{Darude Sandstorm Intensifies}

[thearchangel]

Who: Garrus Vakarian & Open To All
When: March
Where: Cadens + Horizon
What: Catch all comedy for March and the prelude!
Warnings: None - will warn in thread headers if necessary


Happy to throw up a custom starter if anyone would like! | redfirelight | Cadens Starters | Horizon Starter

Comments

[kobes]

"They weren't as scared of me. I tried not to hurt them -- they weren't doing anything wrong." Koby's voice is a bit faint, faraway, before he shakes his head, pushing the thoughts away. "Anyway. It's different on a Marine ship. The cannons and everything are noisy enough that birds steer clear."

Koby gives a look right back, which -- aw, that means he's bonding with Garrus, bless. "Well, I wasn't sure. It's all new to me, remember? Though I guess Devil Fruit eaters are fairly rare."

And that gets a heavy sigh as Koby rakes his fingers backwards through his sandy hair. "Believe me, I've asked myself the same thing for a while now."

[thearchangel]

"Well, yeah, they sound like they were just animals. Doing what animals do." The look on his face, the sound of his voice. Something's not quite right there. He wants to press, curiosity pinging at him, but maybe not. Not yet. "Not a problem here in the desert, either."

So maybe that's somehow a comfort.

"Rare, and, it sounds like, kept pretty under wraps," he says, casually as he can. Since apparently Koby isn't allowed to know these things? Pirates or no pirates.

Speaking of... "Guess it just doesn't track for me. Pirates kill people, take ships, prisoners, smuggle, and hell some of them even work with slavers." The last word has an undertone of a growl to it. "So I don't see how any of them could make that kind of a decent impression."

[kobes]

Koby hums softly, acknowledgement, examining his glasses for and sand scratches -- they're there, of course, he has a thousand scratches on the lenses by now. But it's really so he can avoid the topic at hand, which is dancing dangerously close to sensitive, painful topics. "Not a lot seems to live in the desert. It's...strange."

The word slavers makes Koby twitch, almost a flinch, his breath going tight in his chest. Shepard had called him a slave, when they met in the maze, when he explained why he'd been on Alvida's ship. Would she have told Garrus? Probably not -- she seems the type to let people make their own choices. Koby appreciates that.

"He saved me." It's a quiet response, as Koby puts his glasses back on, looks up at Garrus, solemn and serious. "I was -- a prisoner on a pirate ship, and Luffy saved me. And he doesn't...hurt people. He helps them. He calls himself a "different kind of pirate". One of the good ones."

[thearchangel]

"If you know where to look, there's more than you'd think."

Just a calm, quiet reply, while he looks Koby over. Listens to the response, and the unsaid things. Something's there. Part of him wants to dig, poke around, find out where the issues is. Where the truth is. Koby isn't a suspect, Koby isn't an enemy - there's no interrogation here, so he keeps his mouth shut. Though the thoughtful hum in his chest can't be muted.

"The pink ship," he guesses. "You were the prisoner there." His head tilts, and there's the quiet tap of mandible against his jaw. "That's why this guy's so important to you - he got you out of that."

[kobes]

Koby's not saying a lot, but the way he's standing, looking down at his feet, speaks volumes. He's tense, unmoving, shoulders rigid. He's focusing intently on not letting his voice tremble, when he finally speaks. It's not very successful.

"For two years, yeah. I got on by mistake, and the captain told me she'd let me live if I did everything she said." A pause, a slow inhale. Exhale. "It was awful." The understatement of the century, but maybe that's written all over Koby's blank, pale face.

Then there's a smile, a quirk of one, warm and soft. "He didn't have to, but he did. He didn't let me give up. I...owe him everything."

[thearchangel]

"Slavers always are."

There was a special place on his shit list for those people. Screw "cultural norms" or whatever the hell the batarians claimed. Anyone who pulled that kind of thing deserved what was coming to them. Of course you'd attach yourself to the first person who gave you an out - it made sense.

So maybe there was a pirate scum in Koby's world with a single set of morals. He knew mercs who'd do any job except slave and red sand running, so it made sense. Didn't mean a lot, just that there was a pirate who had a limit.

"Well, you see either of them around here, especially that captain..." The last two words are a threat. To the captain. "We've got your back."

[kobes]

"They weren't...slavers, really. She usually killed everyone she captured." Except him. Koby had thought it was a gift, a stroke of luck. He'd been wrong -- being chosen by Alvida was much, much worse than being bludgeoned by her. "It was just me."

That gets a moment of wide-eyed, round-lensed blinking. Then there's a faint quirk of a smile. "Thank you. That's really nice of you, Garrus. I'm sure if she shows up, she'll get in enough trouble to end up imprisoned before us Summoned could do anything." He is Not Sure. Not in the slightest. "But I'll tell you if I see her."

[thearchangel]

"Doesn't take more than one to make someone a slaver." In his oh so humble opinion. One was too many. One was always too many.

A shake of his head. "It's just what should be done." It's not 'nice', necessarily. It's right. The correct course of action. "They didn't last long when they ran into me, back in out world."

At least one of them hadn't. It ended... badly. For them.