Returning something that doesn't belong to me... (Shep!)

[thievingrumors]

Kasumi generally didn’t get up before 10 and it was very clear that she had just rolled out of bed shortly after sending that e-mail to Shepard. Her hair was definitely tousled and her hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants were disheveled. She was wearing the standard issue black socks. They worked well enough for her and were quieter than the sneakers she had been given.

She had the ship she’d stolen under one arm as she approached the door to Shepard’s room, “So early…” She knocked carefully on the door. Of course she could have just entered the room through the same means that she’d stolen the ship but… she was worried that might jar the ship and something may have come off of it or broken.

She was brash and could be tactless but she wasn’t a total jerk. Kasumi definitely took care of items that she had stolen. Broken items didn’t sell well and she rarely had the time to fix ones she wanted to keep.

She examined the ship carefully while she waited for the door to open. It was a cute little warship. It looked more maneuverable than well armored and the mini canons looked pretty light-weight. The front had a pretty little mermaid attached to the bow, it was surprisingly detailed for such a little ship. The ropes were real twine and taught where they needed to be. Even the crow’s nest was finely detailed. It looked like there was a tiny bottle inside along with some ropes and maybe mini binoculars. Kasumi was enamored with the details.

It was very clear some care had been taken when putting this together.

Comments

[shepard]

Shepard's at the door a few moments later, a water bottle in hand. It's clear from the thin film of sweat on her brow and neck that she had been working out this morning.

"Come in," she says, stepping aside for the woman. It's strange, somehow; already, she's met two people aboard this station she didn't know before coming here but knew her quite well. Shepard didn't like being stuck at a disadvantage, and clearly this woman had her at one.

Shepard leads the way to the small table present in every living quarters she's been in since she first found herself aboard the Proserpina. "Take a seat," she says, gesturing at one of the empty chairs at the table. And once Kasumi sits down, Shepard does, too, setting the water bottle down on the table.

"It's good to finally meet you," she says. "Though it sounds like it isn't the first time for you."

[thievingrumors]

Of course Shepard would be working out. She assumed that even on a vacation the other woman would still be well prepared for a war to come. No rest for the justified soldier on a mission or something like that.

Not that the Reapers would allow any of them to have a vacation. It was kind of difficult to relax on a beach when you were getting your ass blown off. And Shepard seemed to put herself and her crew in situations where getting your rear shot off was a frequent occurrence.

Not that Kasumi didn’t get herself into a fair share of trouble. Taking things that didn’t belong to you seemed to come with the caveat that someone will be upset and try to kill you. Eventually.

She stepped across the threshold, studying Shepard carefully before moving to the stand where the model ship had been. She thought Shep was trying to pull one over on her but seeing this Shepard, there was definitely something different about her. The way she moved, the scar on her face… It was different.

She carefully placed the bottle back on the stand, adjusting it until it was exactly as it was when she stole it. She then moved over to one of the chairs, one where she wouldn’t have her back to the door, and sat down. “It’s not,” though, they both knew that. Her tone was both friendly and playful, “I can’t say this isn’t weird,”

A smirk touched her lips as she pulled her knees up to her chest in the chair, when weren’t things weird? “I take it this is where the subtle interrogation begins?” She always felt the other woman had quite the flair for asking the right questions to get exactly the information she was looking for.

Something about being a leader that lends itself to being either unbelievably charismatic or absolutely terrifying.

[shepard]

"That sounds accurate," Shepard says. She hadn't exactly had an easy time swallowing the information the other woman fed her via comms the day before, but she figured that had a lot to do with getting the abridged version of the story. Now, she wanted the unabridged version.

"So," Shepard says, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm dead. How did this happen?"

That seems like the best place to start.

[thievingrumors]

Right to the point. Maybe this Shepard wasn’t so different from the woman she knew.

The smirk dropped from Kasumi’s features, “Well, I wasn’t exactly there but I did piece together what happened.” And by piece together what happened she meant utilized Miranda’s Cerberus terminal while she’d been in the bathroom. Miraculously the door to the bathroom also malfunctioned at that very moment and it took engineering an hour to get her out.

“The Normandy was caught in a Collector attack,” a pause, “It was bad.” The description in Shepard’s file hadn’t been pleasant; the ship had been caught totally off-guard. “Joker refused to leave the ship and you went back for him. The last shot hit the ship right after you shoved him into the last escape shuttle and the ship ended up being a total loss.”

A small frown touched her lips, “You were flung into space.” Suffocating in space was probably not the best way to die. Talking to someone about their own death was a little morbid.

A lot morbid, actually.

[shepard]

All right, so she died trying to evacuate Joker from the Normandy when he refused to leave the ship. This seemed plausible. Joker loved that ship probably more than what was reasonable. Shepard loved it, too, but not enough that she would endanger herself or anyone else over it.

"What are the Collectors?" Shepard imagined that she'd die at the hands of the Geth or the Reapers. The Collectors a new addition to the equation. "Do they have anything to do with the Reapers?"

[thievingrumors]

“Ah, they’re…” how did she explain the collectors? “They’re… acolytes of the Reapers, I guess?” That wasn’t quite right. They weren’t working for the reapers, they seemed like they were an extension of the Reapers.

Kasumi’s expression darkened, “They were kidnapping entire colonies of people so the Reapers could make a super a weapon out of liquefied people parts.” That wasn’t something Kasumi could muster a joke about, “It was actually kind of terrifying.”

That was probably something Kasumi wouldn’t have told anyone else. The Collectors had scared her, their methods, their effectiveness… everything about them was just so… disturbing.

[shepard]

"Liquified human parts?" Shepard repeats, uncomprehendingly. Shepard's brows furrow at that. She almost can't believe what she's hearing. The Reapers were bad -- really bad, actually, but she thought they were the destroying type. Making a weapon out of human parts seemed like something stolen from a bad scifi movie -- not something from her reality.

"So, I'm assuming that once I'm brought back to the dead by whatever means I was ressurrected, we go out and fight them," she says. "I take it we obliterate them and move on to the Reapers?" She offers Kasumi a slight smile.

[thievingrumors]

“Cerberus brought you back from the dead,” Kasumi waves a hand like the statement isn’t anything major, “I think they thought you were a major asset to the well-being of human kind or something like that.” It sounded like something the Illusive Man would harp on about.

“Pretty much. It was a suicide mission, though with you I don’t think there’s any other kind of mission,” a small smirk returned to her lips. She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to talk about the Reapers so she decided on something lighter, “Yeah. The Reapers really didn’t really know what hit them. Death lasers aside, they are pretty big pushovers when you get down to it.”

[shepard]

It's then that Shepard realizes it.

She might actually be dead right now. EDI had mentioned that she was missing for awhile. Maybe when she said missing, what she really meant was that she was dead.

Death had to be a pretty horrifying thing to experience -- sort of like birth. Maybe that's why no one remembered being born, and... maybe that's why she didn't remember dying.

Which meant that it was... likely everyone here was dead or dying. Maybe Teyla had been brought back to life the way she had -- or maybe she'd been in a coma. Maybe this was the non-place people went to when they were incapacitated.

She looks across the table at Kasumi. She barely knew her, but she still didn't like the thought of her -- or anyone else dead.

"You want to talk about yourself?" she asks, forcing a smile. "I feel like I know enough about what's happened in the past. But if we're friends and crewmates in the future, I'd like us to be both of those things now."

[thievingrumors]

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Shepard had phrased that. “Alright, did you want to know about anything in particular?”

One thing Kasumi did enjoy talking about was herself. She enjoyed it almost as much as talking about other people. Rumors spread, even on a small ship with a small crew and Kasumi was definitely there to hear them all.

“I think it should be clear what I mean when I say I’m an acquisitions specialist,” oh, she could spin being a thief in any number of lights. Most of them positive and generally boastful about her own skills, “It’s definitely not false to say I’m the best in the galaxy.” That was exactly why Mr. Illusive had tracked her down.

[shepard]

"How did we end up working together?" Shepard asks, leaning slightly over the table. "I suspect a woman of your skill and repute is high in demand. Couldn't imagine that you'd throw your neck on the guillotine without a good reason."

Kasumi's right -- most of Shepard's missions were usually suicide missions. And if Kasumi knew anything about the Battle of the Citadel, she'd at least know that being on Shepard's team involved a great deal of risk.

[thievingrumors]

Hah – well, Shepard definitely had charisma down as an applicable skill on her resume. “High demand for those who can actually find me,” Kasumi corrected.

Her expression grew serious a moment, “The Illusive Man requested my services to join the crew of the Normandy.” She turned to sit sideways in the chair, her feet resting against the arm, “He offered quite a lot of money every time he asked.” Money generally wasn’t something that Kasumi needed though, “Frankly, it was a little insulting at how insistent he was.” She started doing a poor impersonation of his voice, “Ms. Goto, blah, blah, betterment of mankind, blah, blah money.” She shrugged, “Some things just aren’t worth the money.”

When you started selling your morals, what did you have left? Cerberus wasn’t a line she was willing to cross until he had mentioned Shepard. “Favors however, are worth far more than any monetary offer so I accepted the last time he had contacted me.” The paused, thinking a moment, “Though, I think you were still dead when he offered you up to help me.”

[shepard]

"What, was he putting together a team for me while they brought me back from the dead?" Shepard didn't like the idea of having her crew picked out for her, especially someone from Cerberus.

But judging from Kasumi's tone, she doesn't particularly care much for Cerberus, either. And that makes Shepard like her any more. "Did I ever help you with that favor?" Even if she wasn't making the promises, she likes to think that she'd do it anyway.

[thievingrumors]

Kasumi shrugged, “I would assume so? I know that he contacted me before the Lazarus project had completed. I’m not sure about anyone else on the crew.” She thought a moment then continued, “Though it makes sense. Cerberus isn’t known to be the most altruistic organization in the galaxy, I’d say they’re a special brand of homicidal crazy but when you’re touting the flag of the Commander Shepard, it gives people pause.” She ran a hand through her hair, “I think it also helped that the crew wasn’t exclusively human.”

Kasumi assumed that the crew selection was all part of earning Shepard’s trust or something. The thief didn’t trust the Illusive Man ever, his motives were always shady. To be expected from someone going by the moniker “Illusive Man,” she supposed.

“You did. My partner had a graybox and it had been stolen, you helped me get it back,” she offered a small smile. “It was very important to me and the information on it was invaluable,” by that she meant that Keiji’s memories and not necessarily the Intel the man had been hiding.

[shepard]

"Okay," Shepard says, trying to process everything that's been said thusfar.

She died saving Joker from a Collector attack aboard the Normandy, which destroyed the ship entirely. She was then resurrected by Cerberus during as part of their Lazarus Project. They fought the Collectors, who were trying to make some sort of superweapon out of human beings. And then they began fighting the Reapers.

"Was there anyone else that I don't know that I should?" she asks. "Other people who ended up joining my crew after I died?" There were already two people here she didn't know. It'd be presumptuous not to assume that there weren't others.

[thievingrumors]

“Hm,” Kasumi thinks a moment, “Well, Garrus and Tali were there. And Dr. Chakwas was there as well.” She stops, thinking who else was on the ship and when they arrived to ensure she was only including the people Cerberus had pointed Shepard to. “Mordin was there,” she then added with a amused lilt to her voice, “He was crazy, in a good way. Jacob and Miranda were Cerberus already. Jack,” she paused, taking a deep breath and thinking carefully on how to phrase her description of Jack, “Jack was a little damaged. Hm, Zaeed, he was an ass. There was also an Asari justicar, Samara. She was interesting.” She had to be forgetting someone, “Oh, and Grunt. Typical Krogan, he was grown in tank to be the ultimate super Krogan or something.”

There was one name she left off the list; she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to give away with that one. You would have to be an idiot to ignore how much the other woman had cared for the Drell. Kasumi had reveled in commenting on their relationship. They were cute and it was sad what happened to the man, “And Thane Krios,” this she added quietly, “He was a drell assassin.”

After a moment she added, “And your boyfriend.”

Which really made it sound more like a high school drama than a relationship. Kasumi had a bad habit of downplaying important things when she wanted to avoid a more serious topic.

[shepard]

With the exception of Garrus and Tali, all the other names that Kasumi utters are names she's completely and utterly unfamiliar with. She's about to ask her who those people are and why weren't Ashley and Wrex and Liara there too when Kasumi says something that nearly makes Shepard's mouth fall open.

"Boyfriend?" she manages. It comes out skeptical, in part because Shepard has a hard time believing that she'd be dating anyone in the midst of a battle against the Reapers, let alone a member of her crew. "I have a boyfriend."

[thievingrumors]

Kasumi chuckled, “Yeah. The pair of you were actually quite cute.” Her eyes sparkle with a bit of mischievousness, “I know that Kelly woman was quite jealous.” Kelly was always ‘That Kelly woman’ to Kasumi on the sole basis that she didn’t particularly like the woman. She was the ship’s psychologist and felt the need to analyze everyone’s. Interesting, when you weren’t the subject of her observations.

“Thane is an exceptionally good person,” she adds with a nod, “which I think people assume is difficult to come by for an assassin.” It was clear by her tone that she didn’t agree with that. Kasumi knew a few assassins that were good people and it generally annoyed her that people jumped to conclusions.

[shepard]

"This is a lot to process," Shepard says, pressing a trio of fingers to her temple. "As I am right now, I can't really imagine myself being with anyone else, least of all someone in my crew."

A drell assassin. Drell were fairly rare to come by. And an assassin. She's going to assume he's got to be a pretty good guy if she was romantically involved with him. But who knows what her death changed about her. She's having a hard enough time now processing that information. It'd be even harder, she imagines, to learn this information from a Cerberus agent.

"What was he like?" she asks, because she really is curious. "Do you know how we ended up together?"

[thievingrumors]

Kasumi makes a face, maybe she shouldn’t be telling Shepard all of this? “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. I don’t want your head exploding or something.” Her light tone said that she was joking about the later. “You’re a bit more uptight now than you are when I know you,” she added with a small laugh, “No offence.”

She then moved to talking about Thane. “He’s surprisingly spiritual,” surprisingly to Kasumi because most assassin’s she had met were not men of any sort of god. “And… he actually cares about life, which seems odd for someone who’s profession is to take it,” she pauses, every conversation she had with Thane ended up being philosophical in some way. She held him in pretty high regards.

“As for how you ended up together…” she trails off, she didn’t know all of the specifics but she could guess. “Well, you helped him keep his son from going into the assassinations business so I think he viewed that as a positive.” She rested her chin on one of her knees, “I think the both of you talked quite frequently as well. He always spoke very highly of you, Shep.”

[shepard]

"So, somehow along the way to destroy the Collectors, I found time to get your grey box and stop Thane's son from taking up his old man's profession. And find romance along the way."

Before, Shepard really did look a little high strung by this revelation, but now she seems downright amused.

"It sounds like something out of a movie, honestly." She twists open the cap to her bottled water and takes a long swig, then sets the bottle back down on the table.

"Where were Wrex and Ashley and Liara?" she asks, finally. "They didn't die on the Normandy too, did they?"

[thievingrumors]

“You caught me. I really have never met you, I only watched the movie and subsequent series they made to serialize your life,” the smirk playing across Kasumi’s lips said that she was kidding.

“In all seriousness, it wasn’t my graybox and you really helped everyone on the crew out with something,” a beat, “Oh, and you also managed to recruited a Geth.” Legion was a cool guy though. For a scary machine thing.

“And no, they didn’t die. Wrex was busy on Tuchanka leading the Krogan. He’s surprisingly good with diplomacy,” she pauses again as she makes a face, “for a Krogan anyway. Ashley was on Horizon and none too happy with you for working with Cerberus and Liara became the Shadow Broker. They all ended up joining your crew again when you were going after the Reapers.”

[shepard]

Shepard returns the smirk with one of her own. Ashley being upset didn't come as a big surprise, and Wrex going back to the Krogan homework was something she could swallow. Recruiting a Geth and Liara becoming the Shadow Broker were both pretty damn unexpected.

"Okay, so what about you?" she asks. "Collectors are dead and we're off fighting the Reapers now. Is everyone back on the Normandy for one final battle against Sovereign's little Reaper friends?"

[thievingrumors]

That was a question Kasumi wasn’t going to fully answer. “Not quite,” her mouth formed a tight line and concern bled into her features, “the Reaper attacks were bad, Shep.” She wasn’t sure how many details she wanted to give on how bad everything was.

What if this Shepard went back to her time and was able to fix everything? After seeing how bad the Reapers were, Kasumi had serious doubts that would be a possibility.

The woman forced a smile, “I’m not actually on the Normandy. I’m working with the weapon we’re building to try to obliterate the Reapers. Obviously we’ve got them backed into a corner now. Not sure how we’re going to manage it but we have a big old mystery weapon on our side.”

[shepard]

The Reaper attacks were bad.

Shepard bites back the urge to ask how bad, but after seeing Sovereign on the Citadel, she can imagine how bad things really were.

She just hopes the Alliance got their act together before the Reapers returned.

"Don't worry," Shepard says, returning the smile. "I can't really speak for the future me, but the me as I am right now is pretty damn persistent. If I've got to go there and take the Reapers out solo, I'll do it. So don't worry about a thing."

It might sound disingenuous, but if there was anything Shepard expected in the future, it was that she would die in the line of duty. And maybe that's why she was willing to take the risks others wouldn't.

"I think I'm done learning about the great and wonderful future for today," she says, lifting herself to her feet. "But feel free to stop by anytime. I think it'd be nice to listen to someone reminisce about the past... or my future, in this case."

She extends a hand out for Kasumi to shake.

"I'm glad we got to meet."

[thievingrumors]

That was one thing this Shepard had in common with the one she knew: Both women were incredibly resilient and stubborn. It was a damn shame how closely her words echoed the truth and Kasumi felt a little bad about that.

She unfolded herself from the chair and rose to her own feet to take the taller woman’s hand, “Likewise, in both cases actually. We didn’t really have all that much time to go over all your old war stories either.” She smiled brightly, “Though, I guess you don’t have much time to reminisce when everyone is asking you to run their errands and do their grocery shopping.”

She chuckled softly, “It is still so weird to say that I’m meeting you when I already know you.” She crossed the room to the door and her footsteps could barely be heard against the floor. She would have to modify some shoes to fix that.

“I’m right down the hall, stop by if you ever want to chat. I’m sure I’ll have something interesting to talk about.”

With that she slipped through the door and was gone.