#the andromeda effect | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-andromeda-effect · 1 month

Text

TW - abuse mention, violence mention, injury mention, mental trauma, ptsd

Caliban had taken many women to his bed the first night he’d met them, and that was the only night they’d spent together. Some he’d dated for a while before becoming sexual. None of those had ever brought about the conflict that he currently felt with Adira as she returned to the bathroom to finish changing. It was not that there was not the physical desire for her, or that he knew that it would be far more than one night with her, but rather that the physical was so far less important at the moment than making sure that she felt safe and secure mentally and emotionally. The other could wait, and he would wait, because he knew how wounded she was in all ways. He did not want to add to that in any way; certainly not if there was a chance of losing the way she looked at him by rushing or pushing for anything. Whenever her eyes and his met, there was something that he could not describe within them, something that awoke a part of him that hadn’t been touched before, and he was finding he liked it.

When Adira was once more behind a closed door, she leaned against it, holding the PJ pants to her as her heart thudded within her chest. She had no idea what had made her so bold as to walk over to Caliban like that and just assume he would welcome her touch upon his bare skin and her help in disrobing. It hadn’t been until she had actually been in the act of doing it that her brain had kicked in. By then it had been too late and the only thing she felt she could do was continue, and now she was thankful that she had. Just his initial response of covering her forearms and hands with his own had almost made her knees give way in relief and also a warm and safe sensation that had flooded her whole body. She craved him in a way that she had never craved Mircea, in a way that she couldn’t even put into words. It wasn't blind lust, it was something deeper.

From the day that she had met Mircea, she had known that they would be married. It was why her father had introduced them. Also from that day, she had alway tried to garner his approval, to please him, to make him proud, to elicit praise. He had at least pretended in the beginning to be somewhat fond of her and that her efforts were more than enough. The lack of overt affection understandable due to theirs being an arranged marriage, but it was one he seemed to desire, something that still confused her with how things eventually went. However, the longer their relationship went, the more it was obvious that she was not who he wanted and that her efforts would never achieve the results that she hoped for. She had still tried, no matter how many times she failed to live up to standards he seemed to change on a whim. Up until the day she had been kidnapped, she had relentlessly tried.

Caliban was completely different from Mircea in every conceivable way. One could say that their marriage was no less arranged than hers with Mircea had been. It was not built on love, but an agreement to provide for her and keep her safe. The difference was that even in the beginning of her relationship with Mircea she had not felt as safe and secure with him, nor had she felt as accepted. Then there was something about the way that she felt when she was held in Caliban’s arms, the way just his voice calmed any fear or anxiety in her, the look in his eyes when he looked at her, his gentle and soothing touch when she was upset or hurting - it was all so new to her; at the same time, it was like what she had always been looking for in the past, but never found.

It was in wondering how he had not found a wife previously, with everything he had already shown her of who he was, that Adira came upon the thought that made her stomach turn: what if there were other women he was in a relationship with when he had saved her? Could she do that again? Could her heart take other women also being in a relationship from someone other than Mircea? If there were, could she even do a fake marriage? Her breath caught and her heart burned at the thought.

By the time that Adira finally opened the door again, Caliban had started to worry if things were okay with her. The room had been too quiet, and she had seemed to be in there too long. He had to keep reminding himself not to rush her. Patience was never one of his virtues, but he knew that if he wanted to unwrap the delicate gift that was the true nature of the woman he now called his wife, he was going to have to learn some. There was something about her that made him confident that whatever new skills he might have to learn or test he might feel like he was enduring, in the end, it would be worth it.

“Is everything alright?” He finally asked as she silently crossed over to the bed and began to place her jeans in the bag that he had brought up for her. She hadn’t looked at him when she came out of the bathroom, nor even when he spoke to her, and this concerned him. Before she’d gone back in, they’d once again been affectionate with one another and she’d seemed to be relaxing. Had she had another panic attack of sorts?

Still not looking at him, Adira’s voice came out soft and stuttered, “I hadn’t thought to ask before if…” She paused, gathering the courage to say what had come to her mind as she realized how much she was attracted to Caliban. It was as if the question was stuck in her throat, refusing to come out. There was a fear of hearing the answer once it did.

“If what, sweetheart?” Calban asked cautiously, as head cantered. He had heard the hesitation and nerves in her voice. He pushed off of the dresser he’d been leaning against to walk over to her. There was definitely something wrong, but he couldn’t figure out what could have changed in just a few minutes.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, her head still bowed as if looking down into her bag. “If you had…someone you were with..you know, when you..we...” As she let her breath out, she steeled herself for the answer. Her hands had balled to fists around the clothing she was holding, as if that would somehow protect her from the answer hurting her. She had known many men who would be with multiple women simultaneously. It wasn’t like she was naive to the way the world of rich and powerful men who looked like him operated. Even those who were married often had more than one girlfriend on the side besides their wife. This was often the life wives of family heads led.

So that was the issue that had suddenly come to bother her. The tension Caliban had been feeling waiting to hear what had upset her faded instantly. He was glad her back was to him because he could not keep the devilish smirk off of his face. Not that he was laughing at her, far from it; no, he was delighted that the beauty was concerned that she might have competition for his affection. To him that meant that she too was starting to feel something for him in the same way he was for her. Otherwise she wouldn’t care if he was in a relationship with someone else while being fake married to her. Being fake married to Adira seemed to get better every time he turned around, and now he was going to have at least two weeks secluded with her in a mountain cabin. Who knew what could happen then?

“And it would bother you if I did?” The shaky inhale of breath after his question gave him his answer, just before his arms wrapped around her from behind. She couldn't hide the slight tremble in her body from him, a tremble that he hoped his next words would quell. Placing his chin on her shoulder, he let his warm breath fan across her neck with his next words, “my darling wife, if there had been, the moment I slipped that ring on your finger they no longer existed.” He gently kissed the crook of her neck and continued, “there is now, and from now on always will be, only you, unless it is you who wants things otherwise between us.” Caliban was never one to share a woman, nor did he expect a woman to share him.

As much as his words comforted her, she also felt like they were too good to be real. “Are you sure that you can be happy that way?” Adira was afraid to even hope, even if she prayed, to a god she had long since stopped believing in, that it was true. She was under no illusion that Mircea had ever been faithful in their marriage, even from the beginning. He’d always blamed her; of course it was her failure as a wife that led him to have to find others.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” He kept his chin on her shoulder and laced his fingers with hers now that she’d covered his hands with her own. Every time he thought he’d figured out how much damage that Mircea had done, something more was revealed. There was no doubt the coming days and weeks would reveal more, and he would try his best never to repeat those wounds. If he could, he would instead heal them.

“Well,I…I don’t know. I just know that no matter what I tried, I was never enough for Mi-” Suddenly Caliban’s hand was over her mouth, cutting her off as she felt herself fully pulled back against him. Her eyes closed, her breathing stilled, and she waited for the pain. Pain always came after the wrong things were said. Hopefully Caliban would not be as brutal as Mircea had been. She still ached from being dragged by Kondrat and the abuse in that basement.

banners by: @cafekitsune

16 notes · View notes

cljordan-imperium · 4 months

Text

Weather is causing my neuropathy to be insane so writing is hard. But I did find a face for Adira's Ex Mircea.

@blind-the-winds @saltysupercomputer @aziz-reads @pheita @writingmaidenwarrior @thebejeweledwatercat @dreaminggoblin @korblez @spookyceph @toribookworm22

#the andromeda effect #my oc #Mircea Kalavati #face claim #writeblr #my ocs #writeblr community #moodboard

10 notes · View notes

nellasbookplanet · 7 months

Text

'Enjoy it despite its flaws' is one thing, but Mass Effect somehow invented its own category: 'simultaneously one of the most flawed and the most well-crafted sci-fi stories I've ever experienced'. These games are incredible. They’re the worst. All the women are sexualized. All the women have deeply flawed and complex personalities without being either demonized or romanticized. The first available f/f ship seems to be written along the guidelines of 'what would a straight man find hot'. As the games go on, they effortlessly include multiple same sex romance options given just as much care and development as the the opposite sex ones. You can play as a xenophobic murderhobo asshole. You can play as someone genuinely caring but also harsh, who inspires growth and co-operation wherever you go but who makes hard choices when you have to. You can kill civilians and punch reporters and commit genocide. You can stop a generational war and mediate peace and save several species from extinction. The robots are stereotypically evil cannon fodder. The robots are deeply complex with a tragic history. Your team mates are assholes with xenophobic opinions or justifications for police brutality and genocide, or they just want excuses to Do Murder. You team mates are deeply flawed and can be urged to grow alongside you. The most important aliens are all humanoids. There are plant aliens and jellyfish aliens and insect aliens and elephant aliens and aliens who can’t share an atmosphere with us. You have to drive around countless identically boring planets with little to show for it. You get to discover hidden secrets and civilisations millions of years old and live through some of the most emotionally harrowing scenes in storytelling history. I am going absolutely insane about it.

#mass effect #up next let me talk about how andromedas biggest flaw (not perceived flaw but ACTUAL flaw) is how it lacks these highs and lows #sure it doesn’t fall into the same problematic tropes as the trilogy sometimes does #but in its fear to take risks it also fails to hit the highs of when the risks pays off #nella talks

10K notes · View notes

felassan · 1 year

Text

Big BioWare sale currently on Steam: Every Dragon Age and Mass Effect game for $20, including all DLC. "BioWare mega collection" for 90% off. The bundle includes Mass Effect Legendary Edition. [source]

#dragon age #bioware #mass effect #video games #mass effect: andromeda #signal boost #mj best of

9K notes · View notes

circes-wolf · 1 year

Text

Actually the krogan are the best race in Mass Effect if for no other reason than shit like this

#mass effect andromeda #mass effect

8K notes · View notes

ladygwyndolin · 3 months

Text

#mass effect #mass effect andromeda

926 notes · View notes

theharlotofferelden · 8 months

Text

Gonna need to put Mary Kirby + other long time staff being fired into perspective because this isn't a recent development. Bioware has been plagued with issues for well over a decade, and it's not just because of EA.

When Gaider decided to move on from Dragon Age in 2014, everyone thought it was just because he wanted to move onto a different project. He ended up leaving the company completely in 2016 after working on Anthem for a bit, and it was later reported that staff on the project had issues with his writing. He didn't mention why he left Bioware until very recently in a long twitter thread detailing that, while Bioware is a company known for its storytelling and characters, upper management went from valuing its writers to quietly resenting them, and feeling as though the writing were "holding the company back."

When they started working with Frostbite they encountered so many technical problems with it because it was specifically designed for FPS games. They were literally designing the tools they needed to work on both Dragon Age Inquisition and Mass Effect Andromeda while they were working on those games. Darrah (or perhaps Laidlaw, I forget which) even acknowledged when he was interviewed by Jason Schreier for Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, that this is a big industry no-no. But Bioware was put in a hard spot to either work with Frostbite or use the Eclipse engine that DAO was designed on (which I'm assuming would've required developing the engine and toolkit further to bring the graphics up to industry standards). So they ended up working with Frostbite which resulted in a fuckton of issues both for Dragon Age Inquisition and Mass Effect Andromeda, because the teams behind both projects had to design their own tools.

With the added stress of the toolkit also came the toxic work environment, departments that were perpetually understaffed, directors leaving and new writers coming in with different visions for the project, time mismanagement where they spent too much time on "high concept" gameplay, not having a clear vision for the game, resentments between studios, inexperience with coordinating video calls across multiple studios, the resultant mandatory crunch, etc. All of this is mentioned in this article about Mass Effect Andromeda's production cycle and this article about Anthem's.

Casey Hudson and Gérard Lehiany left Bioware in 2014 right in the middle of production on Andromeda (Casey rejoined the company as general manager in 2017, but left again in 2020). David Gaider left in 2016 in the middle of production on Anthem, as did Aaryn Flynn who left before the game was shipped in 2019. Mike Laidlaw left in 2017 and left production of Dragon Age Dreadwolf in Mark Darrah's hands, who left in the middle of its production in 2020. Matt Goldman (creative director for Dreadwolf) left the following year. Mac Walters (production director on Dreadwolf) who's been with the company for over 19 years left in January of this year. Are you seeing the pattern here?

I don't doubt that EA has influence over Bioware considering the recent layoffs appear related to the announcement back in March that EA would lay off 6% of its workforce. But it's clear there's something deeper that's going on at Bioware, and it's really not good.

When veteran senior staff are leaving one by one along with other long time staff, and it's been reported that the studio has a toxic work environment with management issues that make crunch necessary, there is something deeply wrong with the company and how things are being run. This is a sinking ship, and in all likelihood everyone is betting on keeping the company afloat with the success of Dragon Age Dreadwolf and/or the next Mass Effects game.

I want to say something more about how broadly the mainstream AAA video games industry is abusive and how incredibly fucked up their practices of layoffs have been normalized, but this is already pretty long. What I will say is that I'm not claiming this means DA4 or the next ME game is going to tank. It sure as fuck doesn't look good for it, but despite my grievances with Dragon Age, I do want the game to be successful and for Bioware to keep doing what they're doing.

And honestly, whether those games do well or not is really besides the point. Something is wrong at Bioware, whether it's the company itself or the fact it's owned by EA, and it can't be solved with mass layoffs. This is a cultural problem within the company itself, and it's very unlikely to be addressed considering how MEA failing seems to have done little to change how things are being run right now.

#dragon age #dragon age inquisition #mass effect #mass effect andromeda #bioware #bioware critical #ea critical #dragon age dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #da4 #i was gonna reply to another post but decided to just make my own because i have a lot of shit to say

1K notes · View notes

fukiana · 1 month

Text

MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA (2017) dev. Bioware

#gamingedit #meaedit #meedit #mass effect andromeda #vetra nyx #gif*#m: mea #m: me

369 notes · View notes

klauswalz · 4 months

Text

#mass effect #mass effect andromeda #mass effect: andromeda #meedit #meedits #**#*mass effect #queue

631 notes · View notes

tastytofusoup · 26 days

Text

Mass Effect Andromeda (2017) ↠ EOS > Fairwinds Basin

#mass effect #mass effect andromeda #mea #meedit #dailygaming #gamingedit #dailyvideogames #vgedit #bioware #tofuedits #tofueffect #I really need to actually finish this game at some point

353 notes · View notes

the-andromeda-effect · 2 months

Text

Caliban discovers that his new wife will continue to surprise him....

After Caliban had stored his pistol in the top drawer of the bedside table, he too took out the pajama set that was in his bag. Walking over to the dresser, he took off his suit coat and folded it neatly before laying it carefully on the top. His vest was next to follow, also carefully folded, followed by his tie The silver cuff links with his initials on them he placed up near the mirror, where they wouldn’t get knocked off. Then he began unbuttoning his shirt to take it off. As he was undressing, he was going over his plans for the next few days, things he wanted to discuss with Lars and Marcin when he had a chance, and other matters. Darker matters that he intended to keep away from Adira for as long as he could.

It wasn’t until Adira had closed the bathroom door and stripped off her shirt, that she realized she had left the pants to the pajama set on the bed. Somehow, she had just grabbed the top. She decided to go ahead and put it on, then she could go out and grab the pants. Certainly Caliban wouldn’t be too undressed yet, and it wasn’t like eventually they weren’t going to have to get more comfortable around one another if they were going to live with each other. She also decided to kick off her shoes and take off her socks, picking them up along with her now folded top, before opening the door back into the bedroom.

At first she was confused that Caliban wasn’t in there, but as she took a step into the room, she realized he had just changed positions within the room, so she hadn’t seen him from inside the bathroom. He was over by the dresser and had just started to slide his dress shirt off of his shoulders. Like her ex-husband, she saw the scars marring his skin that came from coming up through the ranks of the type of life the men both lived. The breadth of his shoulders, his musculature, and something about the way that he was shrugging off the shirt made her fingers itch to touch him. How many times had she been forced to undress Mircea regardless of her willingness to be near him; and now she found herself desiring to be the one that removed Caliban’s shirt, even if nothing else transpired between them.

It only took a few steps until Adira was right behind him, the items that had been in her hands now on the dresser. Her soft fingertips grazed his upper arms as they curled to take hold of the fabric of his shirt and pull it further down his arms. While he had not heard her approach on the carpeted floor, Caliban froze at the feel of her touch. It was a wholly unexpected move on her part, but not an unwelcome one. Closing his eyes, he relaxed and just enjoyed the freely given attention and affection, not wanting to dissuade her from continuing. He could not, however, contain the soft, pleased smile that formed at the thought of his fearful bride seeming to be an endless source of surprises.

Her fingers just barely touched the warmed skin of his arms as she slowly removed the shirt, but as she reached his hands, his fingers curled to momentarily pause her movements. His thumbs sweeping over her knuckles as his head finally turned to look over his shoulder at her. There was no missing the heat in his gaze as he did so, and it brought a quick flush to Adira’s cheeks that had her dropping her gaze with a smile that was a cross between impish and sheepish. a smile which amused Caliban. So bold in some moves, yet still so shy and nervous at times. He found it endearing.

Once she had completely removed the shirt, she nimbly folded it as she had others so many times in the past, then placed it atop his other clothes. If he’d asked right then what made her do it, she wasn’t sure she could have given him an answer beyond that she had wanted to. There was something about it that just seemed right after how he had been acting and had treated her in the last two days, even if that thought caused her to doubt her own sanity.

For his part, Caliban felt it was more than just her beauty that was drawing him to her, and he could not help but wonder what it was that was drawing her to him. If she kept doing things such as this, he was, however, not complaining, nor would he. He just hoped it was not out of some Sense of duty or owing him something. That was his only fear.

Adira’s arms encircled his waist as the comfortable silence continued to stretch between them, her head coming to rest in the middle of his back. A soft and stuttered breath fanned over his cooling skin, the only evidence of the nerves that she held within her. Caliban’s hands came to rest over hers, enjoying the quiet moment with her, as he contemplated what might have prompted her to come over to him. He expected nothing from her, but he was not going to reject the small touches of affection such as this from her. Never would he want her to feel rejected or unwanted. Just from what he had already gleaned from her and cursory investigating, she had been rejected enough in the past.

“You know that you owe me nothing, Adira.” Caliban kept his voice low and soft when he spoke after several minutes more of silence had stretched between them. “I will not turn such spoiling down,” he brought one of her hands up to kiss the back, “but you are not expected to act in any certain way or need to feel like you owe me anything.” With what he had gathered from short snippets of conversations and comments that had been made, he did not want her thinking that he was in any way like Mircea, and that she had to keep him happy in some way to avoid the abuses that she had received from him. He would never harm her like that, and would protect her even if their relationship was never anything more than platonic; although their current physical position did not feel altogether platonic.

“I know, Caliban.” Adira pressed more against his back as her arms tightened around him. For some reason, holding him tighter, and him not pulling away, made her feel more secure. “Maybe I just wanted to do something small to spoil my husband that has already done so much to spoil me.” A soft kiss was placed between his shoulder blades; and she fought tears as she prayed that she had not messed something up. Old fears were hard to keep from rising up.

When he turned to face her though, Caliban didn’t say anything at all. He did, however, place one hand on the small of her back to pull her to him until their bodies were flush against one another. Adira felt like there was a whole kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach as she gazed up into his deep eyes, that seemed to have darkened with desire and were focused solely on her face. Her own fingers danced over the skin of his upper arms, gracing over his shoulders, before stilling gently on the back of his neck. The scars that bore silent witness to his bloody and violent past had not gone unnoticed as her fingers had made their slow trek across his skin; but instead of scaring her, they reminded her that this man before her chose to be delicate with her yet was capable of extremes of the opposite.

Everything that passed through Caliban's mind to say, he was afraid would ruin the moment. It had taken all of his control not to react to being touched from behind unexpectedly. Always having lived alone and having to watch his back made such a sign of affection foreign to him. Only the slight waft of perfume that had preceded her had given him a warning that she was approaching. Still, he had not anticipated her actions at any point up till feeling her fingers brushing against him. Her gentle touch, the seeming care she had taken in helping him undress then embracing him, and now the almost bashful way she was now looking up at him, they kept edging him towards actions he was not sure either of them were prepared for. Once more he was struck wondering how Mircea had ever laid a hand on the woman.

“You spoil me like this often, my darling, and I might get used to it.” Finally Caliban decided to lightly tease, his fingers caressing the side of her face.

“I spoil you, you spoil me. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to work?” Her voice was a little breathy and unsteady when Adira answered. Her fingers were lightly playing with the hairs at the base of his neck.

“I do believe I told you that I planned on spoiling you, now didn’t I? I don’t remember saying reciprocity was required.” One side of Caliban's mouth ticked up, his thumb swept her cheekbone over that bruise he still loathed. His hold tightened on her, but his eyes never left hers.

She nodded slowly. “You did. And, maybe, I might enjoy spoiling my husband so you’ll just have to get used to it.” Adira lightly licked her lips, which stayed slightly parted as she kept gazing up at him.

“Adira, I will take care of you, and keep you safe, no matter what.” He cupped the side of her face with his hand. His expression softening as he did. Caliban could swear she was casting a spell over him, he did not have the sorts of feelings towards women that he was currently fighting feeling towards her.

“I know.” Her brows drew together some. “What if I want to for my own reasons?” Once more she grew nervous. Did he not like it or want it? Had she misjudged?

Caliban lowered his forehead to hers. She was getting through his defenses far too easy. If Mircea had wanted to get a spy into his operations, she would have been the perfect one, had he not treated her like refuse. “Then I will let you have your reasons, love, because I do enjoy the outcome and want you to know…” he had no idea how he wanted to end that sentence. He wanted her to know what? That she was getting to him? That he was feeling something for her? That he liked her? That he was apparently losing his mind? All of that? He wasn’t sure himself. Instead of thinking further, he simply kissed her.

10 notes · View notes

cljordan-imperium · 6 months

Text

The Andromeda Effect Halloween

Or - Jasper Gives A Gift

What happens when a demon learns the secrets the Andros's are keeping?

“I still cannot believe you picked Scrooge as my costume.” Caliban chuckled as he offered his arm to Adira at the top of the staircase they were about to descend to the first level of the mansion so they could greet their guests who should start arriving in about an hour. “I’m not that tight with money.” He gave her a smirk as he gazed down at her out of the corner of his eye, her hand sliding into the crook of his elbow. “I don’t know, I think you look rather fetching in the vest and morning coat. It was more the outfit I was going for than the character. Cratchet was poor and I can never remember Scrooge’s nephew’s name.” Adira laughed, rather glad he had picked Aphrodite for her. It meant flat sandals, so she’d at least be in comfortable shoes for the duration of the party that she was still nervous over, no matter how many times he’d told her that she didn’t have to be. The dress wasn't horrible either.

Still looking at her out of the corner of his eye as he also made sure not to trip on the stairs, “is that so? And you got Lars and Marcin to dress as Men in Black for the same reason? They look good in their suits?” He had to tease her. He loved the way that the blush rose to her cheeks and her lashes would flutter, the melodic quality her laugh had when she was slightly off balance, and the smile that came after.

“No,” Adira lightly slapped his bicep with her other hand and rolled her eyes. “There’s two of them, they’re going to be standing around and they’re serious. I thought it would be amusing, and they liked not having to actually dress up as anything.” She laughed, feeling a slight heat in her cheeks at the way that Caliban was looking at her coupled with his teasing. The fact that she didn't always have to be on guard around him made everything better, she could relax and truly enjoy lofts with him.

“I see, well, there will be no zapping out anyone’s memory tonight. I do want you to have a good time and they can eliminate any alien threat to that.” He continued the tease and the continuation of her laughter was his reward, which he was more than happy with. “I will hold all of you to that.” The lights that had been hung around the entry danced in her eyes as she smiled up at Caliban once they had reached the bottom of the stairs. “You all promised to behave tonight, and NO business.” Adira tskd at him, pursing her lips as she fought laugher at his mock indignation at the suggestion that he would. “If you’re a good boy, I promise there are rewards.” She winked up at him with a mischievous look in her eye.

“I do like your rewards.” He couldn’t help but grin as he placed a kiss on her cheek and then they began to make sure all of the food and decorations were in order. The caterer and event planner had been busy all day, but one more once over wouldn’t hurt. As they did, Caliban couldn’t help but watch his wife as she did so, thinking how she had settled into being the Lady of the Manor role perfectly. Theirs was far from a traditional marriage in any way, but it was working for them, and they were growing closer with each passing day. The misunderstanding over Theron’s joke might have been one of the luckiest things to happen to him.

It seemed like far too soon that the guests started arriving. Adira stayed close to Caliban since he knew them all, and would be introducing them all to his new wife of course. She'd changed the color and style of her hair, so she was hoping that along with the costume that any of them that knew Mircea would not recognize her.

"Well, Caliban, I had heard you'd gotten married but I swore that it had to be a lie. Now I see you next to this angelic creature and I do believe you have kidnapped and drugged the poor girl." A sarcastic voice with a heavy British accent had both of the couple's heads turning to view that dark blonde haired male, dressed as a pirate, who stood the same height as Caliban. Jasper was now wishing he'd brought Annabella with him, she always did enjoy these human parties. Although then he'd have to deal with that damn cranky ass angel she was now mated to.

"Jasper? You made it! Glad to see you!" Caliban greated his friend who he swore had to know the best plastic surgeons because the man never seemed to age. "Adira, this is my friend Jasper from London. Jasper, meet Adira, the first and last Mrs. Andros." There was clear pride written across his face as he introduced them. It intrigued the demon that had known him for years.

"It's a pleasure, Jasper." Adira gave him a warm smile and extended her hand. This was only the second person Caliban had introduced with only a first name, so she knew that they were actual friends and not in some kind of business together.

"Oh, I assure you Lady Andros, the pleasure is all mine." Jasper's smile was devilishly charming as he took her hand to bring the back up to his lips to kiss the back. He always was a cheeky asshole that loved the slight narrowing of Caliban’s eyes and tightness in his mouth that indicated veiled jealousy. Oh, Caliban, don't make it so easy.

"How did you manage to corner such a divine creature and convince her to tie herself to you? He's not holding you hostage, is he dear?" Jasper already had picked up there was deception afoot, but what and why would take him just a tad bit longer to ascertain.

Caliban’s arm went around Adira's waist at Jasper's last tease. He'd seen the slight falter in her smile and tremor in her hand, and knew they were more than just nerves of the evening. "I knew from the moment I saw Adira that she was different, special. It was all a whirlwind after that. I am just lucky that she so happily agreed to be my wife, I was afraid she might say no." He looked over at the woman he was coming to love and gave her a wink.

"He made me an offer I couldn't refuse." Adira teased, garnering laughter from both men. "What else could I say to a man that has shown me from our first meeting what honesty and security truly are." She beamed up at Caliban. "It's just gotten better since."

Well, weren't they just sickeningly adorable, and honest? Jasper REALLY could have used Annabella to cut the sugary syrup sweetness at the moment. He'd just have to manage, and figure out what they weren't saying.

"You don't have to lie to bolster his ego, darling. I've known him for years. You can say he's a right bastard but he's good in bed, it's okay" Jasper and Caliban laughed, but there was a moment before the laughter started when Jasper saw it: pure unadulterated terror in Adira’s eyes. It wasn't Caliban, so who was the beauty afraid of?

"Don't listen to him." Caliban’s eyes rolled. "He's just sore that I always beat him at poker." He'd felt Adira tense and while he wasn't quite sure what caused it, his hand had been gently and discreetly soothing her back since. That he now got a light laugh from her was a relief. Maybe the big party had still been too soon.

"I have been besmirched!" Jasper feigned outrage to get the lovely Adira to relax and laugh more. "I demand recompense!" He could definitely see what Caliban saw in Adira, the sound of her laughter was melodic and she was beautiful. A little shy for his tastes, but he was a demon after all.

"And what is it that you are demanding?" Caliban chuckled as his head shook. He could only pray his wine cellar survived.

"I think a dance with the fair Lady Adira would suffice." Another charming smile and appreciative gaze over the new Mrs. Andros. Was that one of Caliban’s molars cracking? Oh, Jasper loved this game.

"I do not speak for my wife, Jasper. We may both be dressed like the Victorian age, but I at least am more modern." There were few men that it would bother him for Adira to be in the arms of, for some reason Jasper just became one of them, although Caliban was doing his best to keep an amused facade. He didn't want Adira to detect any issue, especially when the issue was him.

For a moment Adira glanced back and forth between the men, completely unsure of the dynamic she was facing. They truly seemed on good enough terms, so she would try to play along and hope it was the right choice. At least she knew if it was the wrong one that Caliban wouldn't be upset with her.

"One, but I am afraid that is the limit. Scrooge isn't just stringy with his money." She put on a good front and a sly smile, before casting her eyes up towards Caliban’s. He was chuckling so that was a good sign.

"I see why you married her. She drives a hard bargain. Must be turning your organization a tidy profit." Jasper teased more, not missing the quick kiss Caliban dropped on the tip of his wife's head. Sweet. He was reassuring her, but why? What had this woman so scared in a room full of armed guards? Oh he did love a good mystery.

Caliban’s mouth went dry for a second, Jasper could have no clue how close he was to the truth of how it all started. "Not even close to one of her better qualities." The look of pride returned when he looked over at Adira, who had blushed profusely. "Although having her here in my office has made work far more enjoyable."

He wasn’t lying and the affection between them was clear. Jasper was now itching to sweep her away where he could use his powers to find out what was going on that wasn't being said and caused clouds to occasionally dim the bright light of the woman his friend loved. Annabella was better at this, but a demon always does have his tricks.

"I can imagine." Jasper grinned then offered his arm as a slow song began to play. "Shall we, Mrs. Andros?" He made sure to make it clear he respected their marriage, even if he still had questions about it.

Once Adira had slipped her hand lightly onto his forearm, he guided her to where the dance floor had been set up. He could feel an almost physical weight from Caliban’s gaze on him. When they reached the dance floor and his hand landed on the small of Adira's back, Jasper could feel that weight increase. For a human, Caliban was intense, Jasper liked that about him.

There was little talking as Jasper led Adira across the dance floor in a fluid waltz, but there didn't have to be. He'd already discovered the source of her fear within a minute, and within the next the whole of the sorted events that led to her marriage to Caliban. My, my, these two had secrets that impressed even a demon like him! Annabella was definitely going to hear about this.

By the end of the dance Jasper had all his answers, Adira was smiling still, and there was a vein pulsing on Caliban’s forehead. Jasper loved it! He made sure to put his hand atop Adira’s on his arm as they returned to Caliban, getting far too much enjoyment out of watching the muscle in the man's jaw start to tick over it. He suspected the issue was that Caliban didn't know that as he was falling in love with his wife, the same was true for her.

"I return her to you completely unharmed and her pockets unpilfered." Jasper took Adira’s hand off his arm as he guided her towards Caliban. If the man did not see how she looked at him and know she loved him then humans truly were blind.

"Unscathed." Adira turned in a circle with a light laugh. "Pirate kidnapping is apparently painless." She smiled as she took her place next to Caliban and took his hand.

"Lord knows I would pay the King’s ransom to get her back, so I appreciate you not bankrupting me tonight." Caliban started relaxing and laughed. He still wasn’t sure why he'd been quite so overly jealous, other than his fear at times that she might still see their marriage as fake and only on paper.

"No, that's the next poker game, Cal." Jasper teased before making an excuse about seeing someone he needed to talk to and moving off through the room. Truth was, he needed to go get his wedding present for the couple. One he knew would be something they both wanted.

Hours passed, many guests came and went, Caliban was able to temper his jealousy so Adira never noticed a thing. He would not ruin the night for her. She meant too much and they'd come too far for that. For her part, Adira was able to mostly relax and enjoy herself. Those times when she felt overwhelmed or anxious, Caliban never minded her sticking very close to his side. Some might say he looked forward to those times.

It was the wee hours of the morning when the party wound down. Adira had gone upstairs with Lars and Marcin, having developed a migraine around midnight. Caliban had checked on her more than once and was now seeing the final few guests out when he noticed Jasper leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest, and smirking.

"What are you up to? Or are you too drunk to know?" Caliban teased Jasper as he walked over. He couldn’t even remember seeing him at the party after the dance with Adira. Now he was suspicious of what was going on.

"I realized I came to the party without a gift for the newlyweds. How rude of me. I had to make a quick run and rectify that." Jasper grinned and held out what looked like a jewelry box to Caliban who took it looking a little confused. "I would open it before showing Adira though, you want to be prepared." His grin grew.

"What did you do?" Caliban chuckled and prepared himself for some obscenely priced jewelry piece to lay within the box. When he got no answer to his question, he opened it. It took over a full minute for it to register what he was looking at. His eyes flicked up to Jasper who was just standing there looking pleased with himself, then back down to the box; the box that contained the severed finger and family crest signet ring of Mircea Kalavati.

"It can't be traced back to you. YOU were here all night with your lovely wife. Your lovely wife who will never have to fear that monster again. The demons have a new play toy in Hell." Jasper's grin was a bit smug, Caliban would have no clue how accurate the last sentence was.

"How did you know?" Caliban was still stunned. Not so much that someone he knew could or would do such a thing, as stunned that Jasper would know who Adira was.

"Your wife clearly adores you, Cal, and you her; but more than once at a slight verbal misstep, I saw true fear in her. When things don't add up, I want to know why. Tonight I also eliminated the why. I take care of my friends." Jasper's grin had faded, now he spoke earnestly. Were Abriella and Annabella turning him soft and noble? He hoped not.

Caliban extended his hand. "I honestly don’t know what to say, Jasper. Thank you! I take care of mine too, if you ever need."

Jasper shook his hand and inclined his head. He knew Caliban meant it too, even if he would never need it. Then the men said goodnight and Jasper left through the front door this time. He would be on camera arriving at the beginning of the party and leaving at the end. All of Caliban’s guests would.

The next morning the news reported on how Mircea Kalavati’s body had been found impaled on the top of a light pole outside police headquarters with one finger removed. Caliban decided not to inform Adira of the "gift" from Jasper, since he was slightly unnerved at WHERE Mircea’s body was found and trying to determine the logistics of it getting there. Sometimes it was better not to ask questions and just accept the gift.

@blind-the-winds @saltysupercomputer @aziz-reads @writingmaidenwarrior @pheita @outpost51 @toribookworm22 @jessica-writes22

Let me know if you'd like +/-

#The Andromeda Effect #writeblr #my writing #my ocs #halloween #jasper visits the humans #writing #new writing #original writing #writblr #writerblr #writers and poets #female writers #women writers #writers community #writers on tumblr #writeblr community

19 notes · View notes