Commander Javik (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
notavirtue) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
eachdraidh2014-07-19 11:09 am
notavirtue) wrote in eachdraidh2014-07-19 11:09 am
Entry tags:
Memory | Open to both Courts
“Those were all lies back there!” The woman yelling was blue, certainly not human but absolutely furious at the target of her anger: Javik.
“They were not,” he snapped back, keeping his tone as even as he could. “You wanted to know more about your history, asari, now you do!”
“I have a name!” The woman shimmered with blue energy, drawing her fist up in front of her. He knew well enough how powerful her biotics were, but he wasn't afraid of her. Behind her, the door sliced open and a red haired human – Shepard – walked in, looking startled for half a second at what was unfolding in front of her. “It’s Liara T’Soni, and I’d appreciate it if you –“
Shepard grabbed Laira’s arm, attempting to direct her anger away from Javik before any damage could be done. “Hey, settle down!”
“My home was just destroyed, and all he can do is gloat.” Her anger had abated, but only a little. The look she gave him was nothing short of murderous. The asari had spent her life digging around in prothean ruins, and as soon she heard the truth, she accused him of gloating. Unbelievable.
“Given what’s happened today, I think you owe Liara an apology, Javik.” Even more unbelievable, it seemed, was Shepard taking her side. The sneer that curled his lips was hardly a surprise.
“Apologize for the truth?” He sounded about as offended as he looked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“For not doing more!” Liara shouted, the aura of her biotics still shimmering around her. “You’re a prothean! You were supposed to have all the answers! How could not stop this from happening?”
“We believed you would.” And just like that, Liara’s anger faded along with her biotics, and she exchanged a confused look with Shepard. He checked a sigh, realizing that he was going to have to explain himself in a way that kept her happy. “Long ago we saw the potential in your people. Even then it was obvious: the wisdom, the patience. You were the best hope for this cycle, so you were… guided, when necessary.”
Everything he’d said in the temple was true: the goddess Athame was prothean, and the asari's success in nearly every quarter was thanks to interference from his people. For months now he'd been waiting for the dam to break in the asari, and for her to accuse of him not being what she'd wanted. He had shattered her image of his people in less than ten minutes, and failed to give them any real insight on how to defeat the Reapers. What they wanted, what they needed, was a prothean scientist or an engineer. Instead they'd gotten a broken, bitter old soldier, and they hated every word that came out of his mouth.
Liara looked at the floor. “Well it didn’t work.”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you?” Javik pressed on, brows rising. “Your world may have fallen, but as long as even one asari is left standing, the fight isn’t over.”
“I guess that goes for protheans, too.” The asari lifted her gaze to him, fingers entwined.
“Despair is the enemy’s greatest weapon,” he said, finally dropping his arms out of their defensive position. He took a few steps forward, bowing his head towards her. “Do not let them wield it… Liara T’Soni.”
She gave him a smile, fleeting as it was, and turned to leave. One little speech, and she was as good as placated.
Shepard turned to him once the door had closed behind the asari, looking at him curiously. “That was…unexpected. Thank you.”
“We still need her talents. If grief overcomes her, she will be lost to us.” He’d dealt with it before, with his own people. Grief slowed your trigger finger, depressed your reaction time. Death waited at every opportunity if you weren’t vigilant, and the asari’s power over information in the galaxy was keeping them alive.
He watched something dark pass over the commander’s face. “So did you actually mean what you said?”
“Does it matter?” He shot back, wanting this conversation to be done. They’d lost one planet, as if there weren’t others that could still be saved. These young races clung too tightly to things they didn’t need – honestly she should be worried about the prothean VI they’d just lost. Finishing the Crucible was going to be impossible without it, regardless of how many asari died for it.
“Liara’s been a good friend to me. It matters.”
“Then I will tell you what you want to hear: I meant what I said.” He turned his back on Shepard, walking to the water reservoir so he could wash his hands. The commander didn’t scold him for it, nor did she try to pry more out of him, thankfully. By now, she knew when he was done talking.
“Carry on,” she said, and he had only to wait a moment before she was gone as well.
Javik stared at his reflection in the water until he couldn’t stand the sight of it any longer.
[ooc: video here (just pretend Shepard is a redhead okay). If you're at the Station, action is cool.]
“They were not,” he snapped back, keeping his tone as even as he could. “You wanted to know more about your history, asari, now you do!”
“I have a name!” The woman shimmered with blue energy, drawing her fist up in front of her. He knew well enough how powerful her biotics were, but he wasn't afraid of her. Behind her, the door sliced open and a red haired human – Shepard – walked in, looking startled for half a second at what was unfolding in front of her. “It’s Liara T’Soni, and I’d appreciate it if you –“
Shepard grabbed Laira’s arm, attempting to direct her anger away from Javik before any damage could be done. “Hey, settle down!”
“My home was just destroyed, and all he can do is gloat.” Her anger had abated, but only a little. The look she gave him was nothing short of murderous. The asari had spent her life digging around in prothean ruins, and as soon she heard the truth, she accused him of gloating. Unbelievable.
“Given what’s happened today, I think you owe Liara an apology, Javik.” Even more unbelievable, it seemed, was Shepard taking her side. The sneer that curled his lips was hardly a surprise.
“Apologize for the truth?” He sounded about as offended as he looked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“For not doing more!” Liara shouted, the aura of her biotics still shimmering around her. “You’re a prothean! You were supposed to have all the answers! How could not stop this from happening?”
“We believed you would.” And just like that, Liara’s anger faded along with her biotics, and she exchanged a confused look with Shepard. He checked a sigh, realizing that he was going to have to explain himself in a way that kept her happy. “Long ago we saw the potential in your people. Even then it was obvious: the wisdom, the patience. You were the best hope for this cycle, so you were… guided, when necessary.”
Everything he’d said in the temple was true: the goddess Athame was prothean, and the asari's success in nearly every quarter was thanks to interference from his people. For months now he'd been waiting for the dam to break in the asari, and for her to accuse of him not being what she'd wanted. He had shattered her image of his people in less than ten minutes, and failed to give them any real insight on how to defeat the Reapers. What they wanted, what they needed, was a prothean scientist or an engineer. Instead they'd gotten a broken, bitter old soldier, and they hated every word that came out of his mouth.
Liara looked at the floor. “Well it didn’t work.”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you?” Javik pressed on, brows rising. “Your world may have fallen, but as long as even one asari is left standing, the fight isn’t over.”
“I guess that goes for protheans, too.” The asari lifted her gaze to him, fingers entwined.
“Despair is the enemy’s greatest weapon,” he said, finally dropping his arms out of their defensive position. He took a few steps forward, bowing his head towards her. “Do not let them wield it… Liara T’Soni.”
She gave him a smile, fleeting as it was, and turned to leave. One little speech, and she was as good as placated.
Shepard turned to him once the door had closed behind the asari, looking at him curiously. “That was…unexpected. Thank you.”
“We still need her talents. If grief overcomes her, she will be lost to us.” He’d dealt with it before, with his own people. Grief slowed your trigger finger, depressed your reaction time. Death waited at every opportunity if you weren’t vigilant, and the asari’s power over information in the galaxy was keeping them alive.
He watched something dark pass over the commander’s face. “So did you actually mean what you said?”
“Does it matter?” He shot back, wanting this conversation to be done. They’d lost one planet, as if there weren’t others that could still be saved. These young races clung too tightly to things they didn’t need – honestly she should be worried about the prothean VI they’d just lost. Finishing the Crucible was going to be impossible without it, regardless of how many asari died for it.
“Liara’s been a good friend to me. It matters.”
“Then I will tell you what you want to hear: I meant what I said.” He turned his back on Shepard, walking to the water reservoir so he could wash his hands. The commander didn’t scold him for it, nor did she try to pry more out of him, thankfully. By now, she knew when he was done talking.
“Carry on,” she said, and he had only to wait a moment before she was gone as well.
Javik stared at his reflection in the water until he couldn’t stand the sight of it any longer.
[ooc: video here (just pretend Shepard is a redhead okay). If you're at the Station, action is cool.]
action
Then with him, perhaps you will have an end to this. The way you described it makes it sound as though destroying the thing is out the question.
[Get rid of it and be done with it, he thought]
action
I do not know? To this day none know how Father made them, nor yet what substance he used - but he called it 'silima' - hence, 'Silmarils'. In my own world, at least, nothing existed that could break or marr them. Not even the Dark Lord himself could break them, and Morgoth was the greatest and most powerful being save only the One Himself.
action
This world is not your own. It is possible there is something here that could break it, if it would free you from all this.
[Unless destroying it made matters worse - he had no idea. It was one thing to be bound to an ideal, like him, and another to suffer for a damn rock.]
[ooc: i'm waiting on answer from the mods about our other thread before replying. i haven't forgotten!]
action
"if I must break them, I shall break my heart, and I shall be slain!"
Perhaps there is, but even so, I could not do that to my father. And I do not think I would be free Javik - did I not think so once already, when I came fresh to this world? We had succeeded, my brother Maedhros and I... and now it wakes, and all it took was one foolish child refusing us.
(ooc: lol I figured yes! no rush!)
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[He'd seen worse things done in the name of war, and at one point the Reapers turned their own children against them... Priorities changed, he supposed, when you no longer had a future for yourself or your progeny.]
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His enemy was not the only one cursed, I think. I do not... I have no words of condolence or encouragement, Maglor. This conflict is beyond the scope of my experience.
[Which was saying something - he'd seen some crazy shit before.]
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Thank you for trying, Javik. That you would stand beside me in any case is more a comfort than you know.
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Are you waiting on Will before departing? I am afraid I would not be much help on your mission.
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I am, yes. I thought to go through myself first however and scout the land. Will knows where to find me.
[ A quiet, sad sort of smile ] I fear you might be too obvious, my friend. But I thank you for the offer.
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Then I will leave you to prepare.
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Thank you.
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Cold logic wasn't quite as comforting as it used to be, though.]