#mass effect creative circle

[squigglysquidd]

Does anyone know if the Discord for @masseffectcreativecircle-blog is still active? I'm not on Discord so if you're a member please share it in a reblog or a DM to me 😊

[lisholoz]

[masseffectcreativecircle-blog]

MECC - Flash Creative Challenge!

This week the Mass Effect Creative Circle is holding a Flash Fanwork Creative Challenge based on a set of prompts!

The challenge is open for everyone to participate in - whether you’re a member of MECC or not, and is for creative fan content of any kind - fanfic, art, graphics, fanmixes, renders etc!

The Flash challenge will run from this Friday the 28th of September, until next Sunday the 7th of October and you can post your content at any time.

The prompts are from Quirk-y’s romantic and angsty tropes, but we’re challenging people to write, draw or be inspired them in whatever way they find best appeals to them - romance, angst, fluff, smut! Whatever!

Here is the list of prompts:

Holding their partner’s unconscious/dead body

Sobbing into their partner’s shoulder/chest

One of them is hurt and the other falls asleep in their hospital room

The other losing their mind when their partner is hurt/killed and charging into battle recklessly

“I thought I lost you” hugs

“Don’t go where I can’t follow!”

One is mind controlled and forced to fight the other

The other refusing to harm them and getting seriously injured as consequence

The person coming to and seeing what they’ve done

A last desperate “I love you!”

A tearful, hard kiss before battle, bonus points if its a confessional kiss

“Please, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Bandaging each other’s wounds

Both of them injured, and waking up beside each other

As always, take inspiration in whatever way you like! And remember to tag your flash content appropriate, and with #MECC or #masseffectcreativecircle :) 

If you’re interested in joining our super friendly MECC discord, send a message to this account to apply.

[inkynyarutherford]

Trying out this Mass Effect Creative Circle prompt. I saw what it was and I was inspired. I don’t think I’ve ever posted my own fiction on here before, so here goes.

When You Wish Upon a Star

True to her word, Commander Alyson Shepard turned herself into the Alliance military after she and her crew successfully returned from the Omega 4 Relay. But not before they stopped off at the Citadel so that her compatriots could get out of dodge. Technically speaking, Shepard was the only one at risk of sanction for her actions. However, given her last words to The Illusive Man and her friends’ decision to stand with her choice, they were all in a fair amount of danger. “Let me go with you. I can speak to them. Tell them you had no choice.” Garrus lifted a taloned hand to her face and gazed into her eyes. It was one of the rare moments that he had removed his visor, but if this was to be his last viewing of her face for the foreseeable future, he didn’t want it obscured. They were laying intertwined together on her bed, and he was silently pleading that the impending buzz of the alarm would never go off. Neither had slept on their final night together, knowing that Shepard’s choices may separate them for a while. She smiled, a goofy grin trying to hide her pain, and her fear. “Nah, I’ll be alright. What’s the worst they can do to me?”

“Well, I know the Alliance doesn’t execute people... but there were a lot of Batarians at the Alpha Relay. They might make an exception.” The turian looked past her and got lost in his head. He knew how things would be dealt with in a turian military court. A hearing would be held, and evidence presented. If the evidence proved that Shepard had done all she could do to save the most people she could, the case would be dismissed, and she would probably get a medal of valor. But the Alliance military had this desire to save everyone, no matter what. They had trouble accepting the fact that sometimes, there must be a sacrifice made for the greater good of all. There was a fair chance the hearing would not go in her favor, and with the magnitude of lives lost when the Alpha Relay was destroyed, Garrus had no idea what the Alliance would do to her. Shepard shook her head and shrugged. “So? I’ve already died once.” Garrus sat up and his mandibles flared. He knew she was trying to ease the tension they were both feeling. But her glibness infuriated him. “Alyson, this is serious. The Reapers are coming and you’re likely to be court-martialed, or worse, just as they are knocking on our door! You cannot sit there and act like this is not a serious situation. Please, don’t act like you are not important… to the galaxy. And especially to me.” His admonition made her face fall. She buried her head into the crook of her elbow, and at first Garrus thought she was pouting. Until he noticed the slow, metered rise and fall of her shoulder; a tell-tale sign that she was trying to hold something in. Trying not to cry. Feeling guilty for upsetting her, he grasped the offending shoulders, hoisted her into his lap and forced her to look at him. Her eyes were swollen and wet, but her cheeks were not. She’d managed to stave off the waterworks, but she was clearly troubled. He cradled her curled formed against his chest, and they sat in silence until the tranquility was pierced by the blast of the alarm. Before she unraveled herself from him, Alyson placed a meaningful kiss on his scarred cheek. She rose from the bed and walked toward the steps leading up to where she would shower, most likely for the last time as a free woman. “I’ve only ever done what I thought was best for the most people. We’re at war, whether the Alliance or The Council, or anyone else wants to admit it. I have to fight that war.” She turned around and looked at the turian. “I can only hope they know what I did was me trying to save the most people. If they don’t... I don’t know Garrus.” She shook her head and just looked longingly at him. If there was anything he could do, he hoped she knew he would do it. Right now, she just needed him to be by her side. He nodded, resigned as she was that there was nothing more they could have done. “I know...” Six Months Later Garrus was standing on Menae, watching as wave after wave of Reapers descended on the moon, and the planet it orbited. It had been radio silence from both Shepard and the Alliance about her status, and all he could do was pray that Liara’s intel was true. According to the Shadow Broker, Shepard had been in solitary; not court-martialed but stripped of her rank and under house arrest on Earth. Then the Reapers came and all communication from Earth stopped. Garrus sat alone on an outcropping watching the hulking machines stomp their way across the rocky terrain of Palaven’s moon. They had been fighting all day, but there seemed now to be a lull in the onslaught, so he took the opportunity to get his bearings, and take a short breather. His eyes followed the silhouette of one of the behemoths skyward, struck by the sheer magnitude of them. He had been in the military long enough to know that there was no strategy that would help them with the Reapers. They were a brutally destructive force, the likes of which the turian home world had never seen. There were no tactics to make this even survivable, let alone winnable. As he sat stewing in his own thoughts, a flash of light caught his eye. His gaze moved to follow it and he saw it was a falling meteor. He smiled, remembering what Alyson had once said about them.

* * * * * * * * * * “Oh! It’s a shooting star.” She had said.

“What? No that’s just a meteor falling.”

“Yes, thank you. I know it’s a meteor, but back before our species knew about such things, they were called falling stars. If you saw one light up the night sky, you were supposed to make a wish.” Garrus had balked at the fact that the great Commander Shepard would find fascination with primitive myths and legends. But when he looked at her, she had her eyes closed. Then they opened, and her eyes met his, before looking back at the starry sky. He chuckled and jokingly asked her, “So did you just make a wish?”

“Shut up.”

He was taken aback. “You did! You subscribe to that superstitious nonsense?”

She shoved him and shook her head, looking back toward where the meteor had flared. “There’s a lot of bad in the galaxy Garrus. Sometimes it’s nice to believe in something...bigger.” He had not thought of that. He had been a gruff, duty bound turian for so long, he had forgotten what it was like to have an imagination. To look at something not for just what it was, but what it could be. “I guess you’re right Shepard.” He had wondered that night what her wish had been. Later, before they finally hit the Omega 4 Relay on their suicide mission, she told him that she had wished for him to always be by her side, no matter what came next. * * * * * * * * * * So, looking up at the sea of stars, Garrus Vakarian made a wish. “Spirits or stars or anyone who’s listening. I wish that Alyson is safe. I wish that wherever she is, she’s not helpless, hopeless or in danger. Please, just let her be alright.” The turian sighed and continued to peer into the vastness beyond the moon and the Reapers. Twinkling balls of light that looked so beautiful from far away. Nothing like the fireballs they really were. I wonder if she can see the stars right now. As if in answer to his silent question, he heard his comm start to pick up static and voices. The tower had been down for a few hours, he was glad the forward camp was finally making some headway. “General, do you read? The comm tower is now operational.” He knew that voice. It was a female and not turian. “Much appreciated Commander. I’ll contact Palaven Command.” Commander. “I knew it. It’s Shepard.” Garrus grabbed his gear and made a beeline for the forward camp. Now that he had heard her voice, he had to see her. Had to make sure she was real and really there. He listened into the comm chatter waiting to hear her voice again. “Commander Shepard come in” It was Corinthus. He seemed to be holding their position well. Garrus was certain he was grateful for Shepard to show up.

“Copy General, go ahead.”

“I have information from Palaven Command. Please return ASAP.”

“Affirmative. On our way.”

The path to the barricade had never seemed longer. Now that he was looking forward to getting there, it felt like it took an eternity to navigate the crannies and ledges. But finally, he reached the door and the young soldier standing guard saluted and lowered the gate. Garrus did not know if he could ever get used to so many people looking up to him. He strode into the camp and saw that Shepard had not come alone. Liara meandered around poking at a data pad. She looked up and smiled her coy smile before nodding and looking back down at her secrets. A large human male stood near the asari checking over his rifle. Garrus did not recognize him, but he had an amiable, albeit gruff, looking face. He also nodded at the turian as he walked by. Then he saw her, standing with her helmet off talking to the turian General. Her short blonde bob stood out brightly against the darkness of the nighttime and the steely exterior of basically everything on the moon.

“... as long as they can get us the turian resources we need.”

Garrus shot a quick eye up to the stars and with a silent thank you, walked up the ramp to see his wish come true, face to face.

[alyssalenko]

Brainwashed

Written for the Mass Effect Creative Circle Mini-Challenge of angsty romantic prompts. For a further point in My Superhero AU: Alter Ego Timeline, also on AO3. I had this plot in mind a long time ago, and then I had an excuse to expand it. I did the Brainwashed and turned against each other, and “I thought I lost you.”

The Illusive Man has captured Spectre, and unfortunately, her lover and Partner Sentinel is in for an unpleasant surprise when he finds her, having to draw upon anything he can think of to break the sinister hold on her mind...

Where was Alyss? He'd been with Ashley in the hospital after the accident The Illusive Man had caused, and she'd gone after him by herself, in his stead. She'd insisted that Ashley needed him, needed a friendly face when she woke up. That was 3 days ago and he hadn't heard from her...sure he'd been in the hospital and had to have his phone off, but when he'd turned it back on, there was nothing--no texts, no missed calls, no messages. And that wasn't like her. She hadn't even come back to check on him; he'd seen less from her in this moment, when he really needed her, than he had since they met. Ashley, though, was finally awake and practically shoving him out of her room to go get cleaned up and have some sex, because he looked like he could use it. He ran his fingers through his hair as he fired off a fifth text asking if she was okay; he never should have let her go alone...and if anything happened to her because he hadn't, he’d never forgive himself.

His biotics flared as he ducked into an alcove outside the hospital, brown eyes turning blue, his alter ego taking over. The last text he had from her was the coordinates she'd headed to, into the belly of the beast; Chronos Station. Security was lighter than he expected and had his brain screaming trap, but the woman he loved was in danger and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from getting to the bottom of her absence. Dropping stealthily onto a balcony, he skirted the edge of the building, glancing into the window as he stood in the shadows. Of all the luck, Spectre was just beyond the glass, strapped to a chair, and odd device on her temple, an unfocused look in her eyes.

Using his biotics, he burst through the window, shards of glass suspended around him, before het let them fall in slow motion to the floor. He didn't need to alert everyone to his presence. The first thing he did was remove the strange device from her temple, her expression going from unfocused to confused, as she started struggling against the restraints around her wrists, ankles and chest. Sentinel put his fingers to his lips as she opened her mouth to say something, shaking his head once and she nodded slowly, allowing him to free her. It was way too easy, and he should've known something was off, but relief at her being alive and unharmed, crowded all other rational thought from his head; the urge to take her in his arms and never let go was stronger than ever.

Once her hands were free, Spectre cupped the back of his head, the excitement in her eyes at seeing him, suddenly turned malicious, and she smacked his head down against the arm of the chair, her foot hooking behind his ankle and knocking him to the floor. A trickle of blood dripped from his eyebrow, as he quickly blinked it away; luckily his biotics allowed him to take a beating without passing out, but damn if it didn't hurt like hell. What had the Illusive Man done to her? His beautiful, fiery, independent Alyss, was under some sinister form of mind control, and he just hoped he could snap her out of it. Rolling out of the way of her attack, he shoved off the floor, tackling her to the ground and pinning her there. Kicking and cursing she tried to free herself, make him release her, but he held fast.

“Spectre...it's me; its Sentinel.” Something flashed behind her electric blue eyes and she stilled.

Cautiously, he released her, rolling his body off of her; he didn't want to hurt her, but the moment she was free, he felt the tingle of her biotics. He threw up a barrier. He may not be fighting her, but she definitely wasn't holding back, fighting him with blind fury. Sighing, he pushed her back, pinning her against the wall, his eyes searching hers for some kind of recognition and finding nothing behind her eyes. He felt like her hitting him with a biotic throw would've been less painful than seeing no love in her eyes. He'd barely been holding his own against her, the two of them had always been evenly matched with their powers, but he couldn't bear to use his powers against her.

He cupped her face in his hands, watching the battle raging behind her eyes at his touch. “Alyss, love, please snap out of it. It’s me. It's Kaidan.”

“Kaid--” She began, before whatever The Illusive Man had done to her started to creep back into her eyes--he wasn't going to give up so easy.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers, testing and teasing, surprise bristling down her spine as he held her, his body pressed flush against hers. It took only a moment for her to wrap her arms around his neck, the kiss breaking through whatever cloud had addled her mind. Maybe there was something to all those fairytales and that true love's kiss thing. Her lips were soft as he claimed them again, teeth scraping her lower lip before sucking it in between both of his, his mouth hungry and demanding against her own. His pelvis rolled against hers, tongue teasing the seam of her lips as he opened his mouth against hers, tasting her as their tongues intertwined, being very thorough to make sure she'd returned to herself. Her chest brushed his as she angled closer, one of his hands on her waist, the other tangled in her silky black hair, keeping her lips crushed against his. She hummed softly, arching her hips towards his and drawing a low growl from Kaidan's throat. She pushed him back at the shoulders, her eyes finally completely normal as he tried to catch her breath, her gaze lingering on the cut just above his eyebrow.

She reached out and brushed it gently, her trembling fingers coming away red. “Oh, Kaidan...I did that. Are you all right? The Illusive Man--he caught me by surprise and wanted us to kill each other.”

It had been like she'd been watching a recording filmed through her eyes, a prisoner in her own mind as she and Kaidan fought. And she couldn't stop it. Kaidan caught her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her fingers, just happy she was back with him. No one had come to see what the commotion was about, and he realized, heart dropping into his stomach that this wasn't The Illusive Man’s base of operations. It was a decoy. A trap. And they'd both been sucked in, believing everything was almost over, but they were no closer to finding Chronos Station than they'd been before, but never mind that; he just needed to hold her, to reassure himself that she was fine. The hand he'd kissed, he still held, pressing it to his heart as he tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear with his free hand, as he leaned in to kiss her once again, both of their biotic aura's dissipating. The Illusive Man hadn't counted on the fact that they'd fallen in love, probably waiting for a progress report from Spectre on whether or not she'd taken care of Sentinel.

Kaidan’s hand slipped up her shirt, his touch feather-light as he eased the ¾ length sleeved v-neck upwards, fingers ghosting over her breast through the cup of her bra. She reluctantly pulled her hand out of his and stretched her arms over her head, so he could pull it off of her; she immediately missed the warmth emanating through his clothes. They spent the next few minutes helping each other out of their clothes eager to affirm that the other one was all right. How close had he been to losing her? What if they hadn't been in love...would he have lost both his partner and his friend? Once their clothing was out of the way, he swept her up into his arms and laid her gently on her back in the center of the room. She took a moment to trace the contours of his muscles with her fingers as he settled himself between her thighs. He shuddered under her touch, bringing his face scant centimeters from her,  inhaling her exhale as their lips met in a desperate kiss, his hands resting on her hips, and hers locked around his neck.

“I could've lost you.” He rasped.

“I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere.”

Alyss arched herself up against him, pressing every inch of her bare skin against his, feeling a response between her thighs from where her legs were draped about his hips. Their heartbeats pulsed in time together as he reached between them, Kaidan's fingers ghosting over her breasts, as his mouth followed the trail, kissing his way down to take a nipple into his mouth, hand still going lower and making her gasp as he used his thighs to widen the gap between her legs, fingers spreading her wetness slowly around her clit and drawing a whimper from her throat. Alyss drew a deep, albeit shaky breath, hips shooting off the bed as he slipped his fingers over her folds before dipping them inside her, inhaling her wordless cry. As his tongue pushed against hers, she rocked against his fingers, feeling his erection, hard against her thigh already a little wet and sticky because of his current state of arousal, when he used his thumb to swirl her clit around in a circle.

She stroked her hand down his jaw, pulling him into another kiss—he was a smokin’ good kisser—as he positioned himself at her slick entrance, their gazes meeting and she nodded slowly.

“Kaidan, please.” She begged.

He nibbled her earlobe. “Whatever you want.”

He smiled down at her, pushing his engorged cock into her, and pausing when he was fully hilted inside. Watching her and gauging her reactions, he drew himself out of her slowly, but not entirely, and swallowed her gasp as he thrust forward…hard, intertwining their fingers together. He thrust into her again, lips leaving hers and trailing along her jawline and down her neck before he closed his mouth over the place where her neck met her shoulder, making her whimper and buck her hips against him; he groaned against the skin of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply. She was intoxicating. He relished the feeling of her core clenching around his shaft, stretching to accommodate his girth as he filled her. He stroked her hips with his fingertips, sliding them around behind her thigh, and holding her steady, his body flush up against every inch of hers, pressing her down into the floor. She hissed quietly as he took both of her wrists in one of his hands, stretching them high above her head as he grazed her neck gently with his teeth, before his lips found hers again, his chest smashed against her breasts.

“Release my hands; I want to touch you.” She purred, her low voice a caress across his skin.

Her hand slid down his bare chest, his abdomen, and then around his back, skimming the contours of his muscles with her fingers before squeezing his ass and pulling him deeper. He sucked in a breath as she leaned forward pressing her lips to his shoulder, tongue snaking out to trace his muscles. She watched him from under her long black lashes, cheeks stained pink, as she bit her lower lip, gaze raking across his form, loving what she saw as he pulled out, his shaft coated in her arousal before thrusting; he was a sight to behold. He reached out and hooked his arm around her waist, both of them crying out in surprise and pleasure. Her breathing was getting heavier, as she rocked her hips slowly, pumping his shaft with her own wet heat, as he matched her rhythm, hips pushing forward and arching back to; his head fell backward, a strangled sound fell from his lips as she felt the coil building inside her as her clit connected with his pelvis. She rolled her hips around his shaft feeling the way his muscles tensed, her insides throbbing as he stretched and filled her when he sank back into her.

Alyss’ muscles contracted, body going rigid as she jerked and shivered, orgasm racking her body with tremors, as she collapsed into a puddle on the floor, and Kaidan came just behind her, his hips spasming just a little as he cried out her name. He collapsed on top of her, panting heavily as he rubbed his stubble against the side of her neck as they tried to recover. Feeling her chest rise and fall against his, was an amazing feeling, and she didn't want to let him go. His lips lazily caressed hers in several feather light kisses, his hand slipping between them resting on her hip, tugging her pelvis gently closer, chasing the aftershocks of her orgasm, movements strong and deliberate as he licked and kissed and nibbled her skin, hips rolling against hers. He couldn’t get enough of her, fingers caressing up and down her sides, the gentle touch making her shudder.

“Have I told you yet how glad I am that you're okay?” He asked.

She giggled, pushing a curl from his forehead. “Not in those exact words.”

[masseffectdiary]

I just love this scene ^^ Suvi Anwar and Sara Ryder taking a tea-break in Ryder's quarters. Sara Ryder has a friendcrush on Suvi (she's actually evolved with Liam), but this red-headed scientist is adorable when she talks about things she loves. Oh, and though Sara agrees to a mug of tea, she can't stop thinking about coffee. Tea's just not her drink. This was created thanks to this prompt My other Mass Effect art

[celestialpinay]

Picking Up the Pieces

Fandom: Mass Effect Characters: Ashlyn Shepard, Kaidan Alenko, EDI, Garrus Vakarian, Miranda Lawson (Mention) Pairing: Technically Shenko and (pre-)Shakarian Warning: Language, minor bending of canon Word Count: 2633 Note: So, as I’ve mentioned before, my first ME playthrough was a bit of a mess in terms of romance, to put it mildly >_> Here’s my personal take on how Shepard broke off her relationship with Kaidan before initiating one with Garrus.

Shock turned to overwhelming joy in the span of mere seconds and before Ashlyn even had a chance to say a word, Kaidan's arms were thrown around her neck, pulling her close to his body. He clung to her, desperation and disbelief practically radiating off of him. Swallowing thickly, she allowed her eyes to slide close and she reciprocated the embrace, her arms snaking around his torso and giving him a light squeeze. Ever since waking up in the Cerberus research facility, everything had been an absolute whirlwind and she'd barely had a moment to herself, a moment to think.

In Kaidan's arms, however, everything suddenly felt right. Despite her initial reservations when they had first gotten together, she loved him enough to have missed his embrace.

When they finally pulled away from each other, she glanced back at the companions she had brought with her down to Horizon’s surface. Miranda seemed to be picking through the buildings and containers surrounding them, presumably searching for any remaining colonizers, while Garrus stood on lookout for Collectors that may still be lurking about. The turian eventually glanced over and met her gaze. She jerked her head to indicate a spot a short distance away and quirked a brow in a silent question; he nodded in response.

Ashlyn flashed him a grateful smile and she turned back to Kaidan, taking him by the hand and dragging him away so the two could have a bit more privacy to catch up with each other.

As Ashlyn turned to face Kaidan, she saw his disbelieving gaze move across her face, eyes seeming to hover on the scars there. The ones that he was accustomed to--the one across her chin and the one that bisected her right eyebrow--were long gone. In their place were the residual scars from the Lazarus Project. They were not nearly as prominent as when she'd first woken up, but they still spiderwebbed across her face; a few still emitted a faint red glow, like a light held beneath cracked porcelain. One of his hands then went up to her head, his gloved fingers brushing against her scalp, the shaved style the only remnants of her long, black locks. With something of a wistful sigh, his hand fell back to his side and his eyes finally fell on the small Cerberus logo stitched into the collar of her undershirt and his expression hardened.

The giddiness she felt upon seeing him again dissipated as she felt her stomach drop.

“So...The rumors were true.”

“Kaidan…”

“Why? You know what they’ve done! Surely you remember how many of their research facilities we shut down together? You should have come home instead of working with that… that… parasite of an organization!”

“Kaidan, I didn’t have a choice. I--”

“Two whole years and you couldn’t have bothered to keep in touch?”

Without warning, anger bubbled in the pit of Ashlyn’s stomach. She straightened up, throwing her shoulders back and lifting her chin in defiance. “Being on a lab table for those two years kind of impedes one’s ability to write, Lieutenant,” she replied, her voice clipped but surprisingly even, despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

Some semblance of surprise flickered across Kaidan’s face; whatever he had expected Ashlyn to say, it seemed her actual response was far from it. In the end, however, it seemed his anger won out over all his other emotions. “But I doubt Cerberus sent you here directly. So what have you been doing since you woke up, Ashlyn?”

“Are you saying that I wasn’t allowed to get my bearings first? You expected me to get in touch as soon as I came out of the coma?” she snapped in response.

Ashlyn knew full well that if they continued to feed the fire, one or both of them would be leaving Horizon even more emotionally hurt than when they’d arrived. A part of her screamed at her to stop arguing with Kaidan, trying to convince her that the two of them just needed to take a deep breath and return to the conversation as civil as possible. Another part of her seemed too unbothered to care.

“Maybe a little bit, yes!” he shot back. “I thought we had something. Something special. The past two years, wondering if I could go back and do something different…” Now, a wistful expression passed his face. “Just... It would have been a relief to know you were alright.”

“Would it have really? If you thought I was dead, then I doubt I would have helped matters by telling you that I actually wasn’t. Hell, if the situations had been reversed, I would have thought someone was playing a sick prank on me.”

Another flicker of surprise crossed his expression and the tension in his shoulders seemed to ease a little bit. “I...Well…”

“Exactly. So you can’t fault me for not sending word,” she said firmly.

Kaidan sighed a little and nodded. “Yes… I suppose you have a point.”

Ashlyn also relaxed once it seemed that the crisis had been averted. The tension left her own body as she lightly crossed her arms over her chest. “Now, what are you doing here?”

“Well, on the topic of Cerberus, the Alliance received some intel that suggested they were the ones responsible for the missing human colonies.”

She frowned a bit. “I see…”

He nodded. “I’m on Horizon specifically because there were also rumors that this colony would be the next target.”

“And that coupled with the rumors that I was working with Cerberus… Were you hoping to run into me?” she asked.

Kaidan laughed once. “Maybe a little. Still… I hoped the rumors were false. And yet here you are… I can’t believe you’re working for the enemy.”

Ashlyn sighed a little. “Well, it’s more out of convenience than choice. As terrible as Cerberus is as an organization, they at least share my concern about keeping the colonies safe. Just because I’m here because of them does not mean I answer to them.”

“And do you really believe that, Ashlyn? Or is that just want they want you to think?” Suspicion and anger once more creeped into his voice.

She bit back a frustrated sigh and opened her mouth to respond, though she was cut off by Kaidan continuing his tirade.

“Do you know what you’re doing by working with Cerberus? You’re turning your back on everything that we’ve fought for. You’re turning your back on humanity. You’re betraying the Alliance.”

Before she could even think to stop herself, Ashlyn slapped him across the face, her frustration now turned to boiling rage.

Kaidan blinked a few times and slowly turned back to face her.

“How fucking dare you?” she demanded, her voice barely above a whisper even while it drowned in venom. “How dare you accuse me of betraying the Alliance? I would never, ever disgrace my family like that.”

“And yet here you stand.”

“At least I’m thinking about the bigger picture here, Kaidan! Whole colonies are going missing but no one else seems to be doing anything about it! As much as I love the Alliance, I know for a fact there would be too much red tape for me to resolve that I am still considered to be KIA. But the missing colonies is an issue that has be dealt with now. If Cerberus is the only one that’s going to give me the resources I need to stop this, then I will gladly sell my soul to the devil to do what I have to so that I can help people.”

Now she jabbed a finger into his chest. “Unlike someone who has his head shoved so far up his ass that he can’t even stop to consider that I’m only doing this because I don’t think I have any other choice. You of all people should know me better than that, Kaidan.”

He glared at her for a long while but he eventually sighed and looked away. “Look, I believe you, Ashlyn. You. But Cerberus? I don’t trust them, not even for a second. For all I know, they’re manipulating you by staging these attacks.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take, Kaidan.”

“Well, I’m not. I’m an Alliance soldier and I know where my loyalties lie. Speaking of the Alliance, I need to head back to the Citadel and report in. Hopefully they’ll have a better solution for how to deal with the Collectors.” He turned away from her.

“Come with me,” she blurt out, suddenly desperate to keep him by her side. “It’ll be like before.”

“But it won’t. Not really. You’ve changed and I’m not sure I like that change.”

Ashlyn almost immediately took a step back, reeling as if he had slapped her in return, an overwhelming sense of loss suddenly threatening to swallow her whole. As angry as she was with Kaidan, she didn’t want their relationship to end. As angry as she was, she still loved him. The possibility that this might be the end made her feel as if all of the breath had been drawn out of her lungs. It made her feel like she was once more lost in dark space, suffocating with no way of knowing which direction was up. She swallowed thickly, trying to pull herself back from that vague memory.

“Kaidan… You don’t mean that…” she said, her voice sounding small even to her own ears.

“Goodbye, Ashlyn,” he said, not even bothering to dispute her. “Despite everything… Just try to stay safe out there, okay?”

She watched as he walked away, frozen in place. Long after he was out of sight, she forced herself to make her way back towards the others, tapping her comms link as she did so, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. “Joker, send a shuttle down to pick us up. I’ve had enough of this damn planet to last me a lifetime.”

x-x-x-x-x

As soon as they had returned to the Normandy, Ashlyn had retreated to her cabin, demanding that EDI ensure no one could come up to disturb her. In the privacy of her own room, she finally allowed herself a chance to break down.

With a strangled scream, Ashlyn grabbed the digital frame with Kaidan’s photo off of her desk and threw it across the room. It hit the wall just above the headboard of her bed, making a satisfying cracking sound before dropping onto her pillows. Her breathing was heavy and uneven, nearly on the verge of becoming harsh hiccups, as tears streamed down her face and she collapsed into the couch tucked into the corner of the room. She let out a shuddering breath and buried her face into her hands, wondering just how her life had gone so astray… So wrong.

“Shepard?”

“Not now, EDI…” she mumbled.

“Garrus is rather insistent about having access to your quarters.”

Ashlyn sighed a little, opening her mouth to say that she was not allowing any exceptions to her desire for privacy. But she stopped herself, falling silent for a few moments to think it over. The Normandy did not have many members of her original crew… Ashlyn actually wanted at least one other person to talk to, so long as they were from that group of people. And out of everyone else, Garrus had seemed to be the only one that wasn’t hung up over the fact that she was still alive.

She sighed again. “Yeah… Go ahead and let him up. But no one else.”

“Yes, Shepard.”

Ashlyn hurried to the bathroom to wash her face before Garrus arrived. While she knew he could probably guess about what had happened on Horizon, or at least could guess that she was upset about something, she was still loathe for him to see her cry. She dried her face just as the door to her quarters slid open with a hiss.

Garrus’s familiar, flanging voice reached her. “Hey… Are you… holding up alright?”

She laughed once, a very hollow sound, and stepped out of the bathroom to cross to her desk chair. She flopped down into it and shook her head. “Not at all.”

He crossed his arms and watched her for a few moments, his expression unreadable. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She sighed heavily and began to idly spin around in the chair, not quite meeting his gaze as she did so. “Not really, to be honest… But… More so because I don’t even know where to begin.”

“I have time to spare.”

“You don’t have some calibrations to work on?” she asked with a hint of a smile.

He snorted. “I think the ship will survive for a few hours.”

That drew a small, genuine laugh out of her before she let out another heavy sigh and murmured, “I… don’t think Kaidan is going to forgive me for this…”

“What happened back there?”

“He… He’s upset with me. I… He doesn’t like that I’m working with Cerberus.”

“Neither do I.”

She quirked a brow. “Yet here you are.”

“Because you asked me to help you,” Garrus said in a matter-of-fact tone. “The Collectors are the bigger issue here, so I’m more than willing to deal with some unsavory people in order to help you stop them.”

An unexpected warmth spread through Ashlyn’s chest as she became overwhelmed with gratitude over Garrus’s response. It was how she had hoped Kaidan would have reacted… How she had expected him to react. It was nice that someone understood why she was working with an organization she normally would have had nothing to do with.

“Thanks…” she told him. “That means a lot to me, Garrus. I tried to tell Kaidan that my opinion mattered less than helping the colonies, but he wasn’t having it.” She sighed once again and wrapped her arms around herself. “He accused me of betraying the Alliance.”

His mandibles flared a little in irritation. “He shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, he probably shouldn’t have… But he did say it. So… I guess that’s where we stand right now.”

“I’m sorry, Shepard.” Garrus sighed and stepped closer to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I know you two were close.”

She shrugged a bit, trying not to let on just how much she was hurting. “It’s probably for the best. It gives him a better chance to move on.”

“Well… I’m here, if you ever need to talk.”

“I appreciate that.” She smiled faintly and reached up to put a hand over his. “I also appreciate that you haven’t pestered me about this whole not being dead thing.”

“Honestly? I’m still just glad that you showed up on Omega when you did. Sure, I did my own share of mourning, but… I suppose I just saw it all as a miracle.”

“Thank you,” she repeated.

The two of them were quiet for a long moment, seeming equally content to just be within each other’s company. For a wild moment, Ashlyn wanted nothing more than to ask Garrus to stay in her quarters for a couple of hours. Maybe pull up a vid to watch together. She just wanted a few moments alone with a man she considered a good friend. Maybe even her best friend. But she knew that time was not something had in abundance. They still had to stop the Collectors and she could not afford distractions. So she shrugged away from Garrus’s comforting hand and rolled her shoulders back, donning the mantle of Commander once more.

“We should probably head down to the briefing room and plan our next move. We don’t have time to lose.”

Garrus looked like he might protest, but instead he simply nodded. “Alright, Shepard. Lead the way.”

[illusivesoul]

Short Shiara drabble I made for the @masseffectcreativecircle. The prompt was parties, but the story is more of an afterparty event. I also used the prompts "Can we stay like this forever?" and "Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me" from a romance prompt list.

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The apartment was dimly lit, as Glyph had reduced the intensity of the lights to make it easier for the guests to sleep.

Zaeed and Javik lay resting on the wall, Tali was cuddled up with Garrus on the couch, and the sound of the shower on the floor above mixed with the mumbles coming from it meant that Kasumi and James not only hadn't pulled Grunt out of it, but that they most likely had ended up drinking and passing out with him. All over the apartment, the current and previous crewmembers of the Normandy lay asleep, some in more uncomfortable positions than others.

On the middle of the apartment, and with cheesy human and Asari songs being played by Glyph on the background, Shepard and Liara danced slowly, the Asari's head resting on Katerina’s neck.

“If I'm honest… I don't think you dance that bad, Shepard” Liara said slowly, the alcohol in her blood making her feel like she could faint at any moment.

“You say the nicest things. That's why… I love you” Shepard replied as she held Liara tighter against her, placing soft kisses on the Asari's neck “Can we stay like this forever ?”

Liara smiled as the kisses tickled against her skin “I wish we could, my love, but my feet are getting tired”

“Then why don't we… take this party to the bedroom? I can… help you relax” Shepard spoke in a seductive tone between hiccups.

The Asari planted a quick kiss on Katerina’s lips “I don't think… either of us is in the necessary… mental or physical state to keep partying in any shape or form. Why don't we just cuddle here… by the fireplace ?”

“Aye, aye, Commander” Shepard snapped a quick salute as she and Liara dropped to the floor, almost knocking down one of the lamps near it.

Katerina placed Liara’s arms around her waist, and she slightly turned her head to whisper to Liara.

“Meeting you was the best thing ever happened to me. I love you”

Liara gave a quick kiss on her cheek, blushing as she usually did when Shepard said romantic things at her.

“I love you too, Katerina Shepard”

As they fell asleep, Glyph turned off the lights and the music before entering into sleep mode itself, leaving the apartment in peaceful silence .