DRAWTOBER #8 - That Hunts on a Lonely Hill by ninnaun
“Javik,” she said, or tried to through the sudden hot swell of emotion that burned at her eyes. He blinked slowly, but did not turn. Liara licked her lips and tried again. “Javik, do not read your people’s sacrifice as failure.”
I started reading this back in 2016, when I first got into mass effect, and boy oh BOY was the wait for this incredible work to be completed worth it! the characterisations of both Javik and Liara are just so 👌👌👌 taking their personalities and relationship from the canon games and developing them in such a beautifully agonisingly realistic way, exploring their positions as long-lived raced surrounded by shorter-lived friends, the trauma of simply surviving, and the complexity of politics post-war when the galaxy is trying to put itself back together. I had a blast diving back into this one to re-read the whole thing when it was finished and I cannot recommend it enough.
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Happy N7Day! Even though times are very tough right now. T'sovik usually helps me. Or 37 stolen low-res images of guns sent by a krogan grandpa. Now back to DA:TV.
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Hello, I found your post from last year about Javik taking up photography post ME3 so I wrote a lil thing on that, hope you don't mind I'll tag you in it :)
Ermerhgehrhh you beautiful thing what do you mean I would mind of course I don't I loVE IT!!!!!! Thank you!!!
Available to read on AO3, Inspired by this post by @luosaugury
Next chapter: Joker wishes to troll Shepard and Garrus. With tactical use of Grunt.
Enjoy.
The first camera was a gift.
After Admiral Hanna Shepard's funeral the Commander wanted to go through all the storage lockers and the attick containing all the Shepard family legacy. The old Normandy crew volunteered so it wasn't just Vakarian and Shepard. Even the Prothean, taking a break during the 2nd book writing with Liara decided to help.
The camera was old. Javik scoffed at it grumbling his usual 'Primitives' line as Shepard explained what it was and how it worked. It belonged to a long gone relative who took it up as a profession. There was also a photo album containing their work in the same box. Javik flipped through it at first in a mildly contemptuous curiosity but as he studied the photos - seconds of life captured on a square piece of plastic - he found himself drawn to it. The grainy quality of the pictures, memories of life long gone, people that once lived and left a small mark captured in this photo album. The world after Reapers was still loud, too bright for him but these old photos sparked something in him. In a way, in a very primitive way, these were like Echo shards of his people.
Shepard noticed the contemplating look on his face.
"You can take it," she said, nudging the box containing the photography equipment and albums. "Better it goes to you than gathering dust here."
He bristled at first trying to cover up his emotions and opened his mouth to sneer at the 'primitive technology' but he noticed Liara behind Shepard's back giving him a hopeful smile. He instead nodded, closed the box and carried it outside the storage warehouse.
It was a bit of a hassle to figure out how to actually work the camera. Even more to learn how to make the photos look how he wanted. Liara encouraged him. She happy that he found an interest other than guns when he wasn't by her side uncovering new Prothean relics and trying to claim the tools they found as 'worship objects' while they were simply a nose pick or toilet seat. Good thing he was good at dodging the projectiles she'd throw at him for trying to troll her.
Those were his first photos. Angry Liara, exasperated Liara, Liara annoyed. Happy Liara, deep in thoughts Liara, Liara with her mouth stuffed with some sort of dessert and panic in her eyes as she realized he captured her image. There were also his private Liaras, the ones he wouldn't share with anyone. Some of the photos were shit of course - blurry or with a sun flare, random finger in the lens. But he got better, learned from his mistakes. Eventually he expanded his subjects to citizens of colonies they visited as well as Citadel. Hanars were more than happy to pose even when he didn't want them to.
Though, Tali Zorah would still give him grief over the photographies of himself.
"You take selfies like a grandpa," she teased him.
"I do not see the point in them," he gruffed, brushing her off.
"It would be a nice change of pace though if you included yourself a bit more in these," Liara added quietly, browsing through his latest work. "More proof you have been here..."
His eyes lingered on her and she blushed turning her head away from him.
He invested in better tripods and studied carefully how to take proper 'selfies'. He didn't like the dronesand VIs so all his cameras were purely mechanical. His Liara collection now increased in photos with him in them.
The ultimate test came from Shepard again.
"I want you to do some photography at my wedding," she told him.
"Won't the combined Allience and Hierachy broadcast the whole thing?" Javik looked at her skeptical.
"That will be the 'official' one. We want to do a small, candid ceremony before the circus one. I want something genuine," she said.
"We thought since you really can handle the whole thing, you'd be perfect fit for it," Vakarian added.
"It just has to be genuine, Javik." Shepard smiled softly.
He agreed.
He did it. Captured the laughs of his past comrades, the slackjawed awe of Vakarian when he saw Shepard walking down the short aisle. The dancing, drinks, the party. As he was developing photos after the reception, looking through photos of Jack making out with Miranda, Grunt catching the bouqet, Wrex completely covered in krogan toddlers and kids, mournfully watching others being drunk he noticed a few photos he didn't take. Photos of him, toasting with James, swapping stories with Joker, attacked by krogan children, holding Liara's hand. He stared at them for a long while. He was there, he lived. He will be remembered.
