Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 7
anonymous
March 31 2015, 10:21:08 UTC
Anderson shook his head in response to him still calling him sir. Anderson had done a lot for him so Terrence thought it was only right to maintain the proper respect when speaking to him.
"We're back on duty at 07:00 Citadel Standard, so report to the ship then."
Terrence quickly checked his omnitool, it was 15:32 CST. Plenty of time.
"Understood, Captain."
Anderson gave him a significant look and briefly looked at Tarquin.
Terrence understood that he was approving of their.. acquaintance? He wouldn't say they were friends.
Anderson departed with a final nod and walked towards the Admiral who was talking to a turian in black armour with red trim and lots of sigils. Probably a general.
He took his seat again and looked at Tarquin.
"I'm surprised that a horde of turians didn't descend on you to berate you."
Tarquin smiled, though this time his mandibles were slightly quirked revealing his teeth. Terrence did his best not to flinch and failed. Tarquin noticed, his smile fading, and a neutral expression coming across his face as he closed the game.
"I acquired exemption from duty for this week so I could see my father's speech. As I came alone and I wasn't disturbing anybody, there was no reason for them to be angry with me. We are a lot more reasonable than you seem to think we are."
Terrence didn't know what to say to that.
Tarquin looked solemn now.
"I have a question I'd like to ask."
Terrence nodded and Tarquin's voice was hushed.
"Are you afraid of just turians, or non-humans in general?"
Heat rushed to Terrence's cheeks and he couldn't help the tightening of his jaw. If he wasn't his colour, a mahogany brown, his blush would likely have given away his embarrassment. It was only because Tarquin hadn't been rude to him that he hadn't punched him or used his biotics. He stood up.
Terrence was about to walk away when Tarquin stood up and stood in front of him.
He was so tall, nearly seven foot. Terrence wasn't short by any stretch of the imagination standing at six foot two, but he felt dwarfed.
Impotent. It only reminded himself of the year on the streets of New York before joining the Reds when he'd been nine.
"I didn't mean to offend you or judge you, I'm just curious."
Tarquin sounded apologetic but that wasn't good enough for him. Terrence's reponse was iron-clad refusal.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I think you should, it'll help. I'm a good listener."
That was odd coming from him. Tarquin didn't really seem like the type of turia- person to brag, but maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to try and overcome it, his xenophobia. Whilst the Reds would call it healthy wariness of alien scum, he knew it for what it was.
Fear.
He'd always be a Red at heart, but that didn't mean he couldn't be better. Be something more. Maybe the military was that option. Having a phobia of aliens made him pathetic. Weak. Things that he didn't need in order to succeed. Maybe this was what Anderson had meant when he'd been trying to get him to overcome his xenophobia.
Echoes of a child who spent every waking hour after school hiding from child traffickers and the usual creeps who frequented the alleyways in abandoned houses. He'd gotten very good at scouting and breaking into abandoned buildings before he joined the Reds. Murderers, rapists.. New York wasn't the place for a homeless, lonely child. A lonely person even. He'd done his best to avoid bringing attention to his situation to his school. Though looking back, it was likely that they didn't care. New York was an amoral cesspit.
Terrence looked up at Tarquin at last. Becoming aware of the blue haze enveloping his right fist that Tarquin was shielding from view by angling his body towards his. That was what cemented his decision.
"You're buying me drinks though."
Tarquin gave him a slight smile, teeth illuminated by the game still open on his wrist. Terrence managed to control his flinch that time and Tarquin's smile extended.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 8
anonymous
April 6 2015, 11:43:52 UTC
As they left the building that had housed the event, Tarquin turned to face him.
"Most lounges and clubs that serve alcohol only open at 19:00 CST, so we're going to have to kill some time until then. Anything you have in mind, Terrence?"
He shook his head. This was his first time on the Citadel, the only thing he was certain of, location-wise, was the Docks.
Tarquin looked around, briefly scanning their surroundings before pointing in the direction of the area filled with horticultural gardens.
"Hmm... how about that bench over there, we could continue with that game we were playing."
Terrence gave a non-committal shrug, he didn't want to give any sign of how pleased he was that his xenophobia was being ignored until he was plied with alcohol. He'd need it.
"Sure."
They'd played for maybe an hour in near silence before it finally got to Terrence. He'd half expected Tarquin to use the game as a way to gently probe into his background.
The turian, Tarquin damn it, was far too kind for his own good. Why the fuck was he a soldier?
"I get the feeling that you'd be better served in another profession, Tarquin."
A wry flanging chuckle met his ears as Terrence began to gaze at the gardens surrounding the bench they were sat on. It was very calming.
He may be kind, but he was very cunning in a subtle way. If he'd planned on asking any questions the scenery made it hard to feel anything but a gentle calm. The C-Sec patrolling in the distance would make any explosive reactions on his part, foolish.
The kid wasn't half-bad.
"Is it that obvious?" Tarquin sounded very far away as he continued. "I'd like to become a part of the committee of historians for the 7th Legion, but I'd have to complete a mandatory fifteen year service with distinction. This is my second year."
"I don't see what the problem is, Tarquin. You're a Corporal at the age of 18, it seems in my eyes that you're well on track for serving with distinction."
Tarquin dipped his head at him in acknowledgement.
"My father is hoping that I succeed him in his position, so it's likely within a couple of years I'll get pushed into accepting further command training. There are very few turians who possess the tactical flair that my father has, and I have some talent in that area too."
Tarquin visibly drooped, his shoulders sagging and his voice sounding almost despondent.
"As you can imagine, there is a lot of pressure on me to follow in his footsteps. I'm nowhere near as good as my father though, no turian is... So my only hopes are to emulate him."
Terrence's hand twitched, he was tempted to place his hand on Tarquin's shoulder in support as he gazed at him intently with those black eyes surrounded by white markings and cream coloured plates. Black-blue eyes actually. Terrence could understand parents causing misery. 9 years of being loved fiercely as an only child to being discarded like yesterday's garbage.
Fuck parents.
But why was he telling him all this? Was Tarquin trying to play shrink with him?
Fuck that.
His voice was surprisingly level despite the annoyance starting to creep into him.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Tarquin shrugged unapologetically, a faint smile crossing his plated lips.
"If you think I'm trying to coerce you into speaking about your xenophobia, I'm not."
Tarquin sighed once more in response to Terrence's continued silence. Terrence hadn't bought that at all.
"It's just nice being able to vent. Especially to a neutral party who doesn't care about your inability to match up to your father."
Terrence nodded and gazed without really seeing into the distance.
He wasn't sure if Tarquin was just incredibly manipulative or if Terrence himself was so easy to read. Likely a bit of both, emotional control was something he lacked. He did say his father was a tactical genius, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Tarquin had gained some of his father's talent.
If his father had the talent for manipulating ex-con humans into feeling they had some form of.. some form of...
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 9
anonymous
April 6 2015, 11:44:29 UTC
Emotional attachment to a turian.
No.
An emotional attachment to the only person who actually wanted to help him out of some form of selflessness. Altruism was the word. He knew Anderson liked him and all, and it was mutual, but he was trying to shape him into something he was not. Or at least something he wasn't sure he was ready to be, not yet.
The military was still the lesser of two evils in his mind.
It may be fast to say this, but he did like Tarquin. He'd make a good friend, and Terrence had so few these days.
He admitted the truth that he had hidden in his thoughts.
"I care."
Tarquin physically froze, and his flanging voice was full of disbelief.
"You do?"
Terrence nodded and continued to stare into the distance. He'd never been good with cheesy shit like this with other humans, so he didn't even want to find out how horrific he'd potentially be at it with a turian.
Maybe their combined manliness (with Tarquin's height and the depth of his voice, he had to be masculine) would cancel the whole emotional melodrama that could potentially emerge.
Terrence's consequent snicker to himself helped lighten the mood considerably. The almost stifling tension that had arisen seemed almost like it had never happened.
"I can sympathize when it comes to problems with parents. Also, you were kind to me, it's only fair that I do the same in return. You're alright, Tarquin."
That small flick of mandibles to reveal teeth was his only response
"That must be a glowing commendation coming from you, to a turian."
The allusion to his xenophobia managed to make him smile. Unbelievable.
"It sure is."
They were silent again. Compared to their previous silences, this one was comfortable. Not familiar, yet welcome all the same.
Terrence had a question for once.
"Do you usually play therapist to your squadmates?"
"I wouldn't say I play therapist. More that I listen if I feel they have any problems, it helps."
"Let me guess, that's something that your father does?"
Tarquin looked oddly guilty, his gaze falling back to his omnitool.
"Yes."
Maybe he could help him out here.
"You said that your father is proud of you, right?"
Tarquin nodded, he seemed almost cautious now. It was nice to turn the tables on him for once.
"Then surely, he'd be happy with you the way you are? Not with you trying to become him."
Tarquin's response was almost instantaneous. Self-assured even.
"That doesn't mean I can't better myself."
Terrence had to admit to himself that Tarquin had a point.
"Why not focus on working to your strengths? I imagine you're good at things that your father isn't."
Tarquin was silent for a long time. Terrence wasn't sure whether or not to be worried about the depth of hero worship Tarquin clearly had for his father. It was minutes before Tarquin spoke.
"I'll have to get back to you on that one."
Terrence rolled his eyes. He checked his omni-tool, it was now 18:13 CST. Not long now until he could get wasted, or as wasted as necessary to talk.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 10
anonymous
April 14 2015, 17:11:26 UTC
Terrence had expected maybe a small bar or a lounge, somewhere quiet so Tarquin would be able to hear him.
Not a nightclub with such overwhelming bass. Flux it was called. It must be incredibly popular to have had such a large queue in the early evening.
"What can I get for you?" The asari bartender asked him with marked disinterest. A finger at her lip and her vision fixed at a point behind him.
A human bartender for starters. Also, for her to stop looking at him like he was completely beneath her notice. A list of drinks that contained Earth drinks because he didn't recognize any of this alien shit. He didn't care that they were levo, he cared whether they were human made or not. Where was his giant turian accomplice when he was needed?
"He'll have the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey," Tarquin called over his shoulder and pushed a credit chit into his right hand. Terrence almost jumped. Tarquin had went to use the Men's, he'd not known that he'd came back.
It also explained the asari's lack of focus on him. He felt oddly proud and pleased that Tarquin was considered attractive by asari, or this asari in particular.
Wait.. Woodford Reserve? That shit was expensive.
Terrence turned and gave Tarquin a look of utter disbelief.
"I saw a human at the other side of the bar order it. Or would you rather have a Thessian Aurora?" Tarquin asked with a graceful shrug. "They're about the same price."
That sounded like a wimpy drink. Only the hard stuff for him, thank you.
"Alright," Terrence said. Expensive whiskey would be a great end to his brief shore leave. Imminent painful memories aside. Free, expensive whiskey was more than welcome.
"Just give me a moment," the bartender said with a faint smile on her lips before turning to rummage through her stock.
Tarquin in his black and red armour cut an intimidating image standing at his shoulder (why was he so close?), so it made the brief smile he gave in response to Terrence's acceptance seem special. Not that it was special.
And the bartender picked up on it. Her smile continuing to spread.
Terrence panicked.
"It's not like that. Or whatever you're thinking. We're friends, just friends."
Terrence felt so exposed in his Alliance blues in face of the asari's probing, almost knowing gaze. The material was practically sheer, not that he didn't look good in it.
He was a damn handsome guy after all.
Then he remembered that he'd admitted that Tarquin was his friend.
"I'm your friend?" Tarquin asked with clear surprise in his voice.
"Just friends?" The asari asked with a smirk. "In that case, I'd like to talk to your turian friend. Alone." She passed Terrence the bottle of whiskey and he took it in hand.
Then she pinned her bedroom eyes, they were very good he could admit, on Tarquin.
Hmm...
Stay, and potentially be implicated as being in a relationship with a turian, or go and enjoy his expensive drink in peace.
There was really no option in his mind.
"Yeah we're friends, Tarquin. Believe it or not. I'll leave you here with the bartender and maybe you two can get cozy together." Terrence said with a light smirk on his face.
And make freaky alien babies together. That erased his smirk pretty quickly, he really didn't want to be thinking about how a turian and an asari would... well.
Tarquin looked betrayed as he stepped up to the counter with the asari pretty much fucking him with her eyes. Terrence mouthed a sorry at him as he left the bar.
"Since you're buying the drinks, I'll find a booth." Terrence called to Tarquin as he skilfully ignored her flirting with a flat expression.
It wasn't hard to find an empty booth. It was hard to find a small booth that wasn't intended to seat a party. The dancefloor was currently packed beyond belief.
He'd seen a couple of human women giving him the eye as he searched for a booth. He returned their perusal with a nod. The two asari he'd seen looking at him in appreciation were ignored, though they did help soothe the momentary blow his ego had taken at the bar.
Terrence chuckled as he took a light sip of the whiskey remembering Tarquin's predicament whilst he was comfortably seated in a 3 person booth. Eyes closed he enjoyed the spicy, fruity finish.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 11
anonymous
April 14 2015, 17:12:36 UTC
There was a burst of movement and he opened one of his eyes to see Tarquin rushing in like the devil was at his heels, a tall pitcher like glass filled with an ominous looking yellow drink in his hand. A succubus was a type of demon he supposed. The comparison wasn't entirely incorrect.
"Nice to see you again, Tarquin. You took your time," Terrence said after closing his eyes once more, a faint smirk on his face as he enjoyed the liquid heat spreading through him.
This whiskey was just sex in a bottle. It'd be in his best interests to look after this friendship carefully if Tarquin was prepared to supply him with this. Implications of being in a relationship with him were more than worth dealing with.
".. Don't remind me," Tarquin mumbled as he took the seat beside him.
"You don't like asari?" Terrence asked after opening his eyes.
Tarquin laughed surprisingly, his form shaking a little in his mirth.
"It's not that. You should have heard some of the things she was saying: 'You're not interested? Fine, you can bring your human friend along and the three of us can all have some fun.'" Tarquin mimicked what Terrence could only assume to be her honeyed tones pretty damn well.
Then he digested what he'd said. It was only the fact that the whiskey was a gift, and how fucking good it was that he didn't spit-take.
"What?" He said in utter disbelief, struggling to swallow down the gulp of whiskey he'd taken in his shock. It was pretty damn strong.
A smile was growing across Tarquin's face as he took a long drain of his drink. Somehow, Terrence got the feeling that it didn't bode well for him.
"That's what she said, Terrence. She also said: 'I've never been with a human before. I suppose it'll be worth it to get with your sexy ass. I'd like to watch you two as well, that could be hot.'" Tarquin added, still in that ridiculous voice.
Terrence twitched in discomfort. Maybe because of the fact that the idea of the two of them fucking didn't disgust him as much as he thought it would. It should. He'd always been casual with sex, and had ended up sleeping with nearly half of the local chapter of the Tenth Street Reds he was a part of. He had never been picky. Guys. Girls. Short. Tall. Fat. White guys. Black girls. Sex was just sex to him regardless of the person. He had no preferences.
Apart from them being human.
Terrence looked at Tarquin's mandibled face, so close to him and holding clear amusement at his discomfort. He took a large swig. He was clearly already buzzed to find the idea of fucking a turian to be something to be almost blasé towards. Never mind their close proximity, even if they were friends it was maybe a little too close. Terrence had expected Tarquin to take the seat on the opposite side of the booth, not the one next to him. Was he that lonely that it hadn't bothered him? Perhaps. It was nice to be treated like a friend instead of a criminal, a soldier or a nuisance. Damn nice.
He also felt proud that Tarquin wasn't ashamed of the fact that they were friends. Did Tarquin even consider him as his friend?
"I think I'd rather talk about my xenophobia than that crazy asari's fantasies of you," Terrence said with a slight grimace.
"Lidanya is her name, and they were of us," Tarquin added helpfully. Still smiling at him.
Damn him. He was meant to be nice and mature, as he was earlier. Not teasing him.
"Now that I think about it, I think she was a little drunk when we got our drinks as I could smell alcohol on her breath. She did have some compliments for you though, especially about your colouring," Tarquin acknowledged with a clinical air to him.
"Tarquin," Terrence warned before he could even dare think of imitating her again.
"Terrence," Tarquin replied calmly in return.
Terrence just exhaled. He needed to pace himself otherwise he'd be wasted within the hour. Tarquin wasn't being helpful in that regard. The images he was provoking were the type that needed alcohol to be washed down with.
"You'll find that turians are very good at revenge, Terrence," Tarquin said with a smile.
Well played, Tarquin. You win this one.
"Now. Do you want to still talk to me about it?" Tarquin asked kindly.
Terrence shrugged non-committally. He didn't really mind either way.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 12
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:33:36 UTC
Tarquin gave him an expectant look as he leaned back in his seat and waited, relaxed and at ease. Terrence was glad for the lack of tension on his side as it would make things easier. He stared at the whiskey bottle in contemplation. Where to begin? From the beginning would be best.
If he ever became famous, Tarquin could write his biography. He did want to be a historian it'd prove good practice for him.
"I was born in New York City in the United States of America on Earth. My parents had recently emigrated from the Dominican Republic for work after they'd spent some time in Singapore for their honeymoon," Terrence said.
He snorted in annoyance. Fucking Singapore...
Fucking eezo spills.
"I'm not even sure why they went there, that place is probably one of the most population dense places on Earth. But I'd never claim to understand my parents," Terrence added bitterly.
"Anyway, when my parents had went to Singapore there was a large eezo spill and my..." Terrence stopped to take a swig from the bottle. Thinking about his mom just pissed him off. The burn from taking such a large gulp, straight and without a chaser, made him wince briefly.
"My mom was caught up in it. Evidently she must have been caught up in it fucking big time, dancing in the eezo and.. fuck who knows!? Because I was born three years after it happened and still ended up as a damn biotic!" Terrence cried waving his hands up in disbelief.
He could hear Tarquin laughing beside him, Terrence stopped to enjoy the sound of his laughter before choosing to continue on.
"My childhood was good. Apart from my parents' tendency towards reclusiveness, we were pretty normal. My parents weren't wealthy, but they were frugal, and we lived comfortably. We went to visit family in the Dominican Republic once when I was seven, and it's probably one of my fondest memories of the time I spent with them. My parents, that is. Santo Domingo was beautiful, almost rural in comparison to New York. Nowhere near as urbanized and there was none of the casual apathy that New Yorkers had. Everyone was so..." Terrence smiled, a genuine smile at the memory. Not one of the mocking, grim smirks he'd become fond of as of late.
"Happy," Terrence finished. He missed those days.
"I was eight when my biotics had first manifested. My parents initially were just leery, which I suppose was natural. Seeing your child suddenly making things float couldn't have been something to be nonchalant about," Terrence mused.
"You were able to make things float at the age of eight? With control?" Tarquin asked quietly before draining the remaining contents of his glass.
"Yeah, I could control it pretty well. Though that would change later though," Terrence replied, idly tracing the curves of his bottle with his index finger.
He was about to explain what he meant when Tarquin suddenly stood up, an apologetic smile on his face.
"Do you mind if I get a refill?" Tarquin asked, gesturing to his empty glass.
He did mind, but Tarquin had gotten him his whiskey so who was he to begrudge him the choice to get himself more liquor.
"Go ahead."
"Want anything, Terrence? Tarquin asked, standing at the edge of the booth with a questioning look.
He shook his head in the negative and Tarquin left in his typical predatory turian lope. It was almost eerie how silent his footsteps were despite the fact he was in full armour.
Tarquin ended up taking a long time, whether it was because the club had become even more packed or some other reason, Terrence didn't know. He ended up finishing the bottle in his absence. The whiskey ended up leaving him feeling like he was burning up, he could feel himself sweating.
So he unbuttoned the top two buttons. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He was sober enough to know that taking off his tunic wouldn't be entirely socially acceptable. It was a good thing that he didn't end up asking for any more liquor as he was on duty tomorrow. Wouldn't be setting a good example to come in with a hangover in light of his new found desire to succeed.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 13
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:34:20 UTC
He was interrupted from his attempt to rest his slightly blurry vision by a female voice.
"I was hoping when we made eyes across the room that you'd dance with me," she scolded him before adding, "I've been looking for you."
That was slightly stalkerish, but he decided he'd be flattered. Not creeped out. It was understandable, he supposed. Whilst her attention might have been welcome any other day, it wasn't this one. He was here to speak with Tarquin, not to get laid.
Somehow he wasn't disappointed at that fact.
He opened his eyes and looked at her in appraisal. Pretty face, black hair, blue eyes, and her body in that blue skin tight dress was just ridiculous. Okay, so he was slightly disappointed now, as said green eyes were focussed hungrily on his chest. He looked down in question as he felt like he was missing something. The sight of a sizeable sliver of toned dark brown skin peeking back at him answered his question.
Pointedly.
Well, shit. It seemed like he'd undid all of the buttons of his tunic leaving the top of his chest was exposed. He couldn't find the required effort to re-button them, his arms feeling far too sluggish when he tried to move them to the table so he could lean forward to protect his assets. Besides, she shouldn't be here anyway. She wasn't welcome to his pity party.
Terrence managed to find the friendliness to smile.
"I'm flattered that you've sought me out, but I'm here to talk to a friend," Terrence said with honest regret in his voice.
She frowned, stopping her examination of his body, and looked at him with growing interest. Her blue eyes connecting with his hazel. He could only assume that she wasn't used to being denied to find rejection not to be much of a downer.
"Who's your friend?" she asked, or rather demanded.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Tarquin walked into the booth and almost collided with their unwanted visitor before gracefully stepping around her. She was frozen in place, just watching him. Surprisingly not out of fear, but surprise. Tarquin stopped for a few seconds, his eyes quickly assessing the room and lingering on his chest for a second, before he retook his seat. It was lucky that he hadn't bumped into her due to the fact he was holding three drinks. Two more glasses of that yellow liquid he favoured and a glass of water for.. Terrence as he quickly passed it to him after retaking his seat.
"Thank you, Tarquin," Terrence mumbled gratefully enjoying the calming chill of the water against his hands.
"Don't worry about it."
Adorned with his usual small smile.
He looked back up at the girl, hoping that she'd left, and what he saw made him want to cry. It was like the bartender but worse. Infinitely worse.
She was excited, looking between them like Christmas had come early. Like twelve months and thirty fucking days early.
"I've come across a couple male turian and female human couples, but I've never seen a male-male one before!" she exclaimed with clear relish.
What the actual fuck? Seriously?
Terrence ended up just dropping his forehead onto the table and just planned to stay there and pretend to be.. pretend to be dead until she left. Tarquin couldn't be in a relationship with a corpse after all. Maybe he'd cease to exist in her mind if he did this for long enough.
"I'm sorry to ruin your hopes, but we're just friends," Tarquin explained. Rather slowly too, like he was talking to a deranged toddler. Which by the squeal that left her as she said male-male, she was. "Just friends."
"Oh? Then why is his chest on display? Not that he should button up! He has lovely pecs from what little I can see of them," she said.
He couldn't see her expression from his self-imposed seclusion, but it sounded like it had the most smug smile. Someone kill him, please.
"... That's.. nice to know. I don't know why his chest is exposed though, as he was completely buttoned up before I left," Tarquin said with an increasingly pondering tone.
"Isn't it obvious?" The girl asked, sighing at what he could only imagine to be Tarquin's supposed ignorance in her mind. "He planned to seduce you with his sexy muscles."
"I'd just drank a bottle of whiskey and I was sweating," Terrence mumbled with growing annoyance around his mouthful of table.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 14
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:35:28 UTC
"Now that your question has been answered, can you leave please?" Tarquin asked with his usual unnatural patience.
"Sure, just know that you two would look hot together. Hot. I guarantee it," she claimed before leaving in a rush of hot air from the inside of the club. The fading sound of her heels against the metal floor was such a balm for his soul he could have wept in relief.
Terrence sighed once the door closed and Tarquin laughed. Hard.
"So, Terrence, should I be worried about any impending seduction on your part?" Tarquin asked. His continuing mirth making him increasingly aware of the pounding in his skull. Fuck, the bass in this club was overwhelming.
"No. Just no. Though if you find muscled human chests a turn-on, do tell me," Terrence sarcastically said, "I don't think I'm in a state, or I'll ever be in a state to deal with a horny, amorous turian."
"Few species can handle us," Tarquin lamented, a faint sigh escaping him as he managed to restrain the laugh Terrence could hear bubbling in his voice.
Terrence found himself reaching for the whiskey bottle out of reflex, even despite the fact it was empty. A flanging laugh erupted next to him. Tarquin was waving his radioactive looking drink, tauntingly, before he took a long drain of it.
Motherfucker. He wanted some liquor too.
The water would have to do and he took a gulp. The pounding across his temples eased slightly and he sighed in relief.
"But don't worry, you're safe from me," he added, still sounding mirthful.
"Yeah, well. Maybe I should continue with my story before you get drunk enough to test whether humans are capable," Terrence snarked.
Tarquin snorted and and it was so out of character that Terrence couldn't help but gape in surprise. He couldn't help but wonder whether his father would approve.
"It would take far more than a salarian made dextro cognac to get me that out of my mind. Maybe Hallex..." Tarquin mused to himself, sinking into a sloping position in his seat.
Now Tarquin was talking about taking the alien equivalent of E? His jaw dropped. He looked and sounded ridiculous. Terrence was tempted to try and take his drink away from him if it wasn't kinda funny.
"Anyway, continue with your story. It was proving interesting," Tarquin hastily said, straightening up and readopting his picture perfect military posture.
"Afraid your father was watching, Tarquin?" Terrence teased.
They had a brief battle of wills. Tarquin staring at him in clear indignation, and himself staring back. Trying not to be cowed by Tarquin's admittedly powerful presence or throwing the game by bursting into laughter. Though being a turian he had a natural advantage, they didn't blink after all.
What was he thinking?
"You win," Terrence acquiesced.
If any of the Reds could see them. God. They'd wonder if he'd lost his mind. Never mind the losing to a turian, but even joking around with one. Sell-out. Traitor.
He mused to himself that it was a good thing they couldn't see him.
Any further introspection was interrupted by Tarquin clearing his throat in clear expectation.
He'd just manifested his biotics...
"My parents had impressed upon me the importance of ensuring no one knew of my biotics. I understood. There'd been a lot of cases of biotic children disappearing or being murdered by religious nuts in the news. I didn't want that to happen to me, obviously. At the time things seemed fine, to my young mind at least. My biotics were incredibly stable, easily controlled, compared to the stories you'd hear about human biotics manifesting and attacking those around them accidentally."
How blind he had been.
"There was a week where my parents spent most of it calling someone I'd never heard of, and the atmosphere in the house was.. it was really dark," Terrence recalled, his head held in his hand, "but I hadn't noticed. I was too absorbed in spending every waking moment outside of school playing with my biotics."
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 15
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:36:17 UTC
"One day after school, I came home to our apartment. It was empty and deadly silent. I imagine if I'd went in my parent's room at the time it wouldn't contain their belongings, but their room had always been hallowed ground in my nine year old mind. Not to be disturbed. I -"
"Your parents abandoned you? At nine?" Tarquin asked. Maybe to turians with their perceived sense of duty, the idea of abandoning a child to them was unheard of. Perhaps not. Regardless, it was an all too common occurrence in the megapolis that was twenty-second century New York.
He nodded, staring at a red smear on the tabletop that he hadn't noticed previously. It was almost like blood. In face of Tarquin's silence, he continued on.
"I went into my room, trying not to think too much of their absence. Usually they'd tell me prior if they'd not be at home when I got back, but they hadn't."
He sighed.
"I waited all day for them to come back. I think I ended up making myself a turkey sandwich, or something, whilst I waited. I'd been hoping for pastelón de platano maduro. Yellow plantain casserole. We usually had something Dominican on Fridays because my parents missed their homeland intensely," he recalled wistfully. It was better to focus on the good moments rather than the bad, it made it easier to emotionally disconnect from the sadder parts of his memories. To pretend that they hadn't happened.
"Friday came and went with no sign of them. Saturday was the same. At the time, I was living in wilful ignorance that they'd come back soon enough. I was even starting to get sick of having turkey sandwiches for dinner too, I'd tried making rice and ended up burning it."
"Then on Monday, after school, there was a knock on the door. I was excited. Ecstatic even. They were finally back and maybe I could have some of that casserole," he stopped to enjoy the brief, familiar sound of Tarquin's flanging chuckle. It was becoming as normal to him as a regular chuckle, alien flange aside.
"I ended up staying alone in the apartment for maybe a month, and then I was forced to break in to get my stuff when the clemency period on the rent ran out. It was a bit of a bitch to get locked out after school."
Tarquin looked at him dubiously.
"You broke into an apartment, at nine years old?" He asked.
"You'd be surprised what a panicking, frustrated biotic child can achieve when he's been locked out of the only home he's known," Terrence countered.
Tarquin's face seemed to soften, the tightness in his mandibles which he hadn't even noticed, gradually easing. Terrence blamed the warmth his kind regard spread through him on the whiskey.
He didn't mention how that had cemented his abandonment in his mind and how he'd spent an hour sobbing and heaving until he'd been sick. And that was before he'd began to use his biotics to try and break the window. Or try to, maybe it was that lack of security and confidence he'd felt then that had resulted in his growing loss of control of his biotics. They grew unresponsive after that day. He'd keep that to himself, some things he couldn't share.
"I think I ended up using some ridiculous combination of a Warp and Lift on the window lock after about fifteen minutes of fumbling. I'm not even sure how I managed the Warp... I feel sorry for whatever engineer was given the job of fixing the window I'd used to get in."
"I'd foolishly thought that because I had biotics I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. I didn't call the police because it was an open secret that the police in Queens were corrupt and due to the fact that I'd have to tell them that my parents had abandoned me."
"Do humans not provide any provision for orphans, or children in similar positions?" Tarquin inquired. "I thought they did."
"Oh they do, but I was too prideful to consider an orphanage. Serious, wilful ignorance, Tarquin," he rasped, his throat dry from the seeming non-stop talking. He took a sip of his water.
"So I ended up on the streets. A backpack and seventy dollars to my name. Thankfully, I'd adopted my parents' frugal approach to money and I didn't end up blowing it all on I don't know.. motherfucking marbles or something just as useless. The first few nights were the hardest."
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 16
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:38:20 UTC
come here little boy
where's your mama?
don't worry i'll look after you
see that, Davis? what a pretty little black kid
He shuddered. Damn his parents for abandoning him, but he couldn't help but thank them for passing their tendencies on to him. His steadfast self-reliance and reclusiveness had saved his life in those early days from the more unstable homeless.
"They were pretty bad. I spent the first few weeks skulking around the mouth of alleyways, terrified of the trash that occupied the back streets and alleyways of Queens. I even got offers from a few people passing by the alleys to come with them, but I trusted them even less. Between the money I had, the small amount of dried food I'd brought with me and school lunches, I ate okay-ish. There was a church nearby that offered showers to the homeless, so I took advantage of that. One of the priests was kind enough to wash my clothes for me. I stole from some of the nearby convenience stores when the hunger became too much, which only happened a few times and I was never caught. I spent those first few weeks sleeping behind dumpsters for fuck's sake. It was really fucking nasty but I was a very wiry child and it beat sleeping inside them and possibly being found by a homeless person in the middle of the night," he said
"What would they have done?" Tarquin hesitantly asked.
He turned and stared him in the eye. Unblinking.
Unfortunately biology won out.
"Well, most homeless are mentally unstable; chasing the next high, or are already high out of their mind. You know? But they're generally the easiest to deal with, at least in New York. Even if they mutter creepy shit under their breath or try and grab you when you try and creep past they're thankfully too lethargic, too out of their fucking minds to chase you. Even if they have more than a foot on you and at least ninety pounds on you... and they make you tremble with the strangely intent look they tend to give you," Terrence mumbled under his breath.
"You may never get used to that, but you can deal with it. No, it's the normal people who offer you help, and never stop.. stop caring because they bring attention to you. Attention you'd rather live without as you don't want replacement parents. You loved the ones you already had, and you still do, but they fucked you over. Why open yourself to be fucked over by strangers?" Terrence said in a slightly hysterical rush. He stopped to breath, to calm himself down before he possibly lost his temper. Cried even. He'd had no idea how much it'd weighed on him, it had always been something he had done everything he could to forget. Something to be hidden. He'd never spoken of those early days to anyone. Not even to the people he was closest to in the Reds.
He had some of his water to busy himself. Feeling far too exposed, too weak, under Tarquin's gaze.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Terrence," he said.
Terrence shook his head. He'd started, and he would finish.
A gloved hand descended on his shoulder, a three fingered grip squeezing the ball of his shoulder lightly. He mustered a weak smile, not at all put off by the contact, and Tarquin returned it.
He continued on, Tarquin's silent support proving to be motivating.
"And worse still, it's the seemingly everyday people who enter the alleyways you have to watch out for," he added quietly.
why are you here alone?
where are you going?
surely your parents are wondering where you are?
his involuntary freeze and down-turned mouth proved telling.
the man with his unnaturally perfect features from cosmetic surgery, typical nouveau riche, smiled. he'd realized he was homeless.
come here now
do that again, you little nigger shit, and I swear I will fucking kill you
He massaged his throat unconsciously. Tarquin caught the movement and his eyes seemed to become almost glacial.
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 17
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:39:32 UTC
"Shortly after I turned 10, this was my sixth or seventh week on the streets, I ran into a businessman near LaGuardia Airport. I was used the remaining daytime to search for a less homeless filled place to sleep. I thought nothing of it, quickly apologizing before continuing on. The sun was setting so it was starting to get dark and I figured it'd be best to start looking for somewhere to sleep. He followed me."
"And what did he do?" Tarquin asked. A cold, barbed tone entering his speech. His grip remained just as light, thankfully.
no more biting my hands, do you understand?
good, you're silent now, you're coming wi-
"He waited until I entered an alleyway and he easily overpowered me, and then he gagged me. He then tried to take me with him," he coldly stated and Tarquin's grip for a split second dug into his shoulder. He ignored the brief pain.
"Sorry. Tried?" Tarquin asked after easing his grip.
"I killed him," he replied, voice still distant and cold, "He seemed to think that removing my voice," his ability to scream for help, "would make me compliant. I pushed him into a wall and he snapped his neck against a drain pipe."
"Humans aren't that fragile. Biotics?" Tarquin asked after a momentary silence.
"Biotics. Though the motherfucker had one hell of a limp neck. Punk-ass bitch motherfucker..." He muttered angrily under his breath.
"Punk-ass?... Motherfucker?" Tarquin said in complete confusion.
"Punk-ass bitch motherfucker, Tarquin. He was a punk-ass bitch motherfucker. Say it after me Tarquin. Punk-ass. Bitch. Mother. Fucker." Terrence recited with a growing smile in face of Tarquin's disbelief. Count on the turian to be more unbalanced by curses than a child killing an adult male.
"No thank you, Terrence. It's incredibly generous of you, but I'll allow you to keep your monopoly on exotic cursing." Tarquin demurred with a laugh.
"Fine, fine. All the more for me," he replied with a small chuckle. He felt so damn at ease around Tarquin, it was kind of scaring him.
"Well, I killed the punk-ass bitch motherfucker and I ran. I ran to an abandoned, run-down building near the airport and broke in through one of the side windows, my biotics deciding to respond to me for once without needing mortal danger. A quick Pull on the lock, and then a careful Lift on myself and I was in. I stayed there for my remaining time on the streets. It had electricity and hot water, luckily enough. For food, I'd scavenge the trash cans near the airport at night. All of the money people lost around the airport proved useful in getting transport to school. The airport was kind of far away."
Terrence chuckled. Those couple of months in that building had been pretty damn blissful in comparison to the earlier two.
"Anyway, it was more or less plain sailing from then on, survival wise at least. I became obsessed with learning things on the terminal in the building because I didn't know how long the school was going to look the other way when my parents hadn't been able to come to any of the parents meetings."
He paused to finish his water.
"Then they came," he said with slight amusement.
"They?" Tarquin asked.
"The Tenth Street Reds. A street gang. They became my family for the next seven and a half years."
"I don't believe you just welcomed them with open arms... did you?" Tarquin mused to himself.
"No. I kept running into one or two of them as I came back from school. I don't know what they were doing in Queens, since I now know they operate in Manhattan, but I'm fairly sure that they were scoping out prospective members."
"They were sharp. They recognised the battered backpack I kept on me at all times, the fact that I was very good at disappearing and they took to just giving me friendly smiles when they saw me. They knew a homeless child when they saw one."
"Eventually, I caved. Eventually being maybe after near thirty encounters with friendly people dressed in red, and I spoke back to one of them when spoken to, for once. And that was it really."
Re: MShep/Tarquin Victus Fortuitous 18
anonymous
April 19 2015, 17:40:37 UTC
"That simple?" Tarquin asked.
"That simple. It didn't hit me until I started spending time with them how lonely I was. I'd slowly become incredibly withdrawn at school, what I was going through made it difficult to be happy, or pretend to be. Children are frighteningly perceptive. Anyway, I stayed with some of the older members who owned apartments though I did return to my place near the airport occasionally. I'd become a little attached to that place..."
"So I imagine, being in a gang, even with as young as you were you had to pull your weight eventually?" Tarquin slowly asked.
Terrence nodded absently.
"When I wasn't in school, I was helping them break into buildings. Burglary... arson on some occasions. They'd asked me to drop out, but some things like your parents telling you education is everything are too ingrained. Looking back I'm surprised that they didn't try and pressure me to drop out. All the crimes I was responsible for didn't result in any deaths. None that I know of. One time, when I was fourteen, they took me to intimidate someone who owed them money. I beat him a little, I wasn't really doing much damage. I was one hell of a skinny teenager. Then, they asked me to use my biotics. He broke quickly after that, but they never asked me to do that again, intimidate someone. I had been... rather brutal. Slamming, lifting and pulling him about. It wasn't pretty."
"Did you kill him?" Tarquin asked surprisingly calmly.
"Nah, but I imagine he wished he was dead in the end. They were genuinely afraid of me for a while after that. It was easy to forget that whilst I was younger than most of them, I could easily rip them apart at the molecular level if I ever got angry enough. It was especially easy to forget that when all I seemed to use my biotics for were little things like breaking locks or lifting people through windows. They gradually phased me out of any operations by the time I was fifteen and I ended up going to school full time, a member, but not a gang member anymore. One of the older members, a guy called Quinn, posed as my father for anything that required a parent. That was fun. I graduated when I was eighteen with a GPA of 3.4 and my SAT was pretty good, 1930. I hadn't made any plans for college, I know that all students are expected to have a physical done upon enrolment and I had no intention of joining the military as it's compulsory for biotics. I honestly would have done better if I'd participated more, but I was a real loner at school. I ended up gaining a reputation for being distant and intense. Little did they know that my anger would result in me glowing blue. A couple of weeks after, the hideout I was staying at was raided by the police and I was given an ultimatum of prison or the military when they discovered I was a biotic."
He paused for a second to clear his throat.
"I'm in a very unique position due to the nature of my biotics. Most biotics spend their puberty in a training facility and get an amp fitted as soon as possible, whilst I hadn't. So there had been expectations that I'd be weaker than them. With that not being the case, and me requiring anger to accomplish anything more than a Lift or a Pull, I'll be getting one of the more experimental amps, the L3, fitted once I've mastered my control. Less risk of complications due to my age from the L3. I could apparently be one of the most powerful biotics that humanity has if I master myself. It's why I was put on Captain Anderson's ship almost immediately after boot camp in hopes he'd whip me into shape."
Tarquin seemed to be digesting everything.
"What about the xenophobia? You haven't explained that," he asked with a hint of confusion.
"Oh that. Well, when I'd first joined they were fond of talking about aliens. How they killed humans, enslaved humans, how humanity was better off alone... stuff like that. And eventually I began to parrot their beliefs, and believe them. I'd wanted desperately to fit in. I didn't want to end up on the streets. Alone," he admitted.
"We're back on duty at 07:00 Citadel Standard, so report to the ship then."
Terrence quickly checked his omnitool, it was 15:32 CST. Plenty of time.
"Understood, Captain."
Anderson gave him a significant look and briefly looked at Tarquin.
Terrence understood that he was approving of their.. acquaintance? He wouldn't say they were friends.
Anderson departed with a final nod and walked towards the Admiral who was talking to a turian in black armour with red trim and lots of sigils. Probably a general.
He took his seat again and looked at Tarquin.
"I'm surprised that a horde of turians didn't descend on you to berate you."
Tarquin smiled, though this time his mandibles were slightly quirked revealing his teeth. Terrence did his best not to flinch and failed. Tarquin noticed, his smile fading, and a neutral expression coming across his face as he closed the game.
"I acquired exemption from duty for this week so I could see my father's speech. As I came alone and I wasn't disturbing anybody, there was no reason for them to be angry with me. We are a lot more reasonable than you seem to think we are."
Terrence didn't know what to say to that.
Tarquin looked solemn now.
"I have a question I'd like to ask."
Terrence nodded and Tarquin's voice was hushed.
"Are you afraid of just turians, or non-humans in general?"
Heat rushed to Terrence's cheeks and he couldn't help the tightening of his jaw. If he wasn't his colour, a mahogany brown, his blush would likely have given away his embarrassment. It was only because Tarquin hadn't been rude to him that he hadn't punched him or used his biotics. He stood up.
Terrence was about to walk away when Tarquin stood up and stood in front of him.
He was so tall, nearly seven foot. Terrence wasn't short by any stretch of the imagination standing at six foot two, but he felt dwarfed.
Impotent. It only reminded himself of the year on the streets of New York before joining the Reds when he'd been nine.
"I didn't mean to offend you or judge you, I'm just curious."
Tarquin sounded apologetic but that wasn't good enough for him. Terrence's reponse was iron-clad refusal.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"I think you should, it'll help. I'm a good listener."
That was odd coming from him. Tarquin didn't really seem like the type of turia- person to brag, but maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to try and overcome it, his xenophobia. Whilst the Reds would call it healthy wariness of alien scum, he knew it for what it was.
Fear.
He'd always be a Red at heart, but that didn't mean he couldn't be better. Be something more. Maybe the military was that option. Having a phobia of aliens made him pathetic. Weak. Things that he didn't need in order to succeed. Maybe this was what Anderson had meant when he'd been trying to get him to overcome his xenophobia.
Echoes of a child who spent every waking hour after school hiding from child traffickers and the usual creeps who frequented the alleyways in abandoned houses. He'd gotten very good at scouting and breaking into abandoned buildings before he joined the Reds. Murderers, rapists.. New York wasn't the place for a homeless, lonely child. A lonely person even. He'd done his best to avoid bringing attention to his situation to his school. Though looking back, it was likely that they didn't care. New York was an amoral cesspit.
Terrence looked up at Tarquin at last. Becoming aware of the blue haze enveloping his right fist that Tarquin was shielding from view by angling his body towards his. That was what cemented his decision.
"You're buying me drinks though."
Tarquin gave him a slight smile, teeth illuminated by the game still open on his wrist. Terrence managed to control his flinch that time and Tarquin's smile extended.
"That's acceptable."
Reply
Reply
"Most lounges and clubs that serve alcohol only open at 19:00 CST, so we're going to have to kill some time until then. Anything you have in mind, Terrence?"
He shook his head. This was his first time on the Citadel, the only thing he was certain of, location-wise, was the Docks.
Tarquin looked around, briefly scanning their surroundings before pointing in the direction of the area filled with horticultural gardens.
"Hmm... how about that bench over there, we could continue with that game we were playing."
Terrence gave a non-committal shrug, he didn't want to give any sign of how pleased he was that his xenophobia was being ignored until he was plied with alcohol. He'd need it.
"Sure."
They'd played for maybe an hour in near silence before it finally got to Terrence. He'd half expected Tarquin to use the game as a way to gently probe into his background.
The turian, Tarquin damn it, was far too kind for his own good. Why the fuck was he a soldier?
"I get the feeling that you'd be better served in another profession, Tarquin."
A wry flanging chuckle met his ears as Terrence began to gaze at the gardens surrounding the bench they were sat on. It was very calming.
He may be kind, but he was very cunning in a subtle way. If he'd planned on asking any questions the scenery made it hard to feel anything but a gentle calm. The C-Sec patrolling in the distance would make any explosive reactions on his part, foolish.
The kid wasn't half-bad.
"Is it that obvious?" Tarquin sounded very far away as he continued. "I'd like to become a part of the committee of historians for the 7th Legion, but I'd have to complete a mandatory fifteen year service with distinction. This is my second year."
"I don't see what the problem is, Tarquin. You're a Corporal at the age of 18, it seems in my eyes that you're well on track for serving with distinction."
Tarquin dipped his head at him in acknowledgement.
"My father is hoping that I succeed him in his position, so it's likely within a couple of years I'll get pushed into accepting further command training. There are very few turians who possess the tactical flair that my father has, and I have some talent in that area too."
Tarquin visibly drooped, his shoulders sagging and his voice sounding almost despondent.
"As you can imagine, there is a lot of pressure on me to follow in his footsteps. I'm nowhere near as good as my father though, no turian is... So my only hopes are to emulate him."
Terrence's hand twitched, he was tempted to place his hand on Tarquin's shoulder in support as he gazed at him intently with those black eyes surrounded by white markings and cream coloured plates. Black-blue eyes actually. Terrence could understand parents causing misery. 9 years of being loved fiercely as an only child to being discarded like yesterday's garbage.
Fuck parents.
But why was he telling him all this? Was Tarquin trying to play shrink with him?
Fuck that.
His voice was surprisingly level despite the annoyance starting to creep into him.
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
Tarquin shrugged unapologetically, a faint smile crossing his plated lips.
"If you think I'm trying to coerce you into speaking about your xenophobia, I'm not."
Tarquin sighed once more in response to Terrence's continued silence. Terrence hadn't bought that at all.
"It's just nice being able to vent. Especially to a neutral party who doesn't care about your inability to match up to your father."
Terrence nodded and gazed without really seeing into the distance.
He wasn't sure if Tarquin was just incredibly manipulative or if Terrence himself was so easy to read. Likely a bit of both, emotional control was something he lacked. He did say his father was a tactical genius, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Tarquin had gained some of his father's talent.
If his father had the talent for manipulating ex-con humans into feeling they had some form of.. some form of...
Reply
No.
An emotional attachment to the only person who actually wanted to help him out of some form of selflessness. Altruism was the word. He knew Anderson liked him and all, and it was mutual, but he was trying to shape him into something he was not. Or at least something he wasn't sure he was ready to be, not yet.
The military was still the lesser of two evils in his mind.
It may be fast to say this, but he did like Tarquin. He'd make a good friend, and Terrence had so few these days.
He admitted the truth that he had hidden in his thoughts.
"I care."
Tarquin physically froze, and his flanging voice was full of disbelief.
"You do?"
Terrence nodded and continued to stare into the distance. He'd never been good with cheesy shit like this with other humans, so he didn't even want to find out how horrific he'd potentially be at it with a turian.
Maybe their combined manliness (with Tarquin's height and the depth of his voice, he had to be masculine) would cancel the whole emotional melodrama that could potentially emerge.
Terrence's consequent snicker to himself helped lighten the mood considerably. The almost stifling tension that had arisen seemed almost like it had never happened.
"I can sympathize when it comes to problems with parents. Also, you were kind to me, it's only fair that I do the same in return. You're alright, Tarquin."
That small flick of mandibles to reveal teeth was his only response
"That must be a glowing commendation coming from you, to a turian."
The allusion to his xenophobia managed to make him smile. Unbelievable.
"It sure is."
They were silent again. Compared to their previous silences, this one was comfortable. Not familiar, yet welcome all the same.
Terrence had a question for once.
"Do you usually play therapist to your squadmates?"
"I wouldn't say I play therapist. More that I listen if I feel they have any problems, it helps."
"Let me guess, that's something that your father does?"
Tarquin looked oddly guilty, his gaze falling back to his omnitool.
"Yes."
Maybe he could help him out here.
"You said that your father is proud of you, right?"
Tarquin nodded, he seemed almost cautious now. It was nice to turn the tables on him for once.
"Then surely, he'd be happy with you the way you are? Not with you trying to become him."
Tarquin's response was almost instantaneous. Self-assured even.
"That doesn't mean I can't better myself."
Terrence had to admit to himself that Tarquin had a point.
"Why not focus on working to your strengths? I imagine you're good at things that your father isn't."
Tarquin was silent for a long time. Terrence wasn't sure whether or not to be worried about the depth of hero worship Tarquin clearly had for his father. It was minutes before Tarquin spoke.
"I'll have to get back to you on that one."
Terrence rolled his eyes. He checked his omni-tool, it was now 18:13 CST. Not long now until he could get wasted, or as wasted as necessary to talk.
Reply
Reply
Not a nightclub with such overwhelming bass. Flux it was called. It must be incredibly popular to have had such a large queue in the early evening.
"What can I get for you?" The asari bartender asked him with marked disinterest. A finger at her lip and her vision fixed at a point behind him.
A human bartender for starters. Also, for her to stop looking at him like he was completely beneath her notice. A list of drinks that contained Earth drinks because he didn't recognize any of this alien shit. He didn't care that they were levo, he cared whether they were human made or not. Where was his giant turian accomplice when he was needed?
"He'll have the Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey," Tarquin called over his shoulder and pushed a credit chit into his right hand. Terrence almost jumped. Tarquin had went to use the Men's, he'd not known that he'd came back.
It also explained the asari's lack of focus on him. He felt oddly proud and pleased that Tarquin was considered attractive by asari, or this asari in particular.
Wait.. Woodford Reserve? That shit was expensive.
Terrence turned and gave Tarquin a look of utter disbelief.
"I saw a human at the other side of the bar order it. Or would you rather have a Thessian Aurora?" Tarquin asked with a graceful shrug. "They're about the same price."
That sounded like a wimpy drink. Only the hard stuff for him, thank you.
"Alright," Terrence said. Expensive whiskey would be a great end to his brief shore leave. Imminent painful memories aside. Free, expensive whiskey was more than welcome.
"Just give me a moment," the bartender said with a faint smile on her lips before turning to rummage through her stock.
Tarquin in his black and red armour cut an intimidating image standing at his shoulder (why was he so close?), so it made the brief smile he gave in response to Terrence's acceptance seem special. Not that it was special.
And the bartender picked up on it. Her smile continuing to spread.
Terrence panicked.
"It's not like that. Or whatever you're thinking. We're friends, just friends."
Terrence felt so exposed in his Alliance blues in face of the asari's probing, almost knowing gaze. The material was practically sheer, not that he didn't look good in it.
He was a damn handsome guy after all.
Then he remembered that he'd admitted that Tarquin was his friend.
"I'm your friend?" Tarquin asked with clear surprise in his voice.
"Just friends?" The asari asked with a smirk. "In that case, I'd like to talk to your turian friend. Alone." She passed Terrence the bottle of whiskey and he took it in hand.
Then she pinned her bedroom eyes, they were very good he could admit, on Tarquin.
Hmm...
Stay, and potentially be implicated as being in a relationship with a turian, or go and enjoy his expensive drink in peace.
There was really no option in his mind.
"Yeah we're friends, Tarquin. Believe it or not. I'll leave you here with the bartender and maybe you two can get cozy together." Terrence said with a light smirk on his face.
And make freaky alien babies together. That erased his smirk pretty quickly, he really didn't want to be thinking about how a turian and an asari would... well.
Tarquin looked betrayed as he stepped up to the counter with the asari pretty much fucking him with her eyes. Terrence mouthed a sorry at him as he left the bar.
"Since you're buying the drinks, I'll find a booth." Terrence called to Tarquin as he skilfully ignored her flirting with a flat expression.
It wasn't hard to find an empty booth. It was hard to find a small booth that wasn't intended to seat a party. The dancefloor was currently packed beyond belief.
He'd seen a couple of human women giving him the eye as he searched for a booth. He returned their perusal with a nod. The two asari he'd seen looking at him in appreciation were ignored, though they did help soothe the momentary blow his ego had taken at the bar.
Terrence chuckled as he took a light sip of the whiskey remembering Tarquin's predicament whilst he was comfortably seated in a 3 person booth. Eyes closed he enjoyed the spicy, fruity finish.
Damn, this is some fucking good stuff.
Reply
"Nice to see you again, Tarquin. You took your time," Terrence said after closing his eyes once more, a faint smirk on his face as he enjoyed the liquid heat spreading through him.
This whiskey was just sex in a bottle. It'd be in his best interests to look after this friendship carefully if Tarquin was prepared to supply him with this. Implications of being in a relationship with him were more than worth dealing with.
".. Don't remind me," Tarquin mumbled as he took the seat beside him.
"You don't like asari?" Terrence asked after opening his eyes.
Tarquin laughed surprisingly, his form shaking a little in his mirth.
"It's not that. You should have heard some of the things she was saying: 'You're not interested? Fine, you can bring your human friend along and the three of us can all have some fun.'" Tarquin mimicked what Terrence could only assume to be her honeyed tones pretty damn well.
Then he digested what he'd said. It was only the fact that the whiskey was a gift, and how fucking good it was that he didn't spit-take.
"What?" He said in utter disbelief, struggling to swallow down the gulp of whiskey he'd taken in his shock. It was pretty damn strong.
A smile was growing across Tarquin's face as he took a long drain of his drink. Somehow, Terrence got the feeling that it didn't bode well for him.
"That's what she said, Terrence. She also said: 'I've never been with a human before. I suppose it'll be worth it to get with your sexy ass. I'd like to watch you two as well, that could be hot.'" Tarquin added, still in that ridiculous voice.
Terrence twitched in discomfort. Maybe because of the fact that the idea of the two of them fucking didn't disgust him as much as he thought it would. It should. He'd always been casual with sex, and had ended up sleeping with nearly half of the local chapter of the Tenth Street Reds he was a part of. He had never been picky. Guys. Girls. Short. Tall. Fat. White guys. Black girls. Sex was just sex to him regardless of the person. He had no preferences.
Apart from them being human.
Terrence looked at Tarquin's mandibled face, so close to him and holding clear amusement at his discomfort. He took a large swig. He was clearly already buzzed to find the idea of fucking a turian to be something to be almost blasé towards. Never mind their close proximity, even if they were friends it was maybe a little too close. Terrence had expected Tarquin to take the seat on the opposite side of the booth, not the one next to him. Was he that lonely that it hadn't bothered him? Perhaps. It was nice to be treated like a friend instead of a criminal, a soldier or a nuisance. Damn nice.
He also felt proud that Tarquin wasn't ashamed of the fact that they were friends. Did Tarquin even consider him as his friend?
"I think I'd rather talk about my xenophobia than that crazy asari's fantasies of you," Terrence said with a slight grimace.
"Lidanya is her name, and they were of us," Tarquin added helpfully. Still smiling at him.
Damn him. He was meant to be nice and mature, as he was earlier. Not teasing him.
"Now that I think about it, I think she was a little drunk when we got our drinks as I could smell alcohol on her breath. She did have some compliments for you though, especially about your colouring," Tarquin acknowledged with a clinical air to him.
"Tarquin," Terrence warned before he could even dare think of imitating her again.
"Terrence," Tarquin replied calmly in return.
Terrence just exhaled. He needed to pace himself otherwise he'd be wasted within the hour. Tarquin wasn't being helpful in that regard. The images he was provoking were the type that needed alcohol to be washed down with.
"You'll find that turians are very good at revenge, Terrence," Tarquin said with a smile.
Well played, Tarquin. You win this one.
"Now. Do you want to still talk to me about it?" Tarquin asked kindly.
Terrence shrugged non-committally. He didn't really mind either way.
"Sure." Terrence replied.
Reply
Reply
Reply
If he ever became famous, Tarquin could write his biography. He did want to be a historian it'd prove good practice for him.
"I was born in New York City in the United States of America on Earth. My parents had recently emigrated from the Dominican Republic for work after they'd spent some time in Singapore for their honeymoon," Terrence said.
He snorted in annoyance. Fucking Singapore...
Fucking eezo spills.
"I'm not even sure why they went there, that place is probably one of the most population dense places on Earth. But I'd never claim to understand my parents," Terrence added bitterly.
"Anyway, when my parents had went to Singapore there was a large eezo spill and my..." Terrence stopped to take a swig from the bottle. Thinking about his mom just pissed him off. The burn from taking such a large gulp, straight and without a chaser, made him wince briefly.
"My mom was caught up in it. Evidently she must have been caught up in it fucking big time, dancing in the eezo and.. fuck who knows!? Because I was born three years after it happened and still ended up as a damn biotic!" Terrence cried waving his hands up in disbelief.
He could hear Tarquin laughing beside him, Terrence stopped to enjoy the sound of his laughter before choosing to continue on.
"My childhood was good. Apart from my parents' tendency towards reclusiveness, we were pretty normal. My parents weren't wealthy, but they were frugal, and we lived comfortably. We went to visit family in the Dominican Republic once when I was seven, and it's probably one of my fondest memories of the time I spent with them. My parents, that is. Santo Domingo was beautiful, almost rural in comparison to New York. Nowhere near as urbanized and there was none of the casual apathy that New Yorkers had. Everyone was so..." Terrence smiled, a genuine smile at the memory. Not one of the mocking, grim smirks he'd become fond of as of late.
"Happy," Terrence finished. He missed those days.
"I was eight when my biotics had first manifested. My parents initially were just leery, which I suppose was natural. Seeing your child suddenly making things float couldn't have been something to be nonchalant about," Terrence mused.
"You were able to make things float at the age of eight? With control?" Tarquin asked quietly before draining the remaining contents of his glass.
"Yeah, I could control it pretty well. Though that would change later though," Terrence replied, idly tracing the curves of his bottle with his index finger.
He was about to explain what he meant when Tarquin suddenly stood up, an apologetic smile on his face.
"Do you mind if I get a refill?" Tarquin asked, gesturing to his empty glass.
He did mind, but Tarquin had gotten him his whiskey so who was he to begrudge him the choice to get himself more liquor.
"Go ahead."
"Want anything, Terrence? Tarquin asked, standing at the edge of the booth with a questioning look.
He shook his head in the negative and Tarquin left in his typical predatory turian lope. It was almost eerie how silent his footsteps were despite the fact he was in full armour.
Tarquin ended up taking a long time, whether it was because the club had become even more packed or some other reason, Terrence didn't know. He ended up finishing the bottle in his absence. The whiskey ended up leaving him feeling like he was burning up, he could feel himself sweating.
So he unbuttoned the top two buttons. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. He was sober enough to know that taking off his tunic wouldn't be entirely socially acceptable. It was a good thing that he didn't end up asking for any more liquor as he was on duty tomorrow. Wouldn't be setting a good example to come in with a hangover in light of his new found desire to succeed.
Reply
"I was hoping when we made eyes across the room that you'd dance with me," she scolded him before adding, "I've been looking for you."
That was slightly stalkerish, but he decided he'd be flattered. Not creeped out. It was understandable, he supposed. Whilst her attention might have been welcome any other day, it wasn't this one. He was here to speak with Tarquin, not to get laid.
Somehow he wasn't disappointed at that fact.
He opened his eyes and looked at her in appraisal. Pretty face, black hair, blue eyes, and her body in that blue skin tight dress was just ridiculous. Okay, so he was slightly disappointed now, as said green eyes were focussed hungrily on his chest. He looked down in question as he felt like he was missing something. The sight of a sizeable sliver of toned dark brown skin peeking back at him answered his question.
Pointedly.
Well, shit. It seemed like he'd undid all of the buttons of his tunic leaving the top of his chest was exposed. He couldn't find the required effort to re-button them, his arms feeling far too sluggish when he tried to move them to the table so he could lean forward to protect his assets. Besides, she shouldn't be here anyway. She wasn't welcome to his pity party.
Terrence managed to find the friendliness to smile.
"I'm flattered that you've sought me out, but I'm here to talk to a friend," Terrence said with honest regret in his voice.
She frowned, stopping her examination of his body, and looked at him with growing interest. Her blue eyes connecting with his hazel. He could only assume that she wasn't used to being denied to find rejection not to be much of a downer.
"Who's your friend?" she asked, or rather demanded.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Tarquin walked into the booth and almost collided with their unwanted visitor before gracefully stepping around her. She was frozen in place, just watching him. Surprisingly not out of fear, but surprise. Tarquin stopped for a few seconds, his eyes quickly assessing the room and lingering on his chest for a second, before he retook his seat. It was lucky that he hadn't bumped into her due to the fact he was holding three drinks. Two more glasses of that yellow liquid he favoured and a glass of water for.. Terrence as he quickly passed it to him after retaking his seat.
"Thank you, Tarquin," Terrence mumbled gratefully enjoying the calming chill of the water against his hands.
"Don't worry about it."
Adorned with his usual small smile.
He looked back up at the girl, hoping that she'd left, and what he saw made him want to cry. It was like the bartender but worse. Infinitely worse.
She was excited, looking between them like Christmas had come early. Like twelve months and thirty fucking days early.
"I've come across a couple male turian and female human couples, but I've never seen a male-male one before!" she exclaimed with clear relish.
What the actual fuck? Seriously?
Terrence ended up just dropping his forehead onto the table and just planned to stay there and pretend to be.. pretend to be dead until she left. Tarquin couldn't be in a relationship with a corpse after all. Maybe he'd cease to exist in her mind if he did this for long enough.
"I'm sorry to ruin your hopes, but we're just friends," Tarquin explained. Rather slowly too, like he was talking to a deranged toddler. Which by the squeal that left her as she said male-male, she was. "Just friends."
"Oh? Then why is his chest on display? Not that he should button up! He has lovely pecs from what little I can see of them," she said.
He couldn't see her expression from his self-imposed seclusion, but it sounded like it had the most smug smile. Someone kill him, please.
"... That's.. nice to know. I don't know why his chest is exposed though, as he was completely buttoned up before I left," Tarquin said with an increasingly pondering tone.
"Isn't it obvious?" The girl asked, sighing at what he could only imagine to be Tarquin's supposed ignorance in her mind. "He planned to seduce you with his sexy muscles."
"I'd just drank a bottle of whiskey and I was sweating," Terrence mumbled with growing annoyance around his mouthful of table.
Reply
"Sure, just know that you two would look hot together. Hot. I guarantee it," she claimed before leaving in a rush of hot air from the inside of the club. The fading sound of her heels against the metal floor was such a balm for his soul he could have wept in relief.
Terrence sighed once the door closed and Tarquin laughed. Hard.
"So, Terrence, should I be worried about any impending seduction on your part?" Tarquin asked. His continuing mirth making him increasingly aware of the pounding in his skull. Fuck, the bass in this club was overwhelming.
"No. Just no. Though if you find muscled human chests a turn-on, do tell me," Terrence sarcastically said, "I don't think I'm in a state, or I'll ever be in a state to deal with a horny, amorous turian."
"Few species can handle us," Tarquin lamented, a faint sigh escaping him as he managed to restrain the laugh Terrence could hear bubbling in his voice.
Terrence found himself reaching for the whiskey bottle out of reflex, even despite the fact it was empty. A flanging laugh erupted next to him. Tarquin was waving his radioactive looking drink, tauntingly, before he took a long drain of it.
Motherfucker. He wanted some liquor too.
The water would have to do and he took a gulp. The pounding across his temples eased slightly and he sighed in relief.
"But don't worry, you're safe from me," he added, still sounding mirthful.
"Yeah, well. Maybe I should continue with my story before you get drunk enough to test whether humans are capable," Terrence snarked.
Tarquin snorted and and it was so out of character that Terrence couldn't help but gape in surprise. He couldn't help but wonder whether his father would approve.
"It would take far more than a salarian made dextro cognac to get me that out of my mind. Maybe Hallex..." Tarquin mused to himself, sinking into a sloping position in his seat.
Now Tarquin was talking about taking the alien equivalent of E? His jaw dropped. He looked and sounded ridiculous. Terrence was tempted to try and take his drink away from him if it wasn't kinda funny.
"Anyway, continue with your story. It was proving interesting," Tarquin hastily said, straightening up and readopting his picture perfect military posture.
"Afraid your father was watching, Tarquin?" Terrence teased.
They had a brief battle of wills. Tarquin staring at him in clear indignation, and himself staring back. Trying not to be cowed by Tarquin's admittedly powerful presence or throwing the game by bursting into laughter. Though being a turian he had a natural advantage, they didn't blink after all.
What was he thinking?
"You win," Terrence acquiesced.
If any of the Reds could see them. God. They'd wonder if he'd lost his mind. Never mind the losing to a turian, but even joking around with one. Sell-out. Traitor.
He mused to himself that it was a good thing they couldn't see him.
Any further introspection was interrupted by Tarquin clearing his throat in clear expectation.
He'd just manifested his biotics...
"My parents had impressed upon me the importance of ensuring no one knew of my biotics. I understood. There'd been a lot of cases of biotic children disappearing or being murdered by religious nuts in the news. I didn't want that to happen to me, obviously. At the time things seemed fine, to my young mind at least. My biotics were incredibly stable, easily controlled, compared to the stories you'd hear about human biotics manifesting and attacking those around them accidentally."
How blind he had been.
"There was a week where my parents spent most of it calling someone I'd never heard of, and the atmosphere in the house was.. it was really dark," Terrence recalled, his head held in his hand, "but I hadn't noticed. I was too absorbed in spending every waking moment outside of school playing with my biotics."
Reply
"Your parents abandoned you? At nine?" Tarquin asked. Maybe to turians with their perceived sense of duty, the idea of abandoning a child to them was unheard of. Perhaps not. Regardless, it was an all too common occurrence in the megapolis that was twenty-second century New York.
He nodded, staring at a red smear on the tabletop that he hadn't noticed previously. It was almost like blood. In face of Tarquin's silence, he continued on.
"I went into my room, trying not to think too much of their absence. Usually they'd tell me prior if they'd not be at home when I got back, but they hadn't."
He sighed.
"I waited all day for them to come back. I think I ended up making myself a turkey sandwich, or something, whilst I waited. I'd been hoping for pastelón de platano maduro. Yellow plantain casserole. We usually had something Dominican on Fridays because my parents missed their homeland intensely," he recalled wistfully. It was better to focus on the good moments rather than the bad, it made it easier to emotionally disconnect from the sadder parts of his memories. To pretend that they hadn't happened.
"Friday came and went with no sign of them. Saturday was the same. At the time, I was living in wilful ignorance that they'd come back soon enough. I was even starting to get sick of having turkey sandwiches for dinner too, I'd tried making rice and ended up burning it."
"Then on Monday, after school, there was a knock on the door. I was excited. Ecstatic even. They were finally back and maybe I could have some of that casserole," he stopped to enjoy the brief, familiar sound of Tarquin's flanging chuckle. It was becoming as normal to him as a regular chuckle, alien flange aside.
"I ended up staying alone in the apartment for maybe a month, and then I was forced to break in to get my stuff when the clemency period on the rent ran out. It was a bit of a bitch to get locked out after school."
Tarquin looked at him dubiously.
"You broke into an apartment, at nine years old?" He asked.
"You'd be surprised what a panicking, frustrated biotic child can achieve when he's been locked out of the only home he's known," Terrence countered.
Tarquin's face seemed to soften, the tightness in his mandibles which he hadn't even noticed, gradually easing. Terrence blamed the warmth his kind regard spread through him on the whiskey.
He didn't mention how that had cemented his abandonment in his mind and how he'd spent an hour sobbing and heaving until he'd been sick. And that was before he'd began to use his biotics to try and break the window. Or try to, maybe it was that lack of security and confidence he'd felt then that had resulted in his growing loss of control of his biotics. They grew unresponsive after that day. He'd keep that to himself, some things he couldn't share.
"I think I ended up using some ridiculous combination of a Warp and Lift on the window lock after about fifteen minutes of fumbling. I'm not even sure how I managed the Warp... I feel sorry for whatever engineer was given the job of fixing the window I'd used to get in."
"I'd foolishly thought that because I had biotics I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. I didn't call the police because it was an open secret that the police in Queens were corrupt and due to the fact that I'd have to tell them that my parents had abandoned me."
"Do humans not provide any provision for orphans, or children in similar positions?" Tarquin inquired. "I thought they did."
"Oh they do, but I was too prideful to consider an orphanage. Serious, wilful ignorance, Tarquin," he rasped, his throat dry from the seeming non-stop talking. He took a sip of his water.
"So I ended up on the streets. A backpack and seventy dollars to my name. Thankfully, I'd adopted my parents' frugal approach to money and I didn't end up blowing it all on I don't know.. motherfucking marbles or something just as useless. The first few nights were the hardest."
Reply
where's your mama?
don't worry i'll look after you
see that, Davis? what a pretty little black kid
He shuddered. Damn his parents for abandoning him, but he couldn't help but thank them for passing their tendencies on to him. His steadfast self-reliance and reclusiveness had saved his life in those early days from the more unstable homeless.
"They were pretty bad. I spent the first few weeks skulking around the mouth of alleyways, terrified of the trash that occupied the back streets and alleyways of Queens. I even got offers from a few people passing by the alleys to come with them, but I trusted them even less. Between the money I had, the small amount of dried food I'd brought with me and school lunches, I ate okay-ish. There was a church nearby that offered showers to the homeless, so I took advantage of that. One of the priests was kind enough to wash my clothes for me. I stole from some of the nearby convenience stores when the hunger became too much, which only happened a few times and I was never caught. I spent those first few weeks sleeping behind dumpsters for fuck's sake. It was really fucking nasty but I was a very wiry child and it beat sleeping inside them and possibly being found by a homeless person in the middle of the night," he said
"What would they have done?" Tarquin hesitantly asked.
He turned and stared him in the eye. Unblinking.
Unfortunately biology won out.
"Well, most homeless are mentally unstable; chasing the next high, or are already high out of their mind. You know? But they're generally the easiest to deal with, at least in New York. Even if they mutter creepy shit under their breath or try and grab you when you try and creep past they're thankfully too lethargic, too out of their fucking minds to chase you. Even if they have more than a foot on you and at least ninety pounds on you... and they make you tremble with the strangely intent look they tend to give you," Terrence mumbled under his breath.
"You may never get used to that, but you can deal with it. No, it's the normal people who offer you help, and never stop.. stop caring because they bring attention to you. Attention you'd rather live without as you don't want replacement parents. You loved the ones you already had, and you still do, but they fucked you over. Why open yourself to be fucked over by strangers?" Terrence said in a slightly hysterical rush. He stopped to breath, to calm himself down before he possibly lost his temper. Cried even. He'd had no idea how much it'd weighed on him, it had always been something he had done everything he could to forget. Something to be hidden. He'd never spoken of those early days to anyone. Not even to the people he was closest to in the Reds.
He had some of his water to busy himself. Feeling far too exposed, too weak, under Tarquin's gaze.
"You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Terrence," he said.
Terrence shook his head. He'd started, and he would finish.
A gloved hand descended on his shoulder, a three fingered grip squeezing the ball of his shoulder lightly. He mustered a weak smile, not at all put off by the contact, and Tarquin returned it.
He continued on, Tarquin's silent support proving to be motivating.
"And worse still, it's the seemingly everyday people who enter the alleyways you have to watch out for," he added quietly.
why are you here alone?
where are you going?
surely your parents are wondering where you are?
his involuntary freeze and down-turned mouth proved telling.
the man with his unnaturally perfect features from cosmetic surgery, typical nouveau riche, smiled. he'd realized he was homeless.
come here now
do that again, you little nigger shit, and I swear I will fucking kill you
He massaged his throat unconsciously. Tarquin caught the movement and his eyes seemed to become almost glacial.
Reply
"And what did he do?" Tarquin asked. A cold, barbed tone entering his speech. His grip remained just as light, thankfully.
no more biting my hands, do you understand?
good, you're silent now, you're coming wi-
"He waited until I entered an alleyway and he easily overpowered me, and then he gagged me. He then tried to take me with him," he coldly stated and Tarquin's grip for a split second dug into his shoulder. He ignored the brief pain.
"Sorry. Tried?" Tarquin asked after easing his grip.
"I killed him," he replied, voice still distant and cold, "He seemed to think that removing my voice," his ability to scream for help, "would make me compliant. I pushed him into a wall and he snapped his neck against a drain pipe."
"Humans aren't that fragile. Biotics?" Tarquin asked after a momentary silence.
"Biotics. Though the motherfucker had one hell of a limp neck. Punk-ass bitch motherfucker..." He muttered angrily under his breath.
"Punk-ass?... Motherfucker?" Tarquin said in complete confusion.
"Punk-ass bitch motherfucker, Tarquin. He was a punk-ass bitch motherfucker. Say it after me Tarquin. Punk-ass. Bitch. Mother. Fucker." Terrence recited with a growing smile in face of Tarquin's disbelief. Count on the turian to be more unbalanced by curses than a child killing an adult male.
"No thank you, Terrence. It's incredibly generous of you, but I'll allow you to keep your monopoly on exotic cursing." Tarquin demurred with a laugh.
"Fine, fine. All the more for me," he replied with a small chuckle. He felt so damn at ease around Tarquin, it was kind of scaring him.
"Well, I killed the punk-ass bitch motherfucker and I ran. I ran to an abandoned, run-down building near the airport and broke in through one of the side windows, my biotics deciding to respond to me for once without needing mortal danger. A quick Pull on the lock, and then a careful Lift on myself and I was in. I stayed there for my remaining time on the streets. It had electricity and hot water, luckily enough. For food, I'd scavenge the trash cans near the airport at night. All of the money people lost around the airport proved useful in getting transport to school. The airport was kind of far away."
Terrence chuckled. Those couple of months in that building had been pretty damn blissful in comparison to the earlier two.
"Anyway, it was more or less plain sailing from then on, survival wise at least. I became obsessed with learning things on the terminal in the building because I didn't know how long the school was going to look the other way when my parents hadn't been able to come to any of the parents meetings."
He paused to finish his water.
"Then they came," he said with slight amusement.
"They?" Tarquin asked.
"The Tenth Street Reds. A street gang. They became my family for the next seven and a half years."
"I don't believe you just welcomed them with open arms... did you?" Tarquin mused to himself.
"No. I kept running into one or two of them as I came back from school. I don't know what they were doing in Queens, since I now know they operate in Manhattan, but I'm fairly sure that they were scoping out prospective members."
"They were sharp. They recognised the battered backpack I kept on me at all times, the fact that I was very good at disappearing and they took to just giving me friendly smiles when they saw me. They knew a homeless child when they saw one."
"Eventually, I caved. Eventually being maybe after near thirty encounters with friendly people dressed in red, and I spoke back to one of them when spoken to, for once. And that was it really."
Reply
"That simple. It didn't hit me until I started spending time with them how lonely I was. I'd slowly become incredibly withdrawn at school, what I was going through made it difficult to be happy, or pretend to be. Children are frighteningly perceptive. Anyway, I stayed with some of the older members who owned apartments though I did return to my place near the airport occasionally. I'd become a little attached to that place..."
"So I imagine, being in a gang, even with as young as you were you had to pull your weight eventually?" Tarquin slowly asked.
Terrence nodded absently.
"When I wasn't in school, I was helping them break into buildings. Burglary... arson on some occasions. They'd asked me to drop out, but some things like your parents telling you education is everything are too ingrained. Looking back I'm surprised that they didn't try and pressure me to drop out. All the crimes I was responsible for didn't result in any deaths. None that I know of. One time, when I was fourteen, they took me to intimidate someone who owed them money. I beat him a little, I wasn't really doing much damage. I was one hell of a skinny teenager. Then, they asked me to use my biotics. He broke quickly after that, but they never asked me to do that again, intimidate someone. I had been... rather brutal. Slamming, lifting and pulling him about. It wasn't pretty."
"Did you kill him?" Tarquin asked surprisingly calmly.
"Nah, but I imagine he wished he was dead in the end. They were genuinely afraid of me for a while after that. It was easy to forget that whilst I was younger than most of them, I could easily rip them apart at the molecular level if I ever got angry enough. It was especially easy to forget that when all I seemed to use my biotics for were little things like breaking locks or lifting people through windows. They gradually phased me out of any operations by the time I was fifteen and I ended up going to school full time, a member, but not a gang member anymore. One of the older members, a guy called Quinn, posed as my father for anything that required a parent. That was fun. I graduated when I was eighteen with a GPA of 3.4 and my SAT was pretty good, 1930. I hadn't made any plans for college, I know that all students are expected to have a physical done upon enrolment and I had no intention of joining the military as it's compulsory for biotics. I honestly would have done better if I'd participated more, but I was a real loner at school. I ended up gaining a reputation for being distant and intense. Little did they know that my anger would result in me glowing blue. A couple of weeks after, the hideout I was staying at was raided by the police and I was given an ultimatum of prison or the military when they discovered I was a biotic."
He paused for a second to clear his throat.
"I'm in a very unique position due to the nature of my biotics. Most biotics spend their puberty in a training facility and get an amp fitted as soon as possible, whilst I hadn't. So there had been expectations that I'd be weaker than them. With that not being the case, and me requiring anger to accomplish anything more than a Lift or a Pull, I'll be getting one of the more experimental amps, the L3, fitted once I've mastered my control. Less risk of complications due to my age from the L3. I could apparently be one of the most powerful biotics that humanity has if I master myself. It's why I was put on Captain Anderson's ship almost immediately after boot camp in hopes he'd whip me into shape."
Tarquin seemed to be digesting everything.
"What about the xenophobia? You haven't explained that," he asked with a hint of confusion.
"Oh that. Well, when I'd first joined they were fond of talking about aliens. How they killed humans, enslaved humans, how humanity was better off alone... stuff like that. And eventually I began to parrot their beliefs, and believe them. I'd wanted desperately to fit in. I didn't want to end up on the streets. Alone," he admitted.
Reply
Leave a comment