#he’s dating kaidan but

[libartz]

When you think too hard about your OC and they might be aromantic now

[strawberrysamara]

"Kaidan Alenko is boring" WRONG. Kaidan Alenko is one of THEE characters of all time. He's Canadian, he's Schrodinger's man of colour, he's DOWN to fuck and still didn't manage to figure out that he's bisexual until his thirties, he killed a man as a teenager and almost caused a diplomatic meltdown bc of it, his tits are bigger than yours, he's constantly getting migraines, he has autism but doesn't know it AND he glows. What more could you want

[ghostryders]

[swaps55]

When Sam sent in Kaidan's recommendation to N-school, did he know Kaidan would turn it down?

Oooh, this is a REALLY good question.

I'm going to say he didn't, and Kaidan turning it down came as a surprise to him. Should he have known? Probably. But as intuitive and observant as Sam is, I think in this case, the N program is so integral to him, that he couldn't step outside himself enough to understand why Kaidan wouldn't want it.

From the beginning, the allure of Kaidan Alenko has been that he's hard for Sam to figure out. Sam likes puzzles, and Kaidan is one he never quite solves. People don't often surprise Sam. Every time Kaidan does surprise him, he becomes even more interesting.

So turning down the N program recommendation would have set Sam on his heels a little. He would have taken time to over analyze why, sit with it, and have a little moment of clarity over the ways he'd misunderstood Kaidan's experiences, or just not given enough consideration them. I very deliberately gave Kaidan and Sam very different experiences with developing and learning biotics. Their perspectives are VERY different, and Kaidan's reasons for not wanting to be an N would have helped Sam broaden his own understanding of how un-universal his own experience was. For all the things he knows about Kaidan and BAaT and Vyrnnus, this would have driven home a little harder the ways in which they shaped him.

Sam also would have marveled a little at the ways Kaidan is so relentlessly himself, and rigidly follows his own code.

Truthfully, that was probably a small but important moment in Sam's long, slow fall. The relief he would have felt, however, at Kaidan staying put on the 'Yang and remaining with the squad is something he would have carefully tucked away somewhere he didn't have to think about very hard.

Other people are puzzles, after all. Less fun when the puzzle is yourself. :)

[casimania]

I've replayed the whole trilogy with mods for the first time. Like it so far because I'm boring and I like playing Sheploo with some little tweaks (I like the scars and glowy eyes right before they're maxed out and making them blue cause everything else about him is red), also the couple extra clothes for a few characters

[eulaliasims]

Kaidan's date is going, uh... it's going.

Kaidan works out his feelings with some late-night gaming afterward...

...while Gaius is making muffins at 1 AM, as one does as an aimless twenty-something.

[husband-steve-cortez]

I can't help but think of Kaidan as not being a particularly sexual person for most of his life but like once he's with Shepard. Well it's me1 Kaidan vs me3 Kaidan who's throwing Shepard on the bed and just in general absolutely slutting it up in the dlc you feel. And I don't think it's just Shepard that's inspired this change but it's certainly helped.

[trickster-tabby]

lucien x kaidan 🤝 kaidan x caryalind

running around my brain like a hamster on crack

[powdermelonkeg]

Will Cirinel be romancable?

Planning on it! She’s a little picky with how she likes to be courted, though, so have more than an amulet of Mara ready. ;)

[rainyearning]

[✉️teardrop]: you take that business very serious [✉️teardrop]: i mean, you even dress like killers from netflix movies [✉️teardrop]: not that it doesn't suit you! i don't have the patience to bother with so many clothes [✉️teardrop]: if you don't want to kill me, i got no reason to do so either, since you aren't one of my bounties [✉️teardrop]: botanical garden, we won't be bothered there

[txt: Branch] I consider my look timeless [txt: Branch] a suit will never go out of style [txt: Branch] and I don't always wear suits, I do wear something less suitish every once in a while [txt: Branch] It's just better for me to keep my skin covered, that's all [txt: Branch] A botanical garden sounds very nice, I feel like you try to impress me?

[libartz]

Caryalind: *having a tearful emotional moment with Kaidan*

Varrick in the background: Don’t trust stairs, they’re always up to something 😝

[weyrleaders]

i do genuinely wonder how much it would cost to get a few kaidan lines added in but not enough for me to actually reach out to the mod team to ask

[mamadovie]

can we get some kaidan boyfriend headcanons please???

𐙚 . . . KAIDAN.

A N: I'm not sure if I did Kaidan on my old account. But I am willing to redo the BF / GF series on this account, tbh. But, yes. Kaidan is the best BF. ♡

A B O U T: You're delusional and spend your time imagining that Kaidan is your boyfriend! (Same)

W A R N I N G S: None!

Kaidan is a hesitant person, but he loves so hard.

At first he becomes distant, you've created a friendship but he's sort of losing it mentally so he distances until he feels better.

This could last a week, hours, minutes, whatever. So he can come across as very hot and cold at first.

He also becomes more wary on your health and well-being, often telling you off for nearly hurting yourself and has the tendency to jump in and take down an enemy that even looks a bit bigger than you are, its cute at times, annoying most of the time.

He knows that you are capable, he just doesn't want to lose you.

Kaidan is a gifter. especially homemade things. From charms and bracelets to silly things like rocks he found by the beaches that looked cool and if you keep them, his heart will quite literally burst from his chest.

He takes note of everything you like and speak on, to make sure to buy something you like, attempt to cook your favourite meal to even making sure to not speak on topics that are sensitive for you.

Kaidan is a perceptive man generally, for you he is all the more watchful.

His way of asking you out is either two things:

Confessing in a tavern while drunk out of his mindddd, he is sloshed and just spills it out, and rather loudly, too. You wait till morning to finish the conversation... Or at least when his hangover isn't so bad...

Or, in the middle of a heated argument. Most likely about your health and recklessness. You are so giving, always accepting to help others and it makes him angrier than it should, you should care more for yourself! So he slips it out and the argument is long forgotten.

Once dating he is sooo goofy.

Sexual innuendos go crazy, followed with a little giggle that contrasts massively with his deep voice.

He is very touchy, especially in private and just loves the feeling of your skin on his, he likes to know that you are with him and safe.

Kaidan is a secret romantic and will write little poems on scraps of paper and draw you and things you like messily with chalk and he'd love it if you ever did it back.

After a long time travelling, his favourite thing to do it just relax with his head against your chest, your hands running through his hair as you tell him stories before you met, even if he's heard of them before.

His whole life has been filled with him learning things the harsh way and he loves to listen to silly stories from you.

His life has become so much better since you entered it, and he wouldn't change that for the world, not even his past.

[hawkeykirsah]

50 Things I Love About Kaidan Alenko

I love that little smile he gives Shepard in the med bay after Eden Prime.

I love his slip of the tongue on the Citadel in ME1 when he indirectly tells Shepard he thinks she’s beautiful.

I love his dry comments when you take him along groundside in ME1 and his snarky remarks when you talk to him back on the Normandy.

I love how annoyed he looks when Joker interrupts that almost-first kiss in front of the lockers.

I love that tentative smile he gives Shepard at the beginning of ME3.

I love that strut when he comes to Shepard’s aid in the Citadel DLC together with that smirk and the “Looks like you’re having a bad day, Shepard.”, and his smirk after asking the volus to open the gates for them on the Cision Motors skycar lot.

I love the entire Citadel DLC dinner.

I love his “Next time … wake me.”

I love the love and admiration you can see in his eyes when he comes to Shepard’s quarters before the assault on Cerberus headquarters. 

I love his “I lied. I didn’t come here for a quick drink”, and the grin on his face when he carries Shepard toward the bed.

I love how his voice wavers but doesn’t break when you talk to him in London and how he doesn’t care that everybody can see them when he kisses Shepard good-bye. 

I love his “Don’t Kaidan me!” on Mars.

I love how he turns half around and looks over his shoulder when Liara asks Shepard how they manage.

I love his incredulous “Me?” after Shepard tells him he’s always been stubborn.

I love how his voice drops at “ … can be the difference between success and sitting at home in your PJs taking red sand” when you talk to him at Huerta. (I’m certain he’s speaking from experience.)

I love how he places his hand over Shepard’s briefly after they tell him they care about what happens to him.

I love the determination on his face in the elevator during the Coup before he encounters Shepard and their team.

I love that short laugh of relief when Shepard tells him they couldn’t imagine facing the Reapers without him.

I love the moment you walk into the Starboard observation after he rejoins the Normandy and you see him staring into space.

I love how nervous he is on that first date on the Citadel.

I love his “I love you, Shepard. I always have.”

I love how he takes Shepard’s hand and presses it against his cheek.

I love his banter with Tali aboard the geth dreadnought.

I love his worried “Shepard!” when they step on that first mine on Rannoch.

I love how concerned he is while Shepard is in the geth consensus.

I love how he places his hand on Shepard’s shoulder on Mahavid.

I love his “Let’s make sure we never let time just slip by us, okay?” after returning from the mining facility.

I love his “I’m not too crazy about this plan” on Despoina followed by that little nod he gives Shepard after Shepard tells him they’ll be fine.

I love his worried “Never do that again” in the shuttle after Shepard talked to Leviathan and his “You scare the hell out of me with those risky stunts …” back on the Normandy.

I love his “Nah” on Eden Prime after Liara realizes he was joking.

I love his enthusiasm back on the Normandy after finding Javik.

I love his level of snark on Thessia. (”Reaper convention”, all his “… looks like a Prothean” comments at the temple, etc.)

I love his comment about liking a challenge when Shepard tells him Joker has a terrible poker face.

I love his reaction to James “Flawed implant” comment during the party.

I love his “Wow, Shepard. Did you really just say that?” if you side with James at the party.

I love watching him and James doing push-ups (and that Kaidan wins even without Kasumi sitting on James’ back).

I love his “You’re the boss. Except when you’re not. And in that case … find me later”.

I love the wake up-scene after the party.

I love the once over with that predatory smirk he gives a male Shepard in the romance scene.

I love that he wants to be Shepard’s rock and soft place to land.

I love the look on his face when Shepard runs their fingers along his cheekbone and then down to his chest before gently placing them on his chin and giving him a kiss after waking from their nightmare.

I love his “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen” after getting injured during the run for the beam. (Stubborn, remember?)

I love his “I love you, too. Be careful.” (Just rip out my heart and stomp on it why don’t you?)

I love his “And I’m not leaving, either!” at the beginning of ME2. (*cough*stubborn*cough*) 

I love his integrity.

I love his friendship with Ash.

I love seeing him and Shepard remembering Ash’s sacrifice after disarming the bomb on Tuchanka.

I love his “Why can’t it be both? Ow, my heart!” before entering the casino and his disappointed “And here I had this good cop routine all planned” after finding Elijah Khan.

I love his apology for tripping at the Ardat-Yakshi monastery.

I love his shoulders. Seriously. They do things to me.

[sewermageboy]

I've read so much Kaidan fanfiction that at this point I have no idea what's even canon anymore bc it shows up in so many fics, like

Is Kaidan actually a field medic?

Is it canon that the doctor he went on a date with in ME2 is Dr Michel?

Is he actually Singaporean? Or Ukrainian?

Is he actually good at poker? I know he's canonically better than Joker, but Joker is terrible and James still wipes the table with him

The Kaidan that exists in my head and the Kaidan that exists in canon are like a Venn diagram lmao

[edains]

mass effect fandom loves to say "i don't see shep romancing ash/kaidan in me1 and then romancing someone in me2* after the horizon scene as cheating" even though y'all never established that there was an official breakup - and you get an email from them saying that they want to be able to work things out

cause you know, thats what mature adults do in a relationship - communicate and try to work it out

and yet AND YET they will get huffy at kaidan for going on 1 (one) singular date with a doctor because he was pushed into it by his friends who wanna help him try to move on 2 (two) double years of shepard being dead - and try to act like thats the same thing ... huh

i think the fandom needs to realize the game/some ppl saying "shep is a cheater in this circumstance" is not saying shep (for that alone) is a horrible person or irredeemable (or that they as the player are horrible for that) but as a flaw they need to accept and deal with?

but they can't accept that their shepard may have actual human flaws and do things wrong, or that there are characters who don't just blindly follow along with everything they do and kiss their feet at every circumstance

there are issues with how the horizon scene is handled - on shepard's end but everyone wants to make it the vimire surivor's problem for having a realistic human reaction to whats going on

*i will say i will side eye the romanceable in me2 me1 squadmates for being totally cool with getting with shep w/no mention of their previous LI - i think there should've been a small bit of dialogue there with some reservations abt it/shepard saying they've moved on from that relationship but hey! fandom darlings get away with murder lmao