#fShep x zaeed

[seigephoenix]

The World in Her Eyes

Spectre Requisition 2021 Author Reveals are now live! So I can share my fic that I wrote for the exchange!!

Ship: Zaeed Massani x FemShep

Summary: Zaeed wasn't expecting much when he accepted the job from Cerberus. He certainly wasn't expecting Commander Shepard. Nor the way he'd feel about her. Feelings have a way of sneaking up on you, as he finds out the hard way.

Excerpt: It was her eyes. The world was in her eyes. That was the first detail burned into his mind when she approached him on Omega. He’d heard the stories, everyone had. First human Spectre, high class soldier, N7, along with a slew of other medals and achievements that he could only dream of. Zaeed didn’t have a whole lot of preconceptions about Commander Shepard. Preconceptions could be dangerous and end with a knife blade in his gut. He could say with certainty that the look in her eyes was not what he expected. That and one more thing…

“Thought you’d be taller.”

Read the rest over on AO3!!

[illusivesoul]

The Mass Effect Trilogy Tag

Was tagged by @just-a-messenger @briarfox13 and @occorner Thank you :)

I’ll tag @slothssassin @secretagentdragon @urdnot-wrekt @alpha-n-omega19 @berryshiara and @shoutydwarf . Only if you feel like doing this, of course.

With all the discourse on Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, let’s spread some positive vibes by remembering what we love about the trilogy. Fill in and tag your friends. Feel free to add your own categories to this survey.

I am a fan since: 2017. Wanted more scif fi games to heal my post Dead Space depression, and I ended with Mass Effect depression instead xD

Favourite game of the series?: ME3

MShep or FShep?: I play Femshep most of the time, tough I like maleshep too.

Earthborn, Colonist,or Spacer: Earthborn followed by Colonist. I love the backstories where the protagonist starts from nothing.

Biotics or Tech: Biotics are fun, but tech is my fav. Incinerate, Overload, Hacking and Tech Armor are just too good.

Paragon or renegade: Renegon.

Favourite Class?: Infiltrator

Favourite Companion: Zaeed and Kasumi are my favs.

Least favourite Companion: I like them all, but I dont use Samara, Grunt and Wrex too often.

My Squad Selection: Honestly I dont have a go to squad, cause Im always switching them up and down.

Favourite In-game Romance: Femshep and Liara. Also really love Shep with Ash, Samantha and Cortez.

Other pairings I like: If I listed all my rarepairs, I’d be here all day. I ship so many people lol. To say just a few, Tali x  Garrus, Kaidan x Cortez and Aria x Tevos.

Favourite NPC: Aethyta

Favourite Antagonist: The Illusive Man

Favourite Mission: Priority Cerberus Hq in ME3

Favourite Loyalty Mission: Kasumi’s

Favourite DLC: Shadow Broker and Omega

Control, Synthesis or Destroy: Destroy

Favourite Weapon: Black Widow

Favourite Place: Omega

A quote I like: This quote has stuck with me since the first time I played. It’s said by TIM after Shepard shoots him on the Citadel

“There. Earth. I wish you could see it like I do, Shepard. It’s so... perfect”

[pathfinderlittleduck]

Mass Effect Tag

With all the discourse on Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, let's spread some positive vibes by remembering what we love about the trilogy. Fill in and tag your friends. Feel free to add your own categories to this survey.

Thank you @weird-aunt for the tag!! You’re the best and I care about you and your continued support to help me through school will never go unnoticed, it is something I admire about you!!

I tag @becauseanders and also well anyone else.

I am a fan since: I started Dragon Age on NYE 2014, and kind of followed Mass Effect gamers a little before that. They kept recommending it to me but I felt weird about an RPG in space. Eventually I got around to playing the trilogy for the first time in January of 2016.

Favorite game of the series?: Don’t make me chooooooossseeeee...... Mass Effect 3.

There’s a certain emotional rawness that really grips at me, and that really has me relate to the core plot line of the game. I love 2 a lot, but I think overall I love 3 a lot more.

MShep or FShep?: I play both equally. My canon Shepard is MShep, and my AU Shepard is (f)Shep.

Earthborn, Colonist, or Spacer: Earthborn is my favorite because it kinda fits to how I felt growing up. Sure I had “parents” but they weren’t great people. So as I grew up and moved out, I felt on my own a lot because of how they act towards me and about me.

Spacer is a close second. Talking about Shepard’s mom in 3 during the Citadel DLC and asking Hackett about her tugs the heartstrings...

Biotics or Tech: Ok I am torn here. My canon Shepards are always Infiltrators. But even so, I rarely use tech abilities. Mostly in 2/3, but not a lot. I do love Vanguard a lot, but not getting Sniper Rifle training until the collector ship in 2, always bugs me... just give me a sniper rifle and biotics (at the beginning) you cowards!! lmfao

I do prefer Biotics in Andromeda a lot more though.

Paragon or Renegade: Renegade for life bitches!! Except when talking to Cortez and/or the romance option.

Do you have an AU?: Yes! I never ended up writing the long fic for it, but it’s called Powerless. It follows my (extreme) canon divergent AU Shepard, Alessa; and her descent through addiction and PTSD, her relationship with Bailey, her dishonorable discharge, and forgiving the crew member who’s report eventually lead to her discharge. Also her friendship with Garrus and meeting two Turian OCs I have too!!

Favorite Class?: Infiltrator first as my canon, then Vanguard for any other non canon Shepard.

Favorite Companion: CORTEZ. “But Viktor, he’s not a comp-.” CORTEZ IS MY FAVORITE COMPANION. HE IS MY PILOT AND MY BOYFRIEND.

Least Favorite Companion: In terms of personality? Liara. I admire her at times sure and she has some good in her, but I think BioWare did her kinda dirty so as a result I don’t like how she was written.

In terms of squad selection? Anyone who doesn’t have biotics or tech specialties. I use biotics and tech a lot more than just weapons so I usually just go full on into tech and biotic specialist while I handle weapons.

My Squad Selection:

Mass Effect 1 - Garrus, Kaidan

Mass Effect 2 - Zaeed, Garrus | Jack, Garrus | Kasumi, Jack

Mass Effect 3 - Kaidan, Garrus | Javik, Kaidan | Javik, Vega (specifically for Priority London)

Favorite In-game Romance: CORTEZ OR GO HOME. TEAM HAMMERHEAD HUSBANDS!!

Other pairings I like: Shenko, Shakarian, basically all of them ngl (except Shepard/Vega, that’s a nOTP for me).

Favorite NPC: BAAAIIIIIIIILLLLEEEYYYYYY

Favorite Antagonist: Shepard Clone

Favorite Mission: Priority Earth (London), hands down | DLC: Leviathan, but the part where you are flying off world and the romance in the party fusses over you as you wake up.

Favorite Loyalty Mission: Eye for an Eye. Because I don’t care what the fandom says, I will 100000% always let Garrus shoot Sidonis.

Favorite DLC: Leviathan, it gave a REALLY good look into the background of the Reapers.

Control, Synthesis or Destroy: Destroy. All day every day. The only non Destroy endings I got were my first ever run of the Trilogy and I selected Refuse. And my non canon Shepards choose Control. I also have a really heartbreaking gif set of my Kathryn J Shepard x Garrus during a Control ending here

Favorite Weapon: Black Widow, the really expensive one.

Favorite Place: Is it too NSFT to say Bailey’s bed?? Or Cortez’s bed??

A quote(s) I like:

This is where I belong...  - Javik, Priority Earth

Don’t argue, Garrus. - Shepard | We’re in this ‘til the end... - Garrus, Priority Earth

I can still fight, just give me my gun. - James, Priority Earth

Don’t leave me behind... - Kaidan, Priority Earth

Damn it, I can do this! - Ashley, Priority Earth

You’re not leaving me behind... - Liara, Priority Earth

I can’t stay behind. - Tali, Priority Earth

The backup... systems. I can initiate repairs. - EDI, Priority Earth

[bisexualgarrus]

mass effect tag game

aaaa thank you sm @forestcreatures for the tag, this is so cool actually!!! mwua ily

I’ve been a fan since: i finished the games january this year lmfao (i’ve been a dragon age fan for years but never got into me for redacted reasons i’ve stated in the past but i’m SO glad i got my shit together and finally played them. wasn’t expecting to get SO much into it but here we are)

Favorite game of the series: mass effect 3. if only the ending would have been better.... everything about the game had me sticked to the screen. the story, the characters, the music, the gameplay. i cried, i laughed, i felt i was going insane playing it. i don’t think i’ll ever experience something like that again lol

Mshep or Fshep: FEMSHEP

Earthborn, Colonist, Spacer: earthborth 

Biotics of Tech: biotics!

Paragon or Renegade: paragon. i can’t stand to be mean. and althoug some renegade moments are badass as fuck, most renegade choices seem unecessary evil to me. 

Favorite Class: listen, i’ve only played the games once and i did as a sentinel and i really liked it but i guess i should experiment with the others. also narratively speaking after finishing the games i felt my shepard should have been a soldier, i feel like it would have fitted her more. but at the time i just chose the class that seemed the most fun (and honestly, soldier sounds boring as hell ngl, so many weapons and for what? just give me an assault riffle and we’re done here)

Favorite companion: tali and garrus (what a surprise)

Least favorite companion: uh..... honestly zaeed

My squad selection: i usually went tali and liara (me1), garrus, tali and miranda (me2) and garrus, edi and tali (me3)

Favorite in-game romance: i feel like i shouldn’t answer this considering i haven’t watched the movie of every romance (i haven’t even watched the liara romance which is a fan favorite oopsie).... but i really doubt anyone will beat garrus. although if anyone pays any attention to my posts you’ll know i’m here to push the tali x garrus x shepard agenda

Favorite NPC: anderson and joker

Favorite antagonist: sovereign

Favorite loyalty mission: TALI OH MY GOD I HAVE SOOO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS LOYALTY MISSION. besides it’s genuinely super fun to play. 

Favorite mission: gameplay wise? the suicide mission. nothing will ever beat the preassure i felt playing that shit oh my god. story wise? priority: rannoch and dossier: archangel 

Favorite DLC: CITADEL!!! GOD BEST DLC OF MY LIFE

Control, Synthesis, Destroy: synthesis. i made a post explaining why specifically i think this is the best option EVEN THOUGH i don’t think it’s a good ending or even a satisfactory one. BUT i simply can’t kill the synthetics man, i can’t. i can’t KILL EDI!! WTF!!! and narratively speaking i do think MY shepard would have chosen this, even though i understand why many prefer destroy

Favorite weapons: lol i don’t remember the specific names. i just really liked playing with assault rifles okay 

Favorite place: hmmmmm, i really love the overall atmosphere of silversun strip tbh!! i spent so many hours playing around it, it was comforting somehow

Favorite quote: brooooooo i can already feel myself TEARING UP thinking about this i swear this is embarrasing. 

if i had to choose ONE quote, it would be: “not sure if turian heaven is the same as yours but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... meet me at the bar” this quote changed me fundamentally as person, i mean it. 

BUT ALSO

“nobody ever fell in love without being a little brave” 

“legion, the answer to your question... was yes” (this one counts with the in-game context of course) 

“the illusive man ordered my creation years ago. jeff was the one who allowed me to think by myself. but only now do i feel alive. this is your influence”

“the reapers are repulsive. they are devoted to nothing but self-preservation. i am different. when i think of jeff, i think of the person that put his life in peril and freed me from a state of servitude. i would risk nonfunctionality for him. and my core programming should reflect that”

[thedragonaspect]

I’m a fan since: I can’t remember. I was there for all of it. My N7 hoodie looks genuinely vintage now.

Favourite game of the series:

Mass Effect. The Mako, and the Savant X omni-tool. And Faunts. And different armour weights, I don’t really like any of the armour options in 2 and 3. Halo already lets you play as a gun-toting tank in heavy armour, so for ME, I made the opposite; a fragile, sneaky tech-expert.

MShep or FShep:

FShep. She’s cool.

Earthborn, Colonist, or Spacer:

Spacer.

Biotics or Tech:

I mainly play tech, but biotic talents are fun.

Paragon or Renegade:

Paragon, with a few exceptions – shooting one of the mechs when you borrow Garrus’s rifle.

Favourite Class:

Engineer. My Shepard is a beanpole nerd who finds technology fascinating, and is privately quite excited to be investigating AI when they’re normally illegal. I pick Sniper Rifles as a bonus talent because they’re fun, and I enjoyed the challenge and progression of the crosshair drift in ME as you levelled up and upgraded your weapon.

Favourite Companion:

Legion. No data available. But I think Garrus is the best space buddy overall, Thane has the most interesting male character design, and Samara the best female design. I’m not a fan of gratuitous female armour in general, but Samara has the self-respect to pull it off, and it actually feels earned in her case. Miranda and Jack just come across as insecure.

Least Favourite Companion:

Miranda. She was fine as an in-game character, but was degradingly posed throughout. Just gross.

My Squad Selection:

Kaidan and Garrus; Thane and Legion; Kaidan and Garrus again, with adjustments for whoever has cool dialog. Samara was another favourite. When it was combat heavy, Garrus and Wrex carried my squishy Engineer Shepard through ME. EDI had some great writing in ME3.

Favourite In-Game Romance:

Garrus and Shepard are adorable, though I’ve never done a playthrough with them. Kaidan is my favourite, possibly biased by my affection for trust-issues Carth Onasi. I really like Thane too.

Favourite NPC:

Rana Thanoptis – the asari you keep running into while preparing to blow the place up. And in ME2, she knows how you work and just bails. A shame, what happens in ME3.

Favourite Antagonist:

Kai Leng. He is a lousy character, a knockoff of the profoundly superior Thane – and it is cathartic when he gets beaten first by Thane, and then Shepard. Anyone remember the “I support a cure for Thane” project on DA? Good times – I was bummed that they killed him off, but it was a satisfying arc.

Favourite Loyalty Mission:

Possibly Zaeed’s, because it’s one of the only times you get to Paragon Punch someone.

Favourite Mission:

N7: MSV Estevanico – exploring the precarious wreck of a ship on a cliff edge. It was just really effectively implemented, and even when I know Shepard isn’t going to fall, I still instinctively freeze whenever the ship rocks.

Favourite DLC:

Lair of the Shadow Broker, though Citadel looks wonderful. I really enjoyed traumatising Liara with my terrible driving.

Control, Synthesis, Or Destroy:

I lean towards Destroy, but wish it had been executed better, no surprise.

Favourite Weapon:

Combat Drone – I just like sending him out to bug enemies.

Favourite Place:

The Normandy Crash Site. It’s not a nice place to be, but it is effective, some of ME2’s most emotionally immersive work.

Favourite Quote:

“I am Garrus Vakarian, and this is now my favourite spot on the Citadel.”

“At last, I am free. I am a ruined vessel of sorrow and regret, but I am free.” (Samara)

Tough call, there are so many gems in this game. Even the characters I’m not as fond of (Miranda and Jack) are made better by the dialog around them:

Joker: Hey, Commander? Miranda and Jack are in the middle of a...disagreement. Could you head it off before they take out a bulkhead?

Shepard: I'll deal with it.

Joker: Take pictures!

The thing I like the least about the entire franchise:

Sigh. The ending, and the extended cut making things somehow worse. I was heartbroken. Better now, but the ME3 soundtrack is still embedded with a complicated mess of feelings. I’ve just burned through ME for the first time in years, and loved every bit of it. Turns out my ME2 Disc 1 was in my Xbox that got stolen though.

And the gradual slide of all female characters becoming space waifus first, characters second - Ashley’s redesign with stupidly impractical hair pissed me off.

[omegastation]

COMING UP WITH A LIST OF MASS EFFECT TAGS

There are different categories of content with a list of potential tags the Mass Effect trilogy and Mass Effect Andromeda fandom already uses. The goal of this post is to find the most popular tag used by the fandom to facilitate posting for content creators. 

If there is already a common popular tag in place like (CharacterA x CharacterB) we don't need to come up with a pairing name such as "beautiful lilac from the clouds", right? But if there is such a pairing name being used as a tag, we need to know...  Sometimes it’s the opposite. We have a pairing name but it's not the one used for the ship's content tag... In that case, we need to know the tag, that’s our priority.

I'm counting on all your help: you can reply, reblog and correct/confirm/suggest.

Once I get all the suggestions, confirmations and corrections, I'm going to make an official post and link it to the Mass Effect Resource Hub.

In case some of you wonder: I'm not going to impose any tags here, I'm on a collecting mission.

Hope nobody will get an headache from this!

TRILOGY

Shepard:

Shepard (general): shepard, commander shepard

Shepard (custom face): custom shepard? customshep? (see mshep custom face to see issue)

M!Shepard (general): mshep, mshepard? don't know which one is most looked for

M!Shepard (default face): sheploo

M!Shepard (custom face): customshep? I can see that tag also being used for general custom shepard so who knows

F!Shepard (general): fshep, fshepard, femshep? don't know which one is most looked for

F!Shepard (default face): freckleshep

F!shepard (custom face): customfshep?

Trans Shepard, N-B, ... Shepard: nbshep, transhep

Other characters:

Most of them have the first and last name as tag, ex: "kasumi goto." For Jack: options are "subject zero", "jacqueline nought", "jack nought" 

Shepard pairings:

Shepard/Garrus: shakarian, mshakarian, fshakarian

Shepard/Kaidan: shenko, mshenko, fshenko

Shepard/Liara: shiara, mshiara, fshiara : need confirmation?

Shepard/Thane: shrios, mshrios, fshrios

Shepard/Ashley: shepley, mshepley, fshepley

Shepard/Tali: shali, mshali, fshali

Shepard/Joker: shoker, mshoker, fshoker

FShepard/Samantha: shaynor

MShepard/Steve: shortez

Shepard/Jack: shack, mshack, fshack?

Shepard/Jacob: shaylor, mshaylor, fshaylor

Shepard/Miranda: shepard x miranda, shiranda

Shepard/James: shega, mshega, fshega

Shepard/Javik: shavik, mshavik, fshavik

Shepard/Nihlus: shilus, shrytik

Shepard/Kasumi: ???

Shepard/Shiala: ???

Shepard/Legion: ???

Shepard/Zaeed: ???

Shepard/Chakwas: ???

Shepard/?????:

Non-Shepard pairings:

Garrus/Tali: talibrations

Liara/Javik: t’sovik

EDI/Joker: edi x joker?

Samantha/EDI: ?

Saren/Nihlus: kryterius

Jack/Miranda: jackanda

Ashley/Kaidan: willenko

Emily/Khalisa: emily x khalisa?

Aria/Nyreen: nyria

Note: The list is small because I can't type every non-Shepard pairing there is especially if it is to say "i don't know the tag used" but don't hesitate to send suggestions.

MASS EFFECT ANDROMEDA

Ryder:

Ryder (general): ryder

BroRyder (general): broryder

BroRyder (custom): custom broryder ????

BroRyder (default): scott ryder

SisRyder (general): sisryder, femryder

SisRyder (custom): custom sisryder???

SisRyder (default): sara ryder

Other characters:

Always first and last name as tag, except with the krogan where we use their clan name first (ex: nakmor drack).

Ryder pairings:

Ryder/Cora: coryder

Ryder/Liam: ryder x liam, rydam?

Ryder/Vetra: vetryder

SisRyder/Suvi: sisryder x suvi???

BroRyder/Gil: ryder x gil, gilder

Ryder/Reyes: reyder, mreyder, freyder

Ryder/Jaal: rydaal, mrydaal, frydaal

Ryder/Drack:

Ryder/Peebee: ryder x peebee, rybee

Ryder/Lexi: ?

Ryder/Kandros: rydros

Ryder/Sloane: ryder x sloane, sloryde

Don't hesitate to add more and complete!

Non-Ryder pairings:

Liam/Peebee: liam x peebee

Sloane/Kaetus: sloane x kaetus

Sloane/Kandros: sloane x kandros

Lexi/Drack: ???

Avitus/Macen: avitus x macen?

Note: The list is small because I can't type every non-Ryder pairing there is especially if it is to say "i don't know the tag used" but don't hesitate to send suggestions.

[vorchagirl]

I loved that fic you wrote about FShep x Zaeed, the Pink Pony. I was curious if you had anymore fics involving FShep pregnant/with kids?

Thank you nonny! ^_^ I do have a couple of small drabbles, one shots and one longfic where femShep either ends up pregnant or has already had kids.1. Lights in the Sky (fShega)I wrote this aaages ago and it’s my super epic longfic - I love it. Shep being pregnant is not the focus of this fic, in fact, she is phobic about children and pregnancy, but she does end up pregnant at the end of the story. (NB: this fic is a romance, but it also contains some very dark themes - torture, graphic violence, character death, discussion of dark themes etc.)

2. Christmas Miracle (fShoker)A shoker oneshot about femshep telling Joker she is pregnant. Super fluffy.

3. Where the Heart Is (fShega / Jalenko)A post-war sequel to Lights in the Sky that focuses on Rennah, James, Kaidan & Jack getting together with their kids at Christmas and having fun. Just a fluffy family fic.

4. Bright Lights (fReyder)A pregnancy-scare drabble about Sirius Ryder & Reyes. She isn’t actually pregnant, but it’s Reyes’ thoughts on being a father and how he’ll handle having a family.

5. I’m Pregnant (fShega)A short drabble about Torr Shepard telling Vega she is pregnant to him during ME3. Very fluffy and cutesy.

[seigephoenix]

Aftermath

Despite the title, this has some fluff content.  FShep x Zaeed.  Non-canon backstory Shep.

Marlowe clenched her jaw stubbornly as she felt the pain shooting through her body.  It was six months after the end of the Reaper War, and the galaxy was putting itself back together.  Marlowe Shepard was spending the time trying to get herself back together.  She knew things would be hard, but she had the idle thought that Hell Week was a cakewalk compared to this.  She remembered the sense of completion after shooting the panel and giving the Star Brat the figurative finger.  It had been an exhilaration to see the fury on the AI’s holographic face as she was knocked back by the explosions.  Her last thoughts were her own, the constant buzzing of whispers had been gone.  She’d had a sneaky suspicion that the Reapers had been slowly trying to indoctrinate her.  The nightmares, the voices that whisper to her, had become clear in the moments when The Illusive Man had taken control over her body.  The Reapers had put their hopes into her as well, ever since that first lone fight against Saren. No, since she’d spoken to them on Virmire.

Sweat beaded on her skin as she gripped the rails beside her in a death grip.  The voices weren’t of her friends and loved ones, they were the Reapers.  The Reapers whispering her worst doubts and fears to her, every decision she ever made had been thrown in her face.  When that became clear as The Illusive Man used the Reapers to take control of her implants, her stubborn side came out in full rage.  She turned on him through sheer will and shot him dead.  There could have been a chance to redeem him, but then she remembered the files on Akuze.  The faces of her lost teammates, the ones eaten by the maws, flashed through her mind.  It had been relatively easy to pull the trigger, looking back.  For her team that had been killed due to his organization’s experiments, it seemed fitting she was the one that had taken the shot.

Marlowe willed herself to take that first step.  That first step seemed so huge and daunting.  Her left leg had been lost in the damage from her fall in the Crucible.  Her left arm below the elbow as well, but the prosthetic for that was adapting better than her leg.  It reacted to her nerves much easier than her leg and Marlowe was getting much better at using it.  She still got the pain that she was told was normal.  Normal her ass, it still hurt like a bitch.  She’d take that pain and make it hers, it reminded her the Reapers had not won.  They, humanity and all the other races that banded together, had won.  The galaxy no longer had a looming death clock anymore.

“Damn it Shepard.  You were supposed to wait for a nurse to get back.”  Marlowe laughed as she heard the petulant tone in his voice.  Hearing a friendly voice lifted her spirits, especially since he’d been a constant pain in her ass.

“Still playing my nursemaid Vega?”  She leaned against the railing, propping her chin on her hand as she watched the big Marine enter the room.  The first steps being forgotten temporarily as Vega shuffled around with coffee and breakfast.  Her stomach growled as the tantalizing smells reached her.  He snorted.

“Hardly but I don’t want to get my ass kicked by your merc boyfriend because you got hurt on my watch.”  At the mention of Zaeed, Marlowe felt her heart flutter.  He’d been there when she woke up.  You can’t be the one girlfriend to break the streak of trying to kill me.  Wake up damn it!  Marlowe told him to quit yelling or she really would try to kill him.  She remembered his next words with clarity, it still sent a trill of heat through her.  That’s my sweetheart.  Now let’s get you up.  She’d been making progress every day for the past six months to get to where she was.  Her spine had been fractured and had to heal before she could try putting weight on it.  One doctor had informed her she would never walk again, he’d been thrown out of her room by everyone in it.  Every single crew member and friend she had made all told that doctor where to shove his opinion.  Marlowe herself threatened to kick his ass if he didn’t get out of her room.

Miranda had informed her that she had redone her implants but without any Cerberus tech this time.  Miranda privately whispered that Zaeed had been particularly adamant that she not use Cerberus tech.  Vega was her physical therapy buddy since he had the uncanny ability to tap into that stubborn streak she had.  Zaeed stayed with her when he wasn’t needed for reconstruction.  Marlowe focused her eyes on Vega and they narrowed at the nervous shifting of his eyes.  “What are you up to James Vega?”  He pointed at himself in a Who me?  Marlowe glared at him and arched one eyebrow.

“Spill it Vega.  Or I’ll tell that pretty nurse that you flex in front of the mirror when you think no one is looking.”  He grumbled and shifted his weight around.  It looked as if he was weighing the options and consequences in his head.  His arms crossed as he shook his head.  

“No can do Lola.  Sworn to secrecy.”

“So it is something.”  Marlowe tapped her finger against her lips as her mind whirled with possibilities.  “Tell me Vega.”  She demanded as her body straightened and wobbled a bit as her body tried to regain its balance.

“If you can make it over to me on your own maybe I will.”  Vega teased and Marlowe sucked in a breath to steel herself against the excruciating effort.  She moved slowly and could feel Vega’s eyes on her.  Her eyes stayed on her legs, making sure to put one in front of the other.  Her foot moved and then she concentrated on the prosthetic.  The synthetic foot twitched and finally moved a step.  Her eyes shot up to Vega and he looked amazed.

“Hold up on that just yet Lola.  The nurse is on her way.  Please?”  There was a note in his voice that had her freeze.  She nodded and leaned against the railing.  It had been about a week since Zaeed had been there, and she missed him.  Missed hearing him tell the nurses that if they wanted him out of her hospital bed, they’d have to drag him out.  Missed hearing the stories he told her that lulled her to sleep.  She especially missed him being there when the nightmares struck in the night, his comforting arms sliding around her warm and comforting.  

“Come on Vega.  You know I hate surprises.”  Shepard whined as Vega shook his head.  The door opened and she turned with an exasperated huff.  “About time.”  She froze as she recognized the man standing in the doorway.  Tall, always so tall, broad shouldered, and the salt and pepper hair.  It had once been as deep red as her own.  His eyes that she remembered shining with mischief as he and she got up to shenanigans when she was a child had more lines around them.  “Dad?”  

“Marlowe.  You were supposed to wait for a nurse, but patience has never been your strongest trait.”  Her father, Admiral Kenneth Shepard, strode over to her as she straightened.  “Has it baby girl?”  Marlowe laughed at the nickname.  He had once told her she would be sixty and he’d still call her his baby girl.  

“How?  I thought you and Mom.”  Marlowe paused at the flash of pain in her dad’s face.  “Mom isn’t here is she?”  Her father shook his head and held out his arm for her.  Marlowe reached out and grabbed his forearm with her right hand.  “I’m glad you made it Dad.”  

“And I’m glad you did.  I heard about the disaster that the ground assault was.  We heard there were no survivors and then, then, we all heard your voice.  Hackett almost had a coronary when you asked what you needed to do.”  Vega watched as Marlowe took a step as her Dad spoke.  He kept his lips sealed as the two caught up.  “I almost had a coronary when your name came across the lines.  ‘Shepard!  We have Shepard!’  I can’t tell you how much that meant.”  Kenneth grinned as they made it to the end of the railing.  Marlowe jolted as the railing slipped from her fingers and she looked down to see they’d gone beyond it.

“What?”  Kenneth chuckled and she glanced up at her father.

“You always did overthink things dear girl.  Occupy your mind with something else and you’d manage to overcome anything.”  Vega burst out laughing and the elder Shepard looked at the Marine, who clapped a hand over his mouth.  “Now.  Let’s go.  There is someone else who wants to see you.”

Marlowe glanced out the door and saw Zaeed standing there.  Looking distinctly uncomfortable in his casual clothes.  Jeans and a dark shirt.  She let go of her father’s arm and walked over to him.  Worry flashed in his eyes as she stopped in front of him.  “So you found my Dad?”

“Vega opened his bloody mouth didn’t he?”

“I am being falsely accused!”  Came the reply from the therapy room.  Kenneth chuckled at the protest.

“You were gone a week.  I figured something was up,” Marlowe explained.  “Don’t blame Vega.  I even threatened him and he kept his mouth shut.”

“I figured he’d crumple.  Shocking,” Zaeed grumbled as Marlowe put her hand on his arm to keep her balance.  He instinctively covered her hand with his.  Marlowe grinned at him.

“You’re just a big softie.  Admit it.”  Marlowe laughed at the disgruntled expression on his face.  

Kenneth watched his daughter with the grizzled mercenary.  He wouldn’t have picked Zaeed Massani out for her, but he saw the light in her eyes.  Those eyes so much like her mother’s shined with the same emotion he would see in Hannah’s eyes.  His daughter lit up when that man came into the room.  If Zaeed made her happy, then he’d let her be.  All he wanted was for her to be happy.

“How would you feel if I told you that we got permission for you to leave?”

“Leave?  Leave the hospital?”  Zaeed nodded.  “When!?  I don’t care how you got the cage unlocked.”  Marlowe wrapped her arms around Zaeed, pressing her cheek against his chest.  

“Now.  I even got your apartment finished.”

“Wait.  That big one that Anderson left me?”  Zaeed nodded as she tilted her face up to him.  “How?  I didn’t think Zakera Ward was a priority?”

Vega laughed and spoke up from the doorway.  “It wasn’t.  Until your boyfriend rounded up the crew and between us we had more than enough leverage to get the complex fixed.”  Vega grinned as Zaeed shot him a glare over Marlowe’s head.

“And now he opens his bloody mouth.  Arsehole.”  Vega held up his hands at Zaeed’s grumbling insults.  Marlowe smiled and leaned back.

“Let’s go home.”

“Anything for you sweetheart.”  Vega made a face and Kenneth coughed to cover up a laugh.  “You’re not invited.”  Zaeed pointedly told Vega.

“No problems here.”  Vega backed away and Kenneth told Marlowe he would visit the next day.  Zaeed looked down at Marlowe after the others left.

“Are you going to tell them?”  Marlowe’s eyes danced with mischief as he shook his head.  No one knew but Marlowe suspected they all had a feeling something was up.  The glint of silver on her dogtag chain drew his attention.  The simple band wasn’t anything fancy, she only wanted simple.  Fancy wasn’t their style.  “I suppose we should let Tali know it’s okay to tell since she was our witness and all.”  Marlowe tilted her face up and he leaned down to press his lips against hers.  She sighed and fisted her hands in his shirt as he lifted his head.  

“Then take me home.  So we can see if they fixed the hot tub?”  Her grin had him chuckling.  He didn’t want to spoil everything.  It had been a long six months, and he was sure she’d forgive him for what he had planned.  Hopefully.  It would take some persuading but he was good with his hands.

[seigephoenix]

Fic Recs Part 1

I’ve been meaning to start doing these.  Time and IRL stuff kinda sapped my energy for anything other than just surviving.  Anyway.  Since I’ve got a lot of fandoms that I read for I’ll pick one for each fandom.  Today’s edition is:

Mass Effect

Sweet Little Lies Ship: Reyder, Sirius Ryder x Reyes Vidal Rating: Explicit Author: @vorchagirl AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10597851 My Rambling: This was one of the first pieces I’ve read of Mass Effect fanfiction.  I took a long break from fandom in general when I wasn’t in a great place.  Then I got back into it when Andromeda dropped, and Lena’s Reyder fic was one of the first fics I read.  I still have to catch up with the last two chapters but this is such a rich story.  Angst, smut, feels, all combined into one.  I also highly recommend Distance and Lights in the Sky from her!

Easy Enough Ship: Zaeed/FShep Rating: Mature Author: Commander_Hot_Pants AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14319240 My Rambling: My one weakness in this entire damn fandom (aside from the aliens) is Zaeed x FShep.  I love this fic because it kept them incharacter while also exploring what a relationship would look like.  I love it.

Double Blind & In the Yellow Time of Pollen Ships: Mordin/FShep & Kallo/Sara Ryder Ratings: Explicit Author: @thunderheadfred AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13704453 AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10510701 My Rambling: OMG, I just love everything about these two fics.  1. I get my alien ship fix.  2. Double Blind is delving into D/S dynamics and I love that when it’s done respectfully.  Which is exactly what Thunderheadfred is doing.  I love all of her works but these two are my more recent favs.  Red Streak was the first one I read of hers, and GO READ IT.  That is all.

Nihlus Lives Series Ships: Nihlus/FShep, Nihlus/FShep/Garrus Rating: Explicit Author: Nemi_Almasy AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/series/795078 Me Rambling: Okay so this series?  Right here?  Nihlus lives.  Shepard is a Spectre alongside of him.  And then we get Garrus into the mix?  It’s a trifecta of greatness.  So I highly recommend it.  Diplomatic Relations is the first story.  If you’re a fan of Nihlus x FShep then this is the story for you.  Nihlus is just so well written.  Charming, flirty, sexy but he’s balanced by respecting boundaries and a past that he is trying to deal with. 

Unbreakable Ship: MShep/FShep (no not incest) Rating: Explicit Authors: Potionsmaster, @cdrkateshepard AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12909987 Me Rambling: Please heed the tags for this one.  It’s a dark story full of triggers for some.  But it’s so well written and I’ve been following since the first story.  I love how the story tackles these issues through the eyes of a Renegade Shep.  I have also never felt such loathing for a fictional character since Game of Thrones.  Fuck you Kirkland and Torres.

Renegades Ship: Reyder, Lazuli Ryder x Reyes Vidal Rating: Explicit Author: @makocartwheels AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11749008 Me Rambling: It’s a modernish AU set in London.  I really love Laz and Reyes.  The story is a good take on a modern AU and mako writes the dark parts very well.  It’s not overly saturated by angst but has a great balance.  I love stories to have balance.  

[vorchagirl]

The Pink Pony

A/N - One of my favourite fics that i wrote for this years spec recs was this fluffy Zaeed x femShep fic that i wrote for @seigephoenix. I’m super proud of it because it’s just so incredibly sweet ... yet it’s so Zaeed and Shep, lol. I hope you guys enjoy it!

The Pink Pony

A/N -  It had been a single night. One night of whiskey and tequila. Of hot kisses and hungry touches as they explored each other’s bodies. But apparently that one night was going to have lasting consequences. (fShep x Zaeed pregnancy fic)

A03: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13906398