thearchangel | 1

Entry tags:

1 - Video

[It's doubtful anyone in the Keep has seen a turian before. If not, here's your chance. The one in question is sitting on his bed... cot... thing, staring down at the journal in his hands. He looks a lot less exhausted -- since he just slept for days, but no less banged around.

Or maybe it's just how he always looks, considering one side of his face is scarred horrifically.]

I... think I was supposed to contact the local medic. Or have her contact me. I think. Everything's a little hazy still.

Sort of hoped I'd gotten cracked on the head... But I guess we don't get to be that lucky...

[Garrus scrubs a hand over his face.]

And I'm out of stims. Perfect.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Garrus Vakarian?

[That is you, right, Mister Turian? She recognizes the voice.]

Just the person I needed to see. I've got something for you.

Yeah. That's me.

[Oh good -- he was hoping she'd hear.]

Sounds good... I think. Where at?

Infirmary. The floor below entry level in the great keep.

[She gives him direct instructions from there. After all, her floor does share the kitchen, the pantry, and the cool room.]

Right. Be there in a minute.

I'll be waiting.

[Sycora moves from her desk into the main section of the infirmary to wait for Garrus. With any luck, he wouldn't get lost.]

[It's not long before Garrus pokes his head in. The long... long... sleep helped clear his head somewhat, but there's the aftereffects of the stims. And the remaining damage from the fight with the Collectors.

So he limps a little, but nothing too bothersome.]

Hello?

Hello.

[She notes that limp, Garrus, but she doesn't comment on it. Sycora stands up from where she leaned against the wall, drawing up to her full height of five-foot-two. Her hair, as usual, is pulled into a bun. Though her appearance is neat, she looks tired.

The infirmary is very... medium-sized. Torches keep the room well-lit and cots line one wall. On the other wall, there's a large cabinet. One door, firmly closed, can be seen from the entrance point.]

Right to business, then.

[Sycora holds up a small wooden box. It's closed, but should Garrus open it, he'll find it full of small square wafers. They're mottled black and brown, rather like marbled bread.]

This is a medicine that'll allow your body to metabolize the food we have in-keep. Take one daily, and you should have no trouble.

[Which means he has to look way down to meet her eyes -- turians aren't a short species, by any means. His eyes flick around the room, noting the contents, while he idly scrubs at his scars with one hand.]

Guess I should probably say it's nice meeting you.

[Then his attention is distracted. He accepts it, wordlessly, peering inside. His mandibles flick.]

I've never heard of anything like this. Where did it come from?

[Hey, she has to look way up. Even trade?]

A pleasure.

[The mandibles are... interesting. Sycora watches with curiosity, but then looks into his eyes.]

The medicine was made here in the keep. I doubt you'd find anything like it back on your world.

[Then she'll have the pleasure of watching them flick in and out again -- or one of them, anyway. The other just sort of twitches.]

Made here...? With what?

[Since he doesn't see anything he's used to seeing, in terms of medical equipment.]

Magic.

[She grins.]

Kidding. Can't tell you the trade secrets, though.

[He just stares. Blinks. Right. A joke. Garrus huffs out a breath, and shakes his head.]

So how am I supposed to know this will work?

Try it. I have no doubts that it'll work for you.

[He regards the box in his hands for a moment or two longer, before nodding. Try it or die, he supposes.]

And, if not, you'll probably hear from the commander.

[No fuss! All the better.]

The commander a Turian too? Does he need medicine?

[Quite frankly, Garrus is a bit too worn out still to really protest at this point.]

Er. No. She's human, actually. As far as I know, she's not injured.

[Sycora nods.]

All right then.

That supply should last you about a month, by the way. Come back when it starts to run low, and I'll give you more.

[Garrus shuts the box, looking down at it for a long moment. His other hand returns to fingering his scars -- it's probably a bad habit, by now.]

Sure. But...

Look, I'm grateful, but how do you really know this is going to work?

There's no way it can't.

[For a few seconds, her expression is entirely serious, but then she smiles.]

Just try it, Vakarian. At the very least, I know it won't harm you.

[He regards her with an expression a little like a raised eyebrow. Then shrugs.]

I don't really have any other options, do I?

Unless you consider starvation an option? No, you don't.

Not... really.

Right.

So, that's all I've got for you. If you don't have any questions, you can go back to your business.

I'm all right... I think.

[He examines the box again, for a moment, before turning to leave.]

If it works, it's appreciated.

[Sycora nods again, steps back towards the wall.]

Any complaints, you know where to find me.

They're not letting you just starve, are they?

[Flip.. Shepard scans the other reply to his recording.

... Flip.]

What did she give you?

Edited 2011-04-16 06:43 (UTC)

Fortunately, no.

[A pause.]

... A box of medication. Looks more like some kind of cracker.

She gave you crackers.

[Shepard leans back in her cell's bed, massaging the bridge of her nose.]

... You still have your omnitool, right? Did you already check to see if it's safe for you?

Come see for yourself, if you want.

[He pauses, long enough to flick it on.]

... I'm not getting any readings. Nothing familiar, anyway.

Was about to get some shut-eye for the night, but I'd like to get a look at it, maybe see if it's something I would recognize.

[From Earth, that is.]

These... books ... can transmit visuals, right?

Hey, don't let me keep you up. I can manage another day or so.

[He flips through it for a moment.]

Maybe. I'd have to figure it out.

Don't have any pressing appointments to get to tomorrow. Keep me up all night long for all I care, just don't make me get up. Try holding one of the crackers up to the record?

[Garrus is a bro, she can joke with him how she wants, thank YOU Udina.]

Edited 2011-04-16 07:10 (UTC)

Since you insist, I'd be happy to keep you up in bed all night.

[... Garrus that sounds awful.]

Hang on.

[And suddenly! There it is. One of the little medicine things he was given, sitting in the palm of his hand.]

There, got it.

[That's because it WAS awful, Garrus.

But it makes her laugh and gets her shoulders shaking. Shepard hasn't had her funny bone very tickled these past few days.]

I, ah, have no idea what those are. Guess we're out of luck until you try it.

[He doesn't seem to notice, continuing on as if nothing happened.]

Think I should go for it?

[Shepard will let him off the hook... this once. The next time he leaves a gaping opening like he just did, she will be physically incapable of resisting.]

Unless you've found a cache of dextro-based rations somewhere, no. Here. I'll cross my fingers.

[Knowing Garrus, it won't be long before that happens.]

Not that I've found. Then again, I haven't really been looking. Unless I can search the grounds in my sleep.

Cross your fingers?

[Look up 'inevitability', Vakarian.]

Been patrolling in general but haven't found anything... useful.

[Odd? Nonsensical? Yes on both accounts. Useful? Hardly.]

It's a thing humans do when we're kids. Crossing our fingers is supposed to be for luck.

What did you find? Out of curiosity.

[He'll take any intel he can get, at this point.]

Guess that's easier with more fingers, huh?

[She snorts disapprovingly.] If I got started now, you really would keep me up all night, rascal.

[A second's silence hovers while she examines her splayed gloveless fingers, mentally comparing them to a turian's digits.]

You know, it's considered talented if a human can cross five fingers on one hand. What about your three?

Hey, isn't that what you wanted?

[There's a creak of armor as he leans back against a wall.]

Shepard, I only recently learned we were using air quotes. I'm not exactly sure what talented turian fingers would be.

God. Don't bring those up to me.

[Shepard's voice rises in pitch, affecting a nasal whine.] Ah, yes, air quotes. We have dismissed those claims.

Bastards.

[He can't help it, Garrus laughs, shaking his head, even if she can't see it.]

I'm with you on that. You'd think after saving their necks, they'd at least give us a little recognition.

But instead... air quotes. A whole new low.

Doesn't even begin to cover it.

But, hey. Maybe someday we'll all be big damn heroes.

You know... sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to be one, when you're around.

[She winces and coughs, turning her face away from the record and indulging in gladness that he can't see it.]

You manage just fine. You all do.

[Garrus is silent for a moment.]

... It means a lot to hear you say that, Shepard.

Come on, Garrus, you had to already know. The galaxy'd be Reaper fodder if I was doing this alone.

[Her voice is a bit on the strained side.]

[That makes him blink.]

... Yeah. I know. I...

Shepard, is everything all right?

[Shit on cake.]

Yeah-- actually, no. Everything's not all right.

We're stuck in the ass-end of nowhere twiddling our thumbs and feeding you medicinal crackers because allegedly the universe we've been trying to save is gone. All of it, just gone. Kaidan, Wrex, Anderson, the Citadel, Omega. Even the Reapers.

And we have to sit here and wait for something to happen.

I just-- dammit, Garrus. This isn't how it's supposed to work.

[Garrus doesn't answer her right away. Partly because he's not sure if there's anything he can say to that.]

You never were very good at twiddling.

Look, we don't have any facts. We can't make any assumptions until we do -- we can't buy into this bullshit until we do. But, hell, if the Reapers are gone... no big loss there.

[He's trying to keep this light -- even so, there's still conviction behind the words.]

And I don't know about you, but I was beat to hell when I woke up. Sitting was about all I was good for. Now that we're both on our feet again, so to speak... We'll just have to see about making this work out how it should.

Find out what's going on... then show the kidnappers what happens when they piss you off.

Sounds like a plan to me, Garrus.

[Breathe, Shepard, deep, even breaths.]

Right. We consider every angle. Daily rounds of the Keep until we have the layout down pat, and even then. Conserve hardsuit power. Stay vigilant.

I thought so, too.

You got it, Shepard. And I've got your back. I'll keep you posted if I find anything.

Right.

I'm gonna ... [try to] sleep, for now. You need anything, my room is 2115. Don't be a stranger.

... Want anyone to keep a lookout, while you're down?

[This is code for, Do you really want to be alone?]

No. Sweet offer, but you need your rest, too.

... That's an order.

Hey, I passed out for about twenty hours already. If that's not rest, I'm not sure what is.

And you'd rather park your turian butt outside my cell than take the opportunity to have a lazy day?

Who says that's not a lazy day?

Uh huh, nothing interesting ever happens when I'm around.

Alright. So long as you keep the calibrations to a minimum noise level, you can play bodyguard.

Well, that's why the Normandy has the extranet. For all that copious downtime we get.

Yes ma'am. I'll be there in a second.

[He'll find warm bread and butter on a small place just outside her door, which is left cracked open. Shepard is face-down on her bed with a hand on the pistol underneath a pillow.

The wonders of paranoia.]

[He'll glance inside, just to check. And then, satisfied, he'll park his turian butt on the ground outside her door.

... He's not really sure what the bread and butter is -- but, eventually, he'll try it. And settle down to play bodyguard.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

1 - Video

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio] --> [commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[commentlog]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio]

[Audio] 1/2

[Video]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio]

[audio] --> [commentlog for a millisecond]

[commentlog for a millisecond]