#ailin shepard

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

A quick doodle for myself, based on a scene in the newest chapter of Much Ado About Everything.

[antivanruffles]

Who: Corinne Shepard/Kaidan Alenko

Rating: T

Tags: pre-relationship, ME1, feelings realization, canon divergence,

Summary: Three times Kaidan helped Shepard realize that being different wasn't always a bad thing.

A/N: Some Shenko fluff for the Year of the OTP event. Ailin belongs to @cursedwithgloriouspurpose. Both Ailin and Corinne are part of our Family Matters AU, you can read more of that HERE you like.

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The first time she realized Kaidan was different, it was because she felt heard.  

Corinne, as her sister, Ailin, would always happily point out, was a nerd. She had never been the most socially adept person, it just wasn't her strength. She had grown into her rank and title to (hopefully) become an effective leader, but that didn't mean it got any easier to deal with people. It just meant she could play the role and follow regulations. She still felt like an awkward teenager sometimes, jealous of her sister's natural social graces.  But not every situation followed the regs and people rarely went by protocol; they were generally unpredictable, and full of surprises. Which was why Corinne had always preferred tech and machines and math, that was straightforward, never messy or confusing. Corinne always knew what she could expect. 

That was why she had become an engineer. It just made sense. Even if she couldn't be totally sure she was a good commander, a good leader, she could say she was a damn good engineer. In that regard she had blossomed in the Alliance, with all the newest toys at her disposal. She no longer had to scrounge and save, buying used parts to piecemeal something together. Something that was always an approximation and never at its best. That was why she was so utterly infatuated with the Normandy. Everything about it was a marvel, top of the line, and cutting edge. Nothing piecemeal about it. She would spend hours going over the ship from tip to tail if she could. The newest toy she could imagine. It gave her something to obsess over and something to talk about. Much to Ailin's chagrin. 

Corinne often could be found poking around various parts of the ship, tinkering and learning all she could about it. So it was that Kaidan stumbled over her one day, and simply asked her what she was doing; clearly amused at finding the commander lodged half way under a console like a grease monkey under the hood of a transport ship. 

She didn't think about her reply, just answered his question as she shimmied out to fully look at him. Her answer wasn't diluted, just an honest response with more technobabble than she might use with her sister. Not to discredit her sister, because Corinne knew Ailin was capable and smart, but she didn't really care about how tech or machinery worked, just so long as it did. Because of that Corinne was used to a certain level of detachment when she babbled about the more intricate workings of something. Not that Ailin wouldn't listen, just that after a certain point her eyes would start to glaze over even as she nodded encouragingly. 

Kaidan, however, listened intently, asking questions as she spouted off more and more facts and anecdotes about the marvel of the SR-1. Eventually Corinne came to herself and realized she had gone off on a tangent even Adams would find tedious. She rose slowly from where she had been crouched on the ground and awkwardly rubbed her hands on her thighs, uncaring of the streaks of grease and crime she left behind.

She didn't expect malice, only a certain brand of boredom that she had grown accustomed to over the years when she got too carried away. Corinne could feel the embarrassment settling in, worried she had taken up too much of Shenko's time, and it was only because he was too polite to interrupt his commanding officer that he hadn't stopped her to tell her she was rambling. 

"Sorry," she said to the floor. "I didn't mean to take up so much of your time, Lieutenant." 

She looked up at his huffed laugh and found nothing but genuine interest in his eyes. Corinne wasn't used to that. People could be kind, she knew, but it was rare she found someone who managed to keep up with her. It seemed like Alenko had. 

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

I keep wanting to title this something like “Date night on omega” or whatever, but in reality it’s more like “Lin makes sure Ashley’s drunk ass gets back to the Normandy after the war finally drives her to drink.” May or may not end up as an actual scene in Much Ado About Everything (chapter two of which IS coming, istg.)

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

My and @antivanruffles' Shepard sisters, Ailin and Corinne. I've missed these gals

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

Oooolllld art is old, but i’m all up in my f!Shepard x Ashley feels rn, so I wanted this back on my blog. Ailin simps so hard for this woman, and she’s absolutely oblivious

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

Disaster Lesbian strikes again!

Also known as Chapter Three of Much Ado About Everything is finally up. XD The Shepley content is on main as Ailin has a no good terrible bad day. Link in the source since you know tumblr.

Excerpt:

For the second time since their reunion, the other woman met her eyes and didn't look away. Somehow, Ailin expected it to feel as tense at it had back on Mars when Ashley had been trying to goad her into a fight. 

But it didn't. Instead, there seemed to be a sort of... sadness in Ashley's deep, dark eyes. The sort of sadness that choked Ailin's own throat; that made her long to close the distance between them, and put her arms around the other woman as though nothing had ever come between them.

Her gaze drifted a little lower, taking in the plump curve of Ashley's lips, and the way her chestnut hair framed her perfect face.  No, Ailin didn't just want to hug her. She wanted to kiss those lips until they smiled again. She wanted to caress the tiny birthmark that graced Ashley's cheek; to run her hands into that hair; to hold Ashley tight and safe, until all the danger in the universe had passed them by.

It wasn't fair. After all this time--after everything that had passed between them--that Ailin still had to feel like this when all Ashley wanted to do was be free of her.

She should just let Ashley leave. They still had Vega; he was a heavy hitter. He wasn't of Ashley's caliber, sure, but they could make do. They had before. Ailin should simply wish Ashley well, sign the fucking paperwork, and let the other woman walk away like she clearly wanted to. This wasn't fair to either of them.

What she said was: "Can we talk?"

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

Tensions run high among the newly reunited Normandy Crew as they leave Earth amid the Reaper Invasion. They set their sights on Mars, where newly discovered Prothean artifacts may hold the key to stopping the Reapers if only the war criminal, the celebrated hero, the jilted lover, and the confused best friend can find a way to bridge the plethora of misunderstandings that have pushed them apart, and learn to be team--or perhaps something more--once again.

You can also check out the ME1 era companion fic written by @antivanruffles, Little Less Lonely (Together)

[cursedwithgloriouspurpose]

A photo of, well, a happier day if not quite happier times for the Shepard Sisters, David “Uncle Dave” Anderson, and Russel “Rusty” Shepard. Corinne (left) age 15, and Ailin (middle) age 11, taken while Corinne was at work at her first part time job.

The beautiful Corinne belongs to @antivanruffles; part of our shared ME-Verse for galaxy’s first two Human spectres. I’m not 100% happy with how young Anderson turned out (middle, since you probably can’t tell.) The lighting didn’t help, but at the same time I don’t think it’s toooooo far off? Maybe? Either way, I changed up the standard Alliance fatigues a bit since I figured fashions about twenty years pre ME-1 would have been at least somewhat different. Also, I really hate minimalist style of ME (sorry, not sorry) and tried to do something that bordered between classic and retro for the girls’ fashion.

[antivanruffles]

A quick doodle for myself, based on a scene in the newest chapter of Much Ado About Everything.

[antivanruffles]

YES HELLO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH SHUT YOUR FACE!

My and @antivanruffles' Shepard sisters, Ailin and Corinne. I've missed these gals