#Shepard: doesn't even care she's bare assed

[madamedramatics]

Canon wise, it doesn't make sense for Shepard to have any sort of bug phobia. She's the captain of the Normandy, the first human spectre, an N7, ect....but fanon, Oh ma GAWD, let me tell yall the scenarios my mind wandered off too.

Scen 1. Shep's okay with regular bugs but bugs the same size as her is where she draws the line. When one pops up on her, her trigger finger takes care of it instantly as she shrieks. Realizing it's dead, she is relieved, but she doesn't remember being this tall. She somehow has managed to jump into Garrus' or Wrex's arms. Garrus would ask, "Are you okay?" but Wrex would definitely drop her😂

Scen 2. Shep doesn't care how big or small they are. They all must die, specifically by fire or nuke, as far as she's concerned. Her, Tali, and random 3rd squad member (l'll slot Liara in for this one) go on a mission. You'd think Liara was made to lead since her friends' legs can barely stop shaking. They scream everytime a spider pops up, using full clips on already dead specimens. Liara tries to reassure but can't stop herself from touching the creatures for study. The two scaredy cats are just as uncomfortable watching Liara touch the bugs. They stumble across one of the largest bugs nest they'd ever seen and Shep has had enough. She radios her emotional support turian and says he needs to come get her right now. Tali tells him to bring Chakwas too because her heart won't make it back to ship at this rate. Garrus gives them words of encouragement. Grunt tells them to grow a pair....and to stop screaming because he can hear them from 20 cave tunnels over😂 After the mission is over, Garrus sees a crater in the planets surface. When he asks what happened, all Liara can say is Shepard found the nuke.

Scen 3. Bugs like the Rachni queen do little to Shepard but bugs the size of her pinky nail just make her skin crawl. It's her off day, one she didn't even wanna take, but after falling asleep in the middle of a gunfight, she realized she was putting her team in danger with her lack of sleep. After a nice shower, she steps out to dry her hair, but she doesn't expect a visitor to descend in front of her. As the miniscule spider swings in front of her, she absolutely loses it. She is screaming, in a full blown panic. She tells Edi to get some help and tell someone she's trapped. Garrus damn near teleports to the cabin with everyone hot on his trails, so save the commander from an unknown enemy. When the crew arrives and she's telling them to "kill that bastard," they are confused. They see no one. She says, "THE SPIDER DAMMIT" and everyone's faces drop. They all look at Garrus and says this is his problem and single file their way back out to the elevator. Garrus sees the bug and decides it doesn't look too bad, so he flicks his tongue and eats it. He didn't expect that to make Shepard pass out...still ass naked on the floor.

If you read all of this, thank you for entertaining this post and please feel free to add funny uncanon like scenarios of your own😂

[leastdatablebracket]

ROUND 2, MATCH 25

Propaganda under the cut!

Jacob Taylor

Propaganda

You romance him in the 2nd game, then in the 3rd game no matter what he cheats on you!! And is not remorseful at all and his new girl is an ass to you. Plus in the 2nd game he is not really fleshed out and doesn't have much dialog so he's like a paper bag of a man.

He's so boring as a character and the romance goes nowhere. In the third game he says he thought it was only a fling and cheats on you

In the six months between Mass Effect 2 and 3, he starts dating a girl and gets her pregnant. He does this even if you romanced him in 2.

The big thing is that he's the only romance option in the franchise who will cheat on the player, but he's also just not as fleshed-out as most characters. Also I've heard he refers to the possibility of hooking up with the player character as "the prize" which is just gross.

Jacob has so little personality I often forget about him. Even Jacob's personal quest isn't about Jacob - it's about his Dad. And not his feelings about his Dad, either. He's also the one romance in the game who, when Shepard is presumed dead for 2 years, immediately runs out and gets someone else pregnant. Just all-around a poor and boring option.

I think the original propagnda is mixing up the games, Jacob doesn't cheat on you when you assume you are dead for two years which would actually make sense. He cheats on you when you are IN PRISON FOR A FEW MONTHS AND IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR FAULT AND THEN BLAMES YOU SAYING YOU ONLY CARED ABOUT YOUR JOB ANYWAY. YOUR JOB IS SAVING THE GALAXY FROM GENOCIDAL ALIENS.

Elanee

Propaganda

She's more than 100 years older than your barely-adult player character, and has spent a damn long time stalking you. She creeps me out so much.

[anderwhohn]

@smokedanced asked: Send me a scene that happened in canon and I’ll write in detail how my muse felt in it + izzy, death scene ME2 prologue, hierarchy verse (if it happens like that there; if not, canon verse)

"I need more power for the shields!" Isabela yells as she rushes from one control panel to the next, frantically typing in override commands to bypass safety and security protocols to put everything they've got into keeping the Normandy together without taking away from her offensive capabilities as well.

"Sir, we don't have--"

"I don't care if we have to fucking drain life support to do it! Get me that damn power!" she snaps, interrupting the other engineer as she pulls up the shipwide comms. "All hands! Emergency power adjustments imminent! All crew prepare for emergency evac! Non-essential crew proceed to immediate evac! Get your damn helmets and mag boots on, people! It's gonna be a rough ride!"

Dammit, she wishes Nihlus or Garrus were here, rather than chasing Saren's sorry ass on the the fucking Citadel. At least the crew had learned to trust her - even those with little cause to, being Alliance themselves, while she served within the Hierarchy - so her orders were followed as she was the next in the chain of command.

"Joker, status report!" she calls out over closed comms to the pilot, checking the readings as reports of ejected life pods started flooding in on her displays.

"She's holding together for now, Shep," Joker returns, before a string of curses escapes him as the ship manoeuvres sharply to avoid more weapons fire.

Isabela grabs onto her console, pressing down to activate her mag boots while frantically clipping the tether to her armour. "Good enough. You're on the next evac, Joker. I'm coming up to take the helm until all other crew are in the evac pods."

"What?! No way! You're good, Iz, but there's no way--"

"That's an order, Flight Lieutenant!" Isabela growls into the comms. "We're going to lose the Normandy, but that doesn't mean we have to lose the crew with her! So you're getting yourself in that damn pod even if I have to drag your stubborn ass into it myself!"

If only she had known just how true that statement would prove to be, when after another several minutes of desperate struggle, with nearly all the ship's power diverted to shields, weapons, and propulsion, she's left hauling Joker into the nearest escape pod to get them off what remains of the ship.

It's just as she's managed to get him inside that another blast cuts through the hull nearby, disrupting her mag boots' connection to the floor plating and throwing her into a free fall in zero gravity. Emerald eyes widening in shock, she does the only thing she can as her fingers barely catch onto the bulkhead as she's pushed past the emergency controls, reaching out to punch the launch button for the pod... without her in it...

She watches sadly as Joker clearly tries to reach her still, even as the pod seals itself and launches far away from the wreckage of the Normandy, leaving her behind as she starts to float free from the torn hull. Being within the arms of the Citadel, she knows she has a chance, albeit only a small one, considering the battle still waging around her. If another ship can detect her and pull her out of the vacuum, so long as her suit integrity holds, she'll be fine...

That is, until she sees the red beam from that dreaded Reaper rip through the remains of the Normandy, striking the drive core and the resulting explosion...

...

'Shepard, do you hear me? Get out of that bed now! This facility is under attack!'

[citadelsushi]

Pressed Ham

Shepard and Kaidan on leave. Because I really enjoy writing shenanigans.

Avory swung her legs absentmindedly, her toes barely grazing the thin metal footrest attached to her barstool with each pass. The jingle bells on her ankles rattled joyously, a steady, rhythmic song with no lyrics, which had become her favorite activity over the past three days. Well, her second favorite activity.

The first had to be watching Kaidan cook. Especially when his parents called it an early evening, retreated to their bedroom and left the rest of the large cabin to her and Kaidan for the night . As much as Avory loved his parents, she was happy to have more time just the two of them. Mainly because she didn't have to feel impolite for blatantly staring at his backside as he stood shirtless before the stove.

It was a pleasure to watch him work in the kitchen just as it was to watch him work on a battlefield, but in a completely different realm. Kaidan was completely relaxed, but the same focus was there. His hands were constantly moving, seemingly doing five different things at any given moment. With each reach of his arm, each flick of a frying pan, the muscles in his back shifted under his skin and she took as much enjoyment in watching the thick bundles of rope there extend and contract as she did being a spectator to his culinary prowess.

“Shepard,” Kaidan glanced over his shoulder for only a second, but it was long enough that he had to have caught her staring at him because he cast her a cheeky grin, “you're going to have to take those socks off eventually.”

Avory stilled her legs and looked down at her feet, covered up to her ankles in thick, bright pink microfiber luxury, jingle bells sown around the cuffs. His mother had given them to her as a gift when they arrived, to keep her warm. They certainly did the trick; if she wore them with anything other than a pair of shorts, she'd sweat like a pig. But they were comfortable, and cute, and she'd never been gifted a pair of socks before.

“What's wrong, Alenko?” She looked back up, beaming at the back of Kaidan's head. “Gettin' tired of me playing for you?” She extended her legs, shook her feet as quickly as she could in the air, and the high-pitched bells reverberated loudly in the space between them.

Kaidan laughed and she saw his head shake slightly as he continued working on whatever he was cooking. She couldn't see the food, but all four burners were lit and she could smell something sweet in the air, just a hint of spice that tickled her nose with each inhale. Identifying scents had never been something she was good at, but she knew when food smelled good, and whatever he was making smelled fucking delicious.

“What are you making, anyway?” She leaned forward, finally stilling her feet and resting her elbows on the counter in front of her.

Kaidan was quiet at first, long enough to make her question if he had heard her, then said, “It's ham.” Shepard raised a skeptical brow at his surprisingly guarded tone. As if he read her mind, he added, “Secret family recipe.”

Avory chuckled, her eyes drifting to the ceiling as she nodded to herself. Of course his family would have secret recipes. They were just so domestic, so normal, so warm in ways she had never known existed.

“Oh yeah? What's it called? 'Scrumptious Alenko Pig Butt'?”

Kaidan laughed again and she felt her cheeks nearly split with her grin. It felt so good to be this at ease with him, to make him laugh like that, no fear of who might see or hear them together. “No, smart ass.” He shot her an amused look over his shoulder. “My dad calls it 'Pressed Ham'.”

Avory twisted her pout to the side, her upper lip pulling up. “Huh. I thought it'd be more creative than that.”

“Just wait 'til you try it.” Kaidan twisted the knobs on the stove and she heard the familiar whoosh of burners going out, then he turned to her, beckoned for her with one hand. “Come on.”

Mouth watering and happy to oblige, Avory swiveled in her chair and jumped down, the bells on her ankles jingling harshly. She moved around the island to where Kaidan stood, eagerly trying to peer around him into the dishes he had prepared. However, he caught her before she could see what he had made. His bare arms circled around her waist and he promptly tilted his head down, gazed at her with those beautiful amber eyes, waited for her to rise to her tip toes and kiss him.

Their lips met only briefly, interrupted when his hands caught her sides and hoisted her into the air and over his shoulder. She squealed in surprise, unable to stop herself, helpless as he held her steady with one arm wrapped around her thighs and the other on her hip.

“Kaidan!” She twisted and wriggled in his grip, but it only made his shoulder dig into her side. So she stilled her body and bent her head back, trying desperately to see out from behind the curtain of hair that had fallen over her eyes. “What the fuck?”

Beneath her, Kaidan laughed, his body shaking as the sound left his lungs. “I told you, pressed ham.”

The sea of blonde hair obscuring her view finally parted and she caught sight of the food on the stove; potatoes, corn, and a meat that was definitely not fucking ham. “What the fuck is pressed ham, Kaidan?”

“You'll see.” He laughed again and she groaned at the devilry in his tone.

She knew that if she really wanted to, she could fight free of his grip, but she resigned herself over to him, slumped herself heavily over his shoulder. There were worse things than being carried around by Kaidan; at least this time they weren't in complete armor and neither of them had been shot.

Though the further they got from the kitchen and the closer they got to the front door, the more Avory started to doubt her decision to comply. Her socks kept her plenty warm inside, but outside, where snow had been falling for the past twenty-four hours, her fuzzy pink footwear would not be enough. The arm Kaidan had held on her thigh slipped upward and he hooked his fingers in the waistband of her shorts, pulled them down just below the curve of her ass, and she shivered as air rushed over her exposed flesh.

“Hey!” She planted her hands on his back and pushed herself up, twisted in a futile attempt to see his face.

Kaidan ignored her though and now, only feet from the front door, Avory knew her fate.

With a laugh she swore was evil, Kaidan pressed her bare ass to the icy, frosted over glass panel built into the front door. She squealed, loudly, flopped dramatically against his back as he held her there. Goosebumps rose from her skin, spread from her butt down her thighs and up her back, covering even her arms as a torturous chill ran through her body. Finally, after what felt like a brief eternity of shrieking for him to put her down, Kaidan pulled her from the window, still laughing as he held on to her.

“You suck, Alenko.” Avory shivered against him, but his laugh was contagious, and she couldn't help now but to giggle herself.

“Couldn't help myself.” He stepped them back from the door. “If I put you down now, you promise to behave?”

“Nope.” Avory laughed a response, but Kaidan had already bent forward and her feet eventually found the ground, though she was a little unsteady and her shorts had slipped to her ankles. Condensation from the window trickled down the backs of her thighs, sending a second wave of goosebumps crashing over her.

She narrowed her eyes up at him, doing her best to look angry, but it was pointless. Kaidan gazed down at her, his smile stretched ear to ear, his eyes, full of adoration, shone with joy. There was no way she could pretend to be anything but extremely fucking happy. So she stepped forward, bells on her ankles jingling, pressed herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist and clung tight. She thought she felt him breathe a sigh, either contented or relieved she hadn't retaliated immediately she wasn't sure, and he returned her embrace. He cradled the back of her head with one hand and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, firm yet tender, chaste yet lingering, and she smiled against him.

“You know I'm going to get you back for that, right?”

Kaidan breathed a laugh and pulled her in even tighter against him. “Yeah, Shepard, I know.”

[n7inky-fanfics]

Lost

CW: Injury, blood, alcohol

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The crew of the Normandy loves Shepard. She is different than any other Commander in the Alliance. She took the time to deeply know every member of her crew. While her name may inspire equal admiration and fear in others, it inspires warmth and loyalty in her crew. Everyone trusts her with their lives, and even on her worst days they never fear her.

That being said, the ship is now uncomfortably quiet and tense. For the first time ever, the crew is walking on eggshells around Shepard. Her own shell has cracked, and to avoid vulnerability she is lashing out at pretty much anyone in her path.

When the shore party returned from Thessia, Shepard maintained silence and a cold demeanour until she had finished her call with the Asari Ambassador. She managed to use the last bit of her usual grace to comfort Liara. Then, she broke. She snapped at Joker and the two of them had it out on the bridge. The argument ended with both parties shaken, but it was clear that they would forgive each other once they had calmed down. The crew had never seen Shepard like this, and it worried them.

It's the end of the main dinner shift, and no one has seen Shepard for hours. James, Garrus, and Kaidan have done their best to reassure the crew. Now, Kaidan is making his way to Shepard's cabin with a dinner plate. He doesn't think she'll eat it, but he has to try. EDI informs him that Shepard's door is currently set to lock out everyone, including him. When he arrives outside the door, he knocks gently. "Hazel, it's me. Please let me in. I just want to help." The red glow of the locked door turns yellow and then green as it is unlocked. It slides open to reveal Shepard's room.

Broken glass and puddles of alcohol cover the floor. The desk chair is upside down in the middle of the floor. A large, bloody dent mars the wall. Shepard sits in the floor, on the right side of her bed, with her head hung low. She's wearing her Alliance t-shirt and a small pair of shorts. Her short, pink hair is a ruffled mess. Her right hand is bloodied and bruised. Pieces of glass from the alcohol bottles stick out of her knees and shins. Despite the strong presence of alcohol, she seems sober. She must have destroyed every bottle she had without drinking a drop.

Kaidan stands in the entrance. "Hazel, you're injured. We should really get you to the med-bay."

"No." Her voice is steady and cold.

"Can I at least get a kit and start getting that hand cleaned up?"

"No. Leave it."

Kaidan sighs deeply. "Fine, but I'm coming further in." She says nothing as he makes his way to the couch, careful to avoid the broken glass. He sits on the couch, hoping she might get off the floor and sit with him. Instead, she remains still. "Shepard, we're worried about you."

"Fuck..." she whispers.

"Hey, it's not your fault. It's Cerberus. You know that."

"Like hell it's not my fault!" She looks up at him, her eyes puffy, red, and furious. Dark energy begins to glow around her. "I should have anticipated this. Fucking Cerberus has their nose in everything. Of course they'd be there, and of course they'd try to use me to lead them to what they wanted. I was a fool and Thessia was lost for nothing! Now, everyone is screwed and we're all going to die because I couldn't get the damn job done!" Her biotics glow brighter, and the field around her swells.

"It's not over yet, Shepard. We'll find them, we'll get the VI back, and we'll end this for good." Kaidan says gently.

"Don't you get it, Kaidan? I failed! The whole galaxy is relying on me to save their asses again, and I failed! I can't do this! I can't save them!" Her voice is raw and strained. She clenches her fists and screams "Fuck!" A wave of dark energy shoots out from her in all directions. Kaidan throws up a barrier, protecting himself from the force of the blast and the bits of glass that flow with it. He can't help but be a little grateful that Cerberus equipped her room with reinforced glass. If they hadn't, the fish tank and model ship display would have exploded. The coffee table, which had flown towards him and bounced off his barrier, settles upside down in front of the bed. Shepard's eyes widen with shock and fear.

"I... I haven't lost control like that since... since I left the Reds... Kaidan, I'm so sorry." Her nose starts to bleed slightly, and tears begin to slide down her cheeks.

Kaidan makes his way to her and pulls her into a tight embrace, leaving just enough room to avoid brushing the glass still embedded in her legs. "It's okay, Hazel. I understand." He holds her close and gently strokes her hair. When she seems to have calmed down some, he pulls back just enough to look at her face while he wipes the tears from her cheeks. She's pale and shaking. Her nose bleed hasn't stopped. She must be exhausted. After all this and the battle on Thessia before, even the best biotic would be. When was the last time she ate?

"Hey, let's get you sitting down." He guides her to sit on the bed and retrieves the food he had brought for her from the couch. "Eat this while I get Dr. Chakwas up here to have a look at you."

"Kaidan, I don't want anyone else to see this." She looks around at the mess she made.

"It's either that or I carry you down to the med-bay. I think you'll collapse if I let you walk it yourself."

She sighs deeply. "Okay, bring her up here."

Kaidan activates the direct link to EDI from Shepard's terminal. "EDI, can you please ask Dr. Chakwas to come up here with the necessary equipment to support an exhausted biotic and remove shards of debris from a person? And please, keep this on a need-to-know basis."

EDI confirms the request and Dr. Chakwas arrives minutes later with a large medical kit in tow. If she's surprised by the state of Shepard's room, she doesn't show it. She follows the mostly cleared path that Kaidan has made with a broom from the supply closet in the bathroom. Shepard is slowly eating the dinner Kaidan brought. "I'm going to get you an IV with fluids and nutrients, then I'll take care of your legs." Dr. Chakwas says.

As Shepard recovers, Kaidan cleans the mess. By the time Dr. Chakwas has gotten all of the glass out of Hazel's leg, the glass has been safely disposed of, the alcohol has been mopped off the floor, and the furniture has been set back where it belongs. "Thank you, Karin. I'm sorry about all this."

"It's my pleasure, Commander. " Dr. Chakwas replies. She places a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Take care of yourself, now. Remember that I'm here to help. Come see me if you need anything." She packs up her kit and leaves. The room falls silent. Shepard stares into her lap and Kaidan wonders what to say to help her.

Finally, he says "Hey, you should get some sleep." She nods, still looking at her lap. "Goodnight, Shepard." He kisses her forehead gently, then turns to leave.

"Wait..." Her voice comes out barely above a whisper.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"At least until I fall asleep. Please." She's still staring into her lap.

"Okay, Hazel." He says. He climbs into bed and gently guides her to lay next to him. She curls into him and he wraps his arms around her. She drifts off to sleep faster than he had expected. She must be so exhausted. He, too, falls asleep shortly after her.

In the morning, Kaidan awakes to an early alarm and an empty bed. He finds her in the war room, mulling over data for answers. He brings her a coffee before he starts his day. He's sitting in the observation deck, coffee in one hand and data pad in the other, when Dr. Chakwas comes in, locking the door behind herself.

"Kaidan, I'm glad you got me last night. How is she doing this morning?"

"She's back at work, trying to find a solution. She was up well before her alarm, I think. She's stressed, and I doubt she's okay, but she's functional. I'll keep an eye on her, try to make sure she takes care of herself."

"Yes, please do that..." Dr. Chakwas trails off and looks away from Kaidan.

"What is it, Karin?"

"Shepard has always had it rough. You and I both know this to be true. She's always hid her emotions and buried them deep. But dying... it broke her in ways I can't fix. In ways she hasn't recovered from. Then, she lost people. Good people. Hell, she lost Earth. Now she's lost Thessia as well. It's all piling up. She struggles, and I fear that she's reaching a point where all those bottled up pains will all spill out. When she does, we need to be there for her. Please, make sure you're there for her."

She doesn't say it, but Kaidan knows what she's thinking. Be there for her this time. Don't abandon her like you did on Horizon. Be there for her this time. He nods. "I've got her back, Karin."

"Good." Karin nods and takes her leave. Kaidan stares out the window and sighs deeply. This war won't be won without a great cost. He just hopes Shepard doesn't have to pay the bulk of it.

[n7inky-fanfics]

A Krogan Comes of Age and Shit Hits Hard

CW: PTSD & SH

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Pressing the keystone for the third time sends a jolt of dread straight through her body. The ground shakes beneath her feet in an all too familiar way, and in seconds it's there in front of her. A Thresher Maw. Shit! "Take cover!" She screams. She dives behind a column and her companions follow suit just in time to narrowly miss being hit by a spray of acid. Shit, shit, shit! Her breath is raw and frantic, and her head is spinning. For just a moment, she's not on Tuchanka anymore. Instead, she's on Akuze, hiding behind a rock while a maw sprays it's horrible acid at her. She's all alone and terrified and trying desperately to survive long enough to be rescued.

Then, she's snaps back into reality. Garrus is shouting to her "Shepard! Shepard, it's your call! What do you want to do?"

"We need to spread out. Grunt go left. Garrus go right. I'll take center. We need to take turns firing at it. When it starts turning to you, dive behind cover and wait for your turn again. Whatever you do, do not get hit by that acid! When it goes under, take the chance to reposition, reload, and apply medi-gel as needed. Go!"

She rolls out of cover and takes the first shots, firing continuously at it's face until diving behind a pillar at the last second. In that sane moment, Grunt picks it up, screaming as he shoots. It turns to face him and he barely makes it back to cover before Garrus is shooting, causing it to again turn. They continue like this, the three of them taking turns firing, keeping it busy and taking shots at apparent weak points. Finally, the maw shrieks one last time and falls to the ground, dead. Shepard puts her hands to her knees, panting her way through a wave of nausea.

All she wants is to go back to her cabin and shower away the smell of acid when Uvnek shows up, making snide comments that she's just not in the mood to take today. When he opens fire, she doesn't hesitate to return the favor and soon Clan Urdnot is down a few more Krogan. Sorry, Wrex.

After all is said and done, she finally returns to her ship. Garrus has been watching her closely since the maw, trying to see how badly it's shaken her. The last thing she wants right now is to open up in front of someone else. Not now, not with so many things causing her pain and worry. Opening the floodgates is a bad idea. To avoid his worried gaze, she excused herself immediately to her quarters.

As soon as the elevator stops on her level, she's tearing off pieces of her armor. She leaves it all dumped in a pile outside the door and rushes into the shower, still wearing her under armor. The smell of maw acid follows her. She peels off the wet clothes and scrubs them clean with the scented soap Cerberus left for her. She scrubs herself clean, too. Still, all she can smell is maw acid. She scrubs her skin harder and with more vigor, trying her best to eliminate every bit of that stench. Her skin, which is still thin and healing in some areas, breaks underneath her force, revealing cybernetic lights underneath her forearms. Blood pools in the wounds. Despite all that scrubbing, the stench is still there. This stupid body that isn't even fully hers won't let go of the smell.

"Damn it!" She screams so loudly her voice immediately goes raw. Her biotics flare blue around her fist and she punches the wall of the shower, leaving a massive dent. "Damn it" She cries again, running her fingers through her hair and sliding down to the shower floor. Her body shakes violently as she sobs. Her mind leaves this place, bringing her back to Akuze. She watches her friends die again. She watches herself flee the maws and scramble up a hill, only to fall and break several bones. She hears the crunch of her ankle shatter, feels the heat of the acid spraying the rock that saved her life. She hears herself weakly repeat the word "maws" over and over again in a desperate attempt to warn her rescuers of the danger ahead. Eventually, she finds herself back in her shower, and she becomes aware of the pain in her arms and the exhaustion throughout her body.

She pulls herself to her feet and turns off the shower, watching the last of the pink water run down the drain. She wraps herself in her towel and grabs a spare to help slow the bleeding at her forearms. "EDI, can you please discreetly send Dr. Chakwas up here with an injury kit?"

"Of course, Commander Shepard."

When Dr. Chakwas enters she quietly gets to work on Shepard's injuries. She applies medi-gel and covers each forearm with gauze. Eventually, she inhales deeply and asks "Commander, how did this happen?"

"I guess I scrubbed too hard in the shower." She shrugs. "Thank you for helping."

"I'm glad I could help, but Commander... be careful, please. You can talk to me if you ever need anything. Just keep in mind that your body is still healing, and your mind is, too. Be kind to yourself."

Shepard nods. "Thank you. Goodnight, Dr. Chakwas."

"Goodnight, Commander." She packs her kit and exits, leaving Shepard alone to get dressed and clean up.

After some cleanup, EDI says "Commander, Garrus is here. He would like to come in."

"Let him in, EDI. Thanks."

Garrus enters with a bottle of alcohol for Shepard and one for him. "Care for a drink?"

"Hell yeah." Shepard smiles, taking the bottle out of his hand and guiding him to sit with her on the couch. She cracks open her bottle and takes a great swig straight from it. "Long day."

"I'll say. Didn't know the Krogan had a coming of age ritual, or that it is so brutal. You'll be fending off Krogan suitors for years to come." He takes a sip and laughs.

"Yeah, that's what I get for killing a Thresher Maw on foot." She gulps down some more booze before continuing. "I saw you looking when we got back."

"I wasn't going to say anything-"

"Until you got me alone and comfortable enough to talk. Like right now."

"Okay, okay. You've got me. I'm just worried about you, as your friend."

"Hey, I kept it together just fine."

"You sure did, Shep. But noe there's nothing to keep it together for. Speaking of, what happened to your arms?"

"Thin skin and a hot shower don't mix. One of the many disadvantages of being recently resurrected and woken up still incomplete." She chuckles bitterly and chugs more of her alcohol.

"I have to admit, it was a shock, seeing you barreling down that bridge on Omega. I can't imagine how you feel." He places a hand on hers and gently looks her in the eyes. "I just want you to know that you're not alone. We're here for you. Joker, Chakwas, and I. We're here."

"Thanks, Garrus. Now, enough of the mushy stuff. Let's get drunk off our asses and laugh at stupid shit."

"Sounds good to me."