I wrote this one a while ago for an Insanity round over on Livejournal. I wanted to edit it and maybe add to it, but after reading through again and doing some quick changes I decided that I liked it the way it was. This is Tali's chapter. EDI and Joker are next...I have their chapter finished and actually am quite pleased with it. I think I might have to try a Garrus chapter and then...Javik. With the new DLC out and another coming out I will have to write something for those too...especially some Shepard and Kaidan moments for those. Anyway, Enjoy! Once again thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites!

Prism Elf

Intoxication

Tali swiveled the straw in her glass. The blue liquid swirled hypnotically with purple and red spirals. She normally wasn't a drinker. Normally, she would shrug off her worries and soldiered forward...but something about Sanctuary had bothered her. Maybe it was Miranda...the Cerberus Cheerleader Bitch...had broken her ties with both Cerberus and her father. She had stopped running from both of the people in her life that she feared and stood up to them. Shepard had helped, but still...Miranda, perfect genetically enhanced ice queen Miranda had managed to do what Tali had not.

She had been able to step out of her father's shadow, keeh'la, she had even been able to but a bullet between the man's eyes.

Why was this sitting so poorly with her? While Tali had loved her father and in his own way her father had loved her...she was still living in his shadow. She was still living with the guilt that her father wasn't all he was cracked up to be. He had endangered the fleet and with his research her people had almost lost everything.

Tali growled. She slipped the straw into a little tube in her helmet and took a long pull of the intoxicating liquid. The flavors were pungent and refreshing in the same breath.

She gulped and her head felt lighter, dizzying in fact. Smacking her lips she took another sip. The affect was still the same light-headed reaction. A smile slipped onto her face. Whatever this drink was tasted gooood.

The weight of the world seemed to lift off her shoulders in those few moments. She stopped worrying about how to make everyone else happy and focused for once on herself. Her whole life had been devoted to making certain her people had everything. But now that they had their homeworld back...of course the Reapers were the main problem now, but Shepard would handle them...Shepard always handled the big stuff so well.

Shepard was amazing, she wished she could be more like her...unfortunately she was more like Miranda. Maybe, not as cold and closed off but when it came to ideas and duty they were in the same boat. Tali would fight and die for her people and Miranda had that same hard edge about her. Where death might fright both of them, it was still something she could see both of them doing...dying for the wrong cause or the wrong people.

She sighed and took another long pull. Too much thinking, drinking alone kinda of sucked. There was no one to talk too. At first it had seemed like a great idea, but now...it was just her and her gloomy thoughts. How depressing and pathetic. It was the end of the galactic civilization as everyone knew it and she was getting drunk alone. A giggle escaped her well-formed lips.

But who would she turn to? Shepard was busy doing, Shepardy stuff. Liara was being all secretive and high and mighty. Joker could take nothing seriously. EDI was...everywhere and that freaked her out more than she cared to admit. Kaidan was nice and they had an understanding about tech, but she was pretty certain he looked at her as no more than a kid. That left Javik and Garrus...Javik was fun to tease he was soooo high and mighty that his stoic demeanor and better than you attitude put Liara to shame. And Garrus...her cheeks grew warm at the thought. Garrus was pretty sweet and not bad looking for a turian. And his scar was sexy. She giggled again. So she had always had a thing for scars.

She took another sip. This drink was pretty tasty too. Another long sip. In a way everyone had someone, except maybe Garrus and Liara. Here it was the end of the known universe and everyone should be hooking up with someone, it was the reckless and desperate thing to do right? Reflecting on it she wondered if Liara and Garrus would make a good couple...She shook her head.

No, he was too reckless and he had an air of honor about him that Liara lacked. Liara was too prissy for Garrus. Tali knew Liara could get her hands dirty, but something about the doctor made her think; pretty, neat and organized prissy, not ewww, dirt prissy.

Tali chuckled. That didn't make any sense really, but that was the best way she could define it. Besides, everyone knew that Liara had it bad for Shepard.

Snorting, Tali took another sip her head was abuzz with chirping glittering thoughts. Shepard was spoken for by Major Kaidan Alenko. Good looking, sharp, dutiful, honorable, loyal, honest...and well, male, everything Liara would never be.

While Liara had her charm and sweetness, Shepard saw through that, Tali knew she did. That and in Shepard's eyes Kaidan was everything. Tali had seen on numerous occasions the way the two flirted and danced around each other. She mostly found it amusing. Their shared looks spoke volumes to each other. Their chemistry was natural, not faked or forced. Sometimes she found it hard to be in the same room with the two of them. They were both professional and considerate but there was always an air about them. They were old soldiers. They had each other's backs. Tali always felt like an outsider around them, just trying to squeeze her way into their fight. Nope, Liara hadn't a chance with Shepard with Kaidan on board the Normandy.

Poor Liara, she deserved someone...Javik seemed more her type. Holy...Javik! Tali sat up straight catching herself before she toppled from her stool. Javik spoke with Liara at length about his people and his society. She had always had a thing about the Protheans. It was prefect! Javik was about the only thing that could get Liara's mind off Shepard and the whole end of the world craziness that was going on. Clapping her hands together she made up her mind. She was going to drunk dial Javik.