*The Last City: Osiris and Saint's Apartment.*
…
The quiet squeaking could be heard from a marker head being dragged across the smooth surface of a white board. The head leaves dark streaks of ink that formed various shapes, such as letters, numbers, and symbols. Mathematical equations and formulas. Each one carrying over to one another and adding together. Most people wouldn't be able to make the slightest bit of sense of these formulas, unless they were a genius. Luckily, the one who was jotting them down was very much so.
Osiris was laser focused, writing down these formulas on the board at lightning speed, muttering multiple different numbers and arithmetic operations under his breath. He pushed his reading glasses closer to his face to keep them from falling. The Warlock then reached down to the table next to him with his left arm and picked up a ceramic mug. It contained a black liquid. Coffee. Osiris took a sip. The natural caffeine inside sent a wave of energy to his brain and helped him keep focus.
The old Warlock could feel his brain moving at a million miles an hour, coming up with multiple different ideas and mathematical solutions on the fly. Osiris has always been renowned for his genius, but he had never felt more in the zone than he ever did right now. That was probably due to all the coffee.
In the distance, Saint was sitting on the couch with Jane next to him. The two of them were overlooking old paper notes of Osiris' regarding his Paraverse theory. They were all well into examining every one of the notes to find any sort of clue that may support the possibility that Jane may not be of this world. Though they certainly did not expect Osiris to have so many notes on the subject, as there were piles of papers stacked as high as four feet scattered all across the apartment. That old man really went into overdrive with his work when it came to this theory.
Jane had her hair tied into a ponytail to keep it from obscuring her vision, and changed from her armor to a red and black flannel shirt with the N7 logo on the shirt's chest pocket, a pair of denim jeans, and leather combat boots. Saint was wearing a purple hoodie sweater with his pigeon crest sewn into the right side, black dress pants, and loafers. Osiris wore a brown turtleneck sweater lined in gold at the bottom and cuffs, beige khakis, and brown wingtip dress shoes. They all figured that it would help them concentrate better if they were all in more comfortable clothes, rather than armor and the two elders' bondage outfits.
Saint squinted in order to increase the focus of his vision to read Osiris' rather small handwriting. You would think that, being an Exo, Saint's eyesight would be flawless. However, also take into consideration the centuries he had been alive for and his optic receivers would degrade like a normal human being. Saint groaned in frustration. He couldn't read this.
"Geppetto, fetch my glasses."
A Ghost suddenly appeared next to Saint. Its shell was round and spherical, with a glatiotroy crest lined with a purple neon LED, and gold panning with the Roman numeral fourteen of the same color in the top left side. (Saintly Shell. My own opinion on what Geppetto looks like as she is not shown in the game.) Geppetto summoned a pair of reading glasses in Saint's hand in a flurry of light. He gave the Ghost an appreciative nod before slipping the glasses on.
Jane was holding two papers in her hands. She was holding next to one another to examine them both simultaneously, hoping to find some sort of clue in the writings. The female Titan wasn't as smart as Osiris and her teacher, but she had more than a decent grasp on how multi-dimensional travel worked, recounting her experiences with the Infinite Forest, the Ascendant Plane, Eternity, and Savathûn's Throne World. The idea of Jane not being this world first popped into her head when she found that cryo pod in Eternity, and when she created the Forerunner sidearm. Cayde mentioned to her that the Vanguard found no record of her in The Last City's civilian database before and after the Red War, or from Hawthorne's farm. She was a ghost, someone without any sort of past whatsoever, more so than most Guardians.
Until now. Now that she had found Garrus, and had told her who she was. But the question remained. If she was from the same world as him, then how did she get here? The answer eluded her like a rabbit running from a pack of wolves, and this answer was one slippery rabbit.
"Is this a two or a three? I can't tell." Jane said, squinting at the paper.
"Some of my notes may be a tad jumbled, mostly due to me rushing through them. Apologies for that." Osiris stated without even turning away from the white board.
Jane reached for her coffee mug on the table and took a sip of her drink. It had gone cold, which made her gag in disgust. She hated cold coffee, but choked it down anyway since she needed the fuel. Saint groaned in exhaustion and dropped his notes on the ground.
"Bozhe moy, this is going nowhere…" Saint turned over to his student with tired optics. "Jane Doe, can we resume this tomorrow? Perhaps with a good night's rest, we will be able to concentrate better."
"Guys, we can't just call it quits now. We're too far in." Jane insisted. "If we can just hunker down, I'm sure that we can find some kind of clue that could tell me if I really am from another world, and how I ended up here."
Appearing in a shimmer of light, Edith flew close to Jane's head. The Ghost's single eye examined her Guardian's face. Dark circles were forming underneath her eyes, indicating her tremendous level of fatigue. "You're exhausted. You haven't rested at all since you got back."
"I'll rest when I'm dead. I need to focus."
Saint's gaze shifted from his notes to his pupil. He looked at her worriedly. Jane was driving herself into the dirt, trying to look for an answer that may not even be in these papers at all. He had seen such behavior many times before in Osiris. Nights when he would be consumed by his work and end up collapsing from exhaustion. Not even the Light can keep a Guardian awake 24/7. Saint inched closer to Jane.
"Red robin, can barely keep head up." The Exo pointed out. "You could collapse at any time."
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Master. I will take note."
Okay, now Saint was getting frustrated. She was REALLY starting to act like Osiris now. Saint turned his head over to his husband.
"Osiris, would you please help convince Jane Doe to… Osiris?"
Turns out the Great Cosmic Scholar was in no better condition. Osiris was slumped against the white board's surface, seemingly asleep. His face pressing against the board's smooth surface, snoring loudly. The marker was still loosely held in his dangling fingers, on the verge of falling onto the floor. Jane, noticing his condition, huffed in annoyance.
"Seriously..?" She whined.
"Hey! Wakie-wakie, eggs and plant-based bakey!"
Savathûn's shirll scream was deafening. Osiris' eyes shot open and he stood upright, wiping the dropl pff his face. "Ah! I'm awake! I'm awake!"
The two older Guardians were practically running on fumes now. It wouldn't be long before they would power down completely. Jane needed to keep them awake of they were to help her shift through all these Light forsaken notes. Osiris walked over to the couch were the others were seated and settled down himself, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Alright, now we MUST stop. We will not find anything in our conditions, Jane Doe." Saint insisted.
She looked at her mentors. The human's eyes as dark as hers were, and Saint was beginning to slouch. Jane wanted to agree with them. She really did. But then she thought about Garrus, of him in that tiny cell next to the worst criminals in The Last City. From murders and rapests to Guardians who went rogue and would attack Eliksni and Cabal citizens. Garrus was only in there because of her. She owed it to him to try and find a clue as to how she was separated from him in the first place. Jane rubbed her face tieredly.
"Guys, come on! We can't stop! We gotta just hunker down! You think Whiskey called it quits after Ghaul pushed him off his ship back during the Red War? Or you guys at Twilight Gap? Or me when Eramis was about to freeze me solid? O-or… Jiminy Crockett with his last stand at the Alamo?!"
Osiris pinched his forehead exhausted. Jane really was as stubborn as he was. Now he knows how Ikora felt.
"Alright, first of all… It was Davy Crockett. Jiminy was the cricket from Pinocchio."
"Look, I don't care. I'm on, like, my thirtieth cup of coffee." Jane huffed.
Osiris scooted closer to her. He gently placed his withered hand over hers. "Secondly, while I admire your determination to find the truth, as it reminds me of my own, there are times when we must temporarily concede for our own recovery. Especial when it concerns someone you care about." He looked over at Saint with a warm smile. The Exo returns the act with his own.
Looking down at the papers on her lap, Jane knew they were right. Heck, her vision was getting tipsy form the lack of rest.
"But… That's exactly WHY I have to keep going. I owe it got Garrus to find… something!" She argued. "Some explanation as to why I disappeared from his life. Why I made him suffer they way he did. He deserves that..."
Saint looks at his pupil with curiosity. The way she was speaking of her new friend, it sounded as though they used to be close long ago. Very close. "We know you have always desired to find him, but your words, how you speak of this man. Is there more too this? Because even you are not this obsessive."
Looking up at her teacher, Jane realized. Neither of them knew the full story as she left out some details. Mostly because she didn't want them to question her judgment. But this was Saint and Osiris. These two were the closest thing she had to father figures since her resurrection. She could always rely on them to help her out when she needs them. That was just one of the reasons they needed to know the whole truth, so she sighed and made upon her mind.
"Garrus… He isn't just a friend… Turns out that he… is mbfrnd."
Jane mumbled that last part. The two older Guardians were confused as to why, and could not make out what she had said.
"Come again?" Saint said.
"Garrus is my byfrnd."
"Proshu proshcheniya?" (Excuse me)
Osiris let out an annoyed groan. Jane wasn't going to say it. She was too embarrassed. "Oh, for Light's sake! He's her boyfriend!"
Saint's optics went as wide as dinner plates.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"
All things considered… Saint took it pretty well.
So Jane told them the rest of the details that she left out. How, when she resurrected rigtht in front of him, Garrus leaned down and kissed her completely out of the blue. Then, once they had managed to get off the Citadel, Garrus explained that they were together in her old life, and were very committed at that. It hurt Jane when she found out. Garrus cared about her so much, and she had forgotten everything they had gone through together. She knew that wasn't her fault, nor Edith's, but that didn't mean she did not feel guilty for it.
Osiris' eyes saddened, and Saint had his hand over his mechanical heart, sniffling profoundly with a tissue in the other.
"That is so sad..! By the Traveler, how could something like this happen?!" The large Exo cried dramatically.
Such a tale made Osiris ponder in his thoughts. He never would have guess that the one Jane had been searching for all along was her lover. It conjured several new theories in his mind regarding his Paraverse theory, but he would have to set those aside for later.
"What makes this whole thing worse, I got married here. How am I going to explain that to him? He'll get crushed…"
Her worry was justified. How would you explain to someone you fell in love with long ago that you ended up with someone else who had taken your hand in marriage? Jane could already picture Garrus' reaction. Shock, despair, jealous rage. Though she has no idea if Garrus was the kind of person who would get jealous or not, she doesn't want to hurt him.
"Five years, Garrus mourned me, and I went off and married someone else while he was all alone… I have to give him something so I can help him heal before I… Light… Garrus…"
Jane covered her face with her hands, overwhelmed by her guilt. One of the reasons as to why Guardians are forbidden from searching for their pasts was because they may not like what they find. One Guardian who was subjugated to this penalty was Crow. When his memories were restored by Savathûn last year, he was crushed. The weight of his crimes hung heavily over his shoulders. Perhaps Jane should have headed that warning long ago, because if she did…
"Jane." The female Titan turned to Osisrs. He gazed at her with sympathetic eyes. "Do not assume the worst right away, and tell this man when you feel the time is right. You don't need to just drop it on him right away."
Well, that was obvious. Jane gave Osiris a light smile. She appreciated his kind words. They were always a comfort.
"It's just… I only met him a few hours ago and… I've got these feelings in me, but no memories to tie to them, so it doesn't really make any sense to me. I have no idea what he and I had before I became a Guardian."
Osiris nodded in understanding. Jane was not the only Guardian who had dealt with something like this. Unexplained feelings of closeness and affection to a person they had just met. Saint had seen it in Crow with his sister, but not at first. Ana when she first met her sister again. The Doc, when he came across his family just after resurrecting. It can be very overwhelming. It has never happened to them personally, but both elders have experience when they were still Vanguard leaders.
"One of many who had experienced this, my red robin." Said Saint, his hand gently ruffling her hair. "Do not let yourself be held back by insecurity and guilt, or you will end up making mistake. Crow allowed that to happen, and look what transpired."
A small laugh slipped from Jane's lips when Saint ruffled her head. "Okay, I don't think I would go as far as to compare me to Crow."
"Our point being, if you allow yourself to be consumed by your fears, all you'll end up with is disaster." Explained Osiris. "So please, take the night to rest. We can resume this tomorrow after Garrus meets with you and Zavala."
Their words were wise, and carried great weight to them. They were both right. Jane took a deep breath, her muscles relaxed upon exhaling.
"Thanks, you guys."
Osiris and Saint both smiled. The large Exo pulled his student close to him, hugging her gently. Jane rested her head against Saint's iron chest. A smile now fully visible.
"Pozhaluysta, my red robin. We will always be here for you, Jane."
…
…
…
"Jane?"
"Zzzzzz…"
Looking down at his chest, Saint noticed Jane had her eyes closed and she wasn't moving. She had fallen fast asleep right on him. That was fast. Saint and Osiris looked at one another, both flabbergasted.
"That will be useful for if we finally decide on children." Saint joked.
They both laughed quietly as to not wake their young companion. Saint carefully shifted on the couch to make more room as he gently set Jane down to rest. He slipped one of the pillows under her head to cushion her head, then grabbed a throw blanket on the backrest and draped her body with it. Saint's large hand gently caressed her cheek. His mouthpiece formed a warm smile.
Two hands looped themselves beneath the large Titan's arms, wrapping around his large chest. Osiris' arms. The human pulled himself close to his lover. He rested his chin over Saint's shoulder. A gentle kiss was planted on the side of his face.
"I think we already have our hands full with this one, my dear."
That couldn't be more true. Jane was more than just a friend to the two of them. The bond between the three of them was that of a family. She was like the daughter they never had. A daughter that saved both their lives on multiple occasions.
Osiris first met Jane when he was facing Panoptes, the Infinite Mind, back on Mercury. He was separated from Sagira at the time and was working tirelessly to stop the infamous Vex mind from bringing forth a future of endless darkness. Had Doe not been there to help, even Osiris himself wouldn't have been able to stop him, especially since Panoptes had managed to capture Sagira's Light, leaving him unable to resurrect had he died in battle.
To this day, The great Osiris, the Phoenix of the Dark Age, never would have guessed he would end up owing his life to a New Light. The only thing he knew about her at the time was that she had managed to fend off Calus on the Leviathan, but aside from that, he was astounded.
Jane was one of the most selfless and determined new Guardians he had ever met since his own pupil, Ikora. She was the kind of person who puts her heart into everything. Someone who never gives up on others.
Like how she never gave up on him.
*A few months ago. Events from Season of Plunder*
…
Black. That was the only word to describe the world around him. Black. Dark. Empty. Not a sound to be heard. Nothing to touch, to smell. It was an infinite sea of nothingness that stretched for what seemed like an immeasurable distance. Osiris floated aimlessly in this empty universe of black. His eyes shut and breathing steady, it appeared as though he was in a deep slumber. The Warlock didn't so much as move a muscle in his dream-like state, no matter how much he wanted to. It were as though he were paralyzed. Trapped.
Was this death? Would this be the world he would be confined to for his actions? Alone? Separated from Saint once again?
"…his work?"
Just then, Osiris heard a voice. A woman's. It sounded familiar.
"Mith…d it would."
Another voice. He knew that one too. A man's. It was rough, and sounded Russian. Could that be..?
"Os…s… please…"
As the voices grew clearer, Osiris could swear he felt something slip into his mouth. Some sort of liquid. It tasted utterly rancid, like motor oil and bile. However, he then started to feel something happening to him. Translucent webbings of green energy were radiating off of him. It looked as though some sort of corruption was being purged from his very being. What was happening, he wondered?
"O..ri.."
There was that voice again. The man's one.
"Osiris… Please…"
Now it was as clear as day. Osiris knew that voice. He knew it well. It was him.
It was his pigeon!
Osiris' eyes shot open. He opened his mouth and gasped for a breath of fresh air that he was deprived of since who knows how long. A surge shot all across his body, he jolted upward in his bed like he was a catapult. Osiris started to cough violently while trying to breathe. His lungs ached for oxygen. As he hacked, he felt two large hands placed gently over his back, massaging it with great care.
"Osiris!" A voice exclaimed.
Eventually, his coughing fit subsided. His breathing now gentle huffs. Osiris looked up at the one holding him. His vision was obscured, but he recognized the metalic frame of an Exo, with vibrant amethyst optics and a scar on his left eye. The familiar scent of lavender coming off his armor. The rumble of his deep, almost growling voice. Osiris knew exactly who this was.
"Saint…"
The old Warlock's voice was dry and weak from being comatose for so long. Saint bent down to meet his phoenix at the same level. Osiris raised his frail hands, the appendages trembling from being exerted, but still gently cupped the sides of the Exo's face so gently. Using all of his strength, Osiris mustered up the energy to speak once more.
"My love…"
Saint felt his own breathing become heavy. His body shook and he let out a whimper, but one of relief. It had worked. Osiris had finally awakened.
Leaning forward, Saint firmly planted his mouthpiece against Osiris' lips, the old man leaning forward into the kiss in return. Tears were now running down Osiris' face out of sheer joy. Saint would too, if he could produce them. They soon broke their tender moment and Osiris was pulled into his lover's arms so carefully.
"I thought you would never awaken…" Saint sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Saint…" Osiris buried himself into the Exo's chest plate. "This was all my doing. I should never have gone to the Moon alone. I should have been more careful, and now Sagira… Lakshmi… Oh Light, I'm sorry..! I'm so sorry!"
Saint shushed his lover, holding him close to his metal chest. A hand gently stroked the back of his head as he cried. He wanted Osiris to know he was safe.
"Do not blame yourself, my phoenix. I am the one who did not see through the Witch Queen's lies. I should have been wiser."
Moving Osiris' head clover to his face, Saint gently kissed his forehead. The Titan rested his chin over the Warlock's head.
"N-no. Don't do that. Do not start blaming yourself. The second you do, she gets the last laugh."
He was right. Saint can't start pinning the fault on himself. They were together again. That's what was important. Eventually, their embrace broke, but their hands remained joined together. Osiris and Saint both gazed lovingly into the other's joyful eyes, sniffling occasionally.
"How did you even break her spell?" Osiris asked.
That was when Saint told the tale. During their efforts to prevent Eramis from acquiring the fragments of Nezarec, Mithrax theorized that he could use their dark energies to possibly break whatever curse that Savathûn had cast on him after she fled his body. Though it was still only a theory, Saint was willing to take any solution he could get if it meant that Osiris would reawaken. The ritual was risky. Mithrax nearly went mad from the sheer amounts of Darkness given off by the relics, but the Kell had managed to do it. He distilled the energies into a liquid form so that Saint could give it to Osiris, after he had mixed it into the Warlock's favorite tea, of course.
Osiris looked at Saint with a dubious expression. "I'm sorry. You're telling me that you woke me up with a 'magic tea'?"
"…Well, when you say it like that, yes, it sounds silly."
Silly is an understatement. It had to have been the most absurd plan he had ever heard… a plan Saint would certainly be a part of. Osiris couldn't help but chuckle at the idea in humor.
"However, it was not just me, my love." The Titan pointed out.
"It was not?"
"Welcome back, Osiris."
A woman's voice hit his ears. Osiris looked to the center of the room. There, all standing together, Jane Doe, Mithrax, Eido, Ikora, Zavala, Crow, Holiday, The Doc, and so many others that he could barely count. They were all smiling brightly at the once slumbering phoenix. Osiris couldn't believe what he was seeing. Had they all gathered for him? To see him come back to them?
"Hope you enjoyed your nap, you old fart." Jane said jokingly.
A single tear ran down the side of his face. For the longest time, it was only him and Sagira in the confines of the Infinite Forest. When she died saving him, when Savathûn possessed him, never in his life had he felt more alone. But not now. In this moment, he knew… He knew damned well…
He'd never be alone again.
"So true... Hmhmhmhmhm..."
*Silver Coast Casino, Citadel: 2186*
…
The music boomed throughout the air. Consecutive beats of techno reverberating from the sound systems spread across the bar. Multi colored lights were strobing from the ceiling above over the dance floor. The flashing lights combined with the music and the intoxication effects of the alcohol created an almost effect on the s of the casino as they let themselves get lost on the dance floor.
However, one guest seemed content with sitting at the bar across the floor.
Shepard took a sip of her drink, a negroni, and set it back down on the surface beside her. She was dressed in a sleek black dress with the N7 logo imprinted on the right side. A gift upon graduating the program. Jane looked out at the staircase across from her. She was clearly waiting for someone.
Not far off from her, a female turian was dancing to the beat of the music. She turned to her right upon seeing a familiar male turian wearing a black suit approach. He was handsome. She decided to try and get his attention by switching her hips, but he seemed to walk right past her towards Shepard.
"Hey sweetie, sorry I'm late." Said Garrus, bending down to kiss Shepard on her lips.
"No biggie, hun." Shepard replied with a smile. Her eyes darted towards the other turian with a look that read, 'This ass is mine!' So she took off.
Now that Shepard's evil twin and the private military company, CAT6 had been dealt with, the Normandy Crew could finally kick back and truly enjoy their time off duty. Shepard and Garrus had both agreed to meet at the casino's upper floor together for some private time away from everybody. Neither of them could remember the last time they had any alone time together, not since Garrus visited Shepard in Vancouver while she was still on house arrest, and sitting together in her apartment's living room, eating levo/dextro mac n' cheese, and binging watching the first season of The Witcher was anything but romantic… Especially when Shepard was almost drooling over seeing Henry Cavill without his shirt.
(Not that I blame her. He is HOT.)
"So what do turians usually do with their time off?" She asked with curiosity.
"Mostly we make plans for what to do when we're back at work. I have some ideas on the Normandy's forward cannon."
Wow. Even when he was supposed to be on break, Garrus couldn't stop thinking about calibrating the Normandy's guns. Not that it was his fault. Garrus was a Turian. They were natural born workaholics. Shepard couldn't remember the last time he actually sat down and just did nothing, except from when he was in the infirmary, recovering from that rocket to his face.
"You know what you need, Garrus?" She asked him.
"…That MK-4 silencer scope I saw at the gun shop?"
Shepard rolled her eyes. Good lord, was he dense.
"I was thinking… a date." Jane cleared her throat, then adjusted her posture and gave Garrus a seductive and flirtatious look. "So, a turian on shore leave. You come here often?"
Garrus looked at her, utterly clueless, until she gave him a sly smirk. Then, he realized what she was doing. Role-play. Shepard was doing that first date role-play they had talked about back on the Normandy, for when they would finally be alone together in public, where they would pretend to meet for the first time and they would cause a scene together for fun.
Now fully aware, Garrus played along. He cleared his own throat and put on a deviant smile. "Yeah. Oh. I come here often. Good place to blow off steam."
He turned his gaze over to a dancing female turian momentarily. "Scenery's not bad either"
Turning back to his date, Garrus saw that Shepard was glaring at him. That only seemed to please Vakarian. He just loved to bust people's chops, even Shepard's.
"Though the view in front of me is even better."
Shepard scoffed. "That supposed to melt a girl's heart?"
"No… but this voice is." Garrus leaned in closer. He lowered his head while looking up at his lady with full-on bedroom eyes. "I'm Garrus Vakarian. Code name, 'Archangel'. All around turian bad boy and dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy."
Jane stared at him, unimpressed.
"…Also, I kill Reapers on the side. And you are?"
Now it was her turn. Jane flicked her hair out of her face. "Commander Jane Shepard. Alliance Navy."
"Jane Shepard, huh?" Garrus said with intrigue. "I might have heard a few things about you."
A small, sensual chuckle slipped from her lips. She leaned in closer to the turian and whispered,
"If they're naughty, they're right."
"Well, I'm looking forward to finding out~"
A chill suddenly raced up Shepard's spine, though she didn't show it so she could keep character, but dear God almighty. The way Garrus just said that… It had to have been the sexiest he had ever sounded. He was like a purring lion. She had no idea the turian had that in him.
"So, what else have you heard about me, 'Archangel'?" Jane asked.
"Word is you're smart. Sexy. A wicked shot. Also, you kill Reapers on the side too."
My my, this turian seemed more well informed than she had thought. Shepard wondered if she may have herself a little stalker here. Not that she would mind, especially if he looked like this.
"Uh-huh… and do most girls fall for that?"
"Well, sure. You know, this voice, and uh… and uh… I'm running out of banter here, Shepard."
Jane giggled. That didn't take long. Points to Garrus for lasting as long as he did though. "Make it up. Remember, we just met."
Garrus looked over to his right. He noticed the recognizable form of James Vega talking to the DJ by the stereos. He slipped the performer a few credits and received a nod of compliance. All of a sudden, the music had changed from intense techno to soft, sensual ballroom music. Just what Garrus was going for. He turned back to Shepard, who was none the wiser about his deviant plan.
"Right, I mean… Yeah, all the girls fall for it…" He stood up from his seat and took Shepard by her hand. "Let me show you."
"Wait. Whatareyoudoing?" Jane questioned him.
She was lifted up from her seat now. Her face went cold when she realized where Garrus was taking her.
The dance floor! Shepard felt her heart skip a beat. He wanted to dance? She was a horrible dancer! Everyone on the ship always makes fun of her for it. She wondered if Garrus just wanted to make a fool out of her.
"It'll be fun." He urged, pulling her closer.
"Oh no. Nonononono! No!"
Garrus took Shepard's hands into his own and brought her body close to his own. That was when it was time for him to spring into action. Following the rythem of the soft music, Garrus gracefully moved his legs across the floor, carrying Shepard with him with each stride. Shepard wasn't expecting this. Garrus knew how to do the tango? Since when?
"Been taking lessons on the side." He said as he danced.
That slippery little bastard planned this. Shepard shot him a look laced with so much venom, it would have probably made any poisonous spider jealous.
"You're gonna pay for this later…"
With a quick twirl, the turian spun Shepard away from him with gracefully. He quickly retook hold of her hand before pulling her back towards him, resuming their footwork. Garrus back looked at his lover with, only with a look of satisfaction.
"Promises, promises~"
Shepard gulped. She had never tangoed with anyone before, so she was scared of stepping on his toes, but that was the least of her concerns right now. Because she saw how Garrus was taking the lead in this little dance. That was not going to fly. Shepard brought her shin before Garrus', stopping his movements cold.
She wanted to play dirty, huh? Alright, game on.
The dance continued. Shepard spun once again. Her hands rejoined the turian's right after. Their legs moving as one in perfect harmony to the melody. Gazes not breaking away for even a second. Each stroke of their feet, like that of an artist painting a picture on a canvas. Out of the blue, Shepard raised her left leg up to Garrus' side, brushing it gently against his hip. Garrus brought his right arm around Shepard's waist, stepped back, and allowed her to lean forward into him.
Their dancing had caught the attention of the crowd as they all gathered around them to watch their performance. James was sitting in the background with a bear in his hand, admiring his handy work like some beefy, tattoo covered, Mexican Cupid. The dance resumed. Their legs intertwining with one another gracefully.
"Now you're getting it." Said Garrus.
James decided to approach. He slipped past the crowd and into the front where he had a clear view of his comrades. Garrus released Jane into a twirl across the dance floor, in which she ended up coming face to face with Vega himself. He shot his commander a sly smirk. Shepard KNEW this bastard was a part of this. Where else could Garrus have learned these moves? The whole crowd gasped dramatically, wondering if he would abandon her partner for James… until Garrus pulled her back to him. The crowd laughed.
Their tango was soon reaching their climax as the music was beginning to slow. With one final move, Garrus slowly bent forward, while Shepard leaned back into a dip. James and the crowd around them cheered and clapped their hands at their spectacle. Who knew that Commander Shepard really could dance if she put her mind to it!
"So tell me: Think a girl would fall for that?" Asked Garrus in a low and husky tone.
"Oh, hell yes." Shepard replied, raising her head. "I see you've been putting that 'reach' and 'flexibility' to good use."
Garrus winked. "You know it, and it gets even better when you try it in bed~"
With an elegant twirl, he pulled Shepard back up to him before spinning her once more.
"Anyway, like I said, I've got this idea for the Normandy's forward cannon-"
"REVOLTING!"
The second Shepard turned around, she had vanished completely, replaced by the icy gaze of a familiar Eliksni. Garrus felt his heart skip a beat and his eyes shot open in surprise. He screamed and jumped backwards, reaching for his Carnifex at his hip. He raised the pistol, but it was instantly knocked out of his grasp by a long, LED covered sword and dropped over the balcony onto the floor below. The sword was pointed straight at Garrus's throat. He was unarmed and cornered.
"You would harbor feelings of love to a putrid machine-spawn? Have you no shame, Garrus Vakarian?!" The Eliksni growled in disgust.
Garrus recognized his attacker, from his previous dream.
"Eramis…"
She stepped closer to him. Her breath colliding with his face. It reeked, like something bloody. It made Garrus choke.
"What, you people can't let me have ONE decent night's sleep? You just have to keep popping into my dreams?"
"SILENCE!" Eramis howled. The tip of her sword pressing firmly against the turian's neck. "You must be purged of your attachment to that oversized witch if you are to fight beside me in the battle to come."
"Battle? What battle? What are you talking about?"
Eramis withdrew her blade, sheathing it at her hip. She backed away from Garrus and walked towards the bar. Garrus took note that it was not just Shepard, but James, and everyone else had disappeared as well. The Witness must have been manipulating his dreams again. Otherwise, how would Eramis be here?
The Eliksni took hold of a bottle on the bar top. Scotch. She looked at the drink with disdain, and a small sense of… jealousy?
"Do you have any idea how fortunate you are? To live freely in your own Golden Age, without the influence of the Traitor Machine. That is what I and my house strive for…"
Eramis' grip on the bottle's neck tightened. The thick glass, unable to handle the pressure created by her hold, produced a long, single crack along the side.
"Had it not been for that child and her cat, the mad apothecary, and that red haired whore, WE ELIKSNI WOULD HAVE HAD EVERYTHING!"
She threw the bottle across the room, smashing into the wall and shattering into multiple fragments. Garrus couldn't help but flinch in response to Eramis' sudden flourish of anger. Her breathing was hard and rageful through her breathing apparatus.
"All this could have been what my people had if they continued to follow me! If THEY did not get in my way the first time! They stole our resources! Stole the power of the Dark that was rightfully ours! What's more, if all of that is not enough of an insult to me, members of my own house desert me for the coward, Misraaks, and his 'House of Light', and retreat under the shadow of the very being who abandoned us to the Whirlwind!"
Suddenly, a crystalline substance enveloped all four of Eramis' arms. The temperature in the room began to drop as Garrus' breath had become visible. An impending sense of soon was overcoming him.
"It is… Utterly… Undeniably…"
Eramis raised her hands before smashing them onto the bar top.
"UNFORGIVABLE!!!"
With a powerful flash of blue light, a cold wave instantly enveloped the entire casino. Everything around them ended up being encased in thick layers of ice and frost. Oddly enough, Garrus and Eramis were left untouched. The ice seemed to give off some kind of strange energy, almost familiar. Garrus had seen this ice before… It was the same kind Ur used back on the Normandy. Eramis could use it as well? The large insectoid alien panted. Her anger quelled after her outburst. She turned back to Garrus, glaring at him with only two eyes on her left side.
"But soon, she will experience the pain that I have suffered for centuries, and you will help me achieve it, Turian." She spoke menacingly as she approached him, back hunched over. "Jane Doe will now pain unrivaled!"
Garrus stepped back slightly out of intimidation. This creature, she was completely out of her mind. Eramis was like a vorcha on red sand during mating season. Shepard faced her in combat? Vakarian's hand curled into a fist. His emotions were shifting from fear to anger. Anger for Shepard.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I'm sure of one thing…"
His Omni-Blade activated. Garrus' talons dug into the floor beneath him before he dashed at Eramis, full speed.
"You don't even think about hurting Shepard!"
With a quick shift of his feet, Garrus dashed off to the right, hiding behind several columns in an attempt to get the drop on the Kell by sticking to her blind spot. Out of the blue, a bottle flew at Eramis from behind. She quickly spun around and sliced it in two with her sword. Unbeknownst to her, Garrus was diving down from the ceiling above while her back was turned; Omni-Blade crackling with electricity. He rose his arm high above him. One quick strike to her neck, and he would sever it from her brain.
'I've got her!' He thought.
But his sneak attack proved ineffective. Eramis reacted faster than him. She turned to her back and grabbed Garrus by his throat with a vice-like grip, choking him. The turian's airways were constricted, making it hard for him to breathe.
"You dare raise a sword to me?!" Hissed Eramis.
"Fuck you..!"
His face was brought to hers. Eramis growled at him through her mask.
"The Witness was WRONG to choose you as a Disciple! You are weak! Breakable! Unaware of your own insignificance… just like your little asari friend was."
Wait. What did she just say? Asari? And "was"? Garrus' mandibles spread apart and he shot a furious look at the Eliksni holding him by his neck.
"What..?"
"Try as she did to defeat me, she crumbled like all others before me. Left to freeze in the snow. Forgotten, as she should be, like the nat she was." She let out an insectoid click. "Your sweet little Shadow Broker."
Garrus let out a gasp of total shock. Shadow Broker? No… No, that can't be. It wasn't possible! SHE DIDN'T!
"What are you talking about?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO LIARA-"
The world faded. Garrus let out a terrified scream and bolted out of his bed right onto the floor. The turian's breathing was erratic, heart racing, and sweat was pouring down his face like he was in a sauna. Eyes staring up at the ceiling, unfocused. Another damned nightmare. They never end.
Aria: "Hey, Archangel! Keep it down over there!"
Seriously, they never end…
Buen día from Tulum, Mexico, everybody! I am officially on vacation after god knows how long. I mean, last year I went to Disney World two years ago, but that wasn't all inclusive. Living it up here in the tropics like a boss and enjoying the views by the beach. ;)
Man, I've been dying to write that tango scene from ME3, and oh my god, Garrus' renegade response in that scene… Things between Jennifer and Brandon must have been so awkward after all that!
And I absolutely love writing about Osiris and Saint's relationship, so happy that I finally can. They are so cute together!
Well, until next time, you guys!