258292 réponses à ce sujet

[RiptideX1090]

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

[Azint]

Andaius20 wrote...

"His hear was pounding fast." you forgot a "t"

That's embarassing.

[Azint]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

Did you notice?

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

Did you notice?

How could I miss it?

[Andaius20]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

Did you notice?

How could I miss it?

[Azint]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

Did you notice?

How could I miss it?

As a reader myself, I get quite giddy when I spot the title in a work. It's supposed to be important when it does happen, and I hope it worked.

Modifié par Azint, 26 juin 2010 - 08:04 .

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

BRILLIANT work Azint. Truely remarkable. I'm quite impressed.

Did you notice?

How could I miss it?

As a reader myself, I get quite giddy when I spot the title in a work. It's supposed to be important when it does happen, and I hope it worked.

You couldn't have picked a better spot. I was impressed. Sincerly.

[Azint]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

You couldn't have picked a better spot. I was impressed. Sincerly.

It was entirely self-reflection for the two of them. I felt it was the most appropriate time to do it.

I'm going to continue my photoshop project until then.

[RiptideX1090]

Also, does the station have a name, or can I use mine?

[Azint]

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Also, does the station have a name, or can I use mine?

Go ahead, I was still trying to figure one out myself.

[khevan]

Azint wrote...

Did you notice?

Was the title drop you mentioned where Shepard was thinking that he once called Tali his angel?

If so, I only half got it, but the signifigance of it flew over my head until you pointed out that you'd done a Title Drop.

[Azint]

khevan wrote...

Azint wrote...

Did you notice?

Was the title drop you mentioned where Shepard was thinking that he once called Tali his angel?

If so, I only half got it, but the signifigance of it flew over my head until you pointed out that you'd done a Title Drop.

"...Shepard even jokingly called her an angel... he thought about how he managed to turn such a delicate and beautiful thing into his own monster. Was it all the death they have committed that morphed her?"

I like to think subtlety for such a literary technique would have class. I wanted to do a title drop, but I thought "Angel of Death" sounded too obvious.

Modifié par Azint, 26 juin 2010 - 08:16 .

[khevan]

Azint wrote...

khevan wrote...

Azint wrote...

Did you notice?

Was the title drop you mentioned where Shepard was thinking that he once called Tali his angel?

If so, I only half got it, but the signifigance of it flew over my head until you pointed out that you'd done a Title Drop.

"...Shepard even jokingly called her an angel... he thought about how he managed to turn such a delicate and beautiful thing into his own monster. Was it all the death they have committed that morphed her?"

I like to think subtlety for such a literary technique would have class. I wanted to do a title drop, but I thought "Angel of Death" sounds too obvious.

That's what I figured, and I applaud you for your choice of subtlety.  I'm just not used to looking for such subtlety (my own fault, since I tend to read quickly and miss little details here and there), so I wanted to make sure I'd caught what you were referring to.

Again, good job.

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

RiptideX1090 wrote...

Azint wrote...

Tali returned a piercing glare; her fists were taut, they were trembling. The dim lighting of the cargo hold accentuated her eyes, the soft glow was now stark. Shepard held his composure. Two sets of eyes stared at each other in the gloom. One was a wicked red, the other shined through a violet shroud. There was no encompassing void of stars to grant a soft light like the Kodiak provided, just the lone one at the ceiling. The only focus was on the two grim paramours.
 
They both had the same question in mind, but to ask for a different reason. What were they thinking? They wondered about the other.
 
Finally Tali mustered the courage to speak up.
 
“What was that? What were you thinking?” The fading alarm quivered her voice.
 
“What do you think? She had a gun on you.” Shepard said with indignation.
 
“Were you going to shoot?” Anger rose in Tali’s tone.
 
Shepard made an attempt to speak, but hesitated. Frustration was legible on his face. He glowered and turned away, Shepard did not want Tali to see this break in his fortitude.
 
“Does it matter? She’s dead, and we still have work to do.” He turned and began to move.
 
“Don’t walk away, answer me Shepard.”
 
He continued walking, “You got yourself out of it, good job. Now let’s move on.”
 
“No. I need to know what you were going to do. You had your gun on us, on me. The shot would have killed me, and you know it. Were you going to shoot? I need to know what you were thinking.” Tali began to follow, deliberation sounded in each step.
 
Shepard made it to the door Garrus exited from. The door did not open automatically as it was supposed to. Shepard frowned in annoyance and tapped on the grubby keypad beside it. The door was locked. He sighed and slowly turned around, Tali stood shortly in front of him, and her omni-tool was active.
 
A chime sounded, and a voice crackled through the hold. It was Garrus.
 
“Commander, the ship has now resumed course for the station. We should be there in less than an hour.”
 
“All right, Garrus. We’ll be up in a moment.” Shepard said in a flat voice. He took his hand off his ear and crossed his arms. Holding for another demand.
 
“Well?” Tali had just disengaged her omni-tool.
 
“You don’t get to make demands of me during a mission. I’m the Commander, and I expect you to fall in line and respect my orders. We were all in a volatile situation, and we were all lucky you got out of it yourself. Now is this going to be a problem? We still have objectives to complete, and now we have a dead turian on our hands.”
 
Shepard spoke to her as a soldier. As the same for his unit on Torfan, the same she received during her tasks for the Admiralty Board. The mission was fading, the surroundings were fading. All that was left were the two, each losing patience for the other.

Shepard and Tali made their way up into the cabin, where Garrus was lounging casually, his feet propped up on the console, and his hands folded behind his head.

"Glad you two decided to join me. I was starting to miss the tension." Garrus understood that jokes often helped humans relax, something he had learned from his team on Omega. He had developed a sense of humor during his two years apart from Shepard in an effort to become a better leader.

Judging from Shepard's expression, he still had a lot to learn.

Looking to Tali, he could tell she was angry, shocked, possibly scared. Definately hurt. He would probably feel the same way. He could certainly sympathize. Looking to Shepard, Garrus' mandibles drooped. He knew Shepard's past. He knew more about the man's career history than anyone alive. He knew what he did at Torfan. He knew what he had lost on Mindior. Shepard was tense, angry, devoid of emotion. He had only seen him like this on a few occasions, such as on Terra Nova. It was how he was with slavers. Shepard become someone else entirely. Sure, he was an unpleasant person on his own, but he had his moments. He suspected he and Tali had shared a few. But this was different. This was Shepard before the Normandy, the one who would put bullets in the brains of children if it would kill just one slaver. Tali understood it just as well as Garrus, but it hadn't done much to keep out the shock of what had happened; what Shepard had almost done.

They had time before reaching the station. If these two didn't get this sorted out, it could hurt their mission. Getting out of his chair, Garrus stretched out his neck, pulling at his armor, settling it on his collar bone properly.

"I'll be in the galley." Turian frigate, they should have something to eat. It didn't matter. It was just an excuse to get out of the room. The door closed behind him with a hiss.

Tali sat down in the pilot's seat, Shepard was already in the co-pilot's chair, his arms crossed.

There was an awkward silence.

"I know what happened on Mindior." Tali was the first to speak up, her eyes tracing over the stars.

"No you don't." Shepard too stared out into the great black void.

"Shepard, I know how you feel. How do you think I feel everytime I see a geth? They took my home and my family away from me. I've lost everything, just like you have." Looking over to Shepard, Tali felt her voice cracking.

"You're all I have left."

Shepard didn't do anything for a moment. Finally, looking into Tali's mask, he whispered hoarsely, "You're all I have left too, Tali."

Their hands met eachother's, Tali casually playing with Shepard's fingers. It was a rare moment of sentimentality. Or maybe it wasn't. It didn't matter. Tali needed Shepard. Her rage subsiding, she suddenly felt sympathy for him. She understood how he felt better than anyone, what it was to lose everything you had, and to feel pure hatred for those who took it. Had she not been willing to put a bullet into Legion? Had she not done things that would question her loyalty to him? Had Legion been aiming a gun at her, she was certain the robot would be little more than slag. Shepard had givin her the benefit of the doubt.

She could do the same for him. She loved him.

The cabin was small, just as small as the Normandy’s. There were no lights besides the glow of the control columns surrounding them. The stars passed by slowly, and they both gazed as the freighter moved through space. Shepard set his arms down; he relaxed, though he continued to sit upright. Tali lounged in the seat, she turned to look at Shepard who was still looking out into space. The two just had their first fight. This was a moment for them to breathe.
 
It was quiet.
 
This new silence was comforting, it gave them both time to reflect in peace. What happened in mere minutes lasted them hours, the anxiety now becoming exhaustion. Tali was terrified at what happened, it was not Pallin holding her at gunpoint that frightened her, but seeing Shepard pointing his own weapon at herself. Tali reflected; she had never seen Shepard take such a pause before firing. The man who killed remorselessly and for anyone who dared to stand in his way, he took a pause of her.
 
Was this significant? Most would have immediately yielded if those they love were in peril, but Shepard did not. Most would have done whatever they can to save whatever personal stake there was, and Shepard did not. But Shepard would have likely fired if it had been anyone else, but he did not. Shepard is not like most people, few are so ruthless. Tali could not figure out what to make of it, was this sign supposed to be a moment of distress that he could not save Tali? Or was it him deciding whether or not to actually shoot? The attention started to bring the fear back, Tali immediately dropped the thought. She did not want to relive that moment ever again, but she knew that it would haunt her.
 
Tali looked again at Shepard. He was looking at her this time, but he looked away. Shepard was seemingly composed, he made a weak smile. He also was thinking about what happened.
 
He thought about the last time something so personal was in danger because of a mission. He looked back at the event that just happened, it made him nervous. This has never happened before, true that there has been danger but never has it been so close to him, that it bothered him so much. He thought back about the mission through the Omega 4 Relay, everyone was in peril, Tali was in peril. But it was not an instance where the Reapers themselves came down to put Tali in danger specifically because they knew Shepard cared for her. This was different. He thought about how long it was for him to actually make a decision when Pallin threatened to shoot Tali, that was unlike him. He knew that this broke his stance, Pallin knew. She had to die, no one could ever know about it.
 
It was already haunting him, something actually got in the way of the mission and he was helpless. Shepard could not figure out what to do, he tried to remember what he was going to do but the thought could not come. No one could have read it, but he was actually afraid. It upset him to think about how a mission can fail because of Tali. He would never let the task go unfinished, but at the same time he feared for her.
 
Another thought struck him; Tali is a danger to the mission.
 
Shepard sat, dumbstruck. The shock for such an unrelenting man to realize that something he loves may conflict with his own compass. It was an unexpected and unwelcome recognition. Shepard again turned to look at Tali. He could not tell whether or not she looked back. His heart was pounding fast.
 
He quelled the notion, Tali was there for him. He was a monster, and she loved him. Tali was once compassionate, kind, and selfless, Shepard even jokingly called her an angel. Things changed. She stood by and watched him make amoral decisions, commit atrocities, Tali accepted him. She even joined him for his crimes. He thought about what it was she loved about him, he thought about how he managed to turn such a delicate and beautiful thing into his own monster. Was it all the death they have committed that morphed her? But did it even matter anymore to him? She was always there. Shepard began to calm down once again, they were together again and that is the important thing for them.
 
Silence lingered.

"This is Leto station, verify, you there Jackson?"

Tali and Shepard looked at eachother, bemused. Reaching for the radio, Shepard spoke into the comm. "Affirmative."

"Very funny Will. Don't go gettin' all "pole up your ass" on me. You're vectored in. Welcome home."

Tali tilted her head in amusement. "Just wait until he meets Garrus."

Shepard smiled at the notion sadistically. "Remove pole, commence beating." He so enjoyed killing slavers. If nothing else, it would serve as a wonderful distraction from his current train of thought. He'd have plenty of time to deal with his problems with Tali after his current assignment. She had served him fine for a long time. She could last one more mission until he decided what to do with her.

"You know, I've never been a fan of beatings." Garrus emerged through the cabin's door with what looked suspiciously like a green lobster hanging out of his mouth. Swallowing the insect-like meat, Garrus licked his thin lips clean in a predatory display that showed rows of razor sharp teeth. "I prefer guns. You can get them to talk faster that way. A few rounds in the knees does wonders to loosen the tongue."

Tali pulled out her knife, spinning and twirling it with expert precision, then holding it up to her mask, directly between her brows, the quarian approximation of where a turian's browplates meet.

"That also works," Garrus drolled out with a mandible hanging slack, his way of showing he was amused. Tali scared him at times.

"Head down to the Cargo bay and set up." Shepard's voice was flat, back into slaver killing commando mode. "When those doors open, I want to see a lot of dead slavers." Garrus nodded enthusiastically. Tali grabbed his hand and squeezed it. By the time Shepard and Tali were out of their seats, Garrus was halfway down the hallway. Looking at Shepard, her smile was obscured, but present in her body language. She was here for him, like always.

"Let's go get our people back." Tali tuned enthusiastically.

"And kill everyone who gets in our way."

Shepard smiled inwardly at that. She always knew just what to say to him.

[Azint]

That was fast, but I'm calling it in for the night.

[Andaius20]

oh it's about to get good! nice work Rip!

[Andaius20]

For some reason this track I'm liking alot, just watched the movie about 6 hours ago.

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

That was fast, but I'm calling it in for the night.

Agreed. We got off to a late start.

[Azint]

I'll be sure to get on eariler next time. Is there anything you have left to say?

[Azint]

Andaius20 wrote...

oh it's about to get good! nice work Rip!

Someone says that every night.

[Mozer121]

Thanks for the bed-time stories Azint, Rip. Peace.



Keelah Se'lai

[Andaius20]

But it's fightin' time!

What's goign to happen? no one knows!

Modifié par Andaius20, 26 juin 2010 - 08:44 .

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

I'll be sure to get on eariler next time. Is there anything you have left to say?

You did a kickass job. You've really gotten into the spirit of it, and I'm impressed Azint. That's not easy to do. I'm very happy with the direction this is going.

[RiptideX1090]

Azint wrote...

Andaius20 wrote...

oh it's about to get good! nice work Rip!

Someone says that every night.

People say the same too you.

And if they don't, I generally do.

[Azint]

Well, this is as much your project as it is mine. Plus, I broke our first attempt. So your praise actually means something to me, and I think you're doing well, too.

We still have plenty to write. I'm almost disappointed that your Noir collaboration is coming to an end.