Hi guys! I actually had to do work at work today, hence no Crimson posts until now (but no bad Paint jobs either). Loads of really interesting speculation going on today, I see! Forgive me for any threadmancy!
1.) Re: end boss Reaper baby: I ended up taking him down with my mad pistol shooting skillz.

That fight was nowhere near taking down any of the Praetorians.
2.) Fangirl squee! to RedNanaki for the X-Files reference!<3
3.) Can't be said enough: OMG Kaidan shower pic!
4.) Welcome, Shotgun-Shepard and ravene!
5.) I repeat, Henry Cavill for Kaidan! Especially now that we know Kaidan has curly hair. Rrowr.
6.) Re: Jho's screen cap of Kaidan's hair: I am so surprised! It never looked curly to me in game, though I liked the idea. Colour me surprised! Aww, he looks rather like Casavir of NWN2 fame in that pic (rather similar characters, too, in a way). Also:
MICHELLE7 wrote...
Hey, Jho when you get your PC
back...do you think you might be able to try your hand at photoshopping
Kaidan with messed up wavy/curly hair just so we might get an idea of
what he looks like...like you said in the morning...clothing is
optional.
THIS! I want Kaidan with sexy wet Mr Darcy Colin Firth hair. He's already got the right sideburns!
7.) Fort, love the squeezing!

8.) About Kaidan's message and the "night before Ilos" message...I really don't know what that meant. In my world, the Normandy crew got wrapped up in victory celebrations for the first few days after the victory at the Citadel, but eventually Shep and Kaidan were able to spend a little more time together. Possibly some initial angsting (because I sure do love angst sometimes) about "oh, no, we actually survived! did he/she really mean what they said, or was it just a last minute thing?!", but they were able to come to some sort of relationship resolution, even though bureaucratic stuff/dealing with the Normandy's repairs were very time consuming. I can see them as having spent some time together, just the two of them, at a little apartment somewhere, and then having to go back to the Normandy into professional mode afterwards (maybe enjoying a few stolen kisses, but not having very much time to themselves at all).
I understand that BW probably wanted to keep the options open to interpretation (YMMV and all that) , but it just seems really strange to have this beautiful relationship coming to a high point, and then after the victory, putting it all
completely on hold. Especially since Shep and Kaidan are both very much aware that the Reaper threat is not nearly defeated yet. Carpe diem, and all that.
So, new question: 8.) do you think that Kaidan would have spent the night with Shep when he did if it hadn't been for the uncertainity regarding the outcome of the Ilos mission? I've thought about this, but haven't really come up with a 100% satisfactory response. I feel inclined to say "no" and that he might have made a confession of serious interest instead, if it hadn't been for the whole "we could be dead in a few hours" thing...But again, I'm somewhat conflicted on the matter.