<div class="floatleft">(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/053/1/6/16765d6dbbab2fe707faca3315a8cea2-d5k4jy8.png)</div><strong>~Jeanette Gagarin<br/>~Desktop</strong><br/><br/>“Colonel! Always good to see you.” That lecherous grin was back… the guard was trying to flirt again.<br/><br/>“Listen, pal, I came through here less than an hour ago. I told you I wasn’t going to have a drink with you then, and the answer’s still the same.” Jeanette hefted her gun to make her point. “<em>Stop asking me out.. It’s not happening.</em>” Her stern glare was more dangerous than the zero matter railgun in her hand.<br/><br/>“Hey, come on, I wasn’t gonna…” He shrugged his arms out, playing off like he didn’t know what she was talking about.<br/><br/>“Bullshit. You’re lucky there’s no fighting out here or I’d delete your creepy ass.” She flipped a switch on her rifle, causing it to fold up to a third of its size, and docked it on her back. It clicked into place, and with one last glare at the Volleybounce guard, she stalked off into the mayhem of the central hub.<br/><br/>It was particularly hectic today; those bizarre Sky King anachronisms were out in force, causing chaos everywhere they went. They weren’t that different from punks back on Earth, admittedly, but Jeanette hadn’t been back there in years. She hoped the galactic stage had allowed the place to improve somewhat.<br/><br/>Most of the other characters roaming around gave her space, as they usually did. Colonel Gagarin struck an imposing figure with her mass driver stare, huge gun and power armor. The ones that tended to dare her vicinity were usually people that already knew her or scumbags like that guard. In her own world, she was well known for being exceptionally helpful if a bit rough around the edges, and she was surrounded by colleagues. Out here, though…<br/><br/>Most people in Mass Impact liked to stay in it. It was something peculiar to the world; despite all their advancements and supposed open-mindedness they had little interest in the outside universe. Perhaps all those advancements were why. This world had nothing to offer to them. Jeanette didn’t agree, of course, and that’s why she was out here so often. Her position put her under constant strain and threat of death, and even the places allocated for relaxation were plagued with sycophants and annoyances. Since few of them wanted to leave, it was out here that she could truly relax.<br/><br/>Today that involved an extra-universal drink. The colonel made her way to the Media Bar, where the bartender, without a word, slid her a shot glass overflowing with her favorite: Mana Potion. She could never explain it, but this “MP” stuff tended to rocket her awareness and telekinetic ability into the twelfth dimension, and she took it whenever she could get it.<br/><br/>Those thugs on Afterlife Station had a tale or two to tell about encountering a Jeanette drunk on Mana.<br/><br/>She felt the liquid go straight into her bones, and unbeknownst to her, her blue zero aura started glowing faintly. “Hit me again,” she called to the bartender.