When in doubt, act petty and childish [Open]

[earthborn]

Who| Shepard, and probably Pruna, Sandy, Duck, and Pillow Fort, and OPEN
What| Pillow Fort!
Where| PILLOW FORT IN THE TRIBUTE CENTER LOBBY
When| Last week or so of the Arena
Warnings/Notes| Pillow Fort, harsh language, possible description of drug use and/or arena doings, Pillow Fort

It took an enterprising mind to understand the subtleties of this art-form. There had to be balance, and tension, or your structure would collapse. Even the most durable of available materials was squishy at best, and you always ended up wanting another inch of length on the roof, another few grams before supports collapsed, or bent. And nothing, nothing would just stand there and hold itself up.

In the end, they’d resorted to thumbtacks, hammered with a shoe or pressed in, to hold up the bedsheets against the walls. Even so, it was better not to lean too close to the stolen couch cushions on the opposite side, or the whole left wing might come down with a series of pops and pings. Well, it was probably fine, it wasn’t as if this were some kind of permanent arrangement, after all.

What? What is she doing? No, not doing, it’s all done.

Shepard has built, with a little help, a pillow fort.

Well, it’s more than just a fort, it’s a castle, an edifice! It took up nearly the whole of the Tribute Center Lobby with a riot of bedsheets, pillowcases, safety pins and couch cushions. Calling it a mere hidey-hole would not do justice to the thing. It’s art. It’s filled with pillows and snacks and safe dark places closed in away from prying eyes. Oh, and Shepard too. She’s an adult, after all, and this is what grown-ups do.

It’s got a door big enough for anyone to crawl right in, and a boldly written sign that reads “Abandon Hope All Who Enter Here” with “bring snacks” scribbled along a corner.

Comments

[earthborn]

"Ah, Garrus, you know me so well. Knew I could count on you, c'mon in."

She's arranged herself against the back of a load-bearing wall—a couch, really—lying on her back with her legs in the air, ankle crossed, comfortably upside-down. Welcome to the land of pillows and blankies. Enjoy your stay.

[gunshiptotheface]

It was an interesting place, the blanket kindgom, but after a few moments of shifting himself around, he propped himself up on a small mound of pillows and handed over a bag of chips to her.

"I figured you wanted to watch a vid or something a little less... cushioned when you sent me that message."

[earthborn]

"Yeah, let's watch a vid. Ooh, there's me, using my biotics to pulverize biotically pulverizing someone's torso, or... We could watch your highlight reel. Pass."

Shepard might...be experiencing a little tension.

She let the silence sit there like a rock for a minute, chewing with both noise and chagrin on a fistful of salt and grease on potato-starch base. That wasn't fair, Garrus hadn't done anything to her; on the contrary, he'd been a big help.

"Sorry, it's just that none of these 'people' have the latest Blasto masterpiece. I was lookin' forward to seeing if the Elcor made it, too."

[gunshiptotheface]

Garrus went dead silent at the mention of anything he had done in the arena. He was rigid beside her, swallowing a few times against the pressure in his chest but he didn't dare make a comment about it. From her tone he could tell there was something there, an undertone of tension that he wasn't sure was disapproval from her or something else.

"Hm, I could go for a Blasto vid right now."

[earthborn]

"Heard he's curing the genophage this time."

She let her arm fall across his legs, a companionable weight. A lifeline. She wasn't sure if she was throwing one to him, or clinging to the one he represented.

"Shit, y'know who'd just love this pisshole? Wrex. Bet he could go a solid month without eating at all. And still keep going. Or Grunt? I bet he's got kids by now. I know Wrex has. If they're even alive," For moment, her hand spasmed around his knee, as if she couldn't decide there was more to fear in losing him, or in having him there, "Sorry, I just... I'm not glad you're here, but I'm still glad to have you with me. I've been here for more than a year, Garrus, and before..."

That was too far. They could still listen, in the Capitol, even if they couldn't see while she was inside her little cocoon of pillows and bad intentions. Shepard sighed, and wondered if he knew what she meant, then laughed, quiet and bitterly.

Did Archangel know loss? Did Archangel understand the point where you no longer cared if you lived or died, only that something had to blow and pretty soon you were going to be it? What a stupid thing to wonder.

For fuck's sake, Jane, you know who you were talking to.

[gunshiptotheface]

There was a beat that Garrus sat and listened, head cocked slightly to watch her before his own hand settled over hers. He understood, on a greater scheme that she likely knew, he understood where she was. This was another Omega, another long and slow battle with no end in sight, with no guarantee that either of them would walk away from this and there was a greater chance that they wouldn't.

Their lives were an unending series of trails, of battles that held impossible odds, but they still drew breath and still were there beside each other. His hand gave hers a gentle squeeze, reassurance that he was right there with him, both of them in the pit of this hell.

"Wrex wouldn't let something like the Reapers stop him from having kids, plus I'm fairly sure Grunt is indestructible as far as krogan go." He replied, quietly. "A year is a long time, especially fighting a never ending battle even with a team."

[earthborn]

"He told me Eve—I mean, Bakara. She was pregnant, last time I spoke to him," she whispered, with her eyes closed, and the bag crackled gunshot-loud as she fished for another mouthful. It was good. She could do this, forever, and maybe then everything would be fine, "Seemed pretty confident that they were his. And we both know how much the ladies love a Maw-killer like my boy."

She couldn't touch that last part. It had a coiled stinger, and a mean look in its eye: Shepard had learned the hard way never to stick your hand down into a dark place unless you were sure what was in it. And even then, it was better sometimes not to know.

Speaking of cowardice and hiding from the inevitable, "How's Thane?"

[gunshiptotheface]

"I'm sure Wrex will have more kids than he can handle soon enough." He chuckled and watched her quietly for a moment. He could see the frayed edges and dark lines under her eyes. It was not uncommon but in this place it caused him worry for her. "And then Grunt will be boasting that he finally got laid. I can't wait."

But at the topic change Garrus wasn't sure if she meant in the arena or what he knew from back home. It was the cowards way out but he rolled his shoulders in a shrug, "I haven't talked to him since I ran into him in the arena."

[earthborn]

"Great. That's just...wonderful," She's a pretty terrible person, overall, but Shepard's never had to think of herself as a Coward before. More proof that there's always a first time, for everything.

She thought about it, once or twice, asking how Kolyat was, but she ultimately didn't want to know. Either he was alive and well after the Reapers, or he wasn't, and knowing about it wouldn't change the kid's fate either way. Better to cling to hope than to throw oneself into the abyss.

"I'm kind of a shitty CO lately, huh?"

[gunshiptotheface]

"We've all had a lot on our minds Shepard," he gave her hand another squeeze of reassurance. "Not just you." Because really they all had been in poor communication with each other to varying extents.

"I'm sure Thane will be by soon enough that you two can catch up in several ways."

[earthborn]

"Is this the part where you bust out the 'reach and flexibility' advice? Because that story was plenty embarrassing the first time you told it, thanks."

Sex advice from Turians. Now her life is complete and she can die.

[gunshiptotheface]

"Heh,I think you can figure it out from here on your own, Shepard." He replied, only slightly embarrassed that she brought up that story again.

It had his mind on a tangent already, thinking about Tali and all of the work there needed to be done back home. He didn't even know if she could wait, or if she would, he didn't even know if they would keep a relationship going if she went back to Rannoch. Even still, he missed her, and found himself reaching for a beer and cracking the top on reflex.

"The flexibility is always nice though."

[earthborn]

"Thanks, asshole."

She waited, like a true friend, until he went to drink from it, then stuck her foot out and nudged the bottom of the bottle with her toe, so that it tipped too far and made a mess.

[gunshiptotheface]

Beer now entirely over the front of his tunic he looked at her with the most unimpressed look imaginable.

"You are the worst kind of person." He grumbled, then in a moment of revenge, upended the can of beer all over the top of her head.

[earthborn]

The only thing for that is to tackle him so that she could shake her damp hair out all over him. If Shepard has to be disgusting, so do you, Vakarian.

"Says the world's worst Turian."

[gunshiptotheface]

"We already knew that. Spirits Shepard, get off of me." He grunted and struggled for a moment to try to makes sure she didn't get more beer on him than she already had. It was impossible to dodge in such a small space and still ended up getting more beer on him than he wanted.