High Light Bar, the Presidium, the Citadel, Saturday Evening

[not_a_whiner]

There was one thing you could always rely on, on the Citadel: life went on, even when invaders had stomped through it just hours ago, whether they be geth or Cerberus. They were still brushing up glass shards and blocking out bullet holes by moving planters around, here at the High Light, but the bar was open.

It wasn't as full as it would've been any other night, but there were still people coming in. Kaidan had to admire the guts of the Citadel's population, if nothing else.

The air was different, though. Until today, the locals had more or less assumed the Reaper War was something to be fought elsewhere, on different planets, well away from their safe haven. They had worried about family and friends back on their home planets, but they had thought themselves safe here.

That had changed. Kaidan could tell as much.

"This place isn't going to be the same," he said to Allie as he sank into a booth.

He wasn't sure whether he was going to be the same. He'd put a bullet in Udina's chest. That was gonna hang over him for a while.

[[ for allie. ]]

Comments

[not_a_whiner]

"It'd be his right to if he did," Kaidan said, shrugging lightly. "I'm going to try, I'm just not counting my chickens, you know? It's been a long couple of years."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"You're right. It has been a long time But you've got a chance. Which is more then a lot of other people get. So take it." At this point Allie had to admit to herself she wasn't sure if she was giving career or relationship advice.

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan'd been thinking about that a lot while he was in the hospital.

Which meant at this point, even he wasn't sure. "I will, I will," he said, with a chuckle, and took a sip of his beer. "Don't want you mad at me."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"A wise decision, which proves once again how smart you are," she teased.

[not_a_whiner]

"Thanks," Kaidan said, his voice dry. "It's... yeah. Today was something."

He wanted to ask her how she was doing, but his brain was stuck on a bad groove.

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

His bad groove was obvious, and entirely understandable.

"That's one way of putting it."

Allie paused, considering her next question. "Did you know the Councilor a long time time?"

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan let out a breath. "I first met him when the whole Saren thing went down," he said. "Udina was there to help Shepard argue his case to the Council. He was just an ambassador back then."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"So you've known him a while, probably respected him. And then today happened. Are you going to be okay with that?" Probably not today, but someday?

[not_a_whiner]

"Udina was always an ass," Kaidan had to specify.

Because, well, he was. "But, y'know. I took that shot. I have to live with it. I just hope I made the right call."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"I was there and I was about half a second from taking him out myself," Allie admitted. "More then likely people would have died. I think you made the right call."

[not_a_whiner]

"I know Udina," Kaidan said quietly. "He never would've just stood down. But still, taking a man's life-- it shouldn't be easy. It has to be for the right reasons."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"And those were,"she insisted. "Just the fact that it bothers you, that you consider that. I think it proves you're a good man."

[not_a_whiner]

"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't," Kaidan said tiredly. "I just wonder... did Udina see himself as the good guy? What did he think he was doing, anyway?"

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. Was he promised power and money? Did he have some crazy reason for wanting to try and end the world like Sarren back in New Covington?" Allie wondered. "You might not ever know."

[not_a_whiner]

"It's just... it's Cerberus."

Kaidan reached up and pinched his brow. "Sorry. I'm not a whole ton of fun right now."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"If I was looking for fun, I'd grab a portal home and go rambling across the island with Parker." Or go see if Mike was around. For reasons. "But I want to be here. And if that means deep conversations? I'll do that. For you."

[not_a_whiner]

"Maybe we'll have one of those, then," Kaidan said. He straightened his shoulders. "But first you need to tell me what you've been up to. I'm getting the impression there's been some time weirdness between you and mine."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's been a while since I'd heard from you. I was trying not to worry," Allie admitted. "But it's almost June on the island now. So you tell me how the math works out."

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan blinked. "...Uh, wow," he said. "I'm... at least a couple months behind. It's February, here. Well, on Earth."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

Allie thought back to what had been going on in Fandom in February and sighed. "In that case at some point a message I sent you back then is going to turn up. Do me a favor and just delete it."

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan frowned. "Wait, what happened?" he said.

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"What didn't? There was the week everyone was all hot and bothered, tiny children, the guy that tried to leech all the energy from the island by granting wishes, random polar bears giving hugs. It's Fandom, what doesn't happen?" Yeah, she was just going to slip that in there and hope he didn't notice.

[not_a_whiner]

"I remember the polar bears," Kaidan said, "...And the hot and bothered. Wait, what was this about an energy leech?"

Nice try, Sekemoto.

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

Allie had a vague desire for a bottle of True Blood. Not because she was hungry, but because it would give her something else to focus on. Instead she pulled out her phone, found the picture she'd sent to Kaidan and pushed the phone across the table.

"The island was granting wishes one weekend. That's part of what I wished for. The ability to stuff myself on sushi and chocolate was the other part of it," she explained. "But like all island stuff, it had to end. I thought I was okay with it, but when Gaunt came to town it turns out I was dumb enough to fall for what he was offering."

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan winced. "I'm sorry," he said. Because to have all that, and then have it taken away again-- damn. "Allie-- are you okay?"