Hey, I wanna babble about Kaidan and Zeeyla (my Asari Engineer in our ME5E ttrpg)! I've had fun playing with the 6 month interim between campaigns, and I feel like sharing their basic outline somewhere. 💜
They first saw each other outside Ambassador Anderson's office. Zeeyla's friend and crewmate is Alliance Commander Maria Florentino, who would often report back to Anderson. (They are not, however, an Alliance crew, and despite being registered as Alliance, their ship, The Victor, does not belong to the Alliance military. Zeeyla is Very Serious about this point and is glad that Maria holds the same stance.)
Kaidan was intrigued by the Asari and her fantastical drone (which looks like a winged darwinius in Bisexual jewel tones, with ultra-soft synthetic fur), and the melancholy in her pinged his protective streak. Zeeyla figured he recognized her from her extranet videos, and gave him an awkward wave with the plushie in her hand: a keeper. They were interrupted before they could talk.
(Her videos are a combination of educational sci-comm, hobby/personal rambles, and live accounts of their missions. Her videos and other social media posts often include a plushie along for the adventure.)
They actually met a little while later in the Wards, hit it off, and spent the rest of the day talking with each other. He complimented her by comparing something she said to Carl Sagan, and that's how he found out she's fascinated with first contact communications and the Golden Record in particular. They kept in contact, becoming the first person each wanted to talk to about things.
Neither of them was looking for a romantic relationship. Kaidan was focused on work and preparing for the reapers, and Zeeyla was disinterested in romance in general. After testing out the idea many decades ago, she came to the conclusion that it's just not for her. That doesn't stop Tali from teasing Kaidan: "You think I'd like her? Sounds like you like her!"
The Victor crew starts getting missions from Hackett rather than Anderson, and there's an attitude shift there. Anderson inspired loyalty. Hackett inspires ire.
I'm playing with the idea that several weeks later, they have overlapping visits to Arcturus, and Kaidan takes her to an exhibit on The Golden Record. Or possibly it's done via vid call while she's on Arcturus and he has some free time on Earth.
After that, she starts inadvertently, unconsciously being flirtatious with him. He tries to maintain platonic feelings, but they've both been falling hard without really realizing it.
When Zeeyla finds out the anniversary of Alchera is coming up, she insists on going to Earth to support him. She's been running errands for Hackett for months and she's taking time to do what she wants to do. Kaidan insists he'll be fine, but says he'd love to see her if she wants to come.
They initially have a few days together, just squeezing in visits around Kaidan's work schedule. They walk along the beach in Rio at lunchtime, eating street snacks and taking in the view. When they stop to watch the waves, he reaches for her hand, then hesitates, but she offers it to him and he takes it. It occurs to her how nice it would be to meld with him--platonically, obviously.
He turns her down at first. There's intel in his mind that needs to be kept secret, and he knows she has trouble keeping secrets (some might say it's her biggest Flaw). She assures him he's not obligated, and he doesn't have to justify himself. She also assures him, for future reference, that there are ways of maintaining privacy. They talk through how melds work, what steps can and should be taken to protect oneself and others. She's very protective in how she talks about it, and he ends up changing his mind.
The next day, they join their minds, sharing memories and introducing loved ones. They also share some troubled memories, including the trauma that Zeeyla's been carrying for the past several months, past the wall she's run into when trying to talk to him about it. Her escape from the Prothean homeworld--filled with such horrors as paralyzing indoctrination swarms, slime-filled underground caverns, a lake of doom, Collector mermaids, and a dead banshee at her feet--came at the cost of releasing a reaper, and she doesn't think her survival is worth the lives Imperator might destroy.
Their meld also revealed hints of romantic attraction between the two of them. With Kaidan, it manifested as golden light coming from behind a closed door, meant just for her, and she lingered in its warmth without pushing past the set boundary. Zeeyla's manifested as soft, nebulous wisps of dark energy, unknowable, but his.
Afterward, he admitted he wanted to kiss her...so she kissed him. They talked about building a romantic relationship together. Her flight response kicks in a little bit -- she's used to being an expert at what she does, she doesn't like feeling so inept, she doesn't want to ruin their relationship or hurt him, but she's invested in getting it right.
Shortly after, she takes an opportunity to go up to Mexico City to meet Maria's Tio Benito and attend his lectures on xenotechnologies, something she's wanted to do almost as long as she and Maria have been friends. She assures Kaidan she's not running away, and she'll be back soon...sooner if he needs her. He encourages her to go, and she sends him a lot of excited updates about the lectures, her lovely new friend, and the delicious food.
While she's away, Kaidan secures time off for the days surrounding the Alchera anniversary, and gets them a room at small beachside boutique hotel, a private base to return to. (There's only one bed!...but keep your hopes in check. lol) When she returns, they steal away, they explore the national park, they visit the Museum of Tomorrow (what does that look like in 2186?), they have dinner at a mountaintop restaurant, they drink caipirinhas together on the beach. She contentedly wears his hoodie, even though it has an Alliance logo on it.
They share a bed, but they keep their clothes on. They kiss and cuddle a lot, but back off a bit when things get too heated. Zeeyla finds herself wondering who made this rule, who set this boundary? (It was Zeeyla. Zeeyla did that.)
As Kaidan honors the memory of the Normandy and those who were lost, Zeeyla provides comfort or distraction, as needed. They drink to the Normandy. She offers another toast: to survival, and to building something together with the chance they've been given. She absolutely means it...but she also too-quickly finishes her drink. Shenanigans ensue, followed by a hangover, a migraine, and a lazy, blustery day.
The days run out too soon, and they both return to work.
In the weeks that follow, her flight response dissipates. She frequently teases Kaidan, "Tell your Mister Hackett to send us to Earth!" They eventually agree that after her next mission, she'll go back to Earth, Vancouver this time. The Victor crew visits Arcturus so Maria can get their orders.
