A Child's Dream - Part 6

"... I feel like a tourist," Emi pointed out as she gazed at the mass array of clothes set upon rails that covered the entire floor of the shop. Rachel decided to wait with her, but the rest of the group had scattered across the shop and were clearly out of talking distance.
"Because you are a tourist, dear," grinned Rachel, "You come from a different part of the galaxy, I think that gives you the right to look around."
"Oh, and by the way," Rachel added, "Earlier when you asked whether getting you to your apartment was the only thing we'd done, what did you mean?"
Emi blushed, "... It doesn't matter..."
"Come on, tell me. I'll get it out of you eventually."
"... I'd still rather not tell you..."
"Ok, in ten seconds I'm buying you something and making you wear it over your suit. Maybe get you one of those 'I'm a geek' transfers."
"... I'm not a geek... I know nothing about technology..."
"Just tell me, Emi."
"... Fine..."
"The clock is ticking..." Rachel grinned.
"... I... I... I... thought I had slept with you... like when I was drunk... I couldn't remember a thing then you sent me a message saying how awesome last night was and how great I had been and..."
"I... Uh... I think you got the wrong end of the stick... I meant because you were funny... You were singing random songs and... not... like... yeah..."
Rachel's cheeks looked to grow as hot as Emi's felt.
"... I... I'm sorry..." Emi said, "... I didn't mean to... It just seemed like the only option..."
"I wasn't exactly drunk, though..." Rachel pointed out, "... I didn't even have a hangover the day after. I wouldn't do anything like that... No offense."
"... I wouldn't, either... I'm so glad nothing happened... It'd have been so embarrassing..."
"Almost definitely..." said Rachel, "But I never knew you were... that way inclined?"
"... Are you asking if I like human females? Because... It's hard to explain... If I had the choice I'd prefer to be in a relationship with a man but..." she shrugged, "... Sorry for the misunderstanding..."
"It's fine, really," Rachel said, "I'd have probably thought the same if I was in your position."
Emi pointed at a nearby skirt. It was black in colour and by the shape of it, couldn't even fit over her hips. And the length of it was hardly decent. She was smaller than most humans, and it would have probably just reached her thigh...
"... Is that what humans wear?" she asked Rachel.
Rachel shook her head, "Not most of us, no."
"... At least we Quarians dress more suitably..." Emi pointed out, "... We have a suit and a skirt... And the skirt finishes part way down my thigh, not at the top like that does..."
"You have no choice but to keep the suit on, though," Rachel responded, "If we were the same we would dress suitably too."
"... That is a good point. But we don't dress in skirts that finish where your leg starts... What are the point in them? And a really short short..."
"Shorts," Rachel corrected her, "It's plural in English."
"... That makes no sense either... There's only one of them..."
"But two parts."
"... They're made out of the same material..."
"But there's two parts. Two legs, see?"
"... There is no leg part, just a hole where they're supposed to be..."
Rachel sighed, "You know what I mean. By the way, Gerald is hosting a party. Tonight. And he asked me to ask you to come."
"... Will there be alcohol?"
"Most probably."
"... I don't want to go..."
"You don't have to drink it. We can take you some Turian apple juice or something."
"... I'll think about it..."
"I think Gerald likes you, anyway."
"... Likes me?"
"Yeah you know... Fancy?"
"... He fancies me? Why?"
"I'm guessing it has something to do with your hips," she said, "He can barely take his eyes off them."
"... But I don't fancy him... and the way he looked at my hips scared me a little..." Emi sighed, "... This is going to be horrible..."
"Don't worry, I'll be there," grinned Rachel, "Laughing, probably."

The party was being held in Gerald's apartment, which, it seemed, was only a floor above hers. As soon as she and Rachel walked into his apartment, the rhythmic thudding of a drum beat reached Emi's ears - muted slightly by her helmet, but still loud.
"Hey Emi," Gerald said, "Hey Rachel. Nice of you both to come."
"Well how could we resist?" Rachel grinned, "You know how much Emi loves to party."
"... Please don't remind me..." Emi grumbled.
Gerald laughed, "If you want to sit down, there is some food waiting."
"... Any suitable for me?" she asked. She didn't want to poison herself on human food. All food apart from Turian and Quarian were toxic to her, after all.
"Oh shit. Sorry... totally forgot."
Emi shrugged, "... It's fine... I've brought my own drink anyway..."
Gerald gestured his hand towards a long table that was full of different food and drink. She could see cheese, wine, bread, circular dishes with pieces of meat and cheese on that she hadn't got a clue what they were...
As they sat down, Toby and the rest of the group who had gone to play golf appeared through the doorway, wearing an odd assortment of colourful clothing. She arched her eyebrow in her helmet, both amused and curious about why they were wearing such ridiculous things. They seemed odd, humans, but she didn't mind. They definitely had weird tastes in fashion, too.
Gerald went and greeted the group and a few moments later they came and sat at the table alongside them. The girls who had joined Emi and Rachel with doing shopping also walked in.
Soon after the food and drink started being demolished. Emi on the other hand took out a small carton of Turian Apple Juice from the pouch on her skirt, pierced the small silver circle that marked the entrance to the drink with the straw, and slotted it into the emergency induction port that was situated at the bottom of her helmet. The emergency induction port was set upon a band of silver-gold metal that ran near her chin. It was a small circular device with a blue centre, and it pulsed every time she talked.
She took a drink from the juice and felt the cool, slightly tangy liquid fill her mouth. It tasted weird, admittedly, though it did taste better than the vitamin paste. She pulled the straw away from her helmet and the induction port sealed automatically to prevent any unwanted contaminants entering her body.
Gerald sat down next to her.
"Something that I've realised," Amy pointed out, "Is that the ambassadorial club is pointless. No one even comes to check that we're there. And we get paid no matter what so... anyone up for a full year of partying and fun?"
"Hell yes," grinned Tara, "A lot better than discussing politics."
Partying without alcohol was probably more fun than with, Emi thought, but she still preferred to talk about the ambassador-things... it was more her style. She wasn't someone who enjoyed going out to parties. But she decided not to say anything. Unless something bad happened. Then she would probably say it a lot.
Rachel smiled, "I doubt Emi here could stand a full year of parties."
"... That wasn't my fault..." she grumbled, "... I'll never be getting drunk again..."

The party continued for several hours. There was talking, laughing, flirting, food, drink. Tara was the only drunk one, this time. Watching a drunk person felt a lot better than being drunk yourself, Emi realised. However, it seemed Tara could cope with alcohol a bit better than she could and wasn't singing, or complaining. She was just looking rather dizzy.
As she inserted the straw into her induction port and took another drink - lowering the capacity of the carton of juice down to perhaps half, she felt an unfamiliar sensation on her leg. It was almost like something was putting pressure on it.
Emi looked down at herself underneath the table and saw a hand resting on her knee. Gerald's.
She gently knocked his hand away, but it came back a moment later.
"... Please stop..." she whispered to him.
"I thought you loved humans," he whispered back, barely audible above the other conversations that were taking place across the table.
"... I do... But... I want to be with someone who I love and I don't... feel that way about you..."
"Maybe you could learn to," he smiled.
"... I don't want to..."
Her heart started beating faster and faster. She was starting to get scared. There was something about his smile that unnerved her.
"But I want you to," he said.
"... What?"
There was something not right. He was no longer the mild-mannered man that she had met and talked to before. There was something... different. Wrong, almost.
"I work for Cerberus," he said with a grin, "That's something you should learn about us. We appear where you least expect us. Tell anyone and I'll kill everyone in this room. Don't worry though, I don't actually feel anything for you. I'm just... keeping an eye out. It's a good disguise."
"... Like protecting me?"
"Exactly like protecting you."
"... Why would you protect me? You hate aliens..."
"Because a series of events are going to be set in motion. Maybe in a second, maybe in a month, maybe in a year - none of us know. But we have planned for it. All will become clear, trust me."
"So!" exclaimed Tara, pointing at Emi, "What am I?"
Emi stumbled over her words. She had just been told someone who she knew was actually working for Cerberus and he had implied that she was somehow connected with their plans. It was... not exactly something that was expected.
"... A human?" Emi questioned.
"Or do I just appear to be a human? I could be an Asari."
"Asari are blue, Tara," Rachel sighed.
Gerald leaned in to whisper to her again, "I have a pistol. Remember what I said. Tell anyone and I will know."
"... Ok... But why tell me? I have nothing against you... never encountered anyone from Cerberus before I just know they hate aliens... you seem nice enough anyway... until now, in any case..."
"Because you will know who to come to when the shit hits the fan," he grinned.