To: Everyone

[earthborn]

This is Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy SR-2, Systems Alliance.

I know by now that that won't mean a lot to most of you; this world, this planet at least, is a bit farther down the tech curve than my normal. I'm given to understand that for a certain portioned of my fellow summoned, this is not the case. So I'll ask:

How many spacers are here, aside from myself?

Sound off. I'm willing to bet we have a hell of a lot more in common than anything else, no matter who says we ought to be at whoever's throats, or why.

Comments

[thearchangel]

"It... uh..."

And right on cue, he feels like he's lost the plot. How does she get all suave like that, so quickly? It doesn't change anything. Doesn't make him feel any differently about her. Except maybe, maybe she'd prefer something closer to home... someone who could hit the right flirtatious buttons right back at her.

Except Shepard is stepping closer. Tugging him nearer. No - she's here for this. She means every single word with the same surety she meant everything else she said. Right here. And despite the uncertainty in his head, his free hand settles at her waist.

Okay - he can do this. He remembers.

Kissing doesn't come naturally to him, even now. But dammit, he's going to do his best to plant one on her, angling his head as he bends down. And remaining there when he says, echoing the words Shepard doesn't yet recall:

"That's the protocol on reunions."

[earthborn]

If she'd been asked beforehand, Shepard would have laid good credits after bad that Garrus had never been kissed in his life. Not the human way of kissing, at least— surely not. But here he was, as practiced as anything, bending down as if he had had practice enough to be sure of what angle to tilt his head at. It was very different from kissing another human; turian lips were a lot less motile, their body temperature higher, but still... It's the voice, has to be, the way he sounds so damned smug, dropping half an octave and delivering the line like it's something he'd been waiting weeks to say.

Shepard blinks up at him, a little flummoxed despite herself. When did Garrus get so smooth? She was prepared for the fluster, the dissembling, the endearing lack of certainty— but this?

"Yeah, that uh..." Shepard clears her throat and looks away, face hot, not really able to stop the stupid look on her face from happening, "That'll do it. At least we got one thing figured out."

Holy shit, Vakarian. What the hell.

[thearchangel]

Don't worry, Shepard. The smooth criminal act does not last. It doesn't last long at all. It's clearly not the reaction he'd been expecting, even with the knowledge of the weird time discrepancy between them. He steps back a half step, his mandibles flicking in uncertainty.

"Was that... I thought that was how it worked, but - we hadn't exactly practiced. I was doing research and - "

Now he's digging himself a hole. A very big, turian-sized hole. This is fine, he's totally fine.

[earthborn]

"At ease," Ah, there it is, Shepard laughs. Same old Garrus, "You're still worrying too much. But you really had me there, for a minute."

It does take her an embarrassing few seconds to stop just looking at him. Gooey. Soft. All those humiliating, thrilling little feelings. Shepard clears her throat, as much a reminder to herself as to Garrus; work to do.

"Alright, let's uh... Let's see what we can find out about this. I'll ask my contacts, you ask yours. Prioritize anybody with medical knowledge, I'll trust your discretion."

[thearchangel]

Oh, good. She's laughing. He really can relax. "Well, what can I say. I learned from the best."

Shepard, namely. Like he's learned so much before. It had been, almost word-for-word the same thing she'd done, back in the Main Battery that day. He had a good example, as far as he's concerned.

"Right, yeah." It is, frankly, embarrassing, how he has to clear his throat a bit, right there. At the reminder they are not, in fact, aboard the Normandy, in private. It's so easy to fall back into those habits around her. "Back to work. Nothing to calibrate, may as well go back to detective work."