#oc codex: loch

[gwynbleiddyn]

14 and 15 for Cade. 10 and 22 for Max. 18 and 21 for Loch. 25 for all three ;) If you want to....

OHOHOOH THIS IS THE CONTENT I LIVE FOR

14. how they react to burning their tongue on food

as stoically as possible. Cade Shepard is not about to admit to anyone that he’s fighting a losing battle between the searing food in his mouth and what’s left of his tastebuds. 

mostly just looks like he’s trying not to laugh, his left eye is probably twitching, and Scott’s there like “is this an allergic reaction or are you just trying not to sneeze?”

15. how they react to a brainfreeze

he will literally just curl up into a ball and whine. 

10. their fashion sense

Max knows what’s up. Ripped jeans, lots of plaid shirts and plain white tees, sneakers, leather and bomber jackets. Dark, solid colours - blues, purples, greys. He’ll throw in bits of white/platinum/silver jewellery too.

22. what they’re like on two hours of sleep

like a squirrel on coffee. Really, really hyped, probably because he’s overcompensating for how goddamn tired he is. generally doesn’t make it through the day, ends up crashing somewhere and Ash has to come and wake him up because Max is a sleeping beast that nobody else wants to try and disturb.

18. how they sleep

Loch’s a restless sleeper, always tossing and turning and waking up bleary eyed the next morning, grumbling because he slept awfully. The only times he sleeps soundly are when Kaidan’s with him, or when he’s absolutely trashed. The drawback to the latter is that he usually spends the following morning curled up on the bathroom floor. 

21. how they react to pain

he tries to keep it under wraps, grits his teeth and refuses to make any noise or complaint until his job is done. it shows up in broken speech and the way he seems to take forever to focus on you - by that point, Kaidan’s usually marching him down to med. 

25. why you enjoy them

Cade is just my absolute darling favourite, in case we didn’t already know this :p he’s just such a huge character, full of ego and colour and pride but his flaws are just as important to him as everything else. they shape him, but he gets the final say in how that shape is expressed. Torfan could have turned him into a cold-hearted killer, but it didn’t. to me, Cade is just everything I admire and everything I want to be crammed into one very, very vivid personality, and I adore the bones of him. there’s not a single day that goes by where he doesn’t make me smile because of some silly headcanon or because I jotted something down for a fic, or just... you know, seeing something happen in real life and picturing Cade dealing with that situation. he’s just always with me.

Max is just SO much fun!! total honesty: I made him trans because for myself, that’s something I desperately needed to see in this world I love to create in. the fact that he’s happy and enjoying his life despite those obstacles is a really important thing to me and I am fiercely protective of this ridiculous boy and his stupid dad jokes :’) he’s just such a delight as a person too, and i’m really enjoying seeing how he integrates and develops within the universe.

Loch is just... wonderful, in so many ways. He’s kind, despite his distance, and genuine, despite his current career prospects as a deep cover agent/infiltrator. I just fucking love the way he refuses to fall into that mould, like, everything’s telling him to be a cold-hearted jackass who only cares about himself, but he’s just not. He’s the most rule-abiding Shepard I have :p but in a way, he’s also the one who is relentless in breaking down those ideas that people might put onto him. It’s funny and heartwarming in equal measure, and idk, Lucky’s got something about him!

[gwynbleiddyn]

the joy section of the ABCs, for an OC of your choice :)

oooh, let’s see... I’ll do these for Lachlan if you don’t mind! 

J // joy

1. what makes them happy?

Soft blankets, flannel shirts, a well-fitting pair of jeans. Simple things. Cold, grey days where he can stay inside and scribble away in sketchbooks or sit in a studio in his pjs with a hot mug of coffee and paint. He doesn’t get time to do the things he loves anymore and I think Lachlan misses that the most - he’s a habitual creature and being in the Alliance has never suited him. 

Other than that, being around Kaidan even if they’re not talking -- just knowing he’s there means a lot to Loch. They can work together quietly for hours and it’d mean just as much as the days where they can’t stop talking. 

2. who makes them happy?

Kaidan!! Always. Loch’s never been a very open guy, but Kaidan is helping him to be and Loch appreciates that a lot. And he enjoys being with Kaidan, because Kaidan’s always willing to try new things and they just help each other step out of their habitual comfort zone every now and then - checking out that new place on the strip or going for a drive where they’ve never been before. They’re both so used to routine and direction, it’s nice for them to be able to break out of their self-imposed regime. 

3. are there any songs that bring them joy?

Secretly, Loch’s very fond of Once Upon a December because of what it means to his little sister. It’s a reminder of family, for sure, and he keeps it close to heart. 

I’m not sure what other songs would make him happy though - he doesn’t tend to hone in on music as much as his siblings do.

4. are they happy often?

I feel mean saying this, but... not really. 

The context here: Loch’s parents were lovely people, but - and both Loch and Cade will tell you this - they’d committed to their careers long before they ever committed to their kids, and that never changed. They were on active duty, there was rarely a time when both parents would be at home, and Cade ended up picking up a lot of the slack because yk, he felt he had to. I mean, he was, what? Eleven? Twelve maybe? Getting himself and Loch fed and off to school every morning, coming home, doing their homework together and then Cade would let Loch play on his games console while he helped out with Ari and Eiri, then helped his grandad make dinner and get ready for bed. That was just how it was, for years. And obviously, then, as they grew up, Loch/Ari/Eiri would turn to Cade far more than they would turn to their own parents. That says a lot about how much those siblings care about each other.

And with that in mind, Loch’s still picking apart everything that happened to him over the last decade and he’s not finding any pattern or logic to follow and it really haunts him. I mean, he was thirteen when he saw Cade completely go off the rails in Brooklyn - that hit him really badly, because he absolutely idolized his big brother and to see him in such a state was... yeah. Devastating would be putting it lightly. 

He’s seventeen when he loses his parents. It felt wrong to look at Cade and think, ‘yeah, you’re in charge of this family now’ but that was their reality and he also kind of knew that Cade was still battling plenty of his own demons. But of course, Ari and Eiri weren’t really old enough to understand anything more than ‘mum and dad aren’t coming home.’

I think losing Cade was the deeply ironic nail in the coffin. It was the point where Loch just tore himself in two, gathered up all his emotions and locked them up to fester into something worse, but it was out of sight and out of mind. And when Cade came back, it was like taking a crowbar to rotting wood. Overkill, in a way. 

That’s a huge amount for him to go through in ten years and Loch knows it. But he’s learning that he deserves happiness too, though, and that’s the important thing.  

5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

I don’t think Loch knows, yet. 

But, yk, as that ominpotent creator, I can tell you that it’ll be the day he wakes up w/ a wedding ring on his finger (wow, he finally got past those commitment issues?) and Kaidan lying next to him with that lazy grin and his messy bedhead, lookin’ @ Loch like he’s something else. There’s a lot of joy to be gained from family, Loch knows that, but he’s spent so much time trying to keep his own family together that it never occurred to him Kaidan could be a new part of that, a part that won’t ever leave him when he needs him most. 

[gwynbleiddyn]

★★★★ one for each shepard sibling!!

NICE

★ Arianwen

► She’s a fully qualified mechanic, and it’s her day job in Brooklyn before the Reapers roll in. Girl can fix anything you put in front of her, pretty much, and she loves refitting old 21st century cars.

★ Eirion

► This kid is fucking smart. Like, can recite a textbook from memory kind of smart. It’s a little terrifying, but you get used to it and tbh, Eiri’s really enthusiastic about what he studies, so it’s at least kind of endearing.

★ Lachlan

► He designed every one of his own tattoos himself, in a sketchbook, probably while waiting for a mark to appear. Loch’s an artistic guy anyway, but his sketchbooks are full of mesmerizing geometric patterns fueled by math, and it’s fucking cool to look at. You’d have to pry it from his hands first though.

★  Caderyn

► He’s actually six foot five and three quarters. Which makes him closer to 6′6. But nobody’s willing to admit that.

[gwynbleiddyn]

❤️ Lachlan

❤️Loch is just on the irritating side of lazy - he can spend all day in one place on the couch quite comfortably. Kaidan is incredibly active, and this is probably one of the things where they clash the most, but as much as Lachlan complains about the 6AM wakeup call for the gym, he appreciates it. Quietly. With a lot of grumbling. Kaidan knows though ;~)

[gwynbleiddyn]

Loch and Kaidan!

Name: Rowan

Gender: girl

General Appearance: bright green/hazel eyes, almond shaped and deep-set. clusters of freckles on her cheeks, but they come and go with summer, and are very faint in winter. her hair is dark, errant curls running through, and you can catch red strands in the right light. always with a dimpled smile and rosy cheeks.

Personality: wilful, but not headstrong. unreservedly kind, gentle in her mannerisms but bold with her words. quick to smile, even quicker to laugh.

Special Talents: i have no real idea on this one tbh. i feel like something artistic would be up her street, seeing as loch is a creative boy. or she might do a 180 and go all out for kickboxing, i dunno.

Who they like better: she loves both her dads with all her heart, but i think she shares a special bond with loch simply because of how he found her.

Who they take after more: kaidan!! she’s definitely more like kaidan in terms of her outlook on things and her mannerisms, but she’s got loch’s sense of humour and dedication.

Personal Head canon: lachlan finds her in the immediate aftermath of the war in london’s rubble, swathed in blankets, barely a few months old. he only realizes she’s there because she’s crying her little lungs out, bless her. and loch kind of freaks out a little - this shit doesn’t happen in real life, right? but he pulls himself together long enough to get her to the closest makeshift med-camp. from the moment he picked her up to the moment he handed her over, she didn’t make a sound - just stared up at him with those big eyes, and loch felt deeply moved by the fact that somehow, there was still life in these ruins and he happened to find it.

[skipping faceclaim for my guys because it’ll take too long, sorry!!!]

im ngl, i genuinely haven’t thought of loch and kaidan ever having a kid (in reality, neither of their post-war careers would allow for it), but man. THIS GOT ME THINKING.

[gwynbleiddyn]

Star Star for each of the Shepard siblings, and a star for their parents!

boy i gotta get my thinkin’ cap on here

Arianwen

► You know what sucks? Genetics. Ari’s 5′3. That’s not fun when your brothers are ALL over 6 foot.

► She’s an MMA fighter! Amateur circuits, but considering she has her daughter to bring up by herself, a pretty impressive feat.

Eirion

► Eirion has a bummer of an 18th birthday, given that it’s smack bang in the middle of the Reaper war. But, because he’s Eiri, he doesn’t think twice about it and carries on with his ‘job’ of helping the refugees in the docks. That lasts until his brothers show up and insist he drop by the dry-docked Normandy to see them, and they’ve somehow acquired a birthday cake and ridiculous bunting.

► He loves reptiles, and he really wants to be an exotic animal vet someday when things settle down.

Lachlan

► Commitment issues? Commitment issues! Yeah, Loch can barely own a shirt for more than a year before he starts getting antsy about it.

► Despite his ancestry, Loch only knows one song in actual Welsh. And that also makes up the majority of the language that he knows. Cade likes to bug him about that, in welsh.

Caderyn

► Despite his dislike of water, Cade’s a pretty good swimmer. He has masses of strength in his legs, chest and shoulders, so he can move seriously fast in water. 

► Years of CQC training equals impressive flexibility. Do what you will with that information.

and for the parents!

Thomas

► If you think Cade’s accent is strong, it’s got nothing on Thomas. Tom also liked to put filler words EVERYWHERE. Talking to dad Shepard meant everything took twice as long, because not only did he add unnecessary words, he liked to tell stories about things that were maybe only VAGUELY relevant. Cade can remember plenty of times he was meant to get a talking to, and just get a 40 minute retelling of some bullshit story Tom just made up.

Aran

► Aran took no shit from her boys. At all. She had such a kind heart and a genuinely nuturing personality, but god, she could lay the law down hard when things were going to shit. She was just the kind of person you listened to, partly because she made you feel safe, and partly because you kind of just didn’t want to find out what she was like when she was angry.

[gwynbleiddyn]

1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, 22, 23- you know who 😗

Lucky is feelin the love thank u

1. What’s their full name, how’s it pronounced, and what does it mean? 

Lachlan James Shepard is his full name, and he’ll just roll his eyes at anybody who ever calls him that.

Lachlan is (unlike cade, fuckin hell) easy to pronounce: lock-lan. And is often derived into Loch/Lockie/Lucky for people who know him well enough.

The name is derived from Scotland, when the first Nords landed - they were called referred to as people from the ‘lachlann’ - the loch lands/fjord lands. So, it’s got no actual meaning for him lmao, it’s just a nice sounding name and appropriately celtic.

3. What type of drunk are they? 

Loud and cuddly. Basically a 180 on his usual calm and collected self, and a testament to how much of a bad idea it is to get any of the Shepard clan drunk without supervision.

Also kind of cocky, like, he keeps his self-confidence under wraps when he’s sober but it definitely comes out when he’s had a few. Nothing nasty, but he’s very likely to go toe-to-toe with anyone who gives him a challenge.

5. What’s their favourite food? 

Loch’s not massive on food, but he does like cajun stuff.

6. If they were to be represented by a seven deadly sin, which would it be? 

Envy. He’s constantly tormented by the idea that he’ll never be able to lead the life he wants.

8. Describe (or draw) their body type.

Athletic. He’s not all hard lines and edges, but there’s enough muscle there to make it obvious that he’s a soldier. Strong shoulders, used to carrying heavy snipers and resisting recoil, but slender hands. Arms are probably more defined than the rest of him because of the weapons he works with. Long legs, very good for reaching awkward sniping spots and infiltrating B)

12. If your character was handed a puppy, how would they react?

I don’t think he’d be too bothered. He’d be entertained for all of five minutes then the constant nipping would start to annoy him, so he’d hand it straight back over.

13. How would they react to suddenly being hugged? 

Loch would tense up, start to internally freak out, and then it’d depend on who it is. If it’s Kaidan, he relaxes. Anyone else, he stays a little on edge but manages an awkward pat on the back, probably.

For family, it largely depends on how irritated he is with them at the time.

14. What’s their biggest secret? 

He’s an infiltrator. He has lots. Fortunately, most of his secrets are about other people.

But then there’s also his worst-kept secret which is his giant crush on Kaidan before they ever get together.

22. When your character is sad, what do they do to cheer themselves up? 

Find Kaidan.

Failing that, nap. Or bingewatch some shitty reality TV with a tub of ice-cream. He’s a man of simple wants.

Failing that, he resorts to calling Cade for a two hour long bitching session.

23. Does your character snore? 

Yes. Sleepy, snuffly snoring that is more cute than annoying, but he still gets a little embarrassed if Kaidan brings it up.

[gwynbleiddyn]

5 and 44 for Loch?

5. List 3 fears; one “surface level” fear, one “repressed” fear, and one “deep dark” fear.

Loch isn’t a fan of the dark. Which is strange, since he mostly works in it. Keeps him on his toes, probably.

He definitely represses his crippling fear of failure. Always has done since he was a kid - needed to be the best, but never admitted to that. Having his uni dreams shattered was a cold slap to the face, left him smarting when he joined the Alliance instead.

He’ll never tell anyone that he fears losing Cade the most. And, fuck’s sake, Cade toes the line so dangerously sometimes, it makes Loch want to throw a solid right hook and hope it’ll knock some sense into his brother’s thick skull.

44. What’s one thing they wish they could do more often, but can’t?

Study. Lachlan would love to go to uni and get his teaching degree, and he doesn’t want to waste anymore time once this damn war is over. Kind of hard to study when you’re technically a CO on the front line.