The Citadel buzzed with excitement as lines formed in the docking bay area. Today was recruitment day for the Alliance Military who needed every able body for what the higher ups had been informed of by the infamous Commander Shepard. It was rare that they allowed people to simply sign up, usually there were tests and trials. It had been made clear that this was an emergency however. Civilians hadn't been made fully aware of the impending Reaper invasion though, that would have caused panic to erupt but after a lot of pushing Anderson managed to convince the Council to let him recruit on the Citadel instead of going through the usual process.
Three desks had been placed side by side where three lines formed for the sign up. Many eager to defend their home and galaxy had shown up as well as the ones either forced or there for something to do. Among the recruits were two siblings who seemed out of place and unlikely to join the military. Kai and Keo. Kai, the youngest, was known to C-Sec for being a trouble maker and was often taken in for questioning or held in a cell over night. She wasn't a menace or anything, she just had a problem with authority and was now on friendly terms with Bailey she was sent there that often. Usually for brawls or being sarcastic to officers which sometimes escalated. Nothing serious like most who were taken in for gang related incidents. Kai was known to be brave and quick to jump in if she saw something that didn't look right, so half the time she spent at C-Sec was only really due to her good nature. That's what she'd constantly tell them anyway. She was talented when it came to tech and hacking which was one more reason why she spent so much time with the officers, she'd made it onto their list for a certain prank. Kai was often mistaken as the older of the two for the mere fact she was taller and was quick to jump to the biotics defence, something the oldest would do.. Keo on the other hand was stood in front of her sibling in the line merely because Kai was there. As the eldest she felt she had to be there for her, despite her lack of ability. Unlike Kai, who was hot-headed, Keo was rarely in trouble. She wasn't an angel or responsible, she was in fact a very talented manipulator and unlike her sibling who liked to act first and think later, she preferred the sneaky route. Tricks and mirrors interested her and it always amused her when she managed to trick her way through situations. Keo was known by C-Sec as the one who always bailed Kai out and occasionally had to be picked up for getting herself lost. She was the stranger sibling, always lost in her own world or doing something that made others laugh unintentionally. She was often mistaken as the younger one because of her childish behaviour and baby face. Due to her biotic ability she was seen as a freak and she didn't seem to help herself much by the way she carried herself. The two weren't related by blood but they felt they ought to be. Brothers is what they called each other, by now the residents from their area were use to this and referred to them as boys due to their tomboyish natures. It seemed they had quite the bond, something that was difficult to explain. The easiest way to put it was co-dependency. Where one went, the other was sure to follow. The day they stood in that line it seemed they'd be following each other into hell. Unbeknownst to them.
Keo stared off into space as they waited to enlist, rocking back and forth on her heel while Kai glared unintentionally at one of the patrolling officers. It took quite some time before the smaller of the two reached the desk. A seasoned soldier stared up at the biotic, clearly unimpressed. "Name and talent."
Kai gave Keo a nudge which snapped her back to reality to see an impatient and scarred man glaring at her. She jumped a bit and rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly, "Keo and.. I'm.. Uh.." Under the intense stare she was receiving she cracked and her hands started to glow a soft blue hue to which a vending machine exploded off to the left, covering one unfortunate Hanar with juice. "...Crap..." Behind her Kai broke down into a giggle fit, exclaiming how awesome it had been. Keo glanced back at her brother and gave a sheepish smile before turning to the man again, hand rubbing at the back of her neck nervously. "Do over?"
The man shook his head and passed her a slip from one of the many piles sorted on the desk. "Alright, Biotic. Shuttle Bay D-22. Next." He watched the girl shuffle away with a lost expression then turned his attention to Kai who'd finally calmed herself. "Name and talent."
Kai crossed her arms, biting back every urge to ask about his scars. "Kai and.. I fight." By the mans expression she knew he wanted her to elaborate but she just shrugged.
"Soldier it is then." He muttered, moving to get a sheet for her.
She waited until he was shifting through the sheets then activated her omni-tool, typing in a code which made the soldiers own omni-tool start beeping wildly. "Oh.. This too." Kai smirked as he failed to silence the tone which gathered more attention than intended. A boy who had been standing a few people back from Kai stepped forward with his own omni-tool and silenced the beeping, much to the elders relief and Kai's frustration.
"My thanks, son." He sighed, rubbing at his temple. He then turned his attention to Kai who was bitch facing the rude interruption. "Shuttle Bay C-19. Take the paper and go." After handing Kai a different sheet he shooed her away in irritation then smiled to the male who introduced himself as Youngjae politely and even bowed to the man.
Kai pulled a face, taking note of the name before moving off to find the right shuttle. She didn't appreciate having one of her pranks interrupted and who the hell bows these days? She should have incinerated him or something. Her thoughts of revenge were cut short when she soon faced a flock of techies all concentrating on their omni-tools. Somehow she felt like she just walked into a geek gathering back on earth, not the good kind either. The ones where they lived in their parents basements and swapped the latest porn games like a shady underground drug deal for satisfaction. Shaking her head the delinquent made her way through the crowd taking a spot on one of the chairs to wait for the rest of the new recruits to show up. Kai couldn't help but observe the bunch she'd most likely have to spend time with, they were talking to each other but only through the tech on their arms. No words were actually exchanged. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. She wasn't much of a people person after all. This could work.
"Nice trick with the General. Few errors that'd be critical if someone's life depended on it but.. Hey, that's just by my calculation." A smug tone came from beside her.
"Beat it, gee- You!" Kai yelled, glaring at the boy who turned out to be the boy from earlier. He just grinned down at her, his arms crossed.
"Youngjae." The boy pointed quickly, seeming overly amused with himself. "Name's Yoo Youngjae." He laughed, taking a seat beside her lazily. He was oddly cute with a somewhat squishy face though his short faux hawk hairstyle somehow managed to make him more attractive than he should have been. He would have looked like the type who couldn't defend himself except he had chosen to wear a t-shirt which showed he had quite a bit of muscle in his arms. So he clearly could look after his own in a fight if need be.
"...You're kidding. That's actually your name?" A smirk started to tug at Kai's lips as she raised an eyebrow at him. "Probably shouldn't have told me that, dude."
Youngjae shrugged casually and stared intensely at the girl, awaiting her name to be exchanged.
Kai shifted uncomfortably under the boys gaze, eventually she snapped her gaze to him with a frown. "What? Why do you keep frikken' staring at me?"
The brunette chuckled and slumped a bit on the bench, "Y'know it's proper etiquette to give your name when someone gives you theirs."
"Proper etiquette? Oh.. I get it. You're a rich boy. Sorry to disappoint but I don't give my name away to guys who ruin perfectly good pranks." Kai scoffed, glaring off at nothing. She could have just got up and left but she was there first as childish as it was. He'd have to leave.
Youngjae tilted his head, "Rich?.. My parents make the average amount actually.. I'm just smart." He muttered, taking a glance over the crowd of techies. "I figured you'd understand what I meant. I could dumb it down for you if you're finding it difficult though." He challenged with a coy smirk, gazing at her from the corner of his eye. "Small words? I'll use. Small. Words."
"You little!" Anger was quick to flare up in Kai and she moved to hit him but he'd caught her fist and was now in a fit of laughter. "Hey! What the hell? Arrogant twat! Don't patronize me, I will incinerate your ass to hell!"
Youngjae snickered and released her hand to wipe at his eye to exaggerate how amusing it had been for him. "My god you get angry easy." He calmed himself and smiled at her, "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You set yourself up for it. Clearly you're smart if you're in this group, I was just teasing you. I thought you'd laugh. My bad."
Kai sat down again and slumped, arms crossing. "Watch yourself, dick."
On the other side of the docking bay Keo had wandered into a crowd which instantly made her feel on edge. Men. Big men. Everywhere. She let out a small squeaky noise of shock, hands instantly moving up to cover her mouth. Luck would have it one of the men had heard this unnatural sound and turned to investigate, locking eyes with the blonde.
"You lost little boy?" He laughed, every muscle on his body rippling by even the slightest action.
Keo stared up at him like a deer caught in headlights. He was terrifying. He was tall, scarred to hell, covered in hair and to top it off.. He was a tank. "...Big." Was all she managed out, even then it was feeble.
"I think he called you fat, Matt!" One of his buddies chortled, giving this Matt character a shove. "Gonna take it?"
Keo attempted to back up, sensing it would be a good time to leave but his friends had formed a circle around her, keeping her in. This was bad. They were calling her a he. Normally she was happy hearing this but in this situation... It was always bad. It was usually followed with a punch. She tried to find words to tell him she hadn't insulted him and that she was in fact female but when she opened her mouth only silence followed.
Matt took a step forward and grabbed the front of her hoody, pulling her in threateningly. "Did you call me fat, girly boy? Huh!?" His voice was low and scratchy and by the way he was tensing his muscles to make them bigger he was attempting to provoke a fight out of her which clearly his whooping minions were trying to egg on.
"Testosterone cycle!" Keo piped up, feeling the need to explain to him the process he was going through was to seem like an alpha to his fellow males and that it was unnecessary as they'd probably whoop him on at anything and respect him anyway due to his size. Unfortunately for her, they were the only words that came out of her mouth. Oh come on! I'm going to fucking die! Talk, dammit. TALK! Nothing. Her feet weren't even touching the floor any more. Death. Death happens now.Well done. She shut her eyes and braced for the impending doom when the man became enraged by her and pulled his arm back to punch her and possibly end her existence but a few seconds passed and she felt no pain. Peeking an eye open she saw the same man struggling to get his arm free from a sleepy looking boy.
"Yah.. Don't hit girls." The boy mumbled, keeping a firm hold of the mans arm. They seemed locked in a struggle for control the way they were both shaking. Although smaller in comparison, he was holding his own which gave the female hope.
Matt scoffed and shoved Keo towards the group to hold her in place until he was done with this intruder. "You his boyfriend or something? Coming to his rescue, eh?"
The boy glanced to her then back to Matt and smiled a dopey smile which held a certain charm to it. Keo found herself smiling because of it, despite the situation. The brunette hooked his other arm around Matt's arm and spun around him to pin his arm behind his back. He kicked the back of his leg so the man fell to his knee's and leant in to talk to him. "No, I just think it's pathetic for you to try to display power like this." He was clearly too dumb to see the 'boy' was a girl so he left it at that and kicked him forward.
Keo felt the grip on her loosen the second Matt hit the floor. "Really?" She frowned, bemusement clear on her expression at the backing away males. She turned her gaze back to her rescuer to see a hand held out and the same dopey smile.
"I'm Jongup. Moon Jongup. Are you alright?" Now that she got a better look at him he didn't look like the military type. He looked like he'd be a poster boy instead. He had short brunette hair that had been spiked a bit with gel, dark brown eyes and a smile that made others want to smile along with him. Granted he clearly worked out but the way he moved, he was more like a dancer.
"Uh.. Keo. Just Keo.. I like moons!" She grinned, mentally slapping herself instantly. I like moons? Smooth. "I'm alright.. Thanks. At least you noticed I was a girl and helped." She mumbled, lowering her head a bit to let her bangs completely hide her eyes.
Jongup laughed and crossed his arms. "Yeah.. No offence but even if you're dressed like that I can tell you're a girl."
Keo scrunched up her nose, "They couldn't. All this because I'm pretty sure I came to the wrong docking bay." She began to look around for some idea on where exactly she was but to no avail. Everything looked the same.
The boy followed her around as she searched for clues only speaking up when she dropped down into a crouch, clearly giving up. "Where is it you're heading?"
"Alliance training camp." She responded, head hanging. "I think it's on our moon."
Jongup crouched down beside her and held his form in front of her face. "So am I. So how about you just come onto the shuttle I'm taking? We're going to the same place so.. Good plan?"
She blinked down at the form, he was ranked as a soldier and it said he was only 18. That explained the giant group of big men. "Oh.." Hazel eyes lifted to meet his and she flashed him a smile. "Mm! Good plan. Better than getting lost again...Seriously I ended up in Purgatory..."
"But you need to take an.." Jongup began slowly in confusion.
"Elevator. I know." She finished quickly, obviously not proud of her misadventure. "I got hit on by an asari. It.. Was confusing."
He laughed and stood, helping her up. "Well.. I won't let you get on an elevator. How about that? I'll make sure you get on the shuttle."
Keo stared at him, her eyes soon narrowing in suspicion. "Why are you helping me?"
"...Because I'm nice? I can be mean if you really want." He joked. Shrugging, he shoved his form into his back pocket before sliding his hands into his pockets casually. "I like helping, I guess.. And I believe what that Commander Shepard's been telling everyone. So if we don't help each other now.. We're dead."
Boarding calls soon sounded out amongst the docking bay and the newly recruited soldiers began to board the shuttles for training in the Sol system. It wouldn't be but a few hours thanks to the mass relays so by days end they'd all begin to prep for the war. It seemed Kai and Keo were in for the worst few years of their lives.