#drunk shep is my favorite shep

[average-mako-enjoyer]

So, I've seen some interesting posts about Spacer Shepard and Colonist Shepard and the struggles they had to face, so I just want to ramble about my favorite Earthborn, why I think it's such a powerful background and what makes it especially heartbreaking.

It's easy to guess why both the Colonist and the Spacer chose to become soldiers. For the Spacer it was the most obvious choice available (and we see a lot of these "dynasties" in the game: Ashley, Kaidan, Tali, Jacob…), for the Colonist it was revenge, but what about the street kid, the Earthborn? What kind of hell was the Earthborn living in that the only way out was to join the fucking military? Were they even 18 when they enlisted? Shepard calls the place they grew up a "war zone," so you can draw your own conclusions.

We kind of get the inside scoop on Shepard's gang days thanks to Finch, and this whole quest really got me thinking: what kind of stuff was the teenage Shepard involved in that Finch (and I don't think he's a stupid guy) really thought he could blackmail the first human Spectre?

Also, how did gang life affect Shepard? Military training must have been hell for them, because it's based on trusting your squadmates, your commanding officer, the whole chain of command, and gang life is pretty much the opposite: trust someone and you're likely to get fucked.

And what about the whole "Take Earth back" thing? There was a very interesting thought in the post about the Colonist, asking why Shepard should care about Earth at all when their own home was destroyed and their parents were killed? And it got me thinking about the Earthborn: why should they care? They saw the absolute worst that this planet can be: they were an orphan in a war zone, forced into the gang just to survive. Someone like Kaidan is fighting for his family, for his orchard and the view over English Bay, and what is Shepard fighting for? For the slums where they grew up?

What I love about this background is how well it fits the Paragade route and how well it explains some of the moments in the game.

Shepard charming the Citadel shopkeepers into giving them a discount? Street kid moment.

Shepard getting really excited about finding the credit chit between the couch cushions? Street kid moment.

Shepard fleecing their own engineers in the sci-fi poker game (after telling said engineers not to be so hard on the rookie)? Street kid moment.

Shepard getting all sarcastic around C-Sec officers? Shepard scolding mercs? Street kid moments.

Shepard checking wall safes and pockets of people they just killed? Still a street kid moment.

And you know exactly why Shep is so good at hacking and lockpicking, and why it takes some devilish concoction to finally get them drunk.

It's also the reason Shepard can't dance, hums or scoffs rather than laughs, and smirks rather than smiles.

I honestly have so many headcanons about the Earthborn that I could ramble on all day. Also, following this topic, there's a point to be made about how Bioware handles the issue of sexism in their own games, but that's definitely for another time. Bye.

[kittlesandbugs]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @sidestepping & @askweisswolf, ty for thinking of me!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 62, but if you unstack the one shot compilations... 138ish? if I can math right.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 119,010, and the bulk is FHR lol

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently Baldur's Gate 3 and Fallen Hero, previously TWC, Dragon Age, Mass Effect/Andromeda, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Gonna cheat a little and do one per fandom because this is heavily slated towards Mass Effect Andromeda just from age lol

Sleep it off - Mass Effect, Shepard/Aria T'Loak, Shep gets drunk at Purgatory and Aria babysits her

Little steps to the side - FHR, Chargestep/Argentstep/Chargentstep, currently 55? little one-shot fics, usually prompts, sometimes tiny ideas I get in my own head

Space snippets - Mass Effect Andromeda, Jaal/Ryder, a few prompt one-shots that picked up big steam when it finally went Explicit lol.

Bottles of Thedas - Dragon Age Inquisition, Solavellan, 20 short one-shots inspired by the collection of booze you can pick up off the ground throughout the game (minus the Warden mixes)

Business and Pleasure - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2, Exile/Luxa, a re-write/better ending for Luxa gift fic for an exchange

5. Do you respond to comments? I am absolutely terrible at responding to comments because I see them in my inbox and I'm like oh yeah I'll reply to that later when I have time and then.... six months go by... the shame happens... I love every comment I get and I am so sorry alkdsfjoajsdfl

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ehhhhhhhhhh most of my fics are in-between things, not really stand-alones on their own. Probably the one I milked the hardest for the ending of it specifically is Words not spoken (FHR, Chargestep, Ortega visits Riley's apartment post-Heartbreak)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Again.... in-between things... the Mass Effect Andromeda and TWC fics are largely feel good fluff, so most of them?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not that I'm aware of, lol

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Typically fluffy and/or hurt/comfort character exploration, although sometimes I feel a need to go for a whump

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I haven't written a crossover since I was 13. I'm 37 now. I don't remember. It was pre-AO3 time for sure. XD

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I'm aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but I've written fanfics to fanfics by @ellstersmash and @sidestepping because they're both so talented and I Felt The Compulsion

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Whatever I'm currently writing for, in this case... any combo of Chargentstep aaaaaaaaaaand Durgetash lol

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Me, staring at my endless folder of WIPs, some of which having not been touched in five years

16. What are your writing strengths? Character explorations, snappy dialogue, short and sweet and punchy

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Writing long-haul, we're here for a good time, not a long time

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Love it when other people do it! Very rarely do it myself!

19. First fandom you wrote for? Megaman X back in.................. 2000-ish? Very bad self-insert script fic lol

20. Favorite fic you've written? I think Time doesn't heal (FHR, Chargestep, all the Rangers and Riley experiencing the 3rd Heartbreak anniversary) is one of my biggest brain moments for writing fic, but Bottles of Thedas (mentioned above) has a special place in my heart for being the first and perhaps only large project I've finished.

Gonna taaaaaaaaaaaag... @astarien, @the-rebel-archivist, @gingerbreton, @rab-bitly, @catastrofriend

[ltcolonelcarter]

I don’t think I’ve nerded out with you about the ME franchise: which one is your favorite/or a fave side quest? ✨💖

!!!! kisses your face

i love them all so much honestly it's hard to choooooose so let's cheat and go with favouite aspects✨

I looooove the feel of the squad in two. it's fun. it's a little like assembling a pirate crew. everyone is so different and strange and cool poly ship normandy

everything about 3 breaks me a little in all of my favourite ways. saying goodbye to the crew, to shepard's LI. the MUSIC IN THE WHOLE GAME. the return of characters like the rachni queen too, bittersweet though they are. side note the whole attack on the citadel section i LOVE. the casual and blatant reminder that they aren't safe, even there, was so sharp. SIGH

i'm emotionally attached to mordin. he's my emotional support mad scientist. his mission on surkesh makes me want to chew through metal (I'm not usually too fazed about playing through 'bad' options in games, but I cannot play renegade shepard for that mordin mission. I had to watch it second hand and i'm still not over it)

tali's loyalty mission in me2 is one of my faaaaaavourites but ESPECIALLY if you recruit legion + take him with you. the quarians are Not happy and its funny but also interesting. side note I love legion SO much. sweet adorable robot

finding garrus as archangel in me2 is one of my top ten moments I YELLED SO LOUD. i love his romance but he's also just my ride or die bro

citadel is in my top threeeeeee bc it's silly and self-aware and everything I love about the whole franchise. watching grunt drunk in the shower adds weeks to my life EVERY time.

the entire heist mission with kasumi 10/10 I need shep to go on INFINITE silly heist missions

lair of the shadow broker is SO fun but my favourite way to play it is to 1) romance liara in me1 and 2) romance someone else in me2 bc liara is SO bitchy if you're betrayed her a little. it's incredibly entertaining. the sexual tension between her and shepard in between pancaking the mercs on illium...amazing

taking a break from positivity to mention that i HATE the hammerhead. that hunk of space junk can get thrown on a giant bonfire thank YOU. 0/10. i'm team mako. (team nomad too but i'll leave andromeda for now✨)

bring down the sky was so much fun too. crazy infiltration mission turned moral quandry? sign me UP.

side note one of my favourite little reveals was that conrad verner, superfan and all-out strange dude, has a fucking PhD in super high level physics. this guy use his ENTIRE brain studying dark matter and then decided "that's enough. let's follow a cool spectre around the galaxy". i respect that.

[ripleywrites]

I just finished the Citadel DLC for the first time, and I have to say it was well worth the hype. Loved every single minute! Vega/ Williams my new favorite couple, Tali and Grunt my favorite drunks, Samara meditating by my ... house tree?

I've somehow missed most spoilers even though I wasn't actively avoiding them, and the whole thing was very fun and refreshing.

Haha ... Javik on the bathroom floor ...

I'm going to be randomly laughing all week any time I think of something from this dlc.

Also I didn't see clone-Shep's body therefore she's not dead.

[murios-archive]

SHE  TOSSES  BACK  A  DRINK  of unknown origin,   wincing slightly at the  sting  when it hits the back of her throat.  shepard’s been here enough times to build a rapport with the staff,  and they know what she likes   ---   strong enough to hit her hard tonight,  not debilitating enough to prevent her from  working  tomorrow   ---   so she’s not concerned about the impact it might have in the immediate future.  one hand rises to get the attention of a turian bartender,  and she turns with a listless shrug for the pathfinder beside her.

          ❛  listen,  kid  ---  ❜      a cringe takes over her features the moment  kid  escapes her lips,  but she does nothing to apologize for the label.  no one  likes  being called kid,  or child,  or anything that speaks to a lack of experience in  life.  but it feels appropriate  enough,  all things considered.      ❛  ---  it’s  not  all  it’s  cracked  up  to  be,  you  know,  the  fame  thing.  ❜      not to mention,  she isn’t  universally  adored.  there are plenty out there that still see her as a  target.

a hand waves between them,   as if to brush away the concern over  rudeness.  maybe her reputation hadn’t  truly  preceded her in  this  case,  or ryder wouldn’t even bother with such an apology.      ❛  you’re  fine,  it’s  just  one  of  those  things,  you  know  ?  ❜      replacement drinks arrive,  and she slides one over to her companion with a crooked smile.      ❛  sounds  great  in  theory,  not  so  exciting  in  practice.  ❜    not that she’d  ever  sought out fame.   she’d just been a soldier,  following in her parents’ footsteps,  who stumbled into something that had to be  handled  ------and that,  at the time,  she’d been the only one interested in  handling.      ❛  but   ---  ‘s  not  as  bad  as  you’d  think,  ❜     here it is,  hitting her in that delicious way that’ll make the lights go fuzzy,  the colors soften,  and the sounds muffle before long.   she  holds up her glass.     ❛  ------free  drinks  almost  anywhere  i  go.  ❜    //   @rosevois   »  〈  !!  〉

[queen-scribbles]

For the "send me a character," Tali'Zorah from Mass Effect!

Yeeeee my best tech nerd friend <3

My favorite line ”When do we get to stop reacting to our parents and start living for ourselves?” or [Shep: It’s not worth getting angry about.] “My brain agrees with you. My gut says i should jack his suit’s olfactory filters so that everything smells like refuse.” My favorite moment Making ship noises during the Citadel party, hands down My favorite strength Her adaptability. Or her tech nerdery. Or her playfulness. All are great. My favorite weakness That she's unsure sometimes. She has doubts, she wavers, she's not unflappable. My favorite personal headcanon Whether romanced or friend, she does some special tweaks to trick out Shepard's omnitool, more so for a tech-inclined Shep, since you'll rely on it more. (I'm also quite fond of the one Jade put in my Holiday Harbinger present, that she'll act more drunk than she is to get people to open up/let their guard down. :3)

[mostlymaudlin]

self-recs 💫

prompt was: post your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. thank you @urban-sith @nightimedreamersworld @you-remind-me-of-the-babe for tagging me! i feel like im late so idk who has done this already but i tag @starwarned @seducing-a-vampire @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @prettylightsbigcity @sillyunicorn

i'm only gonna do snowbaz, and also these are just in order of how recent they are bc i dont know how to rank them lol

1. Something's Gotta Give Now (T), 7k

this is my most recent snowbaz fic and i really really liked writing it. it's an au, and i don't really want to give too much away because part of what i like about this fic is the way the backstory unravels. but the gist is: baz plays a sexy, angsty vampire on a popular tv show, and simon is very bitter and very funny about it.

i did this after not writing snowbaz for a while, so i feel like i was able to return to the characters with fresh eyes and some broken bad habits. the third person is nice too -- i definitely write more cleanly in third. it's definitely not crack (which was my original intention lmfao, it's technically my crackfest entry), but im not really mad about it. i gave up on my ability to not to take it seriously about 500 words in. also, there's a second chapter that it just unhinged shit lmfao.

2. The Places We Build (T), 4k

this fic plays with the idea of: what if simon and baz decided in their first year at watford that they didn't want to hate each other? what if everything was the same, except nothing was the same, because they were friends? i like it because i feel like it has a strong heartbeat. i love to see how much of a world i can create in the least amount of words, and there's a looooot of history packed into these 4k words. very tender. very cuddly :)

3. love means slowly using losing your mind (E), 8k

this one was so fun to write. another au -- baz is a wedding planner, simon is penny/sheps best man (yes, both of them). it's loosely based on THAT scene from the movie 27 Dresses (iykyk) but it stands on its own. i like how i leaned into the setting here -- it feels like a very accessible world to me, like you could close your eyes and see the pub. and also i really just like to put my blorbos in a situation where they get drunk and have fun hahaha. as always, shit gets kind of real and snowbaz are their usual intense selves. also there's awkward car sex, which was hilarious to write.

4. Jump Up, Chosen One! (T), 8k

dude. what the FUCK was i on here..... this is perhaps the most plot-driven thing i've ever written, while also being one of the WEIRDEST things ive ever written. the premise is: simon goes off, trapping him, niall, dev, and baz in a Super Mario Bros game. and like. it's silly, yeah. but when i read back through im always like -- oh, ok, there's a lot of heart in this! good job rory! more reasons to love: lots of fun niall & dev screen time, simon solving problems thru the power of Being Determined, a tender moment that i interrupt several times by reminding you that simon and baz do indeed look like mario characters, penny solving problems thru the power of Being Clever, and a surprise tonal shift at the end lmfao. idk man. there's a lot going on here and i think it's p sweet.

5. In black ink my love may still shine bright (M), 5k

even though i hate that i used a fuckin long ass shakespeare quote as a title (lmao. like it fits and i love that sonnet but still. tacky !), this fic is great. @starwarned and i talk a lot about the power of The Slutty M-Rated Fic, and this is my best work in that regard. post-awtwb, date night -- they get ice cream and go to a bar and... shenanigans ensue. it's sweet and happy and nothing bad happens. NICE. the e-rated sequel is the first smut i ever wrote. i was so nervous about it. look at me now.... our resident blood slut LMAO.

honorable mentions, because im a dirty cheater. these probably belong in top 5 but ive been talking about them already recently so i didnt want to be repetitive.

closer to the sun (E), 6k: simpard taken seriously. investigations and road trips and finding purpose and... dragon-fucking.

Nothing Equals The Splendor (T), 52k: my longest fic! gbbo au. a labor of love.

[wetheformidables]

🤡 WIP FOLDER 🤡

Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have wips. I’m also counting art wips or whatever else you have, anything goes basically!!

Thank you for thinking of me @creepyspice, @cutestkilla, @mostlymaudlin, @nightimedreamersworld, and @palimpsessed

I always use the tag “99 problems and my wips are all of them”, Y’ALL I AM NOT LYING WHEN I SAY 99, WHICH IS COINCIDENTALLY THE NUMBER OF YEARS IT WILL TAKE ME TO WRITE THEM. Ever since I started taking improv classes, my power to ✨ yes and ✨ my way into story concepts has only grown, and when I tell you it is a blessing and a curse.

So here is a glimpse into my Google drive and my active WIPs plus a graveyard to pay my respects - in order of most to least likely to be resurrected, because I am trying to be good and finish what I start but I have been bad! But you can ask me about any of them, I love talking about my (our) torment 😌♥️

FIC(TION)

SNOWBAZ

half the time

never before has a boy wanted more

still my heart beats so slow

Beaver Nugget Gang

Vivaldi Four Seasons type beat

AND SURPRISE

Penny and Shep parent trap au

🪦

Satan Clause | he's plotting in this gay club i followed him to | old wounds | baz keeps writing smutty rpf what could go wrong | the real wraiths were the friends we made along the way | Wayward Son but make it about the adults they're also falling apart | my uhhhh boyfriend | Philippa Stainton finds her voice | i have an English degree and i am going to make you read about my favorite books by making Simon and Baz talk about them | You Could Do Better | body shots what could go wrong | mind reading what could go wrong | profanation of our joys

There are more but GOD that's enough

WANGXIAN

my spirit moans with a sacred pain

Five Times Hanguang-jun Wept While He Came (And One Time He Didn't)

🪦

I already have graveyard because I can’t let myself think of too many WIPs it is making me animal and none of these have real titles you can't name something or else you get attached

it's a meditation of grief and there is lots of blood | alexa play heatwaves | the most elegantly filthy dirty talk fic | drunk letter writing, drunk letter sending | magical swan realism | fisherman wwx and water deity lwj | what happens when two bisexuals have an arranged marriage | my chengqing arranged marriage agenda | tender pining arranged marriage | angry horny unarranged marriage | oh no we have to consummate our arranged marriage | fake greencard marriage au | college but they're still cultivators au | modern immortals au | thirty days of distraction in the library pavilion

SO MUCH OF THESE ARE MARRIAGE FICS ASKLDAJDKSLJD

Alright, there is no way I can tag as many people as I have WIPs so I will just say hello no pressure even though I always love to know what you're working on 🙂 hi cutiepies @unseelieseelie, @stillmadaboutpetra, @captain-aralias @krisrix, @artsyunderstudy, @tea-brigade, @nick-eyre, @starwarned, @seducing-a-vampire, @bloodiedpixie, @trenchcoat-moth, and anyone else who wants to play along!

[zet-sway]

14, 21, 23 for the fanfic ask meme

14. A fic you didn't expect to write

Vantablack, because it was spawned by a fanfic I didn't expect to read, specifically a scene where Thane drinks alcohol from a glass Shepard left a lipstick print on.

I read: 'Setting it aside for later in his mind for the lightless hours he spent alone with himself in the darkest part of the night'

I thought: 'Oh shit he's going to rub one out later.'

And then I wrote a oneshot lol

21. Most memorable comment/review

Gosh that's a hard one. I'm super blessed with great comments, it's so hard to pick favorites. I think I'd have to point at every comment on East by Evening. That fic is very self-indulgent and deviates hard from canon material in a way I've never been bold enough to do before. But the comments people left on it ;u; really made me feel like my vibes had been seen and validated.

23. How many WIPs do you have?

Entirely too many. I'll go down the major ones I guess.

Drunk Shep / Thane fluff and potential smut

Thane scares the shit out of Hackett

Tandem breathing desert fic

Standard maintenance part 2. It's cursed to never be finished omfg ITS A SEQUEL IM NERVOUS

Shep renegades the shit out of Thane

Thane being horny in a library

Chapters 4 through 6 of The Frozen Sea Yeah I have a bunch of content for this "cure keprals fic" but I'm a very nervous storyteller :C help me

Shepard fixes the galaxy map???????

The infamous car fic

And at least half a dozen more partially baked ideas just laying around as tiny snippets that probably don't count. But I save them all, just in case lol

[Questions here!]

[cherryblossomflowers]

An Old Life Meets A New (Finale)

Pairing: Jensen x Daughter, Danneel x Stepdaughter, Jared x Niece

Warnings: Slight Cussing, Angst, Fluff, Death Mentioned, Car Accident Mentioned, Anxiety/Depression, Arguing, Panic Attacks, Yelling, Fighting, Sex Mentioned, Child Abuse, Drunk Abuse, Relationship Abuse, Alcohol

Summary: After the recent death of her mother, Harper must adjust to her new life in the Ackles home, this includes a new stepmother, half-siblings, and reconnecting with her father.

A/N: And that’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who supported me in writing my first series!! There are many more to come, don’t worry. Thank you to @mlovesstories for inspiring me to post my writings. Without her I probably wouldn’t be where I am. I love you, My Cherry Blossoms. Enjoy the finale! 

The finale is set 3 years into the future!!!

No hate on Danneel or Jensen please. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

***ASK OPEN***

*LET ME KNOW IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE IN MY TAG LIST*

An Old Life Meets A New Masterlist

Chapter 30: Epilogue

An 18-year-old Harper Ackles was currently painting a landscape on her wall. She had just returned from her therapist appointment after school and wanted to do some painting. JJ suggested something with horses, so Harper immediately got to work.

Since her first mural years ago, her walls all had different paintings on them now. One wall was the entirety of Central Park, another had a few paintings of flowers of all sorts, her back wall still had Time Square and below it was the Texas Capitol, but the current painting she was working on was a landscape of a grass field with wild horses.

JJ was doing her homework on Harper's bed when she looked up to Harper, "Hey, Sis?"

Harper turned from the wall, "Yeah?"

"I’ve done everything, but I still don't understand this stuff. Can you explain it one more time, pretty please?" asked JJ, flashing her puppy eyes at her sister.

Harper chuckled and turned back to her painting, "PEMDAS stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. You work through a math problem in that order, starting with-"

"That I understand, but the order is multiplication then division and addition then subtraction. What happens if the problem has more than one of each?" JJ pointed at her book, "Like this one has (2+9) - (9-2).”

Harper smiled at JJ, "The order of operations still stands. Parenthesis first from left to right then subtract them."

JJ stared at her book for a moment before smacking her forehead, "Oh, man. I'm so stupid!"

Harper let out a laugh, "No you're not, JJ. You're in 4th grade. It's difficult at first but the more you do it, the easier it gets," she pointed at JJ with her paint brush, "Don't forget, I use letters and words in Calculus. You're lucky to still have just numbers."

"It’s only because you're also old," JJ mumbled.

Harper set her paint supplies down and stepped down from the latter, "What was that?"

JJ held up her hands in defense, "Nothing, I said nothing."

Harper stood with her hands on her hips, "Yeah right. Just because you're 10 doesn't mean I can't still treat you like a kid. Come here!"

Harper lunged at JJ, but JJ jumped out of the way last minute. Harper chased her around her room, screaming and laughing, until they both got too tired and fell to Harper's bed, laughing at their childish games.

JJ laid on her stomach and looked at the landscape mural, "I really like this one. It feels like I'm actually there. Like I can feel the breeze and hear the horses."

"That was sort of the point," Harper stared at her painting, "Besides, it would be bad if you didn't like it. This will be your room someday after all."

JJ's eyes widened, "What? Really?"

"Well, I'll be off to college soon. And as a teen, you'll want your own space. Believe me, I know," Harper rolled her eyes.

"Harper, there's mail for you!" Jensen yelled from the living room.

JJ turned to Harper, "I'll race you."

Harper shook her head, "No, not today. I’m not really feeling it."

Then Harper shot up from the bed and ran to the door with a laugh. JJ chased after her to catch up. Harper jumped down the stairs followed by JJ. Jensen, Jared, and Genevieve turned from the couch to see the commotion from the girls.

"Oh, you totally cheated!" JJ exclaimed.

"I'm the oldest, I do not cheat. I just outsmart," Harper stuck her tongue out at JJ.

JJ scoffed, "I'd call waiting until you got to the bedroom door cheating."

"Well I call it strategy."

"Okay, girls. That's enough," Danneel said stepping between the two, "JJ, did you finish your homework?"

"Well, um, about that..." JJ chuckled nervously.

Danneel pointed upstairs, "When you finish, then you can come downstairs."

JJ rolled her eyes, groaned, and stomped upstairs.

Harper chuckled, "Well, she'll be a delightful teenager if she's like this now."

Jensen stood from the couch and walked up to Harper, holding out a letter, "Guess who it's from."

Harper took the letter with a shaky hand and looked at it with a gasp, "NYU?"

Jensen nodded, "You should open it."

Harper hesitated, "But what if I didn't get accepted?"

Jared stood and walked over to Harper, "And what if you did? You'll never know until you open it."

Genevieve walked up and wrapped an arm around Harper's shoulder, "Besides, whatever it says we'll support you in any decision you make."

Harper smiled at her family and sighed, "Okay, I'll open it."

She took a few steps forward and slowly began to open the letter. Once it was opened and the pulled the letter out, she paused.

Jensen walked forward and laid a hand on her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared. I know that I want to go to NYU because their art and education program is so good, but what if they didn't like my application? What if they think my paintings and drawings are average or even below average? What if-"

"What if you're stalling?" Jared interrupted her.

Harper rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Yeah, thanks Uncle Jared."

He smiled, "Anytime, kiddo."

Jensen shook his head at Jared then turned back to Harper, "Babygirl, open the letter. No matter what it says, you know we all think you're an amazing artist."

Harper let out a long sigh and nodded, "Okay."

She unfolded the letter and started to read. Her hand slowly came up to cover her mouth and she turned from Jensen, walking away from him. Jensen turned back to Danneel with a sad look on his face and shook his head. Jared and Gen exchanged an upset look as well.

Then Harper turned back around, uncovered her mouth, and quietly said, "I got in."

Jensen took a step forward, a surprised looked took over his face, "You what?"

"Dad, I got in! I'm going to NYU!" Harper yelled out.

Jensen ran up to her and picked her up, spinning her in a circle. Danneel ran over and hugged Harper as well. Jared and Gen doing the same.

"Read it to us, Harper," Genevieve said excitedly.

"Okay, okay," she cleared her throat, "Dear Miss Ackles, We are glad you have considered NYU and have completed the first step in joining the Bobcat family. We would like to be the first to congratulate you on your admission to New York University. After thoroughly looking through your application and artwork, we would also like to offer you a full ride to our university. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we'll see you this fall. Sincerely, The Director of Admissions and Recruitment"

Everyone was cheering and hugging Harper. They were so happy for her. She is following her dreams, continuing school, and moving forward with her life.

Danneel hugged her tightly, "Harper, I'm so proud of you. You're so grown up now, going off to college and starting your life. I knew you were destined for greatness."

Harper smiled, "Thanks, Mom."

Everyone suddenly paused. Harper's face got bright red as she realized what had just came from her mouth.

Danneel held her out at arms length, "What was that?"

Harper shook her head, "Nothing, nothing. Sorry, I didn't mean...it just slipped. I'm sorry...I shouldn't have-"

Danneel hugged her again, "Harper, it's okay. If you feel that way, it's completely okay with me. If you want to call me Dee or Mom, it's your choice."

Harper backed away and looked down, a tear falling down her face, "I've actually wanted to call you Mom for a few months now. I just didn't know how to tell you."

Danneel smiled, "Well if you ask me, I think that was perfect timing."

Harper ran her fingers through her hair, "I mean, now or never right?"

Just then, JJ ran down the stairs to interrupt them, "I was kind of standing behind the way and listening. But Harper," she ran to hug her, "Congrats! I'm so proud of you, Sis."

Arrow and Zeppelin ran into the room as well. Arrow walked up to give Harper a hug, as did Zeppelin.

Harper bent down to look at them, "Well, it looks like you three will finally all have your own rooms in a couple months."

Zeppelin looked at her confusingly, “But I already have my own room.”

“Yeah,” replied Harper, “But now you won’t be across from both Arrow and JJ.”

Zeppelin crossed his arms and mumbled, “Maybe then I won’t get my nails paints every weekend anymore.”

“Nice try,” Arrow spoke up, “This weekend, JJ and I are having a makeup party! And you, little brother, are at the top of the guest list.”

Zeppelin groaned in response, which got a laugh out of everyone in the room.

The rest of the afternoon was spent celebrating Harper's admission into NYU. Jensen went out and got a cake, Danneel made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner as it's Harper's favorite, and Jared and Gen brought their kids over for a pool party.

Harper felt so loved and filled with so much joy that day. Things were changing, and they were changing for the better.

A couple months later, Harper's room was packed up and she was off to New York. Jensen, Danneel, Jared, Genevieve, Tom, Shep, Odette, JJ, Arrow, and Zeppelin all took her to the airport to say goodbye.

"I promise, I'll call you when I land and I'll send you pictures of my dorm," Harper said as she hugged Jensen and Danneel goodbye.

Jensen wiped his tears, "Please do. I want to see everything."

Danneel kissed her cheek, "Just please check in with us whenever you can."

"I will," Harper laughed.

She hugged Jared and Gen, then their kids, and finally the Ackles kids. JJ kept her arms around Harper's neck, trying to make her stay.

"JJ, I have to go," Harper said trying to pull JJ off.

JJ kept her grip though and continued to cry, "No, you can't leave."

Harper felt her heartstrings beginning to pull, Is this how I felt when Dad left?

Harper held her sister at arms length, "JJ, I can promise you this. I will come back. I'm not leaving forever. You'll see me for Thanksgiving. Just promise me something okay? Be good, keep studying hard, and stay out of trouble. If you ever need help on your homework, call me. I'll try my best to help you over the phone."

JJ sighed and nodded, "Will you call me when you land?"

Harper looked up at Jensen and they exchanged a smile.

She turned back to JJ and smiled at her then bringing her into a hug, "Of course, Sis. I'll call as soon as the plane touches the ground."

Harper stood up from hugging her, tears were flowing from both of them. Harper then walked back up to Jensen.

"Harper, I'm so proud of you. You're such a smart girl, and you've really grown up," he said.

Harper shrugged, "I learned from the best, Dad."

Jensen laughed, "Be safe, okay?" then hugged her.

Harper hugged him back, "I will. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, babygirl."

Harper pulled away from the hug and grabbed her carry on bag. She waved goodbye at the Padelecki's and Ackles' families and walked towards the security area.

Both families started to leave the airport, but Jensen didn't move.

"Honey, is everything okay?" asked Danneel.

Jensen wrapped an arm around her, "Yeah, Dee. Everything is perfect," he kissed her temple, "Our little girl is all grown up now."

Harper's flight was 3 hours, but felt quick. She touched down in New York, got her bags from the baggage claim, and walked out of the airport. She called home to let her know she had gotten there safely, and JJ was very excited to hear from Harper.

She got a taxi and it took her to NYU. She checked in, got her dorm keys, and put her bags in her room. She took a few pictures of her room and sent them to Jensen.

She sat down on her bed and thought for a moment. She stood up and searched her carry on for her sketchbook and her pencils. Then she grabbed her dorm key and left the dormitories as quickly as possible. She took a taxi and went to the cemetery. Once she arrived, she took a stroll to the corner where her mother was.

Harper sat down next to the headstone, opened up her sketchbook, and sighed, "Hi, Mom. It's been a while, huh? Let me catch you up on everything that's happened."

The End

------------------------------

Masterlist

My Cherry Blossoms

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@emery--nicole--morrison​ @spnfamily-j2 @wecantgiggleitsafandom

[papermoonloveslucy]

CRITIC’S CHOICE

April 13, 1963

Directed by Don Weis 

Produced by Frank P. Rosenberg for Warner Brothers

Written by Jack Sher, based on the play by Ira Levin

Synopsis ~ Parker Ballantine is a New York theater critic and his wife writes a play that may or may not be very good. Now Parker must either get out of reviewing the play or cause the breakup of his marriage.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Lucille Ball (Angela Ballantine) marks her 80th feature film since coming to Hollywood in 1933. This is her fourth and final film with Bob Hope. 

Bob Hope (Parker Ballantine) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career (in virtually all forms of media) he received five honorary Academy Awards. He died at the age of 100. In 1945 Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s NBC radio show. Lucille Ball and Hope made four films together: Sorrowful Jones (1949), Fancy Pants (1950), The Facts of Life (1960), and Critic’s Choice (1963). In between the first two and the second two, he appeared on “I Love Lucy” in “Lucy and Bob Hope” (ILL S6;E10) in1956. Hope made a cameo appearance in a 1962 episode of "The Lucy Show” that starred Jack Benny. Lucy and Hope appeared together in dozens of television programs, including Ball’s final appearance at the 1989 Oscars. 

Marilyn Maxwell (Ivy London) appeared with Bob Hope in “The Colgate Comedy Hour” (1950, 1951, 1953, 1953), The Lemon Drop Kid (1951), Off Limits (1952), “The Bob Hope Show” (1954) and with Lucille Ball in DuBarry Was A Lady (1943), Thousands Cheer (1943), Forever Darling (1956), as well as “Here’s Lucy: Lucy The Co-Ed” (1970). 

Rip Torn (Dion Kapakos) was nominated for an Oscar in 1983. This was his only film with Lucille Ball. 

Jesse Royce Landis (Charlotte Orr) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

John Dehner (S.P. Champlain) also appeared with Hope and Ball in the television special “Mr. and Mrs.” in 1964. 

Jim Backus (Dr. von Hagedom) is most famous for playing millionaire Thurston Howell III on “Gilligan’s Island.”  He appeared in Easy Living (1949) with Lucille Ball and was heard on her radio show “My Favorite Husband.” 

Ricky Kelman (John Ballantine) was a child actor who later appeared as a teenager on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy and Andy Griffith” (HL S6;E8) in 1973. 

Dorothy Green (Mrs. Champlain) makes her only appearances with Lucille Ball. 

Marie Windsor (Sally Orr) also appeared with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942).

Evan McCord aka Joe Gallison (Phil Yardley) makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

Richard Deacon (Harvey Rittenhouse) is probably best remembered as Mel Cooley on “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (1961-66). He appeared as Tallulah Bankhead’s butler in “The Celebrity Next Door,” a 1957 episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour.” He was employed again by Desi Sr. as a regular on “The Mothers-in-Law” (1968). He made two appearances on "Here’s Lucy.”

Joan Shawlee (Marge Orr) also appeared with Lucille Ball in Lover Come Back (1946). 

Jerome Cowan (Joe Rosenfield) appeared with Lucille Ball in The Fuller Brush Girl (1950). He was featured in such films as 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street (with William Frawley) and as Miles Archer in 1941’s The Maltese Falcon. He appeared in one episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1966 and one episode of “Here’s Lucy.”

Donald Losby (Godfrey) makes his only appearance with Lucille Ball.

Lurene Tuttle (Mother) played the president of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League in “The Club Election” (ILL S2;E19) on February 16, 1953.

Emestine Wade (Thelma) makes her only appearance with Lucille Ball. 

Stanley Adams (Bartender) made  three appearances on “The Lucy Show.”

UNCREDITED CAST (who shared credits with Lucille Ball)

Leon Alton (Audience Member) appeared with Lucille Ball in The Facts of Life (1960), two episodes of “The Lucy Show” and three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Walter Bacon (Audience Member) was seen in “Lucy Wins a Racehorse” (LDCH 1958) and “Lucy Puts Main Street on the Map” (TLS S5;E18) in 1967.

Paul Bradley (Audience Member) made six appearances on “The Lucy Show” and two episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”

Charles Cirillo (Audience Member) was also an uncredited extra in 1968 film Yours, Mine and Ours.  He did a 1971 episode of “Here’s Lucy” and a 1968 episode of “The Lucy Show.” 

Paul Cristo (Audience Member) was seen on an episode of “I Love Lucy,” two episodes of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,” and two of “The Lucy Show.”

George DeNormand (Party Guest) appeared in three films with Lucille Ball from 1937 to 1963.  He also appeared on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”

James Flavin (Security Guard) played Sgt. Wilcox two episodes of “The Lucy Show” including “Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (TLS S2;E5). He appeared in four films with Lucille Ball, including playing a police sergeant in Without Love (1945).

Bess Flowers (Audience Member at 'Sisters Three') was hailed as Queen of the Extras in Hollywood. She appeared in more films with Lucille Ball than any other performer. She often was seen on “I Love Lucy” and “The Lucy Show.”

Sid Gould (Cab Driver) was Lucille Ball’s cousin by marriage to Gary Morton. He appeared in more than forty episodes of “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” in small roles. 

George Holmes (Spectator) was in the studio audience in “Lucy and Art Linkletter” (TLS S6;E4).  He also did an episode of “Here’s Lucy” and two more films with Lucille Ball: The Facts of Life (1960), and Mame (1974).

Shep Houghton (Audience Member) made three films with Lucille Ball, including Too Many Girls. He did two episodes of “The Lucy Show” and one episode of “Here’s Lucy.” Houghton was one of the Winkie Guards in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz and a Southern Dandy in Gone With the Wind (1939).  

Breena Howard (Girlfriend) also played a waitress in “Lucy Goes to Vegas” (TLS S3;E17) in 1965.

Joseph La Cava (Bellhop) did an episode of “I Love Lucy” and returned to work with Lucy in an episode of “Here’s Lucy.” He was also seen as a restaurant patron in Mame (1974).

Mike Lally (Audience Member at 'Sisters Three') was seen in two episodes of “I Love Lucy,” one “The Lucy Show,” and eight films starring Lucille Ball.  

William Meader (Audience Member) appeared as an airport extra in “The Ricardos Go to Japan” in 1959. He made many appearances on “The Lucy Show,” most times as a clerk in Mr. Mooney’s bank.

Harold Miller (First Nighter in Audience) did eight films with Lucy and two episodes of “I Love Lucy”.

Monty O'Grady (Audience Member) was first seen with Lucille Ball in The Long, Long Trailer (1953) and played a passenger on the S.S. Constitution in “Second Honeymoon” (ILL S5;E14). He was a traveler at the airport when “The Ricardos Go to Japan” (1959). He made a dozen appearances on "The Lucy Show” and a half dozen more on “Here’s Lucy.”

Murray Pollack (Audience Member) was one of the party guest in “Country Club Dance” (ILL S6;E25). Like Monty O'Grady, he was at the airport when “The Ricardos Go to Japan” (1959). He made two appearances on “The Lucy Show” and returned for three episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” 

Paul Power (Audience Member) was seen in two episodes of “I Love Lucy” and two films with Lucille Ball.  

Beverly Powers (Girl with Dion) played Mimi Van Tysen in “Lucy Goes to a Hollywood Premiere” (TLS S4;E20) in 1966. In that episode, she had a gorilla on her arm, not Rip Torn! 

Alan Ray (Hotel Doorman) was seen on “I Love Lucy” as the clapstick boy at “Ricky’s Screen Test” (ILL S4;E6), a Brown Derby waiter in “Hollywood at Last” (ILL S4;E16), and a male nurse in “Nursery School” (ILL S5;E9). He made four appearance on “The Lucy Show,” including once as a hotel doorman! In 1950 Ray was also in the film A Woman of Distinction in which Lucille Ball had a cameo.

Frieda Rentie (Audience Member) made two appearances on “Here’s Lucy.” 

Victor Romito (Audience Member) was seen as the Bartender in “Lucy Meets John Wayne” (TLS S5;E10) as well as one more episode of “The Lucy Show.”  He appeared in four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” 

Bernard Sell (Audience Member) made three appearances on "The Lucy Show”. He was also an extra with Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in their film The Facts of Life (1960). He turns up on a 1971 two-part episode of “Here’s Lucy.”

Hal Smith (Drunk) is probably best known around the Desilu lot for playing Otis the drunk on “The Andy Griffith Show”.  He made three appearance on “The Lucy Show” including the role of Mr. Weber in “Main Street U.S.A.” (S5;E17). He did one episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1972.  

Norman Stevans (Clerk) was in the audience of “Over The Teacups” during “Ethel’s Birthday” (ILL S4;E8) and at the airport when “The Ricardo’s Go To Japan,” in 1959.  He appeared in two episodes of “Here’s Lucy” and in the 1974 Lucille Ball film Mame.

Arthur Tovey (Audience Member) did one episode of “The Lucy Show” and the TV special “Swing Out, Sweet Land” in 1970 in which Lucille Ball is the Statue of Liberty.  

Ralph Volkie (Audience Member) is best remembered for playing John Wayne’s masseuse in “Lucy and John Wayne” (ILL S5;E2) in 1955.  As Wayne’s trainer, he also appeared in sixteen films with the Duke. 

‘CRITICS’ TRIVIA

Lucille Ball’s costumes for the film were designed by Edith Head.  Irma Kusely, Lucille’s long-time hairdresser, did her hair design.

Lucille Ball and Bob Hope break the fourth wall and appear as themselves in the film’s trailer. 

Because of poor audience reaction at test screenings, this film sat unreleased for a year before being sent to theaters. The delay did not help, as it received generally unfavorable reviews.

"It is pleasing to look at in its expensive décor, color and scope, ably played by its experienced stars and ingratiating in its quieter insights into a sophisticated marital relationship. So long as it meanders modestly through some above-average repartee, it provides an agreeable way to pass an evening. Instead of leaving well enough alone, unfortunately, the director, Don Weis, has tried to upholster the shaky plot with slapstick and broad burlesque...Both stars, old hands at this sort of thing, go through their paces with benign good humor, but their subtler comic talents remain untapped. At this rate, the critics' popularity seems unlikely to improve." ~ The New York Times

Angela's play opens at the 46th Street Theatre. This is an actual Broadway theatre, though it has since been renamed the Richard Rodgers Theatre and since 2015 has been home to Hamilton. At the time of filming it was host to the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical How To Succeed in Business...Without Really Trying. Lucille Ball was on Broadway just one year earlier at the Alvin (now the Neil Simon) Theatre in Wildcat. 

The collage of stylized posters for Broadway plays (The Music Man, Life With Father, Fanny, Gypsy, Camelot) that appeared under the opening credits, were all productions that had (or in the case of Camelot, would later be) filmed by Warner Bros.

Ira Levin's original play had been produced on Broadway in 1960, when it enjoyed modest success under the direction of Otto Preminger. The play starred Henry Fonda in the Bob Hope role of Parker Ballantine, and also featured Georgann Johnson (in Lucille Ball's role). 

Angela and Dion fly from New York to Boston in an American Airlines Lockheed Electra, registration number N6102A. By the time the movie was released in 1963, the plane no longer existed - on August 6, 1962 (Lucille Ball's 51st birthday) it was wrecked in a landing accident during a thunderstorm at the Knoxville, Tennessee airport. Fortunately, all aboard the plane survived.

The casting of Marilyn Maxwell as Hope's first wife was a kind of ironic joke, as their long-time affair was well enough known in the industry for her to be often referred to as "the second Mrs. Hope."

The Ballantines were based on renowned theatre critic Walter Kerr and his playwright wife Jean Kerr. As an inside joke, Hope mentions one of her plays, "Mary, Mary."

The film’s music orchestrations are credited to Arthur Morton (inset photo). Not only is Morton Ball’s married name, Arthur Morton was the name of the character played by Richard Crenna who had a crush on Lucy Ricardo in “The Young Fans” (ILL S1;E20)!

The film is mentioned on “What's My Line?” featuring Bob Hope and Lucille Ball on May 5, 1963. Lucy and Bob are on a promotional tour, New York being the eleventh of their 19 cities. They had just come from being on “The Ed Sullivan Show” earlier that evening, also to promote Critic’s Choice.

Lucille Ball mentions the film on “Dinah!” featuring Bob Hope on April 15, 1977. About Critic’s Choice (1963), it is clear that this was a film Lucy didn’t want to do. Lucy and Hope were obliged to do a 11-theatre promo tour to “sell” the film. Hope calls it their only flop.  

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

Drunk Punch Love: Chapter 4

Pairing: FemShep and Garrus Vakarian (Shakarian)

Rating: PG-13 (with some tossed F-bombs)

Summary: Their awkward, badass journey through saving the galaxy and accidentally falling in love

Chapter 4: Drunken Heroes

After all her damned talk of avoiding booze forever, here she was, taking her whole crew to get wasted at a bar.

To give herself credit, this was 100% about letting her friends blow off steam before they headed to Virmire, not about her. She didn't even have any plans to drink, just play babysitter and have some fun with them. After all they'd done for the mission, they deserved some shore leave.

Anya almost wished she could be as hyped as Ash was. The soldier kept talking about how she was itching for a good Citadel blue cocktail mixed with classic Russian Vodka. Kept on saying she'd call it "The Shepard".

She stuck back, watching Ash drag Tali, Ash, Joker, Liara, Kaidan, and Garrus to the bartender. The only one left was her favorite cranky Krogan, an old man among youths. But he already knew that without her pointing that out. He chuckled low next to her, "You look like a mother Varren with her pups."

"What, do I look like I'm gonna eat them?"

Wrex grumbled with distaste, but Anya felt pretty satisfied, annoying him. "Varren are dedicated to their young. And so are you, Mother Shepard."

Anya nearly gagged at the thought. Her, a mom? Hardly. She was just a pathetic lonely soldier who had friends for the first time in a long time. A hard mission does that to people; it bonds them. "I'd prefer you never call me that again."

"No promises."

"What do you even do at a bar?"

While Wrex barely reacted, she knew his was peering at her with confusion. "I drink, just like everyone else."

"I can't picture it."

"Well if you need a picture, I'll be over there, drinking ryncol. I'll tell the waitress you're buying." Wrex patted her back and walked off without any confirmation.

Under her breath, Anya grumbled, "I mean, I am buying, but you could've asked..." She just shook her head and accepted the inordinate amount of credits she was about to lose on that tab. But at least, when she turned to look back at the bar, her entire crew seemed to be enjoying themselves. Ash was being the leader of the pack. Liara was sticking closing, admiring the entertainment, and Tali looked like she was roped into being her wingman.

Garrus, of course, was the one in some sort of arm wrestle with Kaidan while Joker egged them on. Who knew what the hell that was about.

Shepard just nabbed a glass of water and joined Liara in watching Ash try to flirt with guys and/or flirt with them for Tali, who seemed far less interested. She noticed T'Soni stiffened up a little the second she sat down, but she tried to ignore it. "Everyone looks like they're having a good time, huh?"

"Absolutely. I've never seen Gunnery Chief Willaims so loud. Not outside of a firefight, at least."

Though she didn't mean to, every time she sat down next to her crew, she turned full Commander mode. And Liara's somber mood was a prime target. "I know you said you were doing better, but how are you really holding up?"

Staring down at her glass, Liara kept on looking at the liquid in it like it would say something profound to her. Anya remembered that look; probably a little too well. "Worse than I expected. Benezia and I weren't close for a long time. I knew losing her would be hard but not like... this. I feel like a fundamental part of me is now being washed away a little more every day and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Anya normally wasn't one for opening up deep, old wounds, but she couldn't just let Liara sit there, haunted and alone, on their last night of peace before the storm. She was very deliberate in putting her palm gently on Liara's shoulder and not her hand. "After Akuze, I used to have a drinking problem. Or lack of drinking problem. I'd used to come here, buy the drink my squad used to always get, and stared down into it until the bar was empty and I was kicked out. It was like I was trying to find meaning to fill that empty space in me. But nothing really fills it. You just find other things that give you meaning and eventually they motivate you more than the emptiness does."

Before Shepard could react, Liara put her own hand on hers and was giving her this sweet smile. "Thank you, Shepard."

Anya pulled her hand away and scooted an inch or two back, trying to diffuse any cute moment Liara might've thought they were having. "I'm here to help anytime. That's what friends do."

After she said that, Anya didn't want to look up and cringe at the disappointment painted on Liara's face. It already fucked her up inside. But when she did finally look up, she felt a lot more weird feelings than she meant to.

Sure, there was Liara's conflicted face, but past her ear Anya could see the boy band of Joker, Garrus, and Kaidan sitting around a table and laughing. Well, they were, but then a female turian walked up and looked at Garrus like he was a snack.

Not that she fully disagreed but that wasn't the damn point.

While she didn't mean to go comatose, and she was pretty sure Liara might've said something, she felt like everything blacked out except him. And he was doing that awkward smiling thing, and she could tell he was flustered, and she could tell the turian was hitting on him. And where the bro in her was happy for him, that fucked up part of her that woke itself up on a Noveria bar had its eyes wide open and was screaming.

Before she could make any expressions that made her make a fool of herself, and so she didn't have to look at it anymore, Anya went to staring down into the glass of water in front of her.

"By the goddess, how did I not notice?"

Shepard shook her head and gave Liara her best clueless look. Oh boy, how she didn't want her to be noticing what she thought she might have noticed. ANya asked, "Notice what?"

Even though there was this sadness in her eyes, there was also clarity. Liara said it so plainly that it hurt, "You have feelings for Garrus."

Anya covered Liara's mouth with her hand and closed her eyes, like if she wished it hard enough she'd wake up and this nightmare would be over and no one would know her dumb, dirty little secret. "No, nope, I don't. You saw nothing."

"And your cheeks are even getting red. I never-"

Giving up, because clearly her cover-up skills were piss poor, Shepard just held her hands and tried not to look too desperate. It was embarrassing enough. "Please don't talk about it. He doesn't feel the same way and it doesn't matter. You're all my friends and we're on a mission and that's what we need to focus on."

Liara frowned, but didn't seem too keen to pry. "I won't make you talk more, mostly because I feel embarrassed for chasing after you now, but if you need to talk, I'm here."

If Anya was in peak Commander mode, she'd stay shut up, let it end at that, but after so much time keeping it to herself and feeling so frustrated, and now seeing him get looked at like that by some attractive turian... Well, maybe she'd be better off not keeping it inside. "He's my best friend, Liara. It complicates everything."

"Clearly people think that complication is worth it. And here I was, hoping it was me."

"I'm sorry, Liara."

"It matters more to me that you stay my friend."

Of all the stupid things tonight, that made her smile. Even under all the "getting caught looking at Garrus" embarrassment. "That's what matters to me, too. And not just with you, with him."

"I can understand that."

Anya winced and kept her eyes down, not wanting to look at Garrus, knowing he probably was flirting back. He had every right and... And, well, it wasn't like he owed her anything. They said it didn't happen, she was just a squishy human, and they'd just stay friends, right? "So, I'd just prefer we talk about other things to distact me from saying anything dumb about Garrus Vakarian-"

"Somebody saying my name?"

Startled, Anya jumped in her chair and almost fell off. Liara started giggling like the funniest shit just happened, but hearing him pop up behind he was so unfair. More unfair was the fact she noticed his hand was holding her chair straight. Anya just sunk down into it, real low, and tried to hope that Saren would take her down with him. At least it was an honorable death.

Lucky for Shepard, Liara winked at her and saved her ass. "We were wondering who won the arm wrestling, you or Lieutenant Alenko. The Commander was betting on you, even though I said Kaidan would win."

"You wound me, Liara."

Trying to act casual, Anya raised an eyebrow. "So who won, then?"

Garrus scratched the back of his neck and admitted, "Okay, fine, Alenko won. But only because he's a dirty cheat and used biotics."

She didn't know what it was about his wounded pride, but it helped unwind all the knots she'd put herself in. Anya patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't worry, you're still my number one turian."

"He's not a turian and I'm your only turian. That statement means nothing, but sure, thanks, Shep."

Watching him scowl at her, like nothing was weird or wrong, it made her laugh in a way that vibrated throughout her entire body. But maybe she also didn't want to admit how much it warmed her up, knowing he turned the flirting turian down and came over here to her.

After she got out her nerves and laughed like that, the rest of the night was a fun blur. The crew started sharing embarrassing stories of first kisses and first posts, and they all danced and Tali made fun of her for being terrible. Garrus was the only one who gave her a wink during that, because he knew her actual skills. Not like she was going to tondue at a club, though. And then later they even got Wrex to join in on an argument on who had the wildest battle scars. No surprise, the Krogan won. But Joker's surgery scars almost gave him a run for his money.

That night, she was the one helping carry Ash back to the Normandy while everyone else was walking or stumbling in front of them. Everyone enjoyed themselves, but Ash was definitely the one that hit the booze the hardest.

But Anya didn't mind too much. She saw how Ash made everyone smile and brought them together. The spitfire would be a great leader someday, once she got more experience under her belt.

Leaning into her shoulder, the Gunnery Chief started to mumble. "We're going to save the galaxy, Shep. I'll get to be a hero. The Williams name is gonna go down in history for great reasons this time."

Anya held onto Ash's side, tight, and said, "You're going to be a great hero, Ash. Probably a better one than me. You don't have the baggage weighing you down."

When Ash laughed, it bubbled through her body and almost shoved them too close to the railing. Garrus gave her a look, like asking if she wanted help, but Anya shook her head. She and captain realism didn't need to burst Ash's hopefulness here. It was honestly kind of nice to hear someone talk about the future like this. Ash wasn't thinking about dying; just about the good she'd do.

How could Anya not admire that?

"I'm gonna have a tough time beating you, Shep, but I'll do my best."

"You better. Second human Spectre, Ashely Williams, Sounds good, right?"

Ash was still so wobbly. Anya wasn't quite sure she'd remember any of this in the morning. That only made it so much easier to compliment her. "Don't get crazy, Commander." She rolled her eyes in a very exaggerated way, but then hiccuped so hard some of her hair fell out of her bun. "But yeah, it kinda does sound good."

"Well, let's get back on the Normandy and make you a hero, Ash." When she finished carrying Ash onto the ship, she kept on seeing the drunk cadet she used to be, laughing with her friends anytime they got shore leave, all swapping stories on how they'd become heroes. None of them would've ever guessed Anya'd get it because they all died. She'd gained honor in an awful, horrible way. But she hoped Ash could become someone great by her side, instead.

That was one of the few things she'd enjoy seeing, at the end of all this.

///

Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading, and double thanks to my lovely patrons:

Danyell Jones

Amy Connolly

If you'd like to support my work, please go check out my patreon: patreon.com/gracejordan

I also write original stories and am trying to build a community of fandom lovers on writing sites, in Discord, and (in the future) on Twitch :) any help is appreciated

[closetspngirl]

The More The Merrier

Pairing: Jensen/Danneel x Reader x Jared/Genevieve Warning: Poly relationship, mild swearing, implied smut, mentions of drinking, pregnancy WC: 4096 A/N: So this was brought on by a really good dream that I had the other night, which I decided to elaborate on and finish. I’ve never done a pairing like this, so be gentle with me. That being said, this is under the pretense of being an established relationship, past all of the drama and press of them coming out with it. That being said, which I wish it didn’t have to be, it’s a work of fiction. I love and admire both families. With it being fiction, the youngest three kids are not here. Thank you SO much to @coffee-obsessed-writer for getting me to finish this and betaing it for me. I’m also sorry in advance if the formatting gets screwed up on mobile.

- - -

Thursday morning found you curled up next to Gen in your oversized California King bed. Well, it wasn’t so oversized when Jared was in it with the two of you. It was barely the start of summer but it was already 65 degrees at the crack of dawn and despite that, the two of you were tangled naked together under the top sheet, your face nuzzled into her neck.

It was no surprise that you were in her bed. You and Gen had been friends since college, after meeting in one of your English Lit classes and becoming fast friends. Eventually, you became roommates, with some added benefits when things in the boy department got messy. It started with platonic cuddling on the couch while watching reruns of Friends. A few weeks later, the two of you came home quite drunk from a frat party, one thing led to another, fewer clothes and more skin and before you knew it you were waking up in her bed the next morning. You would be the first to admit that it had been one of the best nights you had had since your asshole of an ex-boyfriend dumped you the previous semester.

After Gen landed the role on Supernatural, she started dating Jared. The two of you gave him some time to adjust to his girlfriend and her best friend before telling him about your…arrangement. Well, needless to say, he wasn't entirely upset when he was told his girlfriend and her best friend slept together on occasion. Which is how your relationship with the two of them started. You were never the marrying type, so you were quite happy with what you had, letting Jared know that he needed to get on it and ask Gen.

Jensen and Danneel had already been dating by the time Jared and Gen (and you) became involved, so naturally, Danneel became one of your friends as well. During the season four wrap party you all ended up slightly intoxicated and back at Jensen and Jared’s house that they shared. It was another case of ‘one thing led to another’ and well, that’s how your relationship with Jensen and Dani started. That also wasn’t the last time that the five of you were together.

So here you were, in one of your favorite places. Lying with Gen, breathing in the scent that was so appropriately her; rose, orange and coconut all mixed together in a light and airy fragrance. You never could figure out if it was her shampoo or perfume or a combination of those or lotions, but it was Gen and you loved it. You also loved waking up before her so that you could enjoy being wrapped up in her arms, giving her slow and lazy kisses along her neck and jaw, eventually finding your way to her lips. It was never a bad way to wake up in the morning.

Starting your kisses at her pulse point where your lips were the closest, you managed to place a couple on her neck before you felt your stomach turn over. Pushing the feeling aside and relishing in your morning routine you kept on your path up towards her lips.

Until your stomach turned again.

Nope.

You were able to untangle yourself from Gen’s grasp without waking her and make it to the bathroom before you got sick. It was odd for you to be throwing up; since you could count on one hand all of the times that you had ever been sick like this. When you were done, you brushed your teeth and splashed some cool water on your face before walking back into the bedroom and putting on the tank and shorts from last night.

“Baby, you ok?” Gen asked you sleepily. “Come back to bed for a bit.”

“I’m fine, upset stomach. It’s ok, I’m going to go do a few things downstairs, and the boys will be up soon anyway. You get some more sleep,” you offered her, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead.

“I wouldn’t need the extra sleep if you hadn’t worn me out so much,” her lips curling up into a lazy smirk as she turned over to lie on her stomach, arms under her head.

“Yeah? Well, you certainly weren’t complaining about that last night,” giving her sheet covered ass a slap before walking out.

You busied yourself downstairs, tidying up and getting breakfast started. The boys were sure to be up soon, especially since they knew Jared and Jensen were coming home for the week. It had been almost two months since they had been home, between a busy shooting schedule and conventions. All of you, Danneel and JJ included, were excited to have the guys home, even if it was just for 5 or six days.

Sure enough, thirty minutes later you heard the patter of little feet coming down the stairs and running into the kitchen.

“Mornin’ Dolly!” the two of them said almost in unison. You chuckled at the name, remembering why they gave you the nickname in the first place. It was a character from one of their cartoons that they liked watching, one that they swore looked like you. JJ had even caught onto it and called you Dolly as well. You never minded though, it was rather endearing, and probably easier for them to say that your actual name.

“Good morning boys. Did you two sleep well?” you asked them, giving them each a hug and a kiss on top of their bedhead.

“Mm-hmm. Did you made mazing pankicks Dolly?” Shep asked you.

“I sure did. Super special pancakes for a super special day! Go over to the table and I’ll bring your plates over.”

Setting a plate down in front of each child, you had to quiet them when they got excited over the pancakes, seeing that they were chocolate chip with strawberries and whipped cream.

“Let’s settle down so that we can let momma stay in bed a little bit longer, ok?” Just as you said that you felt arms wrapping around your waist and a kiss to your shoulder. “Or not.”

“Mm. Pancakes?”

“Your favorite. Made you a few blueberry ones.”

“Whipped cream?”

“On blueberry pancakes? Weird, but ok. It’s in the fridge.”

“No, but we should save it for later,” she said with a wink as she made herself a plate.

“Genevieve Padalecki, what would your husband think about that?” you feigned a scolding, hand on your hip.

“Uhh, he would agree with me and then proceed to hold you down while I-“

You quickly cut her off with a kiss to shut her up, not knowing how far she’d take the conversation. Pulling back and looking into her chocolate brown eyes. “We’ll continue that later, hm?”

When breakfast was over, the two of you managed to get the boys ready for the day and out the door in record time, with the promise of meeting Danneel and JJ at the park before heading to the airport. When you got there, the boys all but leapt out of the car to run to the playground to see JJ. Once the boys were safely out, you and Gen walked arm in arm over to where Danneel was sitting, sliding your arms around her shoulders from behind and each giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Mm. Morning baby,” she said with a smile as you walked around the bench to sit next to her.

“Morning. How are you doing today?”

"Ugh. Exhausted. Little miss took forever to go to bed last night and then decided that 5am was an appropriate time to wake up, and of course, never went back to bed."

You couldn’t help but chuckle. You knew how excited JJ got when she knew her daddy was coming home. “Well with the guys coming home, I think it’s safe to say we all can have a little R&R time this week, yeah? Manicures, go out to dinner or maybe go see a movie?”

“So a date night, without the guys?” Gen asked, you shrugging a shoulder in return.

“Sure, a date night. Then maybe you can live out that fantasy with the whipped cream you were going on about this morning,” you said, winking at Gen.

“Hold on. Whipped cream? What did I miss this morning?”

Laughing, you leaned over and gave her another kiss on the cheek. “Nothing she wouldn’t be able to show you.”

“Huh. So, date night…tomorrow? Perfect,” Danneel stated matter-of-factly, a mischievous look in her eyes.

You and Gen couldn’t help but laugh at Dani’s enthusiasm at the new plans for the weekend. The three of you spent the next hour talking about everything while watching the kids run around the playground. You always loved that the kids got to grow up with each other, something you had missed out with your own cousins since you never lived near any of them. When it was time to go there were no issues rounding up the kids since they knew exactly what the next stop for the day was.

Seeing their dads.

You rode with Gen to the airport, intending on riding with Jay and Danneel on the way to lunch. Today the three of you decided to park and go inside and wait for the guys, which you didn’t always do. The kids were getting antsy when the crowd started coming through, meaning Jensen and Jared were close behind, taking up the usual end of the line. The boys were the first to spot them, calling out for Jared, only able to run freely over to him when he was closer. Jared knelt down and scooped both boys up in his arms, a huge smile across his face. “Hey guys! How are you? I hope you’ve been little princes for momma.”

Not a second later JJ was in Jay's arms, a matching smile on his face. "And how are you, princess? Have you been helping keep the boys in line?" he asked her with a chuckle. "Yep!" she gave back with a toothy grin. "That's my girl. And here are my other girls,” he said as he stood in front of Danneel, giving her a kiss before coming over to you and giving you one as well. Jared had already said his hello with Gen and let the boys down and was now wrapping an arm around your shoulders pulling you into a hug and giving you a kiss on the top of your head. “Hey beautiful. How are you?” He said into your hair.

You didn’t answer for a beat, keeping your face buried in his chest and just smelling him. You could never get enough of the smell; it was soft but woodsy at the same time and all Jared. It was also something that was normally quite comforting to you, but today it seemed…off. Finally, you looked up at him and smiled, "I'm good."

“You sure?” He asked you quietly, brushing a thumb over your cheek. Jared always could sense when something was off with you.

“Mm-hmm. Better now,” you said before reaching up and kissing him softly on the lips.

The guys never brought much home, making airports a lot easier to deal with since they didn’t check bags. Which just meant that today you could get back to the cars and to the restaurant sooner, seeing as there were now three very hungry children.

During lunch, you sat between Danneel and Shep with Gen and Jared on the other side of the table. Shep was going on about something that you weren’t entirely paying attention to as you picked at your salad. You didn’t notice when Jared leaned over to Gen and started talking to her.

“Baby, is Y/N ok? She seems…not herself.” The concern in his voice wasn’t lost on Gen.

Gen looked over to her noticing that she was quiet and keeping to herself despite Shep’s best efforts to talk to her. “Yeah, I think so. I know she wasn’t feeling great this morning. She might just be coming down with something. We’ll talk to her later about it; make sure she’s ok. She said something yesterday about staying with De and Jay tonight. And we also talked about you and Jay entertaining the kids while we have a girls’ night, probably tomorrow night.”

Jensen perked up at the sound of his name. “Oh? Girls’ night? Is that code for date night?” He looked between you and De, the two of you not able to hide your smiles from the conversation the three of you had that morning.

“Maybe. You jealous Ackles?” You joked with him.

“I won’t be, as long as you ladies tell us all about it,” he responded with a wink.

“Sure, we’ll tell you all about the hair braiding, Disney movies and pillow fights.”

That comment warranted Jensen’s, or was it Dean’s, classic bitch face, making the rest of you laugh. At the mention of Disney movies, JJ proceeded to direct the conversation onto exactly that, which ended in letting her watch one when you got home.

As you walked to the car after lunch, Gen pulled you aside before you got in with Jay and Dani. “Hey, you ok?” She asked you, brushing your hair out of your face while doing the quick stealthy temperature check on your forehead that she did with the boys. Pulling away you laughed, “I’m fine Gen. You don’t need to go into mom mode on me. I’m just a little tired. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” you said, giving her a quick kiss and saying bye to the car now full of boys.

That night found the four of you sprawled on the oversized couch watching Frozen for the umpteenth time, per JJ’s request. The best part of the movie was watching her and Jay singing along together to all of the songs. When the movie was over, Jay looked down to see a sleeping child curled in his lap. Whispering to the two of you that he was going to take her to bed, he picked her up and started to head to her room. Grabbing the remote and throwing your legs over Danneel’s lap you started flipping through Netflix to pick something a little older the three of you could watch when you felt her eyes on you.

“Don’t worry De. I won’t start The Vampire Diaries over…again,” you told her while you kept scrolling.

“Good, I’m over vampires; sparkly or otherwise,” Jensen grumbled from where he was standing by the couch making you and Danneel laugh.

“Excuse you sir, I believe I was addressing Dani, not Dean…”

“Stefan and Damon are hot though, babe! I could totally watch them again!” Danneel told him, eliciting an eye roll as he walked away. Turning back to you she continued, “It’s so easy to mess with him sometimes, I love it.”

“It really is,” agreeing as you went back to scrolling.

You felt her eyes back on you making you turn and look at her, “Something you want to watch?”

“It’s not that. I mean no, well I’m not sure, maybe. I mean-“ she rambled as she started rubbing your leg almost nervously.

“De. Stop and breathe.”

Inhaling and releasing, she started over, “Are you ok?”

Your eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. “Not to sound rude, but you’re the third one to ask me that today. Do I not look ok?”

“Um, make that four. Jay asked me as we walked out of the restaurant.”

You thought about that for a second. It wasn’t weird for all of you to be so in tune with knowing how each other felt, that happened in relationships, no matter if it was two people or five. "Yeah, I'm fine. Wasn't feeling so great this morning, and I've been a little more tired than normal, but all in all, I'm ok."

She hadn’t been rubbing your leg very long, but you were quick to notice when she stopped, looking back to her. “What?”

“Sweetie, is there any chance you’re maybe…pregnant?” You could see a smile starting to form, your brain suddenly going a mile a minute.

“I…uh…what? That can’t be. I just had my period-“

“At least a month and a half ago, almost two.” Sometimes it was nice that the two of you were on the same schedule. But just to be sure, you sat up and opened the calendar on your phone and started counting the weeks.

"Holy shit…am I pregnant?" you were now looking at Danneel wide-eyed, forgetting all about trying to pick a movie.

"Do you want to run to the store quickly and get a test? Then I can text Patty and see about getting you in tomorrow."

“Yeah…yeah, let’s do that. I want to tell the guys while they’re here this trip, if I really am.” Your mind was still racing at the fact that this was even a possibility. With that, Danneel went upstairs to grab the two of you sweatshirts and tell Jensen that you were going out to get a pint of ice cream and chocolate for the movie. It wasn’t a total lie, De knew you’d want one or both of those with your now slightly stressed state. After promising to get him a pint of rocky road, the two of you went to the store.

An hour later you were sitting on the edge of the tub holding Danneel’s hand. “This has got to be the longest three minutes of my life,” you grumbled as your leg bounced from the nervous energy coursing through you. What felt like another hour passed and the chime on Danneel’s phone started playing. “Ready?”

“I guess I have to be, huh?” You got up and picked up the stick off of the counter and stood stock-still. When you didn’t move, De started to get nervous.

“Babe? You ok? What’s wrong? You know it’s fine either way, we-“

“De,” you started, turning around to face her. “Is it too late to call Patty?”

“Really?!” Danneel was now up and hugging you, looking at the test in your hand.

The next day Danneel, you and Gen went to the doctor's office while the guys took the kids to the zoo. Thankfully they didn't bat an eyelash at the fact that you were going to start your girls night at 9:30 in the morning, loving the fact that they got some much-needed kid time in. You were also thankful that Patty was able to get you in so quick, understanding of the fact that the guys were in town for a short amount of time. She was both De and Gen’s doctor, so she was quite excited when she found out you were coming in.

She had the blood work rushed so that it would be done before you even left the office, instead of waiting over the weekend. The time was mostly spent with Gen and De talking about all things baby while you sat on the table with a hand over your stomach. You weren't entirely sure what you should be feeling right then. It's not that you weren't ready to have a child, or that you didn't want one. The five of you had had this conversation already, each couple had their plans, and with where you were at in life, you were fine if it happened and fine if it didn’t. You weren’t on birth control currently because of how it had previously affected your body, but the guys didn’t always wear condoms and well, things happen. Obviously. Patty knocking on the door brought you out of your thoughts.

"Well Y/N, congratulations! You're going to be a mom! You're 9 weeks with a due date around mid-October. "

Everything after that was a blur. You felt Gen and Danneel wrapping you up in hugs and kisses and wiping the tears that you apparently started crying. After making your next few appointments with Patty, you headed back home, adjusting your plans for your girls day.

On the way home, De turned to you from the front seat, “So, how are you going to tell the guys?” It was something that you had been trying to figure out since the night before. You wanted something cute and simple, but also something that took them by surprise. A smile settled on your lips after a few moments, before you turned to De, “I think I might have something.”

A few nights later you had a family dinner planned, just the eight of you. Gen did most of the cooking, save for the steaks, which was a job for the guys. You handled dessert and tucked it away so they wouldn't see it until you wanted them to. Dinner was amazingly perfect, with all of the food and laughs and stories. You loved nights like this, where you could all sit out on the patio enjoying each other and not having to worry about rushing off somewhere or sending the guys back to Vancouver. These were the moments you cherished.

Jared started to get up to clean plates when Danneel took over for him. “Don’t worry about that Jare, we got it.”

“De, you three are always taking care of us and the kids, let us help.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” she said, a coy little smile showing up. Jared looked at Jensen but was met with a shrug of his shoulders.

Once everything was cleared off, you started bringing out the plate of cookies that you had made earlier in the day. “Who wants a cookie?” you asked in a singsong voice as you made your way outside, being met with the kids.

“Oh! Yes please!! Sugar or chocolate chip?” Jensen asked, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

“Sugar, with the pink frosting,” you told him before getting down on the kids level and speaking softly.

“These are special cookies, okay? Each one has a word on it. Ask your dads to read the cookies before you eat them, okay?” After you got three nods in agreement, you handed them each a cookie, watching them try to sound out the words. Only giving them a brief moment to try, you sent them over to the guys while you went to stand next to Gen and Danneel, too nervous to sit down.

“Daddy! Can you read this for me?” JJ asked Jensen. “Sure Birdy, it says…having…”

Looking confused, Jared turned to the boys when he heard the same question coming from them. "Daddy read dis pease,” Shep asked him.

“Sure buddy. Let’s see…a baby...” he read first, before looking at Tom’s cookie, “…we’re…”

Jared looked at Jensen with cookies in hand while Jensen mirrored the look on his face. As if on cue, they both placed the cookies on the table and rearranged them, looking back to each other, and then up to the three of you. Neither of them asked; their eyes just trailed over De and Gen, landing on you with the plate of cookies in your hand.

“Surprise!” you said with a nervous shrug and a small smile, almost sounding unsure of yourself. “I’m pregnant.”

The three of you started giggling after a moment when the guys didn’t move, only being brought back when Shep tugged on Jared’s arm. “Daddy! Can I has my cookie now pease?”

“You’re-“

“-pregnant.”

“God you two have played brothers for too long,” Danneel said, laughing. “Get up and go hug her you fools!”

You barely had time to set the plate on the table before you were wrapped up in the strong arms of Jared and then Jensen. The tears started coming back, only for the third time that day. “Ah! Stupid hormones.”

They pulled back and looked at you, Jared wiping away the tears on your cheeks as he smiled at you and peppering your face with kisses while Jensen slid down to his knees. He wrapped his arms around your waist, kissing your still flat stomach making you laugh. “Jay, sweetie, it’s the size of a cherry, there’s no baby bump yet,” you told him, running your fingers through his hair. “I don’t care.”

At that moment, your heart was bursting with so much love that you didn't know it was capable of. The look on the guys' faces and seeing the kids as they started to understand what was happening, it was all so surreal. But it was your life, and you knew that there was nothing else that you ever wanted.

---

@wildefire

[thedailycourtney]

Southern Charm

I know y’all have been dying for my thoughts, so here goes.

Cameran: My LVP of Southern Charm. I unabashedly love her, and will hear no bad things about her. She’s hilarious. I feel like she wasn’t ready for motherhood. I’m surprised she isn’t working at least part time. I feel like this whole baby thing was some sort of deal she made with Jason, but alas, we’ll never know, I guess. (LVP is obviously Lisa Vanderpump. Do not disparage my Bravo queens!)

Katherine: I can’t even imagine all the baggage she has to unpack from her situation with Thomas, but at some point you have to get your shit together enough to at least, like, know what time it is, or where you put your phone. I feel like her life would be at least 47% easier if she wore more comfortable clothes.

Cheltsea: She is perfect. I love her one foot out the door level of commitment, as that’s how I am as well. Is she the only cast member who has a real job, one she went to school for, and worked for, that didn’t involve some family money or connections? Also, I told my mom last year that she should date someone like Cheltsea’s dad, and now she is! So if you need my services, I’m here for you. Services include telling you the type of person you should date with no ideas or help on how to actually do that.

Shep: Shep is looking damn fine again, and my crush is restored. Also, most of the male cast has been wearing that American flag hat, exactly the hat I got drunk and purchased last year from Shepgear. 

Craig: Craig is so inexplicably endearing that I can barely even muster an eye roll at how he’s a “bad waker upper” or that he’s still trying to make this pillow business happen or that sad, sad party. Every single stupid thing he does (guyliner!) you just have to shake your head and smile, muttering “oh, Craig.” How annoying would it be to deal with all that in real life? But, Craig is a very good friend, and I think he has a pure heart.

Anna-Heyward: WHY. Who is she? Craig’s assistant? Life coach? Head (only) pillow maker? WHY NOT JUST ANNA? Who was that other guy at the pillow party? Anna-Heyward’s assistant? Craig’s second assistant? Is Craig the Sonja Morgan of Southern Charm? Are they interns? But what do they do? What does Craig do that he needs help doing? Help me understand.

Austen: Bless his heart.

Madison: Madison is absolutely gorgeous, and is using Austen to be on this show.

Naomi and Danni: My favorite moment of the season so far is their faces in the treehouse when they were trying to drink that Muscadine wine. Do people not from the South know how sweet Muscadine grapes are? I feel like there’s a disconnect between Naomi and the rest of the cast this season, like they aren’t really friends, or at least aren’t as close as before. And I feel like her super hot boyfriend is also super controlling, so.

Liza: Is it Liza, or Eliza? Who knows? Who cares? Tf is that hair color? Is it supposed to be purple? Who know? Who cares?

[ezrisdax-archive]

Wrex and Tali!

Send Me a Character

And I will tell you my:

Wrex:

First impression: I loved him, like when I first played ME it was at a friends place who shoved the controller in my hands and she thought I’d love garrus, I loved wrex and then bought the game

Impression now: still my fave!!! I love all his lines!!! why wasn’t he a squadmate in ME3 fulltime!!

Favorite moment: oh jesus there’s so many, but I love when you save the rachni and he’s all “great, bugs will write songs about you” like wrex pls

Idea for a story: just wrex and shepard getting drunk and headbutting things, I need more bonding for them (but also bonding with tali, there’s so little bonding with tali!!)

Unpopular opinion: ??????

Favorite relationship: wrex and shepard of course. but if we’re talking romantically then wrex/bakara

Favorite headcanon: wrex names a kid after shep. there’s no way he doesn’t. 

Tali:

First impression: I thought she was adorable and was already so confused why the quarians were banished from the citadel races like they were and just wanted to know more about her

Impression now: I think tali is one of the best squadmates and wish she’d gotten to show up sooner in ME3 because I just want more of her 

Favorite moment: when you save rannoch and unite the geth and she has the moment where she mourns legion and 

Idea for a story: I’d love to make one where she’s working alongside the geth and is exploring old rannoch and finds legions records because I think it’s a shame that she didn’t get to see those old morning war moments

Unpopular opinion: what’s one for tali???? uh.... jesus I don’t go into tags enough for that

Favorite relationship: tali/shepard romantically, I love their banter the most. platonically tali and garrus 

Favorite headcanon: she still carries that rock that shepard gave her when they first landed on rannoch. it’s not just a piece of her home but it’s a piece of her home that shepard handed over and knew she’d appreciate.

[comefeedtherainn]

hey are you still doing these ask memes? if so, 3 and 22 for fanwork ask and 5, 21, 29 and 30 for otp question meme(god i hope this isn't too much)

Hi! No way dude, not too much at all! I really like answering these, you guys should never feel like you’re bothering me

Fanwork Ask Meme

3. What was the first fandom that you made a fanwork for?

Hahahahahahahaha I...think it was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When I was like eleven. And boy let me tell you IT WAS BAD. LIKE EIGHT NEW OC’S IN ONE FIC BAD. HELP.

22. What’s one of your favorite pieces of feedback you’ve received?

God, I literally love all the feedback I get, it’s hard to choose a favorite. I recently got a review on BoD, though (omg im aging myself...’review’) that just really meant a lot to me. It was just really detailed and complimented some of my choices, like keeping to one POV and the directions I chose to take the plot that deviated from canon, and I really appreciated hearing that that had landed with even one person. I don’t think anyone is obligated in the slightest to comment, but when y’all do take the time out of your day, it 100% makes mine.

OTP Ask Meme (I’ll assume these are meant to be mshenko hehehehe)

5. Who is most likely to carry the other?

That kinda depends on...sobriety lmaoooo. On a regular day, John’s the more rambunctious one and will lift Kaidan at any given moment. But when he’s drunk, Kaidan has been known to throw Shep over his shoulder for fun. And play his butt like a drum. He’s a menace.

21. Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

By the time their relationship is like, established and they’re not shy with each other anymore, that’s about equal, actually. They’re big nerds and like kitchen slow dances and shit.

29. One headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart

This isn’t BoD compliant at all, but I did write a drabble once about Shepard messaging Kaidan on the Collector base saying he was going to die, thinking the messages weren’t going to go through. But when he came back through the relay, they all went through at once.

30. One headcanon about this OTP that mends it

A few years after the war ends Kaidan and John retire and go live in a small house in the middle of nowhere. There’s lots of trees and a river and they have three dogs.