"auntie wake up!" Tali shook the elderly quarian gently,
The war against the reapers had ended long ago, now however Tali's beloved "auntie" was too coming to an end.
"ahhh my child, is it time to get up already?" Shala groaned as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes.
Tali had to suppress a worried frown, Shala had been getting more tired during last couple of weeks. Tali felt a light tap on her shoulder, she turned towards the elder who had placed a frail, slightly shaking hand on Tali's shoulder. The young quarian helped her up with a groan.
"Thank you I'm not getting any younger! Now, it's time for breakfast I think" Tali gently guided her towards the kitchen. It was filled with the orange glow of rannoch's sun tikk'un and a bowl of soup was steaming on the table, prepared by Tali.
"will Rael be joining us?" Tali stiffened at her fathers name, while he hadn't been the most loving parent she was still fond of him. Shala didn't notice Tali's sudden change of posture and kept talking. "Hah! Rael probably has more experiments to run" She scoffed.
"Shala, Rael is dead." Tali remarked as she seated her defacto mother.
"Keelah child I'm sorry..w-what happened?"
"60 years ago on the fleet, geth he reactivated broke loose" Shala seemed stunned, Tali supposed she too would feel overwhelmed if she forgot something like that.
"I'm sorry child..I didn't know" She clutched her head, as if to punish it.
"no It's okay.."Tali sighed, she longed for her human to return, the atmosphere in the room had turned pessimistic. Bosh'tet Alliance wanting Him! My human! Even if only for a week his presence was already missed.
Shala was tiredly poking her soup, she sighed and stared into Tali's eyes with her old dulling ones.
"I'm joining the ancestors soon..." Shala sighed, her usual optimism gone.
"Yea.." Tali choked out, her voice broke as she looked down onto the table. The thought of her last parental figure dying was far from pleasant.
Shala looked at her niece, She herself was at peace with her mortality but Tali obviously wasn't
"do not fret child, I am at peace." She placed her hand on Tali's shoulder and rubbed it lightly.
"I know I'm going to the ancestors soon." Tali turned her head and looked towards the elder, a small sad smile on her face.
"and when I do I'm going to tell Yelona all about your adventures and how proud you've made us all!" Shala giggled slightly "and then! I'm going to tell Rael all about your bondmate!" Tali couldn't help it and laughed a little, eliciting a smile on Shala's lips
"Auntie!" Tali grinned, Shala could be very blunt at times.
The lightened mood didn't hold for long and Tali once felt her eyes go misty.
"I'm going to miss you auntie.." Shala rubbed her shoulder and replied.
"I'll miss you too"
