Re: "Bloodlines" Fem!Shep/Garrus, Vakarian Family 5.1/?
anonymous
May 15 2014, 04:53:31 UTC
Just one chapter today, but it's a longer one. Thanks again to all who have commented! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
- - -
The night of Garrus’ 30th birthday, his thoughts are only of his son. The sickness that began gnawing at his gizzard nearly a week ago continues unabated, and his son consumes more of his thoughts than is prudent for the leader of Palaven. He thinks of Garrus’ angry eyes, of Shepard’s heavy wet ones, and wonders if perhaps the best gift he can give his son is to merely wish for his son to be happy. He wants to tell him that.
He nearly calls his son several times, each time lingering over Garrus' name.
He even goes so far as to draft a letter to his son on his omni-tool.
I have only ever criticized you in hopes of making you better. Of making you happy. If you can be happy in this relationship, then -
But he stops, deletes. He’s never been able to take the easy path before.
What would the ancestors think if they saw him nodding and smiling at Garrus as the boy defies their traditions?
He has a duty, and he must see it through. Even at the cost of his happiness.
Tiberius is a father, after all.
But that thought doesn't make it hurt any less.
With a snarl, he gets up and grabs his cane. Perhaps he can burn some of the ill feeling via exhaustion.
He doesn't set out with any destination, but finds his legs drawing him to his wife’s tomb.
He is not surprised.
He misses her.
He sees fresh flowers at the entrance - delicate, silver-green spiriti. Her favorite. Which of his children has come by, he wonders?
He misses them, too.
Though he’s gotten to the age where bending down to offer prayers to the spirits makes his spurs ache, he does the full devotional for his wife. He speaks for a long while to her spirit, but he feels no peace.
He suspects Sapientia would not approve of things between him and Garrus. He keens softly to the spirits of his ancestors, looking for guidance.
Sapientia would have been able to fix this. She’d always been the one who…the one who knew what to say. What to do.
He misses them all so much.
His omni-tool lights up in the darkness, and he is surprised to see that it is Garrus calling. He flicks his omni-tool on, peers at the image of his son as it coalesces. He is a bit thicker around the middle, his mandibles a bit broader, his scars a bit more faded - but otherwise, the same Garrus. He looks good.
“Happy birthday, son.” He says, softly.
“Shepard’s pregnant.” Garrus says by way of greeting, his voice neutral and guarded. “I thought you should know.”
“I see.” He says, and he weighs his words carefully. “I’m sorry, son.” And he truly is; as much as he knew this was a bad match, seeing his son being taken for a fool is painful.
“You’re sorry. You're sorry.” Garrus repeats, and he winces at how angry Garrus sounds. “You’re sorry we’re having a baby?”
He sighs. Two words in and already he is arguing with his head-strong boy again.
“No, I’m sorry this woman has reduced you to a cuckold.” He is surprised Garrus is so enthralled with Shepard that he would willingly raise another’s child. Garrus has always been prideful.
"Oh,no." Garrus huffs, and he can see his son trying to shake the tension that is evident in his frame. “The baby is mine, dad.”
He feels too incredulous to be tactful. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He snorts. “Humans and turians…It’s impossible.” He’d always known Garrus to be vulnerable to this woman’s suggestions, but this is ridiculous. “You know that.”
“Shepard has ways of making the impossible happen.” Garrus begins to explain further, but he has no desire to hear the spectre’s lies pour from his son’s gullible mouth.
“Garrus, if you truly believe this, you are more deluded than I thought.” He scoffs. “Do you really want to raise some human bastard?”
Re: "Bloodlines" Fem!Shep/Garrus, Vakarian Family 5.2/?
anonymous
May 15 2014, 05:00:54 UTC
Garrus is speechless and stares at him, teeth bared in aggression. It is not the reaction he is hoping for, but it is what he expects. His son is far too under that woman’s thrall, and he regrets not pulling Garrus away from her earlier, before it was too late.
Spirits forgive Garrus, made a fool.
He would give anything to keep his son from this.
Perhaps... Perhaps if he just asked...
“Come home to me, son,” he offers, pleading with a shrill keen. “I have missed you.”
Sprits forgive them both.
He loves his boy, fool heart and all.
Garrus looks uncertain and his mandibles flicker in sadness. "Father..." he begins and Tiberius feels a whisper of hope take hold in his heart that his son will, for once, listen to reason.
But Garrus does not get to finish his sentence.
A thin, wispy voice joins their conversation. “Garrus?”
Garrus stiffens straight, and breaks eye contact with his father. A second form flutters into being on the video, and he sees Shepard approach his son, one hand rubbing his son’s mandibles in a gesture of concern so intimate that even he, for a moment, almost believes that she truly loves him. Garrus touches his brow to hers and murmurs words that his father cannot hear. Garrus’ hand rubs his wife's belly affectionately, and Tiberius knows that Garrus will not be coming home.
His heart sinks.
Ancestors forgive him; he will give Garrus what little blessing he can without shaming them all.
“I see you have made your choice, son. I hope you will be happy.” He whispers.He closes the connection and the last image he sees is Garrus’ head jerking toward him.
Tiberius Vakarian keens softly in his wife’s tomb and mourns for all that he has lost.
Re: "Bloodlines" Fem!Shep/Garrus, Vakarian Family 5.2/?
anonymous
May 15 2014, 08:21:37 UTC
It's really interesting to see everything from POV of Garrus' father. I like the way you presented his reasons, not like "no because no", but from the point of somebody from a different culture.
Re: "Bloodlines" Fem!Shep/Garrus, Vakarian Family 5.2/?
anonymous
May 16 2014, 05:42:25 UTC
A!A here.
Eeee! I'm so happy you said that, because I was trying very hard to get that point across. Given the ancestor/spirit worshiping, I think Turians have a huge emphasis on family life.
I think Tiberius really does want what is best for Garrus. He just doesn't want Garrus to get his heart broken. He really doesn't have the same experiences with humans Garrus does.
Re: "Bloodlines" Fem!Shep/Garrus, Vakarian Family 5.2/?
anonymous
May 15 2014, 12:50:20 UTC
I assume he'll feel like a fool when the baby is born.
It is interesting to see things from this perspective, It'd be quite enjoyable to see the other side as well, so that we could have a full picture of what's happening.
- - -
The night of Garrus’ 30th birthday, his thoughts are only of his son. The sickness that began gnawing at his gizzard nearly a week ago continues unabated, and his son consumes more of his thoughts than is prudent for the leader of Palaven. He thinks of Garrus’ angry eyes, of Shepard’s heavy wet ones, and wonders if perhaps the best gift he can give his son is to merely wish for his son to be happy. He wants to tell him that.
He nearly calls his son several times, each time lingering over Garrus' name.
He even goes so far as to draft a letter to his son on his omni-tool.
I have only ever criticized you in hopes of making you better. Of making you happy. If you can be happy in this relationship, then -
But he stops, deletes. He’s never been able to take the easy path before.
What would the ancestors think if they saw him nodding and smiling at Garrus as the boy defies their traditions?
He has a duty, and he must see it through. Even at the cost of his happiness.
Tiberius is a father, after all.
But that thought doesn't make it hurt any less.
With a snarl, he gets up and grabs his cane. Perhaps he can burn some of the ill feeling via exhaustion.
He doesn't set out with any destination, but finds his legs drawing him to his wife’s tomb.
He is not surprised.
He misses her.
He sees fresh flowers at the entrance - delicate, silver-green spiriti. Her favorite. Which of his children has come by, he wonders?
He misses them, too.
Though he’s gotten to the age where bending down to offer prayers to the spirits makes his spurs ache, he does the full devotional for his wife. He speaks for a long while to her spirit, but he feels no peace.
He suspects Sapientia would not approve of things between him and Garrus. He keens softly to the spirits of his ancestors, looking for guidance.
Sapientia would have been able to fix this. She’d always been the one who…the one who knew what to say. What to do.
He misses them all so much.
His omni-tool lights up in the darkness, and he is surprised to see that it is Garrus calling. He flicks his omni-tool on, peers at the image of his son as it coalesces. He is a bit thicker around the middle, his mandibles a bit broader, his scars a bit more faded - but otherwise, the same Garrus. He looks good.
“Happy birthday, son.” He says, softly.
“Shepard’s pregnant.” Garrus says by way of greeting, his voice neutral and guarded. “I thought you should know.”
“I see.” He says, and he weighs his words carefully. “I’m sorry, son.” And he truly is; as much as he knew this was a bad match, seeing his son being taken for a fool is painful.
“You’re sorry. You're sorry.” Garrus repeats, and he winces at how angry Garrus sounds. “You’re sorry we’re having a baby?”
He sighs. Two words in and already he is arguing with his head-strong boy again.
“No, I’m sorry this woman has reduced you to a cuckold.” He is surprised Garrus is so enthralled with Shepard that he would willingly raise another’s child. Garrus has always been prideful.
"Oh,no." Garrus huffs, and he can see his son trying to shake the tension that is evident in his frame. “The baby is mine, dad.”
He feels too incredulous to be tactful. “Don’t be ridiculous.” He snorts. “Humans and turians…It’s impossible.” He’d always known Garrus to be vulnerable to this woman’s suggestions, but this is ridiculous. “You know that.”
“Shepard has ways of making the impossible happen.” Garrus begins to explain further, but he has no desire to hear the spectre’s lies pour from his son’s gullible mouth.
“Garrus, if you truly believe this, you are more deluded than I thought.” He scoffs. “Do you really want to raise some human bastard?”
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Spirits forgive Garrus, made a fool.
He would give anything to keep his son from this.
Perhaps... Perhaps if he just asked...
“Come home to me, son,” he offers, pleading with a shrill keen. “I have missed you.”
Sprits forgive them both.
He loves his boy, fool heart and all.
Garrus looks uncertain and his mandibles flicker in sadness. "Father..." he begins and Tiberius feels a whisper of hope take hold in his heart that his son will, for once, listen to reason.
But Garrus does not get to finish his sentence.
A thin, wispy voice joins their conversation. “Garrus?”
Garrus stiffens straight, and breaks eye contact with his father. A second form flutters into being on the video, and he sees Shepard approach his son, one hand rubbing his son’s mandibles in a gesture of concern so intimate that even he, for a moment, almost believes that she truly loves him. Garrus touches his brow to hers and murmurs words that his father cannot hear. Garrus’ hand rubs his wife's belly affectionately, and Tiberius knows that Garrus will not be coming home.
His heart sinks.
Ancestors forgive him; he will give Garrus what little blessing he can without shaming them all.
“I see you have made your choice, son. I hope you will be happy.” He whispers.He closes the connection and the last image he sees is Garrus’ head jerking toward him.
Tiberius Vakarian keens softly in his wife’s tomb and mourns for all that he has lost.
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Eeee! I'm so happy you said that, because I was trying very hard to get that point across. Given the ancestor/spirit worshiping, I think Turians have a huge emphasis on family life.
I think Tiberius really does want what is best for Garrus. He just doesn't want Garrus to get his heart broken. He really doesn't have the same experiences with humans Garrus does.
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It is interesting to see things from this perspective, It'd be quite enjoyable to see the other side as well, so that we could have a full picture of what's happening.
Looking forward for tomorrow's bit!
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