(A/N: Yep)

Drunken Fools

Staring at the roof of her room, Shepard desperately sighed as she strolled through her own thoughts, going through the enormous detail on the situation.

After merely defusing the bomb that was about to blow up in her face, she returned to her room, dressing herself in her normal effects. Her Cerberus uniform was unfortunately much more appropriate to wear then her previous outfit. After sending off the newest psychopath off to the observation deck. She needed to think on how to handle the Normandy's guest. She had three actual choices handed to her, hand him off to Cerberus to possibly experiment and torture, to let him be and release him into the public, where he could possibly flip out, and harm more people than what was needed, or the more drastic measure.

Let him stay on her ship.

"Yeah there, is no way that's going to happen," Shepard thought to herself. Lifting herself off the bed, she started her way to the door of the elevator, saying, "EDI, have Miranda, Jacob, Mordin, and Garrus meet me in the conference room. We need to go over our options."

"Affirmative Shepard. I have several reports I would like to discuss with you, beforehand," the AI said, as Shepard entered the elevator, heading down a floor.

"Can't this wait a few minutes, we have plenty of time to discuss reports after we figure out the deal with our guest."

"As you wish Shepard, but for your interest, my observations of said "Subject Icarus" have revealed that he has discovered the quality and said quantity of the alcoholic beverages, within the Observation Deck."

Within an instance, the Commander simply pressed her palm to her forehead, dreading the results.

"I don't think keeping him any longer on the ship is a good idea Commander."

"I have to agree with Miranda," Jacob said, nodding in Miranda's direction. "I say we either send him on his way, with a credit chit in hand, or give him back to Cerberus. Not like the Illusive Man will be able to say anything against either."

"Not likely to give up pursuit. Illusive Man intrigued in biotic advancement. Needs test subject to prove existence in greater biotic advancement. Subject Icarus," Mordin stopped for a moment, inhaling, "interesting subject."

"Why is he so interesting, all I see is a bunch of voodoo and illusions. He's a tech specialist with a pyromaniac personality. Dump him," said Jacob his fist ground up in the table.

"I'm not so sure that's the case," Miranda said.

"I have to agree with Miranda on this one, Jacob." Shepard replied, "I saw this guy do a lot more than some fancy tricks. But it's definitely no hocus pocus bullshit. I want Mordin to examine him. Personally, I'm not handing him over to Cerberus. And I'm not dumping him in a civilian population with the fireworks that I saw." She looked sternly at her subordinates, anxiously waiting for a reply.

It would be Miranda to be the first to speak.

"Commander? I'm not sure that's not going to fly over well with the-"

"And that's why I'm going to have a chat with our guest, Miranda, I happen to have a silver tongue nowadays." Shepard interrupted, the Cerberus officer.

The three looked at each other as Shepard left the room, making the way for the door for themselves, Mordin speaking up.

"Hoping silver tongue doesn't reach melting point." Mordin added.

The green holo-lock disappeared, Shepard walked through the doors of Observation Deck, the metal shutters still closed over the glass window. She quickly scanned the room, side to side, looking for the Subject. When she saw him in the corner closet to the door, she found his head meeting head first into the bar table, a glass in hand and alcohol spilled all over the floor and the bar.

Shaking her head at the mess, she made her towards the subject, bumping his shoulder to get a response.

"Hey, get up. We got to talk." After a moment of silence she pulled of her omni-tool, looking for a pulse. Well, she apparently found one.

"Ok, you're alive, drunk, but alive. Now get up," she immediately slapped his head with the back of her hand, the impact rattling the glass from his hand, immediately breaking on the ground. A simple groan emitted from the young man before the Commander, the slack arm reaching up towards his head. A guttural moan came from Nihlus as he simply spoke, trying to intensify the pain brought up by his rather, peculiar drinking habits.

"A word to the wise," Nihlus said as he rubbed his head, "do not expose those who timber at first sight of a drink, well, to a drink."

"I leave you here, locked up, so you don't try and kill any of my people, and you let yourself on my booze. Give me one good reason I shouldn't throw your ass out the airlock."

Perplexed by the term, the mage rose up, his hands rubbing both the back and the front of his head, with one eye open, looking towards the commander.

"What in the Maker's ass is an airlock?"

"An airlock is a device which permits the passage of people and objects between a pressurized vessel and its surroundings while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel and loss of air from it," his said EDI, her voice emanating from the ships speakers within the deck."

"Again the spirit constantly talking," Nihlus said, his fingers glowing strangely as he rubbed his head, "You do realize those things are dangerous correct? Now you're just asking for one of you to be possessed."

"EDI isn't a spirit, she's an AI, an artificial intelligence. A computer with a brain. She can't possess anyone anymore then that chair can possess the floor. And yes, we know that AI's dangerous, but so far. Useful."

"Thank you, Commander."

"You're welcome, EDI. And besides I've fought synthetics before, the Geth and now the Reapers," Shepard said.

The young man looked confused as the two talked. He then turned around and pulled out two glasses, and a cylinder with a label he could barely read, but the smell of the liquid was pungent, sweet, probably a good year.

"Well, Commander as others have referred you as such, if you want a talk," slamming the glasses down in between him and the Commander, "I think we both need a drink to, make sense of things. " The young Warden took another wild chug of his glass, quickly refilling his own. "So far, you're the second craziest drinking partner I've had.

"By the ti-"

"I don't even want to hear you finish that sentence Oghren, I have no motivation at the moment." Nihlus said, his face planted down on the bar with a drink in his hand, eyes shut and feigning to speak loud at all.

"What? Can't even let ole Oghren have a little fun today? I killed three blighters with one swing, I think I earned a couple drinks Warden? Or more?" the berserker dwarf said, the slur in his words beginning to form as he took a sip of his eighth drink of the night.

"If I can remember such a count, this would be the fifteenth of tonight's rounds, for Andraste's ass, Alistair is on his ass in the room already. Maharial I'm sure is with him, passed."

"Heh", the dwarf chuckled, "But that's what I like about you Warden, you mages always give me a run for my money. Ehh, fifteen rounds you say? HA! All those rounds and still sober?" The dwarf berserker scuttled about in his chair at the bar, the warden still pressing his head to the head of the bar.

"I'm not sober," the warden whined, "I'm a mage, we get excited when we drink, not drunk. I'll need a couple more for the alcohol to take an effect. That was before I was a Grey Warden."

"Hah? Those Templars let you drink? Wouldn't that get your" Oghren stopped a moment to laugh to himself, "your dresses wet? HA!" And with that the warden merely took his hand down and pointed it at one of the chair legs, sending a small force push at it, snapping the leg in two, and making one whole drunken dwarf fall on their ass. The dwarf immediately sat up, his drink now covering him as the warden looked down at him smiling.

"Now look who's wet?" the warden asked snickering, "And uh, you are paying for that one."

"Humph, fine. Pay for my own sodding useless drink. Bloody Brown nosed, dress–wearing-no-humor Grey Warden." The Dwarf drunkenly rose to his feet, while Nihlus returned to his pint, the dwarf took a small axe from his side, heaving it at the chair leg in a drunken act that cleaved the mage's chair legs in two. The young mage fell in a similar fashion, his pint slipping from his hands spilling all of bar, and coincidently splashed on the mage as well. Nihlus, stunned for a second, looked at the crossed arm snickering dwarf with a scowl on his face. For a moment, the mage looked at Oghren with his eagle eye stare. That stare started to lighten up, turning into a smile.

Within a moment, the two were dying from their own laughter, the barkeep and the patrons of the Gnawed Noble Tavern angrily looking at the two drunks.

"Hey!" The innkeeper shouted out. "Keep that rubbish to a level I ain't want no brawling in my tavern! And you gonna pay for those chairs!"

"Oh sod off you blighted ass!" The two companions yelled out together, throwing a sovereign at the barkeeper, know that they were done for the night. As they headed off towards their room, Oghren took that same small axe and slammed the blade on Maharial and Alistair's room, wedging it stuck between the planks of the door.

"Nolan Hosea Amell."

"What?"

"My birth name, as I was told by my early caretakers." Nihlus looks up to the Commander, drink in hand as the minutes grew as her vision kept up on him and his on his drink.

"I thought your name was Nihlus?" the commander asked, a bit of irritation in her voice.

"It is my name," he said, taking another sip of the drink.

"But why Nihlus?"

"I read the name in the book," the warden said, waiting for a response from the commander. But the commander simply stared at him, confused by the notion.

"You read it in a book? Why use a name in a book, why not just avoid the antics of using an alias," Shepard said, keeping the poured drink that the subject had placed on the bar.

"I was barely a couple years old when I was discovered, my old life in nobility was over. It was, in a way, a new start for a new life. Unfortunately…I have been called a lot more than my name," the Warden said."

"What do you mean by discovered?"

"By discovered, I mean…" The young mage stood up from the bar, walking past the Commander sitting on the sofa that the observation deck had. Stretching himself around the material, just feeling what it felt like against his back as he stared at the wall. The Commander turn around in her chair, now facing Nihlus as he stared at that wall. "It doesn't matter what, it should mean nothing. I am a mage. I am a Warden. And I would like to know where the hell I am. And who the hell is my captor. Commander…"

Taken back by his statement, Celest was aloof with what Nihlus said. But proceeded to ask her own questions instead of the answers he requested. "One thing at a time, Nolan."

"I said, my name was Nihlus."

"Yeah, whatever. What the hell do you mean by you're a mage? You mean a biotic right?"

"Biotic?"

"Yeah, are you having a problem hearing?"

"I hear just fine, the word is just unfamiliar, unknown at best." Nihlus responded, quickly looking back at the Commander. "Before I was discovered, I live in a family of nobility. And thus the Templars took me to the Circle. Is that not where you got your training?"

"Circle? I got my training from the Alliance. ICT, Interplanetary Combative Training N7 Grade. I'm still not catching your drift." Celest said, crossing her arms, locking stare for stare with Nihlus.

"Please. You throw around fake words now? I can sense your mana just as any mage can."

"Mana?"

"…Our will? Our ability to use our magic?"

"Magic? Cerberus must have had you high as a rocket during your stay."

"…You truly have no idea what I speak of…" The mage looked down on the ground, scowling, trying to run his head through things at the moment. "Well, are you a…biotic you said?"

"I am." The Commander said with pride, showing her fist to Nihlus and clenching, the blue static electricity flying around her arm and body as her biotics flared to impress. "And I'd like to think I'm even better nowadays."

Now curious, the mage launched himself from the couch, standing between the two, holding both arms stretched out with his head back and chin pointed up. With a single inhale, the fire appeared out of thin air from between his fingers, a ball of flame conjuring up in both hands. Bringing his arms down, he whirled around the balls of flame, both hovering a good foot off of his hands before slamming both and his palms together, a small shockwave bursting from him presence. The Commander looked on, both intrigued and confused.

"So…by mage, you're a magician right? Because that was a fancy trick alright."

"I am not some court Jester!" Nihlus yelled out, feeling insulted. "I provide no tricks and fancy play. I was trained by the Circle and my experiences of my times with the Wardens. Or I guess my ever continuing time with the Wardens, as my question still remains. Where the in the Maker's asshole am I? Or when the hell am I?"

"Ok, let's say I believe your little fire dance. What the hell was it?" The Commander stubbornly asked.

Sighing, the mage simply looked disheveled. It was like he was lost in a world where common sense and answers didn't exist. "We mages have the ability to focus energy within ourselves, through our connection to the Fade, etcetera, and etcetera. Our mana allows us to draw upon the Fade to simply 'alter' the physical representation of things on Thedas."

Both of the two humans looked at the other,

"Other than that your link to the fade, or inspiration for that matter is limited or otherwise primitive, your abilities are quite exemplary," Nihlus said, a smirk on his face.

"Primitive? Based on your lack of concept about mass effects fields? And did I mention reality, I don't think I'm the one who's primitive."

"Well, then. How about we get to the bigger questions at hand? Where am I, or when the hell am I?"

"Of course, it's also intriguing that you are able to provide fire, without any fuel-"

"EDI, we're in the middle of something. I think the science lesson can saved for a later date."

"Of course Shepard."

"Sorry, but I'm just trying to get a feel for you. You seem like an almost sane person." Shepard chuckled, finally taking a drink of the alcohol provided.

"Thanks?"

"Anyways, you're my ship, the Normandy SR-2. We're docked at the Citadel until my say so. Which depends on what to do with you," the Commander said.

"A ship? I don't even feel the current of the waves. Considering the walls and floor are metal. I would assume we have advanced in more ways than in my time."

"Your time? And who's we?"

"We? We of Thedas. This is Thedas right? Where is this 'Citadel' located? Is it on somewhere on the continent or somewhere east across the sea?" The two looked at each other for a moment, the commander's face wrinkling at the mention of terrestrial aspects. It was here that she knew, that Nihlus really had no idea where he was or according to him when he was. Well, since time travel is impossible.

"Hold that thought, I'll be back," she said, stepping quickly out of the room and through the corridor. There she went into the elevator, a plan set in mind.

Shepard soon found herself in the cockpit of the Normandy, looking at someone who would call themselves the best pilot in the Alliance fleet.

"Hey." Nudging his shoulder, trying not to break it. "Wake up, slacker, I got somewhere to be." Joker was fast asleep in his leather chair, as the Commander looked at his screen, a video file from Fornax that had reached its end. Disgusted with what obviously occured behind the closed doors of the cockpit, reached for the pilot's hat, took it from his head, and slapped it against his face. Joker would quickly realize that sleeping on the job was not quite one of the perks with Cerberus. Especially when you have Celest on your ass.

"Really? Commander. Can't a guy get some shut eye once and while?" the pilot asked, trying to turn around from the sight of the Commander. Easily finding it hilarious she tossed him the hat back, it landing it his lap.

"When you're done sleeping to 'Hanar Gone Wild. Set us up for launch. I need a fly-by of the Citadel and then to Bekestein!" yelled the Commander as she made her back towards the CIC. Joker, obviously waking up. His chair turning around like an old style evil villain.

"Um, you do know that's why we have a galaxy map up in the CIC? You know, the giant holographic map of pretty stars and lights." Joker said. "The one that probably cost a quarter million more than the original Normandy's map. Because yeah, why use that when you can order Joker around," saying as he turned as he turned around, adjusting his hat back on. "Joker do this, Joker do that. No such thing as, 'Hey Joker, remember that time when you saved us from becoming molten stick figurines? You sure saved our asses." As he said this his hands got to work, closing out the dozens of tabs of Fornax and Inter-Kink vids that he had uploaded. Preparing for launch took a long time you know.

"Because its an order, Flight Lieutenant." Shepard said, only halfway down the hall in a sing-a-long tone.

Arriving back at the Observation Deck, she found Nihlus pacing, obviously still in a lot of thought since the last moment they talked.

"Everything okay?"

"What in Andraste's ass do you think?" Nihlus replied with spite.

"Easy, I got something to show you." Shepard crossed the room, Nihlus stood there, his eyes always on her. She went up to a green lit button, and as she pressed it, Nihlus head tilted like a dog's would when confused or intrigued. And then suddenly was startled when the metal shutters started uncovering the glass window, showing what was beyond that wall.

"Joker are we prepped for launch?"

"Aye, Commander," Joker announced over the intercom.

"Good, give us a tour," Celest said, her arms holding behind her back.

"Roger that."

Nihlus was taken aback by what he saw. He saw an open space and then a long part of a structure, glass panels covering it, as the ship started to move, the form of the ship not even shuddering as the airlock popped off the hull and the ship started to take off. The structure soon progressed into many structures. Large towering metallic buildings that reached up into the pink cosmic dust that acted as air

As the ship started to zoom past the structures of the inner wards, he was amazed at the speed the ship was moving, but looked down and saw no water. But a city. A very large city. As the Normandy whizzed past the wards of the Citadel, the ship moving from above to the side of the ward, many other ships passing. Nihlus slammed his hand on the glass, his body realizing what was happening faster than what his mind was thinking. For a moment his body was going through the realization of flying. But soon after, imagery past the glass turned to the night sky as the Normandy past the Zakera Wards arms.

"What in the Maker's name?" The mage's face immediately changed from wonder to confusion. To him, ships normally did not fly and cities did not have a shore upon the stars. As the Normandy slipped past the Citadel, the two humans soon looked on to the massive station. Nihlus saw it all. A massive structure in the middle of the cosmic gas, floating in mid-air. Five arms strutting out of a giant ring. Whatever it was, it was massive to his eyes. Bigger than the fortress of Ostagar or of the tower of Fort Drakon. Truly it was an impressive sight. As Nihlus watched on, Joker pulled a rolling maneuver and with that the scene changed from a rolling effect of the stars. As educated as he was in the circle, Nihlus was merely but a grade schooler in comparison to Shepard to this revelation. His head spinning over the information, his body merely reacted.

Collapsing to all fours, the Warden ultimately emptied the contents of his mostly starved stomach, almost blacking out. The commander looked over kind of intrigued.

"You know, usually I have my crew clean their own messes up. I hope you can do the same," the Commander chuckled.

"And why would I ever want to join you? I can even sense you do not wish to permit my presence," Nihlus said, coughing up as his bowels move again. "I do not merely know where I am. I lost in the folds of my mind and reality. I was sent here unwillingly. Why would I ever want to join when I do not know what lies ahead?"

"Have you fought before?"

"Yes but-"

"The Citadel," the Commander began, "it was built by entities known at Reapers. While I know that you may not know or even remember or were told lies. But their servants, the Collectors, they're kidnapping whole colony's worth of humans, thousands if not humans."

"For what purpose?"

"We have no idea. But I plan to stop them regardless."

"How?" Nihlus asked, as he propped himself against the other couch.

"I really don't know. But involves getting the best there is. And looking at you. You know your way through tactics. And obviously you have something Cerberus wants, your 'abilities.'"

"And if I should ask something in return?" Nihlus questioned, his face filled full of questions as he waited for Shepard's response."

"Depends," she stated.

"Help me find answers, no matter the kind to which why am I here? Or how. And I will assist you in your quest for however long it takes me to do so." Nihlus stood up, placing his hand on his chest on his chest, saluting Shepard. "And if I could possibly learn what it takes to survive this new environment. I wish to do so. I am at your whim."

"Glad to have you aboard. I'll have Miranda, Kelly and EDI let you in on a few things. For now, you can stay here in the Observation Deck. Kelly will bring you supplies and a uniform, unless you prefer to remain in that. I have to warn you, I run a military ship. It's either Ma'am or Commander."

"Yes Commander," Nihlus said, his arm falling as he nodded.

"I have to go." Shepard started off for the door, Nihlus started to ask another question before she even got through the entryway.

"Commander, what is our course and what do we sail on?"

Shepard chuckled, "We sail on nothing, we're blasting through space. Next stop, Bekenstein." Shepard then proceeded her way out, as the doors closed behind her. Nihlus looked stunned for a moment, looking back at the glass window, the stars and the Citadel in the background as it stayed in view.

"Space…fuck me."

(A/N: Its ok guise. I'm alive. And since my time in the higher edumaction world is over by the 17th and real life and more free time is coming, expect more to arrive to an inbox near you. And thanks for the favorites and thanks again for the reading. Keep them Reviews coming.)