greenstickered | Mass Effect: The Morale Thing

Title: The Morale Thing
Words: ~950
Rating: G
Summary: A first pony ride.
Notes: Sequel to "The Wings We Lack" and "Replica", so both a horse and the clone are onboard the Normandy.

Your half-sister Sheppy the volus stares.

"I thought you were making up having a pony."

You allow some smug satisfaction to creep into your smile as you watch Liara ride Pegasus around the shuttle bay, leaping over some crates James and Steve have set up as an improvised obstacle course.

"It was a present from her dad a while back," you say. "She wanted her to have something just for her."

"The morale thing," the clone says with a nod, and you're a little impressed that she's learning. After a moment, though, she frowns. "Wait. You said 'dad', and then you said 'she'."

"Both Liara's parents are asari."

"But asari are pretty much female," she says. "Don't you mean her mom?"

"Asari call the parent who didn't carry the child the father, regardless of gender," you inform her. "You anthropocentric bag of dicks."

Sheppy snorts. "That was not your line."

"It's what her dad called me when I told her we'd call them both mothers," you admit. "But you are a bag of dicks."

"Tell me how you really feel."

You contemplate it. "Irritated by my clone's anthropocentrism, but happy that my girlfriend can live out her childhood dream and have some fun in the middle of all this."

"I didn't actually want to know," says the clone, pouting.

Pegasus canters up before you, Liara looking positively radiant on his back.

"Shepard," she says. "Are you sure you don't want a try? Everyone else has, even Joker."

You smile, and shake your head. "I keep telling you, I'm probably too heavy -"

"Fatty," the clone says, her version of cheerful.

"- because of all the Heavy Skin Weaves and cybernetics," you finish, rolling your eyes.

"You are not that heavy."

"You're just used to it," you say with a grin, and beside you, Sheppy gags theatrically.

Liara turns to her, frowning, then suddenly looks thoughtful.

"What is your name right now?"

It's how she starts most casual conversations with the clone, but casual conversations with her are far enough in between that she blinks at the question every time.

"Kaitaia," she says, which you hadn't known. You tend to rely on her actually announcing it rather than asking her.

"Kaitaia," Liara repeats, nodding. "Would you like to ride Pegasus?"

The clone gapes at her for a moment (you're pretty sure you're making exactly the same face), before stepping forward cautiously. "Sure."

Liara dismounts and talks ~~Sheppy~~ Kaitaia into the saddle. She leads Pegasus at a walk for a lap and a half of the bay before the clone waves her off, and then Liara joins you back at the armory to watch them.

"She literally just called me fat and gagged at our relationship, and you let her ride your pony," you say. Liara looks apologetic, but before she can say anything, you add, "You're a better person than me."

With a smile, Liara leans into your side, and you slip your arm around her. "You're still a good person, Shepard. You brought her onboard, you're trying to teach her humanity..."

"She recognized your dad giving you your pony as a 'morale thing'," you tell her, a little proud.

"So she's making an effort too," she says. "When she's not calling you fat."

You sigh. "She drives me insane."

"Me too," Liara admits. "I hate seeing someone who looks and fights just like you, but with none of your love and compassion, just anger and prejudice... So I thought I'd try and teach her a little joy."

You squint forward, then pull an old sniper scope out of your pocket and peer through. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

As Pegasus and the clone come in closer, Liara nods. "I think she's smiling," she says, surprised.

"Looks like your lesson's getting through," you tell her.

She raises her omni-tool and snaps a photo of Kaitaia on the pony, then holds it up to you.

"Almost looks like you're riding him," she says.

You swallow hard. You've spent enough time desperately searching for the differences between you to be able to pick them out in a photo, but even you can admit that at first glance, she does look more like you when she's smiling and when her hair color matches yours.

That, instead of watching her ride in person, makes you more envious than you'd expected. You've never ridden a horse, even before Cerberus wired you back together, and while it's not something you ever had your heart set on like Liara did, it looks like fun.

"Send it to Wrex," you say. "He keeps gloating about his kakliosaur lately. I think we need to remind him the Normandy has a riding animal too."

Liara chuckles, and swipes it through. "Done."

Apparently growing bored, Pegasus sidles up to the crate of horse feed sitting next to you and starts eating. Kaitaia slides out of the saddle.

"That's all for now," she declares, as if she instead of the pony decided to stop. "It was... fun."

"You know, that's one thing you probably didn't get from me," you point out, and she raises an eyebrow, but brightens. "I've never ridden a horse."

"It's nice not being Cerberus tech," she says, watching Pegasus with a smirk. You roll your eyes, about to point out that organic or tech, she's still Cerberus-made, but then she turns to Liara. "T'soni? Thanks."

Liara smiles. "You're welcome, Kaitaia."

The clone starts off for the elevator. Once the doors close, you ask, "Is that the first time she used your name?"

Her eyes widen, and she considers it for a moment. "I think it is!"

"First 'the morale thing', now a name for an alien," you marvel. "I'm going to buy myself a cake."