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

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"I don't know about 'outgoing,'" Tali says. "But I suspect that after her experience, all the things she used to feel nervous about will seem...you know, smaller. Or like nothing."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"I wish all the things that made me anxious felt like nothing," growls Garrus. "My problems are small, but they're more annoying now than ever." He nods at Tali. "You still worry about the same things as before?"

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"I was worried about finding something adequate for my Pilgrimage," Tali points out. "Now I am worried about decrypting the Geth data I brought back. I always worry about the welfare of the Fleet, but every quarian does, so I suppose that does not count."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"I meant more just about you, but fair enough," Garrus says. "Duty has a tendency to push personal concerns aside."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

Tali nods in agreement. She sips more of her juice, then says, "Something else has changed, I think. Now that I've come back to the Fleet, I'm surprised at how little people think about anything out there. About what's going on in the galaxy, or about other races. I wonder how they can be like that. I mean, almost all of the adults have been on Pilgrimage. They've been away from the flotilla, seen other races and other worlds. But with the exception of Reegar and a few others, they aren't interested now that the Pilgrimage is over and done with."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

Garrus shrugs. "The Migrant Fleet is an insular community," he says. "When you strip it down to the core, isn't the Pilgrimage just about contributing to the Flotilla? Everything else is just a 'Pilgrimage story'. Something to share with friends and break out at parties." His mandibles flutter slightly as a new thought occurs to him. "I mean, if it weren't for this place, you'd probably never see me again. That science position doesn't exactly sound like a mingling-with-the-galactic-community kind of job. I'd just wind up as an a exceptionally impressive character in a well-worn tale. People eventually forget what it was like to live their memories, if that makes sense."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"I know," Tali says. "One of the reasons I was reluctant to end my Pilgrimage was that I feared I'd forget about the things I'd seen, the friends I'd made...like you." She drops her gaze. "Maybe other quarians didn't enjoy their Pilgrimage as much as I did. Maybe they didn't make friends."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"Maybe it's the other way around, and they had it backwards," Garrus replies thoughtfully. "They might have been so worried about what they were going to bring back to the Flotilla, that they never realized that the real Pilgrimage gift... is what you share with the galaxy."

Garrus pauses. "You know," he growls, squinting wryly, "you really should stop me when I start jamming my foot in my mouth. Interrupt me or something. Wink once for good, twice for bad."

[stargypsy.livejournal.com]

"If I stopped you, I wouldn't be able to laugh as much," Tali says. "So I apologize, but you'll have to find someone else for that particular task. But...I appreciate the sentiment, anyway."

[rogueseraph.livejournal.com]

"Well, thanks for putting up with my sentiments; and me," rumbles Garrus. "I keep having this weird feeling that I'm going to say something that makes you go away." He widens his mandibles in a grin. "Oh then what would I do?"