#me4 spoilers

[ficbrish]

ME4: Aftermath Reading Guide

--Mass Effect Trilogy spoilers--

Summary: The adventure continues. What happens in the new world? Time to rest? No! Time to rebuild and reshape the galaxy!

Hell had come to take them all home. Then— A pulse of red energy swallowed the world, and the monsters went away. The Reapers were all gone. Just like that, while the ruins of the Citadel still fell in brilliant streaks across the red-blue sky.

[AO3 Link]

Rating: Explicit, 18+ only

If you are not an adult, do not interact!

Tags: Post-Reaper War, Destroy Ending (Mass Effect), Shepard Survives (Mass Effect), Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), Colonist (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect), Sentinel (Mass Effect), Paragade (Mass Effect), Novel, Slow To Update, POV Alternating, Plot, Established Relationship, Queerplatonic Relationships, Eventual Relationships, Adventure & Romance, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Grief/Mourning, Found Family, Rebuilding, Reunions, Canon-Typical Violence, Dorks in Love, I Will Go Down With This Ship

[[TW/CW: Alcohol/drugs; Graphic violence; Mentions of substance abuse, trauma, death, injury, grief]]

Chapters will also be individually tagged for warnings. The epilogue has its own separate warnings, so please pay attention to those if/when you get there.

Explicit language is used, as well as terms some may find upsetting like st*p*d , id*ot, cr*zy, etc. (as self-referential hyperboles)—There are NO racial/gender/identity-based slurs.

Chapter 1: Rubble

Summary: The search for Shepard begins. The Normandy pulls itself together.

Chapter 2: Awakening

Summary: The galaxy is still a mess, and Shepard is still lost. Something shady is discovered. They have a funeral for a fish.

Chapter 3: The World Ended but I'm Looking Right at You

Summary: It's a Shenko reuinon! 🎉 Miranda and Jack go on an adventure.

Chapter 4: To be posted

[galedekarios]

Reyes + Smiling because of Ryder

[vallaslins]

WAIT LIARA IS WALKING ON A REAPER? WHA T omg

I mean we don’t know for sure, but someone on Reddit said it looks like that and I totally can see it. There’s definitely a dead Reaper or two in the distance in that shot.

[persephinae]

omgggggggg tho.... i just realized....

in the final memory with Garrus’s dad talking to Ryder’s dad,  it’s because of Garrus believing Shepard and experiencing everything in ME1, that Garrus’s dad believes him and pushes that intel throughout Palaven’s and the Council’s higher echelons.  

IT���S BECAUSE OF WHO SHEPARD WAS, BECAUSE OF WHO GARRUS WAS, THAT THE INITIATIVE GOT IT’S FINAL BOOST AND RUSH OUT THE DOOR TO AVOID THE REAPERS

EVEN THOUGH THE MILKY WAY EVENTUALLY DEFEATED THE REAPERS, THE MILKY WAY LIVED ON BECAUSE OF SHAKARIAN

I’M GOING TO SCREAM

[javisfreckles]

Everyone after Ryder sides with Reyes: be careful, he killed Sloane.

Ryder: KILLING PEOPLE IS 90% OF OUR JOB

[mayochups]

I just finished ME3 again, and got the “good” ending where Shepard “lives” with the destroy option, but I started thinking that some asshole in ME4 is definitely going to try to bring the reapers back. We don’t have actual confirmation that The Illusive Man is dead for sure, but even if it’s not him, there’s gonna be someone like him who’s gonna start their own reaper force.

Which is why the ME4 “trailer�� makes me nervous since it only shows Liara. If Shepard does come back, it could be so far down the line because Asari live for so long. What if a new cycle is starting, and they gotta bring Shepard back to put an end to a new potential harvest.

Ugh, I wish we had ME4 already.

[nicolecadeart]

Big, tol, alien boyfriend likes to watch smol, anxious, human girlfriend sleep

[bikarian]

I know everyone and their mother has remarked on this but after crying for an hour and thinking over it for two I think I have the most direct and feasible 'fix it' for the ending

Literally just let shepard live.

Like that seems to be the biggest issue and why there's so much controversy, and I'm pretty sure everyone would have been able to look past the flaws of each ending if shepard had just lived.

Like my biggest issue I had with the destroy ending was I'd have to kill EDI and the geth, who I've spent two whole ass games getting to know and care for, just to get a hint of survival.

Like would it really be that hard if you just have enough war assets, destroy you still survive like before, control you get a cool robo body like EDI, and synthesis instead of being burned away you're "reborn" like everyone else? Then you get to hug your love interest and friends. The end.

[breadedsinner]

River: So should we head back to Aya?

Jaal: I’m not taking the position.

River: That’s crazy, this is everything you want!

Jaal: 

[ryssabrin]

i really hope the whole conspiracy with the benefactor has absolutely nothing to do with cerberus like everyone and their dog is guessing bc that would literally be the most boring possible plot twist y’all

[mycagesaremental]

Holy shit I’m in love with Jaal 😍😍

[galedekarios]

“Since leaving the Nexus, my survival has depended on secrets.”

[worwelf]

here’s my gal, cara. ur all welcome

[javisfreckles]

Vetra: What's your full name again?

Peebee: Peanut Butter. My full name is Peanut Butter. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

[ssvnormandie]

In honor of me finishing Andromeda, have some of Aggie Ryder’s best and most relatable faces and moments.

[nicolecadeart]

So it turns out interfacing with the Remnant without SAM isn’t the best idea…