Unknown location 2157
I've never seen this one before Eric mused as he stood at attention behind the Human delegates of the the diplomatic envoy. The Turian mirroring him was as still as a statue as the Turian envoy in front of her bickered and argued at the table with the humans. Her pale gray carapace and hide contrasted with the tribal looking red facepaint she wore. It was only three months after the First Contact War and things were tense between the Turians and Humans. This would be the third such attempt at an envoy seeking punitive damages against the Hierarchy for the short skirmish. They were all on a small airless moon in neutral territory for the proceedings. Eric was based on a frigate currently standing vigil over the moon as it faced off against it's Turian counterparts. Three other Alliance Marines flanked the L2 biotic as they stood in silence behind the civilian diplomats.
The slender Turian's eyes flicked over him as she took notice of the attention. Had not her mandibles flickered quickly when she did so Eric might not have noticed the quick, probing, glance. I see you He thought as he smiled fractionally. Another flick of the mandibles and crack in her bearing. We'll now I know they're not robots. He thought as he fought to suppress a grin. She did something just then which earned her a sharp sidelong glance from the Turian at her side. Her mandibles set high as her brow plates arched up. I think that was a smile!
The raising of voices caused the honor guard of both parties to take interest at the rising tempers seated around the table. The asari mediator raised her hand calmly and declared the meeting to be of no additional benefit and requested they reconvene the following day.
Eric groaned internally. This had been a recurring thing for the past week. He made a mental note to request to be rotated out of the detail and planned on doing some reading while his compatriots suffered through another bout of mis-communication. The delegates stood and parted ways, their honor guards following them out of the opposing doors. Eric was the last one out and cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see the female Turian doing the same. She nodded fractionally and smoothly exited and closed the door in one motion. Eric was smiling from ear to ear now.
"What the hell was that about?" Eric's platoon Sergeant said as he suddenly rounded on the Corporal in the hallway leading from the "negotiation" room. -Everyone else called it the "bounce house."
"Uh, what do you mean Sergeant?" Eric replied as all humor left him.
The sergeant stared him down for a long while. His scars, still fresh from Shanxi, drew angry red lines across his face from a Turian RPG going off next to his head.
"Get the hell out of my sight." He spat. Eric slithered by the big man and shuffled down the steel corridor to his room. Why does everyone hate fun. He thought sullenly.
The small outpost was an Asari research station in its past life. It consisted of concentric rings of pressurised corridors three rings deep and connected to one another like spokes on a wheel. The human party was housed on one side of the base while their Turian counterparts lived on the other. Their Asari hosts did everything in their power to minimize contact between the two races and had set up separate cafeterias and other such accommodations in their respective wings. The large, 500 meter diameter dome at the stations center housed the Asari and the bulk of their mostly mothballed research equipment. It also served to host the Envoys in the bounce house at it's symbolic center. A fact that wasn't lost on Riyall Tull as she made her way back to her quarters.
"We should have ended them when we had the chance. This whole ordeal is a waste of the Primarchs time" One of the Centurions was muttering in front of Riyall to no one in particular. "And You!" He continued as he slowed to walk beside her. "I'm pulling you off the detail for tomorrow. That was an embarrassment in there. I know they all look like furry Asari but to openly gawk at them is crossing the line!"
"Yes Centurion." She said with what she hoped was the right level of deference for the admonishment. The Centurion sneered and sped up to rejoin the envoy. She couldn't get the human's barely suppressed smile out of her head and daydreamed while she stripped out of her armor and tried to busy herself with methodically disassembling and cleaning her rifle.
They do look like fuzzy Asari, but the color of their hides is so much more pleasing to look at. All that blue and purple, yuck! I wonder what that fur on the tops of their heads feel like.
She hummed tunelessly as she worked until the weapon was back together and sat in silence for while, unsure of what to do. She decided to poke around the base and slipped into her slate gray uniform before taking to the dimly lit corridors of the station. It took her a moment to adjust to the dim lighting of the night cycle of the base but soon she was wandering aimlessly to the dome in it's center, passing through airlock partitions set at each end of the "spokes" that connected the rings to one another.
Just as she was about to turn and close an airlock door behind her the sound of running made her pause and duck back into the connecting hall. Peeking through the door jamb of the partially closed hatch she saw a blur of motion but froze in terror as the sound of feet pounding on steel decks stopped suddenly. She held her breath as a shadow was cast on the door.
Suddenly the hatch was jerked from her grip as it was closed and locked. Panic overtook her as she remembered her cousins tormenting her by locking her in closets when she was young and she began beating on the hatch. The walls of the small chamber pressed in on her as she screamed. The wheel at the hatches center slowly spun open again and it was swung open to reveal the human from earlier looking at her curiously as he pulled some weird looking plug from one of his ears.
"Uh, hi." He huffed, breathless from his jog. There was an amused glint in his eyes as he looked down at the crouching Turian still wide eyed from panic.
A mixture of anger and embarrassment overcame Riyall as she stood and took a step towards human who sobered immediately.
"You locked me in here!" She spat, a clawed finger stabbing at him as she spoke. Her anger faltered as soon as she said it and took in the look of concern in his big alien eyes. His humor returned as he looked over her shoulder and then down the hall from whence he came.
"Theres a door on the other side. And they both lock from the inside." He said in wry amusement.
"I- You! If I- Gahh!" She groaned as she took a step back and slammed the hatch shut and locked it. She stood facing the steel barrier and crossed her arms as she fumed. Her self ridicule was cut short as she heard a tapping sound and looked up to see the human smiling at her through the tiny viewport set in the top of the hatch.
I should have just used that!
She made a rude gesture and stormed off back towards her quarters, her fringe burning in embarrassment the whole way. She tore off her uniform and flopped into her bed. Falling fitfully to sleep as images of the human in his revealing running shorts and sleeveless top came to rescue her from her evil cousins.
The next day:
Eric decided that he had counted the rivets holding the panels of his room together one to many times and set of to see if his asari hosts had any type of entertainment in the hamsterball he was trapped in. He questioned a stately looking asari in one of the halls and was directed to a small lounge in the bases heart. Upon entering he noticed conversation die down as the lounges Asari and Turian occupants took notice of the human. Ignoring the hostile stares from the Turian occupants he sidled up to the bar and ordered a drink. The asari bartender gave him what was called a "Tupari twister" and turned away from him to attend other patrons.
After about three of them his head was swimming and he carefully stood and wandered to a small alcove that housed several gaming machines. Sizing up a machine plainly labeled "Towers of Thessia" in glowing script on its holographic screen he took station behind it and tossed in a few credits. He managed to get to stage three before he felt a presence behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see the red tattooed Turian standing behind him, watching intently.
"Oh hey. Were you wanting a turn?" He smiled as her gaze shifted from the screen to Eric. She seemed to mull something over for a long while before casting a furtive glance at the other Turians in the main hall and motioning him to a quiet corner booth out of site of the other patrons.
"Would you like a drink?" He asked as she turned to the booth. A brief pause then a nod and she left him, casting another appraising stare as she slid into the booth. Eric came back to her a few seconds later, drinks in hand, and smoothly slid her a drink while he seated himself. She wore the simple slate gray uniform Eric had seen others wear, but unlike the others hers was barren of most of the decorations he had seen. Eric briefly reflected that his uniform was pretty barren as well, having only joined the Alliance a year prior.
She sniffed at the drink while Eric looked on nervously. How the hell do you break the ice with an Alien woman?! -One that up untill three months ago was a sworn enemy. She seemed to sense this and looked up as she took a tentative sip of the drink.
"I have no idea whats good so I asked for what most of ya'll order." He shrugged as she shivered. It was Turian IPA, she hated IPA's. But it was the thought that counts. She coughed into a three fingered hand as the waxy aftertaste lingered in her throat. Eric took the time to better take her in as she subconsciously tugged at her blouse. Her eyes were a deep shade of purple. Slitted and feline, they blended nicely with her other facial features which were also feline at first glance. The odd looking "feelers" on each side of her jaw had a gently curving spur on the backside of them that arced roughly parallel with her jaw towards the back of her head. Eric could just barely see the ridge of her bony collar peek up from the neck opening of her uniform.
Eric noted with some embarrassment that she was doing the same to him as well as her eyes searched him. This was the closest either had been to either species. Riyall fought the urge to start with a flurry of questions and instead smiled and laughed softly as they caught each other staring. The human beamed at the lilting sound as his face reddened.
Ooh they can change colors! She thought delightedly.
"So, come here often?" She said lightly, a laugh seemingly imminent.
"Oh, you know, just on the weekdays to forget the skull numbing boredom of playing escorts to a bunch of self important politicians." He shrugged.
She really liked the mellow timbre of his voice. His cadence was smooth and carefree. Riyall felt she could read his state of mind just by his voice alone, despite the fact that he lacked a second set of vocal chords. Coupled with his easy smile and expressive steel blue eyes she felt a certain panic at how familiar he seemed. It was as if this was the most natural thing in the world. An off duty Centurion wandering by and doing a double take at their booth reminded her that it was most decidedly not natural by todays standards. An inner rebelliousness welled up in her.
Eric grew concerned that he had said or done something to offend her as she seemed to clam up after looking out at the booth quickly. He grew anxious and fidgeted with his hands as he looked down at them, searching for words. A slender three fingered hand slid into view and tentatively touched his. His head jerked up to see her smiling at him. He couldn't help but return the favor as she gently ran the soft inner padding of her finger down his hand and up his forearm. His skin tingled at her touch as her purely alien anatomy explored his. They both grew excited by the new sensations and looked hungrily at one another. Eric's expression dimmed as she withdrew her hand and thought to herself as she surveyed the lounge from her vantage point.
"Wait here for five minutes and then leave, take the third connecting tunnel to your left and make a right. I'll meet you along the way." She whispered before she owed out of the booth and walked as if she was running late to a meeting. Eric sat dumbfounded for a while before he started to actually countdown five minutes in his head. After the first two minutes his nervousness got the better of him and he started to leave but stopped himself in the main lounge. He tried to occupy the the remaining time by taking in every detail of his surroundings.
The walls were the standard plate metal of the rest of the base but were painted in muted blues and greens. The ceiling bore holograms of clear blue skies complete with lazily drifting clouds. The low backed plastiform chairs that surrounded small circular tables were an off white. Some type of stringed instrument played unobtrusive slow melodies accompanied by an assortment of chimes over the sound system. The lounge had filled up quite a bit as the days delegation had finished for the day; doubtlessly ending in the same stubborn gridlock as before.
Eric briefly worried if what he was about to do would land him in the brig but dismissed the thought almost immediately. He knew his platoon Sergeant would have a few choice words with him if he were caught with the Turian.
But what the hell do they know, we're here on a diplomatic mission. I'm just exploring other forms of negotiation. After the longest thirty seconds of his life He left the lounge. His heart threatening to explode from his chest as he grew near his final destination.
He's not coming. You impulsive fool, what the hell did you expect? This is why you've never deployed on a combat mission!
Riyall paced in front of the connecting tunnel as she waited. A mild panic setting in as an invisible clock ticked away. When she was sure he would not show she sighed and checked her Omni read out. It had only been one minute. And audible groan escaped her as she cupped her head in her hands and leaned against a wall.
I shouldn't be doing this. -Wait what are we doing?! OH MY SPIRITS WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO ACTUALLY DO IF HE SHOWS UP?!
A new wave of panic set in as she heard cautious footsteps approach. She tried to regain her composure and impulsively tugged at her blouse. Eric rounded the corner and paused, his young face coloring an adorable shade of red.
"So, uh, If you want to stuff me in an airlock we still have to go out two more rings." He said nervously. Riyall was confused for a second but looked down to realize she had a death grip the connecting tunnel's locking wheel. She began to laugh, first at the awkwardness of it all, then the sheer absurdity. Eric brightened at the sound of the lilting keen and relaxed visibly.
"Come" she said as she gestured to the tunnel. Eric paused for a second before straightening and calmly stepping into the tunnel. For a single horrifying second he thought she was going to actually lock him in but watched in curiosity as she opened a maintenance locker set into the wall next to the hatch and pulled out a hazard panel and sign. She affixed them out the outside of the door and slipped inside with him. Covering the tiny viewport with a small patch from the locker.
"The other side is actually damaged and closed for repair, I noticed it while running laps a few days ago." She said in in a scratchy voice. Eric stood uncertainly for a second as they stared at one another n the dimly lit tunnel for a while. He shrugged, a gesture Riyall found odd but amusing, and sat down crosslegged. She mirrored him and they probed one another with lingering gazes.
"My name is Eric, by the way, Eric Reeve." He said while giving a small wave.
Riyall placed a clawed three fingered hand to her chest plate and said proudly; "I am Decanus Riyall Tull, Third Hierarchy Corps Light infantry."
Eric smiled. "Oh so this is a formal meeting then?" He said while straightening his back in a grossly exaggerated display of military bearing. "We could argue about the reparations if you like."
Riyall sheepishly chuckled as she rested her hands on her knees. There wasn't anything remotely formal about what they were doing.
"So, tell about where you're from." She whispered as Eric relaxed again. They began talking to one another. Excitedly diving into almost any topic imaginable. There were times that they worried their laughter and gasps would draw attention to their hidey hole.
Many hours later they emerged from the "damaged" tunnel and went their separate ways, but not before partaking in the farewell gestures of their respective cultures. Riyall gingerly shook his hand as they bowed to one another, gently touching foreheads.
"GETTUP Gawdamit, you're late!" Eric bolted upright in bed and faced the furious Sergeant filling the doorway to his room. He blinked the sleep (or lack thereof) out of his eyes and scrambled out of bed.
"Fifteen minutes and we're stepping off to the bounce house." The Sergeant grunted before leaving Eric to haphazardly jump around his room, somehow getting dressed along the way. Through a mixture of panic and muscle memory he just managed to get suited up and met up with the detail mere seconds before they stepped off. Shuffling into the small room the delegates took their seats while the honor guards took station behind them. Eric a sleep booger in the corner of his eye that began to drive him nuts. He heard a familiar snort over the din of conversation and looked up to see Riyall weaving slightly from exhaustion, trying to suppress a snigger as she watched the human go cross eyed to spot the source of his annoyance.
Several times during the next 4 hours they caught each other almost fall asleep and topple over. Eric gave the rest of the room a cautious glance before playing a low key game of Rock Paper Scissors with Riyall standing across from him. He had explained the game as "the most critical decision making tool to humanity." Before going over the rules the night before. Now they stood at attention, arms by their sides, one hand making tiny motions as they played a few rounds before suddenly the days meeting was over and they were shuffling out of the room again.
Eric huffed as he ran down the steel corridors of the inner ring of the base. The sound echoed ahead of him as he made his way around the curving hall. He began to notice a similar sound creeping up behind him as he made his third pass of the "damaged" access tunnel and glanced over his shoulder to see Riyall huffing to catch up she wore black capri style running pants and a matching sleeveless top. He slowed minutely and ran abreast of her for a while in silence.
"Sprint *gasp* to the finish?" He wheezed as they ran. She nodded sharply and took off, Eric scrambled to keep up but he was clearly outclassed. The damaged hatch came into view and Eric slowed as he concentrated, glowing with biotic energy.
Riyall nearly toppled as a purple blur exploded past her, taking the shape of a human as he stopped short of the hatch. She recovered from the shock and jogged the rest of the way.
"Not. Fair." She breathed as she braced her hands on her knees. Eric merely shrugged and began stretching out as Riyall regarded him silently. A sheen of sweat covered his exposed arms and legs as he cooled off.
"So what do you want to do today?" Eric mused aloud as Riyall opened the hatch. She smiled cryptically and slithered into the tunnel. Intrigued Eric followed suit, only to have his body used as a battering ram to close the hatch. Riyall held him by the scruff of his shirt, her catlike eyes taking on a predatory glint as Eric's went wide in surprise.
She relaxed her grip fractionally as she tasted the air around him.
Is she going to eat me?! Eric thought as his mind raced.
Just then they locked eyes, her gaze softening as she drew closer. His hands raised to cradle her head as he moved in as well. Their lips hovered over one anothers for what felt like an eternity before Eric sighed and pressed into her. She flinched at his touch initialy but became overwhelmed with excitement and released his shirt, wrapping her arms around his waist and drawing closer still.
They spent the rest of the evening exploring other aspects of their respective species.
Eric groaned as he woke the next morning, his body in agony. He carefully peeled off his running shorts and top, hissing as the microfibre material clung to scabbed over cuts and reopened them. Standing naked in front of the bathroom mirror he had to do a double take at the discolored person standing before him. Alarming purple rashes spread out in huge swaths around the various nicks and cuts Riyall had imparted upon him. The skin felt hot to the touch and he began to feel feverish. All along his back and buttocks the steel grate that served as the tunnels floor left angry red tattoos.
He reeked of her. Not that he minded, in fact he liked the sharp almost metallic tang of her scent there was an earthy floral undertone to it that brought last nights adventure into sharp focus. A chill overtook him and his body convulsed as his current physical state reasserted itself. He would have to go to medical for sure.
"Worth it." He said to his reflection.
"I swear to god you Marines will screw anything with a pulse"
Eric froze as he began to remove his trousers. He hadn't even said anything yet and the Doc had deduced the cause of his wounds within mere seconds of him removing his shirt.
So much for the elaborate tripping story I thought up. He thought as he sullenly removed his pants.
Doc Eversely leaned against the wall next to the only door in and out of the small windowless examination room. His close cropped hair was snow white, matching his starched and pressed lab coat perfectly. He halfheartedly read Erics medical information from a datapad through narrow framed bifocals that made his tired looking brown eyes appear big and watery. The wrinkles on his face cemented a scowl about its freckled periphery. Every time Eric had interacted with the the gruff old doctor he had been brutally honest and to the point. He had been kidding himself when he thought he would be any different today.
"Well son, you get the dubious honor of forging new medical territory." Doc grunted as he pushed off the wall and approached Eric, who was clad in nothing but his underwear. He couldn't think of a better representation of how vulnerable he felt as the cold leather of the examination table sapped warmth from him.
Doc produced a small injector from a pocket and took a blood sample, Eric cringed as the needle bit into his arm. A short while later Doc was reading the results of his blood analysis. Not a word was spoken as he did so.
"Well I can tell you its nothing viral or bacterial, just a bad allergic reaction. I'm putting you on antihistamines and anti inflammatory drugs. Some medigel will take care of the cuts. My advice is to minimize the cuts, that is if you haven't learned your lesson and are planning on continuing this behavior. The antihistamines will take care of the rashes but it would be of great help if you took it easy on the rough stuff. Theres a lot we don't know about alien physiology, especially Turians. -I'm assuming this was a Turian correct?"
Eric nodded hesitantly.
Doc saw the concern in the young biotics face and leaned back on the small stool as he clasped his hands around a knee.
"Son I just want you to know I personally don't give a damn about your personal choices. I can only give medical advice and deal with the consequences if and when people don't take it. That being said Doctor/Patient confidentiality is still something I hold sacred. But please do understand there are others who may not have such a cavalier attitude towards such things.
Another nod from Eric.
"You may go, don't forget to pick up your meds on the way out."
Riyall and Eric figured out how to get their Omni's to talk to one another and began communicating to one another almost every waking hour. They planned their meetings around their work schedules (although they took more precautions when things got physical) and even chanced a couple forays into the lounge housed in the dome. After a few weeks a few other humans ventured into the lounge which helped make Erics appearances less conspicuous. It was during one such visit to the lounge that a shadow was cast over their table as they played a version of baccarat in a corner.
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Eric looked up in surprise to see the angry red scars of his platoon Sergeant glaring down at him. Riyall looked on in confusion as Eric slowly stood before the veteran.
"Playing a game Sarn't"
"Well I can see that. Why the fuck are are you playing a game with the enemy."
"The wars over and were here on a diplomatic envoy?"
Riyall shrank in her seat as the big humans gaze jerked to her and lingered.
"Get the hell out of here. And I don't want to see you in here ever again. Or with that fucking thing."
Eric flinched as the table beside him was suddenly flipped. The platoon Seargent took a step back as Riyall bolted up from her seat and reared on him.
"Did I give you those scars?" She spat.
"Excuse me?" A vein was pulsing in his forehead, Eric had known the man long enough to know when he was about to blow his top.
"Did I, ME, standing before you, give you those scars?" She said slowly, her hands balled into fists by her side.
"No?" His anger was supplanted with confusion as Riyall relaxed and crossed her arms.
"Did Eric here kill or maim any Turians during the war?" She said coolly.
"What the hell are you getting at?" He grunted as he subconsciously mirrored her stance.
"I can't apologize for who ever wounded you or killed your comrades anymore than you can apologize for the Turians slain by human hands. Get the hell over the past. Get over yourself. If I trully were your enemy do you think I'd be knocking boots with a human?"
Erics stomach dropped out from beneath him. This just so happened to coincide with the room turning deathly quiet as all eyes focused on them.
The range of emotions that passed over the Platoon Sergeant was almost comical -had Eric been able to witness this from any other vantage point than his own. As of now, he had serious reservations about the probability of walking out of this room alive.
Eric was moving before he even thought about it. The veteran was white with rage as Riyall smiled mockingly at his side. The vet managed to reach back to hit the Turian before Eric charged him, sending the mangled man flying into the bar behind him. He hit with a sickening crunch and slumped over. Eric looked over his shoulder at Riyall who was wide eyed in shock.
"So I guess this is goodbye." He said sadly.
Epilog:
March, 2186
I'm out now, meet me at Awakening, We have so much to talk about.
-Riyall Tull
Eric read the message for what had to have been the thousandth time as he stood in front of the plain brick looking building. Eric was reassigned and punished for "assaulting a superior Non-Commissioned officer." He was discharged from the Alliance and returned to his roots in the San Diegan Megacity. Despite many attempts at getting in touch he was never able to break through the red tape his discharge status created.
He took a deep breath and entered the club. He looked around for her but couldn't spot her in the crowd of writhing bodies. With a sense of dread he approached the bar and sat heavily on a padded stool. The Krogan bartender slid a drink under him which earned him a questioning stare.
"She said you liked these. I can't stand 'em, too much sugar. Gives me a headache the next day." The Krogan shrugged.
Eric took a tentative sip and smiled at the familiar state of a Tupari Twister. Light tan skin and pale white carapace arms materialized around him as he set the drink down. Then the smell hit him. An Earthy floral scent with a metallic tang to it. His vision blurred as he turned to see the familiar crimson markings of Riyall smiling at him.
"Come on, lets dance."