text; un: archangel | Free Snacks

[thearchangel]

Type: Text
Sender ID: thearchangel (Garrus Vakarian)
To: Everyone
Subject: House cleaning with your neighborhood alien.
Warnings: None

Does anyone want any of this?

[Attached to the message is an image of many, many boxes of Pocky. There's so much. And it's all untouched.]

Before anyone asks "what kind is there", there's all kinds. No, I'm not selling it, just come take it away. Yes, I know there's a lot. No, I'm not going to eat it.

It's not opened, either. I just don't want it.

[Someone finally went back to his hole in the wall apartment after... a long time, and decided to finally clean house.]

Comments

[thearchangel]

[Garrus is a smart man, but he's also so very dumb. Especially in non-military social situations. Like this one. Like every time he's spiraled before. When he just wants to walk away and not... try to do this. Try to discuss the problem. It never helps a damned thing. People pushing doesn't help either.]

Isn't that the same thing?

[He'd probably just shoved the nearest edible thing into his mouth and kept going. It made sense! He had a job to do. He had somewhere to be. Something to keep himself occupied. He shrugs a shoulder, dragging a hand down his face.]

I don't have a preference. It's all new to me. Is that everything you wanted to do?

[He knows he's brushing her off, and, logically, that she's trying to be helpful, but he doesn't want help like this. There is nothing anyone can do to fix this. He can't even blame someone, because it's no one's fault, either. Somehow, that just makes it ten times worse.]

[tilfrosset]

It is not. One is an assumption on the whole. The other is a concern.

[She speaks in a calm, even tone, not at all offended by how he's continuing to push her away. He would not be the first person she's dealt with who would resort to punching and stabbing and shooting their pain away. He won't be the last.]

No.

[Again, even toned. If anything, the way Jill answers says she has a lot more she wants to do and they'll be here for a while so he better settle in and grab a sandwich. Though she'll have mercy on him and push the ham one closer towards him.

He may not want the help, but by the Founder, it's the help he's going to get.]

I will advise you that I tend to be stubborn. I doubt you'll outlast me on this.

[So give up now Garrus. Tell her what's wrong and this whole meeting will end much faster and perhaps on a happier note.]

[thearchangel]

[He doesn't. He doesn't want it from anyone. That's always the problem with him, one he thought he'd gotten over - when he'd gone home, sucked it up and talked with his family again. He thought being back aboard the Normandy, a whole damn war, would be enough to push down the tendencies he had to go off the handle.]

[Apparently not.]

[His mandible flexes, an unconscious show of teeth for the brief moment it happens - before he can smooth his expression back down again. Fortunately for everyone, it's directed at the sandwich. Like he needs to be taken care of or something.]

You should meet Tali'zorah. You two would get along. [There's irritation in the echoes under his words. Even though he's fighting to keep his actual tone even.] Or maybe you could convince her she needs a house.

[Fine he'll eat the damn sandwich ugh. If he tears at it a little too sharply, no he didn't.]

[tilfrosset]

Would it be safe to assume that Tali'zorah is the same Tali you mentioned earlier?

[His irritation is heard, noted, and promptly ignored for the moment. Garrus isn't lashing out at her so unless he does, Jill will continue doing what she's doing.

Like pulling out a sandwich for herself. She unwraps it neatly before taking a small polite bite, a habit born of the Ducal Lady Training™. Chewing happens for a moment and then swallowing, and finally once her mouth is empty, speaking.]

And why would I do that?

[thearchangel]

Yeah, that's her.

[Talking about Tali is easier. It's better. Tali is familiar and annoying and they're practically family at this point.]

[He's got control of himself not to lash out physically. Not unless someone is attacking first. Or really, really deserves it. His irritation is verbal, clipped and harsh, his vocal reverb practically a growl he can't exactly do anything about.]

Because she's living outdoors. In this damned weather.

[Tali is a problem that can be solved. An issue he can do something about. Not like what's actually bothering him.]