"Were you proud of Tarquin before he sacrificed himself? And not just a turian soldier doing his duty but as your son?"
“I think about this all the time. I’ve realized, belatedly, that Tarquin must have wondered at it, too — ever unsure if he’d receive a word of censure or praise. Spirits, but I was so blind to it, to this conflict that I had not realized I’d created.
I don’t think he ever knew — but yes, I was proud of him. He was made a lieutenant at a very young age. Perhaps that inexperience…hurt him…in the end, but I can think of a dozen field commanders who would have made the same call.
I was harsh on him. Stern. I was his father and not his friend. That much, I don’t regret. But I loved him. I followed his accomplishments with pride. I watched him become a turian worthy of the Victus name. I know, now, that I had cast a long shadow over him. He lived always in comparison to his father. I wish I could have seen him become his own man — but that chance will never come.”
"04:What is your opinion of the asari race?"
“I share the viewpoint, I suppose, that most turians have. The asari are the most advanced race, and the most experienced. This gives them a tactical advantage on and off the battlefield. The spirits of our ancestors are proud to see our species carrying on such a long and distinguished alliance with them. We may have superior martial might, but we would be fools indeed to attempt to outmaneuver them.
Sometimes, I think, the asari are too fractious. They are like humans, in this. Their notion of personal freedom often runs counter to the needs of their people as a whole. This isn’t exactly mystifying to me, but it’s very telling about their culture. They simply do not value the greater need in the way that turians do. The system of their Republic might be democratic, but it’s also divisive, unlike the unified government of the Hierarchy. I consider the asari staunch allies, but I don’t always trust their methods.”
"₩"
“Spirits…Garrus Vakarian. A loaded name in a time like this. Polarized. A third of the galaxy admires him, a third hates the example he sets, and the rest are locked and loaded, seeking their revenge. He deserves all of it — but hell if I don’t pray he comes out on top.
He’s far from orthodox, and that’s exactly what our people need right now. I’m easily the most progressive turian of my rank, but Vakarian far surpasses me. You can’t just duplicate the kind of bond he has with the krogan and quarian peoples. The humans. Species that had long been called ‘enemy’ sit in our councils, fight by our side, die with us. He gets it. I may work within the system — Vakarian defies it. ‘What system?’ He’s made countless enemies like this, but he has good people at his back, watching his six.
We’ll butt heads from time to time —”
{ an unrestrained laugh }
"—but considering his relationship with the krogan Clan Chief, that shouldn’t surprise me. I know there are arguments, disagreements, heated words in our future. I’m ready for it. I trust him to put us in our place and call us out when we deserve it. He’s the dynamism the Hierarchy desperately needs, whether we like it or not.
I’m proud of the kid, even if he can’t see in himself what I so easily can. He’s smart. Savvy. Pragmatic. He’s dedicated as hell and he actually cares. Maybe he’d cringe at Die For the Cause, but he embodies our anthem better than anyone I know. Someday, perhaps, he’ll see why.”
"2, 14, 17"
2. Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? etc.
He has various scars around his body throughout the years, as well as some aging on the plates of his face. Still, nothing is really distinct enough to stand out or be memorable. (Also answered here.)
14. Are they a team player or do they prefer to be solo?
He works well with teams. However, his cooperation is largely contingent on his role. For the most part, he trusts when others are in a position of leadership, but never so much as when he trusts himself. He works most effectively as a commander, but he still prefers to fight side-by-side with his men.
17. Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?
He’s an extrovert. He does love going out and spending time with people, but he’s selective; both about what he’ll do and who he’ll do it with. He has a small number of people he cares about, and with them he’s very sociable. Adrien’s neutral to most other people. On the other hand, he’s perfectly content with solitude and quiet. He’s spent many years like that, anyway. Victus is calm in large crowds. However, he might have flashbacks if these crowds get rowdy — he doesn’t have PTSD, per se, but it will draw his attention, briefly, to memories of battles he’s had. It won’t particularly jar him, however. (Also answered here.)
"And 23. (Huehuehue.)"
23. Do they prefer romance or affection? What is the quickest way to your character’s heart?
He’s very much a romantic at heart, although not foolishly so. He’ll walk into things eyes-open. While he’s not expressly cynical, he’s realistic. He wasn’t planning on entering any relationships after the death of his wife. Even so, one of the most important elements of a bond with a partner would require an immense amount of trust and respect. Without these traits, it’s not going to go anywhere.
He’s charmed by optimism — not naivety. Looking towards the future with hope, even with the understanding that it may be doomed all the same — is important to him. Someone with this quality will surely charm him, as would a strong sense of justice and compassion. It’s traits of character, above all else, that make a great emotional impact on him.
"2, 9, 17, 21."
2. Does your character have any noteworthy features? Freckles? Dimples? A scar somewhere unusual? etc.
He has various scars around his body throughout the years, as well as some aging on the plates of his face. Still, nothing is really distinct enough to stand out or be memorable.
9. Does your character dream or are their nights filled with an empty blackness? Describe a dream they’ve had or a night they couldn’t sleep and what they did to preoccupy their time.
He does, in fact, dream. However, it’s very rare that he’ll remember it. Most nights he has trouble falling asleep to begin with, and when he does, he’ll turn around and twist himself up in covers. When he’s given up on attempting to rest, he’ll attempt to return to work, if he can. If not, he’ll watch classic vids or listen to music to give himself something to focus on and divert his thoughts.
17. Is your character an introvert or an extrovert? How do they handle big crowds of people?
He’s an extrovert. He does love going out and spending time with people, but he’s selective; both about what he’ll do and who he’ll do it with. He has a small number of people he cares about, and with them he’s very sociable. Adrien’s neutral to most other people. On the other hand, he’s perfectly content with solitude and quiet. He’s spent many years like that, anyway. Victus is calm in large crowds. However, he might have flashbacks if these crowds get rowdy — he doesn’t have PTSD, per se, but it will draw his attention, briefly, to memories of battles he’s had. It won’t particularly jar him, however.
21. Your character has been granted 3 wishes; what would they wish for and why?
1. The safety and security of the turian people. If there were a way to make life better and more equitable for turians — no matter their colony — he would.
2. His wife and son. While he’s moved on from Calpurnia’s death, which was over eleven years ago, he’s carried massive emotional scars ever since, and he regrets that things had not been different for them. Especially with Tarquin, where Adrien regrets his inability to have raised him with more outward affection. He had always loved his son, but he showed it through discipline. It was the only way he knew how. If he had even one day to speak to them both, he would take it. He’d say the things he never got the chance to.
3. This is no joke — he’d wish for Shepard’s happiness. He sees much of himself in them, and he respects few others in the way that he does the Commander. Adrien also sees the opportunity for their happiness to be fulfilled in a way that his own was not. He’s content with his lot; that’s enough for him. But Shepard deserves so much more. He will make a great effort to secure what he can for them.
"What is one of your muse's lesser known passions?"
The exploration of new worlds. Sometimes his postings took him on UNC missions. Even if it was hellish and grueling, something about the raw wildness of these planets, moons and anomalous satellites stirred the fire in him, the dogged determination to search for the truth, to step foot on an ancient continent for the first time in turian history — to be one of the first landing teams on the site of a new colony that would sustain his people for the next thousand years or more, or look up at a foreign sky and see fantastical cosmic views. There’s nothing else that can compare.
"Your muse is fighting along side a team of your trusted/loved crew members/team/squadmates, and they watch them die in the same explosion. How does your muse react?"
It always began and ended the same way, didn’t it?
His successes tasted sweet only vis-a-vis the pain of the loss that had preceded them. Victories were meaningless without sacrifice. Accomplishments meant nothing without struggle.
Why, then, did another piece of him fracture and crumble as he watched the hellish glow of the explosion, blaze reflected in the chrome of his armor, the twin mirrors of his eyes. His face showed nothing. Not sorrow, not anger, not surprise. Time stilled — and then went on forever.
His hands clenched at his sides, helpless…until he raised his rifle once more. Damned be this galaxy and the people it had taken from him. Every shot, every kill he took with a coldly renewed vigor reclaimed a spirit that he had loved. His family. His friendships. His comrades in arms. He would grieve later. For now, numbness and steely resolve had settled over him.
He fought this war for them.
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