#Commander Ethan Shepard

[lavampira]

oc masterlist

last update: 05.19.25

ORIGINAL: SOLIS OCCASUM

1920s paranormal mystery in a lovecraftian setting

AMELIA LAURIER | the flapper medium age: 20 identity: she/her, lesbian appearance: 5'9 occupation: aspiring journalist

LON LAURIER | the haunted veteran age: 33 identity: he/him, gay appearance: 6'3 occupation: museum curator, wwi veteran

ETHAN RIPLEY | the deceased lover age: 25 at death in 1919 identity: he/him, bisexual appearance: 5'11 occupation: wwi veteran

VISUAL NOVELS / INTERACTIVE FICTION

note: some have also been readapted to original 'verses as I no longer play their media

ANGEL PAVON | operative vesper verse: project hadea age: 28 identity: he/him, bisexual appearance: 6'2 specialization: infiltration romance: nash, evie thierry (ex), seb ariti

BENJAMIN "BENJI" FINCH | sunset bird resident verse: our life: beginnings & always age: 23 identity: he/him, bisexual appearance: 5'10 occupation: freelance artist, guitarist romance: cove holden, rowan hill

EVELINE "EVIE" THIERRY | private investigator verse: the wayhaven chronicles age: 28 identity: she/her, bi demisexual appearance: 5'1 skills: deduction + people romance: nate sewell, angel pavon (ex)

LEOVIC "VIC" RANE | commander-legate, omen verse: shepherds of haven age: 29 identity: he/him, gay appearance: 6'4, hunter-raised mage specialization: divination magic romance: trouble alder, red antiqua (ex)

RIVER LOVELL | rivlaughluv verse: blooming panic age: 27 identity: they/them, bisexual appearance: 5'10 occupation: private lab technician romance: xyx, olivia santos (fwb)

VERONICA SCARLET | the wayward scarlet verse: scarlet hollow age: 24 identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'7 occupation: biology grad student skills: mystical + book smart romance: avery belle

DC COMICS

OLIVIA SANTOS | gotham defense attorney age: 27 identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'5 occupation: lawyer romance: dick grayson, river lovell (fwb)

DRAGON AGE

GABRIEL COUSLAND | hero of ferelden, hound of highever age: 23 in 9:30 dragon identity: he/him, bisexual appearance: 5'11, human class: duelist + shadow rogue romance: leliana

ALTHEA "THEA" HAWKE | champion of kirkwall age: 25 in 9:30 dragon identity: she/her, lesbian appearance: 6', human class: reaver warrior romance: merrill

ARACELI "CELI" LAVELLAN | the inquisitor age: 30 in 9:41 dragon identity: she/they, bisexual appearance: 5'4, elf class: knight-enchanter mage romance: blackwall

PETRA INGELLVAR | rook age: 26 in 9:53 dragon identity: they/them, bisexual appearance: 5'7, elf class: reaper warrior + mourn watch romance: davrin

FINAL FANTASY XIV

D'ALIA LIVEQ | warrior of light age: 27 in ARR identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'4, sunseeker miqo'te job: viper, summoner, dark knight, machinist romance: sidurgu orl, koana (ex), cylva (ons), k'lyhia (ex)

JIYU HATANO | the scion, doman resistance, devotee of seiryu age: 23 in SB identity: she/they, lesbian appearance: 5', raen au ra job: geomancer + ninja romance: tsubame oshidari

MASS EFFECT

MALENA SHEPARD | the commander age: 29 in 2183 identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'10 class: vanguard romance: kaidan alenko

SONORA "SONI" RYDER | the pathfinder age: 22 in 2819 identity: she/her, lesbian appearance: 5'8 class: sentinel romance: vetra nyx

STAR WARS: KOTOR

VANNA PHY | revan age: 33 in 303 BTC identity: they/them, bisexual appearance: 5'9, human class: scout + sentinel romance: canderous ordo

SHIVA AMHI | the jedi exile age: 31 in 298 BTC identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'7, mirialan class: consular + master romance: atton rand

STAR WARS: SWTOR

ANA MAITE VICARI | the wrath age: 21 in 10 ATC identity: she/her, lesbian appearance: 5'3, human class: marauder + shadow romance: jaesa willsaam

CADRIEN TIRAI | claw of the empire, wrath's apprentice age: 19 in 12 ATC identity: he/him, gay appearance: 6'1, miraluka class: juggernaut + sage romance: minaiph tirai

EDELIE LOK CADERA | champion of the great hunt age: 18 in 10 ATC identity: she/her, bi demisexual appearance: 5'2, human class: mercenary + powertech romance: torian cadera

JORANI RHA | captain of the fortune's favour age: 24 in 10 ATC identity: she/her, lesbian appearance: 5'7, twi'lek class: scoundrel + mercenary romance: TBA

KAIZEN "KAI" AMHI | jedi battlemaster, alliance commander age: 20 in 10 ATC identity: he/him, gay appearance: 6'2, mirialan class: guardian + sage romance: theron shan

MITTH'ASTON "THASTON" | cipher nine age: 24 in 10 ATC identity: they/them, bisexual appearance: 6'1, chiss class: sniper + powertech romance: hunter, kaliyo djannis (fwb)

SARAJAH RIZAS | jedi barsen'thor age: 26 in 10 ATC identity: she/her, bi demisexual appearance: 6', cathar class: shadow romance: felix iresso

VIN KHARU | havoc squad commander age: 25 in 10 ATC identity: he/him, bisexual appearance: 5'8, nautolan class: vanguard + mercenary romance: elara dorne

WYLAN ORIAS | ex-padawan mechanic, battlemaster's apprentice age: 20 in 20 ATC identity: he/him, bi asexual appearance: 6'4, echani class: shadow + guardian romance: jase bralor

ZOYAH KALLIG | darth occlus age: 26 in 10 ATC identity: she/they, bisexual appearance: 5', rattataki class: assassin + sorcerer romance: andronikos revel

VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE

INES DELAROSA | the fledgling age: 25 at embrace in 2005 identity: she/her, bisexual appearance: 5'2 clan: anarch-aligned toreador occupation: metal singer romance: ash rivers

[theoriginalladya]

A Beacon of Hope - Update

Summary:  Newly engaged John Shepard and Kaidan Alenko take the day to celebrate John's birthday. Little do they know it is the beginning of something far more complicated.

Chapter Summary:  John suspects the accident that killed his mother is more than just an accident, but it takes an attempt on Jayme while she's in the hospital to get the cops to believe it. Time to call in reinforcements to help!

Characters: John Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Jayme Shepard, (Ethan) Coats, Armando Owen-Bailey

Tags: Mass Effect AU, Normandy Island AU, canon divergent, Happy Birthday Commander Shepard (first chapter), fluff, angst, drama, grief, minor character death, hospitals

Chapter 3: Got Your Six

Excerpt:

John knows it's his own fault he has to spend the rest of the morning cooling his heels and waiting for treatment down in the ER. Usually, he’s levelheaded and slow to anger, two things that made him such a good naval officer during his years of service and carried over to his new career in law enforcement. Turns out, finding out those he cares most about are in harm’s way and he can’t help shortens that fuse.  Who knew? Kaidan helps John through the initial paperwork - John also suspects Bailey might have gotten involved by calling ahead, but he has no proof – and he’s brought to an examination room relatively quickly.  After that, however, it's a waiting game.  Hours pass. A nurse stops by to take his vitals as well as note down the details of his injury, but then leaves John and Kaidan alone again.  Irritated and in pain, sitting still just isn’t in the cards, so John paces around the small room.  Kaidan just sits there, his attention focused on his phone, though John suspects his fiancé is using that as a cover for sneaking peeks at him and making his own evaluation.  Eventually, a doctor arrives.  John makes it through another examination with gritted teeth.  The pain from moving his hand plus the doctor's frown is enough to assure John he really has mucked things up.  The doctor leaves John to pace some more, this time waiting as x-rays are arranged.   By the time he and Kaidan leave the ER, John has both a cast and a sling as well as an official determination that he's broken the carpals - or is it metacarpals?  Anatomy has never been his strong suit - in his right hand and for the next eight weeks or so will be on strictly limited activity.  Great.  John, 0; Stupidity, 1.

~~~

Read Full Chapter // Read From the Beginning // Read the Series

Hi, all! It's been... two and a half years since I last updated this fic, but you know what? John and Kaidan have come roaring back! What do you say we see where this adventure takes them?

[polyamarhousgarden]

💐F/O List💐

Please just assume I don’t like sharing my ROMANTIC F/Os, I don’t mind sharing them if you f/o them as a PLATONIC or FAMILIAL F/O though.

LEGEND

💘 - Romantic (NON-SHAREABLE)

💗 - Crush

💖 - Platonic

💝 - Familial

💔 - Enemy

🍼 - Fankids

TOLKIEN

THE HOBBIT

💘💘Fíi Dísul💘💘

💝Feren Aurelion💝 (Adoptive Father | Canon side character turned OC)

💝Elvenking Oropher💝 (Stepfather | AU)

💝Melmerondir Ferenion💝 (Adoptive Brother | OC)

🍼Agdís Fíliul🍼

🍼Afli Fíliul🍼

🍼Elli Fíliul🍼

🍼Dalli Fíliul🍼

RINGS OF POWER

💗Prince Durin II + Princess Disa💗

💗High King Ereinion Gil-Galad💗

LORD OF THE RINGS

💓Boromir, son of Denethor💓

SENSE & SENSIBILITY

💓 Colonel Brandon💓

EL FILIBUSTERISMO | THE REIGN OF GREED

💘Isagani💘

💝Basilio💝 (Surrogate Younger Brother)

MO DAO ZU SHI | THE GRANDMASTER OF DEMONIC CULTIVATION

💘Nie Mingjue | Chifeng Zun💘

💝Nie Huaisang💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💔Jin Guangyao | Meng Yao | Lianfeng Zun💔

🍼Nie Yuyang | Nie Xiang🍼

🍼Nie Lishan | Nie Shi🍼

LES MISERABLES

💗Courfeyrac💗

💝Gavroche Thenardier💝 (Adopted Son)

💝Hugues Thenardier💝 (Adopted Son)

💝Bressole Thenardier💝 (Adopted Son)

💖Enjolras💖

💖Combeferre💖

💖Feuilly💖

💖Jean Prouvaire | Jehan💖

💖Bahorel💖

💖Boussuet | Lesgles | Laigle | Lesgle | L'Aigle de Meaux💖

💖Joly | Jolllly💖

💖Musichetta💖

DRAGON AGE

DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

💘💘Alistair Theirin💘💘

💖💗Knight-Lieutenant Joseph Terrell💗💖 (OC)

💝Jowan💝

💖Lily💖

💖Zevran Arainai💖

💖Morrigan💖

🍼Jowan Surana🍼

🍼Duncan Surana🍼

🍼Morgaine Surana🍼

DRAGON AGE 2 | DRAGON AGE: EXODUS

💘💘Fenris + Anders💘💘

💝Carver Aristide Hawke y Amell💝 (Younger Brother)

💝Merrill Sabrae💝 (Sister-in-Law)

💖Sebastian Vael💖

💖Varric Tethras💖

🍼Belinda Filomena Hawke + Renata Milagros Hawke🍼

🍼Cariel Balea Hawke🍼

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

💘💘Commander Cullen Stanton Rutherford💘💘

💝Dakila Kato Magsumakit💝 (Father | Bearer | OC)

💝Alab Kato Bagwisan💝 (Father | Sire | OC)

💝Sinag, Anak ni Dakila💝 (Elder Brother)

💖Solas | Fen'Harel💖

💖Lady Josephine Cherrette Montilyet💖

💖Vivienne de Fer💖

💖Cole💖

🍼Awa🍼

🍼Banayat🍼

🍼Matulin🍼

🍼Malakas🍼

🍼Mahinay🍼

DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION

💘Seeker Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast💘

💝Hara Luwalhati Kato Bagwisan💝 (Mother | OC)

💖Solas | Fen'Harel💖

💖Varric Tethras💖

💖Vivienne de Fer💖

💖Blackwall | Thom Rainier💖

💖Mother Giselle💖

🍼Luningning Kato Bagwisan🍼

🍼Kundiman Kato Bagwisan🍼

🍼Anthony Kato Bagwisan🍼

🍼Liwanag Kato Bagwisan🍼

MASS EFFECT

MASS EFFECT

💘💘Thane Krios💘💘

💝Doctor Dominic Shepard💝 (Father Figure | OC)

💝Captain Anderson💝 (Father Figure)

💝Kolyat Krios💝 (Stepson)

💝Justicar Samara💝 (Mother Figure)

💖Miranda Lawson💖

💖Mordin Solus💖

💖Liara T'soni💖

💖Legion💖

💖Urdnot Wrex💖

💖James Vega💖

💖Kaidan Alenko💖

🍼Asayu + Thiro Krios🍼

MASS EFFECT:ANDROMEDA (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Jaal Ama Darav💘💘

💝Pathfinder Alec Ryder💝 (Stepfather)

💝Nimuel Angelo Ryder💝 (Twin Brother | OC)

💝Vetra Nyx💝 (Sister-in-Law)

💖Peebee💖

💖Liam Costa💖

BALDUR'S GATE 3 (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Gale Dekarios of Waterdeep💘💘

💖Tara💖

💖Wyll Ravengard💖

💖Shadowheart💖

💖Halsin💖

💖Astarion Ancunin💖

💖Shadowheart Hallowleaf💖

💖Karlach💖

🍼Wymond Dekarios🍼

🍼Firmin Dekarios🍼

🍼Jocosa Dekarios🍼

OVERWATCH

💘💘Cole Cassidy + Shimada Hanzo💘💘

💝Shimada Genji💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💖Zenyatta💖

💖Jean-Baptiste Augustin💖

💖Brigitte Lindholm💖

💖Song Hana | D.Va💖

💖Niran PruksaManee | Lifeweaver💖

💖Kamori Kimiko💖

💖Lúcio Correia dos Santos💖

💖Zhou Mei-Ling💖

💖Doctor Angela Ziegler | Mercy💖

💖Fareeha Amari | Pharah💖

💖Reinhardt Wilhelm💖

💖Satya Vaswani | Symmetra💖

💖Jack Morrison | Soldier: 76💖

💖Lena Oxton | Tracer💖

💖Winston💖

💖Illari💖

🍼Evelyn Felicity "Evie" Cassidy + Ethan Alexander "Alex" Cassidy🍼

🍼Noah Isaac Cassidy🍼

🍼John Joseph "Jay" Cassidy🍼

🍼Shimada Haruki + Shimada Hayami🍼

DIVINITY II

💘Ifan Ben-Mezd💘

💖Beast💖

💖Lohse💖

ARCANA

💘Doctor Julian Devorak | Ilya | Ilyushka💘

💝Portia Devorak | Pasha💝 (Sister-in-Law)

💝Tasya💝 (Aunt-by-Marriage)

💖Mazelinka💖

💖Nadia Satrinava💖

💖Asra💖

🍼Galena Devorak | Galya🍼

🍼Irina Devorak | Irinushka🍼

🍼Vera Devorak | Verusha🍼

MYSTIC MESSENGER

MYSTIC MESSENGER

💘Ryu Hyun | Zen💘

💖Kim Yoosung💖

💔Echo Girl💔

🍼triplets🍼

MYSTIC MESSENGER (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘Kim Jihyun | V💘

💝Kim Lucy💝 (adopted daughter)

💖Han Jumin💖

💔Rika💔

ACE ATTORNEY

💘Diego Armando | Godot💘

💖Detective Dick Gumshoe💖

💖Attorney Phoenix Wright💖

HARVEST MOON

HARVEST MOON DS CUTE (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘Griffin💘

HARVEST MOON: ANIMAL PARADE

💘Jin💘

HARVEST MOON: GRAND BAZAAR

💘Angelo💘

HARVEST MOON: A TALE OF TWO TOWNS

💘Cam💘

HARVEST MOON: SUNSHINE ISLANDS

💘Mark💘

FIRE EMBLEM

FIRE EMBLEM: THREE HOUSES (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘Claude von Riegen | Khalid💘

FIRE EMBLEM: FATES (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Xander💘💘

💝Siegbert💝 (Son)

💝Kana💝 (Son)

💖Jacob💖

CHOICES

ROYAL ROMANCE

💘King James Liam Rhys💘

💝Prince Charles Leonidas Rhys💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💖Drake Walker💖

💖Hana Lee💖

💖Bertrand Beaumont💖

💖Olivia Nevrakis💖

🍼Mayon Eleanor Lakandula-Rhys🍼

🍼Leon Ethan Lakandula-Rhys🍼

🍼Hannah Valentina Lakandula-Rhys🍼

💔Constantine Rhys💔

💔Maxwell Beaumont💔

💔Madeleine Amaranth💔

💔Barthelemy Beaumont💔

NIGHTBOUND

💘Nik Ryder + Cal Lowell💘

💝Lord Elric💝 (Father)

💝Lady Thalissa💝 (Stepmother)

💝Donny Lowell💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💖Garrus💖

💖Vera Reimonenq💖

💖Krom💖

💖Kristin Jones💖

💖Ivy💖

💖Luc💖

💔Tialo💔

💔Thomas💔

OPEN HEART

💘Raphael Aveiro💘

💝Juliana Aveiro💝 (Grandmother-in-law)

💖Bryce Lahela💖

💖Aurora Emery💖

💖Elijah Green💖

💖Jackie Varma💖

💖Sienna Trinh💖

💖Kyra Santana💖

💖Ines Dela Rosa💖

💖Zaid Mirani💖

💖Naveen Banerji💖

💔Declan Nash💔

💔Landry Olsen💔

ROMANCE CLUB

HEAVEN'S SECRET (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Lucifer💘💘

💝Noah Walker💝 (Father)

💝Misselina💝 (Mother Figure)

💝Admiron Winchesto💝 (Father Figure)

💝Geralt💝 (Father Figure)

💖Mimi💖

💖Dino💖 (Ex, Messy Split)

💖Adi💖

💖Sammy💖

💖Andy💖 (Ex, Amicable Split)

💖Loy💖

💖Mammon💖

💖Eliza💖

💖Eragon💖

💖Donny💖

💖War💖

💔Plague💔

💔Satan💔

💔Rebecca Walker💔

💔💖Astaroth💖💔

HEART OF TRESPIA

💘Earl Reinhard Piel💘

💝Duke Osmont Ymeri💝 (Uncle | Surrogate Father)

💝Hilde💝 (Mother Figure)

💖Delias💖

💖Wyatt le Roux💖

💖Gisella💖

💖Cyril💖

💖King D'Mario💖

💖Princess Vanora💖

💔Prince Alaric💔

💔Queen Megaris💔

💔Queen Perialla💔

PATH OF THE VALKYRIE

💘Sagr💘

💖Loki💖

DISLYTE

💘Drew💘

BEING HUMAN UK

💘💘John Mitchell💘💘

💖Annie Sawyer💖

💖George Sands💖

SUPERNATURAL (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Sam Winchester💘💘

💝Father Ricardo dela Cruz💝 (Surrogate Father | OC)

💝Dean Winchester💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💝Bobby Singer💝 (Father-in-law)

💝Jack Kline💝 (Surrogate Son)

💖Kevin Tran💖

💖Crowley💖

💖Gadreel💖

LEVERAGE

💘💘Elliot Spencer💘💘

💝Sophie Devereaux💝 (Surrogate Mother)

💝Nathan Ford💝 (Father Figure)

💖Alec Hardison💖

💖Parker💖

💖Jim Sterling💖

ADVENTURE TIME

💗Simon Petrikov💗

💝Marceline Abadeer💝 (Surrogate Daughter)

💔The Lich💔

DC

JUSTICE LEAGUE (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Clark Kent | Superman | Kal El + J'onn J'onzz | Martian Manhunter | John Jones💘💘

💝Jonathan Kent💝 (Father-in-law)

💝Martha Kent💝 (Mother-in-law)

💝Connor Kent | Superboy | Kon El💝 (Adopted Son)

💝Jon Kent | Superboy💝 (Son)

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS AND MONSTERS

💘Hernan Guerra | Superman💘

💝Valentina Guerra💝 (Sister-in-Law)

💖Kirk Langstrom | Man-Bat💖

💖Bekka | Wonder Woman💖

STAR TREK

💓Bones💓

LACKADAISY (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘💘Mordecai Heller💘💘

💖Atlas May💖

💖Mitzi May💖

💖Viktor Vasco💖

💖Sedgewick Sable💖

BLEACH (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘Kyouraku Shunsui + Ukitake Jushiro💘

💝Sasakibe Chōjirō Tadaoki💝 (Surrogate Father)

KIMETSU NO YAIBA (MORE TO BE ADDED)

💘Himejima Gyoumei💘

ORIGINAL WORKS (PERSONAL)

A GOOD MAN'S MAKNG

💘Sherlock Holmes💘

💝Mycroft Holmes💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💝Sherrinford Holmes💝 (Brother-in-Law)

💝💖Detective Lestrade💖💝 (Brother-in-Law | Family Friend)

💖Doctor John H. Watson💖

ORIGINAL WORKS (OTHERS)

💘Zane Jelm💘

💖Nyla💖

[psychescape]

psyche ∙ scape — a multi-muse by luca ( 30; he/him ). see carrd for guidelines + muse bios!

mobile muse list ➘

canon characters:

alicia florrick — the good wife

cremisius aclassi — dragon age ( inquisition )

brasidas — assassin's creed ( odyssey )

liam kosta — mass effect ( andromeda )

ethan chandler — penny dreadful

elladan peredhel — tolkien's legendarium

player characters:

commander shepard — mass effect ( 1 - 3 )

vince 'v' düzey — cyberpunk 2077

aerendyl — baldur's gate 3 ( + general d&d )

original characters:

perry osei — fandomless occult

kaneziel — fandomless occult

aphanarû sakalthôr — tolkien's legendarium

sylvan timbancaya — fandomless occult

sideblog:

@forceguided — star wars multi-oc

formerly on:

mindsmade

peredhellen

forceblinded

[gosoccerdawgs]

Dawgs Earn Region Berth Over Admirals

DISTRICT-4 SEMI-FINAL (elimination)

at Bearden 3 Farragut 0

Thursday, May 9, 2024 7pm

Bearden’s swarming defense and relentless offense led the streaking Bulldogs to next week’s Region 2 playoff round as they defeated Farragut 3-0 Thursday. Bearden will now travel to Hardin Valley Friday to play the Hawks in a non-elimination District 4 Championship game to determine seeding.

Towering defender Cole Stopka got things started midway through the first half when he headed a perfect Dillon Sims corner kick into the net. 

Eight minutes later, the left-footed Sims fired a 25-yard direct kick bullet to the upper-90, and Bearden went to the break with a 2-0 lead.

Ten minutes into the second period, defender Shawn Spencer, disrupting the Admiral offense all evening, won the ball deep, attacked midfield and placed a beautiful pass into the box which Lucas Ford alertly head-flicked to an open Aiden Ainsworth for a score and a commanding 3-0 lead.

Coach Ryan Radcliffe praised his back line of Spencer, Stopka, and Captains Shepard McMurray and Nic Prins. “Those guys have played valuable minutes for multiple years now. Nic did a heck of a job on the outside against Franklin,“ referring to dangerous All-State Admiral forward Franklin Von Hagen.

The season’s eighth shutout was in doubt, however, until junior GK Logan Nelson made a brilliant, diving save on a Farragut penalty kick with 24:37 remaining. “Everything starts with Logan, Radcliffe said. He’s a three-year starter for us, that’s why he’s back there. His experience, leadership, and mainly his communication and knowledge of the game....it’s like having another Captain on the field.”

Speaking of Captains--Jack Raulston , while not scoring a goal, led the relentless Bearden onslaught, hawking balls deep, attacking the box and drawing fouls. Hustling Noah Price and steady Jack Tirgrath kept the midfield under control as the defense limited the Admirals to a measly three shots on goal.

Goals: COLE STOPKA (23’ Dillon Sims); DILLON SIMS (31’ Jack Raulston); AIDEN AINSWORTH (50’ Lucas Ford, Shawn Spencer);

Shots/Shots-on-goal: BHS 17/11 FHS 4/3.Corners: BHS 5 FHS 2. Fouls: BHS 9 FHS 6. Offsides: BHS 1 FHS 0. Yellow Card: FHS#23 (31’). Conditions: wet grass, clear, 65 degrees. Attendance: 418. 

Outside the box.........with most colleges now on break, it was Alumni night at the pitch with former Bulldogs Lucas Nordin (ETSU), Ethan Ford (ETSU), Becca Roth (Western Ky.), and BrinleyMurphy (So. Carolina) taking in the action.........Woof!

[madmacci]

Here he comes

Edit: The leg was pissing me off, so changed it. A lil better now :)

[a-lesnikova]

[grayingskies]

[theoriginalladya]

A Beacon of Hope

Summary:  Newly engaged John Shepard and Kaidan Alenko take the day to celebrate John's birthday. Little do they know it is the beginning of something far more complicated.

Characters: John Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, Jayme Shepard, (Ethan) Coats, Armando Owen-Bailey

Tags: Mass Effect AU, Normandy Island AU, canon divergent, Happy Birthday Commander Shepard (first chapter), fluff, angst, drama, grief, minor character death, hospitals

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday, Shepard

NOTES:  I wanted to start posting this today in honor of Commander Shepard’s birthday because Chapter 1 is celebrating Shepard’s birthday. Also, I know the timing is slightly off, but I couldn’t resist! :D

Excerpt:

“More notes for class?”

Kaidan chuckles fondly.  “Only you can you make school sound like such a horrible thing using only four words.”

John shrugs his shoulders as a smug grin slides across his lips.  “It’s a gift, what can I say?”  

“Speaking of gifts …”  Kaidan rises from the desk and takes his hand, tugging gently but firmly for him to follow.  

John does, though a wave of resignation washes through him.  “Kaidan, I told you not to get me anything.  Just being able to spend the evening with you is more than enough.”

They head up the next flight of steps and continue until they reach the uppermost level of the lighthouse.  “I said I would think about it, but I never agreed to that condition,” Kaidan reminds him as they crest the top step.  Releasing his hold, he walks over to a storage cabinet and returns with a wrapped package which he hands over to John with a grin. “Besides, I’ve had this sitting around for a while now.  No way to return it, so you have to accept it.”

John glances at the gift.  It’s smallish, about the size of a thin paperback book or maybe a video game; either is likely.  “What did you do?”...

~~~

Read Full Chapter // Read From the Beginning // Read the Series

[loveydoveymerrillsabrae]

Why do this to me ;;;-;;;

[brywrites]

Sweet Sixteen

It’s @goldenalvez‘s birthday today and I wrote this a while back after hearing B said she didn’t have a sixteenth birthday party. I hope your day is joyful and that you never doubt how loved you are! Summary: Luke x Reader. In which Garcia learns the Reader never had a big birthday party and decides it’s time to change that.

-----

“Y/N!” Garcia calls, running into the kitchenette impressively fast for someone in stiletto heels. “Luke said you didn’t want a birthday party! This has to be a complete and utter falsehood, so I immediately came to get the truth from you!”

Y/N raises her eyebrows, trying not to spill the coffee she’s pouring into a mug. “Why would my boyfriend lie about that?” she asks, laughing. “I’m not really one for birthday parties,” she admits. “I haven’t had one in ages.”

“Not even when you turned twenty-one? Or sixteen?” Reid asks. “Outside of bat and bar mitzvahs, those are the two most widely celebrated years for birthdays in American culture and tend to be seen as major milestones.”

She shakes her head and sets the pot of medium roast back on the burner. “Of course you would know that. No, I didn’t do anything. When I was young I would have parties and eventually people just stopped showing up. It hurt more than not celebrating at all, so by the time I was sixteen I’d kind of just given up on all that. But I mean, it’s not like you had a big celebration either, right?”

Reid considers this as he pours his own coffee. “Well, by the time I was sixteen I was about to graduate college and most of the way through my first doctoral dissertation. I hadn’t planned on doing anything, but Ethan was at CalTech at that point too. He and my advisor got some of the graduate students in my cohort together and surprised me. It wasn’t anything big but it was the first time I’d celebrated my birthday with someone other than my mom. Ethan’s boyfriend made a cake and my advisor pretended not to notice when the grad students broke out the wine and let me have some.” He turns to look at her. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes it’s nice to share that moment with people. To let them celebrate you.”

“Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying Boy Wonder!” Garcia chimes in. “And it’s no secret that I throw the best celebrations of all time, so it’ll be so much fun!”

“I love you both,” Y/N laughs. “But I really don’t need a pity party from my boyfriend’s team, okay? I just want to spend a quiet day at home with Luke and Roxy. But I need to get back to White Collar. My team has a con-man to catch and that data isn’t going to analyze itself.” She takes her coffee and walks down the hallway to her own office with its computer screens and maps. It’s true, she is looking forward to spending time with her favorite person and favorite non-person this weekend. But she also doesn’t want to go through the effort of planning a party only to be let down again. And though the BAU have become close friends since she and Luke began dating, it would still feel strange to be surrounded only by people she had met through him. But who else would even want to come?

Y/N shakes the thought from her head. She has a job to do. She refocuses on combing through emails and phone records. Agents from her own team come in and out of her office to ask questions or give her updates or stay and joke for a little while. She spends almost twenty minutes chatting with Darcy about the latest episode of The Bachelorette and joins both her and Marika for lunch in the courtyard. The day passes quickly and by the end of it, they’ve located their suspect in San Diego and agents at the local field office are poised to make the arrest over the weekend. It’s a job well-done, and her unit chief, Ahmed, stops by to thank her on her way out. She’s happy to see all their hard work pay off, but she is happier still to see Luke waiting for her by the elevator.

“We did it!” she tells him. “The case is closed!”

He grins and wraps her in a quick hug. “I knew you would. Now we have two things to celebrate this weekend.”

They step onto the elevator and she laces her fingers through his. “I don’t see why everyone makes such a big deal about birthdays. They’re just another day. They come every year.”

“Okay, okay, we don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to,” he relents. “I just want to make sure you know that if there is anything you want to do, your wish is my command.”

Y/N rests her head against his shoulder. He smells nice, his cologne a mix of tonka bean and spice and a hint of vanilla. It’s comforting and warm, just like him. He’s the one person who always makes her feel safe and at home. He drives back to their apartment where Roxy is all to eager to see them.

“Hello sweet girl,” Y/N coos, kneeling down to hug her after the Belgian Shepard nearly knocks over in her excitement. Roxy nuzzles against her shoulder, her tail sweeping back and forth. Luke feigns hurt at the affront of being greeted second. She takes Roxy out for a quick run around the block and returns to find Luke halfway through making dinner.

“Pastelón,” he explains. “It’s like… Puerto Rican lasagna. Plaintains, ground beef, cheese. It’s really good. My mom used to make it for my birthday.”

“Did you have traditions in your family for birthdays?” she asks. After six months together, there’s so much she’s still learning about him.

He shrugs. “We did when I was younger. My mom would cook dinner. If it was my dad’s birthday, she’d make flan, which I always hated. He would buy cheesecake for our birthdays. We’d invite our friends over and have a potluck party in the park across from the apartment. Tia Dolores next door made the best empanadas and my best friend’s dad used to grill plantains. My friends and I would run around the park and get into trouble. And every year we’d go around and everybody had to say one thing they loved about the person whose birthday it was.”

“That’s so sweet.”

“It was,” he says, putting the pastelón into the oven. “But after my dad left it was different.” This is a story she’s heard before – how his father had survived Vietnam but returned home from a brief deployment to Panama with a distant look that never quite went away. He didn’t know how to cope with the trauma and one day he just left. His dad had always been his hero and his mom’s hero – and so Luke had tried to be the same. Strong, reliable, brave. “It was hard for her. We stopped having all the neighbors over. But she always made pastelón, and she always told me what she loved about me.”

“I love that,” she says. Then, noticing the food on the counter she asks, “What are you going to do with all the leftovers there?”

Luke immediately returns to cutting plantains and beef. “I couldn’t make some for us and not give Roxy any.” She can’t help but giggle as his sincerity. Because of course he would make a special dish for her, too. That’s just who he is – he loves big and wide and without apology.

The next day, Luke is mercifully quiet about her birthday. He kisses her slowly when she wakes up and makes heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, but doesn’t say a word. His smile tells her all she needs to her. He’ll make today about her without making a fuss. That’s all she could need.

But then she takes Roxy out for an afternoon jog, and when she returns the apartment looks completely different. String lights and streamers hang from the wall. Yellow paper flowers are carefully placed on tables and counters. The living room furniture has been rearranged to make extra space despite housing additional chairs from the kitchen.

Luke stands in the center of the living room wearing a burgundy shirt that she loves him in so much. The grin on his face is bashful, like she’s just caught him sneaking sweets from the pantry. “What’s going on?” she asks.

“I would just like to state for the record that this was not my plan, technically, and I was coerced under threat of serious bodily harm,” he says. There’s a knock at the door. Y/N shoots him a look, but he just holds his hands up in surrender, denying all responsibility for whatever is about to transpire.

She opens the door and comes face to face with her entire team. “Surprise!” they chorus.

“Wait, what?” She steps aside, completely stunned and they file into the apartment. “What are you doing here?” Ahmed is holding a plate of frosted cookies, Darcy and Marika both have well-wrapped presents tucked under their arms, and the rest of the White Collar Crimes unit look absolutely delighted to be there.

“You really thought none of us knew your birthday was coming up, Y/L/N?” Darcy asks. “We’re here to celebrate our favorite technical analyst, of course!”

“And one of our favorite people even if you weren’t our tech analyst,” Marika adds.

Before she can respond there’s another knock. Six of their neighbors are at the door this time, including the couple with the two twin boys who live above them, as well as her three former roommates. Everyone has some sort of food dish with them. And just when she thinks that they’ve never had this many people in their living room at once, the entire BAU shows up. Garcia holds a large frosted cake and a surprisingly large pink gift bag swings from her arm.

“Happy day of birth!” she declares, rushing in to set the cake down so she can hug Y/N.

“I don’t understand,” Y/N says. “I thought that-”

“You said you didn’t want a pity party,” Garcia interrupts. “This is not a pity party. This is a party of a bunch of people who love you and what to spend today with you.”

“But how did you do this?”

“I simply roped your beloved Newbie here into assisting me. He’s very good at keeping a secret you know.” Y/N glances back over at Luke, who smiles.

“Guilty as charged,” he admits. “I may have – under duress, of course – helped Penelope identify your closest friends and what their emails and social media accounts were. She sent out invitations and helped me set everything up.”

“We were cutting it a little bit close,” Garcia says, “since I only had twelve hours notice, but I think we pulled it off pretty well.”

So everyone here just showed up? With almost no heads up? She looks around the room at so many faces she’s come to know and love. “But why?” she asks.

Garcia’s face softens. “Because we love you, silly. I mean, everyone here does, clearly. A whole lot. And there were at least twelve more people I invited who couldn’t make but really wanted to be here. Expect emailed well-wishes from them soon.”

At a complete loss for words, she turns to Luke. He pulls her into a gentle embrace. “If you really don’t like parties, I promise to never do this again. But I want you to have one day where you feel special. I want you to know how much everyone here cares about you, and I want to celebrate the fact that you exist. Because I’m pretty happy that you were born today, and I’m even happier that you’re still here. I love you, Y/N. We all do.”

“I love you, too,” she says, fighting back tears. He kisses her forehead, and then all too soon she is being pulled away to socialize. Everyone seems so happy to see her. Everyone has kind things to say and jokes to tell and things to catch up on. There’s enough food to feed a small army, and soon everyone is eating and mingling and their apartment is filled with the pleasant sound of easy laughter and the thumping tail of a happy dog receiving all the attention she could dream of from Garcia and the two twin boys. They go through the ritual of lighting candles on Garcia’s giant pink cake and singing to Y/N, and for once she doesn’t hate it. She looks at the faces of all these people over the glow of the candles, singing to her just a bit out of tune, but looking at her with so much love. She closes her eyes and makes a wish and blows out the candles.

As Reid cuts the cake in the most mathematically equivalent ratio possible and Rossi helps hand it out, Luke pulls her aside. “I know that there’s some other gifts for you,” he explains, “but I helped put this one together, and it’s from all of us.” He hands her a small gift-wrapped rectangle and she opens it carefully. It’s a little salmon-colored notebook with her name on the front. Curious, she opens it, expecting to see blank pages. Instead, the pages are filled with handwritten notes that have been pasted onto them. There’s a note from every single person here, addressed to her. Some are shorter and others are longer, but every one appears to include what they most love about her. There are even a few typed ones that must have been printed out in advance. “Garcia and I made sure everybody signed it before they came, and we collected messages from your friends who couldn’t make it. I know it’s not anything fancy but-”

“Are you kidding?” she asks. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me.”

He smiles, his brown eyes shining, and it makes her heart soar. How lucky is she to have someone that loves her this much? Who would move mountains – under duress, of course – to make her happy like this. “Well that’s not all,” he says. “This one is from me.” It’s not a wrapped gift, but a card with flowers and a cupcake with a heart on the front that says, Happy Sweet Sixteen!  

Y/N narrows her eyes in confusion. “Open it,” Luke insists. And so she does. It’s not a typical card – it has an extra page on the inside. And rather than a standard greeting card message, it is entirely covered in Luke’s handwriting. The 16 sweetest things about you, it reads at the top. It’s followed by a numbered list.

You’re the best listener. Anytime I need someone to talk to, you’re willing to sit with me. You pay attention to what people say and you are always happy to be a confidante and friend. I know I can trust you with anything.

You go out of your way to make people feel included.

You’re an exceptional kisser and I don’t have enough words to describe this because every time I kiss you I’m pretty sure my brain short-circuits.

You love well. There is always room in your heart for the people (and dogs) you meet and you always seem to know exactly what will make somebody feel loved when they need it most. You love me despite how much I love my dog.

You are the only person I love as much as I love my dog.

She looks up from the card, teary-eyed. “I can’t keep reading this or I’m going to cry,” she says.

“Well it’s your party, sweetheart” he chuckles. “You can cry if you want.”

She shakes her head. “Mm mm. Not today. Today I just want to be really really happy with the people who make really really happy.” Luke stands by her side as Garcia urges her to open gifts and eat cake with everyone. The frosting is nearly as delicious as the moment feels. Rossi brings out the wine and Y/N excitedly puts on the pair of earrings in Garcia’s large bag of gifts, which happen to be shaped like her favorite candy. And this, she thinks, is better than any party she could have dreamed of in the past. Maybe big parties aren’t always going to be her thing. And maybe birthdays don’t always need to be a huge deal. But it is nice – to be celebrated. To be reminded that she is incredibly loved, even when she herself doesn’t always realize it.

It’s the sweetest of days, and there’s no one else she would rather spend it with.

[ripley95]

Echoes of Old Embers

Chapter 10

Pairing: F!Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

Rating: T

Chapter length: 3.5K

Story Synopsis:

After surviving the war, one of Shepard’s biggest regrets was rejecting Kaidan at Apollo’s. Fate has a way of bringing Jane and Kaidan back into each other’s lives. A misunderstanding with his family makes Kaidan and Shepard relive old history and question where they stand.

Link to Chapter 1 on AO3

Chapter Synopsis:

Shepard helps Kaidan’s mother prepare food for Libby’s wedding. They get to know each other better while Shepard worries about saying something to deepen the misunderstandings surrounding her relationship with Kaidan.

Read to Chapter 10 on AO3

Tumblr Links:

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14

Read the chapter here below the cut:

Shepard watched Kaidan as he went outside to go work on the yard before she headed towards the kitchen to help Ada, dishes from their breakfast still in hand. She paused in front of the doorway, steeling herself to go in. Now that she’d thought about it, putting her foot in her mouth again was a significant risk and maybe being alone with Kaidan’s mother wasn’t as safe as she’d been making it out to be.

Whether she’d be putting her foot in her mouth or not, time was wasting, so she pushed herself to go into the kitchen. Ada was already busy at work preparing everything. She was pulling out baking dishes, utensils and all sorts of ingredients. Thanks to the war ending, and everyone still trying to rebuild society, Shepard figured that luxuries like catering businesses were probably not a priority right now. This wedding wasn’t supposed to be huge by any means, but she knew there was going to be a decent amount of people there. That ensured that there was plenty to do in the kitchen, which didn’t ease the unsettled feeling in her stomach at all, knowing that she might be stuck here helping with prep all day. It provided much more time for something else to go wrong.

“Ah, there you are,” Ada said, turning around to glance at Shepard, still busy getting everything out to prepare. “You can just put those dishes in the sink for now. We’ll have plenty needing to be washed by the end of all this prep work,” she said as she turned back to pulling out more ingredients and recipes.

Shepard followed her orders, like the good soldier she was, placing the dishes down gingerly and washing her hands.

“So, what are we making?”

“Well, there’ll be a lot,” Ada said with a laugh tinged with a bit of frustration at the notion. “Luckily, some of my friends have agreed to come cook everything tomorrow, so we won’t have to worry about it. Still, I want to try to prep as much as I can today to make their lives easier. The one we’ll start with is my famous glazed carrots. It’s one of the sides that Libby wanted. In the fall, we make apple cider and store it in the freezers so it can last a while. We still have a batch from the last harvest that somehow made it through the war. I use that as a marinade with some spices and butter. I don’t usually like tooting my own horn, but it’s delicious,” she said with a proud smile.

“I can’t say that I’ve ever had anything like that before, but it sure sounds good,” Shepard said, legitimately intrigued with the idea of it. She supposed anything was better than what she was used to lately, but she’d already sampled Ada’s cooking and she couldn’t imagine anything coming from her tasting bad.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s one of my favourite dishes. I was happy to know that Libby thought of it fondly enough to have it at her wedding. That being said, I’m used to making it for a family of six, not for a gathering of more than fifty people, so I think we have our work cut out for us. Kaidan’s sure capable of tucking a lot of it away, too, so we also have to account for that,” she said with a laugh.

“It sounds like we should get to it then. Where do you want me?”

“I already have you set up over here,” Ada said, lightly slapping a pile of bagged carrots that she had put on the large island in the centre of the kitchen. It had barstools on the opposite side. “I figured this would be the easiest. You can sit or stand as you please when you need to give your leg a rest.”

Shepard nodded and went over to the other side and sat down on one of the stools. Her leg was feeling okay, but she thought it best to rest it in case she might be up and busy helping more tomorrow morning before the wedding.

“How did you know it was my leg?” Shepard asked curiously.

“Hmm?” Ada asked, confused.

“I mentioned that I was injured before, but I don’t think we ever specifically mentioned that it was my leg.”

“Ah. Well, I didn’t always help run the orchard, you see,” she said with a wistful smile.

“Oh?” Shepard said, opening the bags of carrots and picking up the peeler.

“Here, put the shavings in this,” she said, handing Shepard a bucket. “We’ll use those for the compost later. I used to be a nurse. I got my start in the Alliance, too, actually.”

“Really?” Shepard looked up to her in disbelief. She wasn’t expecting that. “I’m surprised Kaidan never mentioned that.”

“Ah, he was probably doing that to grant mercy on me,” she said with a chuckle. “I was only enrolled very briefly, mind you, and this was way back in the earlier days of the Alliance when there was much less interplanetary travel. I’ve still never been off-planet. I’m sure you can’t even imagine what that’s like,” she said, giving Shepard a smile.

Shepard chuckled. “Not really. I was born in space. Spent most of my life there.”

“Sounds amazing,” Ada said, giving her a smile. “Then again, I think anything opposite from what you’re used to is bound to sound a little amazing. Maybe it’s nothing but routine for you.”

“There’s definitely some truth to that,” Shepard agreed. “I don’t know if I would quite call it routine. With my job, there was rarely ever a dull moment, but yeah, I would say space is what I’m used to. Probably doesn’t hold the same amount of wonder as it would for someone who’s never been up there. Meanwhile, seeing where you live has been pretty stunning. Not that I’ve never been ground-side, but every place I go is so unique. I haven’t seen anything quite like this before.”

Ada nodded in agreement.

“I’m not sure if you’re just trying to change the subject on me, but you can’t bring up being in the Alliance and not tell me that story,” Shepard said with a curious smile.

“Ha, I should have expected that I wouldn’t be able to pull one over on Commander Shepard,” she said with a laugh. “I suppose my reason for joining the Alliance was the same reason that a lot of people joined. I wanted to get into the medical field. I had already gone to school, but the Alliance was offering a program where they’d reimburse education expenses. It would have helped me a lot at the time, so I decided to give it a shot. Maybe you guessed it by now, but it’s how I met Ethan,” she said, with a whimsical smile.

Shepard stopped peeling the carrot and stared at her, surprised that Kaidan would have kept such a secret about how his parents met, especially with how familiar it was to their own circumstances. “Forbidden romance?” she asked, intrigued.

“You could say that, though, I think it’s probably even worse than you’re thinking. It wasn’t just the regs that were an issue. Ethan was a patient of mine. Not very ethical of me, I know,” she said with the same shit-eating grin that Kaidan had. As much as she was talking about ethics, she clearly found the situation amusing, which made Shepard smile.

“So, what was it? Love at first sight? Did you leave the Alliance so you could be together?” Shepard questioned with a smile.

“Oh no, nothing like that at all, actually. We maintained a respectable distance even though I was quite taken with him even early on. The first time I ever saw him, he came into medical with a sprained ankle from training. I don’t know what he did to it, but it looked like a cantaloupe, and must have hurt like hell. Even through the pain, he was cracking jokes the whole time. We hit it off immediately, but we didn’t act on anything until much later. After he recovered, he’d come around every now and then to catch up. Sometimes he’d bring me a coffee. Actually, he’d bring them for everyone on my shift, but I’m pretty sure it was an excuse to see me. He never did it when I wasn’t there.”

Shepard couldn’t help herself from smiling at that. From everything she’d heard over the last few days, Kaidan sounded like he was the spitting image of his dad.

“We’d chat on my breaks, but we never started anything romantic that early on, no,” she said, looking sombre recounting old memories. “No, you see, there’s this little hangup when you join the Alliance. Even when you just want to be in medical or engineering or anything not involved in the actual combat, you need to at least have basic weaponry certification. Let’s just say, my certification classes didn’t go very well. I kept screaming every time a gun went off. The first time I had to actually fire a weapon, not only did I scream again, but I also dropped the gun because I was so scared of it and proceeded to pass out. When I came to, I believe I asked if I shot anyone, to which I heard the whole class laughing behind me. Luckily the guns automatically go into safety mode when you lose contact with it.” she said, looking directly at Shepard, distracting herself away from her busy hands momentarily. “But look who I’m talking to. Of course, you know all of that already. Anyway,” she continued, looking back down at the food, starting to work with it again, “I was so panicked that I didn’t remember it at the time, and I was concerned I may have killed someone. So as you can imagine, I was discharged pretty swiftly after that. I wasn’t all that disappointed, mind you. I didn’t have much hope for myself to get over that fear. Yet another area that I suspect we’re different,” Ada said with a smile, no harshness behind her words.

Shepard smiled at that, as she peeled the carrots. “You could say that,” she said.

“Yes, well, as soon as Ethan learned that I had been discharged, he looked me up and asked me out. He really didn’t waste any time with that. I suppose the rest is history. I wasn’t particularly proud of my time in the Alliance, so I think my kids tend to keep that piece of information to themselves for my sake. Now anyway. There was a fair amount of teasing when they finally learned about it for themselves. I may not have been any good at it, but the Alliance is pretty important in the Alenko household.”

“Now, there’s something that we have in common,” Shepard said.

“Oh, is that right? I was never fond of the term, but Kaidan did call you a ‘military brat’ earlier. So you come from an Alliance background, yourself, then do you?”

“I do. My parents were both Alliance. Dad died for the cause.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ada said genuinely.

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago. I barely knew him.” Ada nodded at that, not wanting to open old wounds. “My mom’s still going strong, though. She’s an Admiral now.”

“Impressive. She already sounds like an amazing woman.”

“She is. She worked hard for it. But anyway, back to you. I believe you were trying to tell me how you picked up on the fact that it was my leg that was injured.”

“Ah, right. I tend to lose my train of thought easily. After I was discharged from the Alliance, that didn’t change my original plans of working in the medical field. I saw more than my fair share of cases like yours. I think you hide it well. It’s hardly visible, but I can tell that your leg is still bothering you. I’m not sure what happened to you, but it must have been severe if you’ve only just been released from the hospital recently.”

Shepard stopped peeling for a moment, trying hard not to relive the Citadel collapsing on top of her, or the months of surgeries and physical therapy. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Ada had been measuring out ingredients and mixing the marinade the entire time that she had been talking, but that was enough to make her stop and look at Shepard.

“Has anyone told you how much they appreciate what you’ve done?”

“All the time,” Shepard said dryly.

“I suppose that’s not to be unexpected. I have a feeling most people don’t understand the full extent of your sacrifice and duty when they say that, though.”

Shepard looked up at her then, carrot and peeler still idle in her hands.

“Kaidan told us about the Reapers, you know. I mean way back in ’83.”

“He did?”

“Oh, yes. He told me a lot about his time serving with you. How cold was Noveria, by the way? It’s notorious for its harsh weather. Kaidan called me afterwards. He clearly had the sniffles. I told him to wear a sweater,” she said, shaking her head at the memory. “You know what, nevermind. I’m already losing track again,” she said, as Shepard had to silently laugh to herself. “Anyway, that was all years ago now. I think the right people put money towards squashing the rumours that there was a threat. Most people moved on with life as though nothing happened after the Citadel was attacked. But there were some of us who questioned things. People got wind of something going on. I asked Kaidan if he believed they were dangerous and he told me that he believed they were. He told us about all the push-back you were getting, but as far as we were concerned, it was all I needed to hear on the matter. It’s the reason that Ethan jumped so quickly to go back into the Alliance when they finally landed. He knew everything was at stake because his son said so.”

Shepard nodded, already knowing Mr. Alenko’s fate thanks to that dedication, not really knowing what to say to a grieving widow about loss. She had never experienced anything quite like that. She figured Kaidan was actually better equipped to handle that one.

Ada shook her head, looking out the large kitchen window. Shepard turned to see what she was looking at and noticed that she was watching Kaidan working outside.

“Ethan and Kaidan were so alike in so many ways. Ethan never backed down from a fight when he was able to protect the things he loved. The moment I heard about Kaidan joining the Normandy again after becoming a Spectre, I always thought there might have been something more to it. Of course, I would have expected Kaidan to jump at the chance to really try to make a difference during the war no matter what, especially when fighting the Reapers was so important to him, but there was more to it than that. I knew he had someone important in his life.”

Shepard looked back to Ada then, another pang of guilt hitting her. Apparently, the misunderstanding had gotten to her too.

Ada must have caught the look on her face and put her hands up in protest. “It’s none of my business. I know my kids have been squabbling about the two of you since you got here, but you don’t have to explain yourself to me. Kaidan said you’re not together, and I’ll take his word for it until he’s the one to say otherwise. But my point still stands. There’s something between the two of you. Maybe not a romance, but he cares for you. You’re important to him.”

That immediately calmed Shepard down. She liked Ada’s relaxed attitude towards the whole matter. Finally, she nodded in agreement. “He’s important to me too.”

“So I thought. A mother can tell these things,” she said with a cheeky grin. “He may not have said so in words, but it was pretty clear how much he cared about you, even back then. Every time we managed to have a vid call, I always asked him how he was doing. Without fail, he always had this smile that you could tell he was trying to hide a little, but the truth was really in the eyes. You know, eyes have a harder time lying, and his were always beaming. It was the same thing after he joined the Normandy for the second time. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised at all when Kaidan came walking through that door with you,” she said, nodding her head towards the front door. “When he called me to tell me he was bringing someone to the wedding, he had that same look in his eyes.”

Shepard tried to avert Ada’s gaze, and busy herself with the carrots then, but she couldn’t help a small smile forming at the knowledge. Even if it wasn’t because he had romantic interests for her, it felt nice that he still cared, and was happy at the prospect of bringing her back home with him.

“See,” Ada said, enthusiastically, making Shepard glance back up to her, still trying to peel the carrots in her hand. “The eyes don’t lie.”

That brought out a real smile from Shepard, unable to contain it now.

“Ah-ha,” Ada said, completely happy with herself, acting as though she caught Shepard with her hand in the cookie jar, before relaxing again. “Don’t worry. I said I’d stay out of it and I will. But it’s nice to know that whatever it is that you have with my son is reciprocated,” she said with a smile.

“It is.”

Ada nodded at that before looking back to what she was doing while Shepard winced inwardly with yet another pang of guilt, knowing that it wasn’t exactly reciprocated. That maybe it could have been if she hadn’t rejected him at Apollo’s so foolishly. That now, it was just her awkwardly fawning after him in her head while having to go out of her way to put up a wall between them. Luckily, Ada didn’t seem to notice her reaction as she continued the conversation.

“Back in ’83, I didn’t know it was you, of course. We didn’t even know much about his mission at all, but anytime we talked to him, he was always just... happy. Usually, with those same eyes you just had.”

“Really?” Shepard asked, already knowing it was true. That was the one and only time in their history together where they ever acted on anything. Where they abandoned the regs, and said what they felt. It was the only time she let herself get that close to anyone.

“Oh, you better believe it. And it’s the same look I got from him during the war, too, right up until the very end,” she said with a smile. “And you want to know a secret?” she asked coyly. Shepard didn’t respond, and just looked up to her with curiosity. “It’s the same look I saw in him this morning when we were making breakfast together, too. He’s almost a different person around you,” she said, going about the preparations.

“What was that about not meddling?” Shepard asked, keeping the accusation playful.

“Not meddling, just figured you might want to know,” she said defensively.

Shepard narrowed her eyes at Ada, knowing precisely what she was getting at. Truth be told, she really didn’t know what to think of that information. She liked to think she was a different person around Kaidan too, but that didn’t necessarily have romantic implications. Maybe none of that mattered. The regs were still an issue. She still hoped to be back on active duty again someday. Just because she made it out of the war didn’t mean death wasn’t a possibility anymore. Nothing about their relationship or history was easy. She didn’t know that what she’d just heard really changed anything.

“Now that I’ve talked you into oblivion, why don’t you tell me about space?” Ada said, with an err of genuine excitement and interest. “And your mother, too. I think we all know a bit about Commander Shepard, but why don’t you tell me about Jane,” she said with a smile.

With that, the solemn feeling that had settled in Shepard’s gut lifted slightly. Talking about Kaidan and long-lost wishes she wanted to be fulfilled was difficult. She wasn’t ordinarily fond of talking about herself, but it might serve as a good distraction in this case. Once again, her mantra played in her head.

‘This will all be over soon.’

[blacknight1230]

That’s My Girlfriend!

Ethan Dolan X Reader

Reader visits home with Ethan and her dog doesn’t like him/is jealous of him. 

“Are we there yet?” “Almost, E. Just be patient,” you told your boyfriend of several months. Who is your boyfriend, you may ask. Well it is none other than Ethan Dolan, one part of the popular Youtube group, the Dolan Twins. Currently, you and Ethan were traveling to visit your parents. This would the first time Ethan would met them, so Ethan was a bit worried. You weren’t as worried as him, a bit nervous, sure, but you were trying to look on the bright side. Ethan would finally be able to see your childhood home and the town you grew up in. 

You were driving the rental car to your home, and just pulled into your street, when Ethan, yet again, asked “Are we there yet?” “Wait a moment ... and, here we are,” you said as you pulled into the driveway. Parking the car in the front, you were the first to hop out of the car, excited to see your family face-to-face instead of through a phone or computer screen. Ethan chuckled at your excited nature, wrapping an arm around your waist and kissing the top of your head. “Come one, babe, let’s meet your parents,” he said. 

The two of you walked up to the front door, Ethan’s arm still around your waist. You were just about to knock on the door, when it quickly swung open. It revealed your mother, a giant smile on her face and joy in her (e/c) eyes at the sight of you. “(Y/n)!” your mother exclaimed. “Mom!” You were quickly caught up in a hug, completely enveloped into her arms, the familiar smell of her perfume filling your senses. Your mother eventually pulled away, immediately starting to yammer away. “I thought that was you! I heard your car and looked out the window just be sure! I’m so happy your home!” she said, leaving kisses on your cheeks and forehead. 

“Mom, please, you are embarrassing me,” you complained, a blush on your cheeks. It was then that your mother realized you weren’t alone, her eyes widening when she saw Ethan. “Oh, who is this young man? You didn’t tell me you would bring company,” she said, leaving you to now pester your boyfriend. “My name’s Ethan, ma’am. It's a pleasure to meet you,” Ethan said, sticking his hand out for a handshake. “Oh, so you’re Ethan! It's so nice to finally meet you!” your mother said and caught the unsuspecting male in a hug. You giggled as your mother practically squeezed the life out him, despite your mother being (much/slightly) shorter and not as muscly as Ethan. 

“Honey, who is at the door?” you heard your father say from somewhere in the house. Said man appeared, his (e/c) eyes eyeing your mother squeezing the life of your boyfriend, before they stopped on you. A smile broke out on his face when he saw you, his loving daughter. “(Nickname), there you are! Your mother and I have been waiting for you to finally come visit us,” he said, calmly making his way towards you. You met him halfway, immediately wrapping your arms around him in a hug. Your father returned your hug, quite tightly might I add. “Did you miss me, dad?” you asked, separating slightly so you weren’t chest to chest. “Of course, I did. Though not as much as ...” 

Your father was abruptly cut off; something big and furry running then jumping on both of you. The force caused you to stumble back, out of your father’s arms, as a long wet tongue attacked your face. “Jakey!” you exclaimed, shocked yet happy to see your beloved dog. The German Shepherd continued his attack of affections, despite you obviously struggling with holding the canine’s heavy frame as he stood on his back paws. “Jake, get down!” your father commanded, voice stern. Jake listened to him, removing his front paws from your shoulders, returning to his normal four legged position. “Are you alright?” Ethan asked, hurrying over to you and scouring your face for any injuries. “I’m alright. Just got the wind knocked out of me,” you said, trying to regain your breath from your dog’s impromptu makeout session. 

“Oh, dear. Let me get you some wet wipes, darling,” your mother said, before quickly rushing off to the bathroom for said wipes. “Jake, you know by now you can’t jump on people,” your father scolded Jake. The black and tan furred shepard whined, ears flattening against his head, showing he knew he did wrong. “It’s okay, Jake. I still love you, just don’t do that again,” you told your dog, petting him as he kneeled at your feet. He smiled with an open mouth, leaning into your touch. Your mother came back with some wet wipes at that moment, which you gladly took and wiped your face with after thanking her. 

“Thank goodness I didn’t wear that much makeup. I had a feeling this would happen,” you joked lightheartedly. “I didn’t know you had a dog,” Ethan said, bending down to pet said canine. Jake turned his head around and grabbed Ethan’s hand with his mouth, nibbling and suckling on his thick fingers. “Ow!” Ethan exclaimed in pain, pulling his hand away after a moment when Jake suddenly chomped down on his hand. “He bit me!” “Jake!” you yelled at the pupper. “He bit really hard. Why did he do that? Look, he made an indent in my skin with his back teeth!” Ethan exclaimed, showing you where Jake bit him. Like Ethan said, there was a huge indent from Jake’s teeth on the side of his hand, the skin around it red from the bite. 

“I’m so sorry, Ethan. He’s still a puppy and is still teething. Did he break any skin? Do you need an ice pack?” you worried, over his hand. “I think I’m okay. I’m not bleeding or anything.” “I still feel bad. I brought you here to meet my parents, not to get attacked by an eighty-pound fur ball,” you joked. Ethan just laughed and gave a reassuring kiss on your forehead. Your mother returned from the kitchen, a platter of crackers and cheeses in one hand and a plate full of cucumber, mini carrots, and tiny celery. “Let’s sit down and talk over a slice of pepperoni and cheese slices. There is so much I want to ask about,” she beamed. You and Ethan moved towards the family room, sitting down on the plush polyester couch. 

You guys talk as you picked over the finger food, occasionally having to push Jake away from the coffee table when he tried to sneakily grab a piece. Everything was going well, your mother loved Ethan and your father bonded with Ethan over guy things. Of course Ethan avoided the cheese and meat, but stocked up on the mini vegetables, crackers, and potato chips. An hour into your visit, your mother got up from the coach. “I’m going to put the chicken in oven now and start the sides. (Your father’s name), will you open a bottle of wine for our guests?” she told you and Ethan. “I’ll pass on having a glass, Mrs. (last name). I plan on driving us back tonight,” Ethan warned. He omitted that he's wasn’t old enough to drink yet, a probably a good move on his part.

Your father just nodded and smiled, glad that he was a responsible man. Your parents left you two alone, taking their small empty paper plates with them. You laid your head on Ethan’s shoulder, closing your eyes in bliss. “Tired already?” Ethan teased, wrapping his thick arms around your waist and bringing you closer to him. “No. I’m just glad everything is going so well. My parents have really taken a liking towards you,” you replied, feeling blissful and at peace. “I know. Everything I was worried about on the way here ... the bad thoughts .. they’re all gone,” Ethan told you, his hazel eyes gazing lovingly into your (e/c) orbs. “I told you there was nothing to worry about. You should listen to me more often,” you teased, placing a few light kisses against the underside of his jaw. “Oh, really?” “Really.” 

Your arms wrapped around his neck, fingers playing with the soft hairs at the nape of it, your faces slowly inching towards each other, closing the distance as you went to kiss each other. The romantic moment was ruined by a certain German Shepherd puppy. Jake jumped onto you guys, front paws pushing on Ethan’s chest and separating him from you, the 80 something pound dog whining in your ear as his bulky body blocked you from your boyfriend. “Jake!” you yelled, frustrated at the shepherd for preventing you from loving your boyfriend. “Bad dog! Shoo!” Ethan sternly reprimanded your pet. Jake ignored him, climbing onto the coach, literally laying on your lap, leaning all of his body weight onto you and pinning you to the coach. His long snouted face was directed towards Ethan, his brown eyes glaring at your boyfriend. You were unable to push Jake off of you, the young canine purposely resisting your feeble attempts to get him off of you. 

“Ethan, help,” you gasped out, struggling to breath a bit. Ethan moved closer to help you, getting stopped by Jake baring his teeth and letting out a deep hair raising growl. Both of you stilled in shock at Jake’s unexpected reaction. Ethan was the first to recover, a furious expression on his face. “Jake, get off of (y/n),” he commanded, the air filling with tension as his dominant aura flared. Jake didn’t back down, despite him moving to no longer crush you, now sitting with his hind legs on your lap, facing Ethan. His furry muzzle, with teeth bared, ears standing up straight and alert, front paws holding him up in a way that you could see the hair on his chest and on the scruff of his neck were raised menacingly, was directed straight at Ethan. 

Despite the scary sight, Ethan refused to back down. He went to touch one of your legs sticking out from underneath Jake’s bulky body, but a yelp-like bark escaped Jake’s sharp-toothed filled mouth. “Hey, stop it!” Ethan shouted. A few more barks come from the German Shepherd on your lap. Hazel-brown human eyes met brown canine ones in a silent battle of the wills, waiting for the other to give up so they could be the dominant winner. Somehow, Ethan won this battle, Jake blinking first and bowing his head in submission, avoiding eye contact as he whined. Without another word, Jake hopped off of you and the couch, onto the hardwood floor. 

You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding, as Ethan moved closer to you to check you over. “Are you okay?” he asked, worry in his hazel eyes. “Yeah. Just shocked,” you replied breathlessly. “Jake’s never been this possessive of me. Why did he act like that?” “I don’t know, but hopefully he won’t act like that again. I think he knows who’s the boss now,” Ethan pointed out. At that moment, your father decided to make an appearance. “I heard Jake barking. Is everything alright?” he asked, eyeing Ethan nervously. “Jake was sitting on me, crushing me. Ethan tried to get him off of me but he wouldn’t let him touch me,” you explained, trying to prove Ethan’s innocence to your father. Luckily, he believed you, especially after he saw Jake looking miserable, a few feet away. Your father groaned, in apparent disbelief. “I’m sorry. Jake is being so possessive. (Your mother’s name) and I have noticed that in the last month or so he’s starting to get territorial and rather ... loving, if you know what I mean,” your father apologized. You and Ethan made faces of disgust. “Thank god he didn’t try that shit with me. I would have slapped him,” you replied. Your father just gave a short chuckle, then said, “Dinner’s done by the way. Come take a seat in the kitchen and have a piece of your mother’s cooking.” “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Ethan joked, causing you to giggle. Holding hands, yours encompassed by Ethan’s much bigger one, you both trade you may to the kitchen table. 

Once the smell of roasted chicken hit you, your mouth started to water. “Mmm, I just realized how much I missed your cooking mom,” you said as you took your seat, Ethan pushing it in for you. “So you haven’t missed my meals until now,” your mother joked. “Oh, stop, honey. Don’t patronize her,” your father whined. “Dad, she’s joking,” you pointed out. Dinner started without a hitch, each you serving yourself pieces of chicken and some side dishes. The room was filled with idle chatter, utensils scrapping gently across the dishes, teeth chewing, and drinks repeatedly being filled. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their meal, including Jake, who was given a few table scraps in his bowl every once in a while. Your father and mother asked Ethan a couple of questions but weren’t outright interrogating him. Ethan answered all of them truthfully, but you parents reacted positively to his answers. Like his passions and goals in life, things you two love to do together, his relationship with Grayson, etc. Before you knew it, plates were being clean and left overs put away. 

“Hey, mom, would you like some help?” you said when you noticed your mother washing the dishes in the sink, bright pink rubber gloves covering her hands and lower arms. “I’d appreciate it sweety.” Towel in hand, you started to try and put the utensils and plates in its proper place. You worked in comfortable silence, until your mother spoke up. “So ...” she started. “So what?” you replied, eyebrow raised. “You and Ethan. Are you happy with him?” she asked. “Moooommmm,” you whined,pout on your lips. “What I’m curious? I want what’s best for you, honey.” “Honestly, he’s the best thing to ever happen to me. I’ve never been so happy with someone else like this before. Ethan cherishes me and loves me unconditionally. We’ve been on so many adventures together, getting me to try new things I would have never thought of before. He’s my best friend,” you explained, remembering all the wonderful moments you had with Ethan since you started dating him. “You really love him, don’t you?” your mother realized. You just nodded; no words could define the intensity of your adoration for Ethan. Your mother moved to hug you, and you returned the warm embrace. 

You two separated, your mother gently holding your upper arms as she looked at you with immense pride and affection. “My little girl has grown up so much. I’ve always wondered when the time would come for you to find someone and I’m proud to say you made a great choice,” she praised. “Mom,” you whined, a blush on your cheeks. “Alright, I’ll stop getting all sentimental. I suggest you go back to Ethan and your father. I’ll finish up here.” She gently pushed you towards the entrance way into the kitchen, where you could hear Ethan and your father conversing pleasantly. 

You left the kitchen and your mother, rounding the corner of the hallway towards the living room. Just as you about to walk into the room, you heard the last few words Ethan was saying to your father. “... I promise never to do anything like that. I truly love (Y/n), with everything I have,” you heard him say.  You decided now was the right moment to let your presence be know, striding into the room as if you didn’t just hear their conversation. “I see you to were getting along. I didn’t interrupt anything, did I?” you faked innocence. “Nothing too important, dearie. I was just telling Ethan here to take good care of my little girl,” your father said, patting Ethan on the back. Ethan gave a fake smile, clueing you in that your father’s conversation wasn’t as friendly as your father let it out to be. But you let it be, as it wasn’t really your business. If Ethan wanted to tell you later on, then he could do so when he was comfortable. 

“Oook ... well Ethan and I should probably get going now,” you said. “Yeah, Grayson’s probably waiting for us to get back. Don’t want to keep my little bro waiting do we?” Ethan piped up. “Really? So soon. I thought you guys would stay the night, at least,” you father whined. “Oh, let them go, (father’s name). We can’t force our daughter to stay even if we wanted to,” you mother spoke up as she appeared in the entryway of the room. Your groaned but gave up on the issue, falling under your mother’s thumb. 

Ethan and you started to gather your things as you prepared to leave. The jiggling of car keys must caught his ears because out of nowhere Jake came running up to you two. The German Shepherd puppy skidded to a stop, nails clanking against the hard floor as did so. Luckily, he didn’t barge into the four of you, like you thought he would. Ethan let out a sigh of relief, relaxing from bracing himself from impact. “Aw, Jakey, have you come to say goodbye?” your mother cooed. Jake pushed his furry head into your hand, huffing happily in response. You kneeled down and pet the dog’s soft furry cheeks. “Goodbye, puppy. I’ll see you later, ok,” you told him, looking deep into his giant brown eyes. Jake gave a couple of gentle licks to your hand before you stood back up. 

“You ready to go, babe,” Ethan asked you wrapping an arm around you and pulling you to his side. “Yep, I got everything,” you replied. Ethan smiled and moved to kiss you on the forehead, when Jake started barking. Ethan pulled away from you, as your parents and you looked on in confusion. Jake immediately stopped barking once Ethan was away from you. Confused, Ethan moved his face closer to yours, causing Jake to start barking again. Ethan frowned as your parents laughed. “It looks like Jake is a bit jealous, isn’t he?” your father chuckled. Ethan then tried to hug you, but the same thing started to happen again. Jake even tried to jump to separate you two but Ethan pushed him away before he could. “No! Bad dog!” he yelled. Jake just barked back unhappily, whines leaving his lips. “No! She’s my girlfriend! Not yours!” Ethan scolded the dog. Jake gave one last high-pitched bark then walked away, plopping himself on his beg on the other side of the room. 

Your mother sighed, and started to apologize. “I’m sorry how he was today. I swear he’s a good boy , he’s just very stubborn. We’re working on his possessiveness with his trainer but we really haven’t gotten that far,” she explained, rubbing the bridge of her nose in exhaustion. “It’s ok, Mrs. (l/n). He’s just being an overprotective puppy. And there was no harm done,” Ethan tried to reassure her. “It’s almost like he’s a grumpy old man unhappy that someone is kissing his daughter.” “And that is why Jake’s my best friend. Our two minds think alike,” your father joked. Everyone had a laugh at that. 

Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged between the four of you before Ethan and you were officially on your way. As you walked along the driveway, hand in hand with Ethan, you turned around to see Jake looking longingly out the window. A giggled escaped your lips, causing Ethan to turn his head around to look back. He smirked and put an arm around you, pulling you close and kissing your head. “My girlfriend,” you heard him mumble. You shock your head in mock disbelief, revelling in despite everything that happen the meeting between your parents and Ethan was a success. The only problem was that you were both covered in dog hair. Grayson was not going to be happy about that. 

[madmacci]

So, I always make it a thing in Mass Effect 1 to let Shepard jump on his bed, because he's a free-spirited adult and society can't hold him down.

But the developers don't like fun and persist on punishing fun-havers. This becomes clear in ME2 where they did the unforgivable - they raised the bed so that Shep can no longer get on it and defy society.

The dream was dead. No fun allowed. However, after 120h in game, I’ve come to realize that ME2 has some... issues with Shepard running into corners at a specific angle.

The moral of the story is: never give up on your dreams, Kiddos.

[deadlymaelstrom]

Kaidan Shepard

Biographical information

Homeworld: Earth

Born: November 18, 2187 Huerta Memorial Hospital, Presidium Commons, Presidium, the Citadel

Birth name: Kaidan Anderson Shepard

Nickname(s):

Junior

Kay

Agent Shadow (codename)

Physical description

Age: 11-24 (2198-2211)

Species: Human

Gender: Male

Height:

5'1" - 5'4" (154.9 - 163.8 cm) (child)

6'1¼" (186.1 cm) (adult)

Weight:

102 lbs. (46.2 kg) (child)

194 lbs. (88 kg) (adult)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Blue

Skin color: Light

Cybernetics: L3 implants

Relationships

Significant other(s): Andrea Taylor (girlfriend)

Relatives:

General Williams † (great-grandfather)

Mr. Williams † (grandfather)

Mrs. Williams (grandmother)

John Shepard (father)

Ashley Williams (mother)

David Shepard (brother)

Ethan Shepard (brother)

Carolyn Shepard (sister)

Levi Shepard (son)

Leanne Shepard (daughter)

Abby Williams (aunt)

Lynn Williams (aunt)

Sarah Williams (aunt)

Character information

Rank(s):

Field Agent (Intelligence)

Commander (Military)

Class: Slayer

Status: Alive

Alignment: Neutral Good

Voiced by:

Colleen Clinkenbeard (child)

Scott Porter (adult)

Chronological and political information

Era(s): Post-Reaper War

Occupation:

Student (formerly)

Spy

Information broker

Strategic Intelligence Officer

Alliance Intelligence liaison to the SSV Normandy SR-2

Affiliation:

Shepard family

Williams family

Systems Alliance

Ascension Project

Alliance Intelligence

Alliance Clandestine Service

AIS Operations Group

Department of Analysis and Operations in the Attican Traverse

Alliance Military (honorary member)

N7 Special Forces

Mentors:

John Shepard (N7 instructor)

Liara T'Soni (informal)

Garrus Vakarian (informal)

Tali'Zorah vas Rannoch (informal)

Jack (Biotics instructor)

Miranda Lawson (informal)

James Vega

—————————————————

Kaidan Shepard—often called "Junior" by his friends, and known by the codename Shadow—is an elite Systems Alliance Intelligence Services field agent and the eldest son of the legendary John Shepard and Ashley Williams. He is one of the main protagonists of Mass Effect: A Hero's Legacy.

Born on the Citadel in 2187, he grew up during the galaxy's reconstruction effort during the post-Reaper War era. Because of his relationship to his father, Kaidan had a life of great privilege and affluence, causing him to struggle with his father's legacy and feeling pressure that was heaped upon him by others; these expectations fueled his desire to be his own person and not simply as Shepard’s son.

In 2198, when he was eleven years old, Kaidan grew up during the early stages of the Great Galactic War between the Interstellar Republic and the Yahg Empire when the yahg launched a full-scale invasion, during which he was the target of multiple kidnapping and assassination attempts. Because of the threats against his life, Kaidan and his siblings were taken care of by their aunt and grandmother while his parents led the war effort. Later, several individuals, including Dr. Liara T'Soni, received a vision in which an older Kaidan was a prominent leading figure. As the batarians wanted to dominate the galaxy for themselves, they saw Kaidan as a threat to their plans.

While some initially expected him to continue the family tradition, Kaidan instead joined the Systems Alliance Intelligence Services and became one of Director Miranda Lawson's best agents. The batarians knew Kaidan as Shadow after he assassinated two of the Revolutionary Order of Khar'shan's best operatives, Pranim Goccakk and Ran'gelor Craphi. He was later reassigned to serve as the AIS's liaison to the Normandy SR-2. Utilizing a mixture of stealth, firearms, hand-to-hand combat and biotic abilities, Kaidan often volunteered to lead infiltration teams to gather intel deep within the hostile Nemean Abyss before being captured by the extra-galactic targariums. Kaidan spent nearly a year in captivity, during which he was tortured for weeks at a time. He later escaped and returned to warn the Alliance and Republic about the oncoming threat, finding himself fighting on the frontlines alongside his father. In the final battle of the war, Kaidan proved crucial in defeating Emperor Rudali Mashan and protecting the galaxy. For his efforts, he received an honorary promotion to Commander and was given new orders to report for N7 training.

—————————————————

Personality and traits

Childhood

"Kaidan’s not just any normal kid. He’s a good boy, but he has too much of his father in him. That worries me sometimes, you know?" ―Ashley Williams, about her son

Kaidan’s personality is derived from both his parents, although Liara T’Soni noted that he takes more after his father than his mother. Being generally well-spoken, friendly and polite, he shows a great maturity for his age. Kaidan is also strong willed and determined like his mother; he even has a fascination of poetry.

At the same time, however, Kaidan has a fierce temper similar to his mother and is quite stubborn, often causing him to not back down from an argument unless proven otherwise. Kaidan apparently doesn’t like being teased, as he finds it irritating when he’s called "junior" instead of his given name. Despite their similarities, Shepard and Kaidan differ in a number of ways: whereas Shepard grew up as an orphan, Kaidan’s family is always there for him; whereas Shepard had no friends as a child, Kaidan has many friends; whereas Shepard had to work hard to get to where he was at, Kaidan's talents come to him naturally. Kaidan has a close attachment with his parents, having great respect for his father and was even pleased to hear from Liara, Tali’Zorah and Garrus Vakarian about how he physically resembled Shepard.

However, it is also shown that Kaidan has a close yet distant relationship with his mother ever since Ashley’s career as a soldier changed with her captaincy. He loves his mother and is overjoyed whenever they spend time together, but life in the military sometimes prevent Ashley from being around all the time. Although Kaidan is understanding of his often absent-mother, deep down he resents the idea of carrying on the Williams family tradition and opted to follow a different path than hers. Because of all this, Kaidan initially questioned the meaning of being a soldier due to the fact his mother’s duties kept her away from home for extended periods of time. Eventually, when Kaidan is finally exposed to the horrors of the Great Galactic War during the Scarlet Festival and realizes the sacrifices soldiers had to make, his relationship with his mother improves significantly.

Despite having let go of his disdain, he openly states that he has no intention of becoming a soldier, noting that it would just be another continuation of the Williams family tradition that his mother, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother have followed. He opts instead to walk his own path, carrying on his father’s resolve of protecting the galaxy’s newfound era of peace he helped establish.

Adulthood

As a young adult, Kaidan displays a calm and composed demeanor even under pressure whilst maintaining a strong sense of morality. Although his exceptional intellect and extensive experience make him wise, they also make Kaidan slightly vain (depending on the situation), as he notably condescendingly calls the young, hot-headed Alliance recruit Raleigh Thorndyke "kid" upon first meeting the latter. As a field agent, Kaidan is a natural leader much like his father, using his skills to analyze a situation, plan his next move, and follow his better judgment to allow him to escape dangerous situations both before and after they occur.

Thirteen years after the Great Galactic War, Kaidan still feels grateful for the presence of his surrogate aunts and uncles in his life, not just for their training, but also their love, protection and guidance. Though often contemplative, Kaidan lets such emotions smolder in his heart, reminding himself that he now has his own life to live and an important role to fulfill.

While usually serious and prim, Kaidan occasionally demonstrates a dry, sarcastic sense of humor.

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Appearance

Kaidan has a light skin complexion and dark brown hair, both of which he inherited from his mother; in addition, he has the shape of his father’s face and blue eyes. He has straight hair with one side parted on the left side of his face while the other part is banged on the right side of his forehead. As noted by Liara T'Soni, he bears a striking resemblance to his father.

As an adult, Kaidan stood at an impressive 6 feet and 1-and-a-quarter inches tall and is normally seen dressed in the most expensive and impressive outfits tailored from the most rated names in fashion.

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Trivia

He is named after Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, an L2 biotic who accompanied his parents John Shepard and Ashley Williams during the Eden Prime War.

Kaidan inherited his father’s facial features and eyes, as seen when Liara remarked that both Shepard and his son looked almost identical.

Kaidan apparently has a close bond to the Normandy crew, both past and present, as they played a part in his upbringing:

He calls Tali'Zorah vas Normandy "Aunt Tali", and freely accepts hugs from her.

Whenever he visits Tuchanka with his family, Wrex asks Kaidan to call him "Uncle Urdnot".

James Vega calls Kaidan "Little Loco", and taught him how to speak Spanish.

He refers to Garrus Vakarian as "Uncle Garrus".

Joker bought Kaidan toys and candy.

He is close to Jack, as she taught him how to effectively hone his biotic talents.

Dr. Karin Chakwas occasionally does Kaidan's medical examination.

Liara T'Soni and Miranda Lawson are Kaidan's tutors in history, science, literature and mathematics.

He is childhood friends with Jacob Taylor's daughter Andrea Taylor.

Grunt, Samara and Zaeed Massani often protected Kaidan from danger.

Kasumi Goto sometimes sneaks Kaidan cookies and pastries from the bakery shop on the Citadel, and also taught him how to speak Japanese.

He enjoys playing chess with Samantha Traynor; according to Sam, Kaidan beat her on his first try.

Steve Cortez showed Kaidan how to fly a UT-47A Kodiak drop shuttle during one of his visits; both he and Steve were later scolded by Ashley.

Javik was insistent on teaching Kaidan how to fight, although he did receive informal N7 training from his father and learned aikidō from his maternal aunt Sarah Williams.

Kaidan considers the asari to be quite attractive.

The Shadow Broker has files on Kaidan which can be accessed aboard the Normandy SR-2.

[grayingskies]

Prologue: Find the Beacon

“I’m interested in this world we’re going to—Eden Prime. I’ve heard it’s quite beautiful.”

“They say it’s a paradise.”