{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

[earthborn]

"I haven't fed 'em in months," She admits, knowing he's been up there far more often than that. But she always remembered them as alive, and so they always were, "Chambers used to feed 'em for me, when I was busy. I wonder what happened to them."

Easier, perhaps, to focus on small things, than the big. She could affect the fish, at least for now. The rest was out of their hands.

[thearchangel]

"Not sure about them. I know you had them again by the time I got back." And it was a good thing to see. A welcome thing to see. Like everything was back as it should be. He chuckles a bit, before he adds: "You did tell me you found the hamster down in engineering, living in the floor cables."

How it got there was beyond him. But talking about this is nicer than dwelling on what the hell is wrong with the big storm on the literal Horizon.

[earthborn]

"He was what?" Hamster in the engineering subfloor? Shepard checks herself, not quite all the way into the CIC, one hand still touching the wall, "You know, that's the first time I've genuinely thought I might've made a mistake going back to the Alliance? What's wrong with those people? He's a hamster, he's not hard to contain— hell, he lives in a tank!"

Distracted is the right word, after all. The CIC is, as usual, eerily silent as she stalks across towards the elevator.

"He could starve down there!"

[thearchangel]

He can't help it. He tries, as usual, to hold it back. To save some kind of dignity, or professionalism between them. But it doesn't work. It never does. Her absolute indignation over the hamster has him start to laugh - it's that light, wheezing noise that sounds more like coughing half the time.

"Because of the hamster?" he manages. "Ditch the Alliance, defect for real, because of your hamster?"

Why is this so funny? It shouldn't be. Yet here he is, trying his best to stop himself from laughing. "You found him. You have a knack for finding things, people, who need you."

[earthborn]

"Well," She has to admit that, yeah, that might be a step too far. But still, it was ridiculous; he was just a helpless little guy! They ought to have kept him from falling through the cracks, literally or otherwise, "No, but. C'mon, Garrus. It's not right."

It isn't! But the laughter in his tone, the comforting presence at her back, that's soothing her ruffled feathers, despite herself.

"...Now I'm imagining him setting himself up as a miniature vigilante. Thanks for that."

[thearchangel]

"No, of course not. No way he toughed it out on the crumbs and crackers the engineering staff left be--" Nope, he can't. He's wheezing too hard, his head drooping to lean against hers. Helplessly laughing.

"Sorry - I'm sorry. It just..." In the face of everything. The weirdness, the icy weather, the fact they're here. It hit him in a way he hadn't expected.

"Oh don't say that, you're going to set me off again."

[earthborn]

Shepard makes a face, but it can't last; he bends down, pressing the breath of his laughter against her hair and shoulders and she lets go of the grumbling with just a little reluctance. She's right, after all.

But better than shouting about people who wouldn't remember or likely care even if they could hear her, is the weight of him against her, temple and cheek.

"Laugh it up, Vakarian," He apologizes, or tries to, and so she reaches up and back, to cup his head at the back and hold onto to him, bring him closer as the hysteria subsides, "You alright?"

[thearchangel]

It's nice. To stand here like this, in the middle of a warship, with the war miles, and universes away. He won't give voice to those thoughts - not for a while. But he'd seen the weight of it wear her down, seen the strain push her places that worried him. Here... at least, the fights never felt so daunting.

Here, at least, there were times you could just lean into someone, hold on, and know they'd be there the next day.

"Right now?" he asks instead of an answer. His voice is that low pitched hum in air and bone. "I'm more than all right."