Author's Disclaimer: I don't own anything belonging to "Mass Effect 2." Only the thoughts Tali's having.
Author's notes: I think we've all had this thought. What on earth goes through a character's head when you pause the game, mid action, mid conversation, all so you can get up and get a drink. Go to the restroom. Answer the door. It must be unnatural to have that happen to them ^_^
"Tali Watches"
She was doing it again.
Tali glanced over her shoulder at her workstation, glancing at Shepard. The commander was standing behind Ken and Gabby's posts, chatting. But once a in awhile her responses came slow and she seemed to be collecting her thoughts. She'd timed it. It had been five minutes the last time! Gabby and Ken took her apparent absent-mindedness in stride, though they'd shared a glance, but Tali had known Shepard for years.
It wasn't the first time she'd done this.
Sometimes in mid-conversation, she'd trail off, green eyes focusing on something on the far wall beside them. Her jaw was even slack open a few times, as she attempted to refocus her thoughts. Usually Shepard only did that, trail off into apparent thought, when not interacting with others. But lately, it had progressed to conversations, making long responses almost unbearable.
Tali had come up with a few useless theories. Shepard had been taken over by geth technology and they were working out the kinks. Maybe she was going over tasks. Maybe she was playing a vid in her head. Anything than the vacuous stares Shepard sometimes gave. It was starting to worry her.
"Okay, carry on," Shepard said. Gabby and Ken gave her a quick salute and turned back to their terminals. Tali watched Shepard stroll past her. She'd almost walked into the door frame before spiraling the door open correctly.
She'd asked Garrus about this before. He'd just come back to the Normandy, having been picked up from some sort of adventure he'd gotten cornered in on Omega. The renegade turian had only blinked at her and snorted.
"I thought all humans did this at some point. I thought this was normal for them," he'd confessed.
"I don't think it's normal to lose your train of thought mid-sentence," Tali had snorted in return. Garrus shrugged, and Tali found herself staring at his broad shoulders.
"Well, she's got a lot on her mind. Plus, she WAS dead. Maybe it….did something to her," Garrus murmured, looking troubled.
That was a new thought for Tali, and a new worry. She didn't know the depths of what the Lazarus Project had been capable of, but the news had said Shepard had died. What DID they do to her? The next time she stopped by the commander in the kitchen, she stared at her bare arms, her hands with curiosity in her hidden gaze. Her flesh looked like flesh. Her face looked like a human face. Her short red hair looked vibrant and luxurious. Tali wanted to take her gloves off and feel her, see if there would be any discrepancies.
She couldn't. Tali resolved to ask Liara after she and the Commander got reacquainted. Shepard had stopped on Ilium a few times now and had re-met her in some kind of office. Tali had stared at the wealthy surroundings, noticing a big change in her old friend.
Shepard's staring seemed normal there across from Liara's desk. Liara hadn't joined back up with them, and that was unusual in itself. Tali knew Shepard could get her to come back, sometime. They'd shared too much before her death. And then Tali might get some answers to Shepard's wandering stares and trailed off sentences.
Shepard did it far too much. Especially in the ship's lift.
End.
End notes: Hehehe this came about from too much gameplay. Having to get up and get a snack or drink, right when I'm supposed to answer back in a roleplay section. Those poor characters :P
Sincerely, pen 8/13/2022