Voice Test: OTA 🗣️

[onebullet]

1. Rough Ride

[ Trying to outrun pursuers, or in the middle of a gun fight and need an evac STAT? Never fear, Shepard is here!

The ramshackle car barrelling towards you screeches into a 180 turn at the last second, almost rolling from the force of the manoeuvre as too-thin tyres lose a little more of themselves to the concrete.

With two loud BANGs, the passenger-side door yields to the kicks of the driver, crashing against the front fender in a shower of glass. ]

Get in!

[ Shepard swivels back into position with a bounce, one hand gripping the wheel and the other on the stick-shift of the ancient car. Her focus snaps back to movement in the wing mirror, body tensed like a coiled spring that's itching to hit the gas. Maybe you know her, maybe you don't, but one thing is very clear: she's trying to save your ass from whatever mess you're in. ]

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

2. Is This Loss?

[ Index finger thumps against pursed lips as she studies the display, brow furrowed in thought. Maybe it's something you yourself made, put a lot (or very little) effort into. Perhaps you're a fan of the arts, or maybe you're not but know this piece is valuable and are scoping the joint. Whatever your reasons, Shepard turns to look at you with her arms crossed, finger curled back into the fist resting against her chin.

Her bright eyes are piercing, her gaze unnervingly intense. ]

... I don't get it.

[ A small, self-deprecating smile and an unapologetic shrug. She's a soldier, not a critic. ]

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

3. Choose Your Own Adventure

[Bring it on. (☞ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)☞]

Comments

[onebullet]

[ Shepard's engineering experience started and ended with learning how to effectively break things open to slip inside places. This would be way beyond her wheelhouse, even if the vehicle was of their time, so Garrus having no clue is the final nail in the carbon steel coffin.

She slams the bonnet back down with a growl, the force causing the frame to bounce slightly on its wheels. Bringing up her omni-tool, she swipes the display and squints at the readings before putting it away again. ]

You up for a hike?

[ As if they have a choice. ]

[thearchangel]

[He tries. He waves smoke away, tries his own omnitool scan. Nothing. He may as well be looking at a surgical site. Completely and utterly clueless. This is nothing like any engine he's ever seen.]

Depends. Long as it's not snowing, I guess I can't complain.

[Which, of course, means he's with her. Hopefully they're far enough away from the piles of husks. Too far for any of them to catch up before they can get to an extraction point.]

Could always use a little more cardio.

[onebullet]

[ She snorts and looks up at the darkening sky. There's a slight chill in the air, but no dark clouds threatening to make this more unpleasant for Garrus.

The heavy pistol releases with a hiss as she grabs it from the holster. It's this and her omni-tool until they get back to the Normandy, she wasn't expecting to need her Widow on a pick-up. ]

Let's go, should be this way.

[ With that, she's off! ]

[thearchangel]

[Out of reflex, he looks up too. Okay - not even rain. Wet and cold are the worst, if he's honest. But if it really came down to it, he would forge on, regardless of the conditions. And save complaining for after pick-up.]

Right behind you.

[Just like always. And not to worry. He's got the rifle to spare.]

Isn't this what normal people do for fun? Hike through the wilderness?

[onebullet]

Define "normal".

[ Granted, people who go out on hikes aren't usually leaving their wrecked vehicle behind while it pours smoke like a signal-fire. Nor are they armed and armoured. ]

At least the company's decent.

[thearchangel]

You know, people who don't get shot at for a living.

[The average hiker. Who also really isn't likely to be chased by husks on a regular basis.]

[There's a beat of silence, a thoughtful one. His strides slow for a step or two.]

Yeah. Can't beat the view, either. [Garrus stop.]

you saw nothing

[onebullet]

[ A bark of surprised laughter. She stops and turns to look at him, shaking her head in mock disapproval. ]

Alright smooth talker, keep it moving or this view is going to leave you in the dust.

nothing at all

[thearchangel]

You have to admit, you walked right into that.

[But he picks up the pace again, keeping up with her once more.]

[onebullet]

You mean I was walking away from that.

Maybe you should come up front so I can have a change of scenery.

[ Two can play this game, Vakarian. ]

i hate that i have an icon for this

[thearchangel]

Who am I to say no to my commanding officer?

[Is he going to saunter a little while he steps up front? Yes, yes he is.]

[Just a bit of sauntering. For the game.]

OF COURSE YOU DO, why am I not surprised

[onebullet]

[ She'd give him a good 'ol human slap as he saunters on by, but she doesn't want to break her hand on his armour. Or even without the armour, Turians aren't exactly known for being squishy. ]

You should consider being a model with that strut.

[ She laughs again and then continues on, catching up enough that they're walking side-by-side. ]

[thearchangel]

[He actually laughs, too, that sort of wheezy laugh of his. Shaking his head.]

Only place that wanted to hire me was krogan Fornax. You know - the scars and all.

[Dinguses, the pair of them.]

[onebullet]

Oh yeah? And when was this? Tell me about it.

[ She's calling his bluff, ready for the yarn he's about to spin or the confession he was making it up.

Having a grand old time, considering the circumstances. ]

[thearchangel]

About the same time you got a breeding request on Tuchanka.

[Yeah, he went there. He's hilarious. The comedian of the crew, clearly.]

[It's the best retreat from a pack of husks ever.]

[onebullet]

[ She snorts and gives him a mock scowl. Point one to Garrus? ]

Come on, Garrus. Green isn't your colour.

[ OH IT CAN MEAN A SECRET, THIRD THING? ]

[thearchangel]

... Green?

Where-?

[That went right over his head. Like, you can hear the whistling.]

[onebullet]

[ She laughs at him, putting her pistol back in its holster. ]

Hold still.

[ Walking up to Garrus, she takes the gauntlet off one of her hands and puts it under one arm. With the pad of her thumb, she gently rubs over one of his eyelids, but from her shit-eating grin he can probably tell she's messing him around. ]

[thearchangel]

[Automatically, he inclines his head for her. Just enough to where she won't have to reach up very far.]

[And ends up confused.]

... I'm missing a joke here, aren't I?

[onebullet]

So you remember how I said green could mean a second thing? I forgot the third.

Green with envy. Green-eyed monster is the same thing.

[thearchangel]

And... you're making sure I didn't suddenly change my eye color?

[He's trying so hard to sound serious, but there's too much amusement vibrating around under the words.]

[onebullet]

I'm saying you're a salty sailor, Vakarian.

[ Her hand drifts over the side of his face before she drops it to put her gauntlet back on, chuckling to herself. ]

[thearchangel]

Ah. Yeah, that's me. Jealous over krogan breeding requests.

[It's not the time or the place for it, but he feels himself tilt his head into the contact, even so. An unconscious response.]

[onebullet]

That's not the part I was... you know what, nevermind.

[ She chuckles to herself and pulls out the pistol again. It's funnier to let him wonder on that, see if he clicks. ]

[thearchangel]

[Dial up modem noises.]

I'm missing something here. I know I am.

[But still pressing forward at her side as usual.]

[onebullet]

[ There's a small noise from somewhere to their left and Shepard freezes, looking over to Garrus. She signs with a finger to her lips out of habit, but knows Garrus will have heard it and be ready to check it out.

Out here it could be something as mundane as a rabbit, or a fox, but after what Garrus escaped back towards civilisation, why risk it? ]