[video] the road that ended

[sassguard]

[ For those familiar with his face, Shepard seems ... younger, somehow. Not by much, but there are fewer lines creasing his forehead and the corners of his eyes. His posture's slightly different, too, shoulders squared and spine straight even as he almost hums with alertness. ]

I'm Commander Shepard. I've been told I've been here before, but apparently I'm missing a few things. I don't recognize most of the faces on this network.

[ His voice is scratchy, hoarse from use -- or lack of it? He's had the time to go through his communicator record -- lucky it wasn't locked -- and what he's seen has mostly added to his growing confusion. Although he conceals it well, the frustration with the inability to understand what's happening grates on him. ]

Am I the only one having issues with memory loss? Is this something that happens a lot here?

Comments

[sassguard]

[ That, at least, Shepard can answer with little hesitation. ]

I woke up in an apartment. [ He senses the exact details of those circumstances are best left undetailed on a public network. ]

Kaidan says I've been living there with him and our pets for a while?

[ The questioning lilt to his voice is as much to ask Jaime to confirm or deny, as a testament to Shepard's own uncertainty. ]

[khajidont]

Oh. Then... yeah, he's mostly filled you in. When you don't wake up by the Porter, it tends to be temporary. You might, uh, find yourself remembering some of it sometime.

[There's never any guarantee of that one, though.]

You still like the pets?

[sassguard]

Why would being next to the Porter make a difference?

[ What is it with the pets... first Kaidan and now this guy? ]

They're ... friendly enough? I don't really know what to think about them -- I've never had pets of my own before. Nowhere to keep them when I was growing up, and definitely couldn't keep them when I was on active duty.

[khajidont]

It does. If the Porter is the one messing with you, you show up by the Porter. If it's someone else... you don't.

You mean you didn't have a hamster when you were on duty? [How much is different? How much is the same?] You're still from the Normandy, right...?

[sassguard]

Is that a good thing?

[ He shakes his head at the first question. ]

The Normandy doesn't exactly have room for pets. The people who built her didn't exactly have comfort and space in mind.

[khajidont]

That... depends on your perspective. Would you like to remember everything that you've forgotten? Because you probably will. Eventually.

[sassguard]

I'm not really a fan of having my head messed with unless it's for a good reason. So yeah, I'd like to remember.

[khajidont]

Then that's good news. You will, eventually. Or, at least, I'm pretty sure you will. Until then, we'll just do our best to get you all caught up. A lot of people care about you, you know.

[Especially Kaidan. Mostly Kaidan. Oh god, poor Kaidan.]

I'm Jaime, by the way. You can guess that I know you already.

[sassguard]

I'm getting that, yeah.

[ Mostly Kaidan. Awkward Kaidan. Also, the dog. ]

How long have we known each other ... ? Sorry, I'm not really sure what's the right thing to say right now.

[khajidont]

That's okay! There's nothing you have to say. You're not the first friend of mine this has happened to, you know, [Jaime says, and he says it with a warm smile he doesn't necessarily feel.] It's been over a year now -- maybe a year and a half? It's been a while.

[sassguard]

[ He resists the urge to place his fingers to his temple, but only just. ]

That's a lot of time to be missing.

[ A pause. ]

It's not something you should have to get used to.

[khajidont]

Eh. There's a lot of things out there that we shouldn't have to get used to and do anyway, right? It sure isn't something you have to worry about.

[Shep's the one who has to deal with the whole memory loss thing, after all.]

[sassguard]

[ Shepard can't help thinking of the last year and how his life's basically turned upside down, and can't help his lips curling up in a smirk edged with slightly dark humor. ]

Can't argue with that. [ He pauses. ] I don't like not knowing things. Comes with having your own command, maybe.

[khajidont]

I think that might be a part of being human. Or, uh, alive? [He's trying not to be space racist!] But I guess it especially sucks for you. Like I said, if you got anything that you feel like you need to know, I'm your guy, but it's not exactly easy to summarize an entire year, if that's what you want.

[sassguard]

Sitting around not doing anything isn't going to bring my memory back any faster.

[ He exhales, softly. ]

Kaidan said I was ... am a police officer here. [ The way the words sit in his mouth is probably indicative of how foreign a concept that feels like to him right now. ] I'm trying to figure out other pieces of my routine. Things I did every week.

That's probably the best place to start. If you know anything that could help, I'd appreciate it.

[ He comes off a little stiff about it, but ... the truth is, it's really, really troubling to be dropped into the middle of a life you apparently have no memory about. It's hard to connect the experiences people tell him about with himself, and he keeps stumbling into something with Kaidan that leaves them both feeling awkward and at odds, displaced in time relative to each other. But something physical -- that, Shepard can handle. ]

[khajidont]

Oh, well... there's nothing special.

[Jaime realizes, belatedly, how offensive that must sound coming from a stranger, and hastily backtracks, holding one hand up to the camera.]

Not in a bad way! It's just, you have mostly a normal life here, unless something's happening to everyone. You go to work, you have dinner with Kaidan, you walk the dog. You used to give me driving lessons, but now we mostly just drive around too fast and don't tell Kaidan.

[Oh, Jaime. Kaidan knows.]

Uh... every couple of weeks, you guys have me dogsit so you can go do your own thing.

[Which is to say: sorry Shep, but you're domestic as hell.]

[sassguard]

[ None of it really sounds like Shepard, to Shepard. At the very least, it's hard to imagine himself settling down into something like that and not being bored or stir-crazy, and his brow just furrows deeper the longer Jaime goes on. ]

My own thing. [ He echoes, like he's trying to figure that one out. For a moment, he looks like he might be on the verge of asking Jaime to elaborate on that, but after a moment's pause, he switches tracks. ]

What do you mean, "unless something's happening to everyone?" What kind of things happen around here?

[khajidont]

Well, we're at war. Even if it doesn't look like it. Russia and America have been fighting with each other for a while, and sometimes even imPorts get wrapped up in some bad stuff. Stuff like what's happening to you right now. And when anything goes down... you're there to help take care of it.

[He offers Shep a wry little smile.]

But I'm sure that part doesn't surprise you.

[This really won't be Shepard anymore if he's not the sort to jump to action in some capacity.]

[sassguard]

[ Shepard chuckles wryly, at that. ]

Some things don't change, at least. [ He pauses. Then: ]

Just don't tell me I've taken up the superhero business. I heard that's a thing around here.

[khajidont]

Oh, yeah. You got the bright yellow spandex and the cape going on and everything. You go by the name of: The Commander.

[A beat.]

...sorry, it's probably kind of mean to screw with you while you've got amnesia. Don't worry, you can get involved minus the spandex, 'round here.

[sassguard]

Great.

[ Deadpan. ]

Otherwise I was going to have to ask Kaidan why the alternate handle on my communicator is apparently 'Blasto.'

[khajidont]

You probably said it to the government guys as a joke.

[.......]

Do you still like Blasto?

[sassguard]

Okay, that does sound like something I'd do.

It's an action vid about a big, dumb jellyfish being a Spectre. What's not to like?