#ts shepard

[biserker-kadan]

Look, Grunt is Shepard's child and you can pry that particular headcanon from my cold dead hands but I love the idea of Grunt only knowing post-spaced Shepard in the sense that she, Manon, is very distant and unattached. She's commanding, her presence alone is enough to straighten their backs, but she's not overly involved.

At first.

She doesn't ask a whole bunch of them, it takes a while for her to relax even a little bit. He never even sees it, just hears things whispered along the walls.

Until Tuchunka. She brings the Turian with her because of course she does, like he needs to see this, and glares at anyone who talks shit under their breath, anyone who says a damn thing about either of them. Which is not surprising but it is strange considering. It's only when she embraces the leader, Urdnot Wrex, that he realises he has no fucking idea who Shepard is.

Not until she swears against the others that she, that they, are willing kill for and alongside him. Until she slams her head against the others - the same way Clan Leader Wrex did (and isn't that funny) and growls. Until she marches them both out of there, towards the rite - muttering the whole time. He sees the smirk on the older Krogans face and the glance the two, Garrus and Wrex, share.

He doesn't realise it, but he's been claimed. He's one of hers.

[biserker-kadan]

Mordin's rescue mission of Maelon is just a lot of arguing back and forth between Mordin and Manon Shepard except Mordin thinks they're talking about him and Garrus knows they're talking about Manon.

[biserker-kadan]

Paragon Manon Shepard in ME2 who is equal parts inspiring for her complete devotion to trying to make things better and equal parts terrifying because sometimes 'the end justifies the means' and no one really gets that change about her now except for Joker, Garrus and Tali. Liara and Wrex do to an extent because even she can tell Manon is different now but to be in such close quarters and see it? Hell, even Dr Chakwas is concerned, cause Shepard is the moral compass right? The voice of reason. Shepard has always gone out of her way to help, to offer advice regardless of whether it is taken. Manon Shepard will simply offer herself to whichever cause needs her because she never wants someone to be in the position she was in on Akuze. However, ME2 Manon? Unhinged, a borderline functional alcoholic with more PTSD than you can poke a stick at and a very short fuse for most outside of the crew and her crew.

But she is still so charming and uplifting that you can't help but like her.

Of course, it doesn't stay like that - she wades through everything and heals herself (inside and out, thank you Cerberus for those lovely scars that fade with each piece of herself she gains back), she becomes more like how she was, who she is, but there's always that adjustment period at the start of ME2.

I will always love the comparisons between Shepard in ME1 and Shepard in ME2 and how the choices and decisions made affect Shepard in ME3.

I just really fucking love Mass Effect and I love Shepard.

[biserker-kadan]

Genuinely having so much fun replaying ME2 with Manon Shepard, cause usually I try and switch up who I take where but with the story and her character - Garrus ends up coming 9 times outta 10 so I get little moments of story that help bridge their relationship and I just fucking love it - like with Miranda's loyalty mission, the way the three of them are placed, I can just see Shepard and Garrus exchanging looks over the top of Miranda's head when she's speaking about Niket. Direct communication without words, I love them!

[biserker-kadan]

Kaiden: His names Grunt, huh. Glad he's a friend of yours.

Hela: Of course he's my friend, I'm a cool mum.

Kaiden: ...what.

Garrus: Don't ask.

Kaiden: ...I just -

Garrus: She thinks she's the fun parent, but I'm the one that buys his new weapons.

Kaiden: ...what.

[biserker-kadan]

It starts as most things do, unexpectedly.

Well, as it happens, it mostly starts because Shepard, Hela, is too stubborn to ask for help.

Garrus knew, the second he saw her, he knew that she was Shepard. His Shepard, their Shepard - not some Cerberus clone or rebuilt machine. Just living, breathing Shepard.

Kaiden broke a bit of that Shepard.

She throws herself into work, partially fighting the Collectors, partially fighting Cerberus in her own passive aggressive way - amusing and awe-inspiring in many ways. Garrus know's how ruthlessly charming and fantastic she can be, he just never thought he'd not want to see it.

So, at the end of the day, it starts with her being stubborn.

She forgets to eat, sleeps only a few hours a night and soon that takes a toll. They're all worried, but they don't know her. Not how she was, how she could be if she allowed it.

She's scared, and Garrus doesn't like a scared Hela.

He begins slowly, not wanting to scare her more. She thinks she's an imposter. She doesn't think she's really Shepard, but she's just a little slow on the uptake and that's ok. They've got a little time.

So he begins slowly, leaving little bites of food on his plate, 'I can't finish it all, Shepard?' and watches with hidden glee as she takes bites without thought.

Soon, it's 'Here Shepard...' and a plate of whole, hot, freshly made food taken with a weary smile.

Soon, it's 'Shepard, come look at this...' and 'Shepard, come watch this...' just for him to watch as her eyes grow tired and her posture slumps, breaths deepening to sleep as she leans against the wall or his shoulder.

Soon, she smiles brighter, laughs a bit and bonds with the rest of the crew. Introducing him to Grunt with a fond smile, a 'my crew, my people' kind of smile.

Eventually, it's his name she calls first, his brain she racks for plans and his presence she wants by her side.

Eventually, it's their picture on her bedside table, and him in her bed.

Now, it's just them.

[biserker-kadan]

Breaking up with Kaiden is strange.

She thought she'd found her person after all, the one she was going to come home to at the end of all this war and destruction.

The person she'd wake up next to, cook breakfast with in the morning and sit in comfortable silence for dinner.

The person she'd look for in a crowded room, always knowing it was the two of them - not them against the world, but together in this world.

But she died, and he moved on - the way she'd want him to and she can't fault him for that.

She'd moved on as well after Horizon, pushed back against the heartbreak and emotions and let herself get used to a life where they weren't 'together'.

She healed - not just from dying, but from a dead relationship the way everyday people have had to do for centuries.

Maybe she was wrong to have expected him to continue to do the same after Horizon, after that email.

But here they are, sitting in awkward silence about to share a meal and all she can think about it how much she wishes it was Garrus she was here with.

So she breaks up with him, the way he probably already expected her to do. He doesn't stop looking at her once, but the half smile and kind eyes tell her everything's alright.

There's too much between them to ever be strangers, he's still one of hers but he's not her person anymore.

So she starts laughing and he joins in, it's incredulous and she's gasping for air, tears in both their eyes - who would have thought, 3 years ago they'd be here?

But they share the meal, tell stories and swap jokes and when she gets up to leave, he pulls her close - one final hug, a kiss on the forehead and says he'll see her back on the ship.

And she watches him go, not at all upset.

[biserker-kadan]

ARTEMIS SHEPARD

Commander Shepard | Earthborn - Chicago | Sole Survivor | Paragon | Infiltrator - Sniper |

Biracial, bisexual and not interested in saving the world but hey, someone's gotta and they're paying good $$$.

(Paying homage to my very first ever Shepard, basically world one, whom I never actually finished because Lacy Shepard and Kaiden)

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Tagged by the lovely @red-wardens

(I don't have the template cause I'm on mobile) bUT tagging: @occorner @smolpocketmonstercoffee @vakariansss @pocketpeanuts and anyone else who wants to share some Shepard's (tag me?)