‘     WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU,    hm?    ’    she’s joking,    but deep down,   she knows the crew would be lost without joker.    he’s gotten them out of sticky situations more times than she can count,    and his humour...   well,   if it can keep a stim-addicted insomniac going,    then it can keep the rest of them going too.     ‘    who’s gonna keep me in check if you’re not around?     ’    fearless bastard.    an insubordinate jackass at times...     but fearless.

Several quips went through her head - something about her back being pretty heavy for his bones or sarcasm surely being the best weapon in field. And yet something stopped her. A hunch that perhaps it would be better refrain from their usual teasing. Maybe it was that tone of his voice, seemingly a bit more tense than usual. Maybe it was his choice of words devoid of the usual mischief and innuendos. Maybe it was that look he gave her, possibly more serious than usual, harder and more focused.

Maybe she was just seeing things and there was nothing unusual in his stance. Yet she went with what she truly thought about him, his abilities, his attitude, his intentions. Sometimes assertions like this had to be stated after all, without their typical antics. Just in case.

but accessible for face pat pats

sounds like a Challenge

r u telling me saren arterius was a turian supermodel

I still miss you. I know I start every letter that way, but I think it’s okay because people don’t mind hearing that, and if I left it out, maybe you’d think I stopped missing you, which isn’t true.

Someone said today they lost their parents when they were very young, like me, not you so much, but I know you miss her too. They said they couldn’t really remember their faces. I don’t think I’m ever gonna forget what Mom sounded like, though... I keep hearing her all the time. Sometimes I wish you could hear it too, but it’s not real, but I fall for it every time.

Where’s your brother? Where’s your brother? She says that a lot. The doctor said it’s maybe because I’m feeling overshadowed by you, that’s how it’s manifesting, she said, but I told her that’s ridiculous. I tell Mom you’re cruising through constellations, and I think if she was real, she’d be happy to hear that.

I’m trying really hard to know when things aren’t real. I’m real, and you’re real, so if I type things here and send them to you doesn’t that make it a little real, at least? Just a little?

But what if you weren’t real. I worry about that sometimes. The doctor says of course you’re real, there’s all kinds of ... evidence, she says, but what if I’m making all that up too? Well, it doesn’t matter really. You’d be the best imaginary brother a girl could ask for.

Dad said we can get a puppy soon.

I love you. Dad does too. How’s your ship? How’s your commander? The crew? The infrastructure? Your feelings?

I just learned the word infrastructure last week. I probably didn’t use it right.