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

[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?"

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

Allie nodded. "Honestly, I'm okay. Yeah, I'm still annoyed with myself for being dumb enough not to realize there had to be catch, but it ended without anyone winding up with any permanent injuries, so I'll have to be satisfied with that."

[not_a_whiner]

"That's not really the same thing," Kaidan pointed out. He took another sip of his beer. "I mean, I don't know how long ago this was, but-- you're allowed to feel like crap about it. Dumb or not."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"I did. Still do when I think too much about it." She shrugged and looked down, trying to get the words right. "But life goes on and there's no sense in being miserable about what you can't change."

Pragmatic, practical, denial? Take your pick.

[not_a_whiner]

"You can let it out for a second if your friend asks you to," Kaidan said, but he was smiling a bit, now.

Yeah, that was Allie all right.

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"I know. And that means a lot. Still, I haven't seen you in so long, I'd rather focus on happier stuff." Allie glanced around the bar. "You know. Like a good bar brawl."

Yes, she was kidding. Mostly.

[not_a_whiner]

Kaidan looked around the bar, and shook his head. "I, uh. Don't think anyone's in the mood for that tonight. Sorry."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"I was kidding. This is good. Hell, all we need are some flamingos and it would almost be like being back in the park on the island." No, not really, but the thought was the same.

[not_a_whiner]

"The view's nice out here, at least." Getting on the darker end of that artificial day-and-night cycle, not that either would really get to Allie.

"But I'm not sure how well flamingos would hold out in the reservoirs. Adventurous krogan like to climb in there and search for fish."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

The view was amazing, and now that Kaidan had pointed it out, Allie took a picture to show to Parker once she go back to the island. "It is. At some point, when things settle down I've got a friend, well friends," Because she doubted Parker would come without Eliot and Hardison, "that I'd like to bring for a visit for a few hours. They'd be amazed at all this."