Fill: ghost, ghost, i know you live within me (Part 1b/7)
anonymous
May 21 2013, 19:45:27 UTC
Shepard took him on a roundabout, tangled path through the Gozu district before climbing up into a disused ventilation shaft. After that, they slipped from alley to alley, narrowly avoiding a Blue Sun patrol when the mercs came laughing out of a dive bar. Shepard pushed him back against the wall and held him there, a cool hand over his mouth. His armor dug into her chest, but when he tried to shift, she shook her head.
When the mercs were gone, she stepped away. Garrus let out a long breath. She’d had real weight when she leaned against him.
Before he had time to wonder more than what if, she was waving him on.
“Not much farther -- just stay quiet. More patrols.”
He nodded. Talking wasted breath he could use for running, and he had no idea what he would ask if he had the breath to spare.
They ran in silence. Once or twice she made them double back and hide, and every time she did, a merc patrol passed, talking in low voices about some new troublemaker.
After the second near-miss, Shepard grinned at him.
“You know they’re talking about you, right? Starting to make a name for yourself, Garrus. Should have known you’d start trouble if you went off on your own.”
“I didn’t start trouble,” he fired back in a whisper. “Those scum did. I’m just cleaning up.”
“I know, big guy. Just giving you a hard time.” She peered around the corner. “Ready to keep going?” She waited long enough for him to nod before she was up and moving.
They didn’t stop. Shepard pushed him to go faster, always faster, goading him when he started to slow down. Garrus felt his pride rising to the bait, and put on a last burst of speed to catch up with her. For the last two blocks, they were neck-and-neck.
She stopped so suddenly that he blew past her and had to jog back to stand at her side.
They stood at the foot of a bridge, staring up at an abandoned apartment building. Garrus nodded, too focused on catching his breath to pay much attention to what Shepard said. She wasn’t breathing hard, or even sweating.
“I know it’s not much,” Shepard said, “but it’s home.”
His footsteps sounded large and hollow on the bridge. The door’s lock had been hacked and he could hear the ancient machinery scraping in protest as he shoved it open to let her in.
“Come on,” she said. “Time to get you settled in.”
The inside was dark. Not long ago, something had crawled here to die, and the sweet smell of rot filled his nose. He coughed and covered his mouth.
“Sorry about that,” said Shepard. She moved farther into the room, picking her way carefully into the gloom until she disappeared completely. “I didn’t have time to clean before I had to come find you. Took me forever to find this place. Apparently there’s a shortage of abandoned but semi-livable buildings here on Omega. Who knew? I had a bit of a time crunch too. The Blood Pack had picked up your trail. Where’s the damn -- oh, here it is. Cover your eyes, Garrus.”
“What?” he said, trying to follow the path of her conversation. When the lights came on, dim and flickering, he hissed and blinked.
“Told you to cover your eyes,” Shepard smirked at him from across the room. “Oh, wow, that’s nasty. Don’t look in that corner.”
When his vision cleared, he simply stared at her. She’d be gone soon, and he wanted to get his fill before she evaporated.
She didn’t disappear. She waited, hands on her hips, eyes never leaving his face.
“Spit it out, Garrus,” she told him.
“You -- ”
“...yeah, I did.”
“But you’re here.”
“Yeah.” She crossed the room to stand an arm’s length away. “I’m here. Don’t ask me why, or how.” She shuddered. “Especially not how.”
He looked away.
“Garrus? You good?”
He barked a laugh. “No, Shepard, I’m not.” There was something bitter in his throat. “How could I possibly be okay? What do you want? Why are you -- why did you come here?” To me?
Shepard was silent for a long time. Garrus waited. Now she’d disappear.
She folded her arms, a grin haunting the corners of her mouth. “I’m here to help,” she said. “If you’re going to clean up Omega, you’re going to need a hand. Besides,” the grin slipped sideways and dropped away, “it’s not like I have anything else to do.”
Re: Fill: ghost, ghost, i know you live within me (Part 1b/7)
anonymous
May 23 2013, 04:17:14 UTC
Interesting fill so far! I like it but I'm kind of dreading how things end up going, because Lantar is my darling squishybaby and these stories never go well for him....
This is a very weird read, but I kind of like that. Garrus is half out of his mind on Omega anyway. Onward!
When the mercs were gone, she stepped away. Garrus let out a long breath. She’d had real weight when she leaned against him.
Before he had time to wonder more than what if, she was waving him on.
“Not much farther -- just stay quiet. More patrols.”
He nodded. Talking wasted breath he could use for running, and he had no idea what he would ask if he had the breath to spare.
They ran in silence. Once or twice she made them double back and hide, and every time she did, a merc patrol passed, talking in low voices about some new troublemaker.
After the second near-miss, Shepard grinned at him.
“You know they’re talking about you, right? Starting to make a name for yourself, Garrus. Should have known you’d start trouble if you went off on your own.”
“I didn’t start trouble,” he fired back in a whisper. “Those scum did. I’m just cleaning up.”
“I know, big guy. Just giving you a hard time.” She peered around the corner. “Ready to keep going?” She waited long enough for him to nod before she was up and moving.
They didn’t stop. Shepard pushed him to go faster, always faster, goading him when he started to slow down. Garrus felt his pride rising to the bait, and put on a last burst of speed to catch up with her. For the last two blocks, they were neck-and-neck.
She stopped so suddenly that he blew past her and had to jog back to stand at her side.
They stood at the foot of a bridge, staring up at an abandoned apartment building. Garrus nodded, too focused on catching his breath to pay much attention to what Shepard said. She wasn’t breathing hard, or even sweating.
“I know it’s not much,” Shepard said, “but it’s home.”
His footsteps sounded large and hollow on the bridge. The door’s lock had been hacked and he could hear the ancient machinery scraping in protest as he shoved it open to let her in.
“Come on,” she said. “Time to get you settled in.”
The inside was dark. Not long ago, something had crawled here to die, and the sweet smell of rot filled his nose. He coughed and covered his mouth.
“Sorry about that,” said Shepard. She moved farther into the room, picking her way carefully into the gloom until she disappeared completely. “I didn’t have time to clean before I had to come find you. Took me forever to find this place. Apparently there’s a shortage of abandoned but semi-livable buildings here on Omega. Who knew? I had a bit of a time crunch too. The Blood Pack had picked up your trail. Where’s the damn -- oh, here it is. Cover your eyes, Garrus.”
“What?” he said, trying to follow the path of her conversation. When the lights came on, dim and flickering, he hissed and blinked.
“Told you to cover your eyes,” Shepard smirked at him from across the room. “Oh, wow, that’s nasty. Don’t look in that corner.”
When his vision cleared, he simply stared at her. She’d be gone soon, and he wanted to get his fill before she evaporated.
She didn’t disappear. She waited, hands on her hips, eyes never leaving his face.
“Spit it out, Garrus,” she told him.
“You -- ”
“...yeah, I did.”
“But you’re here.”
“Yeah.” She crossed the room to stand an arm’s length away. “I’m here. Don’t ask me why, or how.” She shuddered. “Especially not how.”
He looked away.
“Garrus? You good?”
He barked a laugh. “No, Shepard, I’m not.” There was something bitter in his throat. “How could I possibly be okay? What do you want? Why are you -- why did you come here?” To me?
Shepard was silent for a long time. Garrus waited. Now she’d disappear.
She folded her arms, a grin haunting the corners of her mouth. “I’m here to help,” she said. “If you’re going to clean up Omega, you’re going to need a hand. Besides,” the grin slipped sideways and dropped away, “it’s not like I have anything else to do.”
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I didn't know I needed this fill in my life until now, but I really really need it.
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This is a very weird read, but I kind of like that. Garrus is half out of his mind on Omega anyway. Onward!
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