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@optimizefiringalgorithms
outofuniform;
Flash, random-ass, icon crankin’ out giveaway!
Reblog for two points/like for one point (3 points max; don’t reblog multiple times) towards a giveaway for 15 custom 100x100 icons of your character (or your character’s faceclaim) which I will make myself and then send to you.
Must be following me.
Ends in an hour. (11:00 PM Central)
Go!
ruthlessrenegade is in the vicinity
"Shepard," Garrus greeted his CO with a short, polite nod as she approached, a typical way to acknowledge a superior that you had a good relationship with. Typically, he spent his shore leave alone, occupying himself at a range to work on his pistol and shotgun accuracy, but Shepard had indicated that she wanted to speak with him. He wasn't sure what it was that she wanted to discuss, but her tone was pleasant, so it likely wasn't anything bad. Maybe--just maybe--he wouldn't be by himself this time.
"You're not here to remind me to do that r--" The turian nearly told on himself right then, but cleared his throat to cut himself off before she could get any ideas. "What do you usually do on shore leave? Not that...that's any of my business." He shrugged. "Just wondering why you're here and not wherever you usually go."
fallout;
To say that Commander Shepard had a tendency to make people feel uncomfortable was a complete understatement. Glowing scars, a reputation in the military that happened to follow her everywhere, and a face that some would say that only a mother could love… It was easy to see how some people were a little more than intimidated by the biotic. She wondered whether or not her physical appearance was a significant enough reason as to why many people out in the galaxy did not find her “conventionally” attractive. There had been a number of times where random people had come up to her and drunkenly explain how she was “different” and how they were into people that weren’t normally considered attractive. All those terrible pick-up attempts were usually returned with a rather explicit request for them to shove it… and sometimes even followed by a punch to the groin. Akane was a damn hero to the galaxy; to settle for someone who treated her as some sort of strange niche fetish criteria would be an insult to all she had accomplished in her life. But, for someone who undoubtedly did not care about what others thought about her, she seemed to be awfully aware of the fact that the thought of making Garrus feel uncomfortable was not a pleasant one. It made her feel vulnerable… and soft. Even scared, given the fact that she was not used to having such feelings because of someone else. Nobody had gotten to know her well enough to observe such things, but there had to have been some moment in their brief and intimate time together that Vakarian realized that her walls of self-preservation were tall for a reason.
Even the first human Spectre had self-esteem issues when it came to her looks, her decisions in life, and just her personality in general. People rarely changed in this life, or so Shepard believed. And at her age, the biotic was unlikely to have a complete overhaul of her values and beliefs. If anyone was going to try and be with her in more than just a platonic relationship, hopefully they would be able to accept that the Commander was who she was… And there was very little chance that any of that would change. Something told her that the turian sitting next to her accepted her… flaws and all - but still, there was always plenty of time for her to screw things up, somehow. As his calloused talons ever so slightly brushed against her thighs, Akane wasn’t even sure if this was out of sympathy or desire. Either way, her body completely froze and went into shock.
His touch was more than welcome just days ago… So why did this feel so different? Not that it was unwelcome - but perhaps the sober perspective added a sense of genuine feeling behind it. Was that what scared her? The fact that the both of them had mutual feelings for one another? Or was it the looming possibility that he would leave her alone in a cold and empty bed again? Either way, the second his hand pulled away from her thigh, she wished it were right back, pressing into her flesh. Even with the cold bottle of water balancing in his hands… his body temperature still managed to be warm. Was this a trait of all turians? Or perhaps it was just Garrus. A pathetic longing in her heart nearly caused the adept to lunge back out and place his hand back on her body, but before she knew it, he was off retracting into his shell. So much for that initial reaction of shock.
“I think about us too, Garrus. A lot.”
There it was… her slight confession of the fact that there was hardly ever a moment where the woman was not thinking about everything that she could possibly lose in this war. As daunting as it was saying those words out loud, the way that the phrase ‘us’ rolled off her tongue made it feel so natural. Please tell me that we’re thinking of each other in the same way, her voice silently pleaded as glowing crimson irises were fully enamoured with the blues glancing over at her in Vakarian’s peripheral vision. Fire and water never really did mix well together, but something told her that his ocean hues kept her cool and grounded in a galaxy filled with chaos and destruction. Without him, everything in this screwed up universe would have probably consumed every shred of humanity in her. She was ruthless, but she was still a damn human being with feelings and emotions and being with him was like coming home - there were still times where she would feel vulnerable and hesitant, but there was nobody else that she would rather be with and share such life changing experiences. Every word of regret was just another reason for her to shuffle just that much closer to him. Akane needed to put a stop to all of his self-doubts. To her, soulmates were something that remained mostly in fairy tales, and in all honesty, it was way too early to call what they had a real relationship… but there was no denying their chemistry together. So for Garrus to start imploding and backing away… well, it was terrifying. Shepard had put her heart and soul out there - or as much as she could, given the circumstances. If Vakarian was to take that away, she too would be devastated beyond repair.
“Don’t, please ––” her hand slid to wrap around one of his instinctively. Was all of this passing her by due to a harmless touch of her thigh? Shepard had never really taken Garrus for the closed off type, but if it was reassurance that he was looking for, she would offer it in whatever what she could. He was a shy guy, sure, but aloof? Never with her. A small squeeze to the hand was offered before Akane spoke up again. “We’re taking things slow, but that doesn’t mean you can’t touch me. I mean, in front of the crew is a little different, but here,” her free hand gestured around the cabin, indicating all the different possibilities, "… Here, we can just have fun and see where things go. We’re hardly what you’d call a traditional pairing, anyways. This is all about learning and getting to know each other better, right? ––”
In typical bold fashion, her upper body leaned forward to croon into his neck. While turian anatomy was drastically different from human anatomy, the CO figured that leaning in to softly breathe down his neck and murmur a few choice words were pretty standard in the language of physical intimacy. His ears were nearby and around his fringe somewhere… Right? To Hell with it… Her body slithered around his, despite the initial awkwardness of trying to manoeuvre around his hulking figure. Chafing was also another thing that she kept in the back of her mind. They could still have a calm and relatively quiet night of just talking while she sat on his lap, right? What could possibly go wrong? An arm extended towards the bottle of Tupari that was still resting on the table top from before she had completely positioned herself on top of him. She took another sip before casually making a bit of a joke -
“I’m all about hands on learning, Garrus. You know that. So, any way we can salvage some conversation? Or should I just fall asleep right here?”
The problem with having interests that involved numbers, calculations, statistics, and probabilities is that one might find themselves applying it to anything and everything in their life, analyzing and over-analyzing every situation they ever found themselves in. Garrus, unfortunately, was one of those overly analytical types, the same information over and over in an attempt to get the figures he was looking for. It wasn't that he was trying to somehow predict the future, rather, he was trying to make better decisions. Instead of numbers, what usually came out was fragmented or run-on sentences, spilled in quick succession as he tried to process the information before him. It caused others to pause whenever this happened, as they didn't realize that they were hearing his inner monologue at that moment, and likely assumed whatever he was saying was nonsensical. He'd already done something similar with Akane several times, but was working on better organizing his thoughts before he started speaking to prevent that from occurring as often. After all, when he started to ramble, it wasn't hard to see that it was something he did when he was anxious, excited, or scared. When it happened with Shepard, it was likely due to anxiety. Don't mess this up again.
Still trying to think of a better apology, he hadn't noticed her movements until her slender human digits slid in between his larger ones, the unexpected touch almost causing him to release the water bottle he had been holding in his other hand. Just about everything he'd done--running out on her when things got heated, getting too intoxicated with her, and stumbling over his words when he was nervous--would have scared away any normal woman by now. But, Akane wasn't your typical woman. Sure, she was built the same as other females of her species--perfectly normal variations as far as height and weight, a voice was created with only one pair of vocal chords, hair of varying lengths and thicknesses covering her body, and other typical features of her kind--but she was far from normal, at least, in his eyes she was. The glowing scars that appeared to be carved into her face reminded him of molten lava breaking through the cooler and slightly solid lava at the surface, something he'd only seen once in an educational vid he'd viewed in school as a young boy. Perhaps the uniqueness of them is what attracted him to them. Either that, or the fact that he too had his share of visible scarring to his face.
When her grip on his hand tightened, he found himself finally beginning to relax, rather than stiffen up more, like he was slowly adjusting to physical interactions with her. Of course, he tensed up again and his breath caught in his throat when she climbed into his lap and got settled there. It was the feeling of her body pressed into his again that triggered that reaction, he assumed, since the last time they were touching this much, he was on top of her on her bed. Calm down, he told himself. Don't give in to temptation this easily. Akane seemed interesting in keeping things light, happy, and friendly, even though she had to have known that her breath ghosting over his neck would get to him a little bit. Turians were known for remaining cool and calm in even the most stressful situations, and by the Spirits, Garrus was going to strive to be a shining example of his species for once. If that meant creating new algorithms in his head to keep his mind from wandering off to places he didn't think it was appropriate to go to, so be it.
"Wh--I--" What did she say? Hands on learning. Garrus knew what that meant in general terms, and while he tended to be more of a visual learner himself, he also knew that interacting with something--or in this case, someone--was generally more effective than reading about it on the extranet or in a training manual. "No, I think it can be recovered." That definitely wasn't the first response that popped into his head, but after pausing for a few seconds to consider the other ones, he deemed that one as the most appropriate one. "You're probably the only human that could possibly get even the slightest bit comfortable against an armor-clad turian, you know." Mandibles slowly spread to create a small as he took a moment to make sense of the position she was in and how that could be comfortable in any way. She'd likely sat on worse, he assumed, but chose not to voice that particular assumption aloud.
Garrus wasn't where he could and couldn't place his hands right now, but didn't want to sit there awkwardly and appear uncomfortable when he wasn't at all bothered by what she was doing. Was he a little nervous about the closeness? Yes. Did that mean that he wanted her to move now or anytime soon? No. Even though the position she chose to get in caused a little spark of excitement in him briefly, he was able to smother it rather quickly before it caused him to act in ways that would have pushed the boundaries of this friendship. Still, he had to ask, "You said, 'hands-on learning,' so what exactly does that entail?" Surely, it wasn't what he had immediately assumed...right? After all, she'd reiterated several times that she wanted to preserve their friendship that was nearly ruined by some drunken antics in the recent past, so she didn't mean...? "I'm just looking for clarification, and where it would be acceptable to place my hands right now." One still held the bottle, the other rested on the now empty cushion beside him, but he'd rather put all six digits on her somewhere.
"Unless, uh, you really are just interested in sleeping. Not--not that I'm suggesting anything else but a relaxing conversation between friends." Foot-in-mouth. Wasn't that the expression to describe this situation? "Maybe I should stop talking. Seems like everything I say just makes things more awkward and less fun." Both shoulders twitched in a subtle shrug. "Tell a story or something so I'll shut up, please."
commander shepard was never one to follow a set of rules. at least not thoroughly.
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[ optimizefiringalgorithms ]
"Can you please explain why there’s a shaving cream bomb in my cabin, Vakarian?”
Her tone was sharp, annoyed. He knew that tone all too well and if he wanted to keep only one side of his face scarred, he knew better than to push the commander.
"Because if I remember correctly, I think I said no more booby-traps.”
A shaving cr--
"Ah--oh. That." Be cool, Vakarian; you can talk your way out of this and you know it. He chuckled softly as he reached up to rub the scarred side of his neck, clearly trying to stall as he worked on formulating an excuse for her. It wasn't going to be a lie, necessarily, just a little bit of an under- or over-exaggerating. "Zaeed must have put that there." Feasible; he didn't remember leaving a shaving cream bomb in her cabin.
"It didn't, uh, go off...did it?"
l- - - “It was, but you’re making kind of a mockery of it the longer you stand there and fidget like a damn clueless idiot. Tell you what," she intones, splaying out her fingers as though examining her nails even though all ten of them are currently hidden by polyurethane and plasteel fabric. "If it’s the main battery that’s making you into a coward, I’ll find someplace more private.”
Hopping to her feet, she opts not to explain further on her way towards the door. After all, she’s having way too much fun with this. When the pneumatic lock hisses to release the door, she holds up one palm, the leather-like fabric stretching a bit as she splays it out in that sort of ‘wait up’ gesture. “My cabin, ten minutes. Make sure you bring your spine. Ta, Garrus.”
With that, she’s out the door and into the elevator, grinning like an idiot. “Poor adorable bastard." - - -l
Garrus isn't entirely certain if it's her tone, her gestures, or her body language that causes him to remain still and silent as she speaks, but he does. He's not used to her being this playful, for lack of a better descriptor. She's not only trying to get a rise out of him, but succeeding, as evident by his clenched fists and narrowed eyes. Normally, it takes a lot to get to the former cop, yet somehow, Shepard seems to know not only where his buttons are, but how to push them just right. Damn her.
He tries to get a word out as she exits the main battery, but only manages to stutter, and it comes out as the door closes behind her. Ten minutes. The only logical thing for him to do is strip out of his cumbersome armor and put on something more comfortable and easier to get out of...should that be necessary for any reason. She'll likely back down from the challenge, he assumes, perhaps only using it as a ploy to get him up to her quarters. Of course, if she wanted him to go up there, why wouldn't she just ask? Shaking his head with a light chuckle, Garrus knew the answer to his own question right then.
Quickly, he removes his armor, piece by piece, each one hitting the floor with a clank until he's down to the skintight suit that acts as a buffer between his body and the heavy plating. Once he slips out of that, he immediately trots over to the crate that contains his civvies and throws them on, doing his best to make it in the short time she gave him to get ready and in her cabin. A glance at his omni-tool shows that it's been about four minutes, leaving him plenty of time to take the elevator up to her floor. Just to keep this little game going, he shoots her a quick message:
[text; cmdrishepard] Hope you're ready for me.
Her lips quirked when he gasped, a small part of her concerned she had pressed too hard against the tender flesh. But he settled in and flashed her a grin, which she echoed with one of her own. "Not a problem, Garrus. You know I like to take care of my crew, so you shouldn’t have to worry about that." She gestured for him to take the ice pack and moved to stand. "I’ll get you one more. I have a feeling that’s not the only bruise you got today." She raised one eyebrow and allowed herself a smirk, eyes knowing.
Shepard stood once more and retreated back to the kit for a second pack. She repeated her motions—pop, shake, turn—and returned to his side once more. She gave him a roving glance, eyes focused on the hunt for other injuries as they trailed from fringe to toe. "One way or another, I’d recommend you have Chakwas look you over—best to make sure you haven’t done more damage than you’re letting on."
She silently asked him to take the ice pack from her and he obliged, his fingertips just grazing her hand as they swapped them out, a touch that likely went unnoticed on her end. As he had just told her, he wasn't used to anyone ever taking the time to tend to his wounds, at least, not if they were fairly minor and insignificant like this was. She was his friend and he cared about her, and it was clear that she cared about him in the same way. So, why did it feel so odd to have her fussing over him? Even as she approached him with another pack, he found himself very tempted to wave her off, but didn't do anything of the sort. Maybe...he liked the attention.
"I think I'll be fine," he said, pretending that he didn't see her examining him. "Bruises and scratches when you're a turian are no big deal, Shepard. We're pretty resilient." With his free hand, he gestured towards the damaged part of his face with one finger, a brow plate raising. "A bruised shoulder is nothing compared to blast damage from a rocket, you know?"
—— “Oh," she began, pulling her jacket sleeve over her hand. "Well at least you’re telling me instead of letting me walk around all day without knowing, like most probably would’ve done." She chuckled curtly before wiping her cheek a few times. "Did I get it?" ——
"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "And, uh, I didn't say that it hadn't been there for a while," he admitted, eyes darting down to the floor. "Figured it might be time to tell you it was there. Looked like some sort of sauce or something. Can't imagine anything Gardener made was so good that you didn't think to wipe your face off after eating it."
—— “Uhh… why are you looking at me like that?" ——
"I think there's something on your face," Garrus replied, lifting his hand to point a plated finger at Shepard's cheek. "I'd offer you a mirror, but I stopped looking at those after Omega. And... I don't have a reason to carry one on me anyways."
[ ✿ hit me ]
✿ 10: French kiss.
l- - - It’s almost funny, watching the turian’s clumsy, awkward attempts at romantic gestures— the way he rushes over to put on horribly unfitting music, offers her a crappy vintage of some equally crappy wine, and then actually mentions that he’s taken lessons from Joker’s goddamn porno vids. She wants to laugh— really, really wants to laugh— but she holds back, because she knows once she does, this free entertainment is over.
"Wow. So you learned all this ultra-seductive shit from Joker’s vids, huh? You know, I never would have guessed." Yes I definitely would have. “Well, tough guy…”
She pauses a moment, splaying out the fingers on one hand to examine her nails. A smile creeps across her face, stretching out the scars on her cheeks and jawline in the process. “… lemme make a suggestion here. You want to impress me? Try one of these.”
No further explanation is offered, as she simply reaches both of her slender arms up, wraps them around the turian’s shoulders and neck, and pulls him close to her. Her soft lips meet his much harder ones before he has the change to protest, the pink muscle of her tongue spearing its way past both sets to eagerly seek out his own. She mutters a soft ‘mmmn' during, before finally pulling her lips away and giving him a wink with her glowing red and green eyes.
"… that’s not a thing they do on Palaven, I’m guessing." - - -l
fallout;
Shepard liked to think that there were some occasions where turians were able to at least relax and have some form of fun amongst each other. Then again, mandatory conscription from ages fifteen to thirty were more than a simple indication that their culture was vastly different from human culture. On Earth, and even on the ships that her parents served on, there was always an emphasis on childhood, and staying young and foolish, as long as nobody was endangered. Always grateful for the principles that were bestowed upon her from her parents and the officers that she had met along the way, Akane was well aware that taking your duties seriously was the utmost important virtue when it came to work. But for her, if there was no separation of work and her personal life, she was not sure if she could handle the constant pressure on her shoulders.
Besides, the image of Garrus huddling around a bunch of other young turians and gossiping about potential crushes or silly things was much too far-fetched to actually be true. If anything, he was probably the kind of guy who sat in the back of the crowd and observed. Better yet, he could have been the dork who liked to list off specs of the latest gadgets that were flowing through the base where he was stationed at. Essentially, her brain was trying to tell her that the badass vigilante that she had been secretly falling for… was probably a total nerd in his youth. And to be fair, she was totally okay with that. Aside from being a relatively sensible child to raise, Akane liked to classify her youth as a strange rebellious phase. What was the term that was always tossed around? Army brat? Yeah, that was probably it.
“Oh… Uh, I guess it counts. I was moreso thinking about a bunch of adolescents staying up late and swapping embarrassing stories and playing games…––”
The camping story came to her as no surprise and it brought a small smile to her lips. Shepard had never been camping herself… unless you counted small little excursions off-shore with her parents. But really, the idea of roughing it out in nature and exploring was rather intriguing for her. Turning off communication capabilities on her omnitool for a few days… sleep in a tent… and just forget about the galaxy and all of the problems with it - - - that, to her, seemed all very relaxing. Unfortunately, given her rather extraordinary position with both the Alliance and the Reapers, there was little to no time for such things. Dreams of escaping her problems would continue to remain in the back of her mind for months on end. But deep down, she knew that saving the galaxy was a far more important priority than running away from her responsibilities. Still, a vacation would be nice. And not the type of bullshit vacation that was six months long and was a result of being under some form of house arrest.
As her body settled into one of the corners of the couch, hands eagerly opened up the bag of chips. Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet was important to her endurance while on and off the field… But any biotic would tell you that snacks, even the empty calorie types, were essential in their daily life. Besides, most of the Normandy’s crew had moved past the ridiculous comments about her dietary needs. It was just as essential and as strict as Tali’Zorah and Vakarian’s needs as dextro-amino consumers. And now, with multiple biotics on board the ship, the Commanding Officer could hardly comprehend just how much food the ship went through on a daily basis. Shepard, Liara, Kaidan, Javik… And out of the four of those names, it was most likely that Akane was the ultimate grump when she was not fed. The whole affair was like clockwork. Every three to four hours - otherwise, all hell would break loose… Starting with her attitude. Luckily for her, Garrus hadn’t noticed the abundance of nutritional bar and candy wrappers that were piled high under neath her desk in the waste bin.
“It’s pretty nice. Traynor was saying that this was supposed to be Anderson’s mobile command centre, but, uh… Well, I guess we have him to thank for all the nice amenities,” the Commander shrugged slightly before munching on two or three chips and taking a long swig of her sports energy drink. She would never complain about having a more than luxurious quarters to return to every night. That, and the hot shower with proper water pressure was a great cherry on top of the cake, especially on the more physically taxing days and nights on the field. If there ever was a downside to all this personal space, however, it was the fact that there was almost too much of it. After decidedly ignoring the comment about her best friend being unable to really remember most of her chambers, Shepard boldly commented, “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know the place from top to bottom.”
Subtly, iridescent, crimson pupils examined any sort of indication of shock… Or perhaps a look of sheepish reaction. Once again, the Archangel’s phenotype continued to stump her ability to read him. It seemed as though the only sort of language that the biotic could understand was the direct verbal commands and phrases that left his mouth… And the explicit body language of his hulking figure all over her.
“Garrus…––” her tone softened ever so slightly, “I’m really glad we’ve… we’ve moved past what happened. It’s good to have you back. I, uh… I missed you. A lot.”
After placing his snacks down on the empty cushion on his other side, he started to twist the cap off of his water bottle, halting his movements when she started speaking. Her comment about getting to know her cabin well caught him off guard, partially due to the fact that it wasn't something he expected her to say, and also because it was almost as though she was implying that she was going to be inviting him up more often. If that was what she was planning, he'd have absolutely no issues with it. Still, his only response was a brief, slightly nervous chuckle, both eyes focused intently on the bottle between his hands. Being in her presence in private made him happy as well as a little anxious, no judging eyes of the squad or crew on them trying to figure out what the status of their relationship was currently, but foggy memories of what could have been popping into his head repeatedly. Did people think they were sleeping together? Based on some of the sideways glances he received from a few of the engineers, people suspected something. In all irony, something had almost happened, but Garrus' sudden sobriety caused him to think more clearly and he got out before he could do something regrettable with his best friend. He still thought about her—every day, in fact—but knew it was in his and her best interests to take things slow and not push his luck. Even now, as he sat mere inches away from her, he felt like he was a little too close, but had no intention to move unless she asked him to.
Their relationship had developed out of order—almost. Usually, you met someone, got to know them, developed feelings for them, and then moved on to intimate acts. At least, that was the way Garrus thought it was supposed to occur. Instead, they had almost rushed right to the end because liquor had a way of making everyone who consumed it in large quantities to lose their inhibitions. If Shepard hadn't mentioned that she was intoxicated, he was certain that he would have gone through with it and regretted the entire thing immediately afterwards. There was that incident with the turian woman he sparred with years ago where he'd rushed into things, and Shepard knew how that turned out. Alcohol wasn't what drove his actions then--hormones and adrenaline were--but it was still something that he regretted doing after the fact. That woman didn't give a damn about him and saw him as an easy lay, nothing more. They weren't even friends and she refused to acknowledge his existence less than an hour after they slept together. Garrus didn't want that to happen with him and his CO.
The way Akane said his name caught his attention immediately, gaze shifting from the container in his lap up to her face without hesitation, their eyes meeting once again. "Yeah," he said, nodding once. "I'm glad, too." Garrus found himself caught up in that moment that one of his hands had released the bottle and drifted over to her thigh without him even realizing what he'd done. It was a momentary lapse in judgment, and the second he moved his armored fingers and felt something squishy beneath them, he not-so-subtly removed his hand and cleared his throat, embarrassed that he'd done something like that. "I…I'm sorry. That didn't mean anything, it was just…instinct?" He knew that didn't excuse what he'd just done, even if it was an innocent touch, but still felt like he was supposed to apologize and explain why he'd made that move at all. Don't mess this up. Don't mess this up. "I'm—I feel like I just keep screwing up," the turian whispered, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "You invited me up here and I agreed, assuming that I'd be able to behave and not think about—" Don't go there. "--what almost happened between us. I guess I was wrong."
What he almost said was, "and not think about how much I like you," but came to the immediate conclusion that saying that would have been worse than touching her again. Maybe he should just leave; remove himself from this place before he did or said anything else stupid. Of course, if he did that, he'd be going against everything he was taught as a turian, a man, and a soldier. You were never supposed to run away from things that scared you, threatened you, or made you anxious. Garrus had been told from a very young age that it was important to face things, no matter how difficult they may be, and that would have a better outcome than fleeing. Did that apply to this situation, or just military scenarios? It seemed like it could be applicable to almost everything one might experience, but he hadn't been had this issue before and didn't know what he was supposed to do. It was important to him that they maintained a strong friendship that never wavered, and if that meant that they'd never have any physical interactions beyond what occurred on the battlefield, he would accept that. After all, he valued her friendship above his own desires.
"I promise this won't be a problem." Sighing, he peered over at her out of the corner of his eye before continuing. "You're the only real friend I have, Shepard, and I'd be devastated if I lost you." Losing her to the Reapers was something that had a high chance of occurring and they both knew that, but losing her because he couldn't control himself was something completely different that he would never forgive himself for. When people died, you didn't see them every day, didn't have to walk past them in the hall, take their calls, or do what they asked of you, because they wouldn't even be there. Unless he was removed or resigned from the Normandy, he would be near her multiple times every day, and it would be exceedingly difficult to be in her presence if she hated him and didn't consider him a friend anymore.
"Just—Forgive me for being foolish, if you can. I'm not used to having…feelings." Both shoulders lifted in a brief shrug. "I don't know what to do with them. It won't be a problem, like I said." Turning to her again, he added finally, "I promise."
l- - - As expected, Garrus’ first reaction is skepticism, followed by stammering. She tries not to smirk— really, honestly tries— but she fails pretty hard, the wideness of her smile making the scars on her cheeks stretch and get somewhat more noticeable. ”It’s like pulling off a bandage, Garrus—" And there she goes using his first name for the first time this conversation. "—better to get it all over with at once. But if you want me to watch you pull everything off instead of just admiring the finished product, well.”
Peering leftward, Iseult rolls her shoulder a few times to loosen it up before sitting herself down on the crates that face the main battery access terminal, peering towards the turian with that still-present smirk. “That can be arranged. Like I said, I’ve got a few minutes. You want me to put on some music?”
Shepard was clearly "pulling his leg," as the humans said sometimes, because there was no way she would be legitimately interested in seeing her turian subordinate buck naked; no way. This was most definitely some sort of test, one where she was trying to see how far she could push him before he'd either give in, refuse, or somehow turn the challenge around onto her. Of course, he was under her command, not vice versa, so she could disregard anything he said without even providing an explanation, but he'd have no choice but to do whatever she asked of him.
"Is this an order, Shepard?" The turian rested his hands atop his jutting hips and lowered his eyelids, as if he was almost daring her to say yes. Other than the damage that stretched from the right side of his face down to his shoulder, Garrus wasn't necessarily worried about being seen naked in front of Shepard or the rest of the Normandy's inhabitants, as turians weren't much to look at, what with their hard plating and internal genitals.
a kiss was a profound gesture of affection. if a human wasn’t kissing you, there probably was only a physical attraction - but no matter what race you’re from, it’s just another way to get closer then previously was. the commander let out a rather breathy sigh from lips hovering just centimeters away from his mouth. a turian may be far from the body of an asari or human, but the man was attractive, none the less. it was always just in the way garrus held himself that had shepard lured in, like a fish to bright bait. she didn’t say a single thing - she didn’t need to. not when shepard was instantly going for that outfit that looked rather splendid on the turian. he looked so damn stoic and handsome in formal wear. not that he didn’t look good any other time, but that had specifically captured a pair of green eyes when she first laid them on the man this night. maybe that’s exactly when she started realizing her feelings true intentions. life was short. especially for her. she was going to for for it. at least for one night with the turian rebel. smaller, human hands didn’t waste a single second, undoing the buckles that held that formal outfit together. she was pushing with a lack of impatience before his top met the floor ungracefully, just like her own shirt had previously. both forgotten for the rest of the night until they were needed. when the war unfortunately called the two heroes back into it. the little gap she had created in undressing him, she filled again, pressing her body up against his.
The word "inappropriate" kept flashing in his head over and over, years of strict military training coming forward to tell him that was he was doing with his commanding officer was something he definitely shouldn't have been doing, especially with a human one. It was easy to ignore any logical thoughts or reasoning right now, his motions fueled by a dormant lust that he's had for Shepard for years, one he'd been able to contain until this evening. If he had come onto her before this, would she have given in just as quickly as she was right now? How long had she fancied him as well? Of course, there was a very high chance he would just be a notch in her belt, which he'd have to accept if such was the case.
Free of the clothing that covered his upper body, he was finally able to feel the wonderfully smooth texture of her breasts against his bare chest, the stark contrast enough to make the softest gasp leave him when their bodies met again. Since the females of his species didn't have anything on their chest except for hard plating much like his, he hadn't been able to understand or appreciate the fleshy mounds that hung from a human's chest. At least, he hadn't figured out why they were desirable until they were against him. Knowing that the area was likely sensitive, he snaked one hand between them to cup one of her breasts, talon-tipped fingers very gently pressing into her skin. Garrus watched her eyes intently, hoping that the choice he just made was a good one, and he hadn't made her the least bit uncomfortable or caused any pain. After all, this was all new territory for him, so he had to make the most educated guesses he could.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath. His free hand rested on her lower back, exerting a bit of pressure to keep her pinned to him. "I--really want you." The turian wasn't usually so forward, typically stumbling over his words, anxiously writhing his hands, or just being generally awkward. Tonight, he thought he'd try to just say and do whatever he wanted, rather than hesitate and talk too much.
l- - - “I'm not Moreau, Vakarian. I don't spend most of my time either slightly adjusting a steering column or browsing through exceptionally depraved extranet pornography," she returns flatly, seeming nonplussed by the question. She’s notoriously hard to unabalance or make nervous— but Garrus, on the other hand…
"Why do you ask? You offering to show me one?" as she nonchalantly looks down towards her nails, curling them into her palm and causing the leather on her Cerberus science officer uniform to crackle a bit from stretching. She keeps her tone flat and neutral, as if to make him as beat red as possible from embarrassment. “You want me to turn around while you strip? I’ve got a few minutes to spare." - - -l
"Wait--" Does Shepard want to see me naked? He almost twisted around to check that no one else was in this room, because she could not have been referring to him. After all, he was quite dissimilar from humans or asari as far as anatomy, so much so that he imagined she might be put off by his appearance. Her comment about the pilot and his extracurricular activities was likely made to let him know that she did not, in fact, have any idea what a bare turian looked like. Spirits, Joker had probably seen it all at this point.
"A-wh-uh--" Garrus stammered, trying to compose a proper sentence. "If I was going to take all of my clothes off, would it be necessary for you to face the other way? After all, if you were going to see me naked, what would be the point in looking elsewhere while I disrobed?" The words flew out faster than he could consider what he was saying to her, but it was far too late to take back what had already been said. This was a joke; she wasn't really asking him to do this... Right?
fallout;
Glowing eyes narrowed at the “NOT EDIBLE” label on the box before realizing what the turian had done. Of course, the woman always perceived her best friend to be clever, but mischievous? This was a different side of the former C-Sec officer that she was seeing… And she liked it. No, she loved it. There was nothing wrong with a bit of fun and playful humour - even if their mission was far more serious that any of them had ever faced. Pranks, as long as nobody was seriously injured or emotionally traumatized were allowed to take place on the Normandy. Shepard ran a tight ship, but it was certainly no dictatorship. Akane barked out a laugh before returning her gaze to the contents of the rather large and overpacked refrigerator in front of her. Hands rummaged through raw vegetables, fruits, some strange looking leftovers from a day or two ago… Where was the good stuff? A bottle of Tupari caught her eye before she grabbed one and closed the door… Only to wander towards some cabinets for chips or at least some sort of munchie-satisfying snack. There weren’t all that many options, considering she had to share with the rest of the crew. So, her appetite settled on a plain bag of jalapeño potato chips before nodding her head towards the elevator.
“Oh –– Yeah. I’ve got filtered water in the mini fridge in my cabin. Next time I hit the Citadel, I’ll pick up some other kinds of dextro beverages for movie nights or whatever…” her tone of voice seemed to give away a slight hint of being distracted by her own thoughts. In all truth, the CO was more concerned about whether tonight would somehow turn into a repeat of their night in Purgatory. It was almost as if she was policing her body and feelings for all that delinquent possibilities and scenarios that were running through her mind at a mile a minute. There was nothing wrong with desire and having feelings for someone, and yet, the woman was continuously telling herself that she was the only exception to this rule. At least for tonight, that is. The pair of them had just patched things back up from the colossal hot mess that was their night out drinking. Tonight was not the night to throw things away over some sort of juvenile fantasy.
A familiar chime from the ship’s elevator broke their moment of silence and Shepard and Garrus strode forward, only for the woman to press the button for the floor where her cabin was located. Once conversations were rolling, Akane knew that she could go on and on for at least hours on end. Most of her time was spent in solitary silence in her cabin… And on the battlefield and during missions, there was hardly time to have heart to heart conversations. Not that she desired them all that often - But Garrus was different. They were both reserved beings. And anything that was usually shared was significant in some way or another. The adept liked to believe that with enough time and opportunities, the both of them would be able to move past awkward phases of being uncomfortable with their prolonged silences and that they could simply enjoy it together. Shepard was still feeling a little self conscious from the events of last week - but deep down, his company was definitely still desired and appreciated.
“You ever have sleepovers growing up, Vakarian? Or is that just some sort of thing that humans do as younglings to divulge and figure out each others’ secrets?” the biotic chuckled before heavy metallic doors opened up to reveal the entrance to her quarters. Growing up as a spacer kid, Shepard didn’t have a lot of opportunities to understand childhood traditions while being surrounded by plenty of adults on the ships. That being said, her time in the orphanage in Japan gave her a small opportunity to witness some of the older kids get together in the late hours of the evening. A lot of them would simply ask invasive and nosy questions about their personal lives… Or ‘dare’ them to do ridiculously outlandish tasks. It was all terribly confusing for a small child, but in the end… And many years later, it was all a sort of gimmick to try and learn every strange and intimate detail about one another. She raised an eyebrow before asking a follow-up question, “or do you all act civilized and disciplined from birth?”
Akane walked over to the small fridge beneath her desk to toss the sniper a bottle of purified water. Luckily, with his fast reflexes, it was caught almost instantly. He was much better coordinated than someone like Traynor, who simply fumbled over herself. And before that there was Chambers… And then before that, it was Jenkins. She pushed the thoughts of other people out of her focus for the time being and hopped down the few steps to get to the bed and couch area. Knowing all too well what had happened on the bed, the Commander opted for the couch. It just… made things a little easier, she supposed. A hand absently patted down one of the cushions next to her to silently beckon him closer.
If it had been anyone else standing beside him as he rifled through the cabinets to retrieve his box of goodies, he wouldn't have gone for it, not wanting to risk someone saying something to the other resident dextro. Sure, he'd shared snacks with Tali before, but she had taken a few things without his permission, thinking it would go by unnoticed. She failed to remember that he was a cop, and it's very difficult to get much past an astute one like him, though she seemed to believe the opposite. It didn't matter right now, as what he'd been stashing wasn't anything that Akane could eat, and he knew she wouldn't go blabbing to the quarian without good reason. He stepped back until he felt like he was out of the way, watching her as she went through the fridge. She was rather intune with her senses, so it was very likely that she could feel his eyes on her right now, but it didn't bother looking away from her. Everything she did was interesting to him, even the way her slender human fingers grasped the neck of the Tupari bottle. Something changed after they almost got down and dirty, like he was able to see her in a completely different light.
He'd gotten so lost in his own thoughts that her remark didn't register initially, but he quickly nodded when his attention was back on what she was saying, not on what she was doing. Normally, he was so focused on whatever the task at hand was that his mind rarely wandered, but Akane had a way of distracting him from even the most mundane task. It was almost embarrassing that she had that power over him, one that she probably didn't realize she had. She could probably ask him to do or say anything, and he'd agree to it without a second thought, not just because she was his best friend, or that he was loyal to her, but because she had the most persuasive tone he'd ever heard in his entire life. Hell, she could charm the pants off of any potential suitor if she wanted. That, she had to know. He realized then that the alcohol hadn't been the only thing that had him drooling over her the other night; she just had this irresistible vibe coming from her, one that silently begged him to be near her.
The ping from the elevator brought him back to reality immediately, and there wasn't the slightest hesitation in his movements as he followed his CO onto the lift, snacks in tow. The last time they'd been into an elevator together, they were all over each other, practically burning through their clothes with the amount of friction they were creating. Of all the rather hazy memories from that night, this particular one wasn’t bad, but he cleared his throat to rid himself of the thoughts before they threatened to overwhelm him and make him say something odd. It didn't stop him from stealing a few glances at her out of the corner of his eye, however. Akane had to be aware that her appearance was striking and interesting, even to a man who shouldn't be attracted to her because she wasn't the same species he was. If anything, it was the differences that made her so appealing to him.
Garrus was glad that she'd decided to break the silence with the question, even if it was one that caused him to tilt his head curiously. "Sleepovers?" He scoffed as he exited the elevator behind her, one brow plate lifting. "I don't think any of us ever used that word specifically, but I guess I participated in a few of those." Her inquiry forced him to recall things that had occurred to him almost two decades ago, those memories buried under a heap of more recent experiences. Of course, it didn't help that he was trying to check out her cabin while simultaneously searching for an answer for her. "You have to consider that we're required to serve in the military from age fifteen to age thirty, which doesn't leave too many years before that to engage in parties, gatherings, or sleepovers." Had he gone camping before? Both brow plates shifted in towards the bridge of his nose as he struggled to remember if he'd done that or not. "Yes," he said aloud, answering his own question. "A handful of guys and I went camping out in a cave once. Does…that count as a sleepover?" Humans and the words they used for things, he thought to himself.
Being in her quarters while sober was quite interesting since he was able to actually check the place out, all the little details that were lost to him now crystal clear. Still, even as he started to commit the layout of the first level to memory, he was able to react fast enough when she tossed him a bottle of water, though he immediately went back to scanning the room once he'd thanked her with a nod. The turian could only imagine that the SR-1 more closely resembled the original hybrid design than this ship did, not that the differences were that extreme. It was still modern, sleek, and not the least bit fussy, with metal on the floors and walls and sharp lines throughout. As he started down the short staircase, he was able to see just how large the bedroom and living area was. When he was drunk, it didn't feel like it was that open, but it wasn't that bright in there either, which could also explain while it felt so small then. It was cozy, for sure. Garrus had spent so many years of his life on bunks or cots, usually surrounded by half a dozen or more people, so he was almost envious of Shepard's quarters.
His mandibles moved away from his jaw in a smile as she patted the spot next to her, a gesture that was known universally as "come sit with me." The former C-Sec officer didn't hesitate to make his way over to where she was seated and settle in next to her, that charm of hers working on him so well, and she didn't even have to say anything. "Nice couch," he said, leaning back to get more comfortable. "Or I guess I should be saying, 'nice place.' I know I've been here before but, uh, I don't remember much of it." It was an embarrassing admission, but true.
l- - - It’s hard not to smirk like a cat who’s just devoured the family bird when Garrus’ hands fly up and he immediately attempts to correct himself about the whole ‘naked turian’ thing. She’d laugh as well, but it practically takes a miracle to make her do that. “That’s an interesting thought. Come to think of it, I have no idea what the hell a turian looks like under all that armor— I’m either picturing a cactus or a body builder. Not sure yet.”
Yeah, she’s definitely smirking now, as she’s quickly coming to the conclusion it’s fun to try and knock Garrus off balance and make him visibly uncomfortable. He’s cute when he’s flustered. “Wouldn’t suggest running around the ship naked to confirm it, though— not in the public areas, anyway— because I might have to pry Chambers off of you with a crowbar if you do." - - -l
"Yeah..." She was right; the yeoman had expressed some interest in him the first time they spoke, though it wasn't like she'd said anything. What she did do was giving him a sort of knowing look, her body language indicating that she thought he was attractive, assuming he was reading her correctly. The way humans moved was still a mystery to Garrus, for the most part, but he was getting better at deciphering and predicting their actions with increased exposure to them. Of course, it wasn't easy to figure him out either, since turians weren't able to be as expressive as humans and asari were.
"I'm pretty sure I don't resemble a cactus, though." Brow plate raising, he averted his eyes down to his own body, head tilting to one side curiously as he thought about bearing prickly skin like that plant did. "Have you ever even seen a naked turian before, Shepard?" He knew that wasn't an appropriate question, not in the least, but that didn't stop him from looking up at her and asking it. "I'm guessing you haven't. We're not prickly. Clearly, I won't look like Vega underneath my clothes either."
l- - - “Hell if I know what anyone’s species does to commemorate a job well done. I’m mostly used to having my ass ridden in the least fun way possible in the even the best of outcomes. Oh, and authority figures— cough, the Council, cough— might also respond by jamming their thumbs into their ears and going ‘lalalala.’ It’s one or the other, really.” Somehow, she manages the entirely monologue without managing to sound bitter— a remarkable accomplishment for her. Instead, she sounds almost… jovially humorous?
"Vakarian, do I look like anything less than a woman of my word? I said anything, I meant anything. I mean, if you pick something stupid like ‘wear Jack’s outfit for a week’ I’ll still probably do it, but I’ll be pissed off and might kick your ass for it afterwards. Fair warning.” - - -l
"No, ma'am," he replied, shaking his head. "I think you're likely to do anything under the right circumstances." The image of Shepard perusing the Normandy wearing the tattooed biotic's outfit nearly caused him to laugh, but he held back, wanting to avoid that icy glare he knew he'd likely receive from her if he indicated that he thought was she said created an entertaining visual. Instead, he found that she he was picturing her wearing something less uptight and stuffy than her usual casual attire, but that thought vanished less than a second after it popped into his head. Shepard, in a dress? When cows fly, maybe. Or was it pigs...?
Clearing his throat, he tried this conversation again. "If your list of 'anythings' is long, it's safe to assume that the opposite list is short, right?" Garrus knew he he was pushing his CO's buttons and would discontinue such behavior if her tone, body language, or words indicated that he'd crossed a line, but wouldn't likely cease until then. It was kind of fun to poke at someone every now and then, even if it was your commanding officer. "I don't--" Know where I'm going with this. "Know about you, but little scares me or embarrasses me, for the most part. I'd run naked through the ship if given enough credits or a good reward." Almost immediately, his hands flew up, and he added, "Not that I want to run around naked, Shepard. Just giving you an example."
