#her cybernetic arm was meant to explain how she can punch trees with her hand for wood

[spiribia]

My Minecraft oc from circa 2015’s lore was that her mom was a scientist that was trying to develop portals into another theoretical unproven dimension but on the day her mom finally tried to go through a constructed portal something misfired and the portal exploded she vanished entirely, people assumed vaporized. But my oc was like no she is out there and began modifying her moms portal design to try stabilizing it and to go after her into the other dimension where she believed her mom had successfully gone but was trapped because portal blowed up. Well where my oc ended up was Minecraft world, a dimension created because of a gamble between life and death. They couldn’t settle whose domain should expand, so they put a third neutral entity named Nocturne alone in the empty realm they both wanted and agreed whether Nocturne decided to live or die would determine whether this space belonged to Life or Death. Basically nocturne did neither. It could see shadows of both realms of life and death and it created longing, blocky simulacrums of the life it saw (Minecraft). The elder dragon was a manifestation of Nocturne, which she would have to defeat to leave. Also my oc did not find her mom but found a dog she named Dog who i meant to imply was the spirit of her mom. If I redid this today it would probably instead just be a dog her mom sent through the portal to test it out. Nocturne was meant to serve doubly as like a metaphor for grief.

[florencemeivey]

We Face Our Enemy Together (Chapter Two of Somewhere Down the Line)

Shepard learned through Garrus that all of her former crew and friends, with the exception of EDI, had survived the final clash with the Reapers. All those who had been with her as crew during the battle were still on the Normandy, which was docked as near to her hospital as it could be. 

“Once you woke up, they got the word out somehow to the rest of our friends.” Garrus explained to Shepard as she leaned against him. He was helping her to her wheelchair. She had just finished her first physical therapy session, and the results looked promising. Now, she had been allowed to see her crew, so long as they came to the hospital.

“I suspect Liara, once again,” Garrus continued, shaking his head. “Those connections of hers as the Shadow Broker, I guess.”

“Mmhm,” Shepard replied distractedly. She was staring into space, and Garrus took immediate notice. He leaned down and rested his fingers lightly on Shepard’s cheek.

“Worried about Joker?” He asked, though he already knew the answer. Shepard nodded. “I still think you shouldn’t tell him,” Garrus said gently. “What good will it do now, except open old wounds?”

“Sometimes wounds need to be reopened to fully heal,” Shepard said grimly. “Joker’s my friend, and EDI was too. He deserves to know the truth.”

“Okay, it’s your call Shepard.” A pause, and then, “When did you plan on telling him?”

“When I can get him alone,” Shepard replied, her eyes set with the fierce determination that Garrus had learned long ago meant that she would not be dissuaded. He squeezed her shoulder in solidarity and comfort, and wheeled her away to go see their friends.

Liara was the first to notice the couple walk in. “Shepard!” She gasped, jumping up from the chair she had been perched upon. The rest of the crew stood then, crying out Shepard’s name in delight.

Shepard, despite her nervousness about what she had to tell Joker, felt a sense of joy and relief wash over her. She had lived to see her friends again, and they had lived to see her. She looked around at all of their smiling faces and felt a fierce, familial sort of love. These were the people who had followed her to hell and back. This was her family; the Normandy family.

Then came the reunions. Liara, Tali, Steve, James, and Samantha stormed Shepard, and wrapped her in a group hug. For a long moment Shepard was lost among a tangle of arms and laughing, smiling faces.

The others who were less inclined to give out hugs nonetheless offered their own greetings. Grunt and Wrex grabbed Shepard’s arm, as gently as they could, and extolled her strength. Wrex told her she had the biggest quad of them all. 

Javik loudly told anyone who would listen that in his cycle, people didn’t come back from the dead twice. 

Kaidan gave her a salute that would have been the picture of military propriety, if it hadn’t been for the wide grin on his face. 

Miranda touched Shepard’s shoulder and remarked with a hint of pride at how well her cybernetics had held up, and that Shepard was tough to kill.

Jacob gave Shepard a warm handshake and excitedly told her about his new baby, a baby girl that he had managed to convince Brynn not to name Shepard.

Samara gave Shepard a little bow and told her she was glad that the universe had decided it was not done with her.

Jack, who felt that she could not rightly punch Shepard, instead punched Garrus and crowed that Shepard was one tough bitch. 

Kasumi appeared out of thin air and cheerfully announced that she was glad Shepard was back among the living before cloaking herself once more. 

Zaeed told Shepard she was “a goddamn focking legend.”

Finally, it was time for her to face Joker. She turned to him, where he had hung back in the group. A fresh feeling of guilt hit her like a sucker punch when she saw just how depressed he looked. He didn’t look at all like the, well, “Joker” she remembered.

“Hey, Shepard,” He said when she turned to him. “Glad you’re back up, too bad we don’t have anymore Reapers to throw you at.” He paused, and Shepard saw him try to put on fresh bravado. “EDI would have been here, but uh...she didn’t make it.” He hung his head, and the room became quiet. Awkwardly so, pregnant with tension.

“Er, yeah...I’m sorry Joker.” Thinking that now was as good a time as any, she added, “Why don’t we take a walk? Garrus, everyone, we won’t take too long.”

Garrus gave her one last pitying look, and released his hold on her wheelchair. Shepard wheeled herself away, Joker following along with a puzzled expression. 

“What’s that about?” James murmured, looking after them.

“They have a lot to talk about,” Garrus replied. “And I guess while she explains to him, I should explain to all of you as well.”

So he did.

“What’re we doing out here, Shepard? We’re missing the party.” Joker asked, once Shepard had stopped in the hospital courtyard. This was probably the only thing she liked about the hospital; in this courtyard, flowers and trees grew where they didn’t elsewhere. A bench stood alone under a tree that had survived the Reapers, and Shepard wheeled over there. She was quiet until Joker sat down. 

“I wanted to talk to you, Joker. Alone.”

“I mean, it’s not much of a party, but still. Talking to me has got to be a lot lamer.” Joker responded, a ghost of his old humor in his voice before quickly becoming extinguished. 

“It’s about EDI,” Shepard went on, looking at her lap.

“Oh man, not you too,” Joker groaned. “Look, Shepard, I appreciate the thought but really? I don’t need your condolences.” He shook his head. “Everyone keeps saying how sorry they are for me. But it’s not true, is it? Not entirely. Because behind that sorry they’re all just relieved it wasn’t their partner or their family.” His voice broke, and he looked away, before continuing softly. “It wasn’t just EDI, you know? I got the news when we landed. My dad and sister are dead too.”

Shepard felt like the air had been knocked out of her. Her stomach in knots, she began without thinking. “Joker, I’m so so-” She caught herself, remembering what he had just said. Gently, she laid her hand on Joker’s arm. For a long moment they sat there quietly, Shepard hoping her touch offered Joker at least some small comfort. Before she had to add to his grief. 

“Joker...I don’t know how to tell you this.” Shepard finally began. She made herself look at him head-on. It was the least he deserved. “EDI’s death...it’s my fault.”

Joker looked back at Shepard, then looked quickly away. His voice came out robotic, rehearsed. “It’s not your fault. Who could have known that destroying the Reapers would mean the end of all synthetic life? You did what you had to do, what we set out to do.”

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you though, Joker.” Shepard replied, slowly. She took a deep breath. “I...learned beforehand that synthetic life would be wiped out. It was the condition of destroying the Reapers. And Joker, you deserve to know,”  her words came out in a rush now. “I had a choice...three of them. The two others involved controlling the Reapers or synthesizing synthetic and organic life. They both involved giving up my life and a whole lot of unknowns. In the end...I chose destruction.” She hung her head. “EDI was my friend, Joker, and so are you. I stand by my decision, but I’m sorry I had to make it. I’m so sorry.”

Joker was silent for a long time. Shepard knew better than to fill the silence with more talk. Instead she sat quietly, and watched the storm erupt on his face.

“No you’re not.” He finally said, his voice a low rumble. He shot a look of pure anger and hate at Shepard, and she felt her heart sink. “You’re not my friend, and you weren’t EDI’s.” He got up and in Shepard’s face. “I can’t believe I followed someone so selfish! You never cared for EDI like I did, none of you did! She was just a tool for you! But she meant something, Shepard! Her life meant something!”

He took his SR-2 cap off and threw it at Shepard’s feet. “I’m done,” he announced in a growl, and stalked off as much as his Vrolik’s disease would allow. “Find yourself a new pilot, Shepard. And a new friend.” He called over his shoulder, leaving Shepard behind and feeling like the most awful person in the galaxy.

Later that night, after all her friends had left, Shepherd cried her frustration, guilt, and grief out into Garrus’ shoulder. He held her and stroked her hair, knowing better than to tell her it was alright, or that everything was going to end up okay, because that wasn’t what she needed.

 Right now, she just needed an anchor to prevent her from floating away, and he would be that for her. 

She sobbed for a long while. Not just about what had happened with Joker, but over what had happened these past nearly four years. She had lost so much, and sacrificed so much. Ashley, Mordin, Thane, Legion, and EDI were all gone, in part because of her decisions. Her mistakes.

“I should have died,” Shepard whispered into Garrus’ shoulder, so quiet he almost didn’t hear her. “I should have done so many things differently. It should have been me.”

Garrus pulled away from Shepard, his hands firmly grasping her shoulder as he looked into her eyes. “Don’t ever say that,” He told her fiercely. “Shepard, you saved the world. You did all you could, gave all you had.” He shook his head. “We all knew the risks, we all made our choices. We can’t take them back now. And, Shepard,” he swallowed hard, and looked away. “I’m glad you made the decision you did. No option was perfect, but at least with this one, you live.” He touched her cheek. “Hearing we had beat the Reapers was a relief, sure. But it wasn’t until I heard you were alive that I felt truly hopeful again. You living is something I want to celebrate everyday until my last...so don’t ever say you wish it had been your life on the line.” He kissed Shepard tenderly.

She sniffled and pulled at Garrus until he was laying in her narrow hospital bed too. She lay against his chest, and he held her tight.

“That’s part of what makes me feel so guilty.” She murmured. “I’m happy I lived too. Happy that I can see a future with you.”

Garrus’ heart swelled. He kissed the top of Shepard’s head. “Get some sleep, Shepard. You have a long day of physical therapy tomorrow.” 

As she drifted fretfully into the peaceful embrace of sleep, Garrus held Shepard against him, his mind working and thinking late into the night. There was something he needed to ask James, or Kaidan, or Steve, one of the human men as soon as he was able. He squeezed Shepard, and fell asleep with the image of her nestled into the crook of his arm emblazoned in his mind.