The Pilgrim's Return

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

The quarian who comes through the door is walking a little taller than she did the last time she was here, and more confidently as well. In fact, she's very nearly swaggering. She's also in a much better mood than she was on her previous visit - although she's not as happy as she might otherwise have been.

Still, she's in enough of a celebratory mood that the unexpected appearance of Milliways doesn't ruffle her one bit. She is also feeling generous enough that she might buy drinks for friendly strangers, in the interests of spreading her good mood around.

[Tiny space tag: Tali'Zorah]

[OOC: Slowtimes are inevitable, but I promise I will respond to all tags when I can. Also, until next Saturday, I'm on mountain time, not the usual Eastern Standard Time.]

Comments

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

One particular bar goer's eye-ridges shoot up at the new arrival after he looks over his shoulder. He abandons his drink and approaches with a toothsome smile.

"Tali!" Garrus greets the Quarian. He's looking a lot better than he was a few weeks ago, but his plates still seem slightly pale at the seams. "It's good to see you--how've you been?"

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"Garrus!" Tali spreads her arms. "I am now Tali'Zorah vas Neema," she announces.

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"That's great Tali," Garrus shakes his head, still smiling. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema," he says experimentally. "Kind of a ring to it. It suits you."

He remembers what Tali told him about how Quarian titles worked way back when on the Normandy, when he had been obtuse enough to inquire about her own name. The name change signified her passage into adulthood, or something along those lines, and it happened after she completed her Pilgrimage. It was kind of like when a Turian received their first position after they graduated boot camp, kind of. Garrus didn't have to leave Palaven and travel the stars to earn his place in society.

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Tali says proudly. "The Neema is a prestigious ship - one of the core flotilla ships in fact. And admiral Han'Gerrel invited me to join the crew!" This is clearly a Big Deal.

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"I knew your people would be proud of you," Garrus says. "After what you did, I mean."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"In truth, the Migrant Fleet is rather insular - so my helping to save the rest of the galaxy didn't mean much to them," Tali says wryly. "But they found the geth data from the Armstrong Cluster very interesting. It will take some time to decrypt, of course."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"I keep getting stopped on the street by turians who've seen me on the news, who want to thank me for the part I played," says Garrus, sounding disconcerted. "You were by Shepard's side--and mine--for all of it. You chose to be there, and even if your people aren't proud of you for that, I am."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

Tali lowers her gaze. Maybe she's blushing behind that mask or something? "Well, um...I'm glad for that. It's not like nobody knows about it, but..." She looks up. "It's a Pilgrimage story to them, and not much more than that. Except to the admirals. They're very worried about the Reapers, and they are currently debating whether or not to inform the Conclave about it. I think in the end they won't keep it a secret, like the Council is doing, but I'm not certain."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

Garrus inclines his head. "I'll admit that having the Migrant Fleet doing something would be a big step forward for what Shepard was working for," he begins, "but I'm not exactly thrilled with that many civilians being in harms way. I feel like it would be wrong for the Quarian people to put their necks on the line for a galaxy that refuses to do the same for them."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

It's been busy back home- very busy- so Ellen hasn't bothered to take her power armor off when she arrives in the Bar. (Ah, Millitime. Got to love it.) Tali gets an interested look; Ellen's pretty sure she should recognize-

"Excuse me," she says politely, "but have we met before? I'm almost sure I recognize your suit."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

Tali cocks her head and looks Ellen up and down in a taking-in-details sort of way. "I think so," Tali says. "Ah, right. Last time I saw you, that armor of yours was in pieces all over a table."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, right!" says Ellen. "I remember now- your name's Tali... there was more of it, I think, but I don't remember the rest. I'm sorry. I'm Ellen, and it's good to see you again. How have you been doing?"

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

The answer to that question is...complicated. Tali decides to stick with recent events. "I finished my Pilgrimage," she says. "I returned to the Migrant Fleet with valuable data. A number of ship captains invited me to join their crew, which is uncommon. It took me a little while to decide, but in the end the Neema was the best of them. They formally entered my name into the roster this afternoon!"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, congratulations!" says Ellen. "So you have a new place to live and a job to do? That's wonderful!"

To a former Vault resident, it really is. At ten you get your first duty assignments, and at sixteen they decide what you'll be doing for the rest of your life- the sign that you're properly an adult now. This sounds similar enough to passing the GOAT and being sent off to your career track and your own Vault apartment to be worth applauding.

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"Thank you," Tali says. "The Neema is...hm." Telling an outsider what kind of ship it is might pose a security risk, but Tali figures that since Ellen isn't even from her own universe, there's little harm in telling her. "It is the center of scientific and intelligence operations for the flotilla," Tali says. "Joining her crew - at the invitation of her resident admiral - is a great honor." She sounds like she hasn't quite wrapped her head around it yet, even though she's officially been confirmed as a member of the crew.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, wow," Ellen says. "That's just... I'm not even sure what that would be like in my world. Maybe like having Elder Lyons invite you to come and live and work in the Citadel for the Brotherhood of Steel, or something. That's really fantastic. Are you celebrating?"

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

Tali chuckles. "The celebration's just winding down, actually. It's a sort of informal tradition; when a quarian returns from Pilgrimage and joins a new ship, her crewmates - as well as family and friends from her old ship - throw a party."

Rael'Zorah was in attendance, which came as a present surprise to Tali, but he didn't really join in the festivities: he's not the celebrating type.

[findthegeck.livejournal.com]

The bar, being largely free of dirt and sand is a good place to get some much-needed maintenance done on the growing collection of weapons Sativa has collected during her own travels, so that's what she's doing when she notices the masked Quarian.

Her particular style of hermetically-sealed clothing is not familiar to the wastelander, but it sort of brings to mind certain (http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080510225532/fallout/images/f/f9/FO02_NPC_PowerArmor.png) memories (http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080510225214/fallout/images/2/22/FO02_NPC_Frank.png) for just a moment.

Which causes her fingers to slip on the pistol she's working on, allowing a spring to shoot free from the racking slide and skitter off the table.

"Oh, crap."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

Tali, oblivious to the fact that her appearance provoked Sativa's slip, tracks down the wayward spring - you get used to finding small components on the floor, when you work with delicate equipment as often as Tali does - and plucks it out from beneath a nearby table. She holds it out to Sativa in one of her three-fingered hands. "Here," she says, "I think you dropped this."

[findthegeck.livejournal.com]

Having stood up to chase after it, Sativa reaches for it with the arm on which she's wearing her Pip-Boy and takes the object, noticing the number of digits on the hand giving it. "Thank you," she says, looking up at her spring savior, repeating, "Uh, yeah. Thanks."

She tries not to stare too much, instead inspecting the spring for damage. "I'd have hated needing to find one to replace it."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"I can imagine," Tali says. "Little things like that are surprisingly difficult to find."

[findthegeck.livejournal.com]

"Especially ones that aren't rusted or worn out," she agrees, nodding. "Having your gun jam in the middle of a fight's not a lot of fun... unless it happens to other guy, of course."

Since they're making conversation, she introduces herself. "I'm Sativa."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"I am Tali'Zorah nar...no, that's not right anymore. Keelah." Hey, she's still getting used to her new status. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Just call me Tali," she says.

[OOC: I must slowtime for bed! We can continue later, I hope.]

[findthegeck.livejournal.com]

"All right. Nice to meet you, Tali. So - you're no longer a nar-something...?" she inquires.

[Slowtime is goodtime. G'night!]

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"It's my ship name," Tali explains. "I was born and raised on the Rayya, so I was 'nar Rayya.' Now that I have completed my Pilgrimage and joined the crew of the Neema, I am 'vas Neema.' But that was earlier today, so I'm still getting used to it."