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lipsyncforyourlife · 2 years

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Re-Meet The Queens Of Drag Race All Stars 7 (Issue #15)

The RuPaul's Drag Race Official Newsletter

In a bonus edition of the Drag Race newsletter, we size up the competition in the newly announced All-Stars 7, take a look at the cast’s track records, and share some exclusive behind-the-scene photos from the RuVeal shoot. Don’t forget to subscribe so you can stay tuned for all of the latest Drag Race updates!

Surprise! Just as Drag Race’s 14th season hits its home stretch, All Stars is gearing up for one helluva seventh season, set to debut on Paramount+ on May 20. But this is no ordinary All-Stars: It’s the long-rumored and anticipated all-winners season, with eight previously crowned queens returning to the competition to vie for the title of “Queen Of Queens.” In other words, who is the super-est of these Drag Superstars?

Yesterday, the new season was teased with an early peek at Werk Room entrances, a classy RuVeal video, and hilarious queen interviews hosted by Brittany Broski and Sarah Schauer on Twitter Spaces. With so much excitement to take in, we’re recapping it all, queen-by-queen, to preview the wild season ahead. And, in an Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Newsletter exclusive, we’re sharing never-before-seen BTS photos of each queen from that gorgeous RuVeal video, which you can find below.

Prepare to re-meet the cast of All-Stars 7, eight worthy winners ready to slay the house down boots.

Jaida Essence Hall

“Hey bitches! She’s… back?”

Look right here, baby! One of the first to enter the Werk Room in All-Stars 7 is none other than the lovely Jaida Essence Hall, who memorably snatched our hearts and the crown in Season 12 after putting on one hell of a show in her living room (it was the early days of the pandemic, after all). Looking back, Jaida had the makings of a winner all along—she won her first challenge in the split premiere—but her superstar status became undeniable with the one-two punch of the political debate and makeover challenges, racking up three Maxi wins in total. And with some sickening lip-syncs, she’s even been minted a Lip-Sync Assassin. The polished pageant queen really proved she could do it all and be effortlessly funny while doing it.

A current cast member of Drag Race Live! In Las Vegas, Ms. Hall has dazzled audiences far and wide since her win, and comes into All-Stars eager to show her “full self.” Her sparkling RuVeal and entrance looks show that the queen has somehow found a way to perfect perfection, and her energy is just infectious (I died at, “America, I’m your favorite bottom!”) As she teased in the Twitter Spaces chat, “anything can happen” this season, and I can’t wait to spend more time watching this queen on my television.

Jinkx Monsoon

“Line???”

It was easy to see Jinkx as an underdog back in Season 5, especially as she faced off against the three-headed drag Glamazon known as “Rolaskatox” (Roxxy Andrews, Alaska, and Detox), but the truth is this Monsoon was a force of nature throughout the competition. I mean, she scored high placement for nine weeks in a row—who else can say that? She claimed two wins in her original season, including one for her uproarious and unforgettable Little Edie in Snatch Game (truly an all-timer), but Jinkx even made her off weeks look like wins, like when she smashed the Lip-Sync For Your Life to “Malambo No. 1.” Years later, Jinkx stands out as one of the most uniquely talented queens to ever become America’s Next Drag Superstar.

Jinkx looks like a goddess in this new RuVeal video, admitting it’s a bit intimidating to return to TV for the first time in nearly 10 years. The thing is? Jinkx never went away, with appearances in everything from Steven Universe to Happiest Season to her own hit show with BenDeLaCreme, The Jinkx And DeLa Holiday Special. With her perfectly delivered anti-entrance line (“Line???”), Jinkx proves she hasn’t lost an iota of that magic spark that made us all fall in love with her in the first place.

Monét X Change

“You know what they say: Monét changes everything.”

Hallelujah! Monét X Change is back on Drag Race, so you know we’re going to soak it up! She ranked in sixth place on her original Season 10, leaving an indelible mark on the competition with her sponges, pussycat wigs, and fierce lip-syncs, ultimately claiming the title of Miss Congeniality. But that was just the pre-game for All Stars 4, where she stepped it up big time, earning three Maxi wins before sharing the crown with her “twinner” Trinity The Tuck (more on her in a second). Funny, fresh, and with the operatic voice of an angel, Monet really does feel like she was born for Drag Race.

One of three previous All Stars winners, Monét enters the Werk Room as one of our most seasoned competitors with a star quality elevated by successful forays into acting and music. In the Twitter Spaces chat, she said she’s just there to have a good time, but, in the RuVeal, she also mentioned she watched a lot of Survivor during the pandemic, so she may have picked up a strategy or two. That, coupled with her hours of Drag Race talk on the hit podcast Sibling Rivalry (with co-host Bob The Drag Queen) and her current stint hosting The Pit Stop means Monét’s been studying up on the competition and did not come to play!

Raja

“Did somebody call for an eye-con?”

Feast your eyes on the return of Raja, the original fashion queen of Drag Race and the crowned champion of Season 3! Believe it or not, it’s been over a decade since Raja last competed on the show—when she bested a number of future All Stars including Manila Luzon, Alexia Mateo, and Shangela to end up on top—but Miss Raja is just as sharp as ever. She scored a total of three Maxi wins her season and quickly developed a reputation as one of the most sickening stylists to ever hit the runway, raising the bar for fashion on the show with her own two (perfectly manicured) hands.

Of course, Raja has remained a crucial part of the Drag Race canon thanks to her recap web series, Fashion Photo RuView (one wonders who might fill in for her to cover All Stars 7), so you know she’ll be bringing some top toots to the runway this time around. But will she also be bringing some villainy? In the RuVeal, Jinkx points to Raja as the shadiest of this new bunch, while Raja concedes she’s probably the most “skeptical” due to her age and experience. At 47, she might be the oldest of the season, but she’s determined to push back against any ageism in the fandom and showcase why she remains such a legendary performer.

Shea Couleé

“Oh, I didn’t know I needed an introduction”

Herstory repeats itself when the stunning Shea Couleé makes the first entrance into the Werk Room, just like she did in All Stars 5. I don’t know how it’s possible that this Chicago queen keeps getting more gorgeous, but just look at the material! Shea has always had Big Winner Energy, dating back to a stellar run on Season 9, during which she scored a whopping four Maxi Challenge wins—setting a record for a single “original recipe” season. She was the odds-on favorite for the crown if it weren’t for that finale lip-sync (you know the one), so it was only a matter of time before she came back to face off with stiff competition in All Stars 5 and join the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

So what could Shea possibly have left to prove in All Stars 7? In the Twitter Spaces chat, she hilariously revealed she’ll be channeling “Kerry Washington in Save The Last Dance” this time around—I’ll admit I don’t know what she means by that, but bring it on! Shea also said she’s evolved into her final hero form, which she’s eager to show off, and is just thrilled to be part of this cast’s special sisterhood. Even though she’s the cast’s most recently crowned queen, Shea Colueé has come to play and slay all over again.

Trinity The Tuck

“Body, body, and more body. The holy trinity has arrived.”

Guess who’s back in the house? It’s Season 9 finalist and All Stars 4 “twinner” Trinity The Tuck (née Taylor), quick to remind us that, among this cast, she is the queen with the most Maxi Challenge wins at seven. Yes, it’s hard to bet against this Southern charmer, a connoisseur of shade who made it all the way to the finale of her original season alongside Shea. Then she came back with a vengeance (and a new face) on All Stars, where she conquered a wide variety of challenges and knocked her lip-syncs out of the park. It’s no wonder RuPaul couldn’t resist making space for her in the Hall Of Fame: She’s as well rounded as those cheeks!

With Monét among her competitors, one can see how All Stars 7 might present an opportunity for determine who is the ultimate All-Star between them, but Ms. The Tuck says this season is all about having a little fun (and redeeming herself for her original Season 9 promo look, she joked in Twitter Spaces). At this point, Trinity is a veteran performer who’s traveled the world and won an awful lot of national titles, but she never fails to surprise, so I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us.

The Vivienne

“Don’t you just love a long, hot, stiff competition?”

Say “‘Ello!” to the first-ever international season queen to compete on All Stars! I think it’s safe to say The Vivienne is probably the hungriest for the win among this cast because, if you’ll recall, there is no cash awarded to Drag Race UK winners. That $200,000 grand prize has got to be looking extra juicy!

Checks aside, Viv is one strong competitor who more than lives up to the title of UK’s first crowned drag queen. She’s certainly rich in RuPeter Badges, having earned wins for the premiere runway, the bottled water campaign challenge, and, of course, her impressive turn as Donald Trump in the Snatch Game, which the entrance video reminds us Michelle once claimed “may be the best Snatch Game character in the history of the show.” Coming into All Stars, Viv feels a lot riding on her dainty shoulders as the sole representative for her sisters across the pond, and it’ll be intriguing to see if she gets chummy with the American queens or keeps them at a distance. But she should definitely not be underestimated—I mean, just look at that fabulously fierce entrance look, not a hair on her horned head is out of place! Long live the queen.

Yvie Oddly

“Don’t mind me, I just evened the odds.”

Hear that? No, it’s not the villainous howl of a mad scientist who just unveiled their monstrous creation onto the world, it’s just Yvie Oddly having laugh! This one-of-a-kind Colorado queen is always a breath of fresh air, and I’m thrilled to see her bending over backwards once again for Drag Race. Her ascendancy in Season 11 was an unprecedented one: With only one shared Maxi Challenge win under her belt, Yvie proved that snatching the crown isn’t just about track records (though, let’s be honest, had there been a winner for those “Queens Everywhere” verses, it would’ve been Yvie’s). A gifted performer with a chaotic streak, Ms. Oddly made for damn good television, and her win firmly planted a freak flag in the franchise’s history.

And her legacy stands strong, especially considering her drag sister Willow Pill has made it to the finale of Season 14. Beyond that, Yvie’s accomplishments include her unveiling as All Stars’ first-ever Lip-Sync Assassin competitor, being part of the inaugural Drag Race Live! cast in Vegas, and a triumphant Denver Pride performance (her hometown), which she considers a highlight of her post-Drag Race career. Even in shimmering All-Stars attire, Yvie is unapologetically herself, joking in the Twitter Spaces conversation that she already knows what it takes to be successful, so she’s just here to start fights. Odd bless!

Burning Questions

New Formula

The All Stars series has made a habit of switching up its format with each successive season, so we can expect its seventh all-winners edition to be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Will lipsticks and cast voting continue to play a major role? Could we see a return to the team competition, a la the first All Stars? Might there be a game within a game… within a game? One thing’s for certain: With just eight queens, this is our most intimate All Stars cast to date. And, given that there will be a grand total of 12 episodes, we can hypothesize that this won’t be a straightforward season where one doll sashays every week. Again, I’m just a newsletter writer, so I promise I don’t know any more than you—but I’d love to hear your theories: What kind of All Stars are we headed for?

Am I The Drama?

The overarching vibe of the RuVeal video and Twitter Spaces interviews is that, since all of these queens have already earned their titles, they’re mostly coming to All Stars for a little fun. But that doesn’t mean it will be all smiles and laughter—this is a competition after all. Raja’s already been singled out as the shadiest, and Yvie shared how much she loves to stir the pot, so keep an eye on them for brewing drama. Plus, there’s the aforementioned shared win between Trinity and Monét, which will no doubt come up this season as the two go head-to-head once again. And what of alliances? Trinity and Shea have a sisterly bond that dates back to their time on Season 9, and I’d also love to see Jinkx and Raja sticking together, since they represent the halcyon early days of Drag Race.

Surprise, Surprise!

How will the Challenges evolve to test these queens on a whole new level? Who will stop by to guest judge? What other twists are in store? Beyond some sickening entrance looks, we ultimately know so very little about what to expect of All Stars 7, and that’s what makes it so exciting! May 20 can’t come soon enough.

Gagatrondra! The Best Announcement Tweets

The Drag Race fandom went wild on social yesterday during the announcement, so let’s run down some our favorite (and funniest) reactions on Twitter.

Bianca Del Rio

@TheBiancaDelRio

Sorry , I was busy. 💅🏽

12:50 PM - 13 Apr 2022

maru

@symonyay

me picking my winner pick for this season as queens walk the werkroom #dragrace #allstars7 https://t.co/OtUvAnpwMZ

12:16 PM - 13 Apr 2022

hay ♡

@HAY4HOSO

they really ARE sisters ! #dragrace #allstars7 https://t.co/EfhiykbYhW

12:11 PM - 13 Apr 2022

osc

@oscahss

the winners of Drag Race after getting the call for #AllStars7 https://t.co/Kxsw8LZ5iA

12:25 PM - 13 Apr 2022

Want More?

That RuVeal video and those entrance looks were pretty sickening, no? Thankfully, you can revisit both and dissect every frame in anticipation of the new season—check them out below!

Meet the Queens of All Stars 7! | RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars

#RuPaul's Drag Race #Newsletter #AS7 Promo

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sweet-teeth-mfs · 5 years

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The only thing I have been able to thing about for the past day and a half, is how good Jongin is to move his hips and Minseoks beautiful gaze 🤧 Love Shot might be the death of me 🤯

HAVE YOU SEEN

WHAT MY BIASES

LOOK LIKE

IN THIS MV?

I am, as they say, done for. 💀✨

#anon asks #answered #minho anon #Edie’s opinion #about edie #goddamn i cant wait #first mama #then this #tomorrow #im having a helluva week

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wildxtreasures · 3 years

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Cross the Sky For You

An excerpt from Chapter 1 of my ongoing Post-Destroy Shakarian fic. I am posting as often as I can and I am excited for where the story is going. Find the rest here, on AO3.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

This world was quiet. Not quite as bright as he expected.

Garrus Vakarian did not sleep well the night before. It was a normal occurrence now. He would sleep for three hours and then get up to join whoever else had trouble sleeping. Joker kept insisting it was the atmosphere of Edi, that it took after their lost AI companion. He said ‘EDI never slept, so it made sense if this atmosphere had some kind of anti-sedative quality.’

None of them ever corrected Joker when he started talking about EDI and the planet he named after her. Liara knew the composition of the atmosphere. Down to the third decimal place. Yet, she never spoke up about it to Joker.

Garrus padded through the quiet halls of the Normandy, heading for the airlock out of the ship. Nothing moved, only the brief illumination of the running lights flickered. The familiar beep of the door sounded and he stepped on to the grassy knoll that the ship crash-landed on. Shelters, tables, fires, and the like were scattered around housing crew and various tasks required to bring the Normandy back to working order. Garrus stayed within the ship, opting to stay in her cabin. While it hurt more than he cared to admit, the walls held more of her and he did not want to give that up.

At his favourite spot he spied James Vega. The broad, tattooed man held a gun across his lap, flicking the safety on and off.

“It’s a wonder that those still work,” Garrus said, settling on the edge of the cliff beside Vega. “Considering our line of work, you’d think they would’ve rusted to ‘off’.”

Vega snorted. “My babies would never rust, Vakarian. Maybe you should’ve spent less time calibrating those big guns and focused on your rifles. Then you might’ve had a higher kill count than me.”

“We’re not going to go there are we Vega? Your memory is so bad, it’s a wonder that N7 offered you that position in the first place.” Garrus clocked the incredulous look on the marine’s face. He swallowed, steeling himself for the swell of emotion that came with speaking of her. It hadn’t worn off these past couple of weeks. “We are together, you know. I got to hear some incredible secrets from her.”

Are. Garrus couldn’t let her go. Part of him was sure she was still alive. Or he could bring her back. Crazier things could happen. He already lost her once and she came back. She had a clone for fuck’s sake. Commander Serenity Shepard would come back.

But they had to get off this spirits-forsaken world first.

Vega gave him a small smile. His fingers stopped moving on his gun. They settled, laced together. “You know I just realized why Shepard was into you.”

“Is. And it’s not my rugged, handsome features? I’ve been told that scars are very attractive.”

Vega chuckled. “I’ve been told the same thing.” He traced the scar that lined his face. “And no. It’s ‘cause you’re as stubborn as her.”

“Not really the answer I was looking for, Lieutenant.”

“No offense, but you are the last person that still believes that she could be alive.” Vega grimaced, meeting Garrus’ gaze. “We all want to go back to find her body, give her a proper burial. But we know, Garrus. It’ll hurt a helluva lot less if you accept that.”

Garrus shook his head, his fingers tracing the targeting visor he hardly took off. The names carved into the metal surface were still there despite the gunfire and atmosphere of every planet they’d been on. He wasn’t going to add any more names to its metal.

“Give me this one, Vega. Shepard survived through everything that was thrown at her, despite the odds stacked against her.” He fell silent, staring out across the lush jungle below and the rock formations that jutted from the landscape.

Maybe it was good Shepard wasn’t here. It was too silent. She’d hate it.

═══════════ read it on AO3.

#mass effect #me #mass effect fanfic #mass effect fanfiction #shakarian #femshep #garrus vakarian #me fanfic #post-destroy #me3 #post-me3

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scint · 3 years

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Lola; Do I Wanna Know

Named for the song by the Arctic Monkeys.

Have you no idea that you're in deep? I dreamt about you nearly every night this week. How many secrets can you keep? 'Cause there's this tune I found that makes me think of you somehow and I play it on repeat Until I fall asleep Spilling drinks of my settee.

Do I wanna know If this feeling flows both ways? Sad to see you go; Was sort of hoping that you'd stay. Baby we both know That the nights were mainly made for saying things that you can't say tomorrow day.

A huge thank you to Jaguar550's YT videos that always help me get the details right.

Even in a space as big as the cargo bay, James Vega's larger than life persona was easy to spot. Maybe it was the same for her; he turned a little too quickly when she strolled up to his usual station at the armory. "What the hell's up with EDI?" "She's found a new home, I guess." "A super-hot, sexy home. You take her on a mission, I'm gonna be just a little bit distracted." Vega's eyes roamed down the length of her body, drinking her in. If she were prone to being self-conscious she might've blushed. "Even more distracted." Shepard held up a hand. "Nice try." Unabashed, he just shrugged those massive shoulders at her. "Sorry, Lola." There it was again. "What's with you and the nicknames?" "It's just my way of remembering people. Some people just don't match their names, you know? So I just give 'em a new one." "So, I'm a Lola, huh?" "Yeah, my best friend's sister growing up was Lola. Older sister. Hot. Tough." He chewed on the last few words like they were a delicacy. He'd clearly had a thing for her. "Right." Good to know. "I'll talk to you later." "You bet."

[...]

"Hey, Commander." The bass and neon strobes of Purgatory were always a welcome jolt to her system. James seemed to be enjoying them as well. "Nice to see you down in the dirt here with us grunts." Shepard crossed her arms in front of her, a frown touching her lips. "You think I don't like getting dirty?" "Whoa now, come on..." he hopped on the balls of his feet as if she were about to spar with him again right there at the bar. No dice, Vega. No dancing after that little quip. He must've known he'd wounded her; he followed closely with, "I didn't mean anything by it, Lola." "Uh, huh." She kept her arms where they were as she leaned in, raising her voice to the blare of the sound system. "What did you mean, then?" "See those marines over there? None of them officers-just soldiers fighting the war." He drew her gaze over to a gaggle of rowdy uniforms, cheering and cajoling each other to the mirth of their shit-talking and drinks. "Yeah?" "They've been buying me drinks all night. You know why?" He lowered his voice, keeping his next statement intimately safe from eavesdroppers. "Same reason they got all quiet and serious when you walked in." "You don't seem intimidated by me in the least. Maybe because you were my guard while I was grounded." "Nah, you were still Commander Shepard to me then. Besides, I've fought with you. Seen you in action. Now don't get me wrong. You're good. Probably one of the best." "Probably?" Was he trying to push her buttons? "And you fill out a uniform like nobody's business." His eyes raked over her again head to toe, something she was growing used to whenever they had these little chats. She idly wondered if he was just appreciating the view or if he was... curious. "Just saying. But I know you're human, just like me." "But not them?" she countered, gesturing back to the table of men and women clad in their starch blues. "Nope. Hell, I still remember the day they made you the first human Spectre. I watched it on the vids, just like all of them." That was more than two years ago, she mused. How the times have changed. Kind of. Still fighting the same fucking fight. "But to them, you're still larger than life." Shepard let her arms fall to her sides, relinquishing, her earlier pinpricks of anger flickering out. "Maybe I should expect it. There aren't a helluva lot of people who've done what I have." "And now they get to meet you in the flesh. You should buy 'em a round, really impress them." Okay. I can get behind that. "I like the way you think, Lieutenant." They turned in unison to the group of soliders as he called over to them, a hand cupped to his face to amplify the noise. "Compadres! Hey... the commander would like you to have a drink. On her." A wave of surprised grins were his reward. "So here's to us!" "Who's like us?" One of them called back, saluting the duo. "Damn few!" She finished the old adage with a salute of her own. "And they're all dead." That warmed them up. They made their way over and one by one, each proudly shook her hand by way of thanks. "It's an honor meeting you, Commander," one man said. "Thanks, but we're all in this together. Every one of us has a part to play." "True enough." One of the others nodded, happily accepting the drink being passed her way. She held up the glass to the purveyor. "Cheers." "Cheers," Shepard said, returning her nod. "Not bad, Lola," James mumbled in her ear after the group has dispersed. "I was hoping you'd know that one." "Thanks for the warning," she scolded. "Thanks for the drink." He turned back to the bar to claim his glass and Shepard took her spot besides him. She wasn't quite done with their little conversation. "So, tell me. Is that how you felt about me back when we met on Earth?" "Truthfully? I think I've had a crush on you ever since the stories my uncle used to tell me. 'Shepard, the hero of Elysium.' He had a friend that made it out of there thanks to you." "Oh?" Oh. "Yeah. You were just a hero to me then, someone to look up to. Hell, I wore a Normandy badge during my stint on Fehl Prime, even went toe-to-toe with a couple of meatheads who gave me shit for being a 'Shepard Lover.'" She raised her eyebrows at that, but he pretended not to notice. "But then I met you and spent days, weeks with you. When we left Earth together, we were saddled with a responsibility that outweighs anything either of us has ever been through before. Now you're much more... tangible. I still look up to you of course, but you're my CO. My friend." "Is that all?" "Is that...?" He stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye, looking away quickly when she caught him. Shepard let herself laugh, clapping him on one of his mighty shoulder blades. She felt better, good enough to leave him with his interest piqued. "Later, Lieutenant." Rounding the stairs that led down to the exit on the lower levels, she was sure he'd been staring after her. From the corner of her eye, she saw him shake his head before turning to face the bar again, signaling for another round.

[...]

Orange lit up the dash on the private terminal in her quarters as she pushed the command code to page Vega's omnitool. "James, I've got some time if you want to talk privately." Shepard had received news from Traynor that he'd asked for her earlier in the day. "On my way," was his static reply. Five minutes later, the doors of her cabin released to let his muscled frame through. "Hey man-how's it going?" She'd be lying if the prospect of being alone with him didn't spike her heart rate just a little. "Good, James. You?" "Good, good," he replied absentmindedly, taking in the expanse of the room. He'd never been in the loft of the ship. "Wow, so this is what I can look forward to when I get my own command." She had to admit, the accommodations were a lot more impressive than the SR1's. "Cerberus didn't stick to Alliance regs when designing the new Normandy. Since Anderson was supposed to use it as his mobile command center, I guess they'd decided to keep things as is. At least in this part of the ship." "Wait, so Cerberus gave you a fish tank?" James exclaimed, incredulous. "I did have to buy the fish," she smirked. He shook his head, eyes dropping to his feet. "Guess I won't get so lucky." "You want your own ship, Vega?" "Yeah, maybe one day, when I'm old and I can't fight worth shit anymore." Alright, tough guy. "You just come up here to make fun of your commander?" He tossed a smirk at her as he descended the steps to the main level of her room. "Sorry, Lola. I guess maybe I've got some things on my mind. I wanted to get your opinion on something." "Shoot." "What'd you do when they asked you to join the N7 program?" His voice was low, contemplative. Almost like he was sharing a secret. "I mean, was it a no-brainer for you, or did you have to think about it before accepting?" Hm. "The N7 program is a big deal, but it's also a big commitment.""I hear that," he nodded."You get the best training, best equipment, best assignments..." "And they expect the best in return." "Yes, they do." It was her turn to nod. "Why you asking?" "Well..." Vega started to pace, anxiety etched into his surly look on his handsome face. "Even all the shit that's going on, somebody somewhere managed to track me down and forward me an N7 commendation." His expression blackened a little. "It's dated the same day the Reapers attacked Earth." "You don't sound too thrilled," she noted. "Well, aside from the fact there won't even be an N7 program if we don't win this war, I just... Being a soldier's the only thing I've ever been really good at. And not 'cause I try." He forced a shrug, shifting his weight, uncomfortably facing his next thought. "Hell, I'd've kicked my ass out years ago. Last time I had a command, I almost lost everyone. And they promoted me for it. I guess I'm just not sure if I'm ready to lead again. I don't know if I want that responsibility." Shepard's reply was soft. She'd been in his shoes too many times not to know how heavy that weight was to walk around with, let alone to share. "You mentioned that before. What went wrong?" Vega scoffed. "What didn't go wrong?" He raised a large hand to his temple, easing the stressed vein that had started to protrude. "We were out on patrol, checking on some strange readings. Then the Collectors hit. But they hit the colony first. By the time we got back, most of the colonists had been subdued or abducted, including our CO, Captain Toni." "So you were in charge." "Yeah. We laid low for a bit, waiting for a chance to strike. But before we could, we were betrayed. One of the colonists turned out to be a Cerberus spy working with the Collectors. I had no choice. I killed him and destroyed the Collector ship. It got ugly. We lost most of the colonists and all but one of my squad. Not exactly a textbook opertation." "You can't blame yourself for being put in a tough situation. And if you were promoted, something must've gone right." "Sure, but..." She cut him off. "If you'd saved them all, would things have worked out better?" "I... I don't know. I don't think so." Shepard nodded solemnly. "The right choice is usually not the easy one." "Yeah... Did you know that before you joined the N7?" "Yeah. That's why I was asked. And that's why they asked you. There is not a single N7 that hasn't sacrificed, either themselves or their soldiers, at some point." "So you think I should accept?" It was her turn to shrug. "Assuming we survive this, that's a no-brainer. You're a damn good soldier, Vega. Don't waste that opportunity." "I'll think about it. Seriously." Gratitude warmed the last word as it passed his lips. "If you don't mind, maybe don't mention this to anyone else." "Of course not." "I mean, the commendation. I don't care who knows I've been in your bedroom." And there he was, wit and charm on full display. "You realize the whole ship knows where you are right now, right?" "Damn. Can't you tell EDI to lay off?" Shepard shook her head, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Well, I think I better get back to the hangar. Things here are just a little too soft for me." "The bed's a lot harder than it looks." "Are you flirting with me, Lola?" She crossed her arms again, defiant. "Always." "Uh..." He held up his hands in surrender when she squinted at him. "Alright, alright. Thanks again, Shepard. You know, I knew for sure I was in over my head when I decided to stick around on the Normandy. You said I could go when we docked at the Citadel, but I wanted to stay. I wanted to help. But..." "...but what?" "It's complicated. Have you ever felt like you're exactly where you were meant to be? Like life had this planned out all along and now you're actually living it?" "You mean fate?" What the fuck? "Yeah. Fate, destiny, whatever. I never really put much stock into it; I think that we're the ones who get to choose how to live our lives. But now, after talking to you... I feel like I made the right choices to bring me here, now. And I feel like this is where I should be. That's kind of a tough pill to swallow, considering everything I've just told you." "James?" "Yeah?" Shepard stepped towards him, closing the space between them and taking one of his large hands in both of hers. "I'm glad you're here." James looked down, his one hand dwarfing hers. He paused before slowly gripping it, squeezing lightly. "Thanks. Me too, Lola." He let hers drop after a moment, turning to head for the door. "Buenas noches, y dulces sueños," he called over his shoulder. "Duermas bien," she shot back. Vega froze as he crossed the threshold, spinning to face her with his jaw adjar. "Wait, what did you say? Since when-" "Goodnight, Vega," she hollered, tapping her omnitool to manually shut the door behind him. Going back to her desk, she pulled up the first of many mission reports she had to file before her night was over. A ping sounded to her left and she pulled up the incoming message. [TXT]NOW you're in for it.[/] She looked up and saw the reflection of her smile in the glass partition seperating her workspace from her sleeping quarters as she got to work.

[...]

Shepard was making her rounds, running errands while they were docked at the Citadel. She was at the overflowing civilian docks, all different species from all walks of life crammed together as they sought refuge from the homes they were cast out from. The Reapers were advancing and taking world after world, colony after colony. There were few safe places left in the galaxy, the Citadel barely ranking among them after the coup attempt by Cerberus' forces. The place still had visible scars from the attack wherever she went, but Shepard knew it was nothing compared to a fullscale Reaper invasion. If - when this place was hit, it'd be unrecognizable. "Merde! Ah, cuidado pendejo!" Stopping in her tracks, Shepard turned to glance down the makeshift alleyway formed from several stacks of shipping containers. Sure as shit, there he was: James Vega, shirtless in all his glory, flinching as a batarian worked at the skin of his back. "James?" "Commander. What brings you down here?" "I was about to ask you that..." "Well, after our little chat... ah. I made up my mind. I'm gonna join the N7 Program." "And you're celebrating by getting a tattoo." How very Vega. "Heh... sort of. See... there's no official channels to go through right now. So, I guess this is my way of making it official. Technically, I'm just an N7 recruit, but, you know, I figure with you as my training officer, how could I fail? Right?" Shepard shook her head, dubious. "I'm flattered, but I wouldn't exactly say I'm training you." "Not officially, but what the hell is in this goddamn war. I'm just saying... whether you like it or not, you're my direct superior, and you're N7. So I take my lead from you," he added proudly. She allowed a smile. "And you know... I'll take whatever advice you've got." "Really?" "Sure," he acquiesced. "The good advice." "Don't take this lightly, Vega," she warned. "I'm not. And I won't." There was a promise in his eyes that conveyed what words couldn't - an unspoken understanding among soldiers that have been through unspeakable shit. "I know it seems like I don't take things seriously, but when I commit to something... I fully commit." "Clearly." "Hey," he chidded. "I won't let you down." "Don't just tell me. Show me," she added sternly. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. There was a heat in his words that she quite liked. "You know that's going to sting for a few days. You gonna be ready for duty?" "Always. Hey, maybe we should get matching?" "You want me to get an N7 tattoo?" "N7... sure." James grinned menacingly. "Or you could get my name done... somewhere special." "You are such a tease, Vega." She clenched at her jutting hip as she spoke, and noticed that his gaze landed there rather than her eyes as he spoke again. "Who me?" Fuck it, why not. "You ever gonna make good on all this flirting?" Warm, brown eyes widened as the shock registered on his face, darting back to stare into hers. "I... uh..." "That's what I thought," Shepard chuckled after watching him struggle for words. Turning on her heel, she made for her next destination. "See ya back on the Normandy." "Later..."

[...]

The taxi pulled away as Shepard turned towards the casino entrance. It was lined with the most well-dressed armed guards she'd ever seen. That is, of course, besides her own.

"Looking fine, Commander." Vega whispered it in her ears, below the guard's radar.

"You clean up nicely, James," she replied appreciatively.

"It was a high collar or put on some girl's makeup. I like collars."

Shepard lifted a hand to where she knew the blackwork that traced the curvature of his neck was, hidden by the fancy suit he had donned. "Nice disguise. Wish you hadn't had to cover it."

"You could still kick it up, though. You know, accessorize a little," Brooks chimmed in.

"Oh, yeah?" he smirked. Shameless flirt. "Like how?"

She nodded at Shepard who got the hint a beat before James did, winding her arm through his and began making her way down the strip.

"That'll work," James mused.

Once inside, they got to mingle with the guests, have a drink at the bar as they waited for Brooks to run surveillance, even managed to get a dance in. Shepard was relieved that James was as awkward at the last prospect as she was, but seemed to enjoy himself nonetheless.

"Be careful, Shepard," he muttered under his breath as he pulled her close, his breath hot on her neck. "This is starting to feel like a real date, not an infiltration mission."

"You wound me," she mocked, making a show of looking dejected. "Why can't it be both?"

The laugh she was rewarded with was real and sounded so damn good. All too soon, Brooks was in their ears, giving them instructions on where to meet up and how to deactivate the cameras that blocked them from getting to their target, the benefactor of this soiree. James turned his face to hers, inches away, still held in his arms as they swayed. He gave her a reassuring squeeze before releasing her. "Hold that thought, Lola."

[...]

Getting back to the apartment in Tiberus Towers, James spoke up. "Thanks, boss. Hell of a party. Too bad our host was murdered."

"It wasn't a total loss. Brooks, work with EDI to see if there's anything useful on those drives."

"Here's hoping! I'll let you know what we find, Commander."

Shepard made to follow her but stopped short when she felt hands on her sides. "Careful there, Commander. A girl takes a guy out for a hot date, he starts getting ideas... all of them within Alliance regulations," he finished loudly as he broke away from her. "Come on, let's find some chow."

"Are you trying to kill me?" she fumed as she followed after him.

"Quite the contrary," he said thoughtfully, making his way to the fridge. "I want you to feel alive. If anyone deserves to, it's you."

"And when were you planning on making good on that?" she persisted.

Vega glanced to either side before dropping his voice down to barely above a whisper. "Later, when we have some down time... you'll see. I promise." With a wink, he went back to ransacking her food. He handed her a few containers as she shook her head with an easy smile. They were becoming more and more plentiful the more time she spent with him she realized.

[...]

"Hey, Lola."

Shepard had been filing some necessary paperwork - destruction of government property, fine waivers, all authorized by her Alliance and Spectre clearances - when she heard him come in. "Hey, James. Up here," she called to him from the second floor balcony.

"You know, this place is going to take a beating if you go through with that party you were talking about. Kinda making me nervous, all the fancy artwork and all," he said as he passed one of the ornate statues that served as decoration.

"You wouldn't trash my new apartment, would you James?" Shepard scolded.

"Me? No, never," he admonished, feigning innocence as he took in the waterfall fixture on the stairwell. Making his way to the railing where she faced over the main level, he let out a low whistle. "Nice view. But this place? It's just so... not what I'm used to."

She turned to give him her full attention. "Which is?"

"I grew up on the beach on the Pacific." James gripped the railing in front of him, twisting his fists around it idly. "So you know: water, sand... real air."

"You miss it?"

She shook his head but muttered, "Yeah. And the people..." It sounded like a confession.

Oh. "So, uh, what's her name?"

"Ha! No! No, I... There was this girl. An asari, Treeya. I met her on Fehl Prime. She... she was one of the only ones who made it out alive. For a long time I wondered if my feelings for her got in the way of me doing what was right. I stopped fraternizing after that, swore I wouldn't let it happen again. It left a bad taste."

"I'm surprised." Genuinely, given all the almost-fraternizing they'd been doing recently. "Hasn't stopped you from being a shameless flirt."

"Yeah. Well, that's just my way. Besides." He side-stepped up to her, locking eyes before giving life to his next thought. "I've... heard some things."

Uh-oh. "Like what?"

"About Liara. And the Major." He glanced away for the briefest of seconds. "That things got a little heated back on the old Normandy."

"There's not much to tell," she shrugged. "Nothing happened. We talked it through. Liara saved me from the Collectors, gave my body to Cerberus to bring me back. Kaidan..." A sadness clouded her expression that she didn't feel the need to mask. Not with James. "He was a hard sell after Cerberus brought me back. But we're good now, and he even agreed to serve on the Normandy again."

"Exactly."

She squinted at him. "What?"

"You turned them down. Haven't been with anyone since." She saw him struggling with what to say or maybe how to say it and reached for him reflexively. He moved away from her reach, on guard all of a sudden. What was going on with him?

"Thanks for reminding me. And?"

"Why me?"

"What?" she stammered.

"What makes me different? When I go to make my move, won't you tell me no, too?"

Shepard stood rooted to the spot, mouth open in a small circle.

James reached for her arms, grabbing a handful of bicep in each one. "What makes me different?" he all but begged.

Slowly, Shepard raised a hand to touch his beautiful, strong jawline. Tracing her thumb over an old scar that indented the corner of his mouth, she found the words. "You just are."

They stood like that a short while, neither of them wanting to break eye contact first. He stared at her in what she took to be disbelief, while Shepard waited patiently to see what he would do next.

She wasn't disappointed. Pulling her close, he enveloped her in his chiseled arms and kissed her deeply yet so very sweet. His mouth tasted like hot sauce and mouthwash and she drank him in, gasping when their lips finally parted, bemused by his boldness and surprised at her easy response.

"Lola," he whispered against her still-puckered lips.

Her tongue darted out to wet them as she withdrew slightly, covering his with her fingertips. "Wait," she began.

"Shh," he hushed, smiling as he did. "It's alright, Lola."

"No, listen." Shepard cleared the lump in her throat as she tried to explain. "It's not no. Just--not right now. We need to be at our best right now, and that means--yes, I want this." She gritted her teeth as she realized she was stuttering and steeled herself, trying again. "I want this. And I want to give it a fair shot. Neither of us can do that while the war's still on. So, if you're okay with waiting until we hit paydirt... If you want... And, well, if you're not... I-"

"Shepard, don't you dare say you understand. Don't." His arms had gone stiff around her as she delivered the bad news, his expression surprisingly neutral. Drawing in a deep breath, she caught another whiff of spicy and mint as he blew it out, sighing into her shoulder.

Her arms encircled what they could of his own shoulders and she held onto him, pulling him closer until her face came to rest on his neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered against his skin.

"No, I... That's fair, Lola. Sorry. Just a real kick in the cajones."

"I know. But hear me out." She pulled back to look him in the eyes. "You once told me that you don't do this sort of thing lightly. Neither do I. 'When I commit to something... I fully commit.'" That did it; recognition sparked in those big brown eyes that gave her palpitations. "I don't plan on half-assing our time together. So once we kick the Reapers straight back to hell, you better have reservations at the nicest restaurant still standing. If that's what you want, too," she backpedaled, giving him an out. She didn't blame him if he did, but...

A smile spread across the his entire face, touching his eyes and melting her resolve. Please say yes.

"You got it, Lola. Just no more sushi," he chuckled into her hair, sending shivers up her spine. "But wait--does this mean I can't kiss you?"

"Fuck no," she groaned, pulling him into another kiss, the tempo steamier than the last.

[...]

Neither of them banked on not being around to keep those reservations.

#MERweek2021 Day 3: Missed opportunities.

#MERweek2021 #*#mass effect #james #james vega #vega #shega #commander shepard #long post

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bagog · 5 years

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Kaidan Appreciation Week, 2019 - Free Day

This one is pretty long, so I’ll probably post it to AO3 i you’d rather wait to read it there. Also posting it late. Oh well, may Kaidan Week live on in your hearts every day of the year, @spectrekaidanalenko

Kaidan had taken a cab back to his and Shepard’s apartment on the Silver Sun Strip, the top button on his tailored suit undone. As he took the elevator up to their level, he sighed, leaned back against the wall of the lift. It was late, and even so, the day had sped past, and Kaidan almost felt bad about that. Almost. He was ready for his retirement, no matter how much the young man in his head cried out that there was still more he should be doing. Kaidan smiled, remembering himself as a young soldier. Back when duty was the only thing in his head besides the migraines. There was still that young man inside him, somewhere—Shepard sometimes talked about it, even, when Kaidan got upset and lost his composure, when he played with his grandkids, sometimes when they made love—but nowadays, Kaidan accepted it as a part of him. It was like listening to a long-standing councilor, reminding him why he had done the things he’d done, made the choices he’d made, to remind him of the passions that drove him. Kaidan let that little voice pass through his head, urging him back to work. Back into the fray. Other things had become important to him. He looked down at his wedding ring, so tightly fixed to his finger he doubted he could even pull it off.

There had been a ceremony for his retirement, a small affair, despite the fact that Kaidan’s retiring was big news. He had become somewhat accustomed to hearing about himself around the Citadel on extranet audio feeds, but it was the first time where the news sounded resoundingly positive. Kaidan sighed, he wouldn’t be in the news anymore. What a relief. He honestly hadn’t allowed himself to look forward to his retirement, not the specifics, anyway. He probably wouldn’t feel the pull to go back to work right away tomorrow morning, but within a week he was almost positive he’d be bored. Shepard had retired years earlier, and had made it work somehow. Shepard was even more likely to be drawn back into things than Kaidan was, and somehow he had become an exemplar retiree. Of course, he’d had their kids to raise as a stay-at-home dad. And he had his models, and his writing.

“I need a hobby. Or I need to see if Alice will bring the kids around, more often,” he muttered to himself, stepping off the elevator. Walking to his apartment door, he waved his omni-tool over the sensor, but nothing happened, the holo-disk on the door remaining a fixed red. He waved his omni-tool again, still nothing. He thought for a moment about hacking the door—it would feel good to sink into some tech fiddling, again—but instead he rang the door chime. There was a long pause, then Shepard’s face was filling the reception screen.

“Oh Kaidan, you’re back. I thought you’d be at the retirement party for a little while longer.”

“I excused myself early,” Kaidan waved his hand as if to brush away Shepard’s question. “Hey, why isn’t my omni-tool opening the door lock?”

“I, uh, changed the locks.” The crinkles around Shepard’s eyes deepened as he tried to grin to ease the tension.

“Um. Why?”

“You’ll see. Here, I’ll open the door just give me a second.” The reception screen went dead. Kaidan could swear he heard fumbling from the other side of the door, but it was probably just his imagination. He hadn’t thought much about it when Shepard excused himself from the official retirement party, but now he was suspicious. A moment later, the holo-disk on the door flashed green and Kaidan walked in.

“Surprise!”

Shepard stood in front of the door, arms outstretched. Behind him stood his old friends. Garrus and Tali raising a glass to him, Liara not looking a day over 130, Joker sitting on the couch craning over the back to raise his glass as well, EDI standing by his side. A large holographic display above the mantle said “HAPPY RETIREMENT”.

“What’s this?” The laughter bubbled out of him, and Shepard stepped forward to give him a gentle kiss on the lips.

“It’s your real retirement party,” Shepard smiled mischievously. “I knew those suits on the Council wouldn’t know how to send you off in style.”

“What are you all doing here?” Kaidan stepped farther into the room, surveying the cluster of friends with incredulity.

“Just happened to be in the area,” Garrus said. It was odd to see him without his tactical visor, even if he hadn’t been wearing it in years. He was so much older than Kaidan remembered, but then again, Kaidan wasn’t one to talk.

“I call bullshit.” Kaidan chuckled. Tali rested a hand on Garrus’ shoulder.

“What are a few thousand light years between old friends?”

“And Liara,” Kaidan turned as Liara handed him a flute of champagne. “You haven’t come to the Citadel in years.”

“I decided it was worth breaking my self-imposed exile to come help you celebrate.”

“Joker, it’s good to see you!” Kaidan clinked his glass against Joker’s.

“Yeah, well, Earth was getting boring and I still owe Shepard a favor or two,” he smirked.

“Jeff has been looking forward to attending this party for some time,” EDI assured with her own soft smile. The nuance in her expressions had evolved over time, and the dermal fabrication she was now outfitted with did a lot to help her overall relatability. “As have I. Many happy returns, Kaidan.”

“I tried to wrangle up as many people as I could, but I knew you’d want to keep it small.” Shepard stepped behind him and rested a hand on the small of his back.

“It’s perfect.” Kaidan sipped at the champagne. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you all here.”

“Here, you give me this,” Shepard plucked the glass from his hand. “And you go upstairs and change into something comfortable.” He fussed with Kaidan’s unbuttoned collar for a moment, running his hand down the stiff material of the suit. “Then we can cut the cake.”

“You got a cake?”

“You losing your hearing on me, Alenko?” Shepard raised a mischievous eyebrow. “Now, go get changed!”

Kaidan stepped up the stairs as the small party settled themselves on couches around the fireplace. In his and Shepard’s room, he stripped out of his suit and walked into the closet. He surveyed the clothes inside—day-off clothes. Now they were going to be his every day apparel. He considered taking a quick shower, but decided he didn’t want to keep his guests waiting and put on a pair of jeans and a button down flannel.

There was lively conversation happening downstairs by the time Kaidan stepped up to the balcony. It made him smile to see everyone talking and laughing. It had been years since they’d all been in the same room. Kaidan had seen each of them over the years as they came to visit Shepard while on the Citadel, but to have his crewmates all under one roof was a special treat. By this point in their lives, they’d spent more time separated from one another than together, but after what they had all shared, there were few people in the galaxy they were closer to than each other, even after all this time.

“Kaidan!” Tali exclaimed when he came back down the stairs and joined Shepard on the couch, retrieving his champagne flute. “You look good! Shepard, how come you didn’t age as gracefully as your husband, hm?”

“Very funny. I know what a lucky man I am.” He put his hand on Kaidan’s knee and gave his husband a wide smile.

“Not fair to be criticizing other people getting older when you get to wear a mask every day.” Joker was pouring himself another glass of champagne, setting the empty bottle back on the table to join the three empty bottles there already.

“Get to wear a mask?” Tali said. “Same as you get to wear that exoskeleton, I suppose?”

“Oh please,” Joker patted the metal exoframe on his legs. “I could take this off any time I wanted.”

“Kaidan doesn’t need you breaking a bone at his party, old man,” Garrus said, dryly. “And I don’t think EDI wants to carry your ass to a hospital if you do.”

“You’re just smug because your face was already so messed up, no one could tell you were getting older,” Joker said.

“Turians don’t get wrinkles.”

“Neither do asari,” Liara offered, giving Joker a little smile over the lip of her glass.

“You pipe down, young lady,” Joker said. “We’re all going to be dead before anyone gets to call you old.”

“Now that’s a depressing thought.” Tali crossed one leg over the other.

“Good thing I have plenty of good memories to keep me company,” Liara had a twinkle in her eye. “Not to mention records of all your personal files.

“I don’t envy you the things you must have seen,” Kaidan laughed.

“Laugh it up,” Joker shook his head. “I’ll still be sitting pretty when the rest of you are dust.” He turned to Liara, “Except you.” He turned back to EDI, “And you.”

“Keelah can we talk about something else?”

“You started it,” Shepard teased, stretching one arm and resting it behind Kaidan’s shoulders.

“I just gave a simple compliment to the man of honor on the occasion of his retirement.” Tali orated a little too loudly, sounding like she’d been indulging in the champagne while Kaidan was upstairs. She jerked a thumb at Joker, “Then chuckles over here decided to make things personal. And talking about death.”

“’Chuckles?’” Joker scoffed. “When did this become a gang-up-on-Joker party?”

“You make it too easy,” EDI said.

“After all the times I saved all of your asses,” Joker shook his head.

“Still, Joker’s right,” Garrus sat up a little straighter, probably exercising a crick in his back. “This is supposed to be Kaidan’s night.” He turned to Kaidan, “Let me just say, Kaidan, that the first time I met you, I thought you were a helluva soldier, if a little uptight—“

“You were the one with a stick up your ass,” Joker murmured into his champagne flute.

“—I remember our first mission together, hunting down Fist—“

“I wasn’t there for that,” Kaidan raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it was you and Wrex,” Shepard said.

“Look, are you going to let me tell my story, here, or what?” Shepard and Kaidan both chuckled and nodded for Garrus to continue. “So alright, I don’t remember our first mission together. But I do remember the first conversation we ever had on the Normandy. We talked about you joining the Alliance.”

“That’s right,” Kaidan could hardly believe he could remember. “I was telling you about the day I joined the Alliance.”

Garrus nodded.

“When I found out you were a biotic, and later when I found out you had an L2 implant, I couldn’t believe the Alliance was willing to take a chance on you.”

“They weren’t going to, at first.”

“Well, I’m glad they took a chance on you. Best decision the Alliance ever made, if you ask me. Glad I gave you a chance, too. Here’s to you.”

“I do remember my first mission with Kaidan,” Tali spoke up as soon as Garrus had raised his glass. “We were on that god-awful planet fiddling with that downed probe.”

“This I don’t remember,” Kaidan shrugged.

“There were downed probes all over the place, and Shepard brought us as his tech experts. I remember you tried decrypting the information using a double-diffusion decompression matrix!”

“No way would I have done that, even back then!”

“You did! I remember because I thought it was silly.”

“That would be silly, jeez, what was I thinking?” He turned to Shepard, “Do you remember this?”

“Another planet, another downed probe. They all bleed together,” Shepard shrugged.

“Well anyway, I thought you were an idiot, but somehow you managed to catch your mistake and decrypt most of the data. I couldn’t believe it!”

“That would’ve back when I had that overclocked Cission pro.”

“Alright nerds, get to the point,” Joker huffed.

“Anyway, on the ride back to our pick-up, I asked you about what you would’ve done if you hadn’t joined the Alliance.” She tilted her head expectantly.

“I wanted to be a painter,” Kaidan laughed, enjoying the memories and the heady rush of the champagne.

“That’s what you told me,” Tali said. “You were one of the first humans I ever got to know. You’ve always been such a hard worker, such a good friend, such a good judge of character, I just expected all humans to be like that. Didn’t take me long to realize you were special. And I’m glad you’ll get to settle down, now.”

“Thank you, Tali,” Kaidan smiled warmly.

“I remember when you first promoted to Staff Commander,” Liara spoke up. “You came to visit me on Ilium. As I recall, it was the first time I found out you had feelings for Shepard.”

“This was while Shepard was dead that first time?” Garrus asked, Shepard leaned in as well. Liara nodded.

“You were feeling emotional about outranking Shepard. It took everything I had not to tell you that I’d recovered his body and given it to Cerberus.”

“Yeah, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to get your hopes up. I had acted impulsively, giving Shepard over to Cerberus like that. To be honest, I probably felt a little guilty, too.”

“Well, I for one, am glad you did what you did.” Shepard squeezed Kaidan’s shoulder.

“Me too,” Kaidan said.

“Hearing the way you talked about Shepard made me realize how much you loved him. Made me even more determined to hold Cerberus to account.”

“I think you might’ve known more about me than I knew about myself, that day. I don’t know how much I knew about my feelings toward Shepard, then.”

“I had such a hard time talking to you once we met back on Mars. But you never brought it up.” She looked up from staring at her hands, “You’ve been a great friend to me, Kaidan.”

“So have you, Liara.”

“So how about you Shepard?” Joker asked, sipping from his champagne. “You’re bound to have lots of great memories about Kaidan.”

“I was just thinking about our first date,” Shepard grinned.

“At Apollo’s?” Kaidan asked.

“Well, yeah. But also our first real date.” Kaidan raised an eyebrow, shook his head. “You know,” Shepard winked. “The Presidium hotel?”

Kaidan’s eyes got wide at the sudden recollection.

“God, Shepard!”

“Oh boy, this I don’t need to hear,” Tali laughed.

“What?” Shepard surveyed his guests with a look of mock indignation. “You’ve all got good memories of Kaidan, mine are just better.” He shrugged.

“It sounds very romantic,” EDI offered.

“Among other things,” Joker said. “What’s with all the memories, anyway? This is a retirement party, not a wake.”

“You were the one talking about death before!” Shepard retorted.

“I remember the first time I was introduced to your son,” EDI continued, undeterred. “I had never considered the idea of ‘family’ before. My crew were my family, as far as I was concerned. You told me that you and Shepard had been at a children’s charity and decided to become fathers. I found it strange, at first, that you would want to raise a child in a world that had been ravaged by the Reapers. You told me, Kaidan, that the future was coming one way or another, and we could either work to make it the brightest future we could, or else we could let it pass us by.” She smiled, “Thank you for teaching me that family are the people who make the future bright.”

“Thank you, EDI,” Kaidan said, voice thick with emotion.

“Come on,” Joker rallied. “Your turn, Kaidan. Speech!”

“Speech!” Garrus repeated.

Shepard nudged Kaidan in his ribs and Kaidan sighed.

“Well, I thought now that I was retired, I could finally be done with public speaking, but I guess one last speech won’t hurt.” He stood up, held his glass close to his chest. “There have been a lot of moments in my life that have really come to define who I am as a person, and I’ve been lucky to have people there for me every step of the way. I’ve had a pretty great life, had a lot more chances than I deserve…” he looked down, momentarily at a loss for words. He remembered a time long ago, when Shepard was under house arrest, where he wanted to finally confess his feelings, admit he was wrong, or even just fill Shepard in on his promotion to Major. He hadn’t done it, then, hadn’t spoken up. He decided to speak now. “I’ve raised some wonderful kids, I’m so proud of my grandkids. I married a great man. I’d like to think I did good work. I couldn’t have done any of it without the support of the people in my life. EDI, what I told you about family is still true, more than just my friends or my shipmates, you’ve all made my future a brighter place. You’re all my family.” He raised his glass. “It’s been a wild ride. Can’t imagine sharing it with anyone else.”

“Hear, hear!” Shepard said, standing and pressing a kiss to Kaidan’s cheek.

The old shipmates all stood, bringing their glasses together in the center of the gathering, clinking loudly. They talked long into the night, reminiscing on old times and filling one another in on new milestones. Tomorrow, Kaidan would start a new chapter in his life, and he was proud to be turning the page with these people.

#fanfic #mass effect #kaidan alenko #mshenko #kaidanweek2019 #fluff

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unholyforged · 5 years

Text

⤻ * IIIIIIIIIIT’S EDIE !!!! : back at it again & here to introduce you to my lil #irishaccentaf , #vsmol , #butvstrong , HENRIETTA FIGG !!!!!!!

unlike my intros for siri sadboi black & frankleface longbooty , this intro post will ( hopefully ) not be , like , 1000000000000 words long b/c ,,,,,,,,,, like ,,,,,,,,,, i’m trying to turn over a new leaf ?? and am tryna live a life where i don’t spend 30 days and 30 nights pouring out my heart and soul into my muses backstories whilst crying into a pack of tim tams ?? :’) ajisodjeiowoew . so ANYWAY , without further ado , here’s the loml , henri ♡♡♡

** TRIGGERS : death , religious extremism , physical and emotional abuse .

—— MOBILE VIEW FOR EASIER READING !

⤻ * APPLICATION —— !

* ╰ ( KANG MINA )┋have you met ( HENRIETTA FIGG ) ? ( she ) reminds me of ( holy water and incense ; a girl nailed to a burning crucifix . sorrow burdened , unholy forged —— magic mistaken for sin . could you speak through embraces rather than speaking with words ? it’s easier for her to understand the language of touch . there are brutal fists and the bloom of black bruises , she dreams of liberation ; she can find it if she chooses . so defying god , she closes her eyes , and with broken bones she refuses to cry —— she is divinity unto her own sacred self ; a girl reborn , all evil repelled . she dwells in that hazy in-between world which sits some place between where she’s escaped from , and who she’s yet to become —— an angel that fell , her tears are undone , she’s not holy , she’s no one ). a ( nineteen ) year old ( ninth ) year ( slytherin ), the ( unholy ) is known to be ( + adroit & + compassionate ), yet ( — feckless & — impervious ). that explains why they’re majoring in ( wizarding law ). rumour has it, ( henri ) is siding with ( the order ) in the solemn war that blazes just beyond the horizon. ( admin edie, 22, aedt, she/her )

⤻ * THE BAD BEGINNING —— !!

YEAH , SO , HENRI !!!!!!!!

was born with the name delilah healy .

v religious parents

v religious upbringing

HAD a lot of faith in GOD before THINGS happened

“ what things though , edie ???? ” you may ask

VERY GOOD QUESTION. A++++ , my loves

my cupcakes , i shall tell you :~)

delilah grew up in the irish countryside . devout catholics , delilah’s parents had moved to ireland from korea when they were newlyweds , having heard of the large catholic population there . upon arrival , they changed their korean surname of ‘ hwang ’ to the irish surname of ‘ healy ’ ; the name change helping them feel more a part of the irish catholic church community .

when delilah was a little bub , her parents just thought that she was the most perfect thing in the world ! with silken black hair & bright brown eyes eyes , delilah seemed like god’s gift to the healy’s , tbh .

delilah ( let’s just call her delilah until we get to why she changed her name to henrietta !!!!! ) was practically christined AS SOON AS her umbilical cord was cut tbh . all like *pops out into the world* *has umbilical cord cut* *CHRISTENED* !!!!

“ what a holy child !!!!!! an angel !!!!!!!! ” —— everyone would say this to the healy’s , and the healy’s were like HECK YA our angel faced cute patootie is the gr8est !

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and then , one day , STRANGE THINGS started happening .

only three years of age , flowers would BLOOM beneath delilah’s feet during moments of happiness , while during moments of distress , melancholy & anger , the ground stirred and shifted where she stood , as if it were about to SWALLOW HER WHOLE.

“ WOAH , DEVIL CHILD , OUR CHILD HAS THE DEVIL IN HER !!! ” —— the healy’s . smh .

a man who belonged deeply & FIRSTLY to god, his OWN SELF SECOND, and his WIFE AND CHILD THIRD , these mystical ( MAGICAL —— but normal WIZARDING WORLD ) happenings were painted by delilah’s father as evidence of his daughter’s DEMONIC POSSESSION . with misguided love & brutal hands , delilah’s father fully intended to cleanse delilah of the devil’s influence .

^ mr. healy began to beat delilah every time somethingmagical strange would happen

for a small while ???? this actually seemed ???? to solve everything ????? :(

a religious girl herself , delilah believed that the magic , the BEATINGS , and MISERY that had consumed her life were all part of some GRAND TEST . all she needed to do , SHE KNEW , was PROVE HER FAITH IN GOD & SHOW that she was worthy , strong and true , and her hardships would be over . GOD would reward delilah for her love and devotion with kindness and fortune, and everything would be fine in the end .

with this belief in mind , delilah ENDURED ALL OF HER FATHER’S BRUTALITIES for years —— she BELIEVED that she deserved the tattooed bruises of deep purple and blue that covered every inch her soft skin , and she spent day after day crying in the darkest corners of her room —— scarcely even daring to believe that she was even deserving of being touched by the rays of sunlight that crept in through her cracked bedroom window . SHE WAS WRONG , SHE WAS IMPURE , SHE WAS UNHOLY .

until one day around the age of 8 delilah turned around and was like “ NOT TODAY SATAN ” @ mr. healy :o & after a particularly harrowing beating , delilah decided to fight back .

DELILAH WASN’T IN CONTROL as the furniture began to hover above ground , kitchen knives and chairs and cupboards levitating in an unnatural manner that foretold the DISASTER about to unfurl . as delilah let a wail rip through the air ( girl broken , girl afraid ) , a cupboard SLAMMED mr . healy to the wall —— CRUSHING & SWIFT . after a moment of pure terror ; the world grew SILENT once more . wood splintering , knives clattering to the floor , dust settling , and delilah held her father’s lifeless body in her arms until strange people called aurors showed up , obliviating her mother , and escorting delilah out from the premises .

six months after the incident, the wizengamot try delilah’s hearing . ultimately, the verdict was that delilah had killed her father ( unintentionally , through a burst of uncontrolled , pre-adolescent magic ) in self-defence —— an event that was built up over a lifetime of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of a cruel muggle mother and father . rather than being locked up , delilah was sent to a rehabilitative ward at st. mungo’s to receive physical treatments from healers , as well as emotional counselling .

it is at st. mungo’s that delilah meets a healer by the name of fenella figg —— and , after establishing a relationship of trust and friendship , fenella and her husband ( ernest ) decide to adopt delilah into their family .

⤻ * SHE DEFIES GOD —— !!

the figg household is the exact opposite of the healy household ; filled with strange but affectionate creatures called kneazles , filled with magic and pumpkin pasties , and filled with love for the sake of people , not for the sake of god . best of all , the figg household isn’t lonely —— for more than finding the love of two new parents , delilah also finds the love of a sister , five years older than her : arabella figg .

in the busy figg household , crowded with commotion , kneazles , and love , delilah finds the strength to defy god , and believe in herself instead . as a promise to herself ( a promise of never faltering again , and never fearing again ) , the girl changes her name to HENRIETTA ( derived from heimiric —— meaning home & power ) —— leaving delilah in her past with her fears & scars .

⤻ * LIL TIDBITS —— !!

cool cool cool , TOIT !!!

so henri is a pretty sweet chick

she’s very capable

exceedingly kind

but pretty sharp most of the time

she will hex u real good if you’re mean

* mushu vc * she’ll hex u , she’ll hex ur cow , she’ll hex ur whole family

dw tho , she will hex her own housemates when they’re being asses too ( and NOT TO STEREOTYPE OR ANYTHING , but being in slytherin , there are ,,, a LOT ,,, of assholes in her house )

equal opportunity amirite ??

henri loves : quidditch ( is slytherin team’s keeper ) , duelling , kneazles , cats, owls, rats, dogs , dragons , octopi , pandas , unicorns , elephants , tigers , chickens , ANIMALS !!!!!!!!!!! , people are okay too ...... !!!!!!!!!! , firewhiskey , bonfires , fireplaces , the colour red ( shoulda been a gryffindor , sorting hat wyd ??? ) , muggle films , kidding around with arabella , hanging out with arabella , arabella (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ , watching the sunset , watching the sunrise , hexing nasty ppl , healing kind ppl , knitting , speaking her mind , starting fights , winning fights , watching the stars at night , her family & those that she holds dear .

henri abhors : clichés, norms, being painted as a damsel in distress , the patriarchy, blood supremacy / and its gross supremacists , people telling her what to do , organised religion , dark magic , tuesdays , arithmancy , losing , being wrong , being woken up , lukewarm baths , peeves , bullies , food that’s gone cold , when it’s cold but not cold enough to snow , when her owl doesn’t come back to the owlery by nightfall , hard beds , disco , condescension , malice & the ones she cares about being hurt .

henri eats a lot . food is her friend . yorkshire puddings are yummo & they are her fave [ assorted devouring sounds ] . she’s also one helluva cook :~))))))))))))

henri has no chill when it comes to her values i.e. fighting against blood supremacists , fighting for gender equality , fighting for equal rights for centaurs ..... EQUALITY THINGS IN GENERAL !!!!!!!! -— henri has a teeny tiny short fuse when issues of equality are concerned & she is always ready to smite any sonuvabeech who crosses her on these issues . she’s also pretty aggro on the quidditch field yo’ . that’s the unholy 4 u .

my babe can drink more firewhiskey than the whole student body at hogwarts combined , but she never gets drunk . she has the alcohol tolerance of a large blue whale tbH ???? she’s the #mumfriend at parties because she’s the only one sober enough to be .

henri honestly really kind when she lets herself be ????? she finds happiness in watching the stars , in flying , in climbing trees and caring for others —— she finds knitting , and cleaning cathartic , and wants nothing more than to lie down in bed for the rest of her life , surrounded by fluffy duvets and warmth :~))))) however , amidst trying to escape from the clutches of her past , make headway as slytherin keeper in a sport that’s still predominantly played and spectated by men , and trying to come to terms with the fact that there’s a very real war on the horizon , henri hasn’t been left with much room for softness . she is , though —— ... she has the softest of hearts , which is exactly why she needs to make sure her exterior is impenetrable .

OKAY I LIED THIS GOT P LONG BUT PLS COME LOVE MY BABE HENRIETTA !!!!!! :~)

#solemnly:intros #mY BABY !!#is finally here !!! :')

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