#some of these are definite Tali vibes

[27dragons]

I’ve been so obsessed with your Jayvik writing lately. It’s so good and amazing and wonderful, thank you for sharing 💖💖💖

❤️❤️❤️ Thank you so so much!!!! I basically bingewatched Arcane a few months ago and it has dominated my brain ever since. I was just reading the fic and adoring the art for a while, and then I read an arranged marriage fic (in a completely different fandom, no less!) that somehow pinged the idea for For the Sake of the Peace, and I haven't been able to stop writing since. There will definitely be more, if I can manage to stick with one WIP long enough to finish it!

I currently have like WIPs that are rotating unevenly through my head:

A sort of nebulous Mad-Max-ish post-apocalype AU in which Jayce, whom everyone has thought dead for years, shows up with his memories missing and at least 85% feral, and Viktor has to teach him how to person again

A soulmate tattoo fic that doesn't have an actual plot yet, I just wanted to imagine Viktor with the Talis crest on him and Jayce with Viktor's gear

A sequel to For the Sake of the Peace that will include Silco trying to start a new revolution and Jayvik trying to defuse the coup by getting the Zaundads (back) together

A semi-sequel to the Mob AU I posted recently (You're In Here with Me) that I'm still trying to work out the details for (though possibly everything I write in that series is just going to be vibes and not plot)

A vaguely regency AU in which Viktor is an impoverished gentleman who hires on with the Lords Zaundads as a tutor for their brood of children, and Jayce is a blacksmith whose background I'm still waffling over

A horrifically self-indulgent mess in which the boys are both sex workers that may never actually see the light of day

Also I have a separate document where I drop random ideas and prompts for fics for them that I haven't even started to write yet, including:

fake dating

college/uni professors (can you escape this fandom without doing one of these?) possibly to be combined with the fake dating?

sentinel/guardian

snowed in (an Only One Bed(TM) fic)

various semi-canon takes on them experimenting with different runes that make things go haywire in the tropiest of ways, including: de-aging, sex pollen, and truth serum/mind reading.

And all of that doesn't even touch on my (admittedly fewer and vaguer) ideas for Zaundads fic. Or meljayvik. Or...

...

yeah....

when I say my brain has been taken over..........

Anyway! If anyone has suggestions or wants to see some snippets or just wants to scream with me about these idiots please hit up my inbox or messages!

[zeephyre]

CR3 EPISODE 65 SPOILERS HOLY FUCK

IMOGEN AND LAUDNA KISSED?!!?!-72828_ LAURA BAILEY ALMOST GAVE ME A FUCKING HEART ATTACK LIKE OBVIOUSLY I COULD SENSE THE TENSION BETWEEN THEM THE WHOLE EPISODE AND I KNEW THAT AFTER SEPARATING THEIR RELATIONSHIP WOULD SHIFT BUT I WASN'T EXCEPTING THEM TO ACTUALLY KISS TONIGHT???#?1)£ I LITERALLY YELPED IN TERROR I THOUGHT I WAS HALLUCINATING IM SO GIDDY RIGHT NOW

god chetney totally clocked them, it's so funny bc they were NAWT subtle -- also, patê low-key exposing them and laudna very subtly (not) changing the subject... chef's kiss.

this episode????? was so good??? i am so happy that my hellians are back together??? i can barely focus rn so I'll try to remember all the good bits (which was the whole episode).

fcg and ashton -- im really glad ash specifically told fcg to hold onto the feelings they have for frida to give them smth to come home to, bc he's brought up how self destructive fcg can get bc they don't consider themself important. it was a very cute moment, and i almost cried bc i love ashton and... idk. he's not coping.

ashton gave me very manic energy this episode. a lot of emotional distress disguised as an epiphany, but that moment of them telling fcg that they can't afford to be useless explained every second of flustered panic.

(not to be that person but i uh...i am starting to ship milo and ashton. i liked it before but now i REALLY like it).

i need to know wtf talie and matt have cooked up those little bastards.

chetney getting caught in a trap almost immediately after ajit warned them to be careful or whatever was pretty funny. the whole time that was going down i kept thinking, "the world is ending. we have better shit to be thinking abt than this fr," and not in a bad way. it's just ??? bro who cares who hired you, we are BUSY. i knew chetney attacking that shop keeper was gonna bite him in the ass, and it honestly was hilarious.

i know it was just casual and also sort of a trick, but i loved fearne giving chet a little kiss. they are so real to me y'all don't understand.

i have a very complicated relationship with the matron, bc i love her aesthetic, love her vibe (tho i hate birds, but i love a raven motif), and i also will never forgive her for taking my skrunkly wunkle away from me. that shared vision between orym, chet and fearne was... fucking amazing. matt outdid himself this episode fr. it's probably one of my favourite scenes of this whole campaign.

speaking of which... VAX SCREAMING???? HE'S IN PAIN????????? LET MY BABY GIRL OUT????? I STARTED FUCKING BAWLING NO JOKE. The imagery was so visceral i felt sick to my stomach and i just started tearing up. ludinus your days are fucking numbered.

SPEAKING OF THAT WHITE HAIRED OLD BITCH. HE'S ON THE FAWKING MOON WITH LILIANA???? IRA IS ALSO ON THE MOON???? WITH A REILORA???? AND WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO THE MOON AT SOME POINT??????? I LOVE THIS CAMPAIGN RAHAHWHSHJSJ

:( still no caleb safety confirmation but i think he's fine guys what could have possibly gone wrong /s.

we're in zephrah 🥺 i knew the episode was about to end, and it was so damn beautiful, but i can't wait until thursday. we're gonna see kiki. we have to tell her abt vax, but i also don't want her to know that he's suffering.

is it thursday yet :(

[dragonflight203]

Some thoughts as I replay Mass Effect 1:

-Hackett is one of the ones to recommend Shepard as a spectre. No wonder he feels comfortable calling them up for missions through the game. He probably feels Shepard owes them a few.

-One of Joker's first lines is that he doesn't like having spectres on board. That tune changes quite quickly.

-The game eases into aliens. For the few couple of hours the player only interacts with humans and one turian. Another turian is shown in a cutscene. Geth, which are basically advanced robots, are enemies you can kill without guilt. It's not until the citadel that the game really embraces alien diversity. Bioware's wariness on how comfortable players would be about aliens shows very clearly.

-During the Eden Prime drop scene Kaidan is the one to ask about survivors. Of course he is. Kaidan, you paragon.

-Everyone learned about aliens in school. Everyone is an adult. First contact was 30 odd years ago. How exactly did the curriculum get updated so quickly that everyone learned about this in school? Bioware, your timelines make me cry.

-Manuel definitely got hit by the beacon at some point. Interesting that he also saw Saren, but his speech is so confusing no one realizes he's talking about a second turian.

-Nihlus may feel differently about humans than Saren, but he is Saren's student. He skipped all the survivors and made a beeline to the beacon. He's not cruel, but he is efficient. The beacon is the priority.

-Nihlus, we hardly knew ya. Every time I replay it's always surprising how short his screen time is. And those faces when he interacts with Saren... Bioware did a very good job on making him nonhuman but still recognizably expressive. The difference in facial expressions between ME1 and MEA are light years.

-Benezia is clearly used to Saren's tantrums. She dodged like it's something she does on a regular basis.

-Kaidan, about informing the Council about Saren: "Makes sense. They'd probably like to know he's not working for them anymore." Love this man.

-Kaidan only gets migraines. Having experienced one recently, that's a big only. And he's soldier that's frequently in combat. I hope the future has excellent pain killers.

-For this playthrough I'm planning to have Tali and Liara as companions, so I'm skipping everything on the Citadel that isn't necessary or unique to the first visit until I pick them up. It makes the game feel quite different. I usually spend hours on the Citadel during my first visit; this time I'm leaving quite quickly.

-Pallin's skepticism about humanity makes more sense when Harkin is considered. Harkin was the first human in C-Sec, he's corrupt as hell, and humanity did a lot behind the scenes to protect him. Pallin's big on following the law no matter what. No wonder he's not impressed by humanity.

-Anderson has extreme tunnel vision about Saren. From the minute he's mentioned he's convinced Saren's behind it and he's doing it solely out of hatred of humanity. He repeatedly brings this up.

Meanwhile, in the game I get the vibe that Saren doesn't care about humanity too much. He doesn't like them, he might antagonize them if the opportunity comes up, but they're not worth the bother to put actual effort into tormenting. Humanity just isn't that important to him.

-Love those silent interactions between council members where they just look at each other. Again, the difference between ME1 and MEA is stark.

-Going by the Geth core Tali retrieved, Saren considers Eden Prime a victory. The tantrum he threw indicates otherwise. Does he really consider it a victory, or is that just a speech he gave to motivate the Geth?

-At this time, I'm not convinced Anderson believes in the Reapers. He still thinks it's Saren, he just doesn't think it's worth debating Shepard on it.

-I genuinely like Udina as a character. I'd hate to be around him, but he's determined to do a good job, pragmatic, and truly devoted to humanity. Also nice to have someone around who pushes back against Shepard. ME3 wastes him.

-Garrus mentions that he rose in the ranks through C-Sec. What was his actual rank? Detective or the like, I presume. Pallin knows who he is, and that's impressive considering the number of officers there are. Even with Castis as a father.

-Tali mentions Quarian overseers to the Geth when speaking to Shepard. The game definitely pushes the slavery parallels with the Geth, even in ME1. "Overseer" is not the first term I'd use for supervising machinery. Or maybe that's the American cultural bias showing through.

-Everyone info dumps in ME1. Everyone. Enjoyable, but a bit exhausting at the start of the game when it feels continuous.

-Liara in ME1 is a completely different character than in ME2 and ME3. I'm hesitant to consider the change natural growth. It's a shame, because ME1 Liara has quite a bit of potential. They didn't need to rework her character for the later games.

-First time playing on Insanity, and I'm surprised at the lack of trouble I've had so far. Everyone says the battle with the krogan at the end of Therum is difficult, but I only died once. I might regret this later, when I get to the Uncharted worlds...

Edit: Fix spellings

[dutyworn]

@firstkeptdaughter said: for the shepard ask meme - 3. What’s their relationship with Anderson? // 48. What abilities do they rely on the most in a fight? // 29. How active is Shepard? Are they hitting the gym, playing sports, or do they prefer quieter downtime? // 19. Are there any companions your Shepard just absolutely cannot vibe with or relate to // 5. How well does Shepard know their crew? Not just the companions, but the folks making up the Normandy // 11. What order does Shepard pick up companions in me2?

fifty questions for commander shepard    /    ACCEPTING ↷

3. What’s their relationship with Anderson? :: Anderson is very much a father-figure for her. Nothing such is ever explicitly said between the two, but the way she looks up to him and the way he, mostly professionally, at some point (probably around Akuze), took her under his wing, makes it feel that way at least for her, and maybe for Anderson as well. It's also why "you did well, child" hits so hard when he dies. It's the one time he's used remotely paternal language with her and it's both validating and heartbreaking.

48. What abilities do they rely on the most in a fight? :: Answered here.

29. How active is Shepard? Are they hitting the gym, playing sports, or do they prefer quieter downtime? :: She cannot sit still to save her life ksnsss. She's always moving, if she can be moving; she loves combat simulators and says they help her "relax", she's constantly running on a treadmill, coaxing friends to spar with her, etc. Having to sit with her thoughts, alone, makes her climb the walls like a creechure.

19. Are there any companions your Shepard just absolutely cannot vibe with or relate to :: No, none of the squadmate characters. She's not instantly best friends with everyone - she has reservations, sometimes, but there's no one she doesn't end up trusting on her team with, and at least on a casual level vibing with. She's excellent at getting along with and finding common ground with different people. She can often have initial reservations about mercenary types, like Zaeed and even Wrex, definitely Thane, Miranda because she seems ruthless at first meet and is Cerberus (hi Miranda mun sorry Miranda mun I love her and Shepard becomes close friends with her in the way I see it in gameplay as well), etc. but she, as a rule, doesn't let these reservations show. She very firmly believes that she cannot build trust without extending trust; a team isn't formed on a foundation of suspicion and distrust, and this is a technique that has worked well for her. Honestly, to think of it, there are probably fewer squadmates she doesn't have some reservations about, initially, than ones she instantly would trust with her life or think she's going to be super close with, but she figures things out with every one of them. Deliberately gets to know them and befriends them. Zaeed is definitely the hardest for her to vibe with, due to the nature of his loyalty mission and him not only not considering civilians, but also behaving completely out of control, seeming incapable of following the original plan for no good reason...

5. How well does Shepard know their crew? Not just the companions, but the folks making up the Normandy :: Answered here.

11. What order does Shepard pick up companions in me2? :: I may still tweak this, but currently my timeline says: Kasumi (goes to the Citadel to stock up first, recruited automatically), Zaeed (again automatic on arriving on Omega), Mordin, Garrus, Jack, Tali (early recruit mod, before Horizon), Thane, Grunt, Samara, Legion.

[commanderalenko-ao3]

1, 8, 24 for the Shepard ask :)

Hi, thanks for sending in some numbers! As before, all answers all relate to the Shepard in there'll be peace when you are done.

1: Why did Shepard enlist? Any regrets?

I can't lie, I've been thinking about this question all day and considering the implications of it! Shepard has the Earthborn background, so while enlisting in the Alliance was an escape for him, it also served a bit more of a selfish purpose. Shepard had always longed to be out in space, and since he knew he wouldn't ever make it based on scraping together enough for a ticket or working up to another job to get out there, the Alliance became a sort of two birds, one stone situation.

8: What is their reaction to the Alchera mission? And after?

Shepard very much viewed it as something he needed to do, something he owed to the original crew and to their families. To him, it was unthinkable to ignore the request, and he plotted a route to Alchera as soon as possible.

It sticks with him, as all losses under his watch do. With this - and in the post ME3 fic - Shepard often wonders why he was the lucky one out of everyone. His dice rolls are always the ones that come up in a way that means he gets out, and while he never wants to diminish the opportunity he's been given by it, he wants so desperately for others to have had the same chances. It pulls at him that it isn't always possible to guarantee that.

24: Who does Shepard turn to for advice? For comfort? Who do they like to gossip with?

Advice is easily definitely Chakwas. They have a solid relationship, and Shepard often turns to her for a friendly ear when he wants it to be a little more private. She's great for keeping things quiet when needed, and she won't bullshit him.

Comfort varies a little depending on the circumstances. Primarily Kaidan, of course, but equally he finds a lot of comfort in Joker's presence and whole vibe. If Joker's still clowning around, it brings a steady sort of normalcy to the ship that keeps Shepard's feet on the ground.

Ohhh gossip is so interesting, because I think most of the time Shepard is very good about overhearing things and not sharing them around. He'll let people confide in him, but he doesn't tend to pass on anything that someone might not want spread. Having said that: Tali and Steve, for sure! Tali is so entertaining when she has news to share, and Steve hears a lot more than people tend to think (usually thanks to James).

[clericofshadows]

For the mass effect questions: 4, 5, 6, 20, 21, 26, 44, and 54 (P.S. - I love your mods quite a lot, thank you so much for taking the time to make and share the ones you release :D)

thanks for the ask! and thank you, I'm so glad you enjoy my mods! my releases are definitely slowing down as I'm now in my third year of pharmacy school, but I still have some things and updates planned :)

mass effect questions!

4. First Shepard; Paragon, Renegade, or Neutral?

I think my first shepard, who was eventually an abandoned femshep playthrough because I started using mods and preferring mshep (lol) was more on the paragon side.

5. Preferred alignment?

Renegade, by far. I like the dialogue options and the overall more ruthless and brutal stance Shepard can take on things. I really play closer to "Renegon" but overall renegade is just a lot of fun. And the scars are sick as hell.

6. Preferred Shepard backstory (colonist, earthborn, spacer)?

Spacer. I like the idea of Hannah Shepard as a character you can interact with just a little, and I've had a lot of fun envisioning this relationship between Regis, my main shepard, and her as being quite strained. A perfect paragon Admiral in the Alliance versus the fallen Renegade Butcher of Torfan... very fun to explore.

20. Post Suicide Mission survival rate?

With Regis's canon, I lost Garrus, Grunt, and Legion due to Risky Suicide Mission, a mod that introduces some randomization and other neat mechanics to make the suicide mission actually feel like one. I would in fact choose to kill off those three intentionally since I like my ME3 world state without them/don't really care for them, so 9/12 would be my survival rate.

21. Favorite ME2 Squad combo?

Zaeed and Miranda. Great skills, I've made them match with my mods, and they're my favorites in the game.

26. Blue, Green, Red, or Fuck You?

Red, always. Destroy was always the goal, so it's the obvious choice for me.

44. A character you'd love to drop in a volcano and forget about?

Liara. I mean Therum is right there... but honestly, I hated the direction they went with her with 2 and beyond, and at least Garrus, my second choice for this question, I can get rid of in 2. I can't get rid of Liara, and if they didn't do the Liara grabs Shepard's corpse and delivers it to Cerberus plot line, I'd probably be a little more neutral meh on her. And if the game let me not be besties with her. And not forced to take her to Thessia... I could go on and on tbh.

54. Your absolutely NOTP

Shakarian, Shiara, Garrus/Tali, and EDI/Joker. I don't have one lol

First two because I don't like the characters and tbh why I can never really release a Shepard sculpt (sorry, I'm very biased and once I make a Shepard, he's mine and Kaidan's). Garrus/Tali came out of absolutely nowhere and I never got couple vibes from them, especially with Garrus's terrible elevator dialogue towards her in 1. Felt like a terrible "pair the spares" thing. And EDI/Joker isn't bad, but I vastly prefer them as friends tbh.

these were a great mix of questions btw :)

[raylazuko]

So I listened to every Eurovision 2024 song and here are my rankings and reviews!

1. Slovenia: Veronika-Raiven 10/10

Holy shit, my jaw is on the floor! This is easily my favorite song this year with only Mustii coming close. This girl’s voice is insane. I am obsessed with dark songs and…this climax. It’s actually insane. The background vocals had me climbing up the walls, this is INSANE. I JUST WISH THE SONG WAS LONGER! It’s so good that my only complaint is wanting more of it!

2. Belgium: Before the Party’s Over-Mustii 10/10

Holy shit, this is incredible! I have a strong affinity for dark pop and songs that build in intensity over time. It starts out as a fairly by the numbers ballad but gains a lot of momentum. Mustii has incredible vocals and the atmosphere is insane. The lyrics aren’t anything special but the delivery and mood of the song more than makes up for it. That final chorus with the choir legitimately gives me chills.

3. Norway: Ulveham-Gåte 10/10

Okay, this is incredible. Mixing old Norse folk songs with a hard rock vibe is excellent and the vocals are incredible! This is the perfect blend of beautifully traditional and kickass! This is another band I’ll definitely be checking out after this!

4. Switzerland: The Code-Nemo 10/10

Seeing a nonbinary artist making a song that’s blatantly about queer joy makes me absolutely thrilled, and the blend of rap and opera is insane. Their vocals are absolutely insane and I really hope this wins.

5. San Marino: 11:11-Megara 10/10

This is my first introduction to Megara and wow, I’m obsessed lol. I love hard rock especially female-fronted and I’ll definitely be checking this band out. This is just a really kickass hard rock banger with some electronic elements! There’s not much else to say expect the flamenco breakdown was really cool and actually fits well.

6. Latvia: Hollow-Dons 10/10

Yeah, I love dark stuff with this kind of vibe, it’s right up my alley. (Daylight and Arcade do this sound BADLY) this song does it WELL and I give a lot of credit to Dons for this insane performance. I could see this shrinking on me but for now, it’s hitting the spot! Anthemic shit like this is my cup of tea!

7. Serbia: Ramonda-Teya Dora 10/10

As far as ballads go, this is about as perfect as you can get. Teya’s voice is gorgeous, and the instrumental is perfectly spare leading up to a big crescendo. The final chorus gives me chills with the incredible layered vocals.

8. Czechia: Pedestal-Aiko 9.5/10

We love pop punk girlies! This song is so fun. It’s a great kickass self empowerment anthem about not needing no man! I’m a big fan of this sound and Aiko has a nice voice. The only reason it’s not a 10 is because I find the song a bit short.

9. Luxembourg: Fighter-TALI 9.5/10

Welcome back, Luxembourg! This is pretty much a perfect pop song and totally how you do a pop song lol. It’s catchy without being annoying, has all the production elements in the right place, a mix of languages, and a great performance by TALI. This one won’t get out of my head!

10. Croatia: Rim Tim Tagi Dim-Baby Lasagna 9/10

This song is very fun and peak Eurovision to me. The energy reminds me a lot of Kaarija last year. It’s extremely campy while still sounding pretty awesome and having that hard rock chorus. The anxiety of growing up and moving out is real so even if the lyrics are cheesy I enjoy them quite a bit. It’s just a bit cheesy for me to listen to regularly but it is such a banger.

11. Poland: Grito-iolanda 9/10

I’m not much for ballads but this one has some nice swell to it and a really pleasant melody as well as great vocals! What’s not to love?

12. Finland: No Rules!-Windows95Man 9/10

As goofy as this is, I can’t help but love it. It puts a huge smile on my face and it has a nice positive message. Also the whole Windows95 aesthetic is awesome lol.

13. Ireland: Doomsday Blue-Bambie Thug 9/10

Okay, yeah, thanks for the discovery! This gives me BIG Ashnikko and TeZAtalks vibes and I am here for it. Also more nonbinary representation! Definitely the most unique song of the year! I love the aggro rap and hard rock juxtaposed with the acoustic chorus. Very cool!

14. Estonia: 5MINUST, Puuluup-(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi 8.5/10

This title is way too long lol. I had no idea how to rank this, but yeah, this is fun and just embodies Eurovision for me! It’s such a bop!

15. Albania: TiTAN-Besa 8.5/10

I love everything about this from Besa’s vocals to the anthemic mood, to the handclaps to the synth explosion of the final chorus. My only problem is how the first part of the song is kind of boring and the lyrics are woefully generic.

16. Azerbaijan: Özünle Apar-Fahree, İlkin Dovletov 8/10

This song is really gorgeous. The vocals are beautiful, it has a relaxing ethnic vibe, I love the stings and backing vocals, and this definitely strikes me as a unique entry!

17. Moldova: The Middle-Natalia Barbu 8/10

I’m not really sure why people hate this one. It’s really unique and has a great orchestral vibe to it. Sure, the lyrics are generic, but the vocals are great and I love the combination of the more orchestral vibe and the dance beat. It’s a really nice vibe!

18. Australia: One Mikali (One Blood)-Electric Fields 8/10

I like this one a lot. It has a nice message and a really great crowd pleaser vibe. The vocals are great and it’s an electronic sound with traditional and ethnic elements. I really love the synth riff, that’s some delicious stuff. I just find it a bit cheesy to be one of my top choices.

19. France: Mon Amor-Slimane 8/10

I’m not usually much for ballads, and this isn’t something I’d listen to all that often, but this man has some pipes and his vocals absolutely carry this song.

20. Italy: La Noia-Angelina Mango 8/10

This is a really fun ethnic song with good vocals and a nice instrumental that makes me want to dance. I like these type of songs a lot.

21. Cyrpus: Liar-Silia Kapsis 8/10

This one is strange for me, since it has tropical house elements and is extremely generic which I both hate. This kind of reminds me of Solo from last year, but better. Idk what it is about this girl and the song but it’s so catchy and I have a lot of fun with this despite its shortcomings.

22. Armenia: Jako-Ladanavia 8/10

This is probably the most ethnic sounding song on the list and I find it to be quite repetitive. This seems more like a novelty song than one I’d listen to a lot, but I can’t deny how fun and upbeat it is! This is a very unique entry in the lineup!

23. Greece: ZARI-Marina Satti 8/10

I was not feeling this at first, but it’s really grown on me. It’s incredibly infectious. Yes, it can get annoying after a while, but I listen to a lot of noisy music so I’m sort of immune. I like the ethnic sound and party vibe but I do think it has the potential to shrink on me really fast.

24. Malta: Loop-Sara Bonnici 8/10

This is a really solid and fun pop song with nice vocals, there’s not much else to say about it!

25. Georgia: Firefighter-Nutsa 7.5/10

I really wish I liked this more. Iru was absoltuely robbed last year and I can’t help but feel that this one also has very generic lyrics and messy production. However Nutsa is a good perfomer and I really like the “I see it in the air” chanting and the song has a nice build to the chorus. Considering I listen to a lot of K-pop with similarly messy production, this doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it would for some.

26. Netherlands: Europapa-Joost 7/10

This one has grown on me a lot since I first heard it. It kind gives me similar catchy energy to “Who the Hell is Edgar” from last year and it’s a fun song about Europe with a fun beat that I enjoy.

27. Ukraine: Teresa & Maria-aloyna aloyna, Jerry Heil 7/10

I think this song has a great message and an absolutely gorgeous chorus, however I find the rap to be very out of place and it sounds like an entirely different song to me and really takes me out of the experience.

28. United Kingdom: Dizzy-Olly Alexander 6.5/10

This is one that I can see a lot of people liking, and it isn’t bad! It’s not a nice chill electronic vibe and I wouldn’t turn it off if it came on. I just don’t find it all that interesting, sorry!

29. Austria: We Will Rave-Kaleen 6.5/10

Austria went with 00s eurodance this year and the song is pretty decent. The title is certainly accurate as this would go off hard at a rave. I think it will be a crowd favorite. I don’t find the vocals to be that interesting and the song is incredibly repetitive, however.

30. Poland: The Tower-LUNA 6/10

This one is also really boring for me. It’s a nice synthpop song, but not much else. It’s not dark or exciting enough for me to latch onto. Also LUNA’s vocals remind me of Halsey which is cool I guess.

31. Germany: Always on the Run-ISAAK 6/10

This feels like a very generic Imagine Dragons-type song. ISAAK has a good voice and the song is very anthemic and uplifting, but I don’t like how generic the lyrics and melody are.

32. Denmark: SAND-Saba 6/10

Another woefully generic but well-produced entry. Saba’s vocals are quite good, but yeah, it can’t get much more generic than this.

33. Sweden: Unforgettable:-Marcus & Martinus 5.5/10

I unfortunately find this song very forgettable. It’s just generic evil woman lyrics, the vocals aren’t anything special, and while the beat is fun, there’s just not much to come back to.

34. Spain: ZORRA-Nebulossa 5/10

This song sounds like early 2010s schlock and is just not that well produced and the performer doesn’t do much to elevate it.

35. Lithuania: Luktelk-Silvester Belt 5/10

This one is just pretty generic to me. I could see why people like it or find it fun, but I’m not getting much from this.

36. Iceland: Scared of Heights-Hera Björk 4/10

Man, this is so generic. I don’t even know what to say other than that this sounds like a 2009 song and that’s not a compliment. Yes her voice is good, but you can’t get more generic than this shit.

[elvenbeard]

Thanks for your answer on the bi/straight mod question! Very interesting to see your perspective, especially since I myself am straight and feel like that is a topic I'm not qualified to offer my opinions on. Bioware, and Dragon Age in particular is what made me bring it up. I was there for the Dorian drama too and it was messy. I never downloaded that mod, it didnt sit right with me either knowing his story, I just happily romanced him with a male inqusitor and went on my way. But then I think about Mass Effect and characters like Jack, is who definitely bi, and Tali who does seem to flirt with FemShep, they're only romanceable for MShep, so I sometime wonder if there's a grey area there where a mod would be ok? Or like for Kaidan, who is bi but not romanceable by MShep until game 3, It seems like a mod for him in ME1 is acceptable. Idk, I'm rambling, but I guess in my opinion they may be okay for some characters, like Kaidan, but not okay for others, like Dorian. And like you said, maybe that's hypocritical, but that makes the most sense to me in a way? Again, not trying to start anything, just happy to have a civil discussion about it instead of seeing both sides yell at each other while I watch from afar and try to make sense of it.

Always happy to discuss things like this in a civil way, cause that's how you learn and see different perspectives!

I think everything considered, everyone needs to decide for themselves what's okay and what isn't. If I love a character so so much, but I cannot or don't want to romance them with a PC they'd be attracted to given their background and story, then what is it that I love about that character (especially if their sexuality is integral to the story)? Do I really love the character for who they are, or do I just hate being turned down by them, despite always being nice to them (do I feel cheated by the narrative)? What is it that prevents me from enjoying this character's story how it's written (is it bad, or is it just not what I expected, what I know from other media)? Is it internalized homophobia, or does it make me uncomfortable to be adressed as a different gender than my own (what can I learn about myself from this)? Something else, all of the above?

I can answer that for myself in regard to why I personally don't mind headcanoning some straight characters as bi or gay. Most random example: Cassandra from Dragon Age. I didn't play her romance, I know vaguely how it plays out though. It's sweet, it's dorky, it's romantic af. I love Cassandra as the strong leader who also loves cute romance novels - get yourself a girl who can be both! But also, from what I know about it, her romance feels like something I've seen depicted in media 1000 times before. I feel like romancing her with a female Inquisitor could give her story a different vibe entirely, one that I personally could relate more to. I'm not saying that her canon romance and orientation are bad either - it's just something that doesn't grab me as much when here are LIs that are "less conventional" (read: more like myself), with stories I can relate to more.

Regarding Jack, Tali, and Kaidan: considering how old Mass Effect 1 is, and how utterly radical it was at the time to have Liara as an LI for both female and male Shepard, I think they really wanted to play it safe with who was canonically available to whom as an LI, and only got braver when ME3 rolled around. It's been too long since I played the games myself, and I only ever played a male Shepard, so I can't comment specifically on Tali's behavior towards Femshep for example. And again, I think it's totally fair to headcanon Tali as bi or lesbian or whatever you want, and get mods that unlock her romance, because it's only relevant to your own game and story and doesn't affect anyone else. It's totally fair to headcanon Kaidan as straight, because if you're only ever playing Femshep, I'm not sure if anything ever comes up that would suggest he's bi, romanced or not (correct me if I'm wrong!). And it's also not gonna take away from me having the ultimate slowburn romance between him and my male Shepard either xD I know there's mods that unlock his romance for male Shep in ME1, too, but I personally do not mind that he's not an LI there. Cause heck... maybe Kaidan didn't realize himself at the time that he is bi, and maybe he realizes only by the time he starts to trust male Shepard again in ME3 "hmm... maybe I'm feeling a little more than just admiration and friendship for this man." I love the M!Shenko romance so much as a slowburn, because sexuality is a shifting thing, and it's never too late to realize that maybe you're not as straight (or cis) as you thought you were.

I don't wanna go into morals or what's okay and what isn't, because in the end, as I said, these characters and their stories are all fictional. Also, good queer representation is by far not as rare anymore as it was by the time of Mass Effect 1 or Dragon Age: Origins, where I kind of accidentally stumbled into Zevran's romance with my male Warden and had my mind blown that it was possible to be gay in a fantasy story. Overall though, there's still too little rep, and if you look around the world rn, at the political climate and the rising tension towards queer people, we need it more than ever, still.

Another reason why I'm personally more "forgiving" towards mods that make canonically straight, cis characters queer, because there's so little gay fantasy knights in shining armour romances, so little dorky space lesbians. The queer characters used to often be the sexually more deviant, morally grey, shady characters (I love you, Zevran, but also.... yeah). They still sometimes are, and not only do we need more, we need more diverse stories. More quiet romantic queers, more serious respectable queers, more evil queers that are evil because they're evil, not because they're queer.

And sometimes you just need a little bit of self-fulfillment in fiction when the real world constantly tells you "no one would ever love you the way you are". I can see why you don't wanna be turned down by your favourite fictional character, and there is no harm in "what if" scenarios that mods allow you to experience. Since being straight is still considered "the norm" in large parts of society and in fiction, I feel like some straight people playing games with diverse queer rep experience being turned down for their gender and orientation for the first time in their lives there. And maybe "make this character straight" mods are a way to cope with that unexpected rejection from their favourites (and again, being turned down by your fave is never fun, and when you have the chance to play out "what if" scenarios in your head or with mods, by all means, go for it! I get it, I really do).

But my guess is as good as any other and still: me understanding it doesn't mean I wanna see it on my dash.

Simultaneously, I get it that female players want to play female characters, cause even female protags are not something that was always just there from the beginning of games. Me personally, I prefer playing male characters when given a choice. And now you have games like Cyberpunk, where you can canonically make V trans (it's not perfect by how it's pulled off, but what in life is perfect?). Having that option alone was another utter *mind blown* moment for me, and I hope more and more games will pick this up in the future and "normalize" it, make it standard, expose people to the existence of queer people at every opportunity xD And now I'm completely off topic so I'll stop here with my rant!

TL,DR: Let people mod what they mod, if they really wanna, they're gonna do it anyway. Everyone needs to decide for themselves what's okay and what isn't, and there are no bigger, all encompassing morals to adhere to. Maybe we're all not that different in our experiences and wishes and daydreams and just need to realize it more. Be kinder and more respectful towards each other. Focus on creating and enjoying the things that you love and share it with people who love it. And, if all else fails... block/mute/blacklist things and people you don't wanna have in your life XD

And there's nothing bad in being a little hypocritical sometimes, hell, I still get mad af at stupid mods and stupid takes XD I'm far from perfect, I'm super petty actually. I've fucked up in the past, and will probably fuck up in the future, too, it's just human. But I still will try to do my best to be respectful and just remove myself from environments and content that gets me mad, and focus on the good things and the cool people and what they do and support them. Help them be louder against bigots as best as I can.

[queen-scribbles]

7, 9, 12 for Emily from the Shepard asks and 15, 18, 21 for Lisa :) (or mix and match lol whatever works)

Emily

7. Does their love interest move into their quarters?

Oh, yes. She's a Kaidan-mancer, so it's not til like halfway through ME3 that it happens, but pretty much soon as Kaidan joins the Normandy they're bunking together. They've lost enough time, why waste anymore?

9. What type of fighter is your Shepard? Do they fight with honor, or do they fight dirty?

She's definitely a more honorable fighter as much as possible(98% paragon bay-bee). There's a few fights that get desperate enough she decides anything goes, and there's no "honor" against banshees, we're putting those thing down.

12. Does Shepard have any nicknames? What do they think of em?

Em, which is for pretty much anyone who wants to use it, and Kaidan will sometimes call her Emmy. She likes them both well enough(is kind of a stickler on Emmy being just for Kaidan. It's fair trade for him letting her call him Kay).

Lisa

15. What colors does Shepard prefer for their armor?

Dark, dark grey(almost black) with dark red accents

18. Who’s the dream team? Which companions does Shepard fight best with and why?

ME1: Kaidan/Tali (tech nerd bffs ftw), ME2: some combo of Kasumi, Jack, Mordin, and Tali(bc they're the best skill match up and none of them are Cerberus). Occasionally tossing Thane in for flavor, but Lisa's a sniper so he and Garrus both feel redundant xD ME3: some combo of Kaidan, Tali, and Vega (just bc she vibes best with them, for obvious reasons on Kaidan and Tali)

21. Do you have any AUs for your Shepard?

More of a personal canon alteration than a strict AU, but I did write a fic where Gabe didn't die and she got to introduce him to Kaidan :')))

Shepard Asks

[walkman-cat]

[blinkstory] patchnotes!!

bc i've been working on it again!

blink's no longer a con artist– they are a scarily good regular normal artist (specialises in portraits) who just happens to be a bastard

bc of this ^ the dynamic of the spirit detective agency (name pending) has shifted a little (ie. blink's no longer just there as a buffer against overstimulation, they're also essentially a sketch artist

blink's entire backstory has been changed! some characters no longer exist :( but there are now new figures :D yippee! i have an idea of pre-initial death up until just after they got top surgery (several deaths later)

came up a silly gimmick for the main antagonists :D (the creekes are a family of exorcists who have some fundamental disagreements with the lads' ideas on ghosts. i'm trying to find a happy medium for their vibe but the stomach family from gavv and the matoba clan from natsume yuujinchou are definite inspirations)!! anyways they're all named after different poisounous plants-- castor, oleander, digitalis, wolfsbane (&c.)

speaking of creekes, the shady doctor blink got their top surgery from is called oleaner creeke :) she was the first person blink met post-initial death. acts only in her self-interest but does care for blink to an extent (even if it's because they're an interesting specimen)

i'm thinking of tali (digitalis) being someone eury knew at uni. for the drama

eury's degree (which she dropped out of) has been decided! east asian studies at soas

replotted a little (still have a lot to finalise but still!)

worldbuilding has been expanded on! now have a reason for minor ravenshill being Like That (possession is now a thing that can occur. but i still have to iron out details)

renamed/worked on art's ravenshill friends the character formerly known as nate is now called antimony and her half-brother's called eoin

designs have changed a little :)

stuff i need to work on:

what happened to blink post-top surgery and pre-meeting eury

the creekes in general

the plot

my cat not trying to eat my laptop??? while sitting on it????

[onmymasa22]

Pepple loved shells and corals in these galleries

Why?

Because its in the Mediterranean sea but very deep and hard to cut away

When u tell a friends who stops by that u just camt get urself to wake up these days. For two weeks u have just wanted to be in bed all day and are awake but cant get urself out and about. Amd ots really frustrating cuz ur a person who likes to start ur day at 7 or 8. And 9am wake up is a nice vacation. I like the morning. I like cool air. I like to start off slow so that by 9am im good and happy and excited about the day. So this friend said to take a walk to wake up and get going

When ur friend drops by with some

My day:

Friend stops by with homemade honey for me

When ur friend stops by with homemade honey and u explain how for weeks youve been having issues with waking up in the morning. So

I want the guy who loves me unconditionally. I want to be in love with people and everyone. Hashem please bring love into my life. Bring me happiness and truth and love. I dont sleep around with losers.

I just need to say this.i am so happy i dont sleep around. The idea of sleeping with guys who dont love me just doesn't do it for me. I think i tried to see if it culd just be me. But id rather have a toy or something to get off until i find someone who loves me the way i deserve. Why would i want to get off from someone who loves me less than me if i could be loved by me- someone who doesnt do something not ok, is always listening to my heart, would neber touch me withour care. I would never hurt m3 or abandon me. I am the one who is here till the end. So the only people who can touch me is me and someone who promises to be there till the end.

Home

My parents

My grandparents

My families here- hodaya odeya lav garin zabar california taglit mygarin yadbinyamin yahelsfamily sahi enosh- pashut lehiyot, the class- elish saroosh avishag tali neta

Apartment- elishevas family

Tali perla

The girls in school

Noa

Jsc

Trees

The seasons

The beach

Coffee

Guitar

Looking up at the sky

Ballerina

Saxaphone piano guitar

The 80s music

Movies

Movie quotes

Traveling europe

Painting i made of the rabbi and soldier

Manis friedman

Yy jacobson

Charlie harary

Rabbi wallerstein

Jill kaseman

Holocaust

Grandma sima

Van gogh ear

Lady diana

Ariel

Adhd

Sandwiches

Friends, will and grace, anne Hathaway, izzie, this is us

Stand up

Monet

Degas

Oil painting

Bob ross

Beaches with different colored sand

The grunge and the pretty

Sabrina the teenage witch

Balconies amd sitting outside and reading vogue

Wicked

Looking for alaska

Tell the wolves im home

Books movies music art places traveling food drink flowers sports instruments languages philosophy culture fashion spirtually people in my life.

Can we make it normal to start saying to people and ourselves: you're pretty. But not just pretty. You're pretty and smart and funny and oh so loved. Now go out in the world and be your sparkly self.

My day

Took my meds

Signed my contract for my new dream job... this lady gets a pension now!!

Celebrated by thrift shopping, im such a sucker for anything with red flowers, and pants that are elastic on top, because you only live once, y b uncomfortable.

Coffee and dead poets society... because vibes

Calligraphy class aka kabbalah therapy

An art lecture, something about seashells in renassance paintings (it's only like my favorite sance)

When you take a walk in the city, walk into a building that turns out to be a museum, put on funky glasses, and next thing u know, ur in the beis hamikdash. Then u check out the gift shop and find out admission was 60 shekel. Sweet. So, next time i want to visit the beis hamikdash, ill definitely pay the 60 shekel.

[ultrakatua]

I played Tuchanka and the Citadel missions back to back yesterday and I have so many thoughts (mainly I'm tired because I went to bed at 2am lmao)

Honestly I was really missing the Babylon 5/Hyperion/War of the Worlds vibes from 1. The artistic direction of 3 has been insanely good so far. Heck, the whole game is amazing.

I passed the tower section by Biotic charging my way through like I'm Samus using her fricking grappling, thinking "WELL, GUESS THAT WORKS" the whole time.

That hospital scene made me ugly cry.

Kaidan is insanely GOATed, like his convo before joining the Normandy was soooo good.

THERE WAS A QTE TO HIGH-FIVE WREX.

I'll definitely replay on Insanity at some point and try to save everyone because I'm now realising that that's it, my crew is certainly complete because Tali and Garrus are dead.

Liara's the only alien left, and I feel like that's only because the game didn't get any opportunity to kill her (yet).

[just-another-wasteland-merc]

Okay y'all. I have a hot take here and I'm sure I'm going to get some flak about it, which is fine. I would definitely prefer an open discussion rather than just finger pointing. But this is about Tali.

Yes. Our favorite quarian, Tali Z'orah nar Rayya/ vas Normandy.

The hot take is on the ship. Shepard and Tali. It's below the cut because it has spoilers and some of my friends have not played the games yet/haven't finished. I will maybe use you and we a lot, but it is in the general terms.

Alright. Let's talk about 1 first. We first meet her while she is on her Pilgrimage. I'm going to draw from some cultures around me and we can probably speculate that quarians may enter this rite between 16 and 18 years old. The wiki identifies it as "young adulthood", but for simplicity's sake, let's say that Tali is about 18 years old when we meet her. Canonically, Commander Shepard is 29 during the events of Mass Effect 1.

Now let's fast forward to Mass Effect 2. Two years after the destruction of the Normandy SR-1, Shepard is brought back thanks to Cerberus's Project Lazarus. Tali has.. Hm. How should we put this. Passed? Entered adulthood, let's go with that. But if we stuck with 18 for the first game, she's 20. Shepard is 31 now. It gives off a lot of vibes of "born/turned sexy yesterday." Shepard wakes up two years later that was a total blank to them, notices she's an adult, and thinks "Hm. I wanna smooch that."

And honestly, that's kinda creepy.

Now okay, I need you, dear reader, to know that I love Tali very much. She's sassy, crazy smart with engineering, so very loyal to her friends and Shepard, and even learns a lot about her stance on the Geth. I'm so proud of her development from animosity to almost friendship with Legion, and even after Legion sacrifices itself to give the Geth intelligence (this is my playthrough, which may be different than yours), she mourns his death.

She goes through a lot of growing up even after her Pilgrimage ends. It's just romantically, the creep factors come seeping in.

I welcome asks, discussions, etc. I do not welcome hate. I'm open to talking civilly.

Thank you for allowing me to say this.

[astorythatwritesitself]

Fandoms

Taking a break from characters to give a rundown of fandoms I like to dabble in & any ships! List is subject to change, and is far from all I'm into- these are just the things I most engage with in a fannish way.

💭 - ready supply of headcanons

📓 - can always request in writing prompt games

🌟 - A Fave

It's gonna get Long.

Shows:

Hellsing Ultimate

💭 📓 🌟🌟🌟

Have seen: the OVA, read about half the manga, Crossfire included.

Will answer ship prompts for: Alucard x Integra, Seras x Pip, Heinkel x Yumie.

Heinkel and Anderson are the ones I probably have the most thoughts on, but I'll answer for anyone except Millennium members (aside from Walter).

One Piece

💭

Have seen: Dub up to... early 600s? Vegapunk island, bodyswap just happened. Several movies.

Will answer ship prompts for: Robin x Franky

Can most reliably come up with stuff for the main Straw Hat crew, fun gen stuff but I doubt I'll be doing much that's involved.

Fairy Tail

💭, maybe 📓

Have seen: Entire dub, both movies; read Rhodonite.

Will answer ship prompts for: Gajeel x Levy

Look I'll level. I'm here for Gajeel, Levy, and occasionally Juvia for some reason. FT falls deeply into 'canon is a polite suggestion' territory ok.

The Owl House

💭

Have seen: Seasons 1 & 2

Might be able to get me to answer stuff for Eda x Raine but I'm mostly here for gen stuff.

Sailor Moon

💭📓🌟

Have seen: oh god it's so piecemeal. Most knowledge comes from the manga up through about Dead Moon Circus and original run (sub & Viz re-dub) up through roughly Chibiusa's introduction.

Will answer ship prompts for: Mako x Ami, maybe Haruka x Michiru x Setsuna.

Honestly this one's been so very headcanon fueled & canon is a very, very loose suggestion xD

Steven Universe

💭📓🌟

Have seen: Original run & movie. (Never quite got around to Future)

Will answer ship prompts for: Amethyst x Pearl, Lapis x Peridot; virtually any gem x gem combo tbh.

It's definitely died down but I've still got a bit of a soft spot, y'know?

The Clone Wars + The Bad Batch

💭

Have seen: Full run of TCW, S1 of TBB

Will answer ship prompts for: Hondo & Cad Bane is the only valid Star Wars pairing

Ok no though for real I just don't really have any ships here, but it's definitely fun poking at little headcanons.

Video games:

Mass Effect

💭📓🌟🌟🌟🌟

Have Played: Vanilla trilogy (no DLC events or squadmates (Kasumi, Zaeed and Javik) will factor in to my work), read all 3 novels. It's been a while since I've played, so some finer details may be missing!

Will answer ship prompts for: Shepard x Thane, Shepard x Garrus, Garrus x Tali, Joker x EDI

Mass Effect is not a fandom. Mass Effect burrows into your fuckin soul and never lets go. Rundown of my Shepard can be found here. As far as hcs/games go, I will answer for most Normandy crew.

Final Fantasy

Have played: VII, X, X-2, XII (it's been a little while though)

💭📓🌟 (primarily X-2 & XII)

Will answer ship prompts for: Cloud x Tifa, Balthier x Fran. (& ask me about the Crimson Polysphere lol)

Favorites are Paine & Balthier

Pokemon

Have played: All main series games up through US/UM, working knowledge of Indigo League anime & first 5 movies.

💭📓🌟

Games only. Outlines & characters are derived from playthroughs- not quite nuzlockes, but similar vibe; canon NPCs are altered as fits the story. Trainer rundowns & outlines can be found -here when made-

Half Life 2 + Portal

Have played: Half Life 2 & episodes 1 & 2, Portal, Portal 2

💭

Will answer ship prompts for: Gordon x Alyx, Chell x GLaDOS

Strong come & go love for these, like I'll get Going once I get warmed up but it takes a bit.

Books

A Series of Unfortunate Events

💭

Have read: 13 books + Unauthorized, original movie & Netflix series.

Not a huge one, but it's fun to poke at now and again.

A Song of Ice and Fire

💭📓🌟

Have Read: All 5 books and chunks of The World of Ice And Fire.

Will answer ship prompts for: Brienne x Jaime.

Will write for most Starks, everyone else is kinda case by case. Currently in a bit of a lull but this one comes back Hard.

Xenofiction Hell Corner

💭

Warrior Cats up to TPoT, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Wings of Fire

Honestly these are more about the world & OC tinkering, but if you have a burning desire to hear thoughts on canon characters/ships, go nuts?? I guess?

I'm more embarrassed about these than ASOIAF honestly.

[oogaboogasphincter]

Goodbye Summer (Frankie Morales x gn!reader)

Summary: As autumn looms, you reminisce about the summer you spent with Frankie and his daughter, Tali. 

Word Count: 1.2k+

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: couple of mentions of heavy petting, one or two allusions to sex bc i just had to (nothing explicit), food mention/eating (also can food be a love language? bc if so i think i just discovered one of mine💀), no use of pronouns, no beta reader, other than that just vibes📚🌤💐🍓🌊🏝☔️🎣🪱🐟🍆🫑🦦💜🧢

Author's Note: this is my first frankie fic! idk what this is, and i don't even really like summer (it's actually my least favorite season💀), but i got into a ✨mood✨ and figured i'd just spew some descriptive bull. i hope you enjoy! :)

gif by @trashcora

The hot, sluggish character of a late summer breeze cascades over your exposed back. You’re lying on your chest, parallel to Frankie; rare dry blades in the mushy grass poke you here and there from underneath your picnic blanket. You are both reading, turning pages that have been softened by the lingering humidity, finding solace in the slowness and quiet of the afternoon.

Summer is coming to an end. Preparations of its departure can be felt and seen all around: leaves have lost their electric green and have begun to turn chartreuse, vacationers have deserted their destinations in favor of their permanent homes, the sun falls below the skyline earlier in the day.

You had spent the summer with Frankie and his daughter, Natalia, Tali for short. You lay with him now next to one of the products of the season: a garden you had planted with his baby girl. The tiered petals of a zinnia catch your eye, the thick stem allowing little movement from the breeze, and you can’t help but reminisce about all of the activities that occupied your little family for the past few months.

Summer had begun with the creation of the garden, courtesy of Natalia. Her crayons had scribbled across a page and gave life to an amalgamation of flora. Being her young age, she couldn’t identify the specific kinds, her drawings a generic purple splat and misshapen pink circles. You and Frankie decided to take her picture as a blueprint and tried your best to find flowers that matched hers. Although she was the definition of disappointment when the garden was planted and it was nothing but lines of sown seeds, her happiness bloomed as the flowers did. Her favorites were the ageratums and begonias, near-perfect translations of her imagination.

You and Frankie had also partaken in your own kind of sowing seeds. Raspberries were in season and are his favorite fruit (you tease that’s because they’re soft, sweet and whiskery, like he is). You, him and Tali made a day of visiting a farm and picking them off of their bushes. Frankie would hold Natalia up, allowing her to pick the ones most kissed by the sun, and she would carefully plop them into the basket you held up to her. 

After Tali had been put to bed, you got to work on making a raspberry tart, the kitchen utensils still a little too dangerous for her to handle. Frankie reminded you of one of the most important steps of cooking: testing your ingredients. He had pushed some berries into your mouth, his rebuttal to your scolding of him continuously popping them into his mouth, warning that you wouldn’t have enough to make the dessert. What began as an innocent swipe of his thumb across your chin to catch some dribbling juice quickly became a gardening session: you shared the microscopic seeds, your tongues dispersing them in each other’s mouths amongst the rows of your tastebuds. Garnet stains donned your lips for the remainder of the evening. 

Painting each other with magenta splotches wasn’t the only way you had gotten dirty this summer. On beach trips, the ocean’s breath had found its way into your hair, tangling it with salt. Stray seaweed found on the shore and in the water clung to your skin, and after peeling it off it reminded you where it had been with a slimy outline. Grains of sand were ground into your knees and shins as you built grand sandcastles with Tali, with Frankie providing backstory of a make-believe kingdom while he sat back and admired. When washing the sand off in the ocean before embarking on the journey home, Frankie administered some playful pushes and shoves to you, which you returned right back to him. It wasn’t rare for the three of you to have been dunked in the water at least once by the time your seatbelts had been secured with wet hands and damp towels wrapped your bodies, growing colder the closer you got to home. 

Given the overall sporadic nature of the season, water didn’t always behave at your discretion. Thankfully, most days that had been consumed by downpours and trapped you in the house were ones where Tali was visiting her mom, sparing her from uneventfulness. While you might not have been in the sun or running around trying to catch the little girl, you and Frankie found ways to work up a sweat. Lightning bolts illuminated the dark corridor of a hallway, revealing a trail of discarded clothes leading from the living room to your bedroom. Steady thunder drowned out knocks of the bedframe against the wall and mutual moans of passion. 

When Tali was around, you thought it important to give her some alone time with her dad. One of her favorite things to do with Frankie was fishing. From your kitchen window, a semi-murky lake could be seen, a spot that the duo frequented for fishing. You would gaze past the gauzy curtains and watch Frankie bait their hooks, help Tali cast her line and then celebrate with her when, after reeling back in, a small minnow was attached to the end of the rod. The ripples of water that followed the fish after Frankie and Tali released them never failed to make her giggle. 

The smell of fish didn’t hit you while you watched Frankie and Tali fishing from afar, but it infiltrated your senses at the Millers’ house when they held cookouts. The wafting smoke of the grilled fish and sweet peppers made your eyes tear, the thick aroma of Pope’s eggplant parmesan made your mouth water. You and Frankie ate separate dishes, but - like the raspberry incident - you ended up tasting every one of the items by way of Frankie’s tongue in your mouth.

The end of summer makes you feel melancholic, as it signifies the end of all of these memories. Sure, their details will be locked away in your mind and available for revisiting at any time you please, but sadness is inevitable as the little things fade away from reality.

Hours spent in the sun had dappled the peaks of Frankie’s skin with caramel freckles: the curve of his shoulders, the bridge of his nose, his temples.

You had grown accustomed to the unwavering heat and blinding light beating down from the sun daily. Lightweight fabrics and shorter hemlines comprised both of your closets.

Sourness of berries and the spice of seasoned vegetables stayed on your tongue, in your nose and down your throat. The exchanging of these flavors with Frankie was an even more delectable memory. 

Reaching over and running your fingers up the column of Frankie’s throat reminds you of the things that will stay once summer passes.

While the spots gifted by the sun will fade, his moles will remain in the constellations that they always make, regardless of the time of year.

His facial hair may grow to be scruffy instead of stubbly, in an effort to trap some warmth during the upcoming colder months. But the soft skin that sprouts such hair will remain velvety and undeniably Frankie. 

The unconditional and undying love your heart holds for Frankie and Natalia will remain strong and deep, as the days, months, years, lifetimes go by.

With all of this in mind, the end of summer doesn’t seem like so much of a gigantic loss, but rather a sentimental conclusion to a fun-filled period of time. Moving into autumn doesn’t seem so scary anymore, with your shared love for each other surely producing months that will be just as invigorating as summer was.

Frankie folds his book over the swell of his belly with a crinkle and turns to face you, those chocolatey eyes timeless. He signals that he’s ready to proceed to the fall with you and his baby girl, “What do you think Tali should be for Halloween?”

💘taglist: @pascalpanic​ 

[clericofshadows]

10, 35, 40 and 42 for mass effect ask 😉

thanks for the ask :)

mass effect questions!

I answered 35 here :)

10. Best Shepard quote?

Hmm... this is a tricky one. I love the one from Tali and Legion's post loyalty fight: "We're on a mission. You can either fight at my side or get crushed under my heel. But you will not stand in my way." It kind of sums up Regis quite well, and it's always been one that comes to mind. Or the one from when al-Jilani interviews you in 2 and you choose the renegade response. I never save the council, so I never get that line everyone loves, but I like this one better.

"Saving everyone only happens in vids. There will be sacrifices. Being in charge means making sure they lead to the greater objective. That's a reality shared by all soldiers, in command and on the ground. Don't you dare suggest I made that call lightly."

once more peak Regis :) ME2 is definitely my least favorite but it has good lines.

40. Favorite place on the Citadel?

in 1, I just love the vibes of Chora's den. Neon lights, shady dealings, pounding music... night clubs are usually my favorite video game locations. In 2... the Citadel just kind of sucks. Can't say I have a favorite place there. In 3, Shepard's apartment. It's large, but still has a nice, cozy vibe to it I enjoy.

42. One romance you just can’t stand/doesn’t make sense/etc?\

lmao Shakarian. Can't stand it at all. Does it make sense? Sure, in some people canon's but not all you crazy garbus fans. Anyway, yeah. Sorry. I never really liked Garrus even before checking out the fandom, and the only redeeming part of the romance is the tango scene, I can admit, because I've stolen it for my romances lol.