Aww. I love you, anon. You have my heart for such a wonderful compliment. Ahem… Let me clean up this happy water someone poured on my face so I can answer your ask.
4. What are their favorite traits about their lover? (one psychological and one physical)
Alright, let’s go alphabetically and start with our lovely princess, Cassia:
Without giving his name, I can say that she admires his unfaltering will to do everything in his power to get what he sents out for. One example that isn’t too spoilery is the fact that Damocles doesn’t approve of him -even though Jane and Garrus have given the a-okay- and often tries to intimidate the lover into ending his affections. Of course, our secret lover doesn’t, stands tall in the face of the monster of a turian hybrid, because he knows that, if he just gave up, it’d hurt Cassia. He would be able to muscle through the pain, but he doesn’t want to see her upset because of her brother’s distrust. He sees that enough.
Another quality she adores is his intelligence and – later in the storyline – how he doesn’t hoard it over others or lives in that state of believing he knows all knowledge and, thus, ‘learning’ is below him. To strangers, he seems that way, but Cassia has a hand in teaching him so much that books or training cannot teach. He may act reluctant, but he never refuses the chance to learn from her. His ability to accept that he does not have every answer despite his belief in knowing and being able to plan all options in a situation – one that he only learns at her side – is one she loves about him. Stubborn as he is about it, he never got angry with her for trying to teach him how to open up and accept that not everything in life is predictable.
I’m assuming physical are all going to be somewhat silly compared to the above, but you always manage to find someone attractive when in love, right? Cassia’s relationship started with a very girlish crush. Her first, true, ‘I wanna be his girlfriend’ one in her life. For as outgoing as she is, she was unable to make a move and, instead, admired him, building up a long list of what she likes about his looks.
The first thing she likes? His plate colors and rare, long lateral fringes. He’s white, stark white, and it just seems so clean, so unmarred, to Cassia. It’s refreshing to see a shade of white among the bright colors of Virmire and various peoples in the Wraiths. As for his fringes, we can all guess that is pretty rare and, to most, unflattering. Turians are nothing if not sticklers for uniformity and him having those longer fringes really sets him apart. Not to mention the distaste for them after Saren. For Cassia, they have an odd appeal to her and she often takes advantage of the extra spot of sensitivity at the junction of them and his face. A second thing she likes about him is how lean his body is, how he can be slim-waisted and strong in one package. After seeing everyone in her close family as thicker in muscle build, she sees her lover as a supermodel with a strength that doesn’t have to equate to size.
Ellie:
Ellie, above all, loves that Arcanus does not give his word to someone without the true intent to fulfill his claim. Even if it takes time for him to accomplish this, he will never give a promise that he cannot keep. It shows in both his work and life with her. It played a lot into the way their relationship panned out after so long apart and the damage Ellie had done. He made a promise, if even to himself, that something was to come of them and, even after so long, he maintained that care for her, making it impossible for him to shoot her on their reunion.
He also has a way of expressing his affection that she enjoys, even if it’s not really as everyone expects. His different kinds of relationships will always have loyalty from him, from the one he shares with her to the ones he shares with the Vakarians. For example, he didn’t need to go out of his way and order his men to search for and treat both Garrus and Jane while they were in a coma after the war, but he swore his loyalty to them in his own special way when he shared that drink with them before leaving the Normandy.
As for looks, Ellie can’t deny that he looks great in his usual robes. He’s so elegant, so regal, in the very way he carries himself and she often just watches him. Even the fact that he can go into battle and still maintain that air about him appeals to her more than it probably should.
She also likes to take advantage of those rings of his he’s got. While not physically part of him, it’s the reactions she can get out of him by playing with them that she has a particular liking for. While he does look regal, the rings make him seem dangerous, while also giving her a control in their intimacy. With how they press against sensitive nerves in his mandibles, just a little bit of play can turn him into a very relaxed, very carefree Arcanus.
SquigglySquidd's Parables 