redshiftlogs | questions (and solutions) of biology

WHO: Shepard, Garrus, Cho
WHAT: Meeting + Operation: Not Letting Garrus Starve to Death
WHEN: backdated to start of October
WHERE: Living quarters, labs
WARNINGS: TBA as needed

Garrus is here. On all levels except two, this is nothing but a relief. Shepard trusts him like she trusts no one else in the known universe. He's ridiculously capable, an amazing shot, the best guy to have at your back, and steady enough to have rolled with all the weird shit she's dragged him through. She thinks she loves him.

There's just two problems.

One - he's come from the future. The future where the Reapers have invaded. She needs to sit Garrus down and get him to tell her everything.

Two - he can't eat anything in this damn place. It's all set up for species from levo-amino acid-based biospheres, which is great for everyone else here. Whoo, no one gets to starve. Except Garrus. Whose biology is more dextro-protein.

Rufina Shepard isn't going to watch him starve. He won't. Not on her watch.

Which is why she's walking down the main corridor of Anchor's living area with a decidedly determined set to her face. "So," she says, glancing up at Garrus, "the people here are either human, or look it. Don't be offended if Cho's taken back at your dashing good looks."

(Well. Shepard finds Garrus very attractive, despite all her shit-talk.)

She lifts up her hand and knocks smartly on Cho's door. "Cho, you're there? It's Shepard, and- uh, my alien boyfriend."

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From behind the door comes the click click click of heels that Shepard has probably come to associate with Cho in every situation where they aren't meeting for a run. She’s asking her question before she even opens the door, but her guests can probably still hear it. "Did you say alien boyf-- oooooo." As predicted, there is surprise on her face when she sees Garrus standing there. It’s a fascinated kind of surprise, though, and quickly joined by a wide smile. "Neat."

In this situation, her heels do almost nothing to help her not feel tiny. She’s pretty sure nothing would help, where Garrus is concerned. “Are you reptilian? Is it rude to just ask that where you’re from? Please, come in.” She steps back and to the side, giving them both space to enter.

Her room is clean, but far from empty. In a stack along one wall, like a little apartment complex, are some animals in acrylic cages. Some of the cages are empty, however, with the animals wandering the room as pets might. The desk is taken over with scientific equipment, but the breakfast nook is free from any clutter. There are some paper decorations hanging from the ceiling that Garrus might run into if he’s not careful, and a few stuck to the walls, though what is far more numerous on the walls are drawings. Almost all in a photorealistic style, people in candid poses, usually smiling or laughing. Like snapshots.

Pffft. As if Garrus is overly sensitive about his looks. Well, he is in a way. If it means there is something about his person that Shepard doesn't find attractive, well then he might start to get a little worried. After all there had been a reason he offered, jokingly, to catch a few more scares if it meant he still caught her eye. Naturally the Turian has a quip on the tip of his tongue, but the clicking of heels is sort of distracting.

Garrus is also used to looking down when it comes to addressing humans or Asari. There's nothing to be surprised at, even if Vakarian isn't used to seeing heels within some kind of professional role?

"I don't think it's rude to ask," he replies. "On the other hand, it's rude when people assume. We're not reptiles, by the way. Try avian."

Welcome to Anchor, Vakarian. The labs are different here. Not a lot of lab coats to go around, and not many pairs of military-issue boots. Honestly, Shepard still finds it a bit weird.

Cho's footwear is, at least, a useful tell. Where she is. How fast she's walking.

And it's not that Shepard lets out a relieved breath, nothing so obvious. But she is relieved at Cho's reaction. Surprised, but interested. Not scared. Not terrified. Certainly no screaming, like humans in movies set in the past. (Also, there'd been that whole... First Contact War situation...) Which means they can all just sit down and get on with it, which is how Shepard likes to run things.

"Garrus is a Turian, from the planet Palaven," Shepard adds, glancing around Cho's room and moving out of the way to let Garrus in. "Still the Milky Way, but a different wing of it. So, Cho, this is Garrus Vakarian. Garrus, Cho Takahashi."

"Avian." Cho repeats it to herself, and her mind is already awhirl with comparisons to dinosaurs and questions about skeletal structure and musculature and several queries on a cellular level that Garrus may not even be able to answer. Can't help it. Her brain just doesn't shut off.

"Practically neighbours," Cho says, with a little laugh that makes it very clear she knows just how vast the universe is and how many light years it could take to travel between arms of the Milky Way. Existence is vast and she is an insignificant speck. She knows that. She's pretty ok with it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Garrus Vakarian from Palaven. Would either of you like some tea, or perhaps a snack? I have butter toffee." She lifts the lid of a little container on her dining table and leaves them to help themselves, if they'd like some.

Now Cho could ask all the questions she wants about dinosaurs... However Garrus likely would need her to explain what, exactly, a dinosaur is. It's not as if he is knowledgeable about everything that comes from Earth, after all. In fact, all he knows about chicken is that, supposedly, nearly everything tastes like it.

"Should there be a "Doctor" in there somewhere or...?" Garrus has to ask. Sometimes titles are important. People worked pretty hard to earn them, after all.

Then she offers snacks and he has to clear his throat. It's not that he doesn't appreciate the gesture. He does! However this is the reason that they are here...

"Ah, as much as I would like to try that butter toffee, I don't think anyone really wants a dead Turian taking up space. That's sort of why we're here."

Birds, Garrus. They are birds. Ancient, majestic birds. Well, some of them. Now, the only reason Shepard knows this is because one of the libraries of her shitty, run-down homecity didn't mind dirty street kids coming in from the cold to read books, and what she remembers is very patchy, but she remembered that much!

(If only because it gave her a new respect for pigeons.)

That part of Shepard is quietly mourning the toffee even before she shakes her head in refusal. It would be rude, at the moment. Even if it does look delicious, like pretty much everything Cho cooks.

"The biospehre of Palaven is based on dextro-amino acid lines. Still carbon, but..." Well, Cho's a biologist. "There are things Garrus isn't allergic too," like, and the narration is just pulling this example out randomly, Rufina Shepard herself, "but that's not the same as being able to live off it.

So. Can you help?"

questions (and solutions) of biology

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