#FreedomFalls – January 17, 2016

Renala enters their apartment, and sets her backpack down by the door with a sigh. She looks around the still sparsely furnished living room to see if Steve is home.

Steve is seated in his bed in a white tanktop and jogging pants with a microwavable meal on his lap, his focus on the wall-mounted screen opposite of him. "You done for the day?" he calls out as Renala walks by his room, shoveling a scoop of some sort of pasta into his mouth..

Renala takes off her jacket and throws it into her room, then zips down her fleeze jacket a bit. "Yeah, T'Rea thinks I'm working too much," she says before walking over to outside Steve's room, looking in. "How about you? Been home all day?" Like earlier that day, she both looks and sounds tired.

Steve gives a short nod, patting his shoulder as he sets down his eating utensils. "Yeah. Think I'm ready to get back out there, though. Can't take much more of this sittin' around on my ass." He nods towards the asari with a concerned look on his face, "You alright? Seems like you've been overworkin' yourself lately. Almost done settin' everything up down at the peanut gallery?"

Renala nods. "There are still some weird problems here and there, and I'm waiting on the chief to provide some input on the VI," she says. "It took me a lot longer than I anticipated, though."

Steve swings his legs over the side of his bed and sets his meal down beside him. "How's she doin' anyway?" he asks, a smirk crossing his lips, "I heard she was knocked around by the turian. Good thing the doc had me on lock down-..." he rolls his eyes, "...Ya know, on account of me bein' a threat..."

Renala chuckles. "Oh? Which turian?" she asks. "I've had too much to do to keep up on gossip, but I think I overheard something about that. She's doing fine, by the way. Looks like that, at least."

Steve gives a shake of his head. "Skythix. The new recruit. Supposedly flipped her shit and attacked the Chief. Doc had me off on my own, a lil' bit of exile from the others due to my gear-..." he says, tapping the back of his neck. "Seems like she should've been more concerned about the turian..." he scoffs as he stands from the bed. "Been dealin' with shit like this my whole life.

Renala is still standing in the doorway. "I wouldn't have expected the turian flipping, either," she says. "But then again, I didn't see her much during the job. Or maybe the docs gave her the wrong stuff?"

Steve gives another shake of his head, following a short chuckle. "Hell, that'd be even better. Asshole talks her shit about me and can't even do her job right? That's gold. Absolute gold."

Renala frowns. "She's the agency's doc, though," she says. "So her being clumsy with meds would be bad news for all of us."

Steve frowns and goes quiet for a few moments. "Good point..." he says eventually with a sigh, "Suppose we should just get used to being surrounded by incompetent assholes if we plan on stickin' around..."

Renala nods and steps back. "We do always seem to come back mostly alive, though,... most of the time," she says with a sigh. "It could have been much worse."

Steve takes a few steps towards the asari. "So, what's goin' on? You headin' to bed? Good game on right now if you got a little more fight left in ya." he offers with a grin.

Renala looks towards the window, where the sun is about to set. "I think I can hold out a little longer," she says. "I haven't had a bite to eat since this morning, so I need to get that sorted out too."

Steve glances down at his unappetizing meal and cocks an eyebrow at Renala, "Filled the freezer with junk. Feel free to eat whatever looks like it might not make ya hurl." he jokes.

Renala walks towards the kitchen. "I've pretty much lived on takeout these last days," she says. "I'm not picky." She opens the fridge's freezer and looks over the packages inside.

Steve follows closely behind Renala. "Might wanna-... uhh... pick up some real groceries soon..."

Renala chuckles, and takes out the strange cloned meat in loafs package. "I can do that before work tomorrow," she says. "Knowing my luck, the VI won't just come online at the flick of a switch, so that could take all day and night."

Steve waves her offer away with a gesture of his hand. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it, Ren. You been doin' actual work while I've just been sittin' here on my ass. How 'bout I pick some food up tomorrow?" he offers, "It'll gimme a reason to get outta my room again at the very least."

Renala looks over the box for cooking instructions. "Thanks," she says. "I'm looking forward to taking a few days off myself when everything's in order at the office."

Steve gives a nod. "Don't mention it." He moves over beside the kitchen counter and leans against it, "So what're they gonna have you doin' once you're done at the office?" he asks, "They tell ya?"

Renala shakes her head. "No, but I'll have my own office," she says. "Hopefully it's just maintenance and helping people when they screw something up." She takes the meal over to a microwave oven.

Steve raises an eyebrow and lets out a whistle. "Your own office, eh? Redrock big shot over here." he teases, "That come with a raise?"

Renala chuckles. "I haven't asked," she says before putting the meal into the oven and starting it. "The office is alright," she continues. "No windows, though, but that would be a waste of wall space anyway."

Steve gives a few nods, leaning more heavily against the counter. "Maybe I'll head out there with ya in a couple days or so, then. What sorta additions have they added?"

Steve stares over at the microwave as Renala lists off the new rooms, "Free gym sounds nice." he says, rotating his arm at the shoulder idly. A short, slightly pained grimace crosses his face, "Stocked with a lot of equipment?"

Renala nods. "Yeah," she says. "You should check it out when you're there next." She then looks at him, concerned. "You okay?"

Steve gives a few nods, continuing to rotate his arm. "Just gotta work out a few kinks. Should be back in fightin' form in no time." he says, forcing a smile, "Spendin' a lil' time in the gym might help that along."

Renala hears the oven beep and takes the meal out of it, then prompty drops it onto the counter as it's hotter than she anticipated. "Just come by my office so I can get your keys and all that sorted out," she says. "I think they keep the gym open, but you'll need it for the locker room."

Steve stops rotating his arm and steps aside to keep out of the asari's way as she handles her food. "Sounds good." he says, "So when is your next day off? Might be 'bout time we get a bit of furniture in here."

Renala opens the packaging and goes to get utensils. "That's a good question," she says. "It'll be when I can leave the VI to run the show, and be on call in case it turns evil or something. In three days, maybe?"

Steve glances, disapprovingly, at the food. "Three days." he repeats with a nod, "Works for me. Think you'll be up for a bit of shopping?"

Renala nods. "Yeah," she says as she pokes at the meal. "I do want to get a few days off to visit my kid too, but I don't see that happening anytime soon."

Steve lowers his gaze slightly, "Damn, yeah, sorry.... How long has it been since you've paid a visit now?" he asks, "Been a while, hasn't it?"

Renala sighs. "Four months," she says. "It's gone that long before, but it's that I don't know when that bothers her. Nalena even told me she's been looking for ways to get off-world by herself, something she had heard from another kid's parents."

Steve frowns, keeping his gaze lowered. "Yeah... Sounds like you're overdue for a visit." he says, followed by a short chuckle, "How old is she again?" he asks, not recalling her exact age, although it was obviously not old enough to charter an interplanetary trip on her own.

Steve gives a shake of his head, snickering bit as he catches her reaction. "You consider lettin' her come out this way for a few days? A visit might do her well." He glances around, "And, hell, once she gets a look at this place she might get second thoughts 'bout tryin' to sneak off back here again." he adds with a chuckle.

Renala nods. "Of course I've considered it," she says. "Even talked with Nalena about it. I'll give you one guess as to what she thought."

Steve rolls his eyes. "And that's that?" he asks, "You don't get a say in your own daughter's life? That ain't right, Ren."

Steve tilts his head to the side, considering it for a moment. "Suppose that's fair..." he admits, "Sorry. Not tryin' to poke at a sore subject." He gives a nod towards his room, "C'mon. How 'bout you come watch the rest of the game with me. Unwind a bit and relax. Enjoy this delicious gourmet meal"

Renala picks up the package. "Yeah, let's do that," she says, then starts walking towards his room. "What kind of game is it?"

Steve follows close behind. "Some AA arena." he responds, "Some good matches today. You ever watch it?"

Renala enters the room and steps aside, letting him pass her. "No clue what that even is," she says, "so... I suppose I haven't."

Steve gives a chuckle as he plops down on the edge of the bed. "Not too complicated. You'll pick it up quick." he says, sliding over to leave the asari enough room to sit beside him. He reaches out and pulls his own meal back onto his lap.

Renala nods and moves over to his side, placing the package in her lap. "If you say so," she says, before turning to look at the screen.