#Ashley Lazarus

[motionpicturelover]

"Golden Rendezvous" (1977) - Ashley Lazarus

Films I've watched in 2022 (173/210)

Full film (the video quality is rather bad, but as long as you can live with that I would definitely recommend giving this a watch):

#films watched in 2022 #Harris in a naval uniform what more could a girl ask for? #Golden Rendezvous #Richard Harris #Ann Turkel #Gordon Jackson #Burgess Meredith #John Carradine #John Vernon #Ashley Lazarus #Alistair MacLean #Golden Rendezvous 1977 #action film #thriller #1970s cinema #motionpicturelover's gifs

[fandom-space-princess]

how uniquely weird must it have been for Ashley to be the Virmire survivor. her religion is such a central focus of her life, and though I don't think? we ever get elaboration on what that religion Is, given the cultural context the character was written in and her dialogue, it's not a stretch to assume some variety of Christianity might be her baseline. so anyway. here's this intensely devout person. and she watched you, her commander and best friend, die. prayed every day for you after you were gone, by her own admission.

and then one day on some nothing planet called Horizon: you show up. resurrected, apparently. what does that mean for her faith? or even just for her faith in *you*? the way she sees you? is this the miracle she prayed for? but the people who resurrected you, you know, are evil. are you... something unholy to her, now? can you ever again be anything but embodied blasphemy? she loves you so much. she does. but in that moment, she must be so scared of you, too.

#the Shepard resurrection effort is literally called the Lazarus Project. i mean. #sorry not sorry for mass effect posting in 2024 #she compels me. she does. #ashley williams #mass effect

[ghostryders]

Wanted to share in text form (easier to read) an (alleged) cut conversation between Ashley and Shepard in ME3 that was posted on reddit 11 years ago. the source provided in the comments was deleted, but I still think it’s an interesting read regardless. obviously there's no dialogue branches, and some stuff is written a bit awkwardly, so it could be possible it simply wasn’t finished or isn’t real. anyway, enjoy! also sorry if this has been posted before.

Ashley: Hey Commander, I was just about to go look for you. I have a question for you.

Shepard: What’s up?

A: I wasn’t sure… well. It’s not exactly regulation.

S: I’m curious. Shoot.

A: Laying there in the hospital, I had a lot of time to think. Lots of stuff going on, lots to try and deal with.

S: I understand. I’ve spent more time in hospitals than my own ship.

A: …and thanks for coming by. Hospitals always make me nervous. Something about shuffling off our mortal coil, y’know? I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I hate hospitals. 

A: Hate the smell. Hate the colors. Hate the reminder of… the end, y’know?

S: You… had a question?

A: Yeah… well, I guess I’ll come out and ask; you were dead… weren’t you? I mean… really dead. Right?

S: So I heard. I couldn’t say for sure, but I think so.

A: What did you see? Bright light? Dark tunnel? Anything?

S: That’s a big question, Ash. I’m not sure the answer will be what you’re looking for.

Ashley: It is what it is, Shepard. There's no right or wrong. 

S: I was wondering when you would come out and ask me. People haven’t really asked.

A: That’s hard to believe. You died! You saw what’s next. How can anyone not be curious about that?

S: All right. I’ll tell you what I know. The truth is… I don't remember much.

A: What do you mean?

S: I remember floating after an explosion in the Normandy pushed me out into space. There was a sharp pain in my chest. I couldn’t breathe but could feel the air being leeched from my lungs.

S: I struggled, tried to stop the air from leaking- all pointless… but it doesn’t take long before it was all blackness.

A: Did you see anything?

S: I did see a light.

A: Really?

S: It was the Cerberus lab, Ash. Nothing else. I heard voices, muffled for a bit. The next time I woke up, I had to escape the facility.

A: So you don’t know.

S: I don't know, I’m sorry.

A: I guess the big question won’t get answered today.

S: I’m afraid not.

A: Well, crap. You failed as my life-after-death inside source.

S: I could dance for you.

A: Please don’t

S: To tell the truth, I don’t remember anything.

A: Nothing at all?

S: Even with my experience, I don’t think I should be answering questions about your beliefs.

S: When I realized what had happened. What Cerberus had done to bring me back… I panicked. I shut down.

S: I pushed the fear away just long enough to deal with the Collectors… but it didn’t stay away.

S: The time alone in Alliance lock-up I had to confront what I was.

A: What are you afraid of?

S: Ash, I don’t know if I died and came back… or simply died.

A: What do you mean?

S: I don’t know if this is the Shepard you knew, or some incomplete copy. I don’t know.

A: Does it matter?

#i panicked i shut down #ouch #mass effect #commander shepard #ashley williams #me3 #mass effect 3 #shepard #Lazarus project #cerberus

[the-rogue-mockingjay]

On one hand, I'm halfway through ME1 with a new Shepard, Kassandra, and she's really cool really pretty and I'm excited to see how her character develops

On the other hand, I NEED to see Marian and Thane again ;-;

#oddly enough i dont have much of their relationship fleshed out #probably bc lazarus and Main Plot Bullshit were eating my brain #also ashley. and garrus and joker #canon didn't talk enough abt them (or i disagreed with what it did say) so i had to fix that #well it's been a couple years and i did fix it. now i need to give marithane their due!!!! #but i literally just started this game with kassandra and i don't want to give her the boot :( #and i still haven't finished vesta's playthrough yet. welp

[littlecello]

Lazarus: An Autopsy

So. I just got back home, and though I have to get up at stupid o'clock for work tomorrow morning, I am sitting down at my computer to give you all as much of a detailed write-up of the table read as I can. Please bear in mind these are my and Fern's opinions personal opinions, so if you disagree with anything said here, that's totally fine! This is all coming from the perspective of people who have been in the fandom since 2012 and 2009 respectively, and both of us love the show very dearly.

Now, without further ado - here is a summary and discussion of the table-read of the pilot episode of Lazarus. The detailed write-up is under the cut, but I want to share this shaky train-doodle I banged out on the way home to give shape to my own feelings:

Set Up

This was a dramatic table-read, meaning actors were sat on stage, taking the roles of the main and side characters, plus one narrator who read out the scene-set ups in the script. This was a complete reading of the pilot-episode as it would have aired on TV, complete with songs playing over the speakers as they appeared in the show (off the top of my head - Another Brick In The Wall, Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Ukulele Version), Life on Mars (yes they went there), Merry Christmas Everybody, and several more). It's important to note that this was not performed by the original actors; rather, they brought in a troupe of actors associated with the BFI, called the BFI Players. Unfortunately they aren't credited on the BFI website and there were no printed programme notes, so I can't tell you their names. Notably, though, Ashley Pharoah (co-writer of LoM) was present; after the table-read, there was a short-ish Q&A session.

Lazarus Pilot: A Summary

We start in 2024, with a car chase. Sam Tyler, now DCI of Internal Affairs of Greater Manchester Police, is hot on the pursuit of a Constable who we later learn has raped multiple women while on duty. Notably, Sam is driving exactly the way Gene would, ignoring regulations, nearly running over pedestrians and a cyclist. Sam apprehends the PC on the campus of Manchester University, which is filmed by the assembled students of the lecture that's been interrupted (a quote from the script: "heteronormative queer trans students") - that video subsequently goes viral as another example of police violence. It's clear that the PC is guilty of his crime, but he's let off, and most of CID pretty much turns against Sam. Sam's DI, incidentally, is biromantic and asexual, which is also turned into a joke with Sam making some acephobic remarks.

The next day, Sam finds the rapist PC dead - hanging from a lamppost as though he's died by suicide. CCTV reveals that about an hour before his death, a car idled in front of his home, and the PC had hurled abuse at said car. The driver cannot be seen. That same car is seen at a carehome in Didsbury, idling there just like it did in front of that house... and that car is also confronted, by none other than a geriatric Gene Hunt.

Here is where we start to realise that this Sam is different. It seems he never went back to 1973. He never had that accident, he never met Gene Hunt - he is, however, married to Annie Cartwright (only until half of the episode though, at which point she says they need to get a divorce). A lot of anachronisms going on here, but those will get explained a little later in the episode. Sam also starts having visions - first of a Space Hopper that keeps passing him by, later Clangers from the Planet of the Clangers appear to him. He keeps remembering lines we've heard in Life on Mars ("I never stitched anyone up who didn't deserve it", "If you can feel things you are alive, but it's when you can't feel things that you know you aren't alive", etc). Eventually, he goes to visit Gene in the care home and invites him for a drive, to see if that will jog any memories.

Gene, however, has other ideas - he eventually forces Sam to stop by the roadside, insisting "I'm going back! I'm going BACK!" The two start arguing, and then it devolves into a physical fight, which pushes them into the road... at which point, they are both his by a car. A red Audi Quattro, in fact, and just as everything fades to black, we see someone with white cowboy boots and a white leather jacket get out of the car...

1977. Sam wakes up utterly hungover in the Cortina, next to Gene who's driving. These are their 70s selves. They get to the station, where they find out that they've both been suspended due to Gene assaulting the Superintendent ("I didn't assault him, I strategically placed him... in a bin."). The department has been disbanded and taken over by none other than Derek Litton. Sam and Gene leave, with Sam driving home... to his wife Annie. On his way, he realises that he must have dreamt about 2024, and obviously doesn't understand what is going on. He talks to Annie about it, who becomes upset that he's starting to talk about all the future stuff again. It becomes clear that the case that Sam was investigating in 2024 (the dead rapist PC) is mirrored in 1977. And, crucially, near the end of the episode we realise that Gene also has memories of what we saw happen in 2024... and just at the end, when Annie is on her own, she suddenly sees the video footage mentioned at the very top (the fight at the MU) playing on the TV, and realises that Sam was telling the truth.

The Good

Let me start with the really enjoyable part of this afternoon - the actors who performed the script for us. They all did a brilliant job, especially Sam's actor. I'm pretty sure he must have studied up on John Simm's performance, because he got Sam's tone and cadence so closely to the original that I could really believe he was the character. The production was done well too, with the songs being played over the speaker system; plus, the narrator was absolutely brilliant at setting the scene, reading the descriptive bits of the script with loads of character and humour. The other actors were great too (Litton got a fantastic impression). The only one I wasn't convinced by was Gene's actor, because he gave his Manc accent a very theatric drawl that sometimes made him sound like a pirate. Definitely didn't come close to Philip Glenister's brilliant delivery of his lines.

Speaking of lines, there were some genuinely funny jokes in this. The whole scene with Litton was hilarious, and some of the modern-day jokes landed quite well too (Sam's DI pulls an "ok boomer" on him, to which he responds "that's Gen X I'll have you know").

And of course, I have to mention that it was SO LOVELY to meet a bunch of you in person!!!! It was lovely to chat, and thank you especially to @bisexualroger and friends who came and said hello, you genuinely made my day 🥹 The Bad

Sigh. Buckle up.

This table-reading really cemented for me what I've been saying for several years: The writing in Life on Mars is very mediocre. What made the show so amazing and special was the fact that the crew and actors took that material and elevated it to the heights we know and love. If you take that away... All of its shortcomings become very glaring.

This was even more obvious with Lazarus. Although we have to remember that this was a pilot, which means it was basically a sales pitch to studios and as such they tried to cram as much exciting stuff into it as possible, on the whole it just came across as very confused and embarrassingly self-referential. The characters often (but not always) came across as caricatures of themselves. The script often pointed out the race/ethnicity of characters in ways that felt very unnecessary and strange (more on that later). Most of the dialogue that took place in 2024 was incredibly stilted (again, more on that in a little bit). Most crucially, although it's clear that Lazarus was trying to bring Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes together to tie them up in a neat little bow, it just felt far too all over the place, even for a set-up episode (Lazarus as a whole was planned to be two series with 6 episodes each, like LoM). The Ugly

Basically, this show was supposed to be commentary on the present-day commentary between the public and the police... written from the perspective of two Old White Men(tm) with an unhealthy amount of nostalgia for the past who seem to think of the police as literal guardian angel, which is why they made Gene an actual angel (this is confirmed by what Ashley told us the ending of Lazarus would have been, which I will write up tomorrow because this would be too much for this post).

So, what does that mean in practice? It means that everything that was set in 2024 was an absolute shitshow. There were jokes about "wokeness" in every scene - things such as gender identities, diversity, ethnic food, vegan food, recycling, climate activism and more were only ever played for laughs, with a clear emphasis that everything was better in the "good old days". Especially all the jokes about gender and sexuality made me so angry, seeing as the fandom who has kept the show alive for the last 10 years is overwhelmingly queer.

Worse than that, this show would have been absolutely choc-full of copaganda. We already learn in the pilot that the entire philosophy is that "bad cops" are simply "rotten apples" that need to be removed from the force, which can only happen from the inside (this is Sam's role as DCI of Internal Affairs). And also, the public are just way too mean to cops, for no reason whatsoever - this is very literally shown in a scene in 2024 where a male PC touches a drunk woman's arm in sympathy and she yells at him "DON'T TOUCH ME", whereas in a mirrored scene in 1977 we see a PC giving a woman advice, who seems to be extremely grateful for it and even squeezes his hand for it. Which, if you know ANYTHING about what was going in Manchester at the time, in the wake of the Yorkshire Ripper and the associated police failings, is laughable at best, and an insult at worst.

Furthermore, during the Q&A, Ashley Pharoah unintentionally told on himself and Matthew Graham. I'm paraphrasing, but he basically said that when they both realised during the watchalong on twitter back in 2021 there still were a lot of fans of the show, that's when they felt compelled to properly give Lazarus a go. It very much came across as him saying "we loved the attention and wanted more of it, oh and also we thought we had something to say about the state of affairs regarding the police". Which, as I have laid out above, frankly is a sick joke. After everything that's happened - the protests in 2020, the way police forces in the whole country handled the Sarah Everard case, the fact that the current Chief Superintendent of GMP is an old conservative guy - the fact that Matt and Ash had the audacity to shop a show like Lazarus around to be picked up for TV is... astonishing. The confidence of white men, eh?

In Conclusion

Both Fern and I are very, extremely glad that Lazarus was not, and never will be made into a TV show. We are very glad that we get to keep Sam, Gene, Annie and all the others as they are. And we are also very glad that we went to this table-read, since we can now stop wondering what could have been. It's done and dusted. And, funnily enough, this has invigorated my fandom fire for LoM. I now want to create art of the characters I've come to know and love, to reinforce who they are to me. They are our characters now, Ashley and Matt. You don't get to play with them anymore. You don't get to twist them and put them through the wringer.

Tl;Dr

#Life on Mars #Lazarus #drawing lark #cello rambles #uhh I don't know what else to tag #I don't want to start fandom drama but I also wanted to give my personal opinion #off to bed I go now

[theveriest]

A couple of weeks ago I asked about people’s favorite book or books they read this year. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and discord, I have a list of 123 books in no particular order that my friends and family loved this year. If it was a series then I listed the first book. Each star is an additional recommendation. I haven’t read all of these, they may or may not reflect my personal opinions, though my favorite books are on the list too. The most recommended books were How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler, one or all of the Murderbot books by Martha Wells, and Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, because if there’s one thing my friends have in common across platforms, it’s that you’re all nerds (affectionate). Enjoy, and I hope you find your new favorite book!

Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Not My Father’s Son by Alan Cumming

Jesus and John Wayne by Kristen Kobes de Mez

The Soul Of An Octopus by Sy Montgomery

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

The Going To Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

My Hijacking by Martha Hodes

Longhand by Andy Hamilton

Babel by RF Kuang*

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff*

Lies We Sing To The Sea by Sarah Underwood

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone

I Lost My Tooth! by Mo Willems

The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho

How Far The Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler**

Radiant Fugitives by Nawaaz Ahmed

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora

The Making of Another Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett*

I’m Stuck by Julia Mills

Entangled Life by Martin Sheldrake

Iris by Eden Finley

Hot Vampire Next Door by Nikki St. Crowe

Devil of Dublin by BB Easton

Tied by Carian Cole

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld*

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Where I End by Sophie White

Wool by Hugh Howey

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

Yellowface by RF Kuang

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

North Woods by Daniel Mason

After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin*

The Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera

The English Understand Wool by Helen Dewitt

Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning by The Gardeners & Farmers of Terre Vivante

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Love In The Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa*

Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Welcome to Night Vale by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Prophet by Sin Blache and Helen MacDonald*

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki**

System Collapse by Martha Wells***

The Brutish Museums by Dan Hicks

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine*

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

A Psalm For The Wild Built by Becky Chambers*

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

The Lazarus Heist by Geoff White

The September House by Carissa Orlando*

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Mistletoe and Mishigas by MA Wardell

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

The Last Smile In Sunder City by Luke Arnold

The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes by Zoe Playden

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Manywhere by Morgan Thomas

Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby

Loot by Tania James

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Kiss Her Once For Me by Alison Cochrun

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

All Systems Read by Martha Wells

The Once and Future Sex by Eleanor Janega

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner*

The Door by Magda Szabo

Fluids by May Leitz

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Lieut. John Irving, R.N. of H.M.S. "Terror" in Sir John Franklin's last expedition to the Arctic regions a memorial sketch with letters

In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

Raven the Pirate Princess by Jeremy Whitley

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Slewfoot by Brom

The Secret Life of Groceries by Benjamin Lorr

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell

The Secret Lives of Country Gentleman by KJ Charles

A Line In The World by Dorthe Nors

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Glitter and Concrete by Elyssa Maxx Goodman

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

The Tragic Menagerie by Lydia Zinovieva-Annibal (translated by Jane Costlow)

The 100 Years Of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

Precise Oaths by Paige E. Ewing

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

A Dead Djinn In Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

#favorite books #favorite books of 2023 #books #books and reading #what we read this year other than fanfic

[stxsis]

COMMANDER SHEPARD’S SQUAD RELATIONSHIPS RANKED #1-5/20

1. THANE KRIOS. Shepard straight up marries him. There's really no option for this in the game, but that makes no sense given end of life procedures. In order to have power of attorney and to make funeral arrangements and help Kolyat, Shepard's smartest move would have been to just marry Thane, not to mention he's the love of her life. I think the reason Thane goes right to Shepard's core is his philosophy of violence (the concept of being a living weapon) and his religious devotion (and this is a theme that will repeat throughout this list, Shepard is fairly religious and tends towards religious characters even if their religion is nothing like her own). Shepard and Thane have no secrets; he is her closest confidante and most preferred companion.

2. LIARA T'SONI. Shepard's relationship with Liara is deeply complicated. Before her death, Shepard was in love with Liara and trusted her implicitly. She found Liara to be an innocent whose moral compass always pointed due north, and the ruthless change in her personality is very jarring for Shepard because for her there's no transition from pre-death Liara to post-death Liara so it doesn't feel like the person she knows and loves, but moreover the changes in Liara's personality are clearly influenced by Shepard's own methodologies and while this might not have bothered Shepard to see in anyone else, she feels partly responsible for Liara's loss of innocence and how quickly she shifted into someone more like herself. It's also definitely a mirror of some of Shepard's more controversial traits and it's not always comfortable for her to see them in Liara. Most importantly, Shepard resents the hell out of being brought back to life. She didn't want to come back, and the fact that Liara didn't put her remains to rest and instead gave them to fucking Cerberus who she HATES is, to Shepard, a major betrayal that she never fully forgives. She understands that Liara loved her and maybe couldn't let her go. She understands that in a broader sense, Liara did what might have been necessary even. But that was her love, and her love betrayed her, even if it was for understandable reasons. Liara ranks #2 on this list because she would have been #1 before Shepard's death, and despite Shepard's complex trust issues when it comes to Liara, she's still more forthcoming with her than she would be with maybe any other companion aside from Thane. Liara knows her best, and there are parts of Shepard that still hold love for Liara, but things could never go back to the way they were before her death. As an additional caveat, Shepard mistakenly believes that Liara is romantically with Feron after the events of Shadow Broker, and even if this belief is dispelled, I'm not sure it would change anything.

3. ASHLEY WILLIAMS. Any disagreement Shepard has ever had with Ashley has been one in which Shepard 100% agrees with where Ashley is coming from. Suspicious of Benezia's daughter? Same. Suspicious of Cerberus? Same. Suspicious that Shepard has been somehow miraculously raised from the dead like some kind of Space Lazarus? GIRL SAME. Shepard is close with Ashley from the beginning of the series timeline. They share a religious devotion, a love of poetry, a less than desirable reputation that precedes them in an organization that they're both completely devoted to. Ashley and Shepard both bleed Alliance blue, and they've gone through some traumatic shit together that has bonded them for life. Ashley is Shepard's girl through and through. When she's gone for the events of ME2, Shepard is notably adrift in terms of people she's close to and trusts until she meets Thane. The only reason she ranks after Thane and Liara is because Shepard was not involved romantically with Ashley, and because after Shepard's death things obviously become really strained between them until they are reunited in the third game, when Ashley rejoins the crew.

4. JAMES VEGA. James is Shepard's bro. He is her absolute favorite work out buddy, shooting buddy, drinking buddy. The circumstances that they met under were extremely unusual and stressful, but despite the full weight of the Alliance bearing down on Shepard, Vega never once lost faith in her, and his story about a bar brawl on Omega with a gang of Batarians was probably specifically designed to make the two of them fast friends. Anderson's faith in and choice of Vega in such dire circumstances also carries a lot of weight with Shepard, given that he's the closest thing she has to a family since Mindoir. Despite the fact that he's one of the newer additions to her squad, Shepard trusts Vega considerably and not just in combat. She finds him to be a man of honor and integrity who isn't afraid to do what's necessary. He's a rare kind of person, and although she may not hold him in quite the esteem that she holds Ashley, Vega's a close second.

5. SAMARA. While I wouldn't say that Shepard and Samara have a besties dynamic, I would say that their relationship is something very deep and special. Shepard really enjoys Samara's general vibe and likes spending time with her, even if all they do is sit in silence, although they're just as likely to talk about anything and everything. Their conversations are surprisingly honest and pull no punches, and despite how formal they are with one another, they don't stand on ceremony when it comes to what's important. Shepard herself is the sort of person who very strictly adheres to a personal moral code and answers to no one but God and her own conscience (and sometimes the Alliance Systems Navy), and this holds true even when she feels abandoned by her faith and wavering in her conscience. Shepard cleaves to these structures even when she's unsure of them herself because loyalty and identity are the same for her, which is very similar to the oaths Samara takes as a justicar. There would never be a moment she would ask Samara to do something to violate her code, and Morinth never had a shot in hell of convincing Shepard to let her live. I think Shepard sees Samara's way of life as deeply relatable and honorable, but also perhaps lonely. --------------- Note: Shepard prevents Samara's suicide on Lesuss.

#HC / only mostly dead

[gh0stgr1nder]

cuttletavioshipper -> empty-warehouse -> cyberian--demons -> i-love-you-i-swear -> cyberian--demons -> lazarus---rising -> caligulas--aquarium -> lazarus---rising

Basically any pronouns [including neos , preffered neos r ze/xe/tech/glitch/ey/voi/mu/mew/meo/angel/wing] but i rly like it/its and he/him [use they/them for me and ifuckin kill you ok]

Current preffered names [in order of prefference] are eridan/castiel/hyde/noli , rest of my names are ambrose/ariadne/ash[/ashley]/ct/elsen/emmet/evan/fireheart[/star]/gabriel/galahad/johnathon/jonah/kai/mary/mono/orpheus/paul/perdix/ricky/si/spot/stanley/squip/truman

I am not beating the eridan ampora kinnie allegations [read: im fictionkin and otherkin so like .be normal about that] and warning i use my typing quirk [not usin it rn so this is easier to understand] sometimes . Other major kins are castiel spn and mr hyde [jekyll nd hyde musical] . I have many other kins and i Will kinfirm more . If youre kin from any of my sources you should so interact

indigoblood now but mentally a violetblood sea dweller [eridan kinnie moment]

#Really quick pinned redo idk

[dgcatanisiri]

The thing is, I 100% fully and absolutely believe that Cerberus, the Lazarus Project, and Miranda specifically would go to any length to recover Shepard, all on their own. That opening cutscene where the Illusive Man tells Miranda that her job is to see to it that they don't lose Shepard... That's enough for me to believe that even death would be seen as a minor impediment to the business of ensuring that Shepard remains an asset for humanity's greater galactic advancement.

Including Liara in this business was not just unnecessary, it was actively damaging to her as a character.

She makes the selfish decision to chase down Shepard's corpse on her own, to not even acknowledge anyone else in Shepard's life, up to and including Ashley/Kaidan, who may have actually been Shepard's love interest - or, in a case like mine, playing Shepard as a gay man, HAD to have known of his attraction to Kaidan that bullshit game mechanics do not allow the expression of - and then hand it off to Cerberus on the off chance that they will be able to defy all known laws of science and nature to achieve.

Like... Again, going off the perspective that this all plays out for me, Liara doing all of this? This is not a grand gesture of undying love. This is an act of selfish obsession.

And the only reason I can think to have hardwired this in, made this the way that things play out, is that BioWare wrote her story ONLY with her in mind as a love interest. That they wanted this to be the grand gesture of undying love and gave no consideration to how anyone not romancing Liara would see it, because why WOULDN'T you romance Liara? She's everything a heterosexual male could want from his arm candy of a love interest, being inherently devoted to him and an awesome badass, but NEVER outshining him.

I trust you can see where the flaw in this approach is without me needing to point it out.

#dg plays mass effect #dg's problem with the liaramance #dg gets pissed #dg rants #bioware critical

[apinchofm]

Prompts, maybe headcanons?

Phoebe and Marcus are planning a wedding and Jack decides that he should give Marcus a stage night.

Edwina x Bagwell are debating about some academic mystery, a la Diana and Matthew.

Brimsley and Reynolds are off chilling while the whole court is in chaos.

Ariel and Eric both got those little novelty puzzles and were just engrossed in them.

Kate is an opera singer (Simone Ashley is trained as one) and Anthony now has to see all the shows.

Annette and Richter are at the water park. An hour later, they have been banned for life.

Mizrak and Olrox are locked in a room until they talk it out because everyone is so tired of them.

Richter tells Olrox that he will forgive and forget about him killing his mom if he can fix Terra up with one of his vampire pals.

Diana and Matthew go on a date night.

I love all of these!!!

Jack being an adorable awkward bean and probably calls in Gallowglass because he's never planned a stag do before! It would be a fun disaster though!

Ooh, that would be so cool if Edwina in the modern era stumbles upon the mysterious order of the Knights of Lazarus and she and her academia boyfriend debate them and their connections to numerous historical figures and events!

Do you think Brimsley could chill?? He has to help Charlotte in her shenanigans and Reynolds helps too when he can!

Those two nerds would love it all!

Listen, Anthony would have a box ready!!

Yes, they do get banned and surprisingly, it is Anette's fault. They do not speak of it!

This is all the same day - Richter and Terra lock Olrox and Mizrak in a room. They come out reunited and with a list for Terra!

Matthew would definitely have one of those nanny cams - Diana would be more chill on a date night.

#a discovery of witches #bridgerton #castlevania: nocturne #m's fluffy nights #with so many of my ships!

[staphyreads]

Ultimate Halloween Book Recommendations

Hello readers, i wanted to come back strong, so I decided to make a list of books related to Halloween, not necessarily by the theme but by tropes associated with Halloween, so here they are!

Vampires/ Werewolves

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer; paranormal, romance, YA

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice; Horror, Gothic, Paranormal

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine; Romance, Contemporary, Adult

The Devourers by Indra Das; Horror, LGBTQ, Historical, Fantasy

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater; YA, Paranormal, Romance

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong; Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Haunted Houses

The Night House by Jo Nesbø; Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand; Gothic, Thriller, Adult, Paranormal

The Bonus Room by Ben H. Winters; Adult, Horror, Mystery

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran; Gothic, LGBT, Fantasy, YA

Infested by Angel Luis Colón; YA, Ghosts, Fantasy, Thriller

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin; Gothic, Mystery, Adult, Thriller

Cozy Mysteries

A Halloween Homicide by Tonya Kappes; Halloween, Mystery

Dedication to Murder by Lauren Elliott; Mystery, Fiction, Thriller

Murder at the Bookstore by Sue Minix; Crime, Adult, Contemporary

Death in the Romance Aisle by Lynn Cahoon; Fiction, Mystery

Cinnamon Twisted by Ginger Bolton; Contemporary, Mystery

A Clue in the Crumbs by Lucy Burdette; Contemporary, Adult, Fiction

Dark Romance

Before reading any of these books please check the triggers!

The Lazarus by Marlow Locker; Dystopia, dark, fantasy, romance

The Dare by Harley Laroux; BDSM, Reverse Harem, Contemporary

The Monster of Hotel No. 7 by K.V. Rose; Gothic, Romance, Horror, Fantasy

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver; Romance, Thriller, Crime, Adult

No Place to Hide by Harper Ashley & Wren Hawthorne; Romance, Halloween, Horror

Better Run by Alina May; Reverse Harem, Romance, Halloween, Adult

Horror

Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi; Thriller, Historical, Adult

Rouge by Mona Awad; Gothic, Thriller, Contemporary

Carrie by Stephen King; Paranormal, Thriller, Fiction

Coraline by Neil Gaiman; Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher; Fantasy, Gothic, Mystery

Mary by Nat Cassidy; Adult, Paranormal, Thriller

Witches

Spookily Yours by Jennifer Chipman; Romance, Paranormal, Halloween

The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall; Romance, Cozy Mystery, Halloween

Soul of a Witch by Harley Laroux; Dark Romance, Paranormal, Demons, BDSM

These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling; Fantasy, LGBT, Romance

Deep in Providence by Riss M. Neilson; YA, LGBT, Paranormal

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker; YA, LGBT, Fantasy

Special theme: Secret Societies

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo; Horror, Mystery, Adult

Half Truths by Claire Contreras; New Adult, Mystery, Romance

Del Diablo by Natalie Bennett; Dark Romance, Horror, Contemporary

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone; BDSM, LGBT, Romance, Contemporary

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake; Fantasy, LGBT, YA, Mystery

The Ritual by Shantel Tessier; Dark Romance, Erotica, BDSM

You can find more of my reviews and book recs here:

bookstagram | goodreads

#book list #book blog #books recs #booklr #bookworm #book lover #books and reading #books #halloween #halloween books #book recommendations

[postshrapnelbloodloss]

do you have a favorite quote? (not necessarily from the show, just something you connect with)

It was hard to choose just one, so here's a couple of the ones I like best.

"Why didn't I learn to treat everything like it was the last time? My greatest regret was how much I believed in the future." - Jonathan Safran Foer, from "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

"Is the blood on your hands dry? Is it slowly disppearing? Mine isn't." - Ashley Mares, from "Psalm of Scattered Ashes"

"I would love to be ruined if it means I am sacred enough to be kept close." - Lazarus, from "L. Munir"

"I suffer from chronic nausea - after I'm with people. The awareness (after-awareness) of how programmed I am, how insincere, how frightened." - Sontag

"I've spent most of my life and most of my friendships holding my breath and hoping that when people get close enough they won't leave, and fearing that it's a matter of time before they figure me out and let me go." - Shauna Niequist

#askfive

[flame2ashes]

If you want to read a “Shepard comes back wrong from the Lazarus Project” scenario, Lazarus Shunned is that fic

Shepard wakes up too early due to Wilson’s meddling, kills everyone who stands in her way, and goes off to do who knows what. Without Shepard to lead the mission against the Collectors, Miranda, Jacob, Joker, and EDI are left to gather the crew and conduct the mission themselves

It’s not easy, because Hackett has also gotten wind of Shepard and sent Kaidan and Ashley to investigate, and it also means that Garrus (and eventually Tali and Thane) chooses to go with them instead of Cerberus

Still loosely follows ME2′s story, but with the groups split it means we get some interesting character dynamics and approaches to certain missions

#Also I was thinking about it again after conceiving my potential AU playthroughs

[deadlymaelstrom]

"We received a report on his diagnosis in a matter of weeks. It was not good. What alarmed me as the Normandy’s chief medical officer was the increase in Shepard’s brainwave patterns, the change in his behavior, eating patterns, and unexpected bouts of severe anxiety. The nightmares just kept getting worse with each passing day. And I’m sure Shepard already knew this. The next morning, he just couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. He walked away. From everything." ―Dr. Karin Chakwas' medical report on John Shepard

With the Reapers defeated, the war finally came to a pyrrhic end. Shepard was incapacitated by the explosion and, by means currently unknown, sent back to Earth’s surface where he was presumed missing in action and came close to being declared dead. To the surprise of many, it was revealed that Shepard managed to survive the Crucible's blast, taking a gasping breath in a pile of rubble.

Due to the Crucible’s detonation, Shepard suffered severe injuries throughout his body: the explosion blew off his left arm and rendered many of his cybernetic implants created from the Lazarus Project inert; as a result, he was in excruciating pain, along with other chronic effects before falling into a coma. C-Sec teams recovered the bodies of Admiral Anderson and Shepard. He remained unconscious before waking up to a galaxy without Reapers, where he would be interred in the hospital to receive intense medical and psychological treatment. When he was ready to walk again, his team was waiting right outside the door, eager to reunite with the man who not only saved the galaxy, but changed their lives. He was declared a hero to all races and showered with medals and honors, becoming a legend throughout the galaxy. Hackett had another announcement as well: in a surprise and unexpected move, for Shepard’s actions and leadership throughout the Reaper invasion, he decided to circumvent standard procedures and authorized Shepard’s immediate promotion to the rank of Admiral. After Shepard was released from the hospital, Ashley walked him out. A moment of embrace was captured and spread throughout Alliance space. The pair was lavishly celebrated by the Alliance as a symbol of purity and devotion emerging from dark times.

At some point within the next two months, Shepard received a prosthetic arm to replace the one he lost during the war. He was later present at Anderson’s funeral in London, where Kahlee Sanders was to eulogize to the Alliance's fallen war hero. The remaining members of the allied forces who attended the funeral assembled in an area near the London burial ground while a large number of notable figures and other dignitaries were in attendance and filled the remainder of the streets. His death caused Shepard to fall into a deep depression, especially seeing how Anderson resembled a father-figure, as well as learning that his actions destroyed EDI and the geth, and was unsure of what to do now that the war was finally over.

Due to his extensive injuries in addition to his doctors expressing worry of his mental state, Shepard was due to receive an honorable discharge but he chose not to wait and decided that he could not remain any longer. Just moments after seeing a psychotherapist, Shepard disappeared from the public eye without a trace. No one knew for sure where he went, but those closest to him believed he went off in search of a new path.

#mass effect #commander shepard #ashley williams #n7 #first human spectre #shepley #queue #bioware #second human spectre #queued post #shepard x ashley #mass effect 3 #my stuff #mass effect legendary edition #ashley x shepard #virmire survivor #tomboy #alliance marine

[forlornmelody]

Shepard Questionnaire

I was tagged by the amazing @alyssalenko  ages and ages ago to answer these questions about my Shepard and I need to warm up for some fic writing. Let's do Artemis Shep, since I need to finish the epilogue for Traitor, Martyr, Spy at some point, right? .

tagging: @bardofheartdive and @swaps55, if you want to play!

Artemis Shepard

Alias/Nicknames: Artemis Shepard

Gender: Female

Age: 32

Zodiac: Aries

Abilities/Talents: Horse-riding, animal husbandry, a green thumb, diplomacy, stealth, one of the best marksmen in the Alliance Navy.

Alignment: lawful / neutral / chaotic / good / neutral / evil / true

Religion: She believes in a higher power, because of her time in a 12 step program, but it's more a spirituality than a religion.

Sins: envy / greed / gluttony / lust / pride / sloth / wrath

Virtues: charity / chastity / diligence / humility / justice / kindness / patience

Languages: English, Greek, Turian Hierarchic, Galactic

Family: Theo and Hellen Shepard (deceased), The Normandy Crew, Miranda Lawson, Oriana Lawson.

Friends: Ashley, Kaidan, Tali, Joker, Liara, James, Mordin, James, Samara, Grunt, Chakwas, Adams.

Sexuality: heterosexual / bisexual / pansexual / homosexual / demisexual / asexual / unsure / other

Relationship Status: single / partnered / married / widowed / open relationship / divorced / not ready for dating / it’s complicated

Libido: sex god / very high / high / average (present) / low / very low / non-existent

Build: slender / average / athletic / muscular / curvy / other (lanky)

Hair: white / blonde / brunette / red (ginger) / black / other

Eyes: brown / blue / gray / green / black / other

Skin: pale / fair/ olive / light brown / brown / dark / other

Height: 5'9"

Scars: Before her the Lazarus project, she had a scar on her left temple from a horse-riding accident, and was missing part of her right pinky from Elysium.

dogs or cats / birds or bugs / snakes or spiders / coffee or tea / ice cream or cake / fruits or vegetables / sandwich or soup / magic or melee / sword or bow / summer or winter / spring or autumn / past or future

Five songs that remind me of them:

Waiting on June by Holly Williams

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons

Alone by Trampled by Turtles

What's Coming to Me by Dorothy

Devi's Teeth by the Muddy Magnolias

#my oc's #artemis shep #tag meme #mass effect

[littlecello]

Lazarus Ending

Hello again!

First, I need to say a huge thank you to all of you who interacted with the write-up I did the other day. I honestly was a little worried to air out my negative feelings of that afternoon, especially because the audience as a whole (mostly comprised of middle-aged white men, I have to add) reacted so positively to everything - Fern and I felt so uncomfortable by the end. So to come here afterwards and have both our fears and feelings confirmed by so many people, it was a huge comfort. And also, I kind of feel like the fandom seems to have risen from the ashes (hah) somehow, in solidarity after this? Which is just wonderful to think about. So, again - thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I'm so glad we have this little space here that we've carved out for ourselves. 💕

Now, without further ado! I will do my best to summarise what Ashely Pharoah told us the overall arc, as well as the ending, of Lazarus would have been.

Caveat 1: They didn't tell us much, because apparently they're still trying to make Lazarus happen in some shape or form - the most likely option, according to AP, is going to be a graphic novel (good luck to the artist trying to get John Simm's likeness right lol), but nothing is confirmed. Still, this meant they really didn't want to go into detail on plot points.

Caveat 2: This is going to sound mean, but: Ashley Pharoah is a terrible public speaker. He explained the ending of Lazarus, but it was pretty jumbled and disjointed, so I'm having a hard time recalling it and putting it into one cohesive summary. I will do my best!

First of all, here is an addition to the summary of the pilot, which is relevant for the ending - I didn't think to add it for my first write-up, but have since added it for better understanding of the overall plot:

[In 2024] Sam returns to the crime scene once more, convinced that rapist PC was murdered. There, he is snatched by two men (who turn out to be two of the officers who most vocally turned against Sam) and brought to a carpark somewhere. As he's dragged out of the car, his eyes are blindfolded by bandages, and the script specifically stated "like in the music video for David Bowie's Lazarus" - this is where the Lazarus iconography was the most blatant. Sam also catches glimpses of a black star throughout the episode. It is implied that the officers, including rapist PC, are all part of an organisation that whose insignia is exactly that black star. The officers threaten him not to investigate rapist PC's death any further, but when Sam finally manages to get the blindfold off, the two men are nowhere to be found. This is when Sam decides to drive back to the care home to pick up Gene and take him for a drive, in hopes that it will jog Gene's memory or the car he had an argument with.

Now, with this in mind, please do your best to recall everything you can from both LoM and A2A, because here goes:

It turns out that the Black Star is the uhh logo? Sign? Of all the "bad cops" who have escaped "bad cop hell". Meanwhile, the "Police God" or "God of Police" (I swear Ashley said those words in exactly that order, I am not joking) has decided that Gene has done a good enough job as a guardian angel and is ready to go into The Railway Arms. But Gene doesn't want to? And then Gene, Sam, Alex etc realise that, indeed, the "bad cops" have escaped from "bad cop hell", and need to be caught. Which, I think? Is what they end up doing throughout the planned two series of Lazarus? And then at the end Gene does end up going into the Railway Arms and they all have a happy boozy party, and everyone we know and love is there (Ray and Chris got a name mention). Then, as the party goes on, the camera pans to the side to reveal a boy with two differently coloured eyes and slightly snaggly teeth sitting at the piano (three guesses who that is) and starts playing "Life on Mars?". All the cops fall silent and pause to listen, because "they all know what it means". Oh, and outside of TRA we see a black woman - she is introduced in the pilot as being Sam's Chief Superintendent in 2024, I can't remember her name unfortunately, but we also meet her as a 16 year old in 1977 and I think she was meant to start out as like Gene's informant? Anyway, at the end of the show, she's stood outside of the Railway Arms, and it turns out it is now her turn to be the guardian angel of cops.

Again, apologies if I got anything wrong, I found it REALLY hard to follow what Ashley Pharoah was saying, especially because by that point I was already so mentally worn down from all the shitty stuff and the men around us having a whale of a time, and some fairly awkward "questions" from the audience. But there you go. Anyone else who was there, please feel free to add anything I forgot to mention!

#Lazarus table read #Life on Mars #Ashes to Ashes #cello rambles