2 years ago
Shepard invited the whole crew out for drinks tonight. One last hurrah before they depart on the mission. Wrex and I's transport leaves for Tuchunka tomorrow. This will be the last night out with my friends for a long time. It's going to be years until the start of the next game, my insensitivity to time will make it go quickly. Enough thinking about the future. It will come soon enough. Tonight, is the night I live it up. I think I'll cut loose a tiny bit. It is important to reward yourself for a job well done.
A small part of me is wondering if it is a good idea to stay in this universe. I did not plan on it. While I didn't accomplish my goal or really make any progress, it's not like I was expecting anything to happen. What I aim for happens so rarely. I need to think. Shepard takes a long nap in half a year if I remember right and then it is two years until sleeping spectre wakes up. Give him some time and assume he comes back three years later.
What am I going to do on tuchunka? My plan was to continuing exploring the energy realms and see what I find. Report back. Trade information. If I am lucky, my soul will have a great attunement to this universe. This will allow me to come back after exploring the energy realms. It is risky. Popping over to the other side and not having this universe saved means I might not be able to come back to the exact mass effect universe. I shouldn't risk it. It normally takes years before you acclimate. I'll just have to find something to distract myself. Maybe I can find new sights on Tuchunka. Explore and hunt. Try some new wild foods. I don't know. Focus on tonight.
Wrex tells me to pack. We leave right after breakfast. I'm cooking of course. Thank God I'm used to being a minimalist. Material things lose their ability to… how do I say… hit that part of the brain that feels good. The only things I am taking with me is the box my omnitool came in, some shirts from sporting events I participated in during shore leave, and the rifle I "found" on Eden Prime. Ashley tried to make me leave it on the Normandy since it is alliance property. I tried compassionately explaining to her that while this used to belong to her former comrades, finders keepers. Shepard sided with me. While civilians aren't supposed to have alliance grade weaponry, the harsh competition from private manufacturers or black markets didn't really make it a big deal for me to have. He trusts me.
After I packed, I head down to help Wrex. His stuff was a complete mess. His organizational skills are nonexistent. He threw everything, which is surprisingly a lot, weapons, armor, components, stuff I have no idea that is uncomfortable cushy, into half a dozen bags. Although he did neatly pack his family armor into a separate hard case he bought. I asked him why he was such a slob, said "you get old enough to see things degrade despite your best efforts, you don't really care anymore" the hell I don't. I always take care of my possessions. It takes nature alot of work to generate the resources, someone to grow up, learn the technical skills, and produce said item which needs to be shipped to me in order for me to have it. Take care of your things and it will take care of you.
After placing all our items in a pile close to the door and a throughout handwashing, we hitch a ride to the bar and meet the crew. Shepard, Kaiden, Ashley, Joker, Dr. Chakwas, Presley, Adams, Tali, and Liara are there. Garrus had to fill out some paperwork for work and will be bringing some friends from c-sec afterwards.
The night is young. I enjoy salty bar snacks and ice water. I watch the game with Kaiden. I learned the rules a while ago and oddly got into it. I was never really a watching sports guy. I needed more mental stimulation. I like playing sports. Biotic ball is really fun to watch, especially the mixed Leagues. Where only some of the players are biotic, and an asari on each team can't use her biotics or they will be penalized. It's hilarious to watch one get frustrated with themselves after they realize they broke the rules.
The girls are in the corner having fun and giggling up noises so high a banshee couldn't comprehend. Wrex is downing several bottles of rynecol and cursing about salarians. Shepard and Kaiden tried hard to get me to drink with them. I… dislike my inhibitions being weakened. I never truly allowed myself to let go one hundred percent. There were several times I was close to doing things I normally wouldn't, thankfully each time I kept myself in check. I told them I would have one sip. The taste and feel is something I'm not used to. I had alcohol before, I was curious about it before and it was ok. It was before I became the awe inspiring person I am today. I was never a big drinker. I hated feeling sick, while hungover is different from being I'll, I still didn't want anything to feel like the bad times again. I mostly drank moderately. A few times I got drunk to see what it was like. I haven't done it since. Instead, I do other fun compounds.
Loud banging sounds come from the entrance. A gray man announces he made detective. Garrus makes a scene as he enters the bar. Boasting how he almost single handedly saved the galaxy and was right about Saren all along. I humor him. Tell his buddies about all the times he saved my life like when…. It was during the… he never did.
"Wait… didn't you try to sleep with me?" I ask the familiar attractive female turian. She recognizes me and nervously looks away, although I catch her smiling.
"Who is oh no" that's the guy who watched me while I was in solitary. Sartan.
"I could never forget you. What are you doing here?" Gorgo asked.
I replied "Celebrating. Commander Shepard saved the galaxy and invited me, his best friend…"
"Stop saying that!" Shepard tells across the room.
"Anyway, how are you gorgeous? I'm letting myself have a little fun before I go off. The party is also a reconciliation for my being fired. I'm wondering what I should do tonight" not my best pick up line.
"I'm here with my fiancee" she wraps her arms around Sartan.
"Ok when and how?" I love romance stories. They get the flow control working.
"After that night we met I started to think about what I really wanted. I wished I would meet someone that shared my interests so I started volunteering and I met the love of my life" she gazes lovingly into her lovers eyes. Her mandibles flexed in a strange alien feminine sort of way. Sartan warmly smiles at back.
"You're the one? I never would have guessed it" Sartan asks me.
"You know each other? Small galaxy. How did you meet?" She asks.
"He threw me in jail. First you steal my girl then throw away the keys? I'm lucky to be alive" I just.
Her pupils constrict. "Honestly?"
"I told them I had confidential information about Saren in exchange for my freedom and he let me go" I explained.
"Still regretting that" Shepard yells again.
"He's mostly joking. We had to pull him because he threw a salarian into the water after he verbally harassed a quarian" he explained.
"My best friend is a quarian" she said. I gesture with my thumb and point out the one Sartan is talking about.
"She really traded up. From a broke human former violent con that just lost his job to a respectable C-Sec officer. I'm envious" I said.
"HA! Yeah, she's lucky to have me. I'm so grateful to have met her. We started off slow for a few months, then everything happened so fast. This has been the best year of my life and am excited to spend all the better ones with her. Do you have someone?" Sartan asked.
"No. I had one but we couldn't make things work. I hope I'll find someone who makes me as happy as you seem" I said.
"It's not just happiness. When I'm around her I'm invigorated, hopeful, and so glad to be alive" he explained.
"Ok stop it or I'll steal her back" he glares at me. I put my hands up. "It was a joke. I do need to look for one of those."
Sartan and I chat for a while then finish pleasantries. I offered to be the best man and was turned down. Gorgo goes over and chats with Tali. Garrus swings by and no one figure out my cuffs trick. They begged me to show them how it worked. Multiple officers have tried and couldn't escape. They even managed to track down the designer and tried to find any little flaw that I could have exploited. I live to mess with others. Whaahhahah.
I head over the group of humans. Shepard orders more drinks. I tell Kaiden about Gorgo and she's engaged thanks to me. How they'll name their first, second, and fifth kids after me, all of them daughters. Chakwas sarcastically mentions those girls will have a rough life. Hey, I have a good name, they can make it work. Shepard comes back with beers.
"I can't believe it. They made me pay for the drinks. I saved the galaxy; free drinks should be SOP. Claimed they needed money for repairs. Fucking bullshit. Thank God the council is paying for it" Shepard slams his butt into the chair. He looks exhausted
"Amen" Ashley raised her glass"
"Are you really going to live on Tuchunka?" Kaiden asks.
"Yes. I'm getting excited. It's been a while since I had a place to release my superb masculinity" I strut my chin.
"It's a radioactive wasteland. I know you're, well you but that seems risky" Shepard worries.
"It's... not exactly my first time in... that kind of environment" I run the back of my neck.
"What?!" Chakwas asks.
"You know Chernobyl. I shortly stayed somewhere where the radiation wasn't nearly as intense, but it was still a bit strong for me. I didn't stay even stay two months" I explained. I look to Kaiden. I wonder what he is imagining.
"If you keep this up, you're not going to live to die of old age" Chakwas warns.
"I should've died a long time ago. I'm on bonus mode. Life is awesome now" I stay positive now.
The rest of the night was a blast. We played turian bar games, Wrex chugged a large container of salarian booze and called them something I didn't know the meaning of. Tali is passed out drunk. I ask Ashley to make sure she drinks a lot of water to help lower the severity of the hang over. We danced and listened to asari music. It was a fantastic night. The best I had in a long time.
