Massive unmarked spoilers for the Dresden books Changes and Ghost Story ahead!
Ghost Story
by Nuts! (FF.Net version under the alternate identity of Norwest) is a The Dresden Files/Mass Effect crossover fanfic.
Harry Dresden is dead. So is John Shepard. There is no rest for the weary, however, for Upstairs is sending them to the other's universe to set things right.
The author's usage of first person for Harry and third person for Shepard is an entirely deliberate stylistic choice.
Ghost Story provides examples of:
- Blood Knight: Shepard's preferred response to "emotions" is find some big, mean "motherhubber" to unload on.
- Combat Pragmatist: Shepard advocates destroying anything he or any of the other protagonists can't use.
- Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Shepard tries to blend in by pretending to use his omnitool, forgetting that the people of Harry's time don't have omnitools.
- Reflexive Response: He also punches a cop on bare instinct for making an admitted vaguely perceived attack on him. Two seconds later, Shepard kicks himself.
- Demonic Possession: Done to Shepard in chapter 14 by Corpsetaker.
- Didn't Think This Through: Shepard wants to burn Little Chicago to deny enemies its use, but has to be reminded that things that happen to it affect the real world. Fortunately, Murphy has a solution.
- Dying Moment of Awesome:
- Carlos facing a Geth army and Sovereign and actually doing some damage.
- Rudolph distracting the Denarians.
- Evil-Detecting Dog: Murphy tries to convince Molly that Shepard's alright by reminding her that Mouse hasn't had his usual reaction to Outsiders around Shep.
- Expy: Harry's picked up a Bob-equivalent in Fido and a "replacement" for Murphy in Ash.
- His omnitool officially doubles as his staff thanks to his channeling Soulfire through it.
- Fish out of Temporal Water
- Foil: Harry and John.
- Headbutting Heroes: Shepard, Tilly and Molly.
- He Knows Too Much: Why Carlos has to die.
- Heroic BSoD: Shepard is introduced at the tail-end of his and Harry has a short one upon realizing that he really is dead.
- Hilarity Ensues: With appropriate music at that in chapter 7.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Shepard and Forthhill in the chapel in chapter 4.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Shepard becomes a bit more talkative after a few shots.
- I See Dead People: Shepard, which is bad for him because he's afraid of ghosts. Fitz hears dead people.
- If I Wanted You Dead...: Harry interprets Hackett's space-to-surface shot at the Luna AI's base as this sort of warning to him and likens it to Kincaid.
- Instant A.I.: Just Add Water!: Harry more or less creates Fido by use of Soulfire and a blue box.
- Kill It with Fire: Rule of thumb: if it'll burn, BURN IT.
- Knight in Sour Armor: Uriel shows up. Harry cusses him out. And eventually slugs him. He then cowboys up for whatever the angel has in store. Shepard as well, though he seems to have a touch of Death Seeker.
- Magic Knight: Shepard is a Vanguard, with the combination of mundane and biotic prowess that implies.
- Master Actor: Hackett puts on a show that is Oscar-worthy in chapter 7.
- Mercy Kill: Shepard killing Rudolph, since he would have bled out anyway. Tilly is not pleased.
- Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Shepard creeps out just about everyone around him, except Fitz, who also creeps out just about everyone around him.
- Oh, Crap!: Mab speaking to Shepard. She causes Molly to run away in fear and the only reason Murphy and Shepard don't shoot is the innate knowledge it wouldn't do any good.
- The boys get this when they realize they're going back, just not where they came from.
- Our Angels Are Different: They choose to look like police officers. Or old black men.
- Outside-Genre Foe: Shepard in the Dresdenverse with his biotic powers is a different game from the native magic. Harry in ME, not so much given that human wizards are still a power.
- Pragmatic Adaptation: Bring Down the Sky was moved to before the events of the first game so that Harry could get time to settle in before Eden Prime.
- Red Shirt:
- The N6 operative that was killed after Harry arrived.
- Mauve Shirt: Sam, the East Asian Texan with pyromaniac tendencies. He also dies.
- Running Gag: Harry and buildings, Shepard and doors, and many things being set on fire.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Shepard. Harry pegs him for PTSD.
- He lampshades this in chapter 12.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Harry, Ashley and Fido.
- Sociopathic Hero: Shepard, usually by accident.
- Spirit Advisor: Shiro's ghost.
- Stab the Scorpion: Shepard body-slams Tilly out of the way of a beastie.
- Story-Breaker Power: With all the tech in ME, Harry's Walking Techbane status would make him broken. The author's fix is making Eezo prevent that.
- Stuff Blowing Up: If there's one thing Harry and Shepard have a mutual fondness for, it's explosions.
- Terse Talker: Shepard is quiet.
- Trigger-Happy: Shepard was killed during a fire fight and is, per his military training, appropriately jumpy.
- Underestimating Badassery: Shepard almost questions Murphy's skills before remembering that it's that sort of thinking that ends with people getting killed, usually by whatever they underestimated.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Murphy has to remind Shepard over and over that things are different in the 20th century.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Shepard and his unitmates only knew two biotic moves - Barrier and Charge. They made ample use of them.
- When He Smiles: Shepard in chapter 13 while watching cartoons with the kids.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Ghosts are one of the few things that Shepard's specifically afraid of. Murphy and others gently mock him for it.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Michael gives such a speech to Tilly.
- You Can't Go Home Again: If Harry returns to Earth, Mab will know instantly and reclaim him. She is mightily pissed off when she finds Shepard instead of Harry.
