PAST LIVES

(Towers)

Among the silhouetted illuminations that were the Ward arms, sprawled towards the hazy Serpent Nebula, the hundred skycars and the multitude of spiral structures stood a lofty apartment tower approximately five hundred thirty one meters above the floor of the Kithol Ward arm. It's many floors stacking to form a multi square-layer building that was hilted much higher than the rest of the architecture that crowded it. On one of the top most floors, in a posh but not overwhelmingly so condo laid Vanick Therin. The young Turian scratched his face yawning, his blue markings, arranged in a four square pattered inverted towards his nose, shone as the glimmerings of the other Ward arms hit the window before his bed. However, It wasn't the luminous glow, or the hum of the fluttering skycars racing past the building that awoke him from his sleep. He looked to his door, where a strange and alarming noise could be faintly heard through the laminated, luminous wall. Slowly, he rose from his bed, talons pressing down upon his sheets as his half awake body rose off the bed. Vanick was wearing typical Turian nightwear, which at first caused him to almost reconsider putting on something more appropriate for the situation. His husband, Voklan Shahl-Oktar was lying by his side as he rose from the bed. The Batarian, rose slowly, in sync with Vanick. How strange and foreign it was for Vanick, to be married to a Batarian when just five years ago, he would have not only dismissed the thought, but would have become ill.

"What's that noise Vanick? Is it you know who, having another nightmare?"

"Yeah, I think so, Vok."

"You should go comfort him Van, go on, I'll be here when you get back."

Van sat rubbing his eyes, not truly grasping his husbands understanding of the situation.

"I know, I really should, thanks Vok."

"He's lucky to have you, Vanick."

"Yeah, yeah, well that goes double from me to you."

Vanick slowly moved down the hallway, where the windows lent to a spectacular view of the Citadel. Nights like these were plentiful, with spectacles of this magnitude, as well as the occasional starship docking. As he moved closer to the guest room, the origin of the noise, he could hear what sounded like moaning and rusting of bed sheets. He placed his hand on the holographic door display, and which a hiss it opened.

There in the guest bed, moaning and flopping about with great energy was his friend, Tavan Shyrus; his light brown plating, and multiple diagonal white face markings visible slightly in the darkness. Vanick knew what it was, he always did. Tavan had been his greatest companion, through best or worst, they were always there for each other. Vanick placed his hand gently on Tavan's back, and with a slight motion slowly shook him.

"Tavan, Tavs wake up. It's just a nightmare, that's all. Come on, it's ok."

Tavan awoke in a cold sweat, panting furiously and without pause. He rose quickly in an upright sitting position to see Vanick sitting on the side of the bed. He was in a bloodshot eye state, with a heavy breathing rhythem.

"Van! Van, damn it, it's just you…Did I wake you up?"

Vanick always knew what to say to Tavan, for the most part they knew each other far too well to not know exactly what the other was thinking or in this case dreading. Vanick slowly started to rub Tavan's back, trying to comfort his friend. Tavan, not much older than Van, had not had a particularly straightforward life; it had been rife with loss and hardship.

"No Tavan, you didn't wake me."

Vanick threw up the covers of the bed, and started to gingerly snuggle up to Tavan, resting his head upon the other Turian's chest.

"Come on Vanick, you know I don't like snuggling…"

"It's not about whether you like it or not, I'm not letting you out of my sight tonight, Tavs."

With a lofty sight, Tavan placed his hand on Vanick's head, lying back down in the bed. Vanick, also much to the same of Tavan had had a particularly brutal life and in Tavan's eye's to a much worse degree than his own. Mostly because, for Vanick, the hardship and strife began at childhood, of which most evil happens it seemed to Tavan.

"Vanick, thanks…"

Tavan expected Vanick to answer with one of his usual, adorable comebacks, however he was silent. Tavan looked down only to see that Vanick had fallen fast asleep, the only audible sound coming from him was a low and soft purring. To Tavan, he looked peaceful, as if nothing had ever been wrong. However, in Vanicks mind all was not calm, and within the depths of his dreams and thought's stirred a beast that was uncontrollable. As Vanick drifted back to sleep, it began to awake, at first just echoes, but eventually, it all came back, as it always did, in magnitude.