By the time Samael woke up, it was already the next day. Everyone around the bar was wasted, with some even lying on the floor, while others were scattered across the bar.
Only RR and EDI were 'up', as they really didn't need to sleep. They greeted Samael with a nod, then returned to their conversation.
Speaking of it, Chora's Den had seen better days. Some areas of the bar were in disarray, with some places clearly looking like they would need repair. Still, nothing money or time couldn't solve.
Groaning, he got up and tried to remember what had happened yesterday, but—
'I can't remember past a certain point.'
---
FLASHBACK
HOURS AGO
After the small talk with Aethyta, Tevos, Benezia, Anderson, and Castis, they continued discussing trivial matters for a bit. But, perhaps captivated by the festivities, they decided to join the party as well.
Of course, the majority were reserved, after all, this was a party where they knew few people, and the people there were much younger than them. One person, however, didn't mind that at all, as he was already part of the younger crowd to begin with.
Samael went to the dance floor and attempted to dance, but no one seemed impressed with what he was showing. When Shepard joined in with her... movements, everyone felt energized and began to dance too. After all, if that was dancing, then they were the best dancer in the universe.
Soon, Benezia and Aethyta, perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, joined the dance floor as well. Liara, at this point, stopped caring about the awkwardness and just accepted the situation.
Tevos, noticing this, decided to join in too. She entered the fray and started to dance with Garrus, making the young Turian blush at her movements.
Solana tried to tease the poor young Turian, but a glare from Castis stopped her.
Speaking of him, while he wanted to join in, his old bones and personality didn't allow him to dance like Tevos and the others. So, he just appreciated the scene, drinking copious amounts of alcohol.
Anderson was the same. He had secretly filmed Shepard's dance moves and planned to keep it as a souvenir.
So the two of them got drunk while enjoying the atmosphere.
But soon, a problem occurred. The owner made a slight miscalculation and ordered too many drinks. She tried not to show it to Samael and the others, hoping to keep the atmosphere on the dance floor, but she failed when Grunt noticed her actions.
"Hey, what are in those crates?" Grunt asked with a suspicious look. Although he was enjoying the party, he was also paying attention to his surroundings. So when the owner brought multiple crates around the back and seemed to want to hide them, he became curious and alert.
After all, there could have been weapons inside, so he came to check.
When he saw the owner struggling to find the right words, he simply ignored her and opened one of the crates. When he saw the amount of alcohol inside, his eyes lit up.
The previous dangerous atmosphere around him disappeared as he looked at the owner with appreciation. "Sorry about that, and good job."
The owner sighed in relief and watched as Grunt carried some crates to the dance floor. Arriving close to the others, he shouted, "Guys, good drinks have arrived!"
Yes, the drinks were the best the Citadel had to offer, and the owner had pulled some favors to get them.
The others quickly realized the situation, looked at where the rest of the crates were, and brought them all to the dance floor.
The owner could only sweat as she watched the whole party start to drink heavily. "What have I done...?"
And that was the start of the problems. As the party spiraled out of control, everyone got blackout drunk and began acting strangely, causing chaos throughout the Citadel.
Though, that was a story for another time.
(AN: I won't be mentioning the things they did while blacked out because those will become the next batch of side stories. I planned on making those into a chapter, but I honestly had no inspiration for a chapter like that rn, so I did the best I could think of: leaving the trouble for future me.)
---
PRESENT
Samael sighed as he realized the situation.
He had drunk so much that he blacked out. From the states of Wrex, Javik, and Grunt, it seemed the drinks had been too strong, as they were also sprawled out on the ground.
"... How much did we drink?" He asked RR and EDI. For someone who was almost immune to alcohol, it wasn't normal for Samael to lose control like this. Not only him, but everyone has blacked out too.
"Too much," RR said calmly, with a smile that made Samael think about what they did last night.
EDI then asked in a light tone, "By the way, do you want to know what you guys did yesterday? We have videos, C-Sec reports, and many other things."
Samael shook his head. "Maybe another time. It's time to wake up the rest and clean up the place."
EDI shrugged her shoulders. "Go ahead."
She and RR once more returned to their conversation.
Sweating and thinking about the things they could have done while in that state, Samael began to wake everyone one by one.After all, they had to help clean up the mess they made.
Samael then went to wake Wrex, Javik, and Grunt first. After all, just like him, they were the best when it came to jobs that required manpower.
He woke Wrex with a light kick and woke up Javik and Grunt with a small tap.
The still sleepy Wrex rubbed the spot where he had been kicked. "What happened?"
"We drank too much yesterday and I just woke you up... By the way, do you remember what happened yesterday? My memory is a blur after some point." Samael asked the three of them, now that Javik and Grunt were also awake.
They looked at each other and shook their heads, with Wrex saying, "One of the last things I remember was carrying the crates with all those expensive drinks, drinking a lot, and that's it."
Javik nodded, indicating that it was the same for him. "By the way, Grunt, where did those crates come from?"
Grunt clearly had fun last night. It showed on his face, and he wasn't trying to hide it. "I was watching Shepard dance—"
Wrex snickered loudly, while the others ignored him because they had almost done the same. Shepard's dance was too ... memorable.
"When I noticed the bar's owner carrying the crates. I got suspicious, thinking it could be weapons, so I followed her. I then calmly asked her to take a look inside, and the rest is history."
Samael knew that they must have emptied the stock or come close to it, so the owner must have prepared in advance. Only, she was found out by Grunt.
He could almost picture the scene of the owner being terrified of a suspicious Grunt. "Did you scare her too much?"
Grunt shook his head. "She was fine... I think."
Javik shook his head at what Grunt said, then looked at Samael. "Clean up?"
"Clean up. You guys start while I wake up the rest.'' Samael said while looking at RR and EDI. Both of them knew what had happened yesterday, but they were staying quiet about it. He honestly didn't want to press the issue because he was afraid of what he and the rest had done, and you know what they say: If you don't know about it, it didn't happen.
Of course, if his curiosity got the better of him, he would ask, but for now, things would remain a mystery.
The trio nodded and started to clean up the place while Samael began to wake up the others.
First, he started with Shepard, Liara, Tali, and Veronica. They were at a table, sleeping together. Samael smirked at the scene and decided to wake up Liara first.
He breathed lightly on her ear, knowing it was something she liked. Sure enough, she reacted and slowly began to wake up.
The first thing she saw was Samael's smiling face. "Samael?" she asked in a dazed tone.
"Morning, sunshine."
Liara slowly came to and looked around Chora's Den, and the situation came back to her. "Morning... What happened here?"
"That's something I honestly don't want to find out," Samael replied as he moved to wake up Tali. "But, tell me, you don't remember either?"
Liara nodded, "I saw Father and Mother... kissing, drank a lot, then... I don't remember."
'It seems that Benezia and Aethyta had a fling last night. Maybe it's the beginning of their reconnection? Honestly, at this point, I just everyone to be happy. If reconnecting was what they needed to achieve that, so be it.'
Samael woke up Tali in a way he knew she liked, while still talking to Liara. "Same for me. The only ones who know what happened yesterday are EDI and RR. They say they have C-Sec reports and videos, so if you want to find out, you should talk to them."
Hearing that, Liara knew they must have caused a lot of trouble around the Citadel, and she wasn't keen to find out. "I'm good," she replied, then saw Wrex, Javik, and Grunt. "Clean up?"
Samael nodded. "I'm waking the rest to help. If you want to, you can start ahead."
Liara got up, '' Ill do that.'' She kissed Samael and went to help.
After that, Samael woke up the others one by one. While the majority of them were in good condition, some had clearly crossed a line, like Benezia and Aethyta.
The duo had obviously enjoyed each other's company. The only saving grace of the situation was that they were in a secluded space, so almost no one had witnessed it.
Liara, fortunately, was one of the few who didn't.
Solana, Garrus's sister, was also in an awkward position, as most of her clothes were missing, and her father and brother were around. Luckily for her, the other female crew members provided her with enough clothing to cover herself.
Castis said nothing about it because, like everyone else, he didn't remember what had happened and only noticed that she was covered. He also had his share of crazy younger years, so it didn't faze him much.
Garrus, on the other hand, was trying to hold back his laughter but was failing miserably.
Tevos and Anderson seemed to be the most normal among them. Although they also didn't remember the events, their demeanor was one of calm.
Soon, after everyone had woken up, the cleanup was quick.Samael spoke with the owner, thanking her for her hospitality and, of course, paid for the repair.
"Please, come again when you feel like it. Although, do let me know in advance. After all, you guys made quite a bit of noise yesterday." From her tone, she was sober yesterday and witnessed the crew's antics.
Samael nodded in response and left Chora's Den.
Outside, everyone was saying their goodbyes. After all, some of them would be apart for a long time. Garrus had given up his spot at C-Sec to join Samael's crew, while Mordin would stay behind to make an appearance at the reunion about Project Andromeda, Benezia and Aethyta were going off to pursue their own plans, while Castis, Anderson, and Tevos would return to their duties.
Solana was an enigma; Castis had no idea what to do with her. Although she was a Turian, she was a free spirit and not as grounded as the others.
When Samael approached the group, Castis immediately spoke to him. "Could you take Solana with you?"
"Sorry?" Samael tilted his head, feeling confused. This was the first time Castis had asked anything like this, across all cycles, so he was taken aback. He did know Solana—after all, he had a fling with her in a previous cycle—but this request was surprising.
Castis was straightforward, saying, "She's a good soldier, so you won't lose anything on that front. The only problem is that she's very free-spirited."
It was clear Castis was struggling to express himself, but he conveyed his feelings quite naturally.
Samael didn't overthink it. "What has Garrus said?" As they were siblings, working together might affect Garrus, so if he was against it, Samael would reject Castis's proposal.
Castis looked relieved. "He already agreed, just like Solana." He then glanced at his daughter, who was clearly blending in well with both the Phoenix's crew and Shepard's team.
"Tell her to pack up and meet us at the dock. We leave in one hour."
Castis nodded. "Thanks for that."
"Don't mention it."
They both returned to the group, and Samael approached Tevos directly. "How are you?"
"With a hangover and thinking about the reunion regarding Project Andromeda."
"You'll do well. I reckon you've already explained everything to Mordin?" Although Samael had informed the Salarian about the reunion, he thought it would be better for Tevos to explain it herself.
Tevos nodded. "Yes, he's aware of it."
"Good... Now, do you need anything from me? This will probably be the last time we see each other for a while."
From Samael's tone, Tevos realized he would be traveling a lot. She thought for a moment and shook her head. "Nothing comes to mind... and good luck with whatever you're going to do."
"Thanks."
Samael, his crew, and Shepard said goodbye to the councilors and headed to the docks.
Now that things were "finished," Joker returned to the Normandy. He had already said goodbye to EDI, and they both promised to maintain contact.
While the crew was talking, Samael was saying goodbye to Shepard alongside Tali, Liara, RR, and Veronica.
The girls just finished hugging and were saying things like, "Don't forget to call" and "Don't forget us," etc. They then stepped back to give Samael and Shepard some space. After all, just like them, he was also in a fling with Shepard.
This made Shepard's expression confused. She wasn't doubting her feelings, it was just too complicated. The war, Samael, and the girls—all of their feelings—were overwhelming.
It was too much to think about, so Shepard did her best to leave things for the future.
"Samael," she said.
"Shepard."
Samael knew that Shepard was more emotional than she let on, so he chose to be direct. "I will be going on a journey that might take some time. I will probably return before the war starts, but I want you to know that what I said yesterday was true. If after the war you still want to continue our arrangement, I will gladly accept."
Shepard was worried about the journey he was embarking on but didn't let it show. After all, everyone had their own life. Still, she appreciated Samael's honesty. "I'll think about it."
Samael smiled, hesitated for a second, then kissed Shepard.
She looked surprised but soon returned the gesture.
He then broke the kiss. "See you later."
"Bye bye."
Shepard and her crew watched as Samael and the rest entered the Phoenix. While Shepard was lost in thought, Joker teased, "How was the kiss, Commander?"
That brought her back to reality. "How were EDI's lips, Joker?"
It seemed he liked to tease but had no idea how to handle being teased himself, as he stuttered, "Well—that—sorry."
His reaction made some snicker, while others just watched the Phoenix leave the Citadel.
Shepard took one last look and said, "Let's go. We have a lot to do and not much time."
The countdown to war began, and time was not on the galaxy's side.
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AN: Thanks for the support and sorry for the delay. The next chapter should be up in the next couple of days!