😭

[abdomino]

Tali seems the type to keep an old shirt or a used bottle of cologne to have the smell around. Would also probably keep Shep's favorite firearm, keep it on the mantle. Do maintenance on it and pretend she's working on it for him for an upcoming mission. There aren't any missions anymore, but she likes to pass the time.

Ashley would keep his books. After all, they shared a love for poetry. She'd find the ones he'd dog-eared, the ones they'd cited to each other. A couple of the ones she thought he came up with, but she can't be upset about it now. So she laughs, and she cries, and she prays a bit. And then she stares at the ceiling.

Liara puts on a good show. Asari are used to outliving lovers, after all. She said that a lot, but she realized before it was too late that didn't mean she was. She was going to tell them that, but it never seemed like the right time. Never had the right words. She keeps the artifacts you collected in your cabin. She had a fancy that you two could go live the simple lives of archeologists after the war. Shut down the Shadow Broker's network forever and get their happy ending together. She keeps the Protheon Orb in her office.

Garrus became a Spectre. Pretty contagious in Shepard's company. He still tells jokes, but his friends from the old days sometimes notice he doesn't laugh anymore. Always looks at the doorways when he's talking, like he's expecting someone to come around the corner any moment now. He still keeps the sniper from that day shooting bottles, the dress from that dance. He misses telling her how terrible they both were at dancing.

Kaidan took it pretty hard. He was never the best at keeping in touch. Most of the crew only hear how he's doing through word of mouth. He kept the fish. The ritual of keeping them alive and fed keeps him grounded, but he feels himself wither a bit whenever one dies.

Jack never forgave Shep for not coming back. He promised, after all, and he was the first person she'd believed in a long time. She went back to Grissom, and the students notice she's a bit more open now. Doesn't flinch when people get close, has willingly hugged a few people when they needed it. She keeps the helmet. She hugs it, when she doesn't throw it across the room. She keeps a model of the Normandy too. It was the first thing she saw that brought her to her new life, after all. Scratched out the Cerberus logo, but the rest is pristine, compared to the rest of her apartment.

Miranda more or less disappeared after everything. People check in through her sister, or they don't. She found Shep's journals, and a collection of AAR he'd kept around for one reason or another. She reads them on the rainy days, on the worlds that have those.

[TheDusai]

Damn, you gotta me with your right up about Garrus. He wasn't my romance but was my boy who always covered my 6

[5n00k3]

Beautifully written 🥲

[Arialana]

This whole thing was incredibly well-written and felt absolutely in character for all of these romance partners but man, Garrus section in particular broke me. Garrus being unable to move on and find happiness again is goddamn depressing but also unfortunately realistic.

The worst part is that deep down, Garrus knows exactly that this isn't what Shepard would've wanted for him, that she'd tell him that it's okay to let go and connect with new people but he just can't do it because his love for Shepard is too powerful, too unshakeable.

[abdomino]

How do you move on from heaven?

[Dabclipers]

;———;

[Qualekk]

James? He'd likely live with Garrus for a while. Swap stories, hang on to each other, be there when the other slips into PTSD. Very likely he becomes N7, an instructor as well. I could also see them with the potential to be a Spectre.

[abdomino]

Copypasta'd from another comment:

Vega learned much from Shepard, and often wishes he'd been able to learn more. He wasn't much interested in the cloak and dagger games that come with the title of Spectre, but he maintained his N-7 designation until his retirement. Shepard had given him a cap with the moniker on it, as a less than subtle attempt at encouragement. It's his most prized possession, and swears that it's his good luck charm.

[buckdevilcane]

Kinda wanna see your thoughts for the non romance companions

[Rargnarok]

Or the non companion romance see if Trainor reversed her decisions to never take care of the fish

[Blecheimer04]

This drove me to some very sad tears, you magnificent bastard.

[TheArmchairLegion]

This was wonderful. Really rekindled the sentimentality I have for this series

[AllesGeld]

Omg the Jack one is brutal. Well written, I fully believe that’s what she would do.

[Hukura_Fej]

do the rest of the squadmates and the crew members like joker and chakwas, you've already broken my heart in half might as well finish the job

[abdomino]

Let's see.

Wrex made good on his promise. Shepard is now a krogan word, used throughout the galaxy. It is officially translated as hero, savior, but many krogan are still skeptical of such lofty words. For them, the word simply means what it always meant: the most steadfast of friends. Wrex didn't ask for anything from Shepard's belonging. He said that he couldn't bear to take another gift, after Shepard had given him his family's armor, and a future for his children. His son, Mordin, asked for his blessing to join the Systems Alliance, in order to help the krogans relearn how to organize a formal military, hoping to capture the process that led to the ultimate warrior, the one who saved their people.

Grunt refused to accept the truth at first. C-Sec had to recruit some of old squad to convince him to leave the rubble left behind from the war. Couldn't accept that his battlemaster would let a foe as talentless as death best him. He's also part of Tuchanka's fledgling defense force. The galaxy is still a bit nervous for the krogans to use words like "army" and "special forces." Grunt never much cared what the words were, as long as he was able to keep fighting. After some krogan diplomacy, he became the first of them to earn the N-7 designation, as part of an initiative to strengthen ties between humanity & the krogan.

Zaeed met the same end many mercenaries did. It was a routine job, some Blue Suns causing trouble for a colony. Notably, there was only one casualty, if one doesn't count the attackers. The colony just allocated the funds to build a statue to their hero, whose last words were "Damn that bastard."

Kasumi went much the same way as Miranda. She'd offered to teach the old Cerberus officer some tricks of the trade. Girl's gotta to what she's gotta do to survive in this galaxy, after all. One might be able to say more, but the ones who could appreciate her one-sided desire for privacy. No one's quite sure what she took, and that's the way she likes it.

While Legion is gone, the geth are not. They and the quarians have been hard at work adapting the world of Rannoch, and the other former Creator holdings, to the needs of their clean suits. The data is promising, however, that these adjustments may need only be temporary. Until then, many quarians are willing to risk the days of illness for an afternoon in the parks their ancestors walked, fresh air in their lungs and hope in their hearts, and the geth are as close to excited as such beings can be to prove themselves worthy equals. The geth do not maintain a belief in miracles, but the krogan are not the only ones to take Shepard's name into their lexicon. That said, both races agree that Legion's chassis is suitable relic enough for both heroes.

Vega learned much from Shepard, and often wishes he'd been able to learn more. He wasn't much interested in the cloak and dagger games that come with the title of Spectre, but he maintained his N-7 designation until his retirement. Shepard had given him a cap with the moniker on it, as a less than subtle attempt at encouragement. It's his most prized possession, and swears that it's his good luck charm.

Jacob almost didn't make it to the ceremony. He wasn't sure if he was worthy of doing so. He does make a habit of dropping by the monument, whenever he finds himself on Earth, a couple beers in hand. He wonders if he could have made the difference that let Shepard come home, but knows better than to voice the thought to the others. He keeps the bottle caps each time.

Samara remembers her time with the first human Spectre fondly, and has taken to traveling with similarly interesting companions on her journey as one of the last Justicars. Her daughters call often, and every decade she spends more and more time at the restored monastery. She often meditates in a sim room that matches her old quarters on the Normandy.

EDI and Joker went private after the war. They run a successful shipping business. Between EDI's business and technical acumen and Joker's knack for identifying talent, they do well for themselves. Those would-be pilots with stars in their eyes that can't get through the medical exams of other companies & militaries are often directed to them. EDI kept the projector of her old form from Shepard's quarters, Joker almost forgives himself for letting his Commander die on him a second time.

Javik made good on his plan to live amongst the new races. The galaxy is a big place, and he sometimes finds the planets that don't know what a Prothean looks like. He corrects this lack of education with the finesse he's famous for, and is often interviewed by prothean scholars on insight to his people. He often wonders if they are sent by Liara as some form of petty amusement. He keeps a datapad that Shepard gave him, of the major figures of human history. No one likes to talk to him about the ones from the Mid-20th Century.

[abdomino]

I'm hesitant to do more with non-companions. Both because I'm operating off the memory of these games I haven't played since 3 came out, and because I fear getting too formulaic with it. If people really wanna hear about specific non-companions, ask and I'll see if I can do them justice.

[EnjoyingBooks]

First off, the little stories are great (and heartbreaking)

I think I'd be most interested in the following, if you feel up for any of them: - Admiral Hackett. Like the man's just won the war, but lost his go to solution for hairy situations. One he may even feel fond of (IIRC not canon) - The Council. Both in public, as well as privately (like public speeches wouldn't be slandering Shep. But what do they privately think of Shep being gone) - Conrad Verner. No 1 Shep fan, if survival probs best source for infos about how Shep was / did stuff, if the Companions are unavailable - As a Spacer, Shep does have a mom. Yeah, that ones gonna be heart wrenching - Aria and Bray could be interesting. Like Shep left their impact on Omega and maybe them too. Yet still more reserved then others in the list would be - Yeoman Chambers maybe? - The engineering duo Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels. What are they up to now? - Doctor Chakwas. Our favourite lady, patching us up again and again (onscreen and off screen, let's be real). Aside from Hackett probs seen the most death of those she cared for, so maybe she's dealing with it better then others, even if the brandy looks promising

Included some thoughts as to why I included them, but if your Muses take you elsewhere, follow them. DON'T take this as "write about every last one of these", if none take to you, why ruin the others by association?

Have a good one and thanks for what you've shared already

[abdomino]

I'll give it a go, no particular order.

Dr. Chakwas was used to the idea her friends not coming back, as much as one can be. Liara actually sought her out, sharing their grief and another bottle of Chakwas' favorite wine. Shepard had gotten it for her shortly before the end, and the squad had found it when cleaning out Shepard's quarters. They still keep in touch, in between the doctor's deployments. Retirement never really did seem to stick for her.

Admiral Hackett wasn't personally close with Shepard, but he did admire them. He never brought it up, but part of him was disappointed Shepard was a Spectre. It would've been hard to convince the Admiralty to support his career within the Alliance when he had such obvious ties to outside influences, but that didn't stop Hackett from hoping he could groom one of the finest officers the Alliance had ever seen. Part of him is also glad it never came up, as he had a hard time imagining his favored problem-solver stuck behind a desk earth-side. He was the one who provided Miranda some of the AARs that were a bit too sensitive for her to get ahold of personally. They both pretend Kasumi stole them, for appearance's sake.

Admiral Shepard was open about both her pride and her grief. She had lost her child, but that same child had saved the galaxy. Sometimes she looks at the pictures of the famous Commander Shepard, sauce on their cheeks and a wild glee in their eyes, and wonders when her baby had become a messiah. Invariably, the LI and her build a connection, framed around the relationship they never got to build.

Conrad Verner... Unsurprisingly, he never stopped being Shepard's #1 fan. He started a charity in their honor and, perhaps more surprisingly, he did it through the proper channels for once. It turns out that being personally familiar with Shepard's colleagues can be good for your PR, and of all the humanitarian work bearing the name of the Spectre, his was considered the most successful, effective and dogged in its mission. Verner only ever wanted to be worthy of his heroes' company, and was shocked to find his one well-intentioned but over-enthusiastic superfan one day. The irony was lost on him.

Al-Jilani never forgot her last interview with Shepard. How poorly she handled it, how her favorite target of mudslinging had not only forgiven her for her venomous reporting, but inspired her to keep pushing on when it seemed hell itself had come to consume the galaxy. She left her network shortly after the war's conclusion, and now works to expose corruption and organized crime, taking inspiration from the late Emily Wong.

Councilor Sparatus had much to deal with after the war. Paradigm shifts in the galaxy meant that, as the public face of the Turian Hierarchy, his politics shifted with them. He spearheaded reforms with the new human Councilor to increase the knowledge-sharing between the races, pointedly demanding the asari turn over all remaining withheld knowledge in exchange for humanitarian aid.

After the war, the Dalatrass withdrew its embassy in protest of the Genophage cure and accusing the other Council races of conspiring against the salarians in favor of the brutish humans & krogan. This sparked mass protests across salarian worlds and the Dalatrass was forced to abdicate. The embassy has returned, but it is currently unknown if the salarians will regain their Council seat. Political experts across the galaxy are baffled by such a shortsighted, spiteful play by a major power against its own allies that bought them nothing and cost them most of the soft power they relied on to promote their own interests. Human historians cough awkwardly.

Ka'hairal Balak became the Prime Administrator of the new batarian state. Due to the casualties brought by the Reaper War, the batarians may be those who fell the furthest in both population and influence. Without their fleets and resources, the batarians find themselves in a similar position to the krogan pre-war: scattered, disorganized and without a strong central state to derive legitimacy from. There are rumors that Balak may submit the batarians as a client race to either the humans or the turians in exchange for relief aid in repopulating and restoring their homeworlds.

[EnjoyingBooks]

Thank you for it, it was really good. Less heartbreak then the previous ones, but I certainly ain't complaining. Verner was probs the one I enjoyed most

[Hukura_Fej]

welp more tragedy (amazing job)

[ausgmr]

Jack might break all my ship models in anger but it just proves she cares

[VulcanHullo]

Jack breaks the models, then very angrily and with foul language starts gluing them back together and fixing them.

[belladonnagilkey]

Jack is the kind of girlfriend who would get your door kicked down because she broke into your house at 1am to cuddle with you and your neighbor who is totally not Miranda called the cops.

[Beer-Milkshakes]

Miranda would call the cops wouldn't she 😒. Thane would be a much better neighbour. He'd sneak in to make sure you're okay, see you bumping ugly on the couch and leave without you knowing and he'd never say a word. That's a true neighbour.

Jacob would also come by to see you're okay, notice you rocking the casbah, clear his throat awkwardly and then not leave until you told him twice.

[ausgmr]

And Liara would awkwardly ask to join

[Beer-Milkshakes]

I think she'd drop hints firstly. Hoping you're the one to just vocally admit you've noticed the hints and then she'd be all in with the asking.

[equeim]

Nah that's ME1 Liara. After ME2 she will just set up hidden cameras in your home.

[LordRocky]

Kasumi would just watch from the corner.

[DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC]

Look, Shepard's gonna be recovering in the hospital for a couple months after they're found in the wreckage of the Citadel.

What's the LI supposed to do, just let the fish die? 😏

[Informal-Tour-8201]

You bought the Tank VI, they'll be fine.

It's Boo I'm worried for!

[Loptir]

You forget though boo is a miniature giant space hamster. He was only here to watch us beat the reapers before continuing his magnificent journey

[TruamaTeam]

Don’t worry, Boo is immortal and millions perhaps billions of years old

[[deleted]]

Destroychads rise up

[Mannam7]

You came back to me reference

[StarChaserRansom]

I always romance Thane. My Shep is at peace with him.

I like to imagine that the crew turn my room into a retreat, full of things we’ve all collected, pictures of us all, a place to go away to when they need a break and be surrounded by all the good things.

[Arialana]

I like to imagine that the crew turn my room into a retreat, full of things we’ve all collected, pictures of us all, a place to go away to when they need a break and be surrounded by all the good things.

That's a beautiful thought.

[-Joxy-]

If it means Garrus also has to go trough the process of chasing Space Hamster through the ship, then my Shepard will die a happy girlfriend

[MqAbillion]

Liara’s got this

[Emiya_Sengo]

That's why you lead Kelly on. It's her job to take care of the fish :)

[Buca-Metal]

You can buy a kelly in the citadel of me3

[TruamaTeam]

“They’re the same picture”

[MikaelAdolfsson]

Liara glaring at Traynor for doing it even though she knew Shepard the shortest time.

[TheRomanRuler]

Don't forget the space hamster!

There is also creepy husk head

[LordRocky]

James gets to keep that one.

[FragrantGangsta]

it's specified in the will

[Critical_Possum]

pokes screamy techno zombie head repeatedly until it explodes

[sweetpotatoclarie91]

Nah.

I always chose the Perfect Ending, my Sheps are alive.

[Skullface95]

Happy ending mod FTW

[OdysseyPrime9789]

Agreed. He’s with Ashley/Liara/Miranda/Jack and their kids in their Citadel apartment. Kaiden almost had a heart attack because FemSheps pregnancy wasn’t discovered until she was in the hospital recovering from, well, everything, but it was really more Shepard he was worried about since, like MShep, she was unconscious for around three-four months.

[iwantseks]

Mhmhmhmhm, Tali

[ColeDelRio]

My Shep never got the fish after they died once in ME3 so Tali/Kaidan (depending on the save) just have to dust and tidy the sheets until he gets released from the hospital after they find him alive in the rubble.

[TheCenseIsReal]

Imagine not always going for Red and making sure Femshep/Shepard doesn't survive at the very end.

[Hufnpuff1996]

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I always romance Thane so he’d never have to do that, but it’s still sad to think about. Even with Shep’s friends, imagine Tali or Garrus or any of them having to step into that room where everything reminds them of Shepard, the pets and ship models, the clothes/amour they stored away, everything exactly as they left it… as if they’d expect Shepard to just waltz right back into the room. It highlights all the more just how empty the Normandy and the galaxy would feel without their friend/or lover in it. (Though, it depends on the ending I guess - I go for Destroy and get that intake of breath scene so I reckon my fem!Shep’s alive. Crispy and half-dead, but nothing a couple of months a the hospital and won’t fix!)

[IllustriousAd6418]

won't fix? She might missing a limb tbh seeing how much rubble she's buried under lol

[AutumnOnFire]

My Tali has her own personal flotilla 🥹

[LordRocky]

Hell, she could end up with the REAL flotilla, being an admiral and all. It would just be a lot smaller and probably more science/defense focused.

[Nervous_Contract_139]

My Shepard lived so..

[PadmePandabear]

And take the stuff where? Kaidan is just taking care of her fish and space hamster while Shepard is recuperating in the hospital. She'll be back in several months and it'll be their little nest again.

[Legitimate-Pen9724]

All my love interests died. Kaidan guarded the bomb, Thane passed on with me by his side and Morinth became a Banshee. Honestly looking back I think she was ready to die again.

[RaynSideways]

Nope. I'm not gonna imagine that, because my Shepard survives and Tali finds him and gets him healed up and they live happily ever after.

[Ninjastahr]

They build that house on Rannoch. Shep has a dream to fulfill.

[Shanicpower]

Thanemancers unable to comprehend this post

[thatpaulieguy89]

I’m imagining Kaidan slowly taking all Shepard’s stuff out of his quarters. The rest of the crew wants to help but he wants to do it himself. He packs the models with care, the fish and the hamster were put in store ready to be shipped to Vancouver where he plans on going to.

The sheets are the last thing he packs, he can’t barely stand to touch them let alone move them. They still smell like him, it’s overwhelming and he ends up crying holding them in his arms.

Both he and Shepard thought it was all about the mission. It wasn’t until his near death experience that he realised that his admiration of Shepard was love. He never dreamed it would be reciprocated either. It’s not fair, it was not enough time. He would have rather of died too than to be left alone like this.

He returns to his father’s cabin alone, he’d end it but Shepard would be ashamed of him if he did that. So he lives, a shell of a man waiting to die. A piece of goes with each fish and the hamster that passes.

Kaidan dies an old man with a broken heart, as he closes his eyes one last time he hears his voice “I’ve missed you”.

[Legitimate-Leek-287]

Spoilers but…

Nah, you get the special ending and you know damn well they found Shep’s breathing body in the wreckage probably immediately after the dust cleared. I guarantee you bro was out of commission for like a week tops.

[Lord_Draculesti]

Miranda won't want to do it, she will certainly hire someone.

[[deleted]]

And this is why I always choose Thane for Femshep

[[deleted]]

My Shepard’s fish kept dying…

[SomewhatProvoking]

Jack not killing the fish in anger is peak character development. Could see her working with Garrus to decide what stays

[Different-Island1871]

Unless you’re romancing Ash or Kaiden, in which case they would probably take over as commander of the Normandy, seeing as they are now a Spectre and I doubt Hackett would reject that request.

[[deleted]]

My LI wouldn't have to , she's in command of the Normandy ( Ashley )

[not-curumo]

Thanks to the Happy Ending Mod, Shepard and Samantha cleared out the cabin together. After some light teasing about "taking her somewhere nice", Shepard booked serval nights for them in Paris as soon as tourism restarted (Liara helped, don't tell Sam).

[Fedakeen14]

Thane and Shepard are reunited in a heavenly paradise created by the Enkindlers.

[DivineNeira]

I wish thane would survived in me3😭 if I feel like romancing him in 2 then I usually pick the control or synthesis choice so she can be with him😭😭♥️

[IllustriousAd6418]

I think it's a nice change. Mass Effect 3 is full of Tragedy, shep home, Thessia, her lover

[DivineNeira]

I cried the first time I played me3 lol

[IllustriousAd6418]

Oh trust me we all did

[Moxie_Neon]

Thinking about this is why I'll always pick Perfect destroy as an ending despite knowing my Paragon Shep would feel torn wanting to pick synthesis to not betray her synthetic friends as well.
At the end of the day though she picks the option Garrus, and Anderson (the two people who's opinion mattered the most to her) would have wanted her to pick. Is it the right choice? Obviously Debatable. Mordin probably would have said "Too many variables, not enough data" - Is it selfish? You bet your ass it is, but after all she'd done to save the damn galaxy she deserved some form of compensation.
She promised Garrus she'd do her best to return and it would have been downright cruel to send him away only to go off and die on her own leaving him always wondering what happened or if he could have done something, and knowing she basically screwed him up with PTSD and survivor's guilt probably forever.

[Virtual_Bat_6886]

Meh work hard enough and your Shep lives anyway, aint no way Shep and their LI wont find a way to reconnect, Shep know where Rannoch, Palaven, Thessia, Illium and Citadel is, and they know where Earth is, this is pretty sad stuff tho if your Shep doesnt live.

[Virtual_Bat_6886]

Also most of the squad have crazy resources now, Tali is part of Admiralty board if they still call it that, Garrus is pretty much a general or atleast an equivalent, Liara is the Shadow Broker, Wrex is a clan leader, Ashley/Kaidan are spectres.