#aka: Ree Shepard

[theoriginalladya]

@nightmarestudio606​ asked about Gabriel “Ree” Shepard for the OTP Asks questions found here.   Here you go, m’dear!  You know I’ll talk about my boys with you all day long!!!  Thank you so much for asking!!!!!

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3.  If they complimented each other, what would they say?

HAH!  Okay, so given the circumstances under which they meet, I find it giggle-worthy that they would even be ABLE to compliment one another! lol  However, as we both know, their relationship evolves and changes and ... well...

So ... Gabriel would probably say that once you get past the boy-scout, marine-poster image Kaidan presents, deep down he’s a kind, caring person who wants to leave the world a better place than he finds it.

Kaidan would probably say that The Butcher of Torfan is a more complex person than the reputation suggests.

5.  What activities do they enjoy together?

Play volleyball in Ree’s cabin or apartment using their biotics and a pillow.  Don’t ask - turns out it started as a pillow fight, but when you get two biotics together trying to have a pillow fight tends to lead to other ... things?  It’s a toss up as to which was most startled when it happened....  (there’s a story in there somewhere I’ll need to sort out ...).  Then again, biotic pillow fights are quite entertaining, too. ;)

Outside of the idiocy that the stresses of a Reaper War can bring with it, they like to go running together.  Back in the ME1 days, Ree (on a dare by Ashley) led them Parkouring through the Presidium, something he continues frequently.  More than once he’s been stopped by C-Sec only to have the Spectre card thrown back in their faces.  (note: Jack takes him up on the challenge during the ME2 era and between the two of them, there isn’t an area of the Citadel that hasn’t been Parkoured)  Kaidan tolerates it, mostly because later on during the war, it at least is a form of stress relief and he knows Gabriel enjoys it (as well as enjoys irritating C-Sec).

11.   What causes them to fight?

Um ... Torfan.  No, really.  Their first mission together, pre-ME1 they have to head back to Torfan.  Things go about as well as you expect for the Butcher of Torfan and ... well ... yeah.  So, once they’re on the Normandy together, they agree not to bring it up.  Kaidan does a lot of cringing whenever someone calls him the Butcher of Torfan, but he lets it go.

13.  Name something they would never do for the other person.

It takes Ree time to figure it out, but he will never ask Kaidan to go against his more paragon nature, despite the fact it occasionally causes tension between the two of them.  He loves how Kaidan will stand up for what he believes in and won’t back down because it differs from Ree’s.  

Kaidan will never ask Ree or expect him to change himself for Kaidan.  If change occurs, he’ll gladly accept it, but he won’t ask it of him.

16.  If they broke up, what would be their opinions of each other?

That depends on the circumstances, but I think they could probably find a way to walk away from each other and still respect them.  Unless, of course, one was with Cerberus and the other wasn’t ...  >.>  Or something to that effect.

18.  What would be their love motto?

The most important thing in love is trust.

21.  How have they changed each other for the better/for the worse?

The moment Kaidan literally takes a bullet for Ree, he starts seeing his situation, the world around him, completely differently.  It’s a process that takes a long time to fully evolve, but Ree would say Kaidan literally changes his view on everything.  He’s still the Butcher of Torfan and doesn’t ever lose that mentality completely, but by the end of the Reaper War, he’s a completely different person than he was back when they first run into Sovereign.

Kaidan would say that Ree is a reminder to him that there are times when it’s good to have someone who doesn’t allow sentiment and emotion get in the way of making a major decision around you.  But that said, he’s also a reminder of what Kaidan hopes he never becomes.  (The fact that he, too, sees Ree change by the end of the war is reassurance for him as well.)

26.  What are their favorite parts about physical affection/sex?

For Ree, it’s one of the ways he is comfortable expressing himself and his emotions.  For all the ruthlessness he shows on the battlefield, once they’re alone, Kaidan brings him out of that shell and he doesn’t have to think about being ‘a weapon’ for the Alliance or the decisions he’s had to make over the years to that end.  He can just be Ree Shepard, showing his partner how much he loves and cares about him.  Kaidan is a tactile person when you get right down to it, so the physical parts of their relationship are always his favorite.

28.  Write a ~300 fantasy one of them has about the other.

Really?????  Okay, here you go - not quite a ‘fantasy’ I suppose, but it’ll have to do.  And sometimes, reality is better than fantasy, right?  ;)

Okay, so maybe, just maybe, the biotic pillow fight begins as an idea in that hazy stage between sleep and wakefulness.  With as much stress as Ree deals with during the war, it isn’t inconceivable, right? And they are scheduled for some down time on the Citadel and he has this brand new apartment to break in, sooooooo …

After a few beers and several shots of whiskey between them, Ree teases Kaidan into issuing a challenge to see who has better fine control over their biotics.  In the process, Ree discovers that not only is he able to unbutton the major’s shirt but remove his belt and unbutton his pants.  It is also at this time Ree discovers that Kaidan is ridiculously, hilariously, adorably ticklish around his waist and hips.  Ree may let the biotics linger just a tad bit too long for the fun of it …

Of course, he notices the pillow within easy reach of Kaidan but ignores it until he becomes its target. Laughing so hard when it comes flying at him, he bats it back at Kaidan out of instinct and just like that, the game ensues.  Ducking, dodging, taking shelter behind furniture and tripping over their own clothing (Ree is not the only one who can manage buttons and zippers, after all) results in the both of them laughing so hard they end up crying, and that leads to other delightful antics, some of which may or may not include the biotics as well.  

[cordiibus-a]

              A BIT LIKE A FAMILY : Ozemir’s Main Friends ( NPCs ) 

Felix AKA Lix ( top left ): Age 25, met Ozemir in middle school in art class. Was a tagger and graffiti artist, now works as a tattoo artist where Ozemir goes to get all his tattoos. Ozemir’s right hand man. Married to his high school sweetheart, Ree. The goofball of the group and more than okay with starting bar fights with Ozemir. 

Myles ( top middle ):  Age 24, met Ozemir through Lix in high school. Also a tagger with Lix, but works as a professional mural artist. Myles is also a professional dog breeder, who Ozemir got his first dog ( Asher, a german shepard ) from. A very happy person though comes off as stoic at first. Likes to talk about Art history and ramble about different dogs. 

Reagan AKA Ree ( top right ): Age 24, met Ozemir in high school in history class but also through Lix. They got into a lot of trouble together correcting and pointing out flaws in the text books. Also going around pranking teachers. Ree helped Ozemir out when he first became vegetarian. Married to Lix and works at the tattoo shop as well. A tough girl that’s really only kinda sweet to Lix, has nails that could literally kill you and she’d be happy to do that.   

Eugene AKA G ( middle left ):  Age 27. met Ozemir at the Animal Shelter they both work at. Though G volunteers instead of actually getting paid. Works at a restaurant as a pastry chef. He’s been dating Cat for a year now and is pretty happy with that fact. Quiet, but its because he’s shy and isn’t used to having so many friends. Smart enough to hack into a computer, but really hates it. 

Ozemir ( middle ): Age 25, works at a local Animal Shelter and as a independent Dog Trainer. The grumpy one with anger issues. 

Abel ( middle right ): Age 25, a graphic designer that Ozemir and G worked with a couple of times for his advertisements for the shelter. Also worked with Ree and Lix for the tattoo shop. They got closer when they finished and both liked the same drinks. Social and likes knowing all types of people. Has a big heart and very flexible in any situation. 

Dav ( bottom left ): Age 27, friends with G and became friends with everyone else. Used to be in the Army and is now living off his parent’s money and helping the guys beat up random people. Flirts with everyone and def the next biggest dickhead after Ozemir. Likes making fun of people, having sex with people, and using his money to bust his buddies out of jail. 

Isabel AKA Ivy ( bottom middle ): Age 23, younger sister of Abel and finished studying to be a nail artist, makeup artist, and hair stylish. Met Ozemir through Abel and is best friends with Ree. Married to a woman outside of this friend group. A very sweet and bubbly girl, more than happy to go shopping or take a day to go to the salon than have sex.   

Kaleb AKA Cat ( bottom right ):  Age 21, the youngest of the group and still in college to be a writer. Was actually rescued by the group from another group of crude people. A very clumsy person with a lot of stuff to say, though it doesn’t make sense all the time. Started dating G after Cat stumbled it out that he liked him. They were both very embarrassed and flustered, then started dating. Too scared of needles to get any tattoos honestly.