often one or both are still in active duty, it seems that the same leeway is being questioned given our more unique situation. I'm not certain which side decided to start complaining first, but there had to have been more than a few turians to have noted either of us lack the usual signs of being fully bonded."

A frustrated growl escapes him as he takes another drink of his brandy. "Not that it's any of their business, and I told the Council that very thing in no uncertain terms. I won't do anything without your full consent, however, so if you tell me that you're not ready, or not interested at all, then we'll figure something out. I won't let them force or coerce my bondmate into anything. I swore to protect you, and I will do just that - be it from the Alliance, the Hierarchy, or even the Council itself."

#dutyworn #dreams of elsewhere ( ic )#cool under pressure ( nihlus kryik )#shipverse || wren shepard / dutyworn ( nihlus )#shipverse au || wren shepard / dutyworn ( relay 314 | nihlus )#wren shepard || dutyworn ( nihlus )#connection / dutyworn ( nihlus & wren shepard )#there was a point to this story ( answered )#things can never be quite the same again ( suggestive )#limes cw #//fyi nihlus has no idea of what foods go well together #//so wren is getting an absolute potlock of things she showed favour to xD #//he just ordered a bit of everything she's liked so far #//since human foods are likely still extremely rare if available at all #//or they're mimics by asari or salarians

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anderwhohn · 9 months

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@dutyworn asked: "I think I just told Hackett 'no'." / post trilogy @ Nihlus

The war was over…

The reapers were destroyed…

The galaxy was safe - or, at least, not facing total extinction by monsters from the void of dark space…

And now, for just a moment, Nihlus has to wonder if the galaxy is ending again so soon, because he was certain he was going to have to fight Wren about her loyalties to the Alliance for the rest of their lives, and yet…

A curious chirp escapes him as forest green eyes turn away from his console to look at his human, mandibles fluttering in a rare show of surprise and uncertainty as he asks, "Do I even want to know what he was asking of you this time?"

#dutyworn #dreams of elsewhere ( ic )#cool under pressure ( nihlus kryik )#shipverse || wren shepard / dutyworn ( nihlus )#wren shepard || dutyworn ( nihlus )#connection / dutyworn ( nihlus x wren shepard )#there was a point to this story ( answered )#//'his human' - possessive little shit xD

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anderwhohn · 7 months

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@dutyworn asked: "come sit a little while with me. tell me how you've been? really." / nihlus, ME1 era

It's been a couple days since the Council officially stripped Saren of his Spectre status, and providing their 'additional support' in ensuring his capture by granting his protégé full Spectre status before suggesting they continue to work together in order for him to provide her a proper introduction to her new role.

Things had been busy immediately after, as he showed her to the turian embassy and the Spectre outpost there, introducing her to another fellow Spectre, Avitus Rix, as the other turian had happened to be there at the time, before ensuring she was better equipped for the mission ahead of them, though getting suitable armour for her had been a unique challenge, with a notable lack of Spectre-grade human armour being available.

Once he was satisfied that she was properly geared to handle whatever Saren might throw at them, and the Normandy was fully resupplied, he had disappeared into his quarters upon their return to the ship while she took command of the ship and got them underway. He'd only just emerged the next day in search of a meal, fully intending to retreat back to his quarters to eat while he works.

Forest green eyes settle on Shepard, mandibles fluttering in a moment of indecision - does he grant her request, or simply brush it off and deal with whatever fallout may come of it later? It's tempting, he has to admit, to simply ignore her, because the truth of the matter of what she's asking is far more personal than he cares to admit to anyone.

With a small huff, he instead changes his course to join her at the table, taking a seat across from her as he sets his meal tray down. "My own mentor that pulled me out of a miserable life in the turian military tried to kill me, attempted to destroy a human colony, and has apparently lost his mind... And now I've been tasked with hunting him down. How do you think I've been, Shepard?"

A frustrated growl rumbles deep in his chest as he pauses to take a few bites of his meal. "Busy, for one. A lot of my contacts are Saren's contacts. I'm having to reevaluate my entire information network, figure out who the hell I can even trust any more, and cut ties with anyone who's even the slightest bit at risk of being bought by Saren. There are only a few, like Barla Von, who owe loyalty to someone else and so should still be safe, but that's not the case with too many of them for any sense of comfort."

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anderwhohn · 8 months

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@dutyworn asked: ❝ hey— look at me. why are you all upset? ❞ / nihlus (jealousy/possessive meme but can be out of that context also)

He hesitates for a moment, mandibles pulled in tight against his jaw, before forest green eyes finally meet hers once more. The intensity of his gaze surprises even him, as if his very spirit were laid bare before her. He wants to speak, to articulate the complex emotions swirling within him, but the words catch in his throat.

Nihlus swallows hard, looking away again to stare out the observation window of the lounge. "It's just..." he begins, his voice a raw whisper, "In the time we've worked together, I've seen you go through so much. I've watched you fight, bleed, and rise again. And every time you risk yourself, it's like a knife in my chest."

A low growl of frustration rumbles deep in his chest as he smooths a hand over his fringe. "Spirits, it's like the entire damn galaxy is determined to take you away from me in one way or another. If it's not mercs or geth or the Reapers, it's the damn prothean beacons and tech. How much more can the galaxy take before...?"

He cuts himself off, the words barely on the tip of his tongue, as he almost asks how much more it can take before it takes her from him, and he loses her completely. The only problem? She's not his to lose...

This possessiveness he feels, while undoubtedly brought on by the close bond they've formed ever since Eden Prime, is pure instinct, almost as if she were his mate. Except she's not, and despite the flirtatious banter they've shared, it's a huge leap to go from playful flirting or even maybe relieving stress together to asking a human to be his mate...

#dutyworn #dreams of elsewhere ( ic )#cool under pressure ( nihlus kryik )#shipverse || wren shepard / dutyworn ( nihlus )#wren shepard || dutyworn ( nihlus )#connection / dutyworn ( nihlus & wren shepard )#there was a point to this story ( answered )#//at least slightly pre-ship #//if not even possibly me1 era

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anderwhohn · 9 months

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@dutyworn asked: “ you have to talk to someone, eventually. it doesn’t have to be me, but. you need to. ” / oooh, reverse nihlus ME2 early-ish era?

He knows it's going to take them all some time to adjust to Shepard being alive again, especially those of the SR-1 crew, who are more clearly watching the Commander with varying levels of concern whenever she's not looking. Even he has found himself in moments of being caught off guard by her presence, particularly when he's caught up in his reports to the Council, when he's had to learn to not let his thoughts wander to her so much over the last two years...

It's even less of a surprise to him when he notes the tension in Shepard's shoulders, in the way she seems to be more on edge than ever before, particularly on this Cerberus copy of the original Normandy, surrounded mostly by strangers, many of whom the Council has deemed as the enemy.

More worrying is the number of times he's found her wandering the ship during the night cycle, while most everyone save for the skeleton crew and those like himself, Vakarian, and Solus aboard who require less sleep than the humans do, are sound asleep. Particularly when Shepard herself should very much be asleep.

He watches her from where he leans against the wall by the medbay, mandibles pulled down in the turian equivalent of a frown as she seems almost lost in her wanderings.

"You know you can't keep on like this forever, Shepard," Nihlus notes gently, arms crossed over his chest as he watches her closely still. "You have to talk to someone, eventually. It doesn't have to be me, but... You need to get it out sooner rather than later."

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anderwhohn · 7 months

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@dutyworn asked: Send O///O to put a collar and leash around my muses neck. +reverse / nihlus and wren in verse of your pick -shrugs-

Forest green eyes watch her carefully as he gently secures the collar into place around his bondmate's throat, mandibles pulled in tight against his jaw with the seriousness of the mission ahead. They're still a little ways away from reaching the planet's orbit - plenty of time to turn back for him to make changes to the plan. While this was likely the most simple solution to infiltrating the facility, it certainly wasn't the only one, with all the others keeping Wren safely on the Citadel as opposed to in the middle of a Spectre mission.

"Are you absolutely certain you want to go through with this?" he asks quietly, gloved talons tracing the edge of the collar thoughtfully before meeting her gaze. "Things aren't likely to be pretty in there, and you're going to have to ignore all of it to keep our cover. It's not too late to turn back and take you home instead."

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