𝙳𝙾𝙶 𝙾𝙵 𝚆𝙰𝚁. (Posts tagged TBT.)

@ophiopagy said:  
         ❝ i can feel your pulse. it jumped. ❞ / thane to ash 👀 

^{THE FIVE SENSES .        accepting .           @ophiopagy​ .} 

THE SCENE :      HUERTA MEMORIAL ,     ^{blinding under the white light of the citadel’s artificial ,    sedated sun .    the hospital hums with machinery and quiet conversation ,    all very respectful of the gory ,   wet ,    raw fact of the human condition .     or rather ,    the fact of being alive in a time of war .     occasionally ,    the peace is beset by a doctor’s muffled cry ,    hallways down ,     as survivors in bad shape are wheeled in    –    but where they reside lays dormant in itching serenity ,    an anti - womb of sterile walls and sharp corners .    as for her part ,    she juxtaposes the glossy pretense ,     unsoft in the permanent morning glow .    the worst of her bruising has faded from visceral blacks into a menagerie of sickly yellows and greens .}    

^{she’s fit for duty ,    or so she says , but with each minor complaint they remind her of the war - zone of her skin ,    of the fallible truth of her body     —    massive head trauma ,    internal bleeding ,     a broken rib   [   three others ,   cracked   ] ,    and a laundry list of minor wounds she couldn’t remember if she tried .     either way ,     she no longer argues now ,    one too many times with black spots scattering her vision and her knees shaky after standing too quickly .     her balance has been off since they’d let her walk again .     she cannot will the control of her body back ,     it will simply have to come with time and practice .     severe internal bleeding ,     and a hell of a lot of strings attached .     the fall that would’ve taken her down is halted by someone else’s leverage ,     righting her .}

^{krios .     shepard’s old squadmate ,    or so the commander had said .    an assassin .    has a lung condition ,   or something .        but she didn’t say much more ,    and ashley didn’t feel the need to pry at the time .    nice enough ,     but something about him sets her on edge .    it’s in the way he moves ,     slanted sharp and dark as a knife to the gut .}       

^{distantly ,    she notes the sensation of a hand still curled about the roll of her wrist ,    pulse drumming against the pressure .     her reactions are sluggish in a way they’ve never been before ,    like fighting through water to get the muscle to move .    a moment to register the timbre ,    the shape of his words ,    and she rips her arm away ,    fight or flight setting in in slow motion .      her brow arches ,     defensive and pointed .          ❝         okay ?          ❞         the word comes out harsher than intended ,    but she makes no immediate apology for the sudden rudeness .     her gaze levels into a severe scowl  .          ❝            that happens sometimes .     pro tip :     getting taken by surprise occasionally makes me jumpy .    just  —          ❞           a sigh ,    then ,     a sound like defeat      –     and perhaps concession .          ❝        look ,   next time i’m gonna fall on my face ,     just let me fall on my face ,     alright ?     …    but ,    thanks for the catch .      i’m    …    not used to being    –     ugh     –     useless .           ❞}

❝          HEY   —-         ❞          ^{flushed with cold light and antiseptic ,     the medbay folds around her in clean ,     straight lines .      not like omega :     the station was hell ,     she thinks     –     the kind of violence contained to nightmares .    terror and gore and cerberus ,    with its teeth in the station’s throat .     and perhaps it has always been hell there ,    always been a vicious cycle of someone’s teeth ,    someone’s fist ,    fast hands and a mouth full of blood .     but if nothing else ,     it should be on their terms ,    not cerberus’ .      and their newest addition ,     with her near miss ,     to put it kindly .      ashley can’t imagine how she’s holding up .      she gestures to the chair beside the bed ,     waiting for an invitation ,      maintaining a polite distance from nyreen .        ❝          that was pretty badass ,    what you did back there .   where’d you learn to do that ?            ❞} 

^{@kabalim​ .                ♡ .}    

HUERTA’S ACHES WITH THE POUR - IN       ^{from the war     –     reality ,    exposed raw like a nerve beneath the silver light .     much of the citadel lays silent ,    unharmed by the fighting far beyond its starry ,    silent borders .     down the hall ,     a man screams ,    and she flinches in useless sympathy .      beside her ,     the     –      assassin ,     shepard’s assassin .    krios ,    who knows too much and sees far more .       she shifts away ,    only an inch ,     and her ribs squeeze in protest .        ❝         so ,    uhh    –    how’s physical therapy going for you ?    i mean ,     is it helping ?          ❞          a harmless topic ,    but one that seems ridiculous ,    a normalcy of contradictions .     assassin ,   soldier ,    and she’s questioning him on how his doctor’s appointment went .}

^{@ichosmic​ .          ♡ .}    

❝          YOU DO REMEMBER THAT I’M A SPECTRE ,   RIGHT ?       ^{second human spectre .     hence ,    here .    they don’t make losers spectres ,   vakarian .            ❞         his name curves in her mouth with too much affection ,     and that soft ,     lilting tone echoes in the wide spaces .    completely alone ,    then .    as far as she knows ,    skipper’s the only other person with access to the spectre office in the human embassy .     sneaking her boyfriend in likely wasn’t recommended ,    but what were they going to do ?   fire her ?}

^{she toes her boots off ,   and tugs loose the jacket of her alliance - standard fatigues ,   tossing it away .    left down to the white tank beneath it ,     she reaches behind to tighten the knot of her bun .    she’s fast with her hands    —   faster still with a loose grin and a taunting arch of her brow .        ❝          you can always back out now .    maybe we can go rent a blasto vid .    something more your speed .         ❞}

^{@turianrebel​ .             ♡ .}       

ASSOCIATIONS

^{repost and fill in the words you most associate with your character !!}

^{ANIMAL :      hound   /   dog.
COLOR :       blue
MONTH :      april.
SONG :         running up that hill,    first aid kit     /    i bet on losing dogs,    mitski.     /     happiness is a warm gun,    the breeders.
NUMBER :    3.
DAY OR NIGHT :      day.
PLANT :        stargazer lilies
SMELL :        old books,   metal,   blood,   ash,    gunpowder,    the air after a rainstorm.
SEASON :     summer.
FOOD :          homemade meals.
DRINK :         strong liquors,   coffee.
ELEMENT :    fire.}

^{tagged by:     @bloodiedbiotic thank u angel!! <3
tagging:         @sraen    @turianrebel      @choseparagon      @biotek     @kabalim     @victamortem     @birdbomb​    + anyone that wants to!}