2175 CE – May 29th – Common Rooms – 14:32 PM
"How's your head, Shepard?" Castor held out a bottle of water and two pills. "Lucky I know a guy in medbay, you're supposed to wait another hour for more pills."
Shepard gave him a grateful smile and swallowed the pills and half the water.
"Helps to have friends. My amp feels like it's on fire, slowly burning out."
"Burning out is good," Aius said. "You've promised us a poker night if you did well, and you better keep your word. I already got the juice boxes."
"What, no alcohol? Slipping in your old age."
"Shepard, please," Mevia bristled. "Tomorrow we're shipping out at noon, no time to be nursing a hangover, not to mention stealing alcohol."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Shepard waved a defeated hand. "Just thought it would be fun, you know. All of us getting drunk off our asses together."
"Some day in the future," Garrus mumbled and kept fiddling with a note book.
"Hey, Fours! Plan on wasting an entire day on your asses, or would you try and offer up some real competition?"
The challenge came from Emerus, standing tall and proud among four of his turian teammates.
"Seven is running late, so we need another opponent for a round of clawball."
"Clawball?" Shepard shouted back. "Isn't that the game where all the players are malingerers, pretending to get injured and lay down and cry every other minute?" She winced as her amp gave another protest sting at being misused earlier.
"Shepard!" Nirea gave her a look. "Clawball is a turian phenomenon! The best players are revered on all colonies."
"Never seen it," Shepard shrugged.
"What? Simply unacceptable," Strabo grinned. "Fours, are we up for it?"
"Not me," Argyle said. "The only sport I like involves shooting at tings."
"Humans." Mevia gave him a shove. "I say we kick Victus in the plates and show Shepard and this moron here," she gave Argyle's hair a ruffle, "how it's done."
"Six on six?" Garrus called to Emerus.
"We're only five, but if you feel you need the handicap," he called back.
"I'll sit this one out," Nirea said. "Never did like to play myself, but I love to watch. I adore the Raescir Rockets. Neni Raxirian is a legend!"
Squad Four including Shepard turned to grin at Nirea's uncharacteristic gushing.
"What? He is! Shining tawny plates, purple colony markings and a wicked curve ball. He's gorgeous!"
"Ooh, we have a fan girl here," Aius snickered.
"You're just upset you're not as handsome," Nirea snapped.
"So are we playing or what?" Emerus shouted.
"It's on, Victus!" Garrus called back.
"Going down!" Mevia added.
"Gods, less shouting and more ball play," Shepard groaned and clambered to her feet.
Garrus materialized by her side and offered his arm. She gratefully latched on him, and he supported her all the way to the outdoor court.
"Thank you, Garrus. I've heard you're a decent player? Any truth to the rumor?"
"You'll see shortly," he said with a haughty air, and she chuckled and sat down.
"Aw, damn, we forgot the tags," Emerus said. "Anyone going to run back for them?"
"How about shirts and skins," Shepard called down from the bleachers, to another protest of her amp.
"What? Play without clothes?" Emerus looked suspicious. "You're a perv, Shep!" He turned to get support from the other turians, but Aius and Garrus were already tearing their Conatix tunics off, trying to show as much spilling muscle as possible while doing so. Castor sighed and started taking off his shirt as well, and Mevia and Strabo merely laughed as they removed theirs.
"What the hell, Shepard!" Argyle said with pretend anger. "Now the entire school can gawk at my girlfriend, thanks a lot."
"Huh? We have coed showers, we can gawk at anyone if we were so inclined."
"It's the principle of the thing."
"Sure, fine. Sorry for making everyone ogle Mevia," Shepard said and did a sitting curtsy.
Meanwhile, Aius was pretending to stretch, making sure everyone on the bleachers got an eyeful of his rippling muscles and newly buffed plates.
"Wow," Nirea breathed. "I've never noticed that before."
"That's all it took? Give the boy a ball, and you're already forgot Celsus?" Shepard teased.
"What? Never! I'd never date the deviant," Nirea protested. "But he does look nice. Very nice, in fact."
Shepard didn't reply, but looking at the two turians showboating on the field, she had to agree. Both Aius and Garrus were fine specimens. A pair of hands were suddenly placed over her eyes, and Chellick's voice whispered behind her.
"I came with water for my girl, and find her mesmerized by two small fledglings. For shame, Jane."
Shepard laughed and pulled his arms away, giving him a quick rub and patted the seat next to her. "Watch the game with me. I've never seen clawball before."
"Really? Shepard, what's wrong with you."
"Yeah yeah, I already got that speech, so zip it," she said as he slid down beside her. "Explain the rules."
"Each team need to score by throwing the ball into the other team's goal. Bouncing and passing the ball is allowed, kicking is not. Tackles are allowed. Ripping the ball from your opponent likewise. The trick is to make the ball spin when you throw, a good player can change the balls trajectory depending on his or her talon technique. Anyone can pass the ball, making the ball do what you want takes talent."
Shepard cheered Four on as they took position for the face off. Garrus stood to face Emerus for the ball, and it was clear that the older turian had no respect for the first-year.
"Emerus got this in the bag," Chellick whispered.
"I call this one for Garrus," Shepard smiled. "He's rarely this cocky without good reason."
A turian from One had volunteered to be the referee, and he tossed the oblong ball in the air. To everyone's surprise, Garrus soared up like a swan, swatting Emerus away before smacking the ball over to Strabo. Four used Emerus shock at being outplayed by a first-year to steamroll his team and Castor scored the first goal of the game.
Shepard applauded like mad, and Chellick grudgingly admitted that it had been a good play. Emerus rebounded with a goal of his own, but after that it was Four's game all the way. Garrus was everywhere, assisting steals and scores, and making a deadly duo with Castor, the latter being able to sneak past almost every opposing player while Mevia and Aius tackled everyone in their path. Strabo was an all-rounder, strategically placed when Four needed an opening.
Shepard found herself immersed in the game until she glanced the expression on Argyle's face. She whispered something to Chellick and he nodded and remained in her seat as she moved to sit next to the melancholy boy.
"Hey, whats' wrong? Still mad about Mevia's shirt?"
"Huh? No, it's not that, I just.. I love her, you know. Despite the chafing."
"I think everyone knows," Shepard smiled as Garrus scored another goal. She gave him a thumbs up as he ran past.
"And she says she loves me, but.." He hesitated.
"Go on."
"We're leaving soon for summer break, and she's not sure if she wants a long distance relationship."
"Oh." Shepard paused. That was something that loomed over her future too.
"Yeah, so.. She says I might meet someone else, or she might. Turians have two years of mandatory service to the Hierarchy after boot and she's going into the military, while I have to go into another boot camp for the navy. Like you. Even if we have another year here, I think she's having second thoughts."
Shepard was struck with how similar their situations were, and glanced back at Chellick, who tried to make it look like he wasn't eavesdropping.
"Have you told her what you want?"
Shepard winced as Aius brutally tackled Emerus to the ground.
"No, I wanted to let her decide."
Shepard gave him a gentle slap in the back of the head. "Dunce. Now she might think you don't care either way."
"She wouldn't think that," Argyle said slowly. "I think."
"I'm beginning to understand why she wants to strangle you all the time. Look, just tell her that you want to be with her even if you have to be apart for a while, but you'll understand if she won't."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that. Then she'll know what you want, but you're still letting her decide. And you can use the summer as a test run. See if you can't make it work."
"Right.." Argyle said beamed at her. "Thanks."
"No prob. I got advice for every occasion. For the chafing, I recommend a combination of AloV-smooth for you and plate paste for Mevia."
Shepard got up and went back to her seat by Chellick, and smiled at Argyle's slack-jawed stare. Cogs in his brain was turning furiously, but he appeared to reject the conclusion it reached. Argyle alternated between staring at her and Chellick, but Shepard ignored this and turned her attention back to the game and the flying Vakarian.
Garrus' specialty was a jumping backhand throw which could go in any direction, and he used it to lethal effect on Emerus' team. For every score, Garrus ran by Shepard's place and waving proudly. She cheered as loudly as her headache allowed and pumped her fist in the air. Chellick shook his head in slight disapproval, but had to admit, the kid could play. When they were trailing Four by 17 points, Emerus called a time - out and decided to end the game. He was a good sport, however, and as the teams lined up and shook hands, he congratulated Four with excellent play, and Four on their part tried not to gloat too much. When he reached Garrus, he stopped and grinned.
"You, newbie, with that jump shot you could go pro."
Garrus swelled with pride. "Thanks, but I think my father would have an aneurysm. Maybe I'll play on the army team."
"In that case, I won't ever bet against you. Good game."
Four returned to their squad leader, who was descending from the stands. Aius and Garrus were competing in puffing their keel bones out as far as possible, and Chellick wisely pretended not to see this.
"All right, I have to admit, this was pretty fun. Clawball is better than I thought."
"Finally you come to your senses," Strabo panted. "I need a shower."
"I think you all do. I'll have the card table ready for when you're done. Mevia, might I have a word first?"
"Sure."
The rest of Four disappeared along with Chellick, and Mevia leaned on the bench with a curious expression. Shepard decided to be blunt, as the scout preferred.
"So, uh, Argyle told me he's anxious that you'll dump him after this semester."
"He what? He never told me that!"
"The poor guy is suffering some delusions that the decision to break up should be only yours," Shepard went on. "In case you wanted him gone."
"Stupid humans," Mevia hissed. "They can never get anything right. And he can't understand all my subvocalization either. Stubborn and stupid."
"Pot and kettle," Shepard coughed. "Anyway, I wanted to share some of my boundless wisdom, yours to do with as you please."
Mevia stared at her, before giving in to a dispirited chuckle.
"Go ahead, though I doubt you can offer any advice based on my circumstance."
"You never know. Both Argyle and I have to do a second boot camp for our future military service, and neither him nor I will be able to meet our significant others in that interim," she began.
"Wait, you have a boyfriend? Who?!" Mevia interjected.
"Speaking only on behalf of myself, I've decided that my guy is worth the wait, and since all space flights lead to the Citadel, it's the perfect spot for shore leave when I do get out and about."
"Wait, couldn't you meet your boyfriend on Earth? He's not..? He's an alien? What is he?!" Mevia implored. "Wait, an asari? No, they're not guys. Tell me!"
"Humans have a saying, you regret the chances you never took more than the mistakes you've made. I don't want to spend years of my life regretting not taking a chance, even if it means more problems, more work and copious amounts of medigel."
"Why would you need.. oh… Ohhh!" Mevia's eyes widened in shock. "You can't be saying what I think you're saying!"
"I've said nothing," Shepard said lightly. "You've done your own interpretation of an innocent utterance."
"I'll hound you until I find out the truth," Mevia threatened.
"Who would believe you?" Shepard smiled like a big cat.
"That's not fair!"
"Nope, that's life. Hop in the shower, or Aius will eat all the snacks before you're finished."
2175 CE – May 29th – Common Rooms Poker Table – 19:21 PM
"How did you manage to get all this warm food out of the Mess Hall?" Aius was stuffing his face with a big roll.
"I had a nice long chat with chef Miller, and I promised him to never ever come near him again if he did me this last favor," Shepard said between chews. "I think he wanted to whack me with a frying pan."
"We're breaking regulations here," Strabo added and tore into a strip of kheelie.
"So what, we're almost finished here, doubt they'll throw us out over this," Argyle said.
He and Mevia had been sitting close together and whispering ever since they got back. Shepard felt their eyes lingering on her, and could hardly keep from smiling. Letting on that she was probably dating an alien after pressuring poor Garrus to be quiet was not nice, but she was almost done here. One more rumor couldn't hurt, especially if it helped these two work things out.
"Well, I'm full." Garrus pushed his plate away and picked up a deck of cards. "You said you'd teach us to play poker."
"Skyllian Five," Shepard smiled, "and yes, I am."
She explained the rules twice, and since the turians were unfamiliar with how to shuffle cards and Nirea's one attempt ended in 52 pick-up, Shepard took it upon herself to be the dealer for the night. The first few rounds she merely dealt cards, went around with advice to the players and placed out assorted snacks for both levo and dextro. Argyle caught on pretty fast, having played a few hands with his older brothers, but both Strabo and Castor struggled with keeping their mandibles closed whenever they had a good hand. They weren't playing for high stakes, merely the leftover vendor tokens that had to be spent before they left the station, but temperaments soon flared anyway.
Mevia accused Argyle of peeking at her cards, and he deflected by saying he was merely ogling her keel bone. Garrus kept his cards close to his chest to prevent any spying, but he kept glancing at Shepard like he suspected she was up to something. The mild mannered Castor growled at Aius when he discovered the latter was leaving small talon scratches on the cards, and they had to get another deck. Luckily, Garrus had come prepared and pulled out another one. After the hostilities subsided a bit, Shepard decided to join in. All of them immediately joined a defensive line against her, knowing full well that this was one of her talents. Shepard struggled to keep her face neutral, something that rarely happened when she played poker. Knowing full well what they expected her to do, Shepard planned on doing the opposite. Flipping the cards expertly, she dealt herself one losing hand after another. Once or twice she bid big with bad cards, and was called out for it. Four did not know what to think, their squad leader was losing every hand, and only one turian kept on winning; Garrus.
"This is becoming very.. strange," Mevia said after his sixth straight win.
"I concur," Castor said and ran his fingers along the back of the cards. There was no marks, but Aius did the same with his hand. Nothing. Shepard hid a smile.
"Nobody's that lucky, Vakarian, not even you. Bound to change next hand." Strabo tapped his talons on the table and picked up three more snails.
"Hey, it's not my fault you suck," Garrus grinned uncertainly. He had no idea how this kept on happening. Shepard, on the other hand, was fully aware. After serving the snacks in the first few rounds, she'd nicked a deck from his backpack, and deftly pulled cards from it when she needed them. Since she kept on losing, all eyes were on Garrus, and she could cheat more blatantly than ever. The stack of tokens on the table in front of him kept on growing, along with his teammates dissatisfaction.
"I think you're quite the card shark Vakarian," Shepard remarked in mock dismay when she lost with four fives against his four queens.
"I think you've played before," Nirea said with narrow eyes.
"I haven't!" he protested.
"Hmmm..."
"Right.."
"Ahem.."
Their suspicion was reaching a new high, and Shepard decided to mete out her last trick. She shuffled the cards with gusto, and dealt them with a steady hand. While everyone was giving Garrus the evil eye, she prepared a small bag under the table. If things took the turn she anticipated, she would have to run very fast.
Strabo was the first to fold, followed by Shepard and Nirea, and the table became a war of nerves between Mevia, Argyle, Garrus and Aius. The lovers bid until they were out of tokens and had to bow out, and the game became a duel between Aius and Garrus. Garrus had not forgotten that Aius tried to show off in front of Shepard earlier that day, and proudly laid down his hand, four aces.
Aius stared at the cards hand, then clamped his mandibles to his face and slammed his own hand down on the table. Another four aces.
"You cheating little volus!" he bellowed and jumped over the table at Garrus. "I knew it! Gimme my tokens, you damn sneak!"
"Whoa whoa whoa! It wasn't me!" Garrus shouted and raised his guard.
"Your damn cards, and you've been winning all night," Mevia shouted and stood beside Aius.
There was a rustle of chair as they all got up, but no one noticed the small clinking sound of tokens being swept in a bag behind them.
"Garrus, this is really rotten," Nirea said with crossed arms. "I expected better."
"Come on, you can't believe this. Shepard, do you think I cheated? Shepard?"
Garrus craned his neck to find her, but she was gone. So was all their prize tokens. The rest of them turned around to see what Garrus was staring at. Suddenly Shepard pressed her face up against the window from outside and jangled the bag while laughing maniacally. She gave them a last wink and ran up the alley.
"What the?"
"I knew it!"
"Get her!"
"Get my tokens!"
"Sheparrrrd!"
While she had planned how to nab the prize, Shepard hadn't really planned her escape, and she fully saw the error of her ways when her team cut her off from returning to the bio-barracks and corralling her instead into station's obstacle course. She decided to make a last stand on top of the largest wall on the course, but didn't make it further than the water mote before she was blindsided by a turian. The token bag flew into the air and disappeared, while the pair of them rolled down into the mote, grappling and laughing, trying in vain to get the upper hand of the other. When they hit the water, both of them squealed. The captain had turned off the heating, and the water was ice cold and muddy. Shepard struggled to get up, shivering like a dog. Beside her Garrus emerged from the dark waters with an accusatory stare.
"You did this."
"Uh, yeah." She flashed a white toothy smile that stood out from the mud on her face.
"Why don't you two just fuck and get it over with," Argyle called from the topside. "We always knew the pair of you wanted to roll around in the muck."
Garrus swiveled his head and gave Shepard an almost imperceptible nod, but she understood him perfectly. With a flick of her wrist she grabbed Argyle with a biotic hold and pulled him down into the water mote with them.
"Duck him under, the foulmouthed little creep," Shepard called to Garrus, and he didn't even hesitate, grabbing Argyle by the shoulder and shoving him underwater.
"Stop drowning my boyfriend!" Mevia shrieked, having newly arrived at the scene. She dived into the mote for the rescue and grabbed Garrus around the waist. A loud chirrup escaped him and he released Argyle, who surfaced spluttering and red - faced.
"Haha, you look really stupid," Strabo shouted with Castor laughing beside him, and the four in the mote shared a glance, then flung mud and grass tufts at them.
"Hey, stop it!"
"Don't make us come down there!"
"Down you go!" Aius had arrived and he shoved both Strabo and Castor down the sloping mote before jumping in himself.
"Mud wrestling with my squad leader, this is a dream come true."
"Don't even think it," Shepard said half smiling, half alarmed as he approached her with flared mandibles and open arms.
"You started this, Shepard, I intend to finish it." He charged her and they both tumbled back into the chilling water.
The whole debacle devolved into a mud slinging fest with alliances shifting every two minutes. After about seven had passed, a stern voice called out from the field;
"Four, assemble!" It was the voice of captain Corinthus.
The seven members of Four stood at attention at once, hip deep in slush.
"Well, well. Back to torment me one last time, eh, Shepard?"
"Sir, I, uh, meant no disrespect."
"No, you only meant to cheat your squad," he said with a flick of a mandible. In his hand was a small bag they recognized.
"Gambling is not allowed on the station. I believe you're all aware of this."
"Yes sir. Sorry, sir. It was my idea, I wanted to teach them skyllian five," Shepard said. "Just a small gathering with snacks and few friendly games, to celebrate."
"Ah yes, your exam," Corinthus hummed. "Heard it went well. Well, I guess I can let this one slide, provided you split these tokens evenly between you, like no game has happened?"
"Yessir," Four answered in unison.
"Good. One more week, Shepard, and I can finally open that bottle of Horosk. Dismissed."
The seven of them climbed shivering out of the mote.
"Spirits, I need another shower."
"Me too."
"How about a vid after? We still have a few hours before lights out?"
"Fine by me."
"Guys, I'm sorry," Nirea said from the side. "I was the one that told the captain where you were."
"Nothing to it, but why?" Shepard looked puzzled .
"I thought things might get out of hand," she confessed, "and students aren't allowed on the obstacle course after 20 PM. Sorry."
"What, because of a little cheating? Never," Aius chuckled. "Besides, I got to roll around in the mud with Shepard, I call that a win any day."
"Perv!"
"Yep."
They headed for the locker rooms, and Shepard stayed behind the other six in need of a shower. Nirea had gone to find a vid , and Shepard stood alone in front of her locker and listened to the others joking and laughing in the showers. She was just as dirty and cold as they were, but up until now she'd avoided showering with others because of the scars. The sweater she wore was more brown than white, and she pulled it over her head. The crisscrossing scars on her arms were as visible as ever, and she knew it was only a small part of her collection. The worst part was that they knew. Her squad knew, and had kept quiet for her, never asking questions about her absence. They trusted her, she should trust them. She made a decision, removed the last items of clothing, and picked up a towel. A few seconds of misgivings, and then she stepped into the shower with them. Mevia saw her first and went quiet. Shepard hung the towel and headed for a free shower-head next to Castor. He jerked his head when he saw who it was, but Shepard smiled and turned on the hot water, sighing with relief as her frozen limbs started to thaw. Seconds came and went as her squad took in the sight of the plentiful talon marks, but finally Argyle broke the silent awkwardness by turning Mevia's water from hot to cold. Her shrill screeches and the sound of a human backside getting a few smacks caused general laughter and relieved the remaining tension. The members of Four returned to their soap and pumice. Most of them, at least. Shepard heard some strange chirps and when she turned around she saw Aius stare at her ass unabashedly, while Garrus seemed to be trying to touch a visor that wasn't there, and when she met his gaze, he quickly turned to face the wall with a royal blue flush on his neck.
"Aius, would you mind staring at Argyle's ass for a while?"
"Hmm? Sure," Aius answered and turned to stare at Argyle.
"Hey, only I'm allowed to stare or touch that ass," Mevia said and pushed Argyle behind her.
"Cheapskate," Aius chuckled and picked up his bar of plate buffer again.
"Seriously, if you polish your plates again, an enemy sniper will spot the shine from miles away tomorrow," Castor complained. "Besides, it stinks."
"Beauty is a curse, my friend," Aius said and started burnishing his plates with due diligence.
"Gods, that does smell." Shepard wrinkled her nose. "Time to get out of here."
All of them rushed out to get away from Aius' beauty regime.
"You can't start the vid without me anyway," he called after them. "I'll be right there!"
The one vid that was available was an old Blasto vid, but Nirea announced loudly that anything was better than the awful Fleet and Flotilla, which, according to her, was a clear incitement to disobeying the Hierarchy for the sake of lust, and encouragement to lack of discipline regarding personal matters.
"Come on, it's a classic," Strabo declared. "It's about timeless love." He stood up. "Tonight, I am as free as dust in the-.. Argh!"
Nirea had poured a cold juice box down his shirt.
"Not another word. I hate that vid. Hate it."
"Fine. Waste of juice, though." Strabo sat down with a huff.
Aius helped Nirea plug the holo-screen, and Garrus used his absence to take the seat next to Shepard.
"How's your head?"
"Better, thanks. I think the mud-bath helped cool the amps down, but now I'm too cold."
"Oh. Well, you know, it's the oldest trick in the datapad, but I could put my arm around you. As a friend. Just for the movie, I mean. Turians are pretty hot. Uh, I mean, we're hotter than humans. Ah, no, I meant, our core temperature-.."
"I know what you meant, Garrus. If you could spare the arm, I would be grateful. Don't want to get sick tomorrow. "
She smiled at him, and he flicked his mandibles in a return smile and scooted closer. When she leaned into his shoulder, he could feel the chill, even through his shirt.
"Don't worry, you can borrow my arm anytime," he murmured against her hair and allowed himself a small discreet sniff.
"There," Nirea said triumphantly and the screen flickered with the intro, and Blasto himself shimmered into view.
Garrus made himself comfortable and gradually leaned his chin against Shepard's head under the guise of sharing heat. There was so little time left, he would cherish every stolen moment he could get. Tomorrow was the exam, and a week after that, who knew if he'd ever see her again.
Halfway into the movie he was resting his chin on top of her head without a care in the world.
Shepard.