By the time it became clear to him that something was wrong, the Reapers had hit Palaven and there had been no time to dwell on it. It was only when Shepard appeared like a mirage made real on Menae that the full weight of his condition had settled on him and he began to dread what was to come. Although he hadn’t been there to watch her deteriorate, he had seen his mother in the end stages of Corpalis and it had torn his heart out a piece at a time. She couldn’t remember her own children, couldn’t remember what she’d eaten right after the nurses took her tray away. She’d died alone, surrounded by her family. That was not a future he wanted for himself, or for Shepard
( ... )
Videotape 2
anonymous
October 15 2012, 21:24:19 UTC
“Shepard,” he choked out past the growing lump in his throat and lightly grazed his fingers across her face on the screen, the only thing he had left of her
( ... )
Videotape 3
anonymous
October 15 2012, 21:26:00 UTC
There were no hospitals that could take him, and Solana wouldn’t allow it anyway. She refused to let her brother waste away in a hospice when she could take care of him, and had to shout down the elder Vakarian several times before he finally gave in. Helos Institute had been in large part destroyed, along with most of the salarians’ research into Corpalis Syndrome, so even if they’d been close to a cure after Garrus’ donations so long ago there was nothing they could do now. He was resigned to his fate, but it frightened him nonetheless. Even as everything else fell away, he clung to Shepard’s memory. He sometimes imagined he could smell her hair, or hear her calling to him, and Solana had to lock the doors at night now so he wouldn’t go wandering around by himself in the middle of the night, looking for her. His human, his mate, the woman he was lost without
( ... )
Videotape 4, end
anonymous
October 15 2012, 21:27:35 UTC
He still didn’t know why he’d do that, but he wasn’t sure of anything anymore. This female turian with the blue markings on her face seemed to want to help him, though, and there was a small part of him that said he could trust her. “Okay,” he said and sat on the couch.
As the video played, the one of Shepard confessing alone in the small hours of the night, Garrus watched with a blank look. Solana searched for any sign that he knew the woman on the screen, but he just stared like he was watching the news or something. She went to get the bottle of pills from the cabinet and a glass of water. “Garrus, it’s time for your medicine,” she said, and he took it obediently.
“Between Project Lazarus and working for Cerberus, I was having a hard time making sense of anything. Nothing was the same as I’d left it, and I was sort of . . . drifting with nowhere to anchor,” said Shepard, her voice tinny and small in the speakers
( ... )
Re: Videotape 4, end
anonymous
October 15 2012, 21:41:42 UTC
Oh... oh god. I should have known better than to read this at work. Reading this hurts so much and I feel like I've been emptied out with nothing to fill the void, but thank you so much for writing this, a!a.
Your prompt was one of the few I've seen that stayed with me for days, just kinda sitting there demanding that I do something with it. I'm just glad you're happy with it, OP, and thanks to all you lovely anons who are leaving comments. Sorry for breaking you, though.
I need a good fluffy Shakarian kid!fic now, I think.
Re: Videotape 4, end
anonymous
October 16 2012, 17:10:26 UTC
Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. Tears in my eyes, and I can honestly say that's a first, no matter the great fics here. Inspired, understated, well done. Very well done.
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As the video played, the one of Shepard confessing alone in the small hours of the night, Garrus watched with a blank look. Solana searched for any sign that he knew the woman on the screen, but he just stared like he was watching the news or something. She went to get the bottle of pills from the cabinet and a glass of water. “Garrus, it’s time for your medicine,” she said, and he took it obediently.
“Between Project Lazarus and working for Cerberus, I was having a hard time making sense of anything. Nothing was the same as I’d left it, and I was sort of . . . drifting with nowhere to anchor,” said Shepard, her voice tinny and small in the speakers ( ... )
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Very, very well done. I'd give you all the cookies but I think they are covered in tears.
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*bookmarks, will puddle again*
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I need a good fluffy Shakarian kid!fic now, I think.
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Tears in my eyes, and I can honestly say that's a first, no matter the great fics here. Inspired, understated, well done. Very well done.
*sniffle*
Thank you A!A. Very very well done.
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Thank you for this sad and beautiful story.
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I almost want to ask for an alternate ending where they meet that the bar. orz
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