Instead of video messages, Thane left Shepard a greybox like Kasumi's and it's a compilation of places they've been to, moments spent together, his trip on Earth. But they're mostly in bits and pieces because of the state of the greybox. Finally when it looks like the end of the message, Thane offers his hand to Shepard and they're shocked to find that they can actually feel his hand. He smiles softly before gently pulling Shepard in closer, their surroundings changing. There's a beautiful night sky, tiny specks of glowing light dancing around them. They're both barefoot now and...sand beneath their feets. The beach. The subtle sound of the ocean and the waves barely reaching them. Shepard almost forgets that this is all just some kind of elaborate holographic message. Still, leave it to Thane to recapture every detail perfectly.
Thane leads them into a slow dance which turned into something less of a dance and more embracing one another as they move together side to side. Eyes closed and foreheads touching, they stay that way for a moment. It truly felt as if time stood still. Before it's all over, Thane takes a deep breath, one hand softly caressing their face while another still placed at the small of their back. He gazes into Shepard's eyes and his voice came out almost quiet, "Siha, I-".
It cuts off and Shepard is now standing in darkness, a reminder that the greybox was severely damaged and the rest of the message was never properly recovered. Each time they replay it, a part of Shepard dies with it too, mirroring the fragmented memories left behind.
