#me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

   ⬐ @elysiumhero ⬎

❛❛ I can’t sleep, not now, I refuse. They’ll grab me from my fluttering eyelashes. ❜❜

The last few weeks had been… rough. Making it back from the Omega-4 Relay was something none of them had expected. Truthfully, they’d all believed it would be a one-way trip. And that was the reality of the situation: no one had travelled through it and lived to tell the tale. They were the first. Throw in the fact that they’d just stopped an assault on another human colony at the hands of the Reapers—controlling a group of humans in batarian space, no less—and she could see why Jane was… struggling.

“No one is going to come for you. Of that, I can assure you.” The corner of her lips twitched into a brief smile. “I’m fairly certain EDI would have half a mind to lock down the ship if they tried.” And Miranda would happily stand in their way. She may have been wanted by Cerberus now, having painted a target on her back now that she’d turned on the Illusive Man and his radicalism, but she was safe enough on the Normandy. He wouldn’t be so foolish as to come after either of them while they were still on the ship.

Glancing at the readhead, Miranda’s face creased into a gentle frown. “Jane… What happened down there? What really happened?” She was more than a little worried. Yes, Jane had blown up the relay, and it had resulted in a catastrophic loss of life. But little more was known beyond that; the Commander hadn’t talked about it in the slightest since returning to the ship.

#me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #elysiumhero ❖ jane shepard﹙ they said that life’s a bitch ⋄ well i’ve got a bone to pick. ﹚ #BAHAAAAAAAAAK #i figured bahak angst might be. interesting #miri genuinely worried??? bet

[solheimisms]

@talesfromthevoiid asked:

❛ were you … spying on me ? ❜ //from Melissa Shepard

Shepard certainly had a lot of questions... and that was putting it mildly. Granted, Miranda couldn't blame her for being so curious; after all, it had been two years since she died, and it wasn't every day that someone was outright brought back to life, and in working order no less. What she'd achieved as part of the Lazarus Project was a feat in itself.

Spying on her prior to that, though? Well... "Hardly. At least, that's not how I would have put it." Miranda's reply was straightforward as always, though there was the barest hint of amusement in her tone. "It's not unlike Cerberus to keep tabs on people that make a lot of noise in the galaxy." Miranda had been responsible for a lot of that; she'd had to peruse over every file they had on Shepard, learn every little bit there was to know about her, to ensure that she could determine that Shepard was, indeed, Shepard.

"After all, you caused a lot of trouble for us early on. Knowing who you were helped us to stay... well, out of your crosshairs a little. And that information later came in useful for the Lazarus Project." Much of it was information that Miranda had memorized, though even she knew that there were layers to a person; what Shepard had been through could easily be regurgitated into a file as information, but knowing the psychological toll of things--of her life on Earth, of Akuze--could only be learned directly from the woman herself.

Rising from her chair and circling the desk, Miranda regarded Melissa, carefully contemplating her next words. "Knowledge is power, surely you know that. The more knowledge we had on you, when it came to the Lazarus Project... the more I could ensure there was perfection in what we were doing." Her gaze teased a little, though she meant nothing by it, looking Shepard up and down through thick lashes. "I don't do anything short of perfection. It'd be considered a failure if you weren't, well... you. The more I had to ensure that was the case... the better. You're a very important woman, perhaps more than you realize."

#talesfromthevoiid #yes miranda is flirting no she's not sorry about it LOL #that's just Miri being Miri #...it probably won't last long tbh she's a disaster #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@waywardfeathered asked:

"I do not report to you”

Miranda raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms as Castiel regarded her... rather rudely, she might add. Unfortunately for him, she was Shepard's second-in-command around here; it was her job, as the ranking officer of the Lazarus cell. It was a Cerberus vessel, and that was that. She did understand his anger at the incident on Akuze; even she believed that had been a mistake on Cerberus' part, though she still firmly believed what they stood for.

"No, but you do report to Shepard. And when Shepard leaves me in charge while she's groundside, you do report to me in the interim." Did he think he could outsmart her? Outmuscle her? He'd be sorely mistaken if he tried. She'd have him pinned down with her biotics in seconds if he tried... and despite her stature, she was certainly capable of physically outmatching him.

"My job here, Castiel, is to ensure that Shepard succeeds. Shepard is an asset to Cerberus, and it is my job to ensure that Cerberus' assets are effective. And if I believe that you are liable to jeopardize that, I can and will see fit to do something about that fact." She wouldn't hesitate. If Shepard wanted to be angry about it, then so be it; she could be as angry as she liked about it.

"I am not about to make excuses for what happened on Akuze; it is not my place. But you do need to respect me in the context of our mission."

#waywardfeathered #cas be nice miri isn't THAT bad #...i feel like she'd have. concerns with akuze tho tbh #she probably doesn't agree with it but keeps her mouth shut bc she doesn't know much about it #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@smokedanced asked:

“I won’t judge you.” / from wren!

"I know you won't," Miranda replied, staring out over the view on Illium. She'd asked Shepard to drop her off here before heading to Earth; Miranda didn't want to be caught on a formerly Cerberus vessel while it was handed over to the Alliance. Her plan was to go to Illium, find what help she could, then disappear. She'd asked Wren to come for at least one last outing before turning herself in. She could only imagine the weight that was on the poor woman's shoulders. Three hundred thousand batarians, all killed in one fell swoop. Miranda was glad she hadn't been the one to make that decision.

She drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Are you sure about this, Shepard? Are you sure that turning yourself in is the best course of action? We know what's coming now. Do you honestly think the Alliance will start preparing?" Unfortunately, Miranda had been the poor sap who'd been forced to lead Hackett to the med bay where Shepard was; it had been the most awkward walk she'd ever had. She knew the Admiral recognized her; she was a known face, that was for sure.

"I can't help but think doing that is just going to be a waste of time. They'll throw you in the brig and keep you locked up until everything goes to hell, and by then, it'll be too late." She was worried, not just for her friend, but for what they knew was coming. The Reapers would be there soon; they had to be ready to fight. Given the Alliance's track record with the Collectors, Miranda wasn't too convinced they'd do much about the Reaper threat, either.

#smokedanced #worried miri is worried ok #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@smokedanced asked:

❛  don’t lie to me.  ❜ / from wren

"What reason would I have to lie to you?" Miranda was beyond exasperated. Hell, just figuring all of this out--figuring out the fact that she'd now abandoned Cerberus, apparently on a whim--was going to be bad enough. Yet, of course, here Wren was, demanding that she have answers when she didn't. The fact that she didn't have an answer was what was driving her mad to begin with.

They'd become... friends, of sorts, after what happened with Oriana. Sure, she'd talked with her sister, but that was all it was thus far. Talking. Her lips pursed as she paced, feeling entirely out of her element. Miranda Lawson did not make mistakes. Miranda Lawson was not wrong. She was never wrong. Yet here she was, facing that fact right now. Facing the fact that she'd trusted the Illusive Man, and yet he'd betrayed that. How had she not seen it coming? How had she not expected him to go that far?

"If you think I'm lying--then the next stop we make on Illium, I'll leave." Surely Wren could at least let her leave with her life, if she didn't trust her. But that fact--it hurt somehow. It hurt because she'd trusted Wren, put her faith in the woman to do what they needed to do, and they had; but she'd also trusted her with the knowledge of her whole life. Shepard knew about her sister, about Niket... about all of the horrible, selfish things her father had done. She'd have to disappear... and she'd have to make sure Oriana disappeared, too.

#smokedanced #idk i felt a little friendship angst goin on here #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@smokedanced asked:

‘ try not to die! or do, i don’t care. ’ / from izzy

If Miranda has learned one thing, it's that she cannot stand Israel Hands. He's reckless, rude, and what she'd describe as the kind of person she'd rather toss off a cliff with her biotics for opening his god-damned mouth. Unfortunately, the little piss-ant comes as a package deal with Blackbeard--Edward Teach--and even more unfortunately, they need the latter's skills and capability.

It's like the little shit is glued to his pirate like an obsessive little fanboy.

And alas... he's nothing but trouble unless his master has him on a goddamn leash. She'd separated from Shepard and one of their other squadmates, taking a different route around the colony to investigate further. It was another colony that had been abducted, and like before, they were too late; however, they could cover more ground if they separated, and Miranda herself was more than capable of doing so. There were still a few Collectors left, like they were guarding whatever was there. Prothean tech, perhaps.

Izzy, it seemed, had to get their attention by offering a challenge. "You bloody idiot!" She roared, yanking him back by the collar behind cover as he seemed to just announce their goddamned presence to every Collector present on the colony. "Sure, just announce that we're here, so we can't get the drop on them. Are you out of your fucking mind?" God, if he wasn't a necessity, she'd...

No, Miri. Keep your focus. She shot the two that had seen them, swearing under her breath as he took out another two. Thankfully it was a small pack, and they just had to hope that the four hadn't called for their friends. And he had the nerve to tell her not to die. What a smartass. She might just consider leaving him behind if he didn't start proving himself to be a valuable asset. It'd certainly be no skin off her back.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me." The sarcasm is evident in her tone, as she pointedly looks at her reckless companion. Luckily, she's used to things going to absolute shit by this point. Now she just has to reign in the urge to break every bone in his body for attempting to screw her over. He'd damn well better be done with it. "Now hurry up, or I will leave you behind."

#smokedanced #izzy be nice she can flay u alive with her mind ya dumbass #ok but Miranda just NOT LIKING izzy AT ALL #sorry not sorry about the things she's thinking LMAO #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

"Why didn't he come and talk to me himself?"

#open starter. ❖﹙ i don’t like your little games ⋄ don’t like your tilted stage. ﹚ #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

   ⬐ @aviiatrix ⬎

“ everyone knows that the best way to learn is under intense life-threatening pressure. “

“I highly doubt this is the way that anyone intended to learn,” Miranda muttered, huffing quietly as they boarded the shuttle. She was… not sure exactly what was going on, and River’s attempts at jokes—intriguing as they were—had yet to make those feelings and thoughts go away. While Miranda appreciated the sentiment, there was little that could be done about the conflicting thoughts that she was experiencing. Namely… why. Why would the Illusive Man put them in that much danger?

Something about it didn’t add up. And that something was beginning to bother her. Miranda had always been loyal to Cerberus; there was no reason for the Illusive Man not to keep her in the loop about what was going on, even if he asked her to keep it quiet from Shepard. That much she could handle; it meant that as things went awry, she could do damage control, and Shepard would be none the wiser to their machinations.

As the shuttle landed back inside the ship—with a rather rocky landing, no less—Miranda nearly kicked the door open, but reined in her frustration at the last minute. Granted, the last thing she needed was to let Shepard know just how irritated she was about the entire situation; if she let that mask slide, then what would the Commander think?

#me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #aviiatrix #miri being concerned after the collector ship? BET. #girl’s got thoughts in her head and she’s beginning to question Cerberus and TIM #it’s partly river’s fault let’s be honest

[solheimisms]

   ⬐ @hopegained ⬎

“ you people are completely insane. but you’re also insufferably good at this sort of thing. so let’s go save the world, shall we? ”

“We’re insane? Last, I checked, that ‘we’ included you,” Miranda teased as they left the briefing room, each of them opting to get some rest and prepare for the mission ahead. The crew was kidnapped, and there was little else they could do; they had to save the rest of their crew. It was a miracle the ship was even standing; they were lucky to have EDI be capable of picking up the slack in most of the systems that were generally operated by humans.

Pausing, Miranda gently tapped Eron’s arm, a look of concern on her features. “Do you have a moment to talk?” It wasn’t that she couldn’t trust Shepard with what she had to say, but rather… she needed someone who had more of an outside opinion. Someone who wasn’t indebted to her for being granted a second chance at life like the Commander was. Sure, perhaps he was grateful that she’d done that for Shepard, but that was a very different feeling altogether.

Jerking her head in the direction of her office, Miranda entered and hit a couple of buttons on her terminal, ensuring that any recording devices were effectively disabled. After all, she’d been the one to install the majority of them. “I’ve got some… concerns. Not about the mission—well, not exactly.” Nothing to do with Shepard, at least, but more about Cerberus. “The Illusive Man sending us to the Collector ship… I didn’t want to believe it, but I have a rather unpleasant feeling about what we’re about to do, and what that’ll mean. For Cerberus, that is.”

#hopegained ❖ eron skywalker﹙ are we not good enough ; not brave enough ⋄ is the violence in our nature just the image of our maker? ﹚ #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #oh look they’re kind of friends lmao #but the thought is that she wants to talk to him where it’s private about her… concerns #specifically her concerns about cerberus

[solheimisms]

   ⬐ @hopegained ⬎

❛ Do you get nervous thinking about what comes after this? ❜

Miranda huffed a soft laugh, shaking her head at the thought. Nervous was putting it mildly; there was a reason she’d yet to leave the Normandy now that they’d destroyed the Collector base. She was hesitant to be seen anywhere; Omega, Illium, and most especially on the Citadel. Her former ties to Cerberus put her squarely in C-Sec’s and the Alliance’s crosshairs; her betrayal of the Illusive Man and loyalty to Shepard now had her at the top of his shit-list.

“Truthfully?” She asked, looking at him and contemplating her answer. “I don’t think nervous accurately sums it up. We know the Reapers are coming, we just don’t know when. Hell… I’m surprised you haven’t opted to claim the very hefty bounty that I’m sure the Alliance has on me.” She could understand before, when she was working for Cerberus, but now? She was a free woman… sort of.

There was a somberness to her voice as she continued. “I’m wanted by just about everyone in the galaxy. The Alliance, C-Sec, and the Council want me because of my ties to Cerberus. And now, Cerberus wants me taken care of like they do so many of their cells.” She was trying to mask it as best she could, but there was a fear in her, one that she just couldn’t shake.

“Fairly certain the only reason the Illusive Man hasn’t bothered to storm or shoot down the Normandy is because even he wouldn’t dare pick a fight with Shepard.”

#me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #hopegained #miri is 100% scared shitless but she’s masking it incredibly well #but yknow that’s just how she is #show no weakness and all

[solheimisms]

@chaotiicgoods asked:

"it’s like you’re trying to forgive yourself for all the shit that he did to you . that’s not right ." (lenna)

This wasn’t a conversation Miranda thought she would have. Hell, it wasn’t something she’d told anyone; she avoided the subject, if nothing else. But it was a conversation that she needed to tell at least one person. Why not Lenna? Why not the woman who’d proved she could charm just about anyone around her, a woman Miranda greatly respected? A woman that Miranda found herself jealous of; someone that she admired.

“Niket’s betrayal was my fault.” After all, he wouldn’t have betrayed her if he hadn’t she hadn’t kept so many secrets from him. It was a mix of her misplaced trust and her need to keep secrets. She’d prioritized Oriana’s safety over her friendship, and Niket had seen that. And as a result, she’d nearly put her own sister in danger. A foolish mistake, to say the least. Then again… she wondered if Niket would have listened at the time.

Shaking her head, Miranda tucked her bangs back behind her ear and let a long breath out through her nose. “Part of me wishes I hadn’t sent Oriana off to another family; I thought about it, honestly. Keeping her myself, raising her… Legally, I could have. I had enough money and resources, and I’m intelligent enough that with a good job, perhaps I could have. I could have told her she was my daughter, and it would’ve been… plausible, in a way.” After all, she was certainly old enough to be Oriana’s mother. And for a time, she had raised her–as a baby–until she’d found a suitable family.

#me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #chaotiicgoods

[solheimisms]

@adastraisms asked:

Look. I know you're very busy, very important. But you haven't returned my email so I've come to ask you myself. What is our hair gel budget?

The only response to his statement was a flat look. As always, Miranda was deeply unimpressed by his... antics. Perhaps she was too serious for his light-hearted jokes; that seemed the most likely candidate. But there was also everything else that had happened; the incident with Oriana, with Niket... she was still processing all of that. She'd... cared about Niket. He was important to her, in a way.

It took her a moment to actually process what Ronan was asking. Hair gel? Really? In what galaxy? "I would have thought no answer would have told you what the budget is. None." They didn't budget for luxuries such as that. If he wanted hair gel... then he'd have to get it himself. It wasn't like they couldn't stop on the Citadel for it. Why would he be asking about something so ridiculous at a time like this?

Right... perhaps it was the look of grief undoubtedly in her eyes, or the exhaustion that was showing in them. Perhaps it was the way, despite her perfectly-applied makeup, that a hint of redness could be seen in them. Not that she'd ever admit she'd cried over Niket. Not to anyone. She'd been trying to distract herself with work. It wasn't working, but she'd tried.

Letting a sigh escape her lips, Miranda regarded him through thick lashes, folding her hands in front of her. "I'm sorry. That was unfair of me," she admitted, rising from her seat to circle around it, leaning back against the wall. "Was there something you needed?" Company wouldn't be opposed, if that was the reason he'd come in the first place.

#adastraisms #proper bun miri is proper #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@elysiumhero asked:

❝  you’re so strong.  and brave—but i wish you knew you don’t always have to be.  i’m here,  if you’re ever willing to let me help shoulder those burdens.  ❞

It'd never been easy for Miranda to be open with people. Telling Shepard about what happened with Oriana had been one of the most difficult things she'd ever done in her life. Even now, she wondered whether it was something she was going to regret later on; after all, she'd trusted Niket, and while he was alive, and he'd screwed her over. She trusted Shepard wouldn't do that, but that thought lingered in the back of her mind.

She heaved a sigh, fiddling with her bangs and tucking them back behind her ear.

"I'm just... worried about Oriana. Worried that since taking her away, since running to Cerberus after that, I've done nothing but turn her life upside-down and make it more difficult than it could be." Talking to Oriana had been good for her, but now that she'd severed ties with Cerberus, it was... questionable at best. Was her sister going to be subject to even more moving around, all because of Miranda's interference?

Heaving a sigh, Miranda leaned back in one of the chairs in her office, staring out the window at the rippling mass effect field as they were in transit. "I don't know. I always pride myself on making the right decisions, on never getting anything wrong--and yet I can't help but wonder if I did exactly that with Oriana."

#elysiumhero #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@inadxquacy cont'd ;;

"A whip? Really?" One eyebrow raises as she leans her weight to one hip. "No. I'm good. I wouldn't want Shepard getting jealous or something. How you're still alive baffles me. If I were her, I'd surely have pushed you out a window by now." Too bad she didn't have a say in letting one of Shepard's old friends on board. If she had, she'd have considered tossing Alenko out the airlock by now.

#inadxquacy #miranda would like to knock him on his ass thx #i had to continue it was too funny to pass up #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

@bloodiedbiotic asked:

“Sounds like you’re working for a nutcase.”

A single eyebrow raises at the statement, Miranda carefully masking her reactions. Perhaps nutcase was... occasionally accurate for some of Cerberus' other projects, and many would consider the ambition the Illusive Man had to be wild and ridiculous; a project like the Lazarus Project was a prime example. Miri paused, frowning with contemplation, nodding and considering what had been said, before she stood with a smile.

"Well, that depends who you consider I'm taking orders from. You're in charge on this ship, even if I do answer to The Illusive Man. So, Shepard--are you referring to yourself, by chance?" She stepped around the desk, opting to lean back against it, hands carefully folded in front of her as she regarded her new... comrade with a scrutinizing gaze. This could go both ways: Blair could be a problem, or she could be an asset. Miranda was hoping for the latter.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific, Commander."

#bloodiedbiotic #FORGIVE ME I DON'T HAVE MIRI ICONS YET AAA #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚

[solheimisms]

TAG DUMP

#headcanon. ❖﹙ i don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me ⋄ i'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams. ﹚ #musings. ❖﹙ i don't like your kingdom keys ⋄ they once belonged to me. ﹚ #promos. ❖﹙ you made a really deep cut ⋄ and baby now we got bad blood. ﹚ #psa. ❖﹙ take those mental shackles off and throw them away. ﹚ #blog updates. ❖﹙ for so long your focus has been taken away ⋄ now you're breaking away. ﹚ #out of character. ❖﹙ come inside and be afraid of this impressive mess i've made. ﹚ #mains call. ❖﹙ now did you think it all through ⋄ all these things will catch up to you. ﹚ #saved. ❖﹙ and then the world moves on but one thing's for sure ⋄ maybe i got mine but you'll all get yours. ﹚ #selfpromo. ❖﹙ i'm sorry but the old miri can't come to the phone right now ⋄ why? oh cause she's dead. ﹚ #dash games. ❖﹙ did you think we'd be fine? still got scars on my back from your knife. ﹚ #music. ❖﹙ i see how this is gonna go ⋄ island breeze and lights down low. ﹚ #visuals. ❖﹙ so don't think it's in the past ⋄ these kinds of wounds they last and they last. ﹚ #ic meme. ❖﹙ but if I'm a thief then you can join the heist ⋄ and we'll move to an island. ﹚ #ooc meme. ❖﹙ i forget their names now ⋄ i'm so very tame now. ﹚ #answered. ❖﹙ i've got a list of names ⋄ and yours is in red underlined. ﹚ #starter call. ❖﹙ i see nothing better ⋄ i'll keep you forever like a vendetta. ﹚ #past. ❖﹙ but if he's a ghost then i can be a phantom ⋄ holding him for ransom. ﹚ #me1. ❖﹙ i don't like your perfect crime ⋄ how you laugh when you lie. ﹚ #me2. ❖﹙ but i got smarter ⋄ i got harder in the nick of time. ﹚ #me3. ❖﹙ honey i rose up from the dead ⋄ i do it all the time. ﹚ #me3 au. ❖﹙ you said the gun was mine ⋄ isn't cool no i don't like you. ﹚ #postwar. ❖﹙ you asked me for a place to sleep ⋄ locked me out and threw a feast. ﹚ #open starter. ❖﹙ i don't like your little games ⋄ don't like your tilted stage. ﹚ #andromeda. ❖﹙ the world goes on another day another drama ⋄ but not for me all i think about is karma. ﹚ #plot call. ❖﹙ i don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me ⋄ i'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams. ﹚