Neross: Well my dears time to move on to the next chapter don''t you think?
Warning: This fanfiction may contain foul language, violence, adult situations, and sexual situations. Enjoy!
….
Maria felt a bit silly being carried like a sack of potatoes over her bodyguard's shoulder. But after the first block she didn't mind as much. The colors of the Citadel blurred by her in amazing arrays. What's more she could feel Jaksus' muscles shifting beneath her. As he walked and his grip shifted Maria began to analyze the differences between his anatomy and hers. Though the more he moved the more and the more she thought about his biology, the more warmth exploded into her head. She made a mental note to herself to analyze this strange effect of Asari cocktails on human physiology sometime later.
And then Maria's mind wiped clean as Jaksus suddenly slowed to a stop. Maria, curious over their sudden pit-stop wiggled uncomfortably. She knew they couldn't be back at the apartment already. They still had three blocks on this ward, then an elevator ride, then five more blocks, then another elevator ride, then two more blocks, and then the lobby of the apartment building, then another elevator, then two doors before finally they got back. Clearly something was wrong. So she twisted as best she could to peek up over Jaksus' grip on her waist and his shoulder beyond that.
Their path was cut off by a group of Alliance Marines. All men as well. Maria didn't recognize any of them but could tell from a glance that they meant violence. From their posturing she assumed it was due to an ignorant hatred for aliens. Probably exclusively Turians considering one of the marines looked old enough to have been a veteran of the first contact war. All in all, their situation did not look good.
"What do you think you're doing with that girl?" the oldest one snapped, his voice harsh with accusation.
Another one took a step forward and cracked his knuckles in an imposing way, glaring death at Jaksus. "Put down the kid scaly-ass before we put you down."
Jaksus growled in response and shifted, reaching for something Maria couldn't see. The Alliance Marines closed in. And Maria, in her drunken haze, let out the loudest, most derisive, snort she could muster.
Everyone froze and turned some surprised and irritated glances her way. Maria shimmied her way down out of Jaksus' grasp. What she hadn't considered was how much the ground would sway when she stepped foot on it. But a little stumbling aside she felt fine. Well, alright, the colors of everything around her were still…off. But she couldn't think about that at the moment. So she leveled the marines with her best glare and tried her best to look intimidating.
"First of all, I am not a girl. I am a full grown woman." she paused for a second as colors swam before her again and then she blinked and everything was set right. Mostly. "Which is probably why I'm drunk…ish."
She hear somebody chuckle.
….
Jaksus knew they were being followed the second they entered the block. He'd thought taking the route closest to the newly formed human neighborhood would be the safest way to go. But apparently he'd been wrong.
He hoped that they'd be satisfied with simply following. Which, yet again, proved to be a false assumption on his part. Six men, all in Alliance uniform, pulled up in front of him and blocked his path completely. He sensed the animosity immediately and stopped in his tracks. He could feel Maria shift on his shoulder and he felt anticipation eat at his gut. The oldest of the human's, one with a clear talon scar on his face, stepped forward with a glare.
"What do you think you're doing with that girl?"
Jaksus was about to respond when another human stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and glaring daggers at him. There was murder in his gaze. "Put down the kid scaly-ass before we put you down."
Jaksus lowered his brow-plates furiously. He did not take well to threats. What's more, he took even less well to humans who made threats. So he growled in anger and reached for the pistol hidden underneath his shirt upon his back. He knew a fight when he saw one. What's more he wasn't the sort to take that kind of insult sitting down. His muscles tensed, ready to fight, even as the Alliance Marines started to do the same.
And then, in that instant before he drew fire and the mob closed in on him, Maria shattered the entire moment with a loud snort. Jaksus was soon faced with no option but to set her loose as she began to wiggle desperately upon his shoulder. The tiny woman took a single step and faltered. Despite himself Jaksus rushed toward her in order to catch her if she tripped. But Maria managed to catch herself and he'd be damned if she didn't pull herself up to look as intimidating as a Volus playing at Primarch.
He fought hard not to laugh as she glared down the marine's that stood in their way. "First of all," she began in as loud and clear a voice as he had ever heard of her, "I am not a girl. I am a full grown woman."
She seemed to swoon a bit, as if taken to a sudden case of vertigo, no doubt still suffering from the cocktails she had downed not ten minutes ago. She righted herself quickly enough, shook her head, and blinked owlishly. After a second she glared again and moved on with her reproach of the marines. "Which is probably why I'm drunk…ish."
Jaksus couldn't help the chuckle that burst forth from him. Maria turned, shot him a scalding look, and then rounded on the marines again when one of them snickered. "Second!" she snapped before leveling a wobbly finger at the Turian beside her. "He is trying to get me home safely."
Jaksus and the marines both looked rather surprised at this confession. The marines because they hadn't been expecting to be proven wrong. And Jaksus because he believed she was going to out his position as her bodyguard, putting them at risk. Again. Apparently even drunk she managed to retain the idea that that wasn't something she should be shouting in the middle of the wards.
Or maybe she was just leaving that part out because she was drunk.
"And thirdly, " she started up again puffing up her shoulders like a Varren preparing for a blood fight, "and most importantly. How DARE you threaten him just because he's a Turian and I happen to be human."
At this Jaksus felt a stab of guilt. He knew what she meant. Anyone could figure out what she meant. She was calling the human's racists. And the worst part was that if the situation had been reversed he would have been just as guilty as they were. The marines seemed to visibly recoil or deflate at her accusation. Save for one stupid one that stepped up and hesitantly pointed at Jaksus accusingly. "Yeah, but he-"
"He what?" Maria snarled, stalking up to the man so quickly that Jaksus didn't have a chance to stop her. She was uncomfortably close to the man, baring teeth in his face. Or as close to his face as she could get considering he was at least a head taller than she was. Still the effect seemed to be devastating as the marine looked as if she'd actually struck him across the face. "He WHAT? Was carrying me, unprotesting, down the street? You are all jerks!" Maria cried.
She turned on her heel and strode back to Jaksus' side with sure steps. When she reached him she turned back and raised her chin defiantly at the now deflated looking group. "I expect better of the Alliance."
Jaksus couldn't help the tiny smile that creeped up onto his face. Maria was like a tiny little whirlwind. In an instant she had utterly destroyed a violently tense atmosphere and replaced it with a mood that even a child could easily defuse. For a drunk it was pretty damn impressive.
The marines dispersed pretty quickly after that and Jaksus and Maria were allowed to make their way back on their own. This time Maria walked and although she may have wobbled a bit a first she seemed pretty sober by the time they finally made it back to their apartment.
They were quiet for a little while. Jaksus sat Maria down on the couch and forced her to drink a couple glasses of water as well as to eat what she called 'crackers' in order to make sure she got the alcohol out of her system. And while she ate and drank he turned on the television and busied himself with the news for a bit. Until at last she finished and set her plate and glass aside to simply…stare at him. He lasted four minutes before he decided he couldn't take how creepy it was anymore.
He turned off the TV and gave her his full attention. He let out a sigh and folded his arms over his knees. "Alright Maria what is it?"
She twitched her lip a bit and then nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment before she finally ran a hand through her hair. "Jaksus do you hate me?" she asked at last.
Jaksus felt another twist in his gut that he was sure was guilt. It was true that at first he hated the idea of living with her. But he had to admit that she wasn't so bad. She had stood up for him earlier and she seemed passionate about her work at the very least. If he really wanted to admit it to himself he had actually grown to like her a bit. Not much. But a bit at least. She seemed a bit helpless most of the time but she'd shown such strength earlier. It was hard not to appreciate a woman who stood up for herself of the things she believed in.
So after a moment Jaksus finally shook his head, "No Maria, I don't hate you. You can be a challenge to work with, especially when you don't listen or just do what you want. But I do not hate you."
She smiled a bit but still did not look reassured. She looked at her feet and wiggled them a moment before at last she looked back up at him. "Even though I'm human?" she asked him quietly.
He clenched his teeth and flinched his mandibles as the guilt continued to pile onto him. He'd have to admit that Maria probably could tell more about him than he would like. Still he rolled his shoulders and prepared to tell the truth. "Yes, even though you're a human I still don't hate you. But….it's true that in general I'm not all that fond of humanity."
Maria made something of a noncommittal noise but then smiled a bit more assuredly. "Do you mind if I ask why you don't like humans?"
Jaksus scratched the back of his neck and glared at the floor. He didn't really want to tell her that it had been born from years of tiny grievances. Plus one other event that had left a deep lasting impression that he truly did not appreciate reliving. At least…not yet. "Most of the one's I've met have just been arrogant and ignorant and just so entitled. ….You guys show up and you just expect to be treated like you're the saviors of the damn galaxy."
To his surprise Maria giggled a bit and smiled at him. "Well…I suppose most humans have a tough time thinking about the good of the community at large. Many humans just want to be the hero of their own stories. We're social creatures but we're also obsessed with individuality. But I guess that's why I admire Turians so much."
Jaksus looked at Maria in surprise and simply, blinked for a minute. "You…admire us?" he asked incredulously.
Maria nodded and drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them. She stared at him over the tops of her knees and toyed with her toes. "Um…yes. From what I've read Turians believe in what's best for the group. I just…I really like the idea of unity. Working together for everyone's benefit…that sort of thing….would've been nice growing up." Although her mouth was hidden Jaksus could see the strange downturn of her eyebrows. Clearly she was feeling upset.
With some effort Jaksus cleared his throat and then stood, ready to finish the strange day and finally get some sleep. "Well, whatever I may think of the rest of your race, I don't hate you. You're actually pretty tolerable if I have to be honest. And despite being stone to the wall drunk you handle yourself pretty damn well. But…from now on…do me a favor…and don't go running off on your own. And…no more Asari cocktails."
Maria chuckled and nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely no more Asari cocktails."
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Neross: Alright you guys that's it for now. You know the drill. Leave me a review and I'll post that much faster. And don't forget to check my profile for updates and news on my latest stories.
Until next time dear readers, keep on rocking out!