I tried to make the seamstress a bit like Rarity. I don't think I did well.
Mass Effect (c) Bioware
The group ended up aimlessly wandering around Thessia for an hour. They stopped at various shops and browsed. Kasumi was tempted to steal once or twice, but a nervous Tali asked her to curtail her temptation "just for this time." The master thief reluctantly complied. Jack had found solace nearby when she helped builders move debris by using biotics to blow up larger chunks of rubble.
Soon, a human approached. She was tall and wearing a simple Alliance outfit. Her hair was red, just like her daughter, though a few gray strands picked their way through here and there. Her eyes, however, were a blue rather than a green. Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard snuck up on her daughter, who was looking through a shop stall, and tapped her on the shoulder. Jane Shepard jumped and flipped around, and paused at seeing her mother. Finally, she grinned and hugged her mother. "Oh, dear, it's so good to see you again." Hannah murmured, stroking her daughter's hair. Shepard chuckled.
"Great to see you, too, Mom." They pulled apart, and the bridesmaids walked up to the two. Liara spoke first.
"Are you Rear Admiral Shepard?"
"That I am. It's a pleasure to meet you all, girls. Jane's told me so much about you. You are Liara?" They shook hands. Liara smiled.
"Yes, I am. The pleasure is mine. You've raised a fine daughter."
"Thank you so much. I'm very proud of her." She turned to Shepard. "Jane, dear, won't you introduce me to your friends?"
Shepard introduced the maids and EDI to her mother. She had been expecting her mom to be shocked by EDI's prescence, even more when Shepard revealed to her that she was an AI. Instead, Hannah Shepard just kind of shrugged it off. "I've seen enough things in this galaxy, sweetie. An AI is not going to shock me." she explained. On the way to the dress shop, Hannah chattered.
"Dear, Admiral Hackett discharged me for a few months to spend time with you. I had just asked if I could leave for the day, and he sent me off with you. Do you mind if I spend some time on the Normandy with you? I've just been bouncing around lately going wherever the Alliance needed me. Hackett felt that I should be with you while you prepare."
"I'd be happy to bring you on the ship, Mom. Sure you'll be okay with staying on the Normandy for so long?"
"I needed a change of pace and to spend time with you anyways. And really, I need to meet and spend time with your husband-to-be. I haven't gotten to do either of those, and it's time that I meet who's going to be my son-in-law." she replied stubbornly. "I lost you for two years thanks to those damned Collectors, hell if I'm gonna miss helping you get ready to get married."
"You're a lot like your mother, Shepard." Miranda mused. Jane laughed.
"You think?"
"You even look like her." Jack said. The rear admiral just laughed.
"Shepard was always like me. People called her a 'mama's girl.'"
"Mom..." Shepard muttered and blushed. Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Oh, dear, don't act like it's not true. You always did have those adorable red cheeks when you got embarrased, just like now."
"Mom!"
"I love you, too, Jane. Oh look, we're here!" They approached the same shop they had been at an hour prior. Kasumi was the first to poke her head in. She gazed around at what she saw. For a tent, it was spacious. Rooms to try on different dresses was made with bamboo dividers. Various rows of dresses hung on hangers, and some sat on mannequins. There was a table in the corner with various jewelry and bags, and a small sign was attached to the edge: 'Price is on each item. Goes towards rebuilding new shop. Ask owner for help.' And in the center of the room were two asari.
One was a matriarch with a pair of bifocals perched on her nose and a simple pink dress. A tape measure was around her neck, and her skin was a light blue with an almost purplish tone. The other was a justicar that Kasumi recognized. "Samara!" she cried cheerfully. Both looked over, the matriarch in surprise, the justicar only with a small grin of recognition.
"Hello. What are you up to here? Nothing shifty, I hope?" she asked. Kasumi giggled.
"No, not today. I'm here with some friends and a bride." She opened the tent door, and in came all the women. The matriarch gasped.
"Oh, is it time already for your appointment, Commander Shepard? I am so sorry, I got so off-track talking to a friend of mine. When you put two nearly a thousand year old friends together, you tend to recall quite a few stories. Anyways, my name is Matriarch T'Rae, but you can just call me T'Rae."
The commander approached and shook her hand. "Not a problem, T'Rae. I'm Shepard, and this is my mother, my bridesmaids, and-"
"Oh! You have an AI with you?" The matriarch approached EDI and curiously investigated her. EDI maintained a straight face.
"I am just a VI." she claimed nervously. Samara approached.
"EDI, it is fine. Matriarch T'Rae spent her maidan days advocating synthetic rights. I have told her about you before. I just did not expect you would still be alive after the Crucible fired."
"I was rebuilt and turned back on yesterday." EDI watched the matriarch, who then blushed and pulled back.
"I am so sorry for being intrusive. It's just that AIs fascinate me, and I didn't think any were left."
"I am not insulted. In fact, it was flattering," EDI replied. "However, I request that you keep my identity secret."
"Not a problem, dear. My lips are sealed. How many secrets of Samara's do you think I have to keep, hmm?" The eccentric asari remarked cheerfully. She then turned to Shepard. "Alright, now, Commander Shepard. Sorry for getting so excited. I was just so happy to hear you would be interested in my dresses for your wedding."
"T'Rae, stop being so modest. You're a galaxy-wide known designer." Liara interjected.
"Pish-posh! I'm just a matriarch with a flair for style." she said. Samara just nodded her head. Her eyes met Shepard's.
"Shepard. It is good to see you healthy. I got your invitation. I am happy to say I look forward to seeing you on your wedding day." she said. She and Shepard exchanged their pleasantries, and then turned to Hannah. "You said this is your mother?"
"Yes. Mom, this is Samara. She served with me on my attack on the Collector base."
"It's a pleasure." Hannah continued. Samara nodded again.
"It is nice to meet you. You raised a wonderful daughter."
"Thank you!"
"Are we gonna try on dresses or what?" Jack blurted. Miranda gasped and elbowed her, earning a warning glare from the biotic. Samara paid little heed to the comment, as she was about to leave anyways.
"I have work to do on the Ardat-Yakshi monastery right now. I shall see you again, ladies." The justicar left. The seamstress coughed to get their attention.
"Anyways, ladies, I feel I've got just the perfect dress for the bridesmaids. Commander, let me get you a few dresses to try on. I have an idea of what might suit you."
Eventually the maids settled on a simple, sleeveless purple dress that reached their toes with a white ribbon tied upon the waist. T'Rae gave Tali similar purple cloth to replace the current hood over her helmet with and robes that could be tied around the waist and shoulders to make it appear like a dress, although with sleeves. She also gave her a white ribbon around the waist.
They fussed over dresses for at least an hour with Shepard. "It's fine!" Shepard insisted whenever she got a dress that just did not suit her. Her mother and the bridesmaids disagreed. At one point, Tali got frustrated with Shepard picking dresses that did not look good on her.
"Keelah, Shepard, that dress is not for you! We're going to make sure you look beautiful, you bosh'tet, so shut up and take the dress off while we deal with this. You're going to shine at your wedding and you're going to like it!" Shepard was then just given dresses that the other maids found for her. Although she had saved the galaxy, the commander had little fashion sense.
The maids' choices were superior, but one that her mother found fit the bill the most. It was an a-line, full-length dress. It had only one shoulder, which had small, elaborate beadwork from it to right above the breast. They had found a simple tiara with a veil that went down her back that stopped at mid-waist. Under the dress was a pair of white heels. The matriarch gasped.
"Oh! It looks gorgeous!"
"Mother knows best." Hannah said, beaming. "You look beautiful, Jane."
"You mean we're done looking at dresses for me?" Shepard asked, excited. Liara laughed.
"Yes, Shepard, we're all done. And all it took was for us to take over the fashion choice."
Shepard changed out of it, and it was carefully packaged along with the bridesmaids' dresses. The commander then spoke up. "T'Rae, you were so understanding about EDI. Listen, can you keep another secret?"
"But of course, Commander."
"EDI is getting married to the pilot of the ship tonight. They were in a relationship during the Reaper war, and when EDI came back, she wanted to marry him right after. We're having the ceremony on the ship."
"Go on."
"And EDI doesn't even have a dress. I'd be willing to pay for a dress for her."
"Shepard, I do not require a-" EDI was cut off by the matriarch's extended gasp of horror.
"Oh, no, no, no, Dear, I am not going to allow you to get married without a dress, AI or not. Come with me. We have more work in the dressing room." She pushed her away from the door. EDI was shocked.
"But, Shepard, wedding dresses are quite expensive. You'd be willing to spend that on me?" she asked. Shepard turned to her.
"I don't mind. I have some money given to me by the Alliance for my service. Think of it as a wedding gift combined as a 'congratulations, you're back to life' gift."
"In that case, I appreciate the gesture, Shepard." EDI scanned the dresses and pulled out one immediately. It was remarkably simple, a bit shorter than Shepard's dress, and hung around the neck with no sleeves. "I found it. I did a search just now and determined this dress is right for me in terms of body shape and appearance." she said. She pulled it on a moment later, proving what she said. It was perfect. "This one, please." She gave it to the shocked shopkeeper, who hastily packaged it.
Shepard blinked and then frowned. "Why couldn't you have just done that for me?" she asked, slightly indignantly. EDI crossed her arms.
"Well, it appeared that everyone was just having a good time. I couldn't possibly stop that."
