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[thearchangel]

INBOX text / audio / video / action Garrus here - leave a message. I'll get back to you in a minute. art credit code credit

( HAND AND HEARTH INTERCOMMUNICATION )

Crew Info Zelda Garrus Darin Karlach Shepard Chopper Link Riju

Zelda
Captain

Garrus
My Info

Darin
Darin No

Karlach
Karlach (On Fire).

Shepard
❤️

Chopper
Doctor? Toddler?

Link
Captain's Knight

Riju
Riju (Can Shoot)

Comments

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Break in. One that I stopped but...it got a little hairy. Come on in, I'll fill you in while I clean up.

[Darin sighs in exasperation as he goes over and lifts one of the heavy workbenches off of the floor and sets it upright, only to find one of the legs is damaged.]

So...we got someone who doesn't agree with the trajectory of my latest project.

[thearchangel]

"A little"? This place looks like someone drove a tank through it.

[Does he help? Does he keep his hands to himself? What?]

[His head snaps around when Darin says that last bit, expression sharpening.]

... And you want me to take them out?

[Why else would he be called???]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin snaps to attention.]

What??! No!

I wanted to ask you about setting up a security system of some kind! Something designed to keep the place secure!

Why the hell do you jump to taking someone out?!

[thearchangel]

[Garrus shrugs, hands spread out.]

Usually that's why people call us! Your sister is secretly a criminal mastermind, you need her dead. There's a crazy scientist cloning plant monsters on an asteroid, he needs to be taken out.

It's habit!

[Also the whole Archangel thing but let's move on.]

I can do a security set up, sure.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Non-lethal security set-up?

[thearchangel]

[With the heaviest of sighs...]

Fine. I can make it nonlethal. You never let me have anything nice.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I don’t think the Armadas would take kindly to an armed fortress in the shopping district, Garrus! Pretty sure the Paladins would have something to say about that and I’m not getting arrested again!

I just need a deterrent. Something specifically built to ward against magic. Wind-aspected magic. It might take some research but I think with some clever application of magic stones, we might be able to figure something out.

[thearchangel]

They've never had anything to say about my apartment...

[And boy, that thing was tighter than any fortress.]

Mm - Magic, I still don't totally understand. I can manage the basics, set it up like I have at my place, to start with. And then go from there.

Why wind?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

How many people try and break into your place?

[Darin sighs and starts picking up papers and blueprints from where the workbench had been thrown.]

Because the culprit uses wind-aspected magic. You know Benedikta Harman by any chance?

[thearchangel]

One. But he was really persistent. About fried my door locks.

[It's you, Darin, he means you.]

Seen the name around. I don't think we've spoken. Did she say why?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Because she wants the rifts closed.

[Darin doesn't elaborate more than that.]

She's Cid's...wife? I think they're married. Either way, they don't want to go back and she was issuing me an ultimatum.

And you know I'm not really a fan of being told what to do.

[thearchangel]

[His head whips around so fast, his crest rattles. Immediately, there's anger and indignation in his voice.]

Then they can damn well stay here. Who's forcing them to leave!

[He doesn't mean to snap, and the anger definitely isn't directed at Darin. But Darin is here. The guilty party isn't, unfortunately.]

Some of us are trying to keep people alive! Some of us don't have the luxury of - sharing a world with our partners! Or ever seeing them again!

[Sit down you big angry bird.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin wasn't exactly expecting the outburst...but neither was he caught completely off guard by it. Instead, he straightens up and walks over to Garrus. He lifts a hand and places it on his shoulder.]

I know. Weirdly enough? She wants the same thing.

[Darin sighs. Already, he's seeing the polarizing nature of the project. Something he hadn't accounted for. The lines are being drawn in the sand. Factions are forming.]

I'm not shelving this. But I'm not naive enough to believe I can do this completely on my own.

...I know you're not exactly someone who likes the idea of being seen as a councilor, but there's no one else I trust more for matters of security. And I need help.

I want to defend the Forge, but I need more. I want to move the project off site.

[He's toeing a line here. But he needs to stay firm on this course for now.]

[thearchangel]

Then she should understand what we're doing!

[The reverb on his voice is strong. More than usual. It sounds like a growl under the words, and his expression has a lot more bared teeth. Outraged, really, that someone who has exactly what he'd lost decided no one else got to have the chance. Of all the selfish bullshit -]

[Inhale. There's a hand on his shoulder. Right - he needs to focus.]

... She's lucky you made me agree to nonlethal options. [Is what he settles on saying.] But I'm going to make them painful.

[More to the point:] Why don't you store the materials at my place, for now? She doesn't know who I am. Or where I live. I don't advertise it like you. I think you, the captain, and Tali are the only people who do. Not to mention, it's already secure.

Not a permanent solution. But buys some time to find one.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin sighs. Broaching this topic now won't get him anywhere. Garrus is pissed and he has every right to be. Thankfully, his friend offers him a change of topic.]

Actually, that would be great if you're really okay with it. There's really only a few things that are harder to make and would require getting locked up. The cores, the stock of liquid copper, and any sensitive documents.

It won't be for long. I already have a solution in the works.

[thearchangel]

[Smart move, there, Darin. He'd just dig his heels in harder, get more and more pissed off. This pushes a few very specific buttons of his.]

I'm fine with it. It's not like I've been living there recently, either. So even if someone had noticed where I went, they wouldn't connect the dots.

[He'll keep living out of a bag a while longer. That's fine.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Alright, then I'd like to try and get the sensitive stuff moved by the end of the day, if that's alright with you.

Once the paperwork clears, I'll need to hire some builders that know how to keep their mouths shut.

After that...I'll be counting on you for defenses.

[It sure sounds like Darin is building something a lot bigger than just a secondary forge or warehouse.]

[thearchangel]

Yeah, let's get moving. Hand me what you want me to carry.

[He pauses, tilting his head.]

Builders. Paperwork.

What are you thinking? Because I've already got ideas for what to do - it'd help to have a basic idea of what I'm working with.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin smirks slightly and pulls out his shellphone. He pulls up something and tosses it Garrus' way.]

[It's a listing. A listing for an island. And it says it's been sold.]

[thearchangel]

[He looks at it. He parses it. And before his brain and mouth fully communicate--]

... you know I can carry more than a flyer, right?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...Really? That's it?

[thearchangel]

Frankly, I'm a little offended you think that's all I can handle.

[GARRUS SHUT. IT.]

Oh come on, that was a good one. [But back to the paper--] Where the hell did you get the finances for this?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...You do know who bankrolls the ship, the crew, everything with Hand and Hearth and all of those fancy toys you screw with, right?

The cannons on the ship?

Garrus, I can buy several islands.

[thearchangel]

[There's a pause.]

[While a D20 decides if yes, he does know that, or no, he does not.]

[The D20 says no.]

... I thought it was the captain.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

What?? Why??

I've pretty much funded our entire lives!

Garrus, do you know how much money I make?!