James Vega - funko pop! In celebration of Vega Week I made our favourite lieutenant in pop vinyl form! Okay, he's a bit rushed - but he's still mega cute with his fuzzy flocking hair!
Having a few issues with a Shega render I’m currently working on, so have a lone Vega in the meantime :P And no, this isn’t that render of him I mentioned earlier that I’ve been working on. This one was just an impromptu one.
***Please do not delete my captions - they contain source credits. Thank you***
Credits:
James model from DeusExNihilo
James’ most memorable parties, in chronological order:
He’s five years old and there’s cake. It’s all his. He’s been told he has to share but no, this is his birthday. He starts school tomorrow so this is his cake. He will eat it. All of it. He tears off chunks of cake by the handful, just to make sure everyone knows it’s his.
*
Gloria’s having a sleepover and eleven year old James just wants to hang out with the girls too. Gloria says, fine, you can stay, but only if you play our games. So he plays truth or dare, and spin the bottle. Everyone laughs when he spins and the bottle lands on Gloria. He doesn’t care. He gives his sister a kiss on the cheek, just like he kisses his mom and abuela goodnight every night. Then Laura, his hero, spins the bottle and it lands on James. He blushes as red as a tomato and manages to accept his kiss without embarrassing himself.
Later, they do each other’s make up. He gets his done, too. Full face, including lashes. Laura even plucks his eyebrows. He’s never looked so fierce. He helps paint toenails and fingernails, but he’s not patient enough for the little stickers that some of the girls use. The dancing is the best part. He loves dancing. All of Gloria’s friends want a turn dancing with James. He’s never had more fun.
*
He’s a couple hours into his sixteenth year and he’s already earned his nickname. That he’s partying harder than usual has nothing to do with his mom finally dying only a couple months ago. That’s what he tells himself. The last two months have been harder than the last two years, but he’s determined to put all that behind him for one night, at least. It’s his first time in a speakeasy. He thought they were a legend, something his dad made up, but no, here he is, drinking underage courtesy of Josh. Josh is being the fun dad and buying James his drinks. Uncle Emilio is gonna be a killjoy and cut him off soon, James can tell.
Come to think of it, this might be more of a titty bar than a speakeasy. There are a lot of topless women around. James does his best to keep his eyes up and his dick down. His abuela wouldn’t approve of him being here, that’s for sure. Josh tells everyone it’s his son’s twenty-first. Sure, James is tall and broad for his age, even got a nice little mo coming in, but there’s no way anyone could believe that shit. No one cares though, and any chance Emilio had of cutting off James’ drink supply is quickly quashed as random people buy James shot after shot in honour of his birthday.
“That’s my boy, Party Vega,” Josh says as he introduces James to the joys of tequila.
The morning grants him his most memorable hangover. It’s not as fun as the party.
*
Still sixteen (it’s a good age for parties). This isn’t the first house party he’s been to, but it’s definitely the best. He doesn’t even know whose house this is. Paul just told him there was a party James had to be at so James gets his ass out to the place. Paul’s party instincts are perfect: the place is going off, music blaring from the moment James steps inside. Good music, too, dancing music.
“Party Vega! Knew you could make it.” Paul pulls James into a tight half-hug and shoves a bottle of something into his hand.
“Who else’s here?” James asks.
“Look around, man.” And Paul disappears into the crowd.
He recognises one of Gloria’s friends, then another and another. They’re all here and that means the dancing is hot. Yeah, they’re looking fine. James preens for them, flexes and shows off. He’s not been working out for nothing. Then his sister buts in, telling him off for sneaking out, and he tells her not to cock block him. Paul’s cousin is here too, and shit can that man move. He’s a real man, too, like, he turned twenty-two the other week. He spots James and nods his head, beckoning James over. They don’t speak. Just dance. And holy hell if this isn’t the hottest thing James has ever done. Their bodies pressed together, chest to back, hands all over each other. It’s like there’s no one else here. Just the two of them and the beat. The moment lasts forever, and James is sure life doesn’t get any better than this.
*
Between graduating basic and his first deployment, James parties big ‘cause this might be the last time he sees San Diego’s beaches for a while. He heads out every night, checking out all his old haunts, catching up with friends. He dances and drinks and maybe makes out with a few people. Everything seems small coming back here, even after only a few months away. This place was his whole world once, but his world’s about to get big. Real big. Galaxy sized. In the meantime, he’s gonna enjoy his free time and hit the clubs.
*
Turns out saving a colony from krogan mercs makes you a bit of a hero. The colonists of Fehl Prime are quick to put on a party once Delta Squad have kicked the Bloodpack’s asses. Been a while since James has let his hair down so he makes the most of it. Even Captain Toni, fresh from the bone knitter, takes a spin on the makeshift dance floor. A lot of colonists take their turns dancing with James, but there’s one partner James loves dancing with the most. April. She’s about ten or eleven, got blonde hair almost down to her waist, and more energy than a racing varren. She can’t dance very well but she’s got enthusiasm, and that’s what counts. Her mom tries to pry her away, get her home to bed, but she doesn’t want to let go of James’ hands. She only leaves when James promises to give her a tour of the colony’s defences. She tells James that they’re now best friends, and James laughs, believing her absolutely.
*
There’s no party when he gets his N7 commendation. No congratulations from his family. Just a whole lot of guilt and doubt. He takes his worries to Shepard. She talks sense into him. Then, to James’ absolute surprise, Shepard cracks out a bottle of whiskey. She pours two glasses and hands one to James. “This deserves a celebration, don’t you think?” She grins, and that makes James grin, too. And in that moment, he feels better about his future. He can picture it: a sweet ship and a cabin with his name on it. He clinks glasses with Shepard. Turns out he gets his party after all.
*
Shepard’s throwing a party. A final, end-of-the-galaxy party. No regrets, no doubts. That’s what it feels like, anyway. This crew was thrown together in the worst possible way. Esteban, Traynor, they weren’t even supposed to be here but they were working on the Normandy when the Reapers hit Earth, so they stayed. Shit, even James isn’t sure if he was supposed to stick around or not. He didn’t want to, not at first, but Shepard has this way about her, this way of making James see the galaxy, the mission, differently. And she didn’t kick him off, even though she could’ve. He’s glad he stayed. Shepard has changed his life for the better, even if his life might not have much time left. So that’s why he’s going hard tonight. He’s making these memories while he still can, doing that stupid push up competition with Kaidan and Jacob, teasing the biotics (holy hell, Liara can do that floating thing to him all day), shit talking with Garrus. Oh yeah, and dancing. He hasn’t worked up the courage to get too close to Jack yet, but he wants to. That woman has all the moves. And the tats, holy hell.
Yeah, even if the galaxy goes up in smoke tomorrow, at least James has left his mark.
