1
Aria T'Loak sat on the bleachers in the Institute's gymhall, watching Ellyon do an acrobatic tumbling routine. There were other students working out there too and on the far end, a three on three skyball match was going on. Thinking they were covert, a security-team was keeping an eye on Aria, while the chaperones were more openly present. The chaperones were more interested keeping an eye on the students. It was obvious to Aria that the chaperones were under orders not to interfere with either Ellyon or herself.
While Ellyon launched herself into the air at a height and velocity that should be impossible for any bipedal being, Aria's mind couldn't help but conclude that nothing had really changed in the greater Asari expanse. The Asari still had the council in an iron political grip, Matriarchs slowly returned to their conservative views now that life had almost fully returned to normal and Ardat-Yakshi were still imprisoned for life after being brutally hunted down by Justicars. Aria was still the most feared crime-boss in the universe.
Other things had changed however. Shepard and T'Soni tied the knot, had a daughter and then they divorced. A daughter. It's was hard for Aria not to think about her own daughter, murdered by Cerberus operatives, only because her daughter was in love with Grayson. But her own daughter was still a kid, enjoying the asari party-culture while Aria was grooming her to take over her crime-empire one day. All the people responsible for her daughter's death had died themselves. Some quickly, some after being put through terrible suffering before being allowed rest.
But there was Ellyon, a being that should not exist. Aria didn't believe that the way Ellyon saw herself; neither human or asari made sense. Asari birth asari. On the other hand, those weird, squishy long scalpplates, those eyes that reminded so much of Shepard, that one eyebrow above her left eye, how petite and short she was, again resembling Shepard... And the incredible maturity of her mind. No 17year old asari was as mentally advanced as Ellyon was. Ellyon was almost a human in that respect.
"A payek for your thoughts, auntie", sounded it next to Aria. Aria turned her head to Ellyon, who burried her face in a towel, then took a seat next to Aria.
"Nothing I should burden you with, Ellyon. Well, partially anyway. Are you sure that Shepard and T'Soni will be okay with your plan?"
Ellyon didn't answer immedeately, keeping her face burried in the towel. She started talking before liberating her face from the towel, so the first words were a bit muffled, "Mamma Shino once said that you have no concept of christmas. That you only send her that christmas-card so that she won't forget about you. That you probably wouldn't even send them if your VI wouldn't remind you of it. I wonder why mama Shino thinks that you don't want her to forget about you..."
"I gave Shepard a well-meant and passionate kiss after we took back Omega from Cerberus.", Aria smiled at the memory, "She was dazed for a minute."
"Going all cross-eyed and jumbling her words.", Ellyon laughed, but Aria spoke, "Don't sell Shepard short like that. Shepard is a professional leader and people followed her into hell and back."
Ellyon shook her head and cast her eyes skyward, "Who is that Shepard everybody keeps talking about? Modern history is like an alternate reality for me. Mama Shino defeated the Geth, uncovered the Reaper's grand plan, saved half a million Batarians in less than ten minutes, destroyed the Collectors, foiled a Batarian terrorist and saved a planet from an asteroid impact... I know everything there's to know about mama Shino, I know what happened between her and you and how that led to ultimately curing the krochan people from the Genophage. I know how she liberated Rannoch, saving both the quarians and the geth.
"That's mama Shino too. I know it. I just... can't understand it."
"Shepard is spoiled by war.", Aria mused, "All she needs is impossible odds with the universe working against her to come into her own."
"Are you saying that mama Shino fails at being a civilian?", Ellyon laughed and Aria chuckled before answering, "I guess I am. We all need a purpose we're suited for to give direction to our lives. I learned that during my matron years,", Aria quickly shook her head as if to get rid of an unpleasant memory and then continued, ".., but you didn't answer my question, you little sneak. Are you sure they'll be okay with your plan?"
"You have no concept of christmas, and that isn't fair. Christmas is for everybody and after this year, your christmas-card that you send to mama Shino will have meaning, because you'll know the awesomeness of christmas. And mama Shino will respect the card once she has learned that you understand what christmas means."
"It can't be that easy.", Aria mused and that rewarded her a punch to the shoulder from Ellyon, "Auntie, christmas isn't a Blue Suns' conspiracy to depose you as the ruler of Omega. Now who fails at being a normal person, huh?"
"I was merely thinking that you should invite Mica to spend christmas with your family.", Aria defended, taking the punch to her shoulder in stride.
Something changed in Ellyon's demeanor, in a small and almost unperceivable way, "I blew it with Mica."
"Say it ain't so.", Aria said, though her voice belied the sentiment, "What did you do?"
"I tried to show her that killing people during sex is a choice. So what that she is Ardat-Yakshi? Killing is a choice."
"I can think of hundreds of situations where your filosophy doesn't hold water, Elly-"
"-I'm not talking about war, auntie.", interrupted Ellyon with a hint of honest irritation in her voice, "I'm a counter-biotic, and when no one knew what was wrong with me, I killed a lot of people. But when it was clear what I am, I learned how to control it. You were there when I finally understood, remember? I've never killed since. But I could if I wanted to, and no one would be able to stop me. Not even mama Liara, mama Shino, aunt Tali, uncle Garrus, uncle Stephen, Eclipse, Blood Pack, Blue Suns, Council Spectres or you. I'm all on my own more dangerous than an institute full of Ardat-Yakshi that haven't embraced eternity for 500 years."
Aria laughed at the absurdity of the situation, but she understood what Ellyon was saying, "When you put it that way, I see what you're getting at. I guess that Mica rather wallowed in her misery than trying to see it your way?"
"That's the short and sweet of it. She can be such a schoolgirl sometimes..."
'Well, she's only 33. What did you expect? Mica's a kid and...", Aria shut up when she realised what she was actually saying. Ellyon laughed freely and it sounded frightingly like the waterfall of sound that Shepard would shower people with when she freely laughed.
"My parents will be here shortly, auntie. I'm going to purge quickly and freshen up. I guess you could get some Thessian Tea in the cantina while you wait. Don't eat anything, otherwise you'll spoil the special dinner, okay?"
"We wouldn't want that.", Aria murmered while Ellyon walked away from her, without waiting for her answer or looking back.
2
"We showered, kept our hands to ourselves, redressed and still have time to spare, Liara. Slow down a little.", Shinobu breathed while adjusting her tempo to keep up with Liara. Shinobu was wearing a tshirt, jeans and sporties on her feet, but even though Shinobu was no longer on heels Liara was the one setting the pace. Shinobu would never admit it to anybody else, but the winding streets of Almari and with the shortcuts that Liara was taking, she was also hopelessly lost, "If we get separated, I'll die out here in the streets..."
"Please, you speak thessian.", Liara stated matter of factly but all the same she slowed down a little, "Don't you want to see Ellyon? You have only spoken to your daughter via Extranetskype. I would think that you'd be the one needing to be slowed down."
"Can we just... be normal for once? Including walking at a humane pace if anything?"
Liara thought of something, "You're scared, aren't you? You're afraid to confront Ellyon, worried what she may say to you."
"You think that's what it is?", Shinobu returned with a surprised tone in her voice, "Ellyon has roasted me good already."
"Please, for some reason beyond my understanding, you can't do wrong with Ellyon and I've been spending weekends with a daughter punishing me for the last two years by ignoring me, or not talking to me, or just expecting me to say 'yes' without question over things she refuses to articulate. It's too obvious that I'm the one getting all the blame, Shino."
"Do you think I cleaned up my act when I did because of the court-ruling, forced rehab and Siobhan?", Shinobu returned while grabbing Liara by the arm to bring her to a halt, "Do you think my relationship with Siobhan is that good, that what she and I have comes close to what you and I have? And why do you think that Ellyon gave me a bonuscard to advance to free-parking and collecting 20.000 credits on start?"
Liara realised that Shinobu's metaphore was about the earth-game 'Monopoly', a game she loved to play too. She didn't shrug Shinobu's hand off of her arm because she enjoyed the touch of Shinobu's hand, "Come now, next you'll be saying that Ellyon washed the ears of her favorite mother and got her to give up alcohol. Without that earthling you keep with, you'd be wasting away in the gutters of Little Thessia, Shino."
"I'm trying to save the relationship with Siobhan. It's not going well. She feels like she's always competing with you. I wear dresses, walk on heels, wear lingerie, have my hair professionally done... I don't care about that stuff, Liara, Siobhan does. The Lord knows that I want to cut my hair short, wear what I'm wearing now and run down the street with a bag of red sand in one hand and a stein with Thessian Ale in the other, screaming incoherently untill Metro throws me in the drunktank. You're not there, Ellyon is not there and it's eating away at my soul, Liara. It's not fair. Not to you, not to Ellyon and not to me. Were you the one being told that your love for your kid is destructive, Liara? Were you?"
Liara involuntarily remembered the scene at the day that Marva Pol explained why things had to be the way they were. She saw the hurt on Shinobu's face, even if she was the only one who could see the nuances on that infuriatingly stoic face of her bondmate. It broke her heart, but Ellyon had to be more important. The life of their daughter had to take precedence over anything else at the time. Liara would do it again if she had to. Of that she had no doubt.
Shinobu took Liara's silence for what it was, "Exactly. I was left behind. The 'child abusing admiral', with her wife and daughter 'fleeing her domestic terrorism'. I'm sorry that I self-destructed and that it didn't fit in your perfect little shadowbroker world. But when Ellyon threatened to never see me again, that was my true wake-up call. Siobhan did me good, but if you think that she says things that I listen to, you're mistaken. She wasn't there at the final push to the beam, Liara, nor is she Ellyon."
"And so you play poster-girl to rescue a failing relationship and barely keep sober, all because of your skypes with Ellyon?", Liara asked, trying to find the lie on Shinobu's face.
"Ellyon hasn't been kind about it...", Shinobu answered, ".., but I realised that all those things she said... that I needed to hear them, bluntly bashing on my skull until it cleared up long enough in there to understand that I was about to lose everything in exchange for bad art and a partner who plays dress up doll with me. I'm not afraid to confront Ellyon for real since two years. It's sorted and squared away. God, imagine that with everything that happened, I also would lose being yellow mum."
Liara set herself in motion again, allowing Shinobu to take her by the hand. Hand in hand, they made their way across the plaza toward the FSM institute. With Shinobu's hand in hers, Thessia seemed more coloful, the sky more blue, the next step easier than the one that came before it. But something boiled inside of Liara. It wasn't anger. But Liara doubted if this was the time. They were talking again and most importantly, they were listening to eachother too. Risking this moment, especially since Shinobu had sidestepped her emotional outburst earlier... Yet, repairing two years of damage seemed never more doable then it seemed right at that moment.
"Liara..,", it sounded next to her, ".., did you mean it, you know, what you said afterwards?"
"Goddess! Why did you have to say that when you left that message on my answering machine, Shino? Don't you see that it changed everything? Allover again? I was angry with you, Shino. So angry like you wouldn't believe. But at least I could cope with the anger."
"What if we sell our earth-holdings and start over again here? It doesn't matter where you shadowbroke, or where I make, uhm, art. It won't affect Ellyon too, no matter what, she's an earthling so her future doesn't suddenly unfairly treats her to two decades of childhood extra too. I see no downturns here."
"Goddess help me, Shino, you'd better be serious now. You're honest about giving up our earth-holdings to start over here on Thessia, with me? You're not saying it because I knocked you cold while embracing eternity or anything?"
"Don't make that one out to be just revenge-sex, tentacle monster. It was the purest lovemaking you ever did, as spontaneous as it gets. It won't be easy... we'll need to talk a lot and I'll need to prove to you allover again that I'm the right person as your bondmate. I have a lot to make up for, but this morning showed me that we're still strong. You never stopped being in love with me and I... I wanted you back the moment you carried Ellyon out of the AMH... We needed eachother more than ever that day, you know."
Liara studied the human at her side. Again that quick decision making, that clarity in what has to be done after the decision has been made. A workable plan in mind, a plan you could see having success the moment the last word was spoken. Totally human in approach and execution. Liara saw lions and bears with the plan, as any asari would. But from a human point of view, whatever could go wrong with the plan? Maybe going earthling with this was the way to go? But then something dawned on Liara, "Ellyon. Ellyon told you what to say when the time would be right and you rehearsed and rehearsed until you could say all these things as if they were your words and your thoughts. She worked in collusion with you, that's why she's been avoiding talking to me. She wants the perfect christmas, where she's almost in her rights to make her own decisions and where you and I find eachother again. Ellyon wants a happy end."
Liara had let go of Shinobu's hand and stood there stewing with her hands on her hips while Shinobu reverted to fidgetting and searching for words. Liara got irritated with the situation, "If you're that unsure what to say next, let's ask Ellyon what you're supposed to say to trick me into trying again with you. She's not far away now."
"Don't... Yes, Ellyon wants us together more than anything. I told her that it wouldn't change anything since I love her and you love her, regardless of whether we're in the same room or not. She didn't tell me to do anything. I can speak for myself, Liara. But talking to Ellyon is harder than talking to the batarian hegemony, because her opinion of me means something to me. Talking to you is even harder, trust me. Until this morning I thought that we were a thing of the past... too many things happened between us, I thought. But being here with you, holding your hand just then... She gave me the same treatment, do you know. Ellyon has something else up her sleeve and I just hope that it hasn't have anything to do with us making up.
"But we're not a thing of the past, Liara. We can do this. We can demolish this thing between us. If only you would stop blaming me for everything that goes wrong in your life. I'm here, I'm sober and slowly I'm turning my life around. You served me divorce-papers, Ellyon gave me a second chance."
Liara took a step back, agast, "You did not just say that, Shino!"
"Remember that day in the hospital, I wanted to unhook you from all the machinery and take you home."
Liara just nodded and Shinobu continued, "That's how I feel right now. As if I lose. As if everything that ever happened to you is somehow my fault. When I signed the divorcepapers I felt like how you must have felt when you were finally free from that prothean forcefield. I promised myself to never let that happen to me ever again, Liara. But here I am, feeling 28 years old again, totally unable to deal with the situation because I couldn't shoot it dead. And you know what? I'm done, Liara. Yes, I want us to return to the way we were, but I think it is about time you take some responsibility too. But all you're doing is amplifying my guilt and you keep knocking me over the head with it.
"And now we're going to collect Ellyon, we're going to have the best christmas ever and only if you're ready to take an equal part in this relationship should you bother me. Can you do that? For Ellyon and for me?"
Liara was stricken. No! This wasn't happening! A few moments ago it seemed easily repairable, but she was afraid to push the issue, afraid to destroy the fragile fundament of a possible new start, afraid to lose Shinobu forever. Now it was happening anyway. It was all so unfair. Why can't Shinobu understand? I'm not human. My brain doesn't work that way. You must carefully adjust, ask advice, get opinions and then slowly adjust again! Who can live this way?
Liara's brain was going in all directions, what was she supposed to say? What was Shinobu expecting to hear? Liara gave up. She had to do something human. Make a decision and sort it out later. She grabbed Shinobu by the upperarms and pulled her in close. After a little hesitation, Shinobu answered the embrace and Liara almost died from happiness when the human in her arms relaxed and sighed deeply. "Please, don't cut off your hair. It's beautiful.", was all Liara could think of to say next.
3
"How long am I supposed to hide behind this pillar, Ellyon?", Aria asked, sounding amused with the situation, "I'm attracting some attention."
"If you stand right next to me, it won't be a surprise, auntie. Any moment, my mums will walk through the door and it will be awesome. Think christmassy thoughts to tide over, or something."
Aria sighed. Ellyon fascinated her to no end. She was supposed to be an asari and sometimes, Ellyon almost was one. Her love for tradition, even though the tradition itself wasn't asari, was a clear indication that Ellyon was an asari like any other. Careful planning another, though Ellyon's planning was closer to scheming. Aria could relate to that. Scheming was a very asari thing to do. But for the rest... Ellyon was too human for her own good.
Years ago, when Ellyon contacted her for the first time, Aria didn't think twice to befriend Shepard's daughter. Aria could see the possibilities in having an inroad to the family by way of their kid. Some easy manipulation and she would be able to have the kid steal passcodes, or give her access to classified information for free. But that changed when Aria realised that she was manipulated back, going 'I am Omega!' to Ellyon over a vidlink. Aria decided to get to know Ellyon and in doing so, learned about the family instead of military secrets or shadowbroker conspiracies. And somehow, Aria became an 'aunt' to Ellyon and in some things even a confidante as Ellyon bounced problems off of her she was afraid to share with her mothers first.
What Aria enjoyed the most about the relationship was that Ellyon totally didn't care about who Aria was. Ellyon wasn't afraid of her, but freely talked to her about things that she liked, things that bothered her, things that she wanted to do and how living with two mothers who spoiled her rotten frustrated her. And even more, Ellyon sought her opinions and council, while Aria never presented herself as someone who would offer opinion or share council.
In secret, Aria nursed some faint notions of grooming Ellyon to inherit her crime-empire, even long before it turned out that Ellyon was a counter-biotic. T'Soni would never allow it. Shepard wouldn't live long enough, she was no factor. But Ellyon, Aria reasoned, would never denounce her mothers to become the next ruler of Omega. Yet, Ellyon was perfect for it. She didn't care about any of it, she merely valued the relationship with Aria highly and enjoyed the friendship to the fullest.
Aria settled for it. Ellyon was what she needed too. Someone who just saw auntie Aria, who was interested in her thoughts, and even asked how she felt, what she was worried about and even what her plans for the day were. Nobody ever asks that kind of stuff of Aria, to avoid ending up dead in the bowels of Omega, ripped apart by a Reave in the back.
Aria chuckled at the memory of the first time Ellyon asked her what she was going 'to do today'. Aria at the time was forced to meet some rogue justice out to an Eclipse double-agent, but she couldn't tell a nine year old kid that. So Aria told Ellyon that she was going to have a sandwich, only to end up in a discussion about different sanwiches and which ones were the best.
Somehow, all of that lead to this moment. Aria hiding behind a pillar to surprise Shepard and T'Soni while Ardat-Yakshi were shooting frightened glances at her. Afterall, at any moment Aria could decide to start killing people at random. One never knows with the most feared asari crime-boss ever. Aria shook her head. A part of her scolded herself for doing all this stuff. Her more insightful side argued that the universe sighed a breath of relief over the fact that this day at least, she wasn't plotting the downfall of the cosmos.
"They're not coming...", Aria didn't so much hear the words as she did the doubt and disappointment in Ellyon's voice. Aria stepped away from the pillar and moved over to Ellyon.
"What makes you say that?"
"They're already five minutes late, auntie.", Ellyon said, trying to hide the hurt in her voice, "Blue mum is never late. They forgot about me..."
Aria chuckled, "So the Shepard. Who knows what happened? So they're late. What's the big deal?"
"It's christmas!"
"That explains everything, off course.", Aria mused.
"DUH! Everything has to be perfect at christmas! Even more so on christmas eve! Do you know how long a turkey has to cook before it can be served? It all takes it's time and everything must be sheduled just so it all comes together perfectly."
"Please stop alternating between T'Soni and Shepard, Ellyon.", Aria said without malice, "It's giving me a headache. Look, why don't you check outside to see if they're coming? We can still do the surpise, if you're worried about that, I'll just stay out of sight."
"And if I don't see them anywhere?"
"Press the 'come find me' button on your kiddie-OT?"
Ellyon stood in doubt for a while but then said, "Will you please come with, auntie? Something happened, I just know it."
Aria gave Ellyon a smile, "Sure, let's go find those parents of yours and save christmas." Ellyon perked up at Aria's words. Together they stepped outside and scanned the plaza infront of the institute. They had no words when they discovered Liara and Shinobu, overcome with emotion, hugging and kissing with enough force to become one person, oblivious to the world around them.
Ellyon opened her mouth to shout something, but Aria quickly placed a hand over Ellyon's mouth, "No, Ellyon. Don't ruin it. Something happened, but they don't need a rescue."
4
"So...", Aria said to Liara while Shinubo hugged Ellyon, ".., ever the xenophile, huh, T'Soni?"
"It's... stronger than me.", Liara said with a voice that even to her sounded schoolgirlishly jubilant, "But what are you doing here?"
Aria shrugged, "I'm being a christmas-surprise. Ellyon wants me to experience christmas and I was entertained by the idea of inconveniencing you. I don't understand the fuzz, so I admit to curiosity too."
"Even if things were different, you'd still be welcome. Ellyon is right, you have to experience christmas at least once. It's nicer on Earth though. Here on Thessia there's no christmas rush, no snow... but there's the part about family and friendship too."
"I'm a friend?"
"In your own way.", Shinobu answered before Liara could say something, "But our relationship has always been purely business. I think that Ellyon had the right idea. You're welcome to come with, Aria."
As the group set themselves in motion, Ellyon slapped her forehead, "My christmas presents! I'll be right back!"
Aria watched Ellyon run back to the institute with a puzzled look on her face, "There will be presents?"
Shinobu laughed, "Don't worry about it. Ellyon will say that your being here is your present to us. It's isn't about the presents with christmas, it's about the intent. And besides, Ellyon doesn't really care about getting presents with christmas, she cares about giving them and everything being perfect."
"Please...", Aria smirked, ".., I'm by now an expert on things that need to be perfect when it comes to this. That christmas of yours is very stressfull, if you ask me."
"Just Ellyon. Christmas is all about us being together to her.", Shinobu spoke.
"What's christmas to you?", Aria asked and Shinobu shrugged, "Part religeous. The days signify the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. Part spiritual too, it's a time of peace and reflection. Reconciliation too."
"Obviously.", Aria remarked and Shinobu understood the train of thought, "Yes, that one was unexpected. Just coincidence it would happen at christmas eve. I'm sure it made Ellyon's christmas already, everything else will be bonus."
From across the plaza, Ellyon can running back with a weekender hanging from her shoulder. From afar she started yelling, "Sheesh! Why didn't you keep on walking! We're already late!"
"It seemed the right thing to do, sweetheart.", Shinobu said when Ellyon caught up, "And that means that you have to do the right thing too."
Ellyon kept walking, pushing past her parents and Aria, answering Shinobu as she went, "Mum, what are you talking about?"
"Maybe accepting help for once?", Shinobu offered as she matched her strides with Ellyon, only to give up because Ellyon's steps where too short. It was easier to just keep walking and let Ellyon match, "Ever since you were able to do so, you insisted on doing everything yourself on the years that we celebrated christmas without the gang, while your mothers had to do cozy things. Let us help and everything will be easier."
"That's good thinking.", Aria agreed, "T'Soni can help analizing everything, Shepard can shoot christmas to make it do whatever she wants and I can extort Santa Claus." Only Ellyon giggled at the idea, but Liara and Shinobu shot annoyed glances at Aria, who played murdered innocence, "What? You have to play on everybody's individual strengths..."
"Shino means that Ellyon must let us help. Help cook christmas dinner, help decorate the tree, help decorate the ho- Never mind.", Liara said while turning a different shade of blue.
Ellyon hoisted her weekender up her shoulder with an annoyed tug, "You only had one job, mum. But never mind. I'll dress the turkey, get it in the oven... Set up the tree and while I decorate that, I can also decorate the rest, then finish the rest of the dinner and set up the table... No wait, it's perfect!"
"It is?", Shinobu asked with surprise.
Ellyon halted at the entrance to the complex where Liara leased the apartment for the last two years and placed a deft hand on a biolock. As the door swung loose and she stepped through it, Ellyon's voice had lost all annoyance, "You'll see."
5
"This isn't real.", Liara said. She sat on the couch, in her left hand was a small plate with little snacks and in her right hand she held a wineglass filled with Almari Purple.
"You're telling me.", was all Shinobu had to offer, who was seated next to Liara, but holding a tall glass of lemonade. The both of them watched Ellyon and Aria busy in the kitchen, "We can become extranet legends by placing snapshots of this online. Aria T'Loak in your kitchen, dressing a turkey on instruction by our daughter. That has to be an universe-first."
"I'm not sure if I have to be happy, angry or jealous.", Liara mused, "I see Aria and can't help thinking that it should be me in the kitchen with Ellyon."
"I'm amazed that Aria is totally defenseless against Ellyon.", Shinobu scratched the back of her head, "A few years ago, Ellyon told me that she made Aria say her iconic lines, just for fun. I didn't quite believe it back then. But when you realise that Aria is a mother who... Anyway... I think that Ellyon reminds Aria of a happier time in her life.", Shinobu sighed, "I should place a vidcall to London, you know. Siobhan deserves to know what's going on."
Liara placed the plate with the little snacks on the coffeetable and wasted a few moments studying the thessian wine in her glass, "Are you expecting drama?"
Shinobu sighed and leaned back in the couch, "No, not really. I had time to think on the spaceliner, you know. Siobhan let me go celebrate christmas with my family, with you. She didn't insist on coming along and I didn't ask her too. Truth is that she is tired of competing with you. I mean, that's what she keeps telling me, at least. Thank you for buying that one painting, Liara. It paid for the spaceliner."
Liara startled, "H- how did you know I bought it?"
"'Undisclosed buyer' who buys a sunday-painter's work at catalogue-price? That has shadowbroker written allover it. Nobody is interested in my paintings, Liara. Even the gallery-holder gave me space for three paintings because I'm Shepard and because his gallery is my favorite store on the Citadel."
"You still do that scheme?", Liara laughed heartily and then sobered, "I'm sorry that painting didn't work out for you, Shino."
"She shouldn't give up painting though.", Aria remarked as she entered the livingroom holding a box of christmas decorations, "My associates can use the target-practise."
Shinobu shook her head, "Art-appraisal at it's finest."
"You're hearing auntie Aria wrong, mum.", Ellyon spoke as she followed hot on Aria's heels while struggling with a box that held a fake christmas-tree, "When you paint and auntie's thugs shoot your work, that would be performance-art. I would pay to see it."
"You're not helping, young lady.", Shinobu smirked as she watched Ellyon struggling with the box and not getting any closer to opening it. Despite that, Ellyon answered, "Am too. Since the worth of all art is measured by it's imperfections rather than it's perfections and knowing that the slightest alteration ruins any art, all art is therefore inherently worthless. Ah, finally. Stupid earth-packaging.", Ellyon took the pieces of the fake christmas tree from the box and started to click them together, "So, the suggested performance art underscores the filosophy. Simple.", She looked up from her work, holding pieces of christmas tree in both hands and saw the confused faces of the other tree people, "Arts and Crafts, you know. I wasn't allowed to only study history and modern dance."
"And all I wanted to do was to place a vidcall.", Shinobu sighed, "But it can wait, I guess. That tree comes with an assembly-guide, sweetheart.", Shinobu rose from the couch and retrieved the guide from the tree-box, "I'm going to help you with the tree, no buts."
6
'Liara has downsized', was the first thing that came to Shinobu's mind when she turned on the lights in the little office that the apartment allowed for. Somehow, Liara had managed to cramm a desk into the small space, next to all the videoscreens. As Shinobu took a seat, Liara's VI, Glyph, floated down from the ceiling.
"Hello, mistress Shepard. It has been a while. I trust that you're in good health?", Glyph vocalized.
"I'm fine, Glyph. Raise the London Condo, please.", Shinobu answered. She doubted herself immedeately. Why did she have to do it so close to dinner? Couldn't it have waited a little longer?
"Mistress, the hail isn't answered, but there's a recorded message stored, it was logged today by Miss McTyr."
"Play it back, I guess.", Shinobu sighed. After a little delay, a videoscreen lit up and the frame of Siobhan appeared, in the middle of packing her bags. Siobhan started to talk without looking in the camera as she kept organizing her stuff over several bags, "I never had you to myself, did I? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel, Shino? I guess I should be grateful for the times where you didn't call me Liara, huh?", the woman on the screen pauzed and turned to face the camera, "When I heard that you divorced from your wife, I did everything I could to be where you were and I was so happy when you noticed me. No more admiring from afar, my turn to be with you.", Siobhan sighed and ran her hands through her hair as she returned her attention to her bags, "You were recovering already, turning your life around and was glad to help you on the last legs. But we never build something together. The more you recovered, the more important Liara became for you and the more I realised that you were keeping me at an arm's length. I know that you love me, but it isn't enough to be strung along and only to be there when you crash and burn again. But I moved in on the rebound, so I guess that this is my due, right?", Siobhan picked her bags up and got visibly ready to leave, "It's foolish to believe that Liara and you would keep going like you were going when you were finally together again. I know why you're seeing this, Shino. You're calling to say that our time is over. It's okay, I'll leave without a fuzz. Call me sometimes okay? If we can't be lovers, let's be friends at least."
As the screen went black, all Shinobu could say was, "But..." and then she slumped back in the chair, defeated. Glyph offered, "It appears that the message was set to delete on playback, mistress Shepard."
"It's amazing how you make people love you so much that they forgive your every mistake.", Aria's voice sounded and Shepard startled, "What? T'Loak? How long have you been standing there?"
Aria forced herself into the little office aswell and found a spot where she could lean against the desk and look at Shinobu as well, "The whole time. An open door is an invitation, as you know."
"I guess it is...", Shinobu said, "Anyway, I'm glad that you're here."
Aria placed a few fingers at the point of her chin in mock bewonderment, "I wonder why that is?"
"Because I want to curl up into a ball and murmer insanely."
"Yes... when did that character-flaw enter your psyche, Shepard? Watching the vids of it is funny, but even I have a hard time believing that you would lose your mind like that at times."
"I just have a hard time accepting that I'm alive, have a family, friends who pick up the rifle at a moment's notice... Almost two decades have passed since the Reapers... And all that I have now, I want it to persist. Our lives? I don't want that for Ellyon. And I want to it to remain that way so bad... I just lose it when it appears that I can't make that happen."
"Seriously? That's all there is to it? Somehow, I find that hard to believe.", Aria said while she reached out and tenderly raised face with the tips of the fingers of her right hand to have Shinobu face her, "When we kissed back then on Omega, I like to believe I got a glimpse of the woman inside all of that armor. The woman you never want anyone to see, the woman who sacrificed herself to kill without thinking twice, to seflessly lead, transcending personal feelings and friendships to achieve a goal. I like to think that what I felt and the response that I got, is the same that T'Soni and your human girlfriend feel and receive. Shepard the interstellar murderer is not really an interesting person. Just a hammer looking for nails."
"Thanks for that.", Shinobu softly spoke.
"You're not a hammer anymore, Shepard.", Aria continued as if Shinobu hadn't spoken at all and leaned forward to bring her face close to Shinobu's face, "And you blame yourself, for whatever reason I can't begin to understand, for being alive."
"Okay, since you have all the answers... How am I supposed to make it all work?", Shinobu asked with little voice. As Aria exhaled, totally relaxed and seemingly at home in any situation she found herself in, her breath washed over Shinobu. There was a small hint of mint on Aria's breath and her scent was subtle but present. It made Shinobu very aware of Aria. What was Aria trying to say? That the kiss on Omega meant more to her? Does Aria want to be Liara?
"If you can't figure that out after having had this many second chances...", Aria spoke after a while, ".., then you'll never figure it out. But this time, T'Soni can't offer to be your bondmate again. She offered and broke the union. This time it has to be all you. Your head is on the block now, Shepard. You better start believing that you have a family, that you fathered a daughter and that you have responsibilities that can't be resolved with a gun. And this time, you can't take T'Soni for granted. We Asari have feelings too, you know."
Aria fell silent but she didn't break the contact between herself and Shinobu. The two women just remained in their positions, staring eachother in the eye, the both of them looking for the true person behind their respective facades.
Behind the door, Liara was as frozen as Shinobu and Aria were, she had a hand on her mouth and her eyes were big. Liara was shocked. All the things that Aria had said were all the things that she herself would've loved to say. Scream even. Hit Shinobu over the head with her words until she understood. Ellyon could do it, afterall Shinobu went sober over things that Ellyon had told her over extranetskype, star-systems apart from eachother. Aria could do it, less than an inch apart from Shinobu. And for Liara, 24 years weren't even enough to explain Shinobu just how much she was loved. How much was taken in stride, how much was forgiven, time and time again.
As silent as she could, Liara moved away from the door and went to look for Ellyon. Ellyon had just retreived the turkey from the oven and was busy puting the final touches on the christmas dinner. She looked up from her work and raised her one eyebrow at her mother, "Something going on, mum? I know that look on your face."
Liara rounded the dinnerbar where Ellyon was busy with the dinner and took her in a tight embrace.
Liara found herself in New Hydepark, New London. It was snowing lightly, multi colored lights gave the evening a festive glow. Christmas tunes were playing from soundsystem that showered an ice-skating rink in it's music. Around her people, laughed. Happy voices filled the air. Liara wasn't surprised with it this time. She looked around for Ellyon instead and she found her daughter buying christmas candy from a concession-stand.
Ellyon didn't turn to face Liara when she came close, "Back then you scolded me for buying candy so close to dinner."
"I could if I wanted too.", Liara said, "I had a hunch that when I would embrace you unawares, this would happen."
"It bothers me, mum.", Ellyon said and a hint of irritation in her voice made it honest, "I feel taken advantage of."
Liara smiled at Ellyon, "Yet I don't see you pushing us back to reality. Where you thinking about this all when I hijacked you?"
"No, I was thinking about embracing eternity with Mica.", Ellyon answered bluntly, "I want to rip the clo-"
"-Stop right there, young lady.", Liara interrupted, "You're not even supposed to think like that as a 17year old asari."
"What really happened mum? Why is auntie Karin so interested in my medical status? We're asari, so the Genophage is just a stupid excuse.", despite the question, Ellyon walked away from Liara and moved on over to a bench. She wiped away the snow that the bench had collected before sitting down. Liara watched her doing it. Wiping the snow away, that was something Liara would do. Sitting down as if wearing several Lbs of armor, something that Shinobu would do. Carefully removing the wrapper from a piece of candy, something that Liara would do. Gnawing off a piece as if she was biting the head off of a Cerberus commando, something that Shinobu would do.
"How about a mother-daughter huddle?", Liara tried.
Ellyon looked up from her candy, "I hate this. It smells like candy, it's sticky as candy, it even tastes like candy. But when I push us back to reality, I won't have eaten it. Even if I gorge myself on everything the concession-stand sells and puke in the bushes because of the sugar OD, I'll be perfectly fine back in reality. As a kid, I loved being in my memories. But it is empty. It means nothing.", disgusted, Ellyon threw the candy away from her.
"As a kid?", Liara echoed and she got rewarded with an annoyed look from Ellyon, "Mum, look at me. Give Mica a dolly and she'll thank you, happy as a kid would be. Give me the same thing, and I'll ask you if you're freaking serious. If I'm not human, and not an asari, what am I?"
Liara sighed, "How long are you willing to keep us in your memory?"
"It's relative... we could be here for hours and less than a minute will pass in reality. It's exhausting though, the more I do here, the more tired I'll be. But this the only real chance we'll have talking in private."
Liara nodded and took a seat next to Ellyon, after wiping the collected snow away. She looked at her daughter, who was just staring dead ahead. And for the first time, it struck Liara just how unreadable Ellyon's face could be and that behind that stoicism, an almost mature brain was working overtime. Asking questions, but never waiting for answers. Ellyon was, just like Shinobu, thinking on her feet.
"Your scalpplates have gotten longer.", Liara however said, "They're over your shoulders now."
"Mum, what really happened when you were pregnant with me?"
"You're supposed to be a twin. Dr Chackwas calls you a chimera. But the cells somehow fused together and what's supposed to be a twin, became one person. It doesn't explain the rest, but you are an asari. How else could you be Sarat-Sashi? I had a hard time accepting the cover-all of the Genophage, but in a weird way, it makes sense. It isn't as if granny Aethyta behaves like an asari most of the time. Species evolve, they develop new strengths and new weaknesses over time. Nature explores options almost in a nilly-willy way."
"That sounds as if nature made a mistake, tried to repair the damage and then gave up saying, 'Close enough.'.", said Ellyon as she sratched the tip of her nose, "I... why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Liara pulled Ellyon close and wrapped her right arm around her daughter, "When nature said 'close enough', you almost died. Dr Chackwas had to surgically deliver you to save yours and my life. As a kid, you seemed happy enough to be what you are. You dealt with everything your way and the question never needed an answer before. And when your counter-biotics manifested, that was more important than you being the result of a twin made one."
The scenery changed and Liara found herself sitting on the bleachers in the institute's gymhall. Ellyon was shurked a bit tighter into Liara's embrace as a little away from them, Mica was telling Ellyon's memory-counterpart how she felt about it. They watched as Mica stormed off and memory-Ellyon remained, seated on the floor and wriggling her toes.
"She's right.", was all Ellyon had to say about it.
The scenery changed again and Liara was shocked to the core. They were standing at the hospital bed where memory-Liara was hooked up to medical machinery. The door opened and someone pushed memory-Shinobu into the room, saying that she couldn't talk to Liara from way over there.
"You can't do this, Ellyon.", Liara breathed, "Do something else. A park, a beach, back to reality, anything."
"Your memory is far stronger than anything I have to counter it.", Ellyon said as she watched memory-Shinobu inching closer to the bed, and the worry and fear that the otherwise stoic face showed dominated the atmosphere in the room. Finally bedside, memory-Shinobu started to rattle, saying anything that came to mind, until memory-Liara told her to hold that thought.
There was a knock on the window and as Liara and Ellyon turned, memory-Liara said to the love of her life, "I took care of that for you."
Ellyon walked over to the window where the nurse-natal had carted a transparent box. In the box, a little bundle lay, like her mother hooked up to all kinds of machinery. Ellyon placed a hand on the window, but there was nothing on her face that would betray her inner thoughts and emotions to the world.
"I'm sorry...", Liara offered as came up next to Ellyon and watching the little bundle in the transparent box, "But I thank you for giving me the chance to see this again. But I embraced you not for this. I wanted to thank you for inviting Aria."
"I know.", Ellyon simply said, but this time there was a smile on her face, "I love auntie Aria. When she touched me to get me to purge... She has lost so much. I understood the feeling, it never leaves her. I didn't want you or mama-Shino to feel the loss that auntie Aria feels. Everything suddenly had clarity. But sometimes I wake up, having nightmares of grieve over the loss of a loved one I never knew or met. I know how deeply mama-Shino loves us. When she goes cross-eyed, it's just because it becomes too much. I really know. It kills me sometimes. I know how much you struggle with it, how you wish that you could analyse it, how you want to classify it to make it understandable. You love like a glacier. Mica really loves me. But it's almost primal. She wants to devour me, truly make my essence her own, add me to herself. Ardat-Yakshi... But she refuses to see that you can love without murdering the loved one. Mama-Shino refuses to see that, as do you."
"What are you saying?"
"Too much love will kill a person just as not enough love will.", Ellyon said. The scenery changed to her room in the London Luxury Condo, where she grew up surrounded by everything her heart desired. Everything she ever asked and had gotten, alongside a lot of stuff she never had asked for to begin with but still got. The gilded cage that was her early childhood.
"It means nothing.", Ellyon remarked.
Liara observed her daughter standing in the middle of her room. Seeing Ellyon standing there, amidst the things that made out her childhood and being lost in her own thoughts about loss, life and love... "We love you, Ellyon. Just saying it isn't enough most of the time. We wanted you to have all that and much more. More than money can buy, more than just the words can signify. I'm angry that you feel that all of it is worthless."
"You never noticed that I gave toys away to my friends."
Liara opened her mouth to say something, but thought different. Suddenly she understood how empty the room appeared to be to Ellyon. Another thought needed to be aired, a different question asked. But how? What was the question Ellyon wanted Liara to ask?
"I know you're not doubting our love for you. It frightens me that you experience our emotions as we feel them. And I'm angry with you because you're dealing with those emotions on your own, just like you used to knock yourself out trying to do the purging in your room at night.", Liara spoke silently, "But most of all I'm angry that you're an adult already. I feel robbed."
Ellyon just stood there.
Then the scenery changed again, back to the institute's gymhall where memory-Ellyon was tumbling around a large gymnastics mat. A feeling of exhileration and freedom came over Liara and it hit her. A huge sadness came over her as she watched her memory-daughter launching herself airborne into a series of flips.
"I'm glad that you're still here.", Liara said, leaving the obvious unspoken, "I... I always wondered what acrobatic tumbling meant to you. That feeling of loss you inherited from Aria... is that what's keeping you?"
"I... always want to ask auntie Aria how she keeps it together."
"I think that Aria turned her loss into a strength.", Liara answered, "But you'll only know for sure if you ask her."
"I don't have the energy to do this again today.", Ellyon said, "Auntie will just fight me all the way and leave the question unanswered."
"And that's something you're very proficient in as well.", Liara said wryly as she recalled the overwhelming sense of freedom that had washed over her moments ago, "And you learned nothing from this all."
Ellyon turned her head sharply to her mother. Her droopy scalpplates flowed back over her shoulder as she did so, "Mum!"
"It's true, isn't it? We're talking about how to approach things differently and the only way you think of how you can have a discussion with people is by pulling them into your world. It doesn't work that way. Try talking like normal people for once."
Ellyon's face showed a range of emotions and then she whispered, "I can't."
Liara took Ellyon in an embrace, much the same as they were in reality and kissed a spot on Ellyon's head where two faceplates met at the base. Liara fully understood. She herself had trouble enough expressing her thoughts to the people that mattered most. "I know...", she whispered.
Just like that, they were back in reality and Liara was surprised when Ellyon slumped in her arms. With some effort, Liara managed to keep the both of them on their feet. How much time had passed really? Everything was just as it was when Liara embraced Ellyon.
"Let go of me.", it sounded weakly, "I can't breathe."
7
Ellyon's efforts in the kitchen was not left unappreciated. The four people seated around the table were stuffed and happily satisfied. Aria took a sip from her glass of Almari Purple and sighed, "That's one way of dining on thessian ostrich. I'll never look at that bird the same way. But it's about time that I left for Omega."
"Oh...", Ellyon said diappointed, "But tomorrow-morning, we open the gifts under the tree..."
"I think that your mothers want to have some alone time.", Aria answered, "And you're looking less than chipper yourself. Besides, I've learned enough about christmas for one year."
"Oh yes, there's more where this comes from.", Shinobu laughed, "There's no need to learn everything right now."
"Just this year, let's open the presents now.", Liara offered and that actually perked Ellyon up a little, "I guess that works. I'll open my present first!"
"Obviously.", Aria deadpanned, "It's the biggest one."
"It's for something you were meaning to do.", Liara said as Ellyon carefully removed the wrapper. Shinobu watched Ellyon's painstakingly careful unpacking and couldn't help herself, "You're supposed to rip the wrapping away, sweetheart."
Ellyon took the wrapping-paper, and purposely slow, carefully folded it four times, "Now you can use it again, mum."
Aria was surprised when Ellyon lifted the lid off of the box that was riddled with krogan idolic scribe, "A krogan shotgun?"
Ellyon didn't look up from the box and said, "A major league competition-grade, composite materials Tjikke-Tjabbe shottie... Manufactored on Tuchanka... I don't know what to say..."
"Show those space-hippies that you belong in the starting lineup of the Rannoch Reclaimers. That'll be thanks enough.", Shinobu said, "And if it doesn't work out, it's still a very good self-defense weapon."
"It's a sports instrument, mum! Sports! It isn't a weapon.", Ellyon said, tenderly following the lines of the shottie with the tips of a few fingers, "Thanks, mums. I just don't know if it is truly what I want to do and then you go and buy the most expensive shottie on the market..."
Liara sighed, "It can be returned in exchance for something you rather have..."
"No!", Ellyon quickly said, "Don't be like that! I'll be the only girl in the institute showing up with a true regulation shottie! Our team will be unbeatable! You couldn't have given me a better present, trust me, okay? And now, mama-Shino's present for mama-Liara!"
Liara laughed, "What else could mama-Shino give, what she didn't already give me? We didn't buy eachother presents."
Shinobu decided to inspect the bottom of her glass of lemonade and Aria offered, "I was lead to understand that it isn't about the presents with christmas?"
"That's true...", Ellyon conceeded, but it's still nice to give presents, and it's nice to get them. And it's even better seeing people exchange presents. But I guess that sometimes presents come in different wrappers. Since auntie Aria's present is being here with christmas, I guess it's down to my presents for everybody now."
"Thanks for going along with Ellyon, Aria.", Liara said, "I appreciate the chance to meet you in a less taxing setting."
"My pleasure.", Aria returned gracefully, "Your daughter is hard to refuse. But the day turned out much different than I anticipated and to think that if I hadn't helped you, however sideways, to save Shepard after she was spaced... I have no regrets. Take it for what it's worth."
"I drink to that.", Shinobu said and she quickly emptied her glass of lemonade. She landed the glass with a bang on the table, "I'm legendarily unable to be intelligent in this kind of situations... and you can't toast someone's presence with lemonade..."
"Mum...", Ellyon said with a warning tone of voice, "Don't you dare."
"It's okay.", Aria wove Ellyon off, "I think that the awkwardness has lasted long enough too."
"Goddess, yes.", agreed Liara, "I guess we have been frenemies for so long, we don't know how to be anything else."
"Now that I'll drink to. Frenemies forever", Aria agreed and she rose her glass to Liara before finishing it. Liara laughed and answered the toast, "Frenemies forever.", but her sip was small and measured.
"Must be an asari-thing.", Shinobu reckoned, "What's your present for me, sweetheart?
"Oh yes!", Ellyon handed a small package over, "You'll love it."
While Ellyon rolled her eyes, Shinobu ripped the wrapping-paper off and was presented with a framed picture. It showed her with Ellyon, in a crowd of dancing asari, "Little Thessia, during Liberation Day..."
Ellyon saw the confusion and said, "I made the frame and chose that picture because it made me happy."
The frame was delicate, yet strongly put together. The woodcraft performed on it was masterful and intricate and it was clear that the whole thing was a labor of love, "You're right, sweetheart, I love it. The frame and the memory.", Shinobu fell silent, her face unreadable to anyone else apart from Liara and Ellyon.
"Little Thessia?", Aria asked.
"The asari neighborhood in New London back on earth.", Ellyon informed, "It's awesome there, party 24/7, auntie! You should visit it one time! But here's my present for mama-Liara.", Ellyon handed over a small package. After carefully opening the package that resembled an envelope, she took a frail looking necklace from it. Painstakingly polished lesser thessian gems were tied together with carefully wrought silver settings.
"That must have taken a lot of time to create...", Liara said breathless, "Thank you so much, sweetheart. You can't begin to understand what this means to me."
"Is T'Soni saying that you created the necklace too?", Aria asked Ellyon, who nodded with a big smile on her face, "I handcraft all my presents, that way, the people that get them know it's a genuine gift."
"Genuine you say? I'm not sure that I follow.", Aria admitted and Ellyon threw her hands up in a mock show of excaperation, "Don't you see? I put something of myself in every present I make and so, the photoframe is more than a frame, the necklace is more than a necklace and my present for you will be more than just a present I bought from a giftstore. I give people a little part myself this way. Here's your present, auntie. I promised it a long time ago, but only finished it yesterday. I think that you have forgotten all about it."
Aria accepted the gift. It was small and rectangular. As if someone had giftwrapped a ruler. She turned the gift around in her hands, then quickly removed the wrapper and her eyes went wide when she looked at the present free from the wrapper.
"Art I can carry with me...", Aria spoke softly, ".., and can look at whenever I want."
"You haven't forgotten!", Ellyon spoke, "Do you like it?"
"I... do. It's very thoughtful.", as Aria looked at the engravings on the stick, her sharp featured face seemed to soften a little. Her thoughts were her own, but it was obvious that Ellyon had struck a nerve with the queen of crime, "Merry christmas, auntie Aria.", Ellyon said as started to clean up the discarded wrapping-paper. Shinobu and Liara left the table too and Aria remained, turning the stick around and around in her fingers.
8
"I could've just called on of my guys to pick me up, you know.", Aria said as she strapped herself in the passenger-seat of Liara's skycar."
"Nonsense. I'm the designated driver.", Shinobu said as she got in and closed the canopy. As she started working the controls she continued, "It's the thing to do and besides, I've been itching to drive this baby ever since I saw it sitting in the parking of the spaceport. I couldn't believe that it was Liara's. She's not the one to splurge on luxury."
The lithe craft took off and a few minutes were spent where both women just sat there. Shinobu obviously enjoyed driving the skycar, going full manual all the way. Then she chuckled, "So, next year at your place?"
Aria laughed shortly, "Let's not. Despite myself I enjoyed the day, that much is true. But I'm not the one to sit back and second guess myself on a yearly returning calendar-day."
"That's one way of looking at it.", Shinobu remarked, "Just thanks for doing this for Ellyon. She looks up to you and puts a high value on the friendship she shares with you."
"You disapprove.", Aria observed. She merely stated a fact, there was no intonation of right or wrong in her voice. Shinobu shrugged, "I do, honestly. When I first learned she extranetskyped with you, I doubled the safeguards on every electronic record I had access too, requested new passwords for everything else, informed everybody that needed to be informed and monitored everything. You're still Aria T'Loak. No offense."
"None taken.", Aria spoke lightly, "I get my hands on the information I need anyway."
"Yes, when the cyber-attack didn't happen I realised that you weren't using Ellyon to meet your own ends. I always wondered why, but I guess I don't have to anymore."
Aria didn't answer to Shinobu's words and settled for looking through the windscreen. Then suddenly, Aria turned to Shinobu, "It wasn't always like this. I... It's hard to explain how I went from there to here, so I won't. I used to be a mother."
Shinobu tried to gain perspective on Aria's sudden words and she wasn't even sure if she was supposed to say something now that Aria had fallen silent again, "You still are a mother... I know about your daughter. That you have one, I mean. I just don't know what to say about it. I-it would be condescending and asinine if I where to offer something in that respect..."
"I wonder why Ellyon just refuses to see the bad in people.", Aria mused and Shinobu suppresed a chuckle, "Oh, she does see the bad in people; give her a reason and she'll lay it bare and then press on the painpoints where it hurts the most. It got me back on my feet, but she chased her girlfriend away with it. She won't quit until an ending is met. Any ending."
"Is that you or T'Soni?", Aria chuckled and Shinobu shrugged, "A little of me, a little of Liara and a liberal dose of Ellyon. She's her own person and now that's she's coming to her own, it's getting stronger by the day. I fear for the day that she makes her mind up."
Aria took to silence again and contented herself with sideways observing Shinobu as she steered the lithe craft with obvious pleasure. When the spaceport came into view Aria pointed at a dock, "Number 6. Just put me down close by, I'll walk the rest."
Shinobu leaned against the skycar and watched Aria's ship come to life. It trembled a little as it hesitatingly hoovered a few feet from the ground. Then it suddenly seemed to find confidence and shot upwards. Before Shinobu realised it, the craft was out of sight and on the way back to Omega.
"Merry christmas, T'Loak.", Shinobu said.
She remained a while longer, looking at the night sky. Then she too left.