thefolder | Take it in...

Who: Marley Rose (

wall_flower) and Garrus Vakarian (

calibrates_big_guns)
What: Marley has never met Momma Shepard's beau. Time for them to run into each other.
When: 7.6.13
Where: The cafeteria for the people who live in the Newbie Housing.

WARNING: May contain talk of eating disorders!

Slowly, Marley had begun to heal from the injuries she obtained in the Dark Field. The minor cuts and scratches no longer needed bandages or ointments, the burns and the deeper cuts only needed cleaning once a day, and she could actually walk with barely a limp. She still suffered from nightmares, but staying with someone who actually went through the exact same thing she did helped to keep them at bay. For a little while, at least. Still, she was at least feeling well enough to get food for Donnie, herself, and their partners.

Truth be told, she wasn't even all that hungry. Ever since she got back from the Dark Field her appetite was minimal at best. But she knew that Donnie was hungry, and that if she didn't try to eat he would say something. That was why she found herself in the cafeteria around lunchtime with her in a clean tank top and a pair of jogging pants, leaving the remaining bandages on her arms easily viewed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Seems like everyone knows her around here. Guess somethings never change.]

Yeah. She's a ... well, let's just say we're close.

[It still felt weird in a way to say that they were dating. She's ... well, she's everything every rumor and news story makes her out to be. He's just an ex-cop, who happens to be the best shot in the galaxy.]

"Close? How close are you?" She sat up straighter in her seat, readying herself if she needed to speak up in defense of Shepard. The woman might not be here to defend herself, but Marley's had a bit of experience in standing up for people she cared about. She's more than willing to do the same for Shepard.

Dating, boyfriend-girlfriend close.

["I don't know what I'd do without her" close.]

Marley's eyes widened as she stared at Garrus. This was Shepard's...Had she mentioned him before? If she had, Marley couldn't remember. Between her time here, and then the Dark Field, little things had been slipping her mind and it needed a little jogging before remembering.

"You're dating her? I didn't--I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

It's fine, I mean, I don't expect she went around telling everyone about her crazy boyfriend.

"I've not been...really all that perceptive lately. If she said anything, I...don't remember." Her cheeks burned and she dropped her gaze. That was embarrassing, admitting to not having paid attention to someone she cared about.

I take it you're one of the kids she's been helping.

[Garrus says, looking to move her away from that looking-down-at-your-shoes embarrassment]

She offered a small nod in response, though she kept her gaze lowered.

"Yes, I am. I guess. She's been extremely nice to me and some of the others. She...She's like a mom to us..."

[Shepard has a way of touching lives for the better. Giving them solace and helping close old wounds, teaching them to do the right thing, and even saving them from themselves. Garrus never thought of her as a mother, though.]

Sounds like her.

"She's been--She makes it easier being here. There's no one from where I'm from here, and she kind of reminds me of my mom, just a bit more...soldier-like." She smiled faintly as she set the food down on the table and moved to wrap her arms around her middle.

"It really helps, having Commander Shepard around. I think a few of us would have been in trouble without her."

Heh. [He lets out a soft chuckle, because of just how familiar that sounds.]

Saving things is kind of natural to her. People, planets ... everything. It's just what she does.

Marley smiled and glanced up at Garrus, her fingers subconsciously picking at the bandages wrapped around her arms. "I wish I could have known her then. But...I'm glad I know her now. Don't know what I'd do if she...you know..."

[He looks a million miles away for a second, while a certain sort of knowing smile creeps across his face.]

Yeah. Yeah, I know what you mean.

Marley took notice of Garrus' distant look and frowned.

"I'm...sorry. I said something I shouldn't have, didn't I?" This is all Marley's fault. The sound of Tina's voice in her head made her lower her gaze once more. She upset him. It was her fault. Right?

[And that pulls him right back to the present.]

No, no, you didn't. I just understand how you feel a little better than you might think.

"Oh...Okay." She still seemed unsure, her fingers picking at her bandages. After a moment of silence, she spoke up once more. A change of subject was needed, she thought...

"Did you...How long did you know her before you two got together?"

Two-

[Hh. Do you count the two years where Shepard was dead?]

The answer is a little more complicated than you'd think, actually. It's a long story.

Edited 2013-07-30 03:52 (UTC)

Oh. Okay.

[She nodded slowly before looking to the bag of food she had picked up for Donnie. It was probably cold by now.]

I wonder if they'd mind making more...

Take it in...

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