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Garrus.
[Shit greetings are practically their social custom at this point. She gives him a short nod, shoving another piece of fruit in her mouth. Walking, talking and eating; go ahead, you can call her multi-talented. She won't mind.]
I'm fine. Other things have been better.
[Other people.]
How's all the paperwork?
[Shit greetings are practically their social custom at this point. She gives him a short nod, shoving another piece of fruit in her mouth. Walking, talking and eating; go ahead, you can call her multi-talented. She won't mind.]
I'm fine. Other things have been better.
[Other people.]
How's all the paperwork?
[Other things have been a lot better.]
Keeps piling up, the way paperwork does. File one set of reports and there's a whole other duty roster to see to. And that's... That's why I wanted to talk with you. Not paperwork. The other part. Duty.
[Because why launch into something smoothly when he can blunder in? And he can't really pause here, he has to continue, because you don't leave your best friend hanging on something like that. His subharmonics are a bit strained as he continues.]
I have to remember the hierarchy here, Shepard. Questioning it, pushing against it...
[Garrus takes a breath.]
Our lives aren't the only things that were on the line the other day.
Keeps piling up, the way paperwork does. File one set of reports and there's a whole other duty roster to see to. And that's... That's why I wanted to talk with you. Not paperwork. The other part. Duty.
[Because why launch into something smoothly when he can blunder in? And he can't really pause here, he has to continue, because you don't leave your best friend hanging on something like that. His subharmonics are a bit strained as he continues.]
I have to remember the hierarchy here, Shepard. Questioning it, pushing against it...
[Garrus takes a breath.]
Our lives aren't the only things that were on the line the other day.
[Oh for the love of--]
If this is the part where you tell me I'm putting the whole galaxy at risk, you can save your breath for someone who needs to hear it.
[To her credit, her tone is mild enough as she falls into step beside him. They're not supposed to be interrupting his patrol for this and it's a conversation she'd rather have on the move anyway - means there are other things to focus on than how Garrus looks at her.]
I thought we agreed to let this one go.
If this is the part where you tell me I'm putting the whole galaxy at risk, you can save your breath for someone who needs to hear it.
[To her credit, her tone is mild enough as she falls into step beside him. They're not supposed to be interrupting his patrol for this and it's a conversation she'd rather have on the move anyway - means there are other things to focus on than how Garrus looks at her.]
I thought we agreed to let this one go.
No, no. That's not what I'm saying.
[He looks back at her.]
I'm not upset with you. But there's something Warriorhead did say that you might need to hear. It's not just us and our worlds they'd bring up for charges if they suspect mutiny. It's your trainees, too, Shepard. The training program. And that got me to stop and think, but that's not the turning point.
[And now he can't look at her, has to look down.]
There's kids I'm teaching too. And we're here. I'm here. There's not gonna be some trip home sometime. I...
[Another shake of his head. He knows he has to do this. Make this call, this decision, tell her. There isn't another way. But that doesn't even come close to making it simple.]
I've gotta do something I've never been good at. Let the chain of command do its thing. I have to let your leads give you intel, once you're Green again.
[He looks back at her.]
I'm not upset with you. But there's something Warriorhead did say that you might need to hear. It's not just us and our worlds they'd bring up for charges if they suspect mutiny. It's your trainees, too, Shepard. The training program. And that got me to stop and think, but that's not the turning point.
[And now he can't look at her, has to look down.]
There's kids I'm teaching too. And we're here. I'm here. There's not gonna be some trip home sometime. I...
[Another shake of his head. He knows he has to do this. Make this call, this decision, tell her. There isn't another way. But that doesn't even come close to making it simple.]
I've gotta do something I've never been good at. Let the chain of command do its thing. I have to let your leads give you intel, once you're Green again.
Lan Fan.
[It's a guess, but even then it's a small kindness on her part. There's something sharp and low digging from up and under her ribs as she watches him, the lines of her face severe and set as if she doesn't feel it. His apology, when it comes, is met with a long beat of silence-- and then she shifts even further from the edge of the bed, pacing out the six strides to where she finds the first available stool in medical. She hefts it up without pretense, not bothering to roll it over, and sets it back down with a crisp metallic thud of the wheels on the deck flooring. She sits down directly bedside.]
Let me get this straight-- you're apologizing to me because you went out to track down the things killing people on the ship. Against my advice.
[There's no give in her expression, her gaze on him steady.]
[It's a guess, but even then it's a small kindness on her part. There's something sharp and low digging from up and under her ribs as she watches him, the lines of her face severe and set as if she doesn't feel it. His apology, when it comes, is met with a long beat of silence-- and then she shifts even further from the edge of the bed, pacing out the six strides to where she finds the first available stool in medical. She hefts it up without pretense, not bothering to roll it over, and sets it back down with a crisp metallic thud of the wheels on the deck flooring. She sits down directly bedside.]
Let me get this straight-- you're apologizing to me because you went out to track down the things killing people on the ship. Against my advice.
[There's no give in her expression, her gaze on him steady.]
[She keeps walking, all forward momentum. If something sharp and certain in her snaps shut like a folding knife, it doesn't show in the length of her stride or how she handles the gun slung at her side or in the lines of her face. She drops her attention briefly to the fruit in her palm, turning a few pieces over for inspection. They're older; dried or not, they might not be the best thing she could be eating right now. But one must pass muster because a moment later, she puts one in her mouth - chews, swallows. It sticks in her throat.]
Does this include data that isn't team specific?
[It's a simple enough question.]
Does this include data that isn't team specific?
[It's a simple enough question.]
[She shows less than she used to. But he's not watching her right now because he knows there's no way the news can go over well. He knows it will hurt. Breaking up the fight way back on Ajna between her and Crichton had hurt her and this is even further.]
No. I...
[Garrus stops, now. Turns to her.]
I'm not...
[And even as he starts the statement, he has a feeling it doesn't matter that he's not doing this lightly. She'd shut him out, she hadn't let him back in, and why would she let him now? His body language isn't nearly so contained as he looks down at the ground. One of his oldest friends is missing, and now he may be losing his dearest.
When he speaks again, his voice is mostly calm and he's resuming the patrol. His subharmonics, though, traitors that they are, are ragged.]
Anything that doesn't have to be passed down the chain of command I'll give you. And while you're Grey, I can be a contact point. But I can't sidestep other leads. We're not... We're not on the Normandy anymore. And I can't follow two commanders and hope to serve both well.
No. I...
[Garrus stops, now. Turns to her.]
I'm not...
[And even as he starts the statement, he has a feeling it doesn't matter that he's not doing this lightly. She'd shut him out, she hadn't let him back in, and why would she let him now? His body language isn't nearly so contained as he looks down at the ground. One of his oldest friends is missing, and now he may be losing his dearest.
When he speaks again, his voice is mostly calm and he's resuming the patrol. His subharmonics, though, traitors that they are, are ragged.]
Anything that doesn't have to be passed down the chain of command I'll give you. And while you're Grey, I can be a contact point. But I can't sidestep other leads. We're not... We're not on the Normandy anymore. And I can't follow two commanders and hope to serve both well.
[ He remains sitting up and his ears twitch at the metallic thud. When he lifts his head to look at her again, he sees she's made herself more comfortable. That, or in his hazy head, suddenly gotten shorter. He raises one thin, slightly singed brow in confusion. ]
No, that's not what you told me. You told me to get music from Garrus or earplugs from Medical so I could sleep. But I didn't, and went huntin' instead, and it was a huge mess. That's why I'm sorry.
[ So yes, the unconfused answer for her clarification is yes. ]
No, that's not what you told me. You told me to get music from Garrus or earplugs from Medical so I could sleep. But I didn't, and went huntin' instead, and it was a huge mess. That's why I'm sorry.
[ So yes, the unconfused answer for her clarification is yes. ]
Edited 2014-12-29 07:33 (UTC)
I don't know if I'd say its not an issue, but I don't think scans are the chief issue. Ain't no point in getting even darker on their bad-side.
[His eyes dramatically follow the jacket landing beside him, which prompts him to recross his ankles and fold his arms over his chest. John is the first to promote peeing in the CDC's cereal, but not while people are dying around him.
From what he's seen of Shepard, she feels similarly. The pause is a bit weighted. He's really eating up her attentiveness, even if he doesn't show it.]
No matter what the scans bring up, I think you and I can both agree that whatever is on the ship wasn't here before -- or maybe it was.
[There's only a brief pause between the two statements. His tone is no louder than it was before. In fact, it might be quieter.]
Don't you find it funny that we got such a big stretch of rules, regulations, and security measure, but nobody around to watch the cameras for this thing besides Mothership? Last I checked, they had someone employed specifically for that.
[His eyes dramatically follow the jacket landing beside him, which prompts him to recross his ankles and fold his arms over his chest. John is the first to promote peeing in the CDC's cereal, but not while people are dying around him.
From what he's seen of Shepard, she feels similarly. The pause is a bit weighted. He's really eating up her attentiveness, even if he doesn't show it.]
No matter what the scans bring up, I think you and I can both agree that whatever is on the ship wasn't here before -- or maybe it was.
[There's only a brief pause between the two statements. His tone is no louder than it was before. In fact, it might be quieter.]
Don't you find it funny that we got such a big stretch of rules, regulations, and security measure, but nobody around to watch the cameras for this thing besides Mothership? Last I checked, they had someone employed specifically for that.
[Right. It takes her less than a beat to sort through the particulars of that answer, to sweep them to the side for the time being.]
Was this a directive you volunteered for or something you came up with on your own?
[It seems like a valid question, the most obvious one to ask - she's gotten in trouble for assuming orders exist when they don't, that they're not in place when they are. Might as well clarify that much right off the bat.]
Was this a directive you volunteered for or something you came up with on your own?
[It seems like a valid question, the most obvious one to ask - she's gotten in trouble for assuming orders exist when they don't, that they're not in place when they are. Might as well clarify that much right off the bat.]
[ He has to think for a moment. Not because he doesn't remember or know the answer, but because he's still tired despite claiming not to be. ]
Volunteered. Red team organized it... I asked Kotetsu if I could join and he said yeah.
[ He had been clever enough to ask Hulldown Mom, because Hulldown Dad was more likely to say no. ]
Volunteered. Red team organized it... I asked Kotetsu if I could join and he said yeah.
[ He had been clever enough to ask Hulldown Mom, because Hulldown Dad was more likely to say no. ]
[The information isn't really the issue - being honest, it's not like there was a whole hell of a lot going around anyway. From start to now, the tools and data available to them seemed to amount to 'sit pretty and wait for the inevitable' whatever Garrus and the small handful of evidently competent leads (there's a vicious little part of her that won't afford them all the courtesy of respect) might be doing to combat that. Hell, give her a second and she wouldn't even be concerned about it - it's not like asking Aeryn for intel is really that much more complicated than getting it from him - but that's not really what he's talking about, is it?
That's the part that puts her sharp as they draw to a halt, the part that shows in her face like she's been struck. The line of her back goes all ramrod straight and for a moment there's real open shock in her expression. Feels a lot like being on a space walk and finding him with a knife in his hand and her safety line cut.
On the plus side he hasn't kicked her off the hull into the vacuum yet.
She opens her hand, finds the dried fruit crushed and sticky in her palm. From one blink to the next she's lifted the line of her chin and set her jaw, but there's pretending she doesn't feel it (not angry, just weighted and low) when she speaks, her tone betraying her. Seems like that's going around.]
Do you mind if we take a detour? I need something from my quarters.
[The implication being that she expects-- no, is asking him to come with her.]
That's the part that puts her sharp as they draw to a halt, the part that shows in her face like she's been struck. The line of her back goes all ramrod straight and for a moment there's real open shock in her expression. Feels a lot like being on a space walk and finding him with a knife in his hand and her safety line cut.
On the plus side he hasn't kicked her off the hull into the vacuum yet.
She opens her hand, finds the dried fruit crushed and sticky in her palm. From one blink to the next she's lifted the line of her chin and set her jaw, but there's pretending she doesn't feel it (not angry, just weighted and low) when she speaks, her tone betraying her. Seems like that's going around.]
Do you mind if we take a detour? I need something from my quarters.
[The implication being that she expects-- no, is asking him to come with her.]
[He sees the reaction and it cuts deep... but it's only fair that it does.]
I don't mind.
[His voice is quiet. He's said the hard things, now, done the damage. All he can hope is that there's some way to repair the hurt he's caused.
He takes the turn. The patrol is important, but he's also looped through this round a couple of times already today and he's still in the area, still covering. It's a tightrope he's on, balancing the Neheda's needs against those of his friend, or the person he hopes is still his friend. He just has to learn how to adapt and not be as clumsy as he's been these last few days. And he also needs to learn how to talk about the harder stuff.]
If we get sent into Hell, again, I've still got your back. This isn't me wanting to end the friendship, or even distance myself from you. Vakarian without Shepard... that's a naive spacecop who doesn't know the difference between light grey and dark grey and doesn't care.
I don't mind.
[His voice is quiet. He's said the hard things, now, done the damage. All he can hope is that there's some way to repair the hurt he's caused.
He takes the turn. The patrol is important, but he's also looped through this round a couple of times already today and he's still in the area, still covering. It's a tightrope he's on, balancing the Neheda's needs against those of his friend, or the person he hopes is still his friend. He just has to learn how to adapt and not be as clumsy as he's been these last few days. And he also needs to learn how to talk about the harder stuff.]
If we get sent into Hell, again, I've still got your back. This isn't me wanting to end the friendship, or even distance myself from you. Vakarian without Shepard... that's a naive spacecop who doesn't know the difference between light grey and dark grey and doesn't care.
[She turns on her heel, making her way up the corridor toward her quarters - lets him rattle on for a while before:]
Garrus. [Cuts over him. A beat where she's sure he's listening--] Stop talking.
[Just give her a minute. Throwing more ordinance at the problem isn't always the solution, much as she's loathe to admit it and right this second between where they are and the doorway to her assigned room, she just needs a few clicks of quiet so the thing in her chest that is tight and strangling will start to mind its own business.
Hopefully he'll give her that, let them move along the hall with little more than their footfalls to punctuate it.
The room, when they get there, is empty - thank god. She makes for her bunk, clearly hers by the strictly ordered way its made up, the utter lack of ornamentation or collection of nicknacks in the corners or along the back wall; when she gets there, she crouches and pops open the lower compartment - feels around in the storage space until her hand closes on an ammo box. She slides it free, pops the lock and produces a bottle of liquor without much ceremony.]
Here. [Gripping the bottle by the neck, she flips it over and holds it out to him with the clear expectation that he accept it.] It's dextro friendly. I picked it up on Selena.
Garrus. [Cuts over him. A beat where she's sure he's listening--] Stop talking.
[Just give her a minute. Throwing more ordinance at the problem isn't always the solution, much as she's loathe to admit it and right this second between where they are and the doorway to her assigned room, she just needs a few clicks of quiet so the thing in her chest that is tight and strangling will start to mind its own business.
Hopefully he'll give her that, let them move along the hall with little more than their footfalls to punctuate it.
The room, when they get there, is empty - thank god. She makes for her bunk, clearly hers by the strictly ordered way its made up, the utter lack of ornamentation or collection of nicknacks in the corners or along the back wall; when she gets there, she crouches and pops open the lower compartment - feels around in the storage space until her hand closes on an ammo box. She slides it free, pops the lock and produces a bottle of liquor without much ceremony.]
Here. [Gripping the bottle by the neck, she flips it over and holds it out to him with the clear expectation that he accept it.] It's dextro friendly. I picked it up on Selena.
[There's so much more to say, but the last thing going on will do is fix matters. Garrus shuts up and follows her in silence. The silence continues as she pulls stuff out and then offers the bottle to him.
Garrus takes it, not even really looking at the label. Why now? But it reminds him of something he's been holding on to for a while and just hasn't had the chance to give it to her. ...And won't, yet. It would seem too much like a cheap gesture. Later. Later, when he can grab it and bring her over and there's nothing hanging over their heads, and please let them have that day.]
There are even a couple of people here that can drink it now. Plus I've got some of the nice neutral-chirality wine. Could make an evening of it, one of these days.
[His voice isn't as casual as he'd like it to be, making the sentence more into a question than a statement as his eyes search hers. They're not Commander and officer anymore, but they could still keep the other part of what they had, if she's willing.]
Garrus takes it, not even really looking at the label. Why now? But it reminds him of something he's been holding on to for a while and just hasn't had the chance to give it to her. ...And won't, yet. It would seem too much like a cheap gesture. Later. Later, when he can grab it and bring her over and there's nothing hanging over their heads, and please let them have that day.]
There are even a couple of people here that can drink it now. Plus I've got some of the nice neutral-chirality wine. Could make an evening of it, one of these days.
[His voice isn't as casual as he'd like it to be, making the sentence more into a question than a statement as his eyes search hers. They're not Commander and officer anymore, but they could still keep the other part of what they had, if she's willing.]
TO: branford.terra@cdc.org
FROM: khezek.jasper@cdc.org
Where are you. Are you okay??? Its getting real cold let me know where you are Ill come keep you warm.
FROM: khezek.jasper@cdc.org
Where are you. Are you okay??? Its getting real cold let me know where you are Ill come keep you warm.
FROM: morir.carla@cdc.org
TO: gibson.wesley@cdc.org
We need to investigate a method to have the vacuums tase a target.
TO: gibson.wesley@cdc.org
We need to investigate a method to have the vacuums tase a target.
FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org
TO: varr.noh@cdc.org
Once I'm done with this shift I'll drop by again, check on you. See you, be there with you. Touch you. Anything you need.
TO: varr.noh@cdc.org
Once I'm done with this shift I'll drop by again, check on you. See you, be there with you. Touch you. Anything you need.
FROM: benjamin.jonathan@cdc.org
TO: talbot.hanna@cdc.org, brink.topher@cdc.org, baku@cdc.org
As a general PSA, I call dibs on Hanna and her bed for the remainder of our snow day. Her bunk will fit more, but you're going to have to deal with us being mostly naked. Fair warning.
TO: talbot.hanna@cdc.org, brink.topher@cdc.org, baku@cdc.org
As a general PSA, I call dibs on Hanna and her bed for the remainder of our snow day. Her bunk will fit more, but you're going to have to deal with us being mostly naked. Fair warning.
FROM: khezek.jasper@cdc.org
Damn it not again that wasnt supposed to go to you!!1
But ok you make a good point.
Damn it not again that wasnt supposed to go to you!!1
But ok you make a good point.
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