No
"I'll take the chicken and waffles, and a glass of water." I said, handing the menu back to the waitress.
"I'll take the bacon burger, medium, with a Pepsi and an extra side of fries." Shepard said, doing the same.
After that little meeting with Captain James, I was craving real food, so we wondered off base for about 20 minutes until we found a little Diner that wasn't full to the brim with recent graduates. Did you know Coca-Cola doesn't exist anymore? Now Pepsi's the giant, I miss sprite. That lemon lime thing Pepsi has doesn't make up for it.
"So, when does 'N' training start?" she asked.
"You're assuming that I'm going to do it, Shep." I replied, surprising her by my answer.
"But you are, right?"
"No." I replied while looking out the window, 'N' school was way out of my league.
"Are you an Idiot? Do you have any idea how many people would kill to be in your position? I would. They clearly think you have promise, why would you just say 'no'?" She barked at me.
I raise my hand in a calming gesture, "Look Shep, I'm not sure how I did that well at boot camp, but it was just a fluke. I'm not capable to go through 'N' training, I just got lucky. You know that I'm like 90% sure that they get tortured in 'N' training, tortured, that's way the fuck out my league. It was just a simple mistake on their part, okay?"
"No," she trailed on for a few seconds, "they don't make mistakes like that. They wouldn't ask if you had promise. You know ever since you told me about you joining the Alliance I kept looking up information about them. You know how many jobs are available to combat-able Biotics, jobs that aren't frontline marines?" I just shook my head no. "One, that's Special Forces, AKA 'N' school. So, I'm sorry that I'm taking this a little personally, but I've been dreaming of being an 'N' soldier, and you're just denying the opportunity like it's sunday brunch."
"Cassandra, I'm not trying to be offensive, but 'N' school? You know the dropout rate is nearly 80%? I've looked a little into it before enlisting, and I know for a fact that I have about a snowballs chance in Hell in surviving, let alone graduating. I know what I'm capable and able to handle, and I don't see that happening." I said.
"So?" she asked.
"So…. what?" I replied.
"So, who gives a damn about the statistics? Wouldn't you'd rather try and fail, then to have never tried at all? Let's say you don't graduate, hell let's say you don't make it past the first week, at least you tried." She went on. "I want you to at least to try, because this is a huge opportunity for you. You're being stupid worrying about 'will I graduate'. And I'm paraphrasing you and your father here, but this could be your biggest hardship to come into, and it can and will forge you into a better person."
Damn, she used my own advice to her on me. "You're not going to relent on this, are you?" I questioned.
"Nope, how about this, let's make a deal." She started to grin. "You promise me that you'll go under 'N' training, give it your all to pass, and I'll tell you who my secret crush is."
"As badly as I'd like to know, I feel that the rewards for such an endeavor don't reflect the difficulties of said endeavor." I said.
"Oh, I see. You're afraid, that's okay. You probably wouldn't have passed anyway." She deadpanned.
"Oh no, no, no, no. I know what you're doing Cass, you're not going to trick me into doing this deal. I know your little tricks." I said.
"So, we have a deal then?"
"No" I replied.
"Yes" she rebutted.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes." Wait.
"HA! You agreed to the deal, and turning back on it would be akin to lying. And you swore to me that you'd never lie to me." She said, all bubbly cause she thinks tricked me.
"What, you tricked me, that's not fair, it shouldn't count." I yelled.
"Hey, I can't force you to go to 'N' training, but you and I know better than most that life isn't fair," she said, getting all gloomy. "but you just agreed, and not going is basically lying."
"What the fuck." I whispered to myself, rubbing my temples.
"Sooo?" She asked.
"Fine, I'll do it, but I want to make it abundantly clear, that I'm royally fucking pissed at you right now." I replied. I guess I don't have a choice now, I did say that I wouldn't lie to her, ever. And I meant every word of it, if she ever asked about things I plan on putting into motion, I'd just tell her I can't tell her. But 'N' school? I've seen videos of the Navy training Navy seals, and that's no joke, that was over 150 years ago. I have a very bad gut feeling about this.
"Okay, that's fine, I know you'll eventually forgive me, sooner rather than later." She said, engaging her puppy dog eyes.
"Just eat." Was all I could muster out, she's like master manipulator. Either that, or I'm a fucking Idiot. "How is it, at the age of 21, I'm so easy to manipulate?" I asked rhetorically.
"Well, first, you're not, I just know you so well. Secondly, since when are you 21?" Shep asked.
"I turned 21 a month ago." I replied, sending a message to Shepard that I wasn't in the mood to talk right now. She got it.
After we finished our lunch, man I miss my southern food, we explored the city we were in. Cities in the future, pretty cool. Everything's glass, concrete, or metal, with spurts of grass and trees everywhere. They had a massive park, and we just sat there and talked for hours, catching me up on everything I missed from the last three months that she didn't have time to fill me in on our Sunday chats. By the way, she was right. It didn't take long for me to forgive her, I'm still mad at her tricking me, but I forgave her.
Three days later, after taking a shuttle back to Arcturus, I finally accepted the invitation. She made me show her me accepting the invitation.
"Congratulations!" She yelled into my ear.
"Thanks" I replied, rubbing my ears. Immediately after that I got a message on my omnitool.
'This is an automated message, do not reply to this. Congratulations on getting accepted into Interplanetary Combatives Training, you will receive orders within 72 hours of receiving this message.'
"Well, that was quick." I deadpanned.
"Yeah, it was. Anyways, get dressed up tonight, I'm taking you out to celebrate." She exclaimed.
"Two questions, how did you get credits to take me out. And how dressed up are we talking?" I quizzed.
"Well, I'll have you know I still have some credits from when you were in boot. Also, formal wear, it's quiet a fancy place." She said with a wink and a grin, I couldn't help but eyeball her as she left for school.
Having nothing to do, I decide to go and find something formal to wear. As it turns out, formal in the future is ugly as hell, and it's all the same. I decided that it was a no-go on that kind of formal, and hunted for something I could wear. I ended up at a custom suit shop, who could make me a suit from the 21st century, nice and slim fitting with a skinny tie, rat pack style. Unfortunately, it's going to cost me 2000 credits for this custom suit, but I'd rather be dead than wear what they call formal today. I then had to pay a 200-credit premium since it was a rush order, I wanted to argue, but then he said it'd be done in four hours, so I couldn't complain.
Using that time, I worked out, and tried to find information about 'N' training, and what I was finding did not make me happy. There was nothing, at least nothing of substance, they hid everything from the extranet, and people who went through the training wouldn't talk about their experiences. Oh goody. After my exercise and surfing the extranet I decided to clean up, and after my shower I got an unlisted call.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Private Jarrett?" the voice asked.
"This is him."
"This is Lieutenant Ryan, I'm calling you to let you know that your orders are to report to hanger 3-mc on October 15, and from there you'll be ferried to Earth to begin your training. Any questions?" he said.
"Yes sir, that's about a month from now, but my leave ends in a week, where do I report until then?"
"Consider yourself on liberty, it's basically leave except that it doesn't come out of your leave time. Anything else?" He asked.
"No sir."
"Good day, and good luck." he replied, and hung up. That was surprisingly easy, maybe too easy? Oh well, in the middle of the call I got a message from the tailor that my suit was ready, so I went to go try it on. I look awesome in it. How this isn't in style doesn't make any sense. I take it home, put it up, and just relax for a couple of hours 'til Shep gets home.
"How was Biotics?" I asked Shepard as she walked through the door.
"It was good, what'd you do today?"
"Nothing much," I said, "just went and bought a suit for tonight, and worked out."
"Good, I'll go change in the Bathroom while you change in here, our reservation is in 1 hour." She said. "It's at Giovanni's."
"What?" I asked. "How many credits do you have, that place is crazy expensive!"
"Don't worry about it, though after tonight I probably won't have any." She said, with a grin as she walked in the bathroom with a small duffle bag.
As Shepard walked out I was stunned, it was almost exactly like the dress from Kasumi's loyalty mission, except this one was white and black, and while she's very fit, she's not fit like 'Commander Shepard'.
"Wow Cass, you look stunning, you sure you don't want to be a model or something? It pays better than the Alliance." I said, causing a small blush. "I take it that I payed for that too?"
"Thank you, you surprisingly clean up well, you look very handsome. And yes. But what kind of suit is that, it looks good on you." She asked.
"This is formal wear, back in the 21st century, I thought it looked better than what passes as formal today." I replied, and she nodded.
"Let's go" I said, reaching out my arm, and then we proceeded to the restaurant, arms locked together. When we arrived, we had to confirm out reservation, then they seated us at a window. It was a sight to behold.
"Wow, that's a beautiful view" I said, as we sat down.
"Yeah it's something."
"Thanks for taking me out, it's nice." I said, sipping my water.
"Well, given how much you've done for me, and since I missed your birthday, and your recent successes, I figured it was time." She replied, smiling.
"So, how's school going?" I asked. "You still have six months till you graduate, and another 7 ½ till your 18, you have a while till the Alliance to change your mind, if you want to."
"Schools fine, and I'm still going into the Alliance" She deadpanned, with quite a scary stare.
"How's that little crush going? Make any progress on that boy you like?"
"I've just made a move, but I'm still waiting for a response" I just nodded. It must be nice to be young, though I'm only 21, so I guess I'm not that old, but I feel it.
"Give it time, I'm sure he'll come around. Though, if he's as thick skulled as me, he might not even know you made a move!" I laughed, and she grinned. Soon after that we ordered our dinner, but it fell into an awkward silence.
"You okay Cass? You haven't spoken a word since we ordered dinner, what's up? I asked.
"What are you talking about?" she rebutted.
"I may not be a social genius, and for the most part I suck at most things in that department, but I know you well enough that something has been bothering you, for a while as well. What's up, what's got you so concerned?"
"I've got something I need to tell you, but I don't want you to say anything until I finished, okay?" she asked.
"Of course" I replied. Please don't be pregnant. Please don't be pregnant. Please don't be pregnant.
"I care about you Chase, more than I'd care to admit. And when I was talking to my counselor, she made me realize something. I love you, more importantly, I'm in love with you. I didn't realize it until that kiss goodbye that I gave you." She said.
"Cassandra, I-" she stopped me.
"I'm not done. I know nothing's probably going to happen between us, and it's been weighing on my mind, but I, and my counselor, thought it'd be best to put it out on the table. I just hope that this doesn't affect our relationship."
"Cassandra, I care deeply for you, more than anyone else I've ever cared for, but a relationship between us now, it wouldn't work. For one, you're a minor, secondly, I'm your guardian, if there isn't a law for that alone I'd be surprised. I've tried to avoid those kinds of thoughts about you because of that, and I'm in the Alliance, and you will be soon as well, it wouldn't be practical, not now, and I don't want this to affect us either, you're all I got." I said, not really knowing what to say to that, I care for Shepard, and I might love her, but there's too much to do and not enough time, I have less than 15 years, I don't think I can spare the time.
"Now?" she asked.
"What?" I asked.
"You said 'not now', are you saying it could happen?"
"Well," I said, not knowing what to say, "who knows what the future holds for us?"
That worked, and by then our food had arrived. We ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. She seemed relaxed, like a weight on her shoulders was lifted, and she was at peace with it. I, on the other hand, was like 'WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED' in my head, because what the fuck just happened? Soon after she payed the bill, and we went home. She proceeded for the bathroom and I went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. She emerged from the bathroom, in her pajamas, and walked towards me. She came up, and kissed me on the cheek,
"Thank you," she said, "goodnight."
I went and collapsed on the couch, this was an emotionally draining day. Was this normal for femshep? I wouldn't have a clue, I always played the guy voiced by Mark Meer, I only know a little of femshep from youtube videos.
That next morning, after breakfast, I was on my omnitool looking for flights to the citadel.
"Whatcha doin? Shep asked, and I looked over to her, and she looked super curious.
"I'm planning to go to the Citadel today, got some business to take care of." I said, not wanting to elaborate.
"What business?" She asked. Well, I was going to have this talk sooner or later.
"Shep, you know how I told you that I'd never lie to you?" she nodded, "Well I meant it, but I'm sorry, but there's somethings I just can't tell you, but I won't lie to you, okay. I just can't tell you."
"I guess, but I'd rather know what you're doing, tell me you'll at least not be in any trouble." She said, wow, she's taking this surprisingly well, a little too well.
"Don't worry, just looking to find someone."