It is beautiful though, isn’t it? It will be years before we can live without our suits completely, but right now … right now, I have this.

greytaliesin replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

garrus/tali, turian sensibilities

There’s a certain way to woo a woman. Garrus never really had the Talk with his father or anything (that would have been pretty horrible for all concerned) but you don’t get through basic training without some understanding of the way the galaxy works, let alone the C-Sec barracks, and, well, he’s always been something of a romantic.

Even at the end of the world, apparently, because here he is with wine and chocolate on the engine deck, trying not to think about the last occupants (krogan, angry biotic humans and whatever-the-hell Massani’s deal was aren’t very romantic) or that rumour that Shepard and Lawson did it in front of the Tantalus drive core.

Humans.

Tali turns to greet him, and the rest of the engineers all suddenly realise they’re late forsomething.

“I got you some wine to go with the turian chocolate.” Garrus holds up the bottle and smiles. “It’s the good stuff, too. Benefits of a promotion.”

Tali’s eyes narrow, which means, hopefully, she’s smiling. “Tell me about it.”

She takes the wine and chocolate and lays it on the workstation, and that’s as much as Garrus was hoping for until she says, as if she’s feeling her way, ‘Are you wooing me, Mister Vakarian?”

“What?” Garrus blinks. “Uh, maybe.” He decides hell with it and nods. “Yes. Yes I am. Is it working?”

Tali laughs. “Garrus, we made out yesterday.”

“I know that.” Spirits, it’s hot in here. “I didn’t want you to think I didn’t- there’s a way of doing this- turians-“

“Oh keelah, you’re going all turian on me.” Tali covers her visor and giggles. “Look, I appreciate the effort, Garrus, but I like you without the fancy wine and the chocolate. It’s you that I want.”

“Well then.” Garrus purrs, raising an eyebrow. “Let’s try this again.”

Romance, Garrus Vakarian discovers, is overrated.

virusq replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

Tali/Kal, discussing the finer points of shotguns. Tali/Garrus, Tali admiring Garrus’ scars and the cultural impact they would have.

“A Katana?” Tali picks up the gun and turns it over. “That’s pretty old school, Kal.”

Kal’Reegar reaches out and takes his shotgun back. “No school like the old school, as the humans say.” he sights along the barrel, grandstanding a display of confidence for her. “It’s a good gun. Not as powerful as the Eviscerator, sure, but then it also has a bigger clip and doesn’t violate a bunch of weapons treaties.”

Not the important thing in combat, but it’s nice to know that the Fleet military isn’t going to bust his ass for carrying nonstandard gear, something Tali’s Shepard vas Normandy never had to worry about, he’s sure.

Kal puts it back on the seat between them, giving the gun a little pat as he sets it down. ‘Besides, I’ve had this one since Basic. Gotten kind of attached, you know?”

Tali nods, then looks down and does a double take. Lifting the gun again, she taps the barrel.

“Kal, why is there ‘Vera’ painted on the side?”

Kal pretends not to hear her.

—-

She’s never met anyone with scars like his before.

Scars mean battle. Scars mean the outside, mean danger and infection and death, all the things that her people have worked so carefully to avoid.

When she sees Garrus again, and notices the giant bandage covering his face, the shading of the textures where burned skin meets the unbroken plates, Tali can’t help but wince, the bottom of her gut falling away as she unconsciously registers the thousand different risks that he must have gone through, from the initial wound to treatment and recovery.

Shepard’s scars were neat things, healed ridges of skin, and the ones after Cerberus where more machine than anything, a red robotic glow that thankfully faded over time. But Garrus’ scars are raw and rough and real.

She traces them with her fingers, feels the flutter of his jaw as he tries to hold it steady.

“I know,” he half-jokes, that crack where sarcasm covers the truth. “I’m hideous.”

“Actually,” Tali says, feeling her way forward delicately, as she treads on broken ground, “I was wondering what it would be like to kiss them.”

missl0nelyhearts replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

Garrus re-calibrates Tali’s shotgun. and her omni-tool. and her workstation.

“What did you do to my shotgun?”

Tali storms into the main battery like a hurricane, feet clanking on the walkway. Garrus turns just in time to have the business end of the aforementioned weapon thrust into his face.

“Hey, now hang on-“

“Look at it, Vakarian!” Tali turns it so it faces him side on and shakes it. “Look at what you did!”

Garrus squints, raises an eyebrow. “I don’t-“

“The firing algorithms are all off!” Tali’s eyes flare like tiny twin suns. And maybe it’s Garrus’ imagination, but is her visor fogging up? “I was in the middle of a fight, Garrus, and my gun wasn’t interfacing properly with the auto-aim in my omni-tool any more!”

“Is that what this is about?” Garrus takes the shotgun and lays it on the workstation. “Tali, I recalibrated it for you!”

“I can see that.” she shoots back, her voice thick with rage. Garrus’ mandibles click with confusion.

“I thought you’d be happy.”

“Happy?” Tali howls, loud enough to bring Doctor Chakwas peeping around the corner. “I’ve been using that program for years! I could just point and shoot! Now everything feels weird and wrong!”

Garrus grimaces. “Then you probably won’t like what I did to your workstation.”

“It’s a good thing you’re hot, Vakarian.” Tali thrusts a finger into his face, waggles it for emphasis, and stomps off.

Garrus rubs the tips of his crest and sighs. Then a thought occurs that perks him up. he turns to the still-watching Chakwas.

“Heh. She thinks I’m hot.”

janiejanine replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

Garrus comforting Tali after hearing about Kal’Reegar’s death.

Keystroke log of terminal 184-79475, designation Vakarian, G.

Dear Tali

[deleted]

Tali, I heard on the extranet today that

[deleted]

Tali, I just heard about Kal’Reegar’s death. I wanted to write and offer my condolences. I know that when you lose a squad member

[delete key]

I know that when Sidonis

[deleted]

Tali, I don’t really know how to begin this thing I’ve been staring at this damned screen for over an hour and what I want to say is that I’m here but the words aren’t

[deleted]

Tali. I recieved word today of Kal’Reegar’s sacrifice on Palaven. You do not need me to say this, I am sure, but he was a great soldier. It was an honour to meet him on Haestrom and on the Fleet. On Palaven, we believe that the spirits of our squads live on in the valour of their deeds. I have asked that Reegar and his squad be remembered on the official roll of honour in the turian military.

If you need to talk, Tali, I am always available.

Garrus.

rhiannon42 replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

Garrus/Tali, “no, YOU can tell Shepard.”

Tali replaces her visor and pulls her hood back up awkwardly, fingers fussing with the edge.

“I wasn’t that bad, was I?” Garrus drawls, reaching out a claw to stop her hand.

“Shepard’s going to kill us.” Tali blurts out. “Or rather she’s going to kill me.”

Of all the names invoked post makeout session, Shepard wasn’t the one Garrus was expecting.

“What?”

“Garrus, I’m pretty sure Shepard has a thing for you.”

“Really?” Garrus scratches his chin, the hard edge of his armour rasping on the surface of his plates. “Because I thought she and you…?”

“Me?!” Tali giggles. “No! I mean, I offered to share suit environments once but you know it was more of a respect thing-“

She looks away. “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

Garrus remembers a talk about reach and flexibility that had seemed to go somewhere very awkward very fast, and laughs. “Humans, huh? They make fools of all of us.”

“She is going to kill me though. And then you’ll kill her in revenge, next thing we know you’re running the Normandy.”

“Exactly.” Garrus reaches out and tugs the edge of her hood down playfully. “It’s all part of my master plan. And now you know too much.”

They bump foreheads affectionately, plate tinking on visor.

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

drawgirldraw replied to your post: Curing writers block with spite

Tali/Kal’Reegar! (I will go down with that ship!) >:|

Tali’Zorah vas Neema is not exactly what Kal’Reegar expected.

He’s met admiral’s kids before. Hell, even had the displeasure of serving with a few in the Marines. They’re usually spoiled, stuck-up things, expecting their parent’s clan name to open doors for them and smooth their way- like things are hereditary on the Fleet, like democracy or whatever is a joke.

Tali… isn’t like that. She’s got this way of looking at things sideways (who else would have come back from their Pilgrimage with honest-to-ancestors geth data?) and a dry sense of humour that Kal supposes you develop when you save the galaxy from mythical monsters.

Honestly, Kal’s never really met anyone like her at all.

That first time they meet outside of duty, Tali sits next to him and her eyes crinkle in that way that means she’s smiling.

“Something funny, ma’am”? he asks, a little more brusquely than he intends.

Tali reaches over and brushes his hand, just briefly. “You’re not what I expected.”

Kal laughs, his suit making it tinny. “Well, ma’am, neither are you.”