Category: Fanworks

Massive Retcons in Sight

Well, shit. It’s true: Valern is the name of the salarian councilor, and the turian councilor is named Sparatus. Never mind that abomination. Why, oh why didn’t Bioware tell us this before? Would it have been so damn difficult to just come out and say so on the forums or whatever? Bah. Massive retcons in sight. I think I mention the turian councilor in every goddamn story I have out there.

Ghost in the Machine Is Taking a Break

I know I said there would be weekly updates and breaking this promise is breaking my heart. But I’ve reached the point where I’m reduced to preparing chapters a day or two before posting, which puts my beloved beta readers and myself under too much pressure and is certainly doing no favors for the text. I chose to do this now because I’m hoping that most readers will be too absorbed in playing Mass Effect 3 to even notice. Yes, I will be playing it as well during the break. I will also try to finish and post at least two short stories that had been put on hold a long, long time ago in favor of this one.

The story continues on either the next Sunday (March 18), or the one after. To get a notification, subscribe to my rss, or my twitter, or add Ghost in the Machine to your story alerts at FFN.

Thank you for your time, interest and patience.

Second Round of Fics

This week I’ve dug out some short Elder Scrolls ficlets, and some Garrus/Shepard love stories:

Fruit from Palaven – this one has a special place in my heart, being the first Mass Effect fic that I managed to finish. It’s a good story, all things considered, especially the fact that I hadn’t written for years prior to taking this plunge into fanfiction. It’s an intro into the ingame romance with Garrus.

A Game of Cards – an indirect sequel for Fruit from Palaven, this story is one of the few where I tried to engage a larger group of characters in a meaningful interaction. It’s also a stage for my critique of certain tropes within the fandom that I find distasteful.

First Kiss – what it says on the label. Garrus and Shepard, and their first kiss.

And now for something completely different:

Rural Witchcraft – or, as the working title went, “Glaber Heights” (Glaber is the name of a character from Spartacus, and at the time of writing I was reading Wuthering Heights, go figure). This is a piece of… regional lore, I suppose, for High Rock, that I submitted, among many other short texts, to Temple Zero. It’s just drabble, but it happens to be one of my favorite snippets.

Inverse Riddles – or, in its original version, “The proper way to converse with a Breton sorcerer.” Same as above, only this one I never actually submitted because I thought it too lame. Now I think it’s kind of cute.

And, that’s about it. At this pace, I’ll put up everything I have in… a year?

Kidding.

First Kiss

Shepard came over to talk about the weapon upgrades. His favorite subject, really, and Garrus had been listening very carefully in the beginning. But the longer she spoke, the fewer words got through to him. The idea that it was a translator glitch occurred to him but he dismissed it quickly. He understood the words. Those that he could catch.

“Great job… secondary cannons, so… efficiency up to… just love to hear… like purring.”

The lips, the lips were the culprit. They were a constant source of distraction, moving, as they were, in such a fascinating manner. He’d spoken with hundreds of humans before but never quite noticed how limber, mobile and flexible the lips could be, under certain light. From certain angles. In certain magnification levels when studied through his visor. He had done his homework. Humans needed to coordinate hundreds of muscles to form facial expressions and perform the seemingly effortless act of speaking. It sounded profoundly exhausting, but Shepard could do it for hours unending. Perhaps lips had the sort of muscles that never tired, kind of like his…

Continue reading First Kiss

Inverse Riddles

The rules of proper conduct vary across land and epoch, but some basics are essential to learn in order to avoid embarrassment at best, exile or death at worst. When you are introduced to a sorcerer, do not put out your hand in greeting, as an eagerness to make physical contact is associated with treachery by magic or poison. Cross your arms over your chest instead and make a courteous bow, but not too deep; do keep an eye contact at all times. Do not attempt to engage the sorcerer in a discussion of magic, as an eagerness to learn or argue is taken as a sign of ignorance or lack of decorum. Instead, challenge the sorcerer with a witty inverse riddle, but be careful not to let him win out of politeness. In fact, if he fails to guess the riddle you have given him the answer to, which of course only happens in exceedingly rare occasions, you will have earned a measure of respect.