*****A Cursed Existence*****

Entry 3: Learning as I Go

AN: Woof. Wanted to post this earlier, but I wasn't able to find the time to finish editing until now. Happy (possibly belated for some of you) Valentine's Day! Anyway, I'll be keeping up the previous chapter's theme for review responses, so aside from that, let's get to it.

Tom712: You know, compared to some of my readers *glances down at the next reviewer knowingly* I'm actually pretty normal in that respect. And besides that, with the situation I landed in, can you really blame me? Then again, you continue to read it anyway, so either you're here for the "plot," or you're here for the actual plot and everything else is just a bonus.

Prometheus-777: Probably unnecessary to even say it at this point. [Covered in a PM]

arispuffer: "Almost" is the word. I really don't want to know why salarians of all things began looking attractive all-of-a-sudden, never mind turians or krogan. I mean I can understand the "why" for honorable soldier and warrior types, and the muscles are certainly a nice touch, but… wait, what am I saying?! *I almost violently shake my head* Um, anyway, I think I know the geth one you're talking about; and if you ask me, he got off easy with his "sponsor!" I mean semi-gamer abilities and a multiversal market!? That's downright cheating! Wait, they're remaking the games? And here I am already seeing it all in "8k ultra hd." *grumbles various curses* Oh, no worries about the rant; I always enjoy just chatting with my readers. And while you, unfortunately, got the "sketchy" part right, who said anything about me being a merc? You'll just have to wait and see. *winks mischievously*

Blaze1992: Hey now, it was my first day; a lot of things were happening all at once and my mind was scattered over a dozen issues. Fortunately, underwear was a very short-lived concern. Although in regards to the pastie things… just no. I still have my personal standards to upkeep, and at least a sports bra holds up my… "extra baggage" without any problems.

Just a heads up: unless the time stamp says otherwise, just assume that the location hasn't changed. Oh and sorry about all the line breaks further down; needed them for the multiple scene changes. Now then, shall we begin?

November 26th, 2182, 9:38 pm EST.

"... What a fascinating idea! Most asari tend to focus only on long-term goals, but it is rare to find one such as yourself that-" whatever I was saying was cut off by a loud beeping noise.

Hmm? What? Oh, the alarm… I thought groggily, feeling myself slowly wake up. Dreams are getting stranger… Was I a salarian this time? Well, at least I wasn't an elcor like yesterday. Who am I always talking to though? The face is always blurry…

I turned off the alarm on my nightstand and sat upright in bed, the blanket still wrapped around me and providing the sort of comfort that only having slept in it could provide; and I had to fight the urge to walk around wearing the blanket like a robe so as not to lose that deliciously pleasurable early morning warmth. Tearing the proverbial band-aid off, I stood up and shivered slightly at the sudden onrush of cool air.

Is it normal for an asari to dream as if they're a completely different person? Can't remember ever reading anything about the topic, both before and after coming here… Guess I can always just look it up later, I thought while yawning and stretching, followed by walking into the bathroom attached to my bedroom, going about my daily "wake up routine." Thankfully, asari knew what a toothbrush was, and the one I used connected to a toothpaste container in its stand; meaning it automatically secretes toothpaste while I brush thanks to storing a small amount in the brush itself. There were other features, of course; something about using an eezo energy field to clean my teeth was one of them; but I'd never gotten around to trying them. Though on the subject of bathrooms in general: not having toilet paper, and using some fancy body wash for showering rather than normal shampoo, was certainly an adjustment period; but hey, when in Rome…

Finishing up my routine bathroom visit, I went downstairs and headed for the dining room, not having dressed in anything besides what I went to bed in: a sports bra and shorts. I was still silently thankful my fears regarding women's underwear were unfounded, because anything looked more comfortable than panties to my eyes.

Sitting here in one of the luxurious dining room chairs and watching several unusual birds move around my lawn looking for their breakfast, I had to admit something to myself: the past several weeks have been… well, odd doesn't quite cover it.

After that first bath, where I had no real choice but to accept certain physical changes, I ate the meal Aena prepared for me. Thessian style bilennah, as I just so happened to know its name after I saw it – something I was still getting used to, just knowing things that is – is apparently the asari equivalent of spaghetti. Though where spaghetti has meats and flavorful sauces added to it, bilennah replaces the meat with freeze-dried fruit and the sauce with some type of tangy syrup. Whatever it's made from, it's very much so delicious, and I was happy to eat nothing but the stuff for three days before finally deciding to try other food in my refrigerator. All I can say is that Mirilley V'Seila had very good taste in food.

Naturally, food wasn't the only thing I tested, and the gym proved to be functional and enjoyable; same with the mini bathhouse next to it. Though, apparently, asari don't sweat, so much as overheat, which is… a strange experience to be sure. Then of course there's my omni-tool, which kept me up late a few nights just playing with all the apps and programs on it, followed by diving into the extranet to catch up on anything I'd forgotten from the games about basic history. Did you know that there are actually upwards of 100 million drell out there according to the latest census? And those are just the ones living on the hanar homeworld of Kahje!

During this time, I also figured out how to use a galactic map app installed on my omni-tool, which answered the question I had about where Calabsa was: just south of Illium and near the border with the Terminus. I was rather happy about not being anywhere near where the first game's events take place, because I always saw that as the adventure that forged Shepard and the original members of the team into what they were in the second and third game; and as such, I didn't want to interfere with their personal growth this early on if I could avoid it. Which, as I came to realize, meant I already determined I wasn't going to do anything to change the events of ME1.

While skimming the net I managed to come across an ad for an omni-blade app, which reminded me that I may in fact have said app. I did, and still do. And unlike the cheap and free to download version (because apparently having a glowing hot and extremely dangerous blade on your wrist is perfectly normal here) mine is a "military standard" version; meaning it comes with extra settings for things like length, width, general shape, and other fun stuff.

After experimenting with it, and subsequently having Aena reattach the metal chair leg I had the genius idea to test it on after she downloaded a basic repair and welding program, I then found out that omni-tools have a welder app as well. It's nowhere near as good as a proper one, at least according to the extranet – I was never a welder myself so I wouldn't know – but it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Besides that, there's no telling when having an instant lighter wherever I go may come in handy.

Thinking in this vein, I then downloaded a number of other apps: flashlight, forearm shield (sadly, it wasn't anywhere near as large as the Shadow Broker's, but at least it covered my upper body), the basic level incinerate and overload mines, and tech armor. Whether or not I could effectively use any of this I had yet to figure out, but for now, well, as I said: better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

It only occurred to me that each of these additional apps outside of the flashlight had a price tag next to them when I came to the tech armor and it said: "Are you sure you wish to purchase this item? You have exceeded your set daily limit for insta-purchase items. Please reenter your account information and answer the security question to confirm this is you."

So yeah. Apparently "I" have security programs that stop me from splurging too much; and to ensure no one stole my account information, that happens. Because in less than ten minutes I spent over 100,000 credits on military grade omni-tool combat programs. Which honestly explains why not everyone has this stuff in the games; their sale is most likely heavily regulated to make them prohibitively expensive for your average civilian. And according to what I read, the programs can only be transferred to an omni-tool owned by the person that bought the individual program in the first place; even going so far as to refuse to function if the person using that omni-tool isn't said tool's owner.

Once more I happened to "guess" the info right, which then led to me wanting to find out precisely how much spending capital I had in the bank. I stopped counting after the tenth zero.

"Mistress, your breakfast is almost ready!" my personal VI assistant called out from the kitchen, interrupting my thoughts – that I could say I even had a personal VI in the first place still sent me for a loop every now and then.

"Alright, thanks for letting me know!" I replied in turn. Even though according to Earth time it was late evening, I quickly found out that Calabsa's days tended to be slightly longer than what I was used to; and as such it was early morning locally.

What did I say I wanted for breakfast today? Ah right, eggs and buttered toast using a human recipe Aena downloaded yesterday. I still find it funny that asari knew about toast as far back as thousands of years before finding the Citadel. I mean you have to wonder how in two entirely different species there was a point in time where someone said: "You know what? I just burnt my bread, but instead of throwing it out, I'm going to eat it! Sayyyy… this is actually pretty good!"

I snorted at the mental image that provided and placed my omni-tool on the table in front of me; a week ago having learned it could project a small screen above it like a portable tv. It being preset to the local news, I leaned back and relaxed while I waited; deciding to return to enjoying the view.

"-is projected that there will be rain two days from now over most of the Northern Continent, so be sure to have a good umbrella when you go outside." Also, yeah, apparently umbrellas aren't a human only thing. Found that out on my first day here when I discovered one in my bedroom closet. "But aside from that, it looks like the temperature will remain comfortable for the next week as Calabsa's northern hemisphere continues to enjoy its late summer; which I'm sure the viewers that live there will appreciate. And that's the planetary weather. Back to you, Nimarra."

The anchor, an asari, because what else would it be on one of their oldest colonies, was then replaced by another asari. I didn't really care what they looked like, preferring to instead admire the way the rays of morning sunshine peeking over my mansion made my lake's water glisten. If there was one thing I doubted, it's that I would ever tire of this view.

"As always, thank you for the weather, Ni'sa. I'm glad I don't have to worry about rain getting under my crest now that I know when to expect it!" the anchor joked, at least I think it was a joke. Had that happen to me when I took that first bath; some of the water having gotten near the base of my tendrils, and the increased sensitivity of the area made it uncomfortable when I started drying myself off. Took me longer than I'd have liked to figure out how to get the towel to reach that particular spot. "In local news, a bill is going to be up for vote in the Silva Republic that introduces an increase of tariffs on imported manufacturing metals sent to the nation from other planetary systems. Proponents say-"

I tuned out most of the minor stories; because no, I don't need to be told what the Cloud Peak Republic's Prime Minister said about asari-alien bonding relationships; and was about to shut it off when Aena came in through the kitchen door carrying a plate in one hand. The first thing I noticed was the smell, and I allowed myself a pleased sigh. When the plate was put in front of me on the table, while I admit the light brown and purple egg was unusual compared to the normal white and yellow, it nonetheless managed to look quite appetizing; the three slices of perfectly cooked toast certainly helping matters.

"Thanks Aena. You can go about your duties now," I dismissed her, and she gave me the half bow I'd come to expect as her form of acknowledgement of my dismissal; her crest glow the bright blue I'd learned to associate with simulated happiness from the VI.

Grabbing the fork and knife on the plate – the utensils another case of something humans weren't the only species to come up with – and focusing on the food, I still kept an ear listening to the news just in case something interesting came up.

Starting with the toast first, I picked up a slice and was on my second bite when a sudden and unsettling childish snicker echoing throughout the mansion forced me into alertness; and before I could do much more than freeze up at realizing what it was, the news anchor said something that demanded my attention. "-have just learned that a Justicar has arrived at the Taria Nesi College. Why one of these honored law bringers has decided to visit the famed center of learning is unknown at this time, but speculation has risen that the Justicar may be looking into the disappearance of a student there nearly a month ago; though why something like this would attract the attention of a member of their order is, yet again, unknown. We'll be back with more after this brief commercial break."

The asari was replaced by the channel logo, immediately followed by another asari sitting in a particularly shiny and expensive looking skycar. "Don't you wish you could enjoy the luxury provided by Adiri Motors? Well, for a limited time-" I switched off the projection function for my omni-tool and put the slice of toast back onto the plate; trying my best to ignore the slight shaking of my hand in response to the disturbing snicker.

"A Justicar, eh? Hmm… wonder what one of them is doing here? Don't they normally avoid the border systems? Could it be Samara?" I asked myself, recalling what I knew of Samara and her hunt for Morinth, and wasn't overly surprised I didn't get an answer. "Probably not," I eventually concluded. "Not like she's the only Justicar out there. Ah well. As long as it doesn't concern me, I suppose I can just ignore it," I said with a shrug, going back to my meal.

I really should come up with a name for that thing. The laugh reminds me of the neighbors' youngest, Agatha, except twisted into something nightmare inducing. Say… Agatha… Well, suppose it's acceptable for the moment. Not like the ROB is going to tell me their name any time soon.

I could've sworn I heard an amused snort from the now named Agatha, but I decided it was probably me just imagining things.

Well anyway, I can always ask around about that Justicar when I go into town to buy those groceries. Or I could just read what people are saying about it online. Though I still can't believe "Mirilley" had close to a month's worth of food in the fridge.

I shook my head, but if I thought about it, it made sense considering the fridge was obviously meant for several people; so of course it lasted a while with only one person to feed. Shrugging it off, I picked the toast up again.

To think this'll be my first time in an alien city, and also my first time talking in person to real aliens… I mused privately, Aena not counting towards the latter part; noting I was far less intimidated by such a prospect than I thought I'd be.

Guess living here for three weeks has made most of the shock wear off; having all the news anchors and commercial actresses be asari rather than humans has probably driven the point home too. I just hope I can find everything on the list Aena gave me. And also that all that time I invested in going over the basic controls and how to pilot a skycar pays off. Though if I'm not feeling up to potentially crashing, I suppose I can always just leave it on autopilot. Self-driving, er, flying cars for the win!

I huffed in amusement at the last thought and smiled, turning the news on again and continuing to eat my breakfast.

November 26th, 2182, 10:21 pm EST.

"How am I even supposed to fit into that?" I muttered while staring at what I was quick to label as my arch nemesis: a longsleeved, multilayered, and snug fitting black and violet dress going down to my ankles that, from a purely design point of view, looked suspiciously close to the dresses worn by almost every asari in the games. According to Aena, it was my day-to-day outfit whenever I went out "among the masses," as I apparently had a public image to uphold. It said a lot about my, what by now is normal, mental state that I honestly couldn't care less about wearing a dress.

Suppose the oncoming Reaper apocalypse puts things into perspective. At least the shoes are relatively normal. Still, who would purposefully design something this complicated? It's completely impractical! But nooooo, I need to "look good" for the cameras, and this style just so happens to be the "current thing" right now…

"Never thought I'd ever regret being rich…" I muttered again, wondering where to even begin putting it on. Deciding to just cheat, as I normally did in these situations, I messaged Aena to assist me up in my bedroom closet. I was, of course, standing in said closet, still wearing nothing but a sports bra and shorts, and I spent the next few minutes until the dutiful VI arrived to look over the clothes I had available.

"Black and violet… black and violet… black and violet… 'I' certainly liked that color combination. Oh wait, never mind; the closet's divided into sections based on color," I said upon noticing the rack next to the one I was looking through, the new clothes being pure white with light blue highlights; and comparing them to the black and violet, I could tell they were made to be exact opposites to each other in everything but their fabric pattern.

Probably made by the same company too, I mused while running a hand over the silk-like material.

The next rack over held an assortment of different clothes and colors; from pink t-shirts, to yellow sundresses, to dark brown work pants. Miscellaneous section, I mentally labeled it.

Why didn't I go through my closet before now? I mean sure, letting Aena pick out my clothes is easy, but I never thought I had this much in the way of options! And I must admit, the black and white section does have some pretty good outfits to choose from.

I blinked at already arriving at a name for that particular section, but shrugged it off; the name made sense in my opinion so I saw no need to question it.

At least it explains why Aena almost always picks out one or the other for me to wear. Some variety wouldn't hurt though. Violet with white highlights for one, or white with black highlights; but I suppose I'd look like a stormtrooper then. Heh, or maybe a clone trooper; I always liked those armor sets more anyway. Black and blue looks good as well funnily enough, no matter which is the primary color, but it more depends on the shade of blue in that case. Then again, the… wait… why am I thinking about clothing colors and what would look good on me? I've never really cared what I wear so long as it's comfortable, so when did my attitude change?

I stood there unmoving as I tried to figure out the reason for such an unusual train of thought and when I started experiencing the shift, only to be interrupted by Aena walking into the closet.

"You messaged me for assistance, Mistress?" she asked cheerily, as proven by the bright blue glow emanating from beneath her crest. After asking her I found out that it only looks like it's made from rubber; the texture is meant to imitate its appearance, but the tendrils are actually made from a protective composite alloy with sensors and antennas built into them, said sensors being regularly replaced with the most advanced models on the market. Apparently though, her face was made from a flexible alloy that was still in the development stages when she was first created, and at the time, "I" paid extra to have it installed on her. "Mistress?" she asked again, her glow changing to the pale and pulsing yellow I'd come to identify as concern, or at least the imitation of concern what with her being a VI.

"Hmm?" I hummed, then blinked; knowing I'd unintentionally let my mind wander. "Oh right, I did. I was wondering something: are you capable of helping me get dressed? Specifically, helping me with certain articles of clothing I may have difficulty putting on by myself?"

"I am, Mistress; it is covered as part of my 'personal assistant' programming. Do you require aid?" at that, her glow switched back to its normal bright blue.

"I do, yes," I replied with a nod, gesturing to the annoyingly difficult clothing in question.

Aena walked up to the dress and examined it, seemingly taking in every detail. "I have downloaded the required guidelines for placement of this particular make of multilayered dress over a standard asarioid form," she shot off rapid-fire, making me wonder if I heard her right. "May I commence dressing procedures, Mistress?"

"Okay?" I said unsurely and a tiny bit confused at her terminology, not intending to make it sound like a question. Nevertheless, Aena picked up the dress and started peeling off sections of it that I could've sworn were sown on when I tried getting into it on my own.

"Please follow the given instructions," she told me, and I gave her a hesitant nod.

Well, at least I didn't end up as a turian… No telling how much trouble I would've had getting used to the physical changes then…

Ten minutes of utter hell later, I was finally dressed in the… well… dress, and made my way to the garage; picking out a car from the three I owned when I got there.

Walking up to each of the cars and examining them, there was one thing I did have to admit about the dress I wore: whoever designed it knew what they were doing. It didn't pinch unpleasantly in any areas; the multiple layers were made such that they allowed proper airflow without leaving me feeling cold; and, in spite of my initial impression, it was surprisingly easy to move around in. To put it simply: it seemed like it was made from start to finish with comfort in mind. I heartily approved.

Guess after nearly 20,000 years of recorded history, the asari have at least managed to discover the perfect way to make a dress. Well, perfect aside from getting into one in the first place that is. Anyway, back to the car hunt. Hmmm… Let's try that red one. As the orks always say: "RED ONES GO FASTA!" Though, now that I think about it, I don't really want the equivalent of a sports car for my first trip. The silver one looks more like a luxury sedan than anything else, so it should be easier to control… Ah, why not?

My decision made, I got into the silver skycar and went through the process of starting it up; the ignition button tied to my biometrics according to what I'd read from the digital owner's manual. "How about for now we stick to autopilot for taking off and landing…" I muttered to myself, followed by entering in the command telling it to do just that.

As expected, the overhead garage door opened up, revealing clouds and blue skies tinted with a bit more green than I was used to, and the car slowly rose into the air through the now open doorway. After exiting the garage, it kept rising for a few more seconds before it stopped; and an electric chime sounded from the terminal where a radio should've been, it being the autopilot interface and travel map.

"Do you have an intended destination?" a feminine and obviously mechanical voice asked, and I remembered reading about how some skycars did that. I also remembered reading a few paragraphs on how to use it. Owner's manuals had come a long way from the next to useless pamphlets they were back home.

"Yes, bring up previous destinations," I told it, and it gave an affirmative chime.

The interface switched over to a map of the area with a number of pins scattered over it, some with names attached and others left blank.

Let's see… I need a grocery store or the asari version of Walmart, but at the same time I don't really want one in the city proper. Never have liked crowds. Too many people to keep track of.

Searching over the map, I eventually found what I was looking for and tapped the pin marking it. "Oceanside: sells standard produce, exotic produce," I assumed that meant food from other species, "gardening supplies, omni-tools, assorted clothing, furniture, and other items. Is this your destination?"

"Yes."

"Do you wish to enable the autopilot function?"

I thought it over for a moment, and upon noticing the current lack of air traffic, easily made my decision. "No."

Not yet anyway.

It chimed in the affirmative again and zoomed in on my position, or more accurately, the car's. "Destination confirmed. Estimated travel time: 19 Thessian Standard minutes."

It didn't say anything after that, and I looked at the steering wheel in front of me warily. "Right, let's see if I spent all that time researching how to fly one of these for nothing. It can't be that hard, right?"

November 26th, 2182, 10:57 pm EST.

Having let the autopilot take control after nearly crashing three times, spinning out of control twice, and narrowly dodging one of the few other skycars I'd seen in my extended trip, I heaved a sigh of relief as it flew down to a parking lot in front of a normal-ish looking storefront. If I squinted, I could even mistake it for any of the hundreds I'd seen from home.

FINALLY! I thought that trip would never end! Either Thessian minutes are longer than I thought, or my driving is responsible.

After a moment of silent deliberation, I couldn't help but let out a groan. Definitely my driving…

Collecting myself and making sure my dress wasn't wrinkled – I had standards to maintain after all, whether I liked it or not – I opened the door and went to shopping.

At least I can always rely on the extranet for images of the stuff I need to buy. Either that or just read the labels and make sure I grabbed the right thing.

November 27th, 2182, 12:48 am EST.

After wandering throughout the store for a couple hours while pushing a hovercart – yes, a hovercart; because asari apparently use eezo in everything – I walked up to the only counter I could see with what I assumed was an employee behind it.

Well, at least the store was mostly empty. Good thing I came here during the morning; almost everyone is either working or heading to work right about now.

Standing in front of the counter with the cart behind me, I looked at the asari manning it expectantly; only to notice she was leaning back in a chair and reading a magazine. Raising an eyebrow, I continued to look at her. She continued reading.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat none-too-subtly.

"Hmm? Wha-? Oh! Oh my goddess, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed after looking up, and she scrambled to put the magazine away, afterward immediately standing up to face me. "Please forgive me for my inattention, I haven't been working here for very long!" she chuckled nervously at that, making my brow raise even higher; and noticing my reaction she blushed in embarrassment. Something was telling me the girl had to be a maiden, barely into her 60's at that, because she practically broadcasted how young she was with the way she was acting.

It wasn't lost on me how laughable the idea of someone in their 60's being "young" was; but then again, if compared to a human lifespan, she wouldn't even be out of her teens yet. Of course, by that standard, she wouldn't be out of her "teens" for another decade at the very least. When I realized I had no way of actually knowing any of this first-hand, and I hadn't spent much time researching the asari mindset on age, I managed to keep my face from displaying the unease I currently felt at the unexplainable knowledge I held. It was a repetitive feeling over these past three weeks, unfortunately.

"It's alright, I wasn't here long; no need to explain yourself," I told her reassuringly, in truth trying to calm both of us down; and in her case, to my slight surprise, it seemed to work.

After letting out a brief sigh of what I guess was relief, she straightened her uniform and smiled brightly at me. "How may I help you, valued customer?"

Huh. That's weird. Now that I see her properly, she looks familiar for some reason; but I can't quite figure out why.

Ignoring the feeling that I'd seen her or someone that looks like her before, I responded. "I'm here so you can ring up what I have in the cart…" I trailed off at seeing her confusion.

"Why not just use the checkout drones?" she asked me, and sure enough, she sounded confused.

I blinked at that, having wondered why there were so many of the things floating around in this part of the store. Not missing a beat though, I returned her earlier smile; noting in amusement the way her blue cheeks turned a shade of purple. "I like a… personal touch when I finish my shopping," I answered, succumbing to the urge to have some fun – unconsciously jutting my hip out and propping my right hand on it – and I caught the tiny gulp from the employee at the way I emphasized the words.

Honestly, I'm not even trying here! I thought with barely restrained laughter at the visibly flustered girl. I mean I know she's young and all, but you'd think she'd have been flirted with before now!

Limiting myself to a small smile, I figured that was enough teasing for now and forced myself back to business. "So, think you could help me with that, or do you have something else you need to do?"

"No-no-no, nothing else!" she replied quickly, and I couldn't help but chuckle; making her blush even further.

Pulling up the cart, I started placing the various groceries on the counter, and she ran her omni-tool over everything I put there before moving it off to the side; thus answering the question I had of how Mass Effect's checkout system worked. After everything was scanned, I began the process of putting it all back into the cart, something she was kind enough to help me with. Either that, or it was part of her job.

Once the cart was again filled with everything I'd bought, she then looked at me as if waiting for something. Without a second thought, and having read up on how it worked beforehand, I flicked my omni-tool on and extended my left arm, her doing the same; and after hearing a *ding* I pulled my arm back.

"Credits have successfully transferred. Thank you for your business, and have a wonderful day!" she told me happily, before looking around nervously; acting skittish all of a sudden. "And uh… if you'd like, my shift ends in a couple hours. Maybe we could go somewhere?"

I had to restrain myself from letting out an undignified "Huh?" and instead settled on staring at her incredulously. "I don't even know your name, and you're already asking to go on a date with me?"

She winced at that, looking apologetic. "Sorry, sorry, that was rude of me. I'm not normally interested in someone as old as a matron, so I guess I'm a little embarrassed." I don't know why, but that comment about my physical age stung, and a corner of my lips downturned somewhat; but aside from that, I kept a firm control over my expression. "Ceova. Ceova D'Vese."

D'Vese… D'Vese… Can't think of an asari with that name that I know of off the top of my head, and I'm positive it's not one from the games, but for some reason I think I should know it. And again, I feel like I've seen her before now. Why though?

Deciding the simplest way to learn an answer was to just ask, I did exactly that. "Hmm. Have we ever met each other before? I can't quite place your last name, but I'm sure I know someone that looks like you."

The girl blinked at me before humming in thought. "Not that I am aware of, no," she eventually said. "You might be thinking of my older sister. She used to work here, though on a different shift than mine; but she quit without telling anyone why a few weeks ago."

Odd. Probably just a coincidence then.

"Maybe, though I could just be mistaken. My name is Mic-" I caught myself and continued, pretending it was just a slip of the tongue, "Mirilley V'Seila." A thought struck me then regarding how long "my" name was, and I had an idea on how to fix it that I didn't think twice about. "But please, my friends call me Miri. A pleasure to meet, Ceova."

"A pleasure to meet you too, Mirilley," I gave her a faux hurt look, and she quickly caught on. "Er, um, I mean Miri," she stammered out.

Hearing it from someone else made it click: Miri. It being what that guy, Niket I think his name was, called Miranda during her loyalty mission. Well… not sure how to react to that.

I thought over it for a moment before mentally shrugging. Then again, she's not the only person in the universe named Miranda, so why should she be the only one with the nickname Miri?

"Soooo…" Ceora said, bringing me back to the present. "Is that a yes?" she asked hopefully. "To the date I mean."

Huh. You know, if all asari are as straightforward as this, I could definitely get used to it.

"I'm afraid not, no…" I replied, taking note of how she seemed more than a little disappointed. "At least, not tonight," I eventually added, and had to keep from huffing in amusement at how she immediately perked up. "How does three days from now sound? Pick you up at your place and go out for a meal, maybe visit a club of your choosing afterward?"

She gave me several enthusiastic nods, and this time I did huff; not that Ceora noticed, as she brought her omni-tool up again and started rapidly typing into it. "Yeah, that sounds good – great even! Here's my address and contact information. See you then?" she asked me uncertainly, and after my own omni-tool lit up with a received message, I read it; nodding in answer to her question once I did so.

Locally, that's going to be just before sundown, so it should be alright. Good thing she agreed to picking her up at her place; I'd like to keep the number of people that know where I live as small as possible.

The, quite possibly rightly, paranoid thought aside, I found myself looking forward to it; if only so I could explore the area more. "It's a date," I told her by way of goodbye, winking for good measure; but I was unsure if the gesture translated. Judging by the sudden darkening of her cheeks, it did, and I turned around and left the store with the cart in tow.

Once outside, I allowed myself a content sigh; smiling happily all the while. In spite of everything so far, the short interaction with the worker – Ceora, I reminded myself – just seemed, for lack of a better word, normal. That she was an asari never even crossed my mind while I was talking to her, though that could be attributed to being one myself now; physically if not mentally. And even then, I was questioning that second part more and more as time went on.

Well, I'd say that trip was worth it. Now to get back home and put all this in the fridge before it spoils. I'll have to improve my driving skills later. Then again, once I get back, I won't have anything else to do for the rest of the day. And the property is large enough for me to at least get the basics down. Alright then, sounds like a plan! Hmm, while I'm at it, I should probably see about getting a restaurant reservation… and decide on which restaurant that should be, too… decisions, decisions…

Another slow chapter, I know, but this is laying the groundwork for the things to come; and there is, of course, a bit of foreshadowing for those that are looking for it. Odd how many coincidences are showing up, wouldn't you agree? Not much I can reveal without spoiling it though, so all I'll say is keep reading.

Next chapter should start the plot ball properly rolling, and we'll be getting a peek at certain people from the games that had the potential for a fair amount more content and character depth than what they were given in canon; but that's for me to know and all of you to find out… or get lucky and guess. Knowing my own luck, one of you probably will. Anyway, nothing more to say here, so I'll say goodbye for now. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time!