@spectre-requisitions-exchange is officially over for 2024! Not gonna lie, I'm a little sad. It was so much fun!!
BUT! Authors have been revealed, which means I can start hyping all the incredible people who took part this year! (And my own stories, but that will be a separate post.)
My gifts this year were PHENOMENAL. And I swear I am not just saying that to be nice. I got SPOILED ROTTEN this year. Like holy shit. 🥰
First up is my official gift! Mimicry by @keriweird featuring Kaidan and MShep's Clone.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
First of all, I almost lost my mind when I saw the length. 25k?? That someone would write that much for a gift blew me away. Impossibly generous. Then I started reading and GODDAMN. This is, legitimately, one of the best Mass Effect fanfics I have ever read. Easily in my top ten now. They took my prompt and ran with it in the most creative and mind bending ways.
The DETAILS in this story. Holy crap. Talk about world building. And the way they turn a phrase?? 🥲Beautiful. I cried. A few times. And also laughed out loud. There is some top notch humour in here. GO READ THIS STORY!
On top of the masterpiece that I got for a gift, I got a treat!! (Seriously. Spoiled.) And I nearly peed myself (sorry) when I saw which prompt they had picked!
We have: Mother****ing Dragons!! By @thedaselcor featuring FemShep and The Iron Bull!!!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
I didn't think anyone would jump on board with my crack fic pairing but I really hoped they would. You KNOW Shep and Bull would hit it off!! Come on! And holy shit did they ever deliver!!
This has got to be the most FUN I have ever had reading a fic. I was literally BOUNCING while I read this!! Giggling like an idiot the whole time. It is everything I could have possibly hoped for when I dreamt this up, and then some.
You have to go check this out! You will not regret it. What an absolute blast!
Honestly. I am so beside myself with joy. The biggest thank you possible to both my authors. I utterly adore you both. ❤️❤️
You got me with my back up against the wall
I try to walk away but I begin to fall
Push me to the edge of eternity
Out here on my own for the world to see
And maybe this is it, maybe I'm afraid
But I'm okay
I won't break, I'll never blister
You forget we're just the same
And I know the better days are on their way
I was blind and you were broken
Now I can see the end of me
And I will fight tonight to get up off my knees
With every part of me
With every part of me
With every part of me
You left me in the dark where I couldn't see
Forced to be the person that I couldn't be
Out here in this world of uncertainty
You used to my piece in my harmony
Maybe this is it, but I'm not afraid
I'm okay
I won't break, I'll never blister
You forget we're just the same
And I know the better days are on their way
I was blind and you were broken
Now I can see the end of me
And I will fight tonight to get up off my knees
With every part of me
The weight of this world won't last forever
And every piece of me you will remember
You will remember
You will remember
I won't break, I'll never blister
You forget we're just the same
And I know the better days are on their way
I was blind and you were broken
Now I can see the end of me
And I will fight tonight to get up off my knees
With every part of me
With every part of me
With every part of me
With every part of me
With every part of me
This waking nightmare lingers
When will the mirror stop telling lies
I don't know where I've been or where I'm going
But I can't do it alone
I'm reaching out
Rescue me
Show me who I am
'Cause I can't believe
This is how the story ends
Fight for me
If it's not too late
Help me breathe again
No, this can't be how the story ends
I'm wrapped up and waiting for you
I've lost so much more then I'll ever know
The past, the truth forgotten
Find me now
Before I lose it all
I'm crying out
Rescue me
Show me who I am
'Cause I can't believe
This is how the story ends
Fight for me
If it's not too late
Help me breathe again
No, this can't be how the story ends
Ah
Rescue me
Show me who I am
'Cause I can't believe (I can't believe)
This is how the story ends
Fight for me
If it's not too late (not too late)
Help me breathe again
No, this can't be how the story ends
@mtreebeardiles - oh, look, yet another Aubrey song! lol This one hit me while trying to sort out some of his plot outline. (that's what I get for listening to Spotify while working on it! lol)
I've given into his muse - going to be working on his story during Camp Nano starting April 1. We'll see if he cooperates, but if he stays anything like as consistent as he has been for the past week, chances are I'll accomplish something.
Also looks like there'll be at least two fics - decided to break the 'set up' into one piece, and the main story into a separate one. We shall see how things go. If there's one thing I've learned from the muses over the years, it's to be incredibly open-minded and flexible!
Little changes here and there over the course of months had been easy enough for Shawn to ignore, to see without seeing, to hear without listening, clinging to the idea that if he just refused to acknowledge the problem, the problem would go away. Illogical and he knew it, but admitting he knew it went against the rules of the game he'd made up inside his head, so he ignored that, too. Turned a blind eye to all of it really, from the slow emptying of shelves, to less and less groceries being bought, to longer interludes where Evvy and Kaidan spent more time on the planet down below.
It started with the announcement that they were house-hunting. Shawn ignored this. Then came house-buying. Shawn ignored this, too. Then came a date set, a time to go with the place, circled in red marker on the calendar that glared at him every morning when he made his coffee.
He pretended he didn't know what it was for.
But the boxes had the audacity of blocking the front staircase. Neatly stacked, clearly labeled, undoubtedly a nod to Kaidan's far superior organization skills, and it hit Shawn like a shuttle to chest. He stood there, frozen on the steps, fingers tight around his mostly-empty cup of coffee, all thoughts of what he intended to do once he got down to the first floor of their apartment flying from his head and replaced with a sense of dread so intense he wondered if maybe he'd throw up.
This isn't happening.
The boxes continued to block his path.
They're not really leaving me here all by myself.
And technically… they weren't. Shawn knew that. Knew he wasn't the only one Evvy was leaving the apartment, knew their more recent roommates were staying put just as surely as Shawn was.
But Joker and EDI weren't Evvy and Kaidan; it just wasn't the same.
Shawn turned on his heel and marched back up the stairs, head buzzing with so much white noise that didn't start to clear until he'd pushed his way into the master bedroom, and only then so that feeling of dread could take center stage again. All the things he'd been ignoring were hitting him one after the other -- the walk-in closet, empty of most of its clothes; more boxes in the bathroom, tops still open to hold whatever odds and ends had been left for these final days. New bedding, crisp and stiff and it made Shawn's skin crawl as he plopped down atop it, right across from a very startled Everett.
"Uh, Shawn? You…okay?"
"You're actually leaving?"
Evvy blinked at him, frowning.
"…yes?"
"Like…actually, though?"
The frown deepened.
"Shawn, we've talked about this -- we showed you the pictures of the house. It's on the calendar."
"Yeah, but…"
His brother watched him, bafflement at war with a growing concern. Shawn didn't like that; he didn’t like to see Evvy worried, or in pain, or broken down.
And that's all this place ever does to him.
That, at least, Shawn hadn't been able to ignore.
It had started slow, but once it began it showed now signs of stopping. Everett's recovery had been long, painful, and arguably ongoing even to this day. But he was up and about, had some of his old energy back, ventured out more and more. He was visible again, noticed and noted, and he'd maybe had a handful of peaceful weeks before the bullshit started to come out in waves.
A hero's welcome wherever he went, slowly easing into questions he knew Everett had answers for as surely as he knew he didn't want to give them. Was he returning to active duty? Surely the Savior of the Galaxy had earned enough accolades for several promotions, to assume command on a bigger, broader stage. And if not that, then perhaps he'd find his niche in the Council -- surely he'd be an overwhelming favorite should it come down to an actual vote this time. Other suggestions, other speculations less common, but all had the same underlying message: what was Everett Shepard going to give to them this time? What part of his heart, his soul, his body, and his mind was next for them to consume, what role would he find himself in to let them take, and take, and take some more?
Because taking more from Everett Shepard had always been a given -- and no one had expected him to finally say no.
"He's retiring? He's not even thirty-five!"
"Nah, I don't buy it. He'll be back out there before you know it, setting records straight and making sure humanity gets its due after all this bullshit."
"He can't just give it all up -- what a fucking waste that would be! What's he gonna do, stay home and sit on his ass all day, watching TV? Work some regular ass job? Please."
Fame came with a lot of expectation, Shawn discovered, and Evvy's had always been soaked in blood.
But time marched on; Evvy didn't re-enlist. Showed zero interest in the Council. Hero worship slipped so easily into open contempt, and as the galaxy began to piece itself together its politics turned as toxic as ever. Some blamed him for the war; others blamed him for Earth being hit first. Some were convinced the danger wasn't past, and insisted he do something about it. Insisted, really, that he owed them all something: owed them for their own pain, their own losses, their own shredded sense of normalcy. Receipts gathered only to be thrown in his face, what-about-isms running rampant, criticisms for the choices he'd been forced to make throughout the war. After all he'd done, all he'd orchestrated in the name of giving them all a chance, and it wasn't enough.
It would never be enough.
You can't take this from him, too.
Even if the idea of not having him around so much made his chest hurt and his eyes smart.
"Shawn?"
"Could've given me more warning, you know."
Evvy's frown inched from concern to outright disbelieving. "…Shawn, we talked about this months ago."
"Yeah! Well! That's hardly enough time for someone to consider life-altering events!"
"'Life-altering --' what? You're still living here!"
"Without you and Kay! With Joker and EDI! What if we don't get along!"
"They've been living here for nearly a year!"
"With us, and now it's gonna be just me! What if they try to change things --"
"--like what?"
"I don't know! What if Joker decides to sit on the right side of the couch? That's my side!"
"The apartment has like five couches, Shawn."
"And the right side of each is mine."
"I'm sure it won't be a problem."
"And I like the cupboards arranged a certain way! And the shelves! What if he decides on a whim that Kaidan's method is out and his own dumb system is better!"
"I don't think anyone would accuse Joker of being particularly 'whimsical.'"
"He better not be," Shawn muttered darkly. "I don't have the patience for that shit."
Evvy's lips twitched, curving ever so slightly upwards and he shook his head.
"You're allowed to say you'll miss us, Shawn. It's okay."
"Pssh, yeah, right, this isn't about missing you it's about Joker's terrible taste in movies…"
"Shawn."
He bit at the inside of his lip, but forced himself to meet Evvy's eyes. His brother scooted closer, resting his hands on both of Shawn's shoulders and giving a little squeeze.
"You're going to be okay," he said. "And it's not like you can't come visit, yeah?"
Shawn stared at him a moment, that awful feeling of dread twisting him up inside.
He pushed it back down again.
"…yeah." He dropped his gaze, swiping impatiently at his eyes. Everett sighed, giving his shoulders another squeeze.
"C'mere."
He gave a tug and Shawn didn't resist, letting his brother pull him into a hug.
"You're gonna be okay, Shawn," Everett murmured again, holding him tight. "Trust me."
And Shawn didn't answer, his throat too tight and the words too hard for him to find, so he just held him right back.
One more for whatever pair you're feeling: “ i really want to kiss you. “
What! I actually wrote a prompt request! It's only been 84 years!
Haha, here's some Shawn and Leigh for you, hope you enjoy
Also on AO3!
S: Hey, you almost done with work?
Leigh blinked down at the text in surprise, cocking an eyebrow and glancing at the clock. 11:59 AM on a Thursday, lunch break not for another half hour or so, and the fact that he was in London while Shawn was on the Citadel in another cluster only added to his confusion.
L: Uh. No?
S: :(
He couldn't quite help the smile tugging at his lips, either. Shawn's knowledge of emojis was relatively new, spurred into being by prolonged exposure to Joker as a housemate, and it had amused Leigh to no end to see how excited his partner had been to learn about them. Peppering them into conversation to often humorous effect at first and even though he'd scaled back considerably since then Leigh couldn't help but find it charming still. Simple but somehow effective, another facet of expression for Shawn to explore, and if there was one thing Leigh had learned about his boyfriend it was Shawn's propensity for expressiveness.
He'd come a long way from the suspicious, distrustful man he'd been, once upon a time.
L: why are you asking?
S: I really want to kiss you
"What…"
Leigh immediately sat up, looking around. Piles of datapads and old-school bound books were stacked in neat heaps on his desk in tidy little towers, obscuring most of his view of the other side of the office.
Which is kinda quiet now that I think about it. Not unusual in and of itself, Donnelly and Daniels not opposed to skipping out for lunch a little earlier than he tended to, but he couldn't recall their leaving. He'd been neck deep in a complicated financial report detailing cost analysis for a project in a nearby neighborhood, caught up in a seemingly endless scroll of numbers and tables and projections and the only thing that had broken his concentration had been the text alert from his omni-tool.
L: are you here??
Leigh set the report aside, getting to his feet with a wince as his lower back protested the sudden shift to movement after spending so long parked behind his desk.
Need to remember to get up and walk around a bit more.
Eye-level rising above the 'pads and books told him what he'd already suspected: the rest of the office was empty, no sign of his engineers to be found, both sets of monitors having gone idle. He chewed at his lower lip, calling up his message interface again, but there was no further response from Shawn yet.
L: shawn?
L: :((
"Does the double frowny face mean extra distress?"
Leigh whirled around at the sound of that familiar voice, grin twitching at his lips even as his heart skipped a beat when he spotted its owner leaning in the doorway. Framed by sunlight from the skylight above, skin slightly tanned from regular exposure, running a set of fingers through his wavy locks, and Shawn Shepard was a vision Leigh could admire for hours on end. Jeans that hugged just right to an ass Shawn insisted he didn't have, a simple tee under a brown leather jacket that brought an extra touch of warmth to his skin, and Leigh's answer to the question was obvious enough.
"Extra distress if my gorgeous if unexpected boyfriend doesn't get his ass over here and make good on that kiss."
Shawn laughed, eyes glinting as he shut down his own 'tool and strode over. Hands landing on Leigh's hips and he leaned in to kiss his nose.
"Cute, but I think you can do better than that," Leigh said, cocking an eyebrow. Shawn cocked an eyebrow right back, lips curving into a smirk that was downright mischievous, and he leaned in with deliberate slowness…to kiss Leigh's cheek.
"Better?"
"Getting closer."
"Hmmm…"
Another kiss, to the other cheek, then his forehead, his chin, and by the time he nuzzled Leigh's head aside to plant more along the column of his throat the Major was covered in goosebumps.
"Am I getting warmer?"
"You tell me," Leigh retorted. "As I recall, you wanted to kiss me, love."
"Never did say where," Shawn murmured in his ear before giving it a little nip.
"Never told me you were coming to Earth, either," Leigh countered, shivering at the bite and swallowing at the resulting laugh, low and throaty, that his words prompted.
"Surprise looks good on you," Shawn explained, kissing along his jaw now.
"Mhm?"
"Mhm…" He worked his way to the other side of Leigh's neck, nuzzling at the sensitive spot below the hinge of his jaw. "Also look good all worked up."
"That right?"
"Mhmm…"
"So that…that's your plan, then? Surprise me, work me up, and then…"
Another shiver skittering down his spine as Shawn's hands shifted on his hips and suddenly lifted him, planting his ass on his desk. Leigh licked his lips, trying to wrangle his thoughts back into some sort of order but it was difficult with the way Shawn positioned himself between his knees, hands braced on either side of his thighs on the desk.
"And then," Shawn continued for him, leaning in, lips a hairsbreadth away from his own. "Kiss you, the way I wanted to."
"And how's that?"
"Breathless."
"At my place of work…?"
Shawn cupped his cheek, running a thumb along his lower lip.
"I did ask if you were done," he reminded him. "And seeing as Donnelly and Daniels will be out for another thirty minutes…" He cocked his head. "Guess you didn't actually answer me though, huh? I can always come back…"
Shawn's smirk grew as Leigh's knees instinctively clenched around him, a tacit request to stay put.
"Oh, no, you don't." Leigh's hands moved up Shawn's chest to rest on his shoulders, the part of him that cared about propriety rapidly losing the battle against the sheer joy of having this man in his arms again -- even better, he could admit, that he hadn't been expecting it.
"Think I should stick to my plan, then?"
"Yes." Leigh moved a hand to run his own fingers through Shawn's hair, drawing him closer. "With one addendum."
"Mhm?"
"You're taking me to lunch after," Leigh whispered, and he felt the curve of Shawn's lips ghost against his own.
8. I answered this for mshenko already, so I'll do this one for my mshep clone, Shawn, and his partner Major (Leigh) Coats :)
Leigh really comes to admire Shawn's tenacity the longer they're together. There's a certain determination Shawn has to learn and experience things, coupled with a bluntness that he likely doesn't realize actually encourages those around him to also try new things. Even if he's bad at something he doesn't just give up as a matter of course -- failure may make him grumpy, but Shawn's a natural learner at heart and has an innate sense of curiosity that helped reignite Leigh's own sense of wonder.
Shawn on the other hand loves Leigh's steadiness. When they first met Shawn was on a downward spiral of doubt with a full blown identity crisis, questioning his place in a world where there really weren't many (or any, so far as he knows) people like him. Leigh was definitely an anchoring force, one that scared him at first because he couldn't fathom the idea of anyone being interested in him as a friend let alone anything else once they'd learned the truth that he was a partially synthetic clone of the "real Shepard" and not just his long-lost twin that Shepard told everyone he was. But Leigh didn't let it shake him up, thought it over, and decided knowing full-well what Shawn was that he wanted to try anyway -- and that steadiness persisted in the first few years of dating, when so much of their relationship would wind up being long-distance.
18. I'll do this for Shawn and Leigh as well.
Dancing, dinner dates, long walks if they're going out, or eating in and watching movies if they aren't. Shawn was learning classical dancing (ballroom, swing) when they started dating and Leigh decided to learn as well, so it's one of their favorite shared activities to do together. Otherwise it's a matter of trying out new things or whatever catches their interest -- new foods, new music, new venues. Botanical gardens or arboretums are a favorite for walks.
As for how long they date -- four years before they move in :)
Needing breaks never really came up all that much since Shawn traveled a lot in those four years and lived on the Citadel while Leigh lived in London for the majority of the dating stage of their relationship, so the breaks were more or less built-in for a while there.
28. This one will be for Everett and Kaidan (my mshenko boys)
Everett is a pretty polarizing figure before AND after the Reaper War, so "vacation" had always been and continues to be tricky for him. He's very recognizable and reactions to him range from love/admiration to absolute, almost unhinged hatred.
So trying to go anywhere with a higher human populace always sets him on edge, hyper-aware that people are noticing him and hyper-aware that his loved ones/friends are also noticing people notice him, and then he feels incredibly guilty that no one can have a relaxing time. While no one has gotten close to him so far, that doesn't really stop people (admirers and detractors alike) from trying to get into his space, and it's a coin toss whether something thrown his way will be a nice letter or flower or someone's drink.
After the war, though, he does start getting more invitations to non-human or non-human majority places, and has had several lovely vacations on Sur'Kesh, Thessia, Rannoch, and more exciting adventures on Tuchanka. Kaidan will argue that fighting thresher maws is not relaxing enough to be considered a vacation, but Evvy and Wrex beg to differ.
