aulteration | ~spaaaace~ au [for Garrus]

~spaaaace~ au [for Garrus]

[Ryan doesn't mind being the designated errand-runner, really. He recognizes that while he's damn smart for a human, other species still outstrip his own in certain venues, and that it also just comes along with being the most junior researcher of the group-- he counts himself lucky to be working on this project, and never complains about being asked to go fetch one thing or another or to deliver reports to other posts on the planet.

Besides, it gives him some time alone with their turian guard. Ryan's always fascinated by other species, but it's not exactly appropriate to bother Garrus with questions while he's running tests, compiling data, or any number of things he really should stay focused on. He's settled for doing so on breaks, on downtime, and on simple missions like this one when they're sent off as a pair; Ryan is not a skilled fighter, and the data he's meant to fetch needs protection just as much as (or even more than) the human does.]

So, uh- how are you liking the place? I mean, no, we haven't been down here long, but- first impressions and everything, you know? Approve, disapprove, haven't decided?

[He peers up at his companion curiously, brushing a couple of stray curls from his face that just refuse to stay tied back. With the wind out here picking up, it's more annoying than usual, but that hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for getting to see some of the local scenery... well, such as it is. The area's largely scrub, and their group has been repurposing abandoned former outposts, resulting in an odd clash between newer, rebuilt stations and scattered disrepair spreading out from those locations.]

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[Garrus looks over at the human when he speaks, and away from the dust the wind is starting to kick up.]

Approve, mostly. It's warm and dry, enough like Palaven that I'm comfortable.

[The scientist has been friendly, much friendlier than most with the project. Garrus is hired help. In the eyes of many, he's just a replaceable gun and there's no reason to really get to know him. That makes the conversations he's had with Farrow all the more valuable, because Garrus likes talking. Being ignored like a piece of furniture doesn't sit well with him. At all.]

Little boring, though.

[Palaven is dry and rather silver, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have foliage.]

You? Earth's generally got more water on it, from what I hear, but not every human comes from Earth.

[Hopefully the conversation won't be too distracted from the task at hand. And hopefully, as the wind kicks up even more and Garrus turns to look at it again, that won't be an even worse distraction. They've got work to do, and they're pretty far out here. There's no making a run back for the base. If it doesn't settle down...]

[He can't help it- he barks out a quick laugh at that last comment, with an equally quick little shake of his head.]

Are you kidding? I'm here because it's not Earth. I mean- you know, it's a nice planet and everything, I like it, but I want to see other things, you know? Different ones! Different kinds of planets, people...

[Ryan's peering rather intently over at Garrus by the time he trails off, thoughtfully, as though he's considering something-- then he catches himself, flushing slightly pink before he glances away.]

It's-- it's interesting because of that. Mostly. And the weather's... uhm. Actually, I'm not sure the weather was supposed to do this.

[It's always a little strange when species do that, flush a different color. By now Garrus has a decent idea of what it means when humans go most colors. That particular shade on this particular human is on the newer side... but if he's following the context, Garrus is a little surprised to realize it's not unwelcome. Ryan is interesting. Good company. If he had to pick someone to be stuck with for hours at a time, it would be Ryan.]

Because of what, the people?

[A small part of Garrus wants to see if he can make Ryan flush more, but that's swallowed up in the topic of the weather. Garrus fires up his omnitool, seeing what he can make out. Seconds later he's shaking his head.]

It's not. Shit.

[There's quite the windstorm headed their way. Garrus looks at the old, abandoned buildings, finally spotting one that looks like it can at least keep some of the sand out.]

You've got a few seconds and then we're gonna need to move. This is gonna be bad.

[He's about to ask how bad when the wind picks up more, beginning to practically howl around them, whipping the stray curls of his hair into a frizzy blond halo around him. Shit, okay, finding cover is absolutely a good plan.]

-then let's move.

[Ryan beckons Garrus after him as he takes off, moving surprisingly quickly for a skinny nerd; he might not be in much shape, but when prompted, he's got a pretty damn good sprint, and it helps that they have the wind at their backs.

On the other hand, that means he almost doesn't see trouble coming. He pauses to look over his shoulder, and his eyes widen as he realizes the wind is strong enough to actually pick up and throw around debris-- Ryan abruptly stops short, one arm flung out, fingers crooked as if taking hold of something invisible.]

Garrus!

[If he looks behind him, he'll immediately see what alarmed the human so badly: it's hard to tell what that weathered chunk of something is, but it's hovering around the level of the turian's head. It takes Ryan another moment for the initial panic to subside, to gather enough of his wits back up to fling it out of the way with another gesture.]

Sh-shit, I almost didn't-- c'mon. We need to get inside, I can't do that too many times.

[Garrus whirls around, gun in hand right away in case something had been about to attack... and then he sees the debris and the faint blue glow around it. Ryan's a biotic. That gets a startled glance back at the human before Garrus shakes his head and moves. He'll ask as soon as they're out of this wind and sand.

He shoves the door open, holding it long enough for Ryan to get in before he's using all of his weight to slam it back shut behind them, closing out most of the storm. There's still a rush of adrenaline going through him once he's got the door secured. That thing could have hurt him badly, possibly taken Garrus out and the turian hadn't even seen it coming.]

I...

[There's another shake of his head.]

Thanks. You okay? And you're a biotic?

[Garrus hadn't known any that weren't asari. Turian biotics serve in their own regiment, they're that rare. Human biotics? They were around plenty, sure, but they were either well-paid mercs or military.

As he talks he's running readings of outside through his omnitool, and the results aren't looking good. The storm that just came out of nowhere is huge. Shuttles aren't going to be getting through. They're here for a while.]

[That startled glance gets a guilty look in return, but Ryan is just as on board with getting inside before they talk as Garrus is-- he ducks inside the building and immediately sags against the wall, already a little winded from sprinting.

The whole time, he's just waiting for that question to come, and when it does, he exhales a heavy breath.]

--yeah. I'm sorry, I- I just try not to be too obvious about it, you know? And I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone. I mean- my group, they're aware, but- just them, here.

[There's that same guilty look. Ryan isn't a secretive person by nature, but this particular topic is one he's always been skittish about.]

Are you okay?

[He's not exactly sure what human attitudes are towards their biotics. Turians aren't... the friendliest. And humans have a habit of jumping on anything that's different, in his experience, so maybe it's not too surprising that some biotics would keep their abilities quiet. Whatever the reason is that Ryan wants to hide his abilities, they don't really matter in the end. What matters is that he's become a friend. ...And that he's just saved Garrus' ass.]

You got it. Your secret's safe with me. And I'm...

[Garrus shakes his head again, this time with a loud exhale.]

Adrenaline. That could've been the end of things. Glad it wasn't, but it means I'm feeling a lot and we're not getting out of here for some time.

[And Ryan really doesn't strike Garrus as a sparring partner. At least chances are that the human doesn't really know turian approaches to getting unstressed, though. Garrus will just... let his heart rate settle back down, cool off, whatnot. And try to dig sand out of the fringe at the back of his head.]

Blowing sand's the worst. Don't suppose you brought cards?

[He's relieved that Garrus doesn't question him further about his abilities-- normally people want to know why he's not making use of them at the least, and letting it go without pushing for more is appreciated.

The grateful smile Ryan flashes him fades a little at the turian's answer, though; he can definitely understand feeling unsettled (he's still rattled, himself), and so he shifts closer. Not quite close enough to lean against him, but enough to rest a reassuring hand on Garrus' arm for a moment.]

No cards, sorry, but I have solitaire downloaded?... Not that it'd help both of us, but we can trade, maybe-- and I can probably find notes in here to reorganize, don't worry about me. I'm not too hard to keep distracted.

[At the touch, Garrus wonders for a moment of Ryan does know, and is making a move. It's a pretty silly thought, though, and he realizes as much as soon as Ryan talks. His adrenaline is talking. That's all. Especially considering the fact that Ryan's a human. They're held back by themselves. He's seen it time and time again, even if he hasn't exactly gone for humans himself.]

Uh. Solitaire. Not really sure what that is. You mind teaching?

[They're pretty close now, though Garrus leans a bit more close to Ryan so he can see the screen when the game's called up. If it's called up.]

Not like there's a whole lot to do. And notes really don't sound that exciting.

Notes are plenty exciting! I mean- d'you know much about this place? If you look more closely at the behaviors of what flora and fauna the planet has, they're really strange compared to similar organisms from other planets. And there hasn't been much research done on the weather but you saw how fast that came, just-- out of nowhere.

[Ryan grows more animated as he speaks, visibly brightening- it's always like something lights up inside him when he really gets going on a subject, and that intensity is still very much present when he glances up to Garrus.

Then he realizes how close they actually are, and his breath catches for a moment. Is it warm in here...? Right, the game, he almost forgot. Ryan quickly pulls it up, the cards displayed in midair.]

--sorry, I, ah. Got on a tangent there. It happens.

[He laughs nervously under his breath, and immediately chides himself for it. Great, he must sound even more awkward than usual.]

[In all the times they've spoken, Garrus has seen Ryan be happy about something a few times. It's magnetic. Especially magnetic is the way Ryan's voice catches when he looks up at Garrus. He's gotten pretty good at reading humans. This is new, though. Sure, he's seen something similar in vids, but he doesn't know if he should take it like that, like interest.

Ryan looks away, laughing and pulling up cards, and Garrus can't help himself as he reaches for Farrow's chin and gently turns the human's face toward his.]

It was an interesting tangent. Had no idea this planet had that many things going on.

[A moment later he's realizing that his hand is still on Ryan's chin and Garrus drops his hand, glancing away.]

Uh. I mean. Your excitement... kinda contagious. Sorry.

[He could seriously go for more of that excitement.]

If you wanted to talk more, I wouldn't object.

[He's struck silent when his chin is tilted up, caught completely off guard by the gesture and the way Garrus' hand lingers. There have definitely been times Ryan has wondered what it would be like if they got closer, if anything happened between them, but-- he's never thought the curiosity might be mutual.

Then there's that encouragement to talk more, and he ends up just saying the first thing that comes to mind, the solitaire game forgotten entirely.]

Well, uh- did you know every species here is compatible in at least some way?

[He is very pointedly not specifying 'every native species'.]

[Every species here. The lack of the word 'native' seems pretty blatant, especially coming from a scientist. Especially coming from a scientist who was just excited about notes and details.]

I didn't.

[There's a beat as Garrus tries to figure out what to say or do. He's getting the feeling that he might not be the only one in this room who is feeling interest rising, though.

Humans like touch, right? This time the reaching out is entirely deliberate as he pushes back Ryan's hair, feeling the softness against his fingers.]

How... compatible are we talking? Works well together? Works well together?

[It's definitely not a clever line. But it's his best attempt.]

Well, not in a strictly reproductive sense, even if that's generally what compatibility's referring to-- that's more difficult to manage, you find problems with that even in similar species...

[--wait, no, he was using that as a pickup line and this is utterly counterproductive. He stops himself there, exhales a slow breath, and lets his eyes slide shut as he focuses on the feeling of fingers in his hair. That's... really nice. Nicer than he remembered it being.

Ryan finally bridges what little space is left between them to lean right against Garrus, one hand settling tentatively on his waist.]

...compatible enough. Of course we'd have to test to be sure, though.

Really not worried about reproductive abilities, Ryan.

[It's bizarrely hot to run into someone as bad as him at talking like this, but even hotter is the way Ryan's starting to surrender, closing his eyes and enjoying the touch. Everything says the human is already getting into this.

Garrus grunts at the hand on his waist. He wants more, and while he's a little surprised at how strong the desire is, he has no wish to question it. Ryan's smart, enthusiastic, willing, why not?]

Let's run your tests. Make sure.

[He doesn't really know anything about human anatomy, but there has to be a way. And with that he's putting his hands on Ryan's waist in return, trying to urge the human onto his lap. Garrus wants to grind against Ryan, to open his plating with friction.]

Unless you've got objections.

[The question's breathed against Farrow's throat before sharp teeth lightly graze his jaw.]

[As soon as he's being pulled closer, realizes his companion's actually accepting-- actually is up for this-- the realization kindles the warmth he'd felt earlier into something that feels like it's making more than just his face flush.

Ryan is normally hesitant when it comes to this, isn't used to people being attracted to him, but he finds it surprisingly easy to just- give in to that growing want. He tilts his head back in willing surrender when he feels those teeth graze his jaw, a gesture of trust as much as encouragement, and lets himself be pulled onto Garrus' lap, settling right into place there.]

-no. No objections.

[It's quiet, breathy. He sort of knows about turian anatomy, conceptually, but what he doesn't know is where he should even begin. Kissing's sort of out of the question, here.]

Well, one. I don't know how this comes off. [And that comes with a tap against Garrus' armor.]

[Spirits. He's never had someone just yield like this before. It's entirely not turian, and Garrus is surprised to realize how much he likes it. Though Ryan's got a definite point about the armor being in the way.]

Seals. The seals.

[Garrus doesn't care to walk Ryan through how to take it off. Instead, he's finding the seals and starting to hastily pull his armor off. They're in a secure enough place. And they both want it gone, want it to no longer separate them. He needs to feel Ryan against him. More.

Maybe he should be embarrassed by how quickly he's taking pieces off. He doesn't care. There's something about Ryan, the way the human is strong and adapts to anything and just gives his all.]

Then we can... figure this out.

[Anatomically.]

Lucky that I'm pretty good at figuring things out, then.

[Ryan flashes him a breathless grin, and helps out with the armor the best way he knows how-- Garrus will find that all he really has to do is loosen it and unfasten those pieces. Every one that comes undone is carefully levitated aside and set down, that faint blue glow surrounding them and shedding a little more light around the area. Now that Garrus knows what he is, Ryan's far more comfortable making use of it.]

I'm a researcher. I don't really hang around humans. You think I haven't ever been curious enough to look that up...?

[Because yes, he absolutely has. His only real experience is all with other humans, but he's much less shy about admitting to his fascination at this point.]

[It's hot to have someone this interested in getting him undressed, and Garrus adapts quickly to Ryan's help. But it's even hotter to know that Ryan's done his research. He's wanted to have sex with a turian, and now Garrus may just get to benefit from the digging the scientist has done.

As soon as his armor is off and he's down to just tunic and leggings, Garrus is nuzzling Ryan's cheek, marveling at how soft human skin actually is.]

So. What tips, then? For a turian who hasn't been with a human... and for a human who hasn't been with a turian?

[He works his tunic open and drops it behind himself. The leggings can come later; he doesn't feel like dislodging Ryan enough to work them down and off. Instead, he'll graze his teeth against Ryan's neck, just a hint of sharp without any danger.]

[While Garrus is shedding the last of his armor and his tunic, Ryan's working at the fastenings of his jacket and shirt, tossing them aside along with his gloves. He never wears anything that fits too tightly, but now that he's finally free of those usual layers of fabric it's easier to see exactly what his shape is like: thin, almost delicate, with light freckles dusted across his pale skin around his shoulders and the top of his chest.

He breathes out a slow, contented sigh at the graze of teeth against his skin, fingers skimming down Garrus' chest.]

Hm... not a tip, really, but- have you only ever been with turians? No other species at all?

[Ryan flashes him a grin that's equal parts eager and confident, a very rare expression on his face, and gently pushes himself backward-- not to step away, though.

He's just giving himself room to start sinking to his knees.]

Because I know exactly where to start if that's the case.

[The little dots are fascinating, faint and pale, and Garrus reaches up to trace a few of them even as Ryan touches him lightly. Soft, Ryan's skin and touch both. Garrus is bending his neck a little, deciding he wants to lick the spots, when Ryan moves and asks the question and grins, an expression Garrus hasn't seen before. There's promise in those eyes, even if Garrus isn't sure what the promise is.]

Uh. No. I mean, no other species.

[What's the significance of that? He threads his fingers through Ryan's hair, feeling the way the curls go around them. Now that Ryan's off his lap Garrus uses his free hand to tug his leggings off one hip spur and then the other. He wishes the human was still there, but he's going to trust to this idea, especially as his plates are already opening and spreading.]

Gonna, um. Give any clues about what this start is gonna be?

[He likes the way anticipation feels, enjoys the confidence coming from Ryan, but is endlessly curious. Especially now that he's able to fill his eyes with Ryan's body, beautiful in an entirely alien way. He will lick every single one of those spots, Garrus decides.]

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~spaaaace~ au [for Garrus]

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i am so sorry, welcome to nerd flirting garrus...

Like Garrus is any better

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