This is only a test.
So she was vas Normandy now. It was something to be proud of, she was sure of it, but something in the pit of her stomach was still not at ease with this. It had been a slow drift away from the flotilla, she'd thought, but now perhaps it was much faster than she'd assumed. She was sure that it seemed strange, her being on the Crew deck -- but
( Read more... )
Reply
Garrus sneaking up on her was certainly not welcome in the least. He could be so -- ridiculous.
"One," she started, "I do not believe that you suffered through Fleet and Flotilla for one second ... and two, I wasn't aware that you were incapable of venturing down into the Engineering deck to see me, either. It isn't as if Jack hates you." She saved that special privilege for Miranda.
Things with Garrus had always been strange. She wasn't used to such a -- joking manner. Most Quarians on the flotilla were far too worried about the ship breaking down or protocol not being followed to worry too much about developing a sense of humor. It made it hard for her to gauge where she sat with him, and between that and how she'd been ... feeling lately, she hadn't wanted to ( ... )
Reply
Shepard had been pretty discreet about the situation with Sidonis, the same way he’d been discreet about the situation with Tali, but in both cases that didn’t stop detail from leaking back to the crew. So far, no one had dared ask him for the details on exactly where he’d put the bullet in his former squadmate… well, actually, Jack had asked but that but it was Jack. Garrus tilted his head, wondering if the two years had put any lines into the little quarian’s face, or if she looked thinner in her enviro-suit than he remembered.
Their little crew had gone to pieces so quickly. He didn’t remember. The notion made him feel guilty and might have explained some of why he hadn’t approached her until now - he wasn’t sure if the rapport that they’d shared back then still stood now. Who knew what burdens she bore now? Garrus had collected a few spare since they’d last seen eachother.
“All joking aside, it is good to see a familiar face.” A pause. Then the grin. “So ( ... )
Reply
Her frown only deepened as he spoke. It was very hard to continue being aloof and unconcerned about others when they acted apologetic.
"And ... don't worry about it, Garrus. I wouldn't expect you to simply pick up where you'd left off with me. Two years doesn't just go away." She didn't trust Cerberus, though, and Garrus was a familiar face. She looked toward him, hesitant.
"Are you really comfortable with -- all this?" Cerberus, Shepard being ... resurrected. Something about it just felt off. She wanted Garrus' opinions on these things ( ... )
Reply
“Look, it’s confusing and we’re not always going to like what happens, but what other choice do we have? The threat is real. Shepard bought us on because he needs us on his side and I don’t think that’s the same side as Cerberus.” Garrus shook his head. “Besides, he has us to keep him on the… what is it? Straight and narrow?”
Reply
As far as she knew, Shepard hadn't told anyone about what had happened with the flotilla (and she didn't think that Legion would be telling anyone, oddly enough). Garrus' last comment startled a laugh out of her, something that rarely happened in her day-to-day life ... or at least, her day-to-day life before Garrus and the rest of the crew.
"A Turian rogue and a Quarian exiled from the flotilla, keep Shepard on the straight and narrow? Honestly, Garrus."
Reply
“Exhiled Tali’Zora? I didn’t…” He hesitated then reached up to briefly touch her shoulder, covey however superficially, his sympathies. “I’m sorry. No one said that.”
He didn’t quite understand all the nuances of quarian culture - they were as strange a race as ever some could be at times and yet he felt he had some sense, even through that smoggy visor, of his crewmate’s sadness. It seemed like… well, again he had no notion was banishment from your whole culture was like but he felt this might run deeper than that. Shepard had mentioned, exceptionally briefly, that if he talked to Tali he should just “Be nice.” Whatever that entailed. He’s said the mission had been rough on her, he hadn’t said anything else…
Reply
"It is ... strange. I have not felt quite so alone since my first few nights on the Normandy so long ago, with its quiet engines and empty halls. Not that I am implying I constantly need someone in the same room as me -- ah." She shook her head, looking down at her hands folded awkwardly against the table as Garrus touched her shoulder. Even through the suit, the touch was appreciated.
Perhaps too appreciated, considering the flush that was suddenly chasing up her neck. "Thank you." She didn't think he fully understood the magnitude of the situation, not really, but at least he was trying. She wanted to ask him about the implants he was sporting, but it seemed insensitive to do so when he hadn't offered any new information ( ... )
Reply
Garrus dropped his hand from her shoulder and gestured toward the main battery doors, where he’d been keeping to himself mostly for the duration of the mission. He hadn’t lied about the Ceberus operatives being polite and cooperative with him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t hear them start speaking in lowered tones when he left the room, or stop speaking as he came within hearing distance. It was a tension that had never been on the Original Normandy. Part of the reason he’d been… anticipating having Tali back as part of the team; the familiarity.
“Look I was heading back to optimize some firing algorithms but if you have ten minutes I’d like to catch up… not that ten minutes will do it, but it would be a start.” He laughed, a short flanging huff of not-quite amusement. “As you can see, a couple of things have changed since we last served together.”
Reply
Not that she was making fun of his skills, persay - she was just stating that she felt she could probably do a better job of things. And now he was saying things had changed -- was he talking about the implants?
Only one way to find out. As she followed him to the main doors and through them, she nodded.
"I did notice your new ... look." What more could she really say about that? What if he'd done it to himself in a fit of madness or something ridiculous like that? If she'd done something that embarrassing, she certainly wouldn't want everyone else knowing about it.
Reply
Reply
Ahem.
"They're not so bad, though," she said quickly, "they're certainly very ... unique." Which was altogether the wrong thing to say, she was sure the moment that it popped out of her mouth. "That is to say, I don't think they'd look good on anyone else." Implying then that she thought they looked just fine on Garrus. She just thought that they fit with his rebellious past and present, that was all.
No, really.
Oh, this was so very awkward for her. She wasn't sure whether it was appropriate to try and ease back into the rapport that they'd had with each other two years previous, whether she ought to just forget any sort of attraction that she'd had to Garrus previously, or...
Or.
Reply
Reply
She was just flustered enough to bring one hand up and half-heartedly bat at Garrus' fingers. Picking up where they'd left off probably put Tali and Garrus in very different positions, considering, but that wasn't something she wanted to think too hard on right now. For now, she'd just try to focus on only catching up.
Reply
Reply
"I see it," she said, leaning forward of her own accord to put in some new numbers on the console. "Just a few more adjustments, and..." she tried the modified solution. Hopefully it worked, or she'd feel -- inadequate, perhaps? Impressing Shepard and the rest of the crew wasn't a priority, but she didn't like thinking that she might be doing something terribly wrong.
"Once Shepard upgrades the shields as I suggested, we're going to have to calibrate again."
Reply
Leave a comment