Mickey and Pavan, Blaise Shepard's dads. I actually came up with them before I designed Blaise! I wanted a good solid backstory for my new Shepard. More info about these two cuties under the cut!
Blaises’ parents
In their first years, Blaise was raised by single dad Michael 'Mickey' Shepard, an English born space faring pansexual muscly man who left earth as soon as he could. They hopped across systems on various ships, Mickey working in security and logistics. Moving around all the time wasn't necessarily ideal with a littl’un but he made it work as best he could and made sure Blaise was never wanting for love and affection. Blaise certainly learnt to be a tough lil cookie very quickly, and was also exposed to a lot of different cultures/species etc. Mickey is a great big teddy bear of a man who likes coloured ringbinders, flowcharts and big fucking shotguns (OSHA approved). A fierce protector that loves to snuggle, protec, and tick checklists. Blaise's egg donor Genevieve was a troubled lady; she'd escaped extremely repressive religious parents and was having a reckless period in her life- lots of drink, drugs and partying, hopping from ship to ship doing odd jobs. She had a fling with Mickey, ran off one night without so much as a goodbye, then turns up 8 months later like 'yeah I was in denial but um babies coming. help!' (at some point during the pregnancy, she was also exposed to eezo, hence Blaises biotics). She was not prepared to be a mum but knew Mickey was kind hearted and couldn't bring herself to not at least let him know before she gave Blaise up for adoption. Mickey asked if he could raise Blaise, Genevieve agreed on condition she could sign away parental rights and he wouldn't contact her, which he honoured. Genevieve spiralled for years, BUT finally cleaned up and started training properly in transport/supply logistics. She settled down- on Mindoir. Blaise knew connecting with her was never going to be an option, but mourned for the loss of a person who had shown strength and growth, when they later learned of Genevieves fate.When Blaise was 6 Mickey landed a job working for a comm company, where they could stay on the one same ship that flew around the Terminus and outer systems fixing comm bouys and networks on various stations, sattelites and planets. Still dangerous given the amount of pirates and such in that region, but for the first time they could really settle in and make a home on board. This is where Blaise developed a taste for alien found family- the crewmates are all different species and were all their aunties and uncles.
A few months later the crew welcomes Pavan, software and tech specialist in comm networks, follower of Urvine, god of paths and journeys, and extremely gorgeous drell. Pavan is an adorable nerd who’s frill flutter and expand when he gets talking about systems analysis. He left Kahje as a teenager as soon as he got his qualifications, not content with the limits of the planet, and mourning the loss of his older sister who died during compact duties. In his spare time, Pavan offers tech support to a non profit that helps drell who decide to move off Kahje and form their own colonies. He isn’t strictly anti hanar, but feels the compact and the relationship has reached a point that is stifling drell independence and growth.
Mickey and Pavan, both being nerdy guys that are sticklers for details and a passion for exploration and adventure (as long as it complies with health and safety standards!) quickly fall head over heals for each other. Pavan finds himself besotted with the adorable little Shepard family, and when he and Mickey get married Pavan adopts Blaise according to the rights of Arashu. Blaise also takes on the old gods as their religion and immerses themselves in drell family traditions. Pavan feels Urvine guided him to a path to find this family and lead him to Mickey. He love Blaise completely as though they were their own child, no question. They are a sickeningly adorable family.
