The dam is probably rather unimpressive when compared to the likes of what Yan Sun has seen back on Earth, but it's still a beautiful sight nonetheless. Especially against a beautiful backdrop such as the untamed wilderness beyond Freedom Falls. The mountain peaks are lit up by the stars in the nearly-cloudless sky in the distance. A light blanket of snow covers the ground around the dam, but the automatic heaters atop the
#FreedomFallsDam – August 13, 2016
dam bridge melt any trespassing snowflakes that try their luck at landing on it in an effort at keeping the bridge safe from any ice patches. The bridge itself isn't very wide. Just wide enough for a single vehicle to cross the river at a time unimpeded. There's a small structure that juts out from the center of the bridge with a red, locked door, used to allow maintenance people inside of the dam. A single prefabricated
shack sits on one side of the bridge surrounded by a security fence. A sign on the fence reads: 'Security office. Trespassers will be shot on sight!'
Yan Sun arrives after a short while, apparently having managed to get a taxi to take her out to the dam. She exits the car after paying and looks over the structure as the driver takes off on the dirt road back down the mountain. It takes only a moment before her gaze wanders up at the imposing sight of Litae hanging overhead. It's the first time since her arrival that the nightsky has been so clear, and for a second she's
Yan Sun actually frozen in place, staring up at the glow of the massive moon, it's craters and scars clearly visible. She soon recalls the urgency of the message that brought her out here, and starts looking around, trying to figure out where to go. The security office seems like a good bet. She starts heading towards it, an uneasy look on her face that is not helped by a glance at the darkness of the forest just on the other
Yan Sun side of the road - the moonlight doesn't penetrate through the trees. She speeds up her pace, although the sign gives her pause upon reaching the fence. She looks around for any sign of Jessica, shivering slightly. The nighttime cold is a match even for her new jacket. "Uhm... hello?"
A camera mounted atop the fence swivels until it locks on Yan Sun. "Trespassers will be shot on sight!" a voice sounds out over the intercom. A distinctly Jessica voice, despite the hand over her mouth to muffle it. A snicker quickly follows as the security fence slides open and the interface of the door to the shack beyond the fence changes from red to green. "You may enter!" she adds, still attempting to maintain her
Yan Sun jumps at the sudden voice, reflexively raising her left hand as she looks around with a startled expression, but as soon as she realizes the voice belongs to Jessica the look on her face shiffts to embarassment, and she returns to a normal stance, tugging at the bottom of her jacket and making a point of not looking at the camera as she enters the fenced area, going up to the door and pressing a finger against the
As the door slides open, the inside of the security office is revealed. A small room with a console against the wall to the right of the door. Nine screens are displayed, 3x3, against the wall above the control panel. Each shows a different camera feed. In front of the console, Jessica is seated in a swivel chair with a big grin on her face. She's in her hardsuit, sans helmet and gauntlets which she has simply tossed to the
floor. An open bag of chips are on the console, a few having spilled out and leaving crumbs all over. Directly in front of the door is a garbage bin with the top taken off. Small stones from outside lay all around it. A neat pile of stones are right beside Jessica's chair and, upon closer inspection, a few are sitting on her lap as well. She grabs one of the stones and tosses it towards the garbage bin, leaning to the side
as she waits to see if it goes in. The stone arcs high into the air before it catches the lip of the bin and clunks out, onto the floor. Jessica frowns. "Was close." she mutters.
Yan Sun steps inside, taking a quick look around the room, and as the door closes her gaze falls on Jessica. She crosses her arms, which turns out to be a bit of an awkward move with her somewhat puffy jacket. "... there's no emergency, is there?"
Jessica 's frown deepens as she settles her gaze on Yan Sun. "Mmm. Is a big emergency. I'm borrrrred." she whines, bringing one of her boots up to the edge of her seat as she uses her other foot to swing the chair back and forth slightly. "This job fucking sucks. Is just sitting here. All night. I am tired of it! When I start, I am thinking I'll be stopping people from breaking
Jessica in-..." she reaches over, drawing her pistol and raising it up, "...Shooting trespassers! Instead, I am eating chips and throwing rocks at a garbage can. Are you saying this does not sound like an emergency?"
Yan Sun takes off her recently acquired beanie and tosses it in Jessica's face. "混蛋! I was worried!" she exclaims before letting her gaze wander around the small room again. She heads up to the window, looking out at the dam curiously while removing her gloves, shoving them into the jacket's right pocket.
Jessica shuts her eyes and leans back as the beanie nails her in the face. A loud laugh erupts from her as she scrambles to catch it before it falls, her movements causing the chair to roll back and bump into the console. "Whaaaat!?" she exclaims through her laughter. "Is an emergency!" she insists, swiveling around and placing her pistol on the console. "This place is too quiet."
Jessica she sighs as she stands up and joins Yan Sun over by the window, "Is creepy, mmm? In the days that I have been here, the only people that I have seen are you and that batarian who trained me. And he was a [long, throaty Batarian phrase that translates roughly to 'major asshole']. How do people do this shit, mmm? Just sit like this for hours? I am thinking that maybe a life of work
Yan Sun 's attention seems drawn once again to the unsettlingly close moon in the sky above, but as Jessica speaks she gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes, although a small smirk inevitably appears as she glances at her. "Could've just told me you wanted some company, you know... I could've brought food or something." After a moment's silence looking out the window she adds: "... it is creepy. This whole planet is
Jessica shrugs her shoulders, suddenly regretting the goof given the lack of food that resulted in it, though she would never admit it. "Oh come on! Was funny! You hurried over here and-... Wait, what is wrong with my planet?" she asks with a frown, seemingly offended despite all of the shit talking she has done to Aite herself.
Yan Sun blinks, not having realized Jessica might take offense. "I just-..." she points out the window, at Litae. "The moon here is so... ominous. I know it's stupid, but I feel like it's going to come crashing down any moment. Or... like I'm going to fall... up. Creeps me out. She puts a hand up against the window, looking at the barely visible forest out in the dark, straining to see it through the reflection. "...and the
Yan Sun forest... it's so dark... and wild, even here near the town. It's not like Earth." Her gaze starts to turn distant as she speaks, staring into the darkness outside with a mixture of fascination and faint unease.
Jessica studies the moon for a few moments, suddenly realizing something so strange has just been the norm to her. "It is going to come crashing down." she finally says as she turns her attention to the forest, "Is what they say, mmm? Aite isn't going to be here forever. Good riddance I say..." she adds, despite jumping to its defense. She gives a sidelong glance at Yan Sun, "What?
Jessica Is okay for me to say it! Is my planet!" she says defensively. She shrugs her shoulders as her eyes drift back out to the treeline, "I have seen many pictures of Earth." she nods, "Is all-.... used...?" she says, unsure of her wording, "...In Adrasteia, there is always something going on. Much easier to sleep at night with the noise and the people and the-... life, yes? But here
Jessica is like the whole city goes to sleep after a certain time. Still, even Adrasteia is nothing compared to Earth. I always used to think that when I get to Earth, I would never sleep again..." she recalls with a snicker, "...Because there is so much to do! How do you ever rest?"
Yan Sun 's gaze moves back to the moon as the conversation does, although she gives a quick glance and a smirk to Jessica at her defensiveness. The description of Earth elicits a nod. "Earth is... very busy. There are people everywhere. Buildings. No untouched spaces. Everything's been changed, claimed, consumed, or something like that. It's... so quiet out here. And dark. No nights like this on Earth. There are lights
Yan Sun everywhere. I like the noise though. It feels alive. Connected. I sleep better with it." The thought of her home brings a small smile to her lips, and she doesn't quite seem to realize how zoned-out she sounds as she continues. "Out here I could close my eyes and there'd be nothing... just darkness and quiet. Like the whole galaxy was dead..." She shivers slightly as she trails off, and she has an awkward, perhaps
Jessica seems to hang on to every word as Yan Sun speaks about Earth, a wide smile crossing her lips. "Mmm. Martin used to talk about Earth as if it was just a party that never ends..." she adds, her second-hand knowledge of Earth clearly a thing she has held on to tightly, "...I know-..." she sighs, "...I know maybe he was too young to really know what it was like. I am not stupid.
Jessica But-..." she glances down, possibly embarassed over how interested she always seems when it comes to Earth, "...When you grow up out here. Faaaaar from everything else. Removed from the things you read about and see on the extranet-..." she trails off, looking back out the window as she leans against it, her eye scanning the treeline once more. "You just feel so-... disconnected,
Jessica yes? Small. Worthless. I just always wanted to go home. Where I belong. Be a part of everything, mmm?"
Yan Sun 's gaze lingers on Jessica. She furrows her eyebrows. "I don't know... it's not for everyone. It can be... overwhelming. I remember my grandmother... she came to visit once. She lived in a small village. Stuck in time. The government has torn a lot of them down... but a few stand. She came to Hong Kong once. Never again after that. The size, the crowds... can be off-putting to outsiders, I know that." She gives a small
shrug as her gaze moves back to the window, and after a moment's thought she asks: "Go home... where is that? I talk about Earth, but... it's not like I've been all over. It's a varied planet. Comes with being a homeworld, I think. All places are different."
Jessica frowns once Yan Sun finishes with the story about her grandmother, suddenly feeling as if she's being called an 'outsider', though she doesn't interrupt. She seems to be easily distracted, however, once she's asked where she's from. "Turkey." she says with a warm smile, as if it's a place familiar to her despite never having been there. "The city I was born in is called Istanbul.
Is very important city on Earth!" she boasts, "You have heard of it, yes? Maybe-..." she begins, biting her lower lip as she brings her forearm up and begins looking through her omni-tool, "...pictures will help? I-.... Are not my pictures, of course but-..."
Yan Sun smirks slightly. "Yes, I've heard of Istanbul. Not sure I've ever seen any pictures though... show me!" she says while unzipping her jacket. She moves up behind Jessica while she's browsing through her omni-tool, and wraps her arms around her waist, looking over her shoulder. She quickly regrets the decision, the armored woman making for a rather uncomfortable target for cuddles, but she doesn't move just yet.
Jessica makes a poor attempt at shaking Yan Sun off, as usual, but very quickly leans back against Yan Sun as she browses through the photos on her omni-tool. She swipes past numerous pictures sent to her by Birdy. She pauses briefly on one of the entire family together on a couch. Jessica- with long, curly dark hair- behind the couch with her arms wrapped around Martin's neck as she
leans over him, giving a big, exaggerated smile towards the camera, baring her teeth. Beside Martin is their father. He looks remarkably like Martin. An older, more grizzled version of him with grey hair. Right down to the same nose. Bent and uneven from a lifetime of fights and breaks. Beside Omar is Jessica's mother. Seated elegantly at his side, a black and gold embroidered gown to
match the hijab atop her head. Her hands are folded at her waist. Omar is the only one without a smile. A harsh, stoney expression on his face. He looks to be the sort who rarely wore his emotions on his sleeve. Jessica looks it over for a moment and her lip twitches in a small smile before she continues swiping. She comes to a stop on an overhead photo of numerous tall buildings. It's
the sort of photo that anyone could find on the extranet, but she has it saved right onto her omni-tool, side-by-side with photos of her family. "Mmmm? Is a real city!" she says, as if Adrasteia wasn't. She swipes again and it displays the Grand Bazaar. Another photo most likely taken by a random nobody many years ago. People are leaned over tables as they look over wares. In the
back the flag of Turkey hangs. "Is a mall! A big mall! An old mall! One of Earth's best!" she continues to boast, looking over the photo as if she took it herself.
Yan Sun goes very silent at the sight of the family photo, studying it without a word until the picture changes. Her smirk returns as Jessica proudly shows off the photos of Istanbul. She giggles quietly. "Yep, that's a city alright... so many old buildings... we don't really have as much of that." She lets go of Jessica, slipping away. "Urgh, my chin hurts... hugging armor is a bad idea..." she informs before stealing the
swiveling chair, spinning slightly from side to side as she looks up at Jessica. "There's nothing stopping you from going to see it, you know..."
Jessica studies the photo for a moment longer before frowning and shrugging. As she shuts the interface down, she leans against the wall just beside the window and folds her arms across her chest, looking out into the dark forest. "Of course there is." she says matter-of-factly. "Martin is dead. Mother is dead. There won't be anything for me back on Earth anymore..." she says softly.
"With a face like this, I'm not sure there's anything for me anywhere anymore..." she continues, looking to her own reflection in the window. "I'm always going to be an 'outsider', no? Is not in my control anymore." She shrugs once again, leaning the side of her head against the wall as her gaze looks through her own reflection and back to the forest. To the dam. To the moon. "But
it doesn't matter. I'm not done here anyway. Is still more for me to do before I can really get away from this rock."
Yan Sun frowns, her gaze falling for the floor. She goes silent for a while, no longer swiveling the chair back and forth. "I didn't-... sorry." she says quietly, and an uncomfortable moment later she adds: "What do you mean...? What do you need to do?" She looks up again, studying Jessica from behind as she waits for a response.
Jessica continues to stare out the window, the only sign that she even heard the question is the slight rise and fall of her shoulders. "I think about it all the time, you know?" she asks. "How do I fix this, mmm? Is always with me. No matter where I go in this galaxy, this is something that will stay with me. This much I know now. Is not-.... is not something that time will 'heal'.
They will always be dead." she sighs. Her voice filled with frustration more than sadness. "I am not going to be at peace until I kill that fuck." she says coldly, "Is the only thing that makes sense, yes?" she asks, glancing over to Yan Sun. "And when my mother has the justice she deserves, maybe then I will be able to-... Maybe-..." she shakes her head, her attention quickly snapping
Yan Sun looks increasingly uncomfortable as she listens, an uneasy silence filling the room when Jessica stops speaking. It takes her quite a while before she says anything, and her discomfort is obvious. "Do you really think... that would help? Revenge is-... I don't know." she last remark seems more like a reconsideration of finishing the sentance than anything else, and she shifts gears as she continues: "How? It doesn't
seem-... you'd be killed. Or locked up." Her gaze is back on the floor once more, avoiding looking at Jessica.
Jessica shrugs dismissively. "And?" she snaps back instantly. She shifts uncomfortably against the wall as a sigh escapes her. "Besides, is no big loss to the galaxy if I die, mmm? It was me who should have died in that fucking fire anyway..." she mutters. She falls silent for a moment as she realizes it's probably not what Yan Sun was hoping to hear. "Maybe you are underestimating
Yan Sun seems at a loss for words, at least for the moment. She shrugs meekly and turns the chair around. A sigh follows in place of the words going through her mind as her eyes wander idly from screen to screen. It's clear that the entire subject is something she's not very comfortable with. "What happened to getting off-world as soon as possible? Getting away from this place?"
Jessica gives another shrug, not immediately answering. Eventually she steps away from the window and moves behind the chair, placing each of her hands on the backrest. "Nothing happened to it, kitty cat. Is what I wanted... Is what I want." she says softly. "But you don't-..." the softness drains from her voice, once again replaced by anger and frustration, " My entire family is
dead! All of my friends are dead! Do you have any idea what it feels like to wake up every morning and to be greeted by something like that? Mmm!? And on the days that I can push it out of my mind long enough to climb out of bed? I have this-..." she reaches out, gripping Yan Sun by the wrist and bringing her hand up to graze across the burned flesh on her face, "...to make sure
I don't forget it for too long." She releases her grip on Yan Sun's wrist, her hand falling to the back of the chair once more as she goes silent. "I-..." she finally begins again, "...I just want to go one night without seeing their faces in my nightmares. I know what you are probably thinking. The same as most of them... We brought this on ourselves, no? All of this happened because
of the lives we chose to live. I am not ignorant of the phrase 'you reap what you sow'. But everyone wasn't like that, kitty cat... Everyone wasn't like me. And yet I am the one who survived while those better than me burned like-... like trash. I have to do something."
Yan Sun winces as Jessica speaks, and a look of regret fills her face. Her gaze lingers on the burns even after her hand falls back to her lap. She lowers her gaze, away from Jessica, and nods faintly. "I-... you're right." she says quietly. "I don't know what it's like. I couldn't pretend to-..." she trails off, and shakes her head, still avoiding meeting her gaze. "I... I just don't-..." she lets out an uneasy, barely
audible chuckle. "In case you hadn't noticed, I like you... a lot... and I don't want you to go die on some stupid... quest for revenge, alright?" she blurts out in an almost frustrated tone, staring down at Jessica's feet.
Jessica furrows her brow, giving a shake of her head. "Why do you even give a fuck?" she asks bluntly. She sighs as she grips the sides of Yan Sun's chair, adjusting it so they're facing each other straight on and lowers down to her knees, her hands moving to rest on the seated woman's legs."I am a piece of shit." she continues, just as bluntly and emotionlessly as her eye locks on to
Yan Sun's, "If you and me had met a year ago? I would have taken you to Illumination, fucked your brains out, and then taken every credit to your name. Maybe even your shoes." she adds, reaching town to pat a hand against the woman's shoes as she leans back briefly to look them over, "Is maybe worth a few credits..." Despite the serious, depressing conversation, she cracks a smirk as
her gaze moves back to Yan Sun's face. "You are better than this. Eventually you will realize this and move on, I promise." she falls silent for a few moments before continuing. "I brought this fate on my family." she finally says, washing the smirk off her face just as quickly as it appeared. "I just keep thinking about that day and everything and-... and I got them killed, kitty cat.
All of them. You-... you understand this, yes?" she asks as if this is something that's been apparent and has just been tiptoed around. "Revenge won't bring them back. This I know. But I owe them this much. I need to-... to atone for what I have done. And this is all I have to offer, mmm?"
Yan Sun frowns as she listens to Jessica, remaining focused on her face after eye contact was made. The only reaction to the sidetrack about the shoes is her frown deepening. Her gaze moves from eye to eye, unflinching. "Why didn't you?" she asks in a surprisingly conversational tone. "Why don't you? I have credits. Valuable information. A blue box. If you're such a piece of shit, what's stopping you from taking everything I
Jessica frowns. She seems to scramble for a response before scoffing loudly, her frown deepening. "I-... Fine! Maybe I should, mmm!?" she says, seemingly accepting the challenge. "Maybe you will wake up tomorrow and all of your shit will be gone and-... and you'll never hear from me again. Is a good point that maybe you should consider a little more, no?" she holds eye contact with
the woman, her harsh frown etched firmly into her face. After a few moments it begins to fade away, her features softening slightly. "Do you think I want to be the way I am, kitty cat? Do you think I ever wanted to? We don't all have choices in the people we become. It is maybe bred into us. Raised. And we are powerless to overcome our true nature, no?" she sighs. "But I had a lot
of time to think while laying in that bed. Recovering." she continues, looking down at her scarred hand on Yan Sun's leg, "A lot of time to think about the actions that got me to that point. A lot of anger. Blame. I wanted to blame my father. Even Martin for what happened to mother... I wanted to blame Cross for what he did. But no matter what, it always came back to me. Something was
just-..." she brings her burned hand up to the side of her head, hitting herself softly with the palm of her hand a few times, "...knocked loose. It all seemed so clear to me. Nobody made me this way-... Nobody forced me to-... to open fire on Cross' people that day. It was me. It was all me. And I don't want to be that person. I don't want to be the type of person who would rather
let their own fucking mother burn than let their pride be stepped on..." she spits, her anger with herself showing through as her good eye begins to water up. Finally she looks back to Yan Sun, "I owe it to mother to at least try, no? But no matter how much I want to be better? It is who I am, kitty cat. A monster. Is a constant battle every day. So you're asking why I don't fuck
you over? Is because I like you. I like you way more than I want to, because you just-... you piss me off. All the time. So maybe a day will come where where that monster wins and I slit your throat in the middle of the night, take your shit and leave, mmm? Is my true nature. Is who I am. Only is not so easy to hide anymore because now? I am just as ugly on the outside as on the
Yan Sun goes quiet as Jessica speaks, frown remaining at first, but it soon fades, a sad look all that remains as she listens to the talk of guilt and of true nature, and she finds herself on the verge of interrupting several times, but doesn't quite find the words. Instead her gaze falls to the hands on her knees, where they remain until they dart back up at the last of what Jessica has to say - and for a moment she actually
looks a little frightened. Her hands, which had been close to touching Jessica's, pull back a bit and the words don't come so easily to her as she speaks: "Wha-... why would you say that? I don't-... are you trying to scare me away?" It's quite clear her mind is racing, and she's holding back from saying more.
Jessica's frown persists and she furrows her brow, almost looking confused for a moment at what bothered Yan Sun so much. She rolls her eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh. "Is an expression, you idiot! You know, a general example! Of course I wouldn't actually slit your throat in the middle of the night! I like you too much and is too messy." she makes a face of distaste and shakes her head, "I would at least shoot you. Is
Jessica's much quicker and painless." she deadpans. After a moment a grin crosses her face and her eyes move down to her own hands and she slowly runs her palms back and forth across Yan Sun's legs. "I am just saying-..." she attempts, but seemingly becomes frustrated with herself and falls silent.
Yan Sun 's hands return to her lap, and she looks down at them for a moment before sliding her left over Jessica's right, thumb brushing across her knuckles. She holds back on making a comment about her questionable 'expressions' and instead says: "True nature... 大坨大便. Just an excuse. We're not powerless. And you're no monster. Monsters don't want to be better."
Jessica turns her right hand over, palm upward, and sliders her hand entirely beneath Yan Sun's, pressing her fingertips against the palm of Yan Sun's hand. She continues to study their hands, avoiding eye contact as she listens to the woman speak. "When I first meet you, there is only one thing that I was after. And-..." her shoulders rise and fall in a small shrug, "...I get that pretty quickly, no?" she chuckles to herself.
"But-.... maybe you are growing on me." she says, glancing up briefly and narrowing her eyes on Yan Sun defensively as she adds: "Just a little!" but her expression quickly softens once again as she continues, "I am not good at this kind of bullshit, mmm? This whole-... talking about feelings and blah blah." She takes a deep breath, "These things that are in my mind-... always in my mind- are very heavy, kitty cat.
They are difficult to keep carrying and you do not deserve to suffer through someone with so much baggage... No matter how much of an annoying shit you are." She returns her attention to their hands, breaking eye contact as soon as possible, "And since you obviously have horrible taste in partners and won't seem to stop following me around like a lost varren-..." she jokes, doing her damndest to keep from actually
having to commit to letting her feelings fully shine through, "...the only way for this to work-... for us to work, is for me to put all of this baggage down. I-... I don't think I can do that while the man who killed everyone I love is still out there... Is just a ticking bomb, mmm? Right in here-..." she brings her left hand up to her chest, over her heart, "...And is not going to be pretty when it goes off..."
Yan Sun smirks slightly, and it only grows at the small admission of feelings, and although it fades as Jessica goes on her gaze doesn't waver, studying the woman that's doing her best to avoid looking back at her. She nods faintly, gaze turning briefly to the hand over Jessica's heart before going up to her eyes. "I understand." she says, gaze darting away, and for a moment she seems almost lost in thought, but soon she tilts
Jessica's gaze snaps up at the offer to help. It's clear she wasn't expecting this sort of reaction. After a moment of thought, she shrugs. "I... don't know." she admits with a frown. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet." She turns her head, looking towards the pistol on the console with a shrug. "So far, all I have come up with is I am probably going to shoot him in his face. You know-..." she looks back to Yan Sun and
raises her left hand, fingergunning at the seated woman and moving her index finger as if squeezing a trigger, "...To death." She nods sternly as if she just laid out the most concrete plan. "The rest will fall into place. I just need some time to figure it all out."
Yan Sun nods. "I... I don't like it, but... I understand things are different out here. That... there might not be any other ways to get justice. So... when you figure it out, I want to help." she says, grasping Jessica's hand and doing her best to look determined, although it's fairly obvious from the slight tremble in her voice that this is not something she's comfortable with.
Jessica's smile returns and her grasp on Yan Sun's hand tightens. Her left hand drops back down to Yan Sun's leg and enthusiastically slides her hand up it. "Suuure you don't like it." she says with a wink of her good idea, "You have just been waiting for a chance to put the kitty cat away and let the tiger out to play, mmm? Is fine, I am not one to judge." she teases, as flippant as ever when it comes to her display of
Yan Sun is nowhere near as quick in her change of mood, and she bats the hand away, but the indication that the 'heavy' conversation, as Jessica put it, is over for the moment causes her to relax a bit, a small smile even forming. She glances to her side at the monitors. "Aren't you supposed to be, like... working?"
Jessica glances over to the monitor briefly before shrugging dismissively. "I am working. Is my work face." she explains before closing her eyes part-way and staring groggily at Yan Sun for a moment. "Is fucking boring! I just sit and sit and watch and watch and-... nothing ever happens." She leans in, biting playfully at Yan Sun's knee for a moment, "This is why I call you. So you can keep me company before I die of boredom.
Instead, you come all this way and decide to annoy me with all of this bullshit, mmm?" she sits back, coming to rest on her boots.
Yan Sun 's smile turns into a full-on grin and she gives Jessica a light kick - more of a prod with the toe of her boot really. "Yeah, well... you shouldn't have made me worried! Just think, I could've brought some warm food, prepped a movie on my omni-tool, could've been cozy!"
Jessica swats at the incoming boot and winces as she's prodded, a small chuckle escaping her. "You could still go get some warm food, mmm? Don't forget, you still owe me a life debt! So maybe I will make you go get me some food..." she ponders, rising back to her knees and leaning foreward, pressing her elbows against Yan Sun's knees, "You can't say no. Is part of the rules, mmm?"
Yan Sun looks down at Jessica with a raised eyebrow. "Oh? That's how it works? Yeah, I'm not going out into the creepy forest to spend the whole night searching for a foodplace that's still open. Sorry." she says, supressing her grin. "You'll have to settle for my company."
Jessica narrows her eyes on Yan Sun. "You know I could make you!" she threatens, "We both know that you just love being bossed around by me. Is no use trying to deny it." she continues, rotating back and forth slightly, causing the entire seat to swivel a bit in place. "Is why we work so well, mmm? I say 'jump!', and you wag your tail and eagerly bark 'how high!?', isn't that right?" she asks, her grin widening as she cocks
Yan Sun crosses her arms, giving Jessica another kick. "Shut up! I don't-... you suck..." she mumbles, looking a little embarassed. She makes a point of avoiding looking at Jessica, studying the surveillance feeds to her side with exaggerated interest.
Jessica snickers to herself as she grabs Yan Sun's with one of her hands to lessen the impact of the kick, enjoying the embarrassment she's causing. "Is fine!" she insists, returning her elbow to the woman's knee and placing more weight on her elbows as she leans forward, causing the chair to slide back a few inches, "Whatever gets you where you're going, mmm?" She grips the edge of Yan Sun's winter jacket and pulls it open,
looking over the inside lining of it. "I don't like your jacket." she says with a playful frown, "Take it off. And stop pretending like you actually give a shit about what is on those screens, mmm?"
Yan Sun rolls her eyes, but starts taking her jacket off regardless, slipping out of the arms to leave it hanging over the backrest of the chair. She looks away from the screens, ignoring Jessica as she turns her head towards the window instead.
Jessica gives another amused snicker. "You see!? 'How high!?' " she teases. Her gaze lowers and another frown crosses her face. "Now-..." she begins before pausing and looking contemplative for a moment. She nods, as if agreeing with her own assessment. "Mmmm. Yes. Now I am thinking maybe I don't like your pants, either." she says, a big grin barely contained through her frown.
Yan Sun re-crosses her arms once free of the jacket. She looks down at Jessica with an offended expression of questionable authenticity. "I'm not going to-... I took off my jacket because it's warm in here! I don't care if you like my pants!" she insists, making a half-hearted attempt to push Jessica away with her foot, her own expression a mix between a barely contained grin and cheeks red with embarassment. "Go... do...
Jessica slumps back, parking her bottom on the heels of her boots as she's pushed away. Leaning back, she rests her palms against the floor behind her to prop herself upright as she studies Yan Sun, head cocked to the side. "How adorable." she says condescendingly, "Playing hard to get, mmm? We both know better than that." Another chuckle escapes her as she leans forward, grabbing Yan Sun by the ankle as she begins to tug at
Yan Sun remains seated, arms still crossed. "You are the worst security guard ever. How do you still have a job?" she says, but makes no effort to prevent Jessica from removing the boot, just studying her instead, unable to completely keep her grin from showing.
Jessica frees the boot with a grunt and tosses it back over her shoulder. "Oh fuck off-..." she pauses as the boot hits the wall with a thud, causing Jessica's eyes to go wide and she quickly glances back to make sure she didn't hit anything important, but once she realizes it was just the wall, she looks back to Yan Sun, relaxed once more as she grabs at her other ankle and repeats the process, continuing right where she left
off, "Fuuuuck off. I am great security guard. Dam is safe. Trees are safe. The dam will not suddenly fall apart once I tear your pants off, mmm?" She tosses the second boot over her shoulder and it, miraculously, lands right in the trash bin. As she hears the swoooosh of it entering the garbage bag, her head swivels towards it. "Got it!" she says enthusiastically.
Yan Sun wiggles her toes once her feet are free of the boots. Another recent purchase since she didn't bring any winter shoes, they're not the most comfortable of footwear. "Like you'd notice... dam might have already collapsed while you were distracted." She seems unimpressed with the blind throw, and moves a foot to intercept Jessica's face as she turns back, poking her obnoxiously with it, a playful grin on her face now.
"Maybe I should tell your boss you spend your shift tossing stuff in the trashcan and critizing my clothes..."
Jessica clamps her eyes shut as she turns right into a foot. Narrowing her eyes on Yan Sun, she bares her teeth, grabs her by the leg and gives her a tug, pulling the rolling chair a bit closer as she leans over to playfully bite her at the ankle, just hard enough to leave teeth marks. "Mmm. Dam is stupid anyway." she says distractedly as she looks over the bite marks and presses a quick kiss against them. "Is not my job to make
sure it is built well. I just-... look at screens and make sure nobody is being an idiot. And if you say anything to my boss about this, then I will fuck you up, mmm!?" she threatens through a grin. "Doesn't matter anyway. I am the only boss that matters here."
Yan Sun snickers as Jessica bumps into her foot, and continues to poke her until she's pulled closer, which causes her to let out an "Eeep!". She seems quite content to just sit back in the guard chair as Jessica nibbles at her ankle, a big grin on her face. "Uh-huh... so... what else shouldn't I tell anyone about, boss?"
Jessica's expression shifts back to a smirk. "Much better." she says with a nod as she scoots closer to the chair on her knees, cradling Yan Sun's leg over her shoulder as her armor plated kneepads clank against the floor. "I am in charge here." she states with a gesture around the room, "Is my office, mmm? And I say-..." she leans forward, her hands moving towards Yan Sun's beltline as she reaches to begin
Yan Sun lets out an exaggerated sigh of defeat, giving a shrug. "Guess I don't have much choice..." she says, struggling to maintain a resigned voice even as a big grin spreads across her face as Jessica reaches the beltline. She scoots a bit lower in the chair to make things easier, but makes no effort to help remove the pants, simply observing the struggle instead. Seeming to realize something rather suddenly her gaze
Jessica's smile turns to a grimace as she wrestles with the button for a few moments. "Stupid-...." she mutters to herself before finally popping it free and moving on to the zipper. There is, indeed, a camera in the corner of the room mounted to the ceiling. Jessica digs the tips of her fingertips into the sides of Yan Sun's pants and begins tugging at them. "Mmmm. Why do your clothes have to put up so much of a fight? You
Yan Sun 's eyes go wide as she spots the camera, but Jessica's struggle distracts her briefly, causing a snicker before she wriggles to help get her pants off. Her gaze moves back to the camera as her eye lights up. Everything so far's already recorded, no doubt. No point stopping. She connects wirelessly to the nearby security console, her eye darting all over as she tries to hack the camera controls to shut it down.
Jessica glances up as she spots Yan Sun looking all over the place out of the corner of her eye. "What are you-..." she begins, but follows her glowing gaze over to the camera. "Is fiiine." she assures, "Nobody but me is looking at the camera footage anyway. Besides, the footage deletes after 75 hours-..." she squints, "...100 hours...?" she questions out loud, having already forgotten nearly everything Jattic had told her. She
shrugs dismissively as she tosses the pants aside. "Whatever. Something like that." As the camera shuts down, one of the nine screens displaying this very room goes black and Jessica frowns. "Ruining my fun is all you care about, yes?" she teases.
Yan Sun makes a mental note to see if she can wipe the footage just in case, but her attention is quickly returned to Jessica as her pants are yanked off and tossed aside. "What-... oh ew! You knew there was a camera!" she exclaims, covering Jessica's face with her hand and pushing her away, but a split second later she wraps her now-bare legs over her back, pulling her in closer. "Unlike you, I like some privacy..."
Jessica leans in as she's pulled closer. "Of course I knew. I am security guard! What sort of security guard would I be if I didn't even know where the cameras were, mmmm?" she says, her hands grasping at Yan Sun's waist as she presses a hard kiss against her lips. "You worry too much, kitty cat." she adds as she pulls her head back, her right hand gliding down Yan Sun's left leg. The nature of the rolling chair makes it an
awkward and uncomfortable experience as it slides and shifts, but Jessica doesn't seem to even notice it.
Yan Sun eagerly returns the kiss, a breathless laugh escaping as Jessica pulls away. "One of us has to..." she says quietly. She practically purrs as she feels the hand sliding down her leg, and reaches out to grab a hold of the security console with her left hand in order to steady the chair. "Mmm... hard work keeping guard...?"
Jessica wastes no time leaning into another kiss. Her left hand dances up the side of Yan Sun's body until it reaches her neck and she cradles her hand in place, pulling Yan Sun into the kiss. Never one to waste time, her right hand pauses at Yan Sun's knee before making its way all the way back up her leg and grazing across her inner thigh. "Is-... Is much better work now..." she jokes as she breaks for a breath and dives
right in for more, stopping just before their lips meet and tracing the tip of her tongue against Yan Sun's lower lip while her right hand continues to tease small circles into her inner thigh. "You see?" she asks, "I told you it was an emergency..."
Yan Sun giggles into the kiss, too busy circling her own tongue around Jessica's to respond right away. Her right hand moves to an armored shoulder, and then up her neck. "Hmh... good emergency..." she mumbles with a grin. "I thi-..." she's cut off as the chair starts to slide out from under her, her eyes suddenly wide open as she lets out a yelp. One hand is holding on desperately to the chair and the other to the console,
Jessica's eyes go wide as well, her awkward positioning threatening to take her down with Yan Sun if the chair were to tip. She leans to the side, grasping the console with one hand to keep too much of her weight off the chair. "Shiiiit." she cusses as she presses all her weight against the console and moves away from the chair, climbing to her feet in the process. Once clear from the disaster zone, she merely watches Yan Sun
as a grin returns to her face. "Even in a chair you are unable to stay upright." she taunts with a shake of her head. "You are hopeless." she adds, folding her arms across her chest for a moment as she enjoys the struggle for a moment, briefly considering giving the chair a nudge with her boot. "Fiiiine." she sighs as she steps forward and places a hand on each arm of the chair to steady it. "And I save your life
again." she says softly, as she looks down at Yan Sun. "Hungry vorcha. Freezing cold water. Angry office chairs. How would you survive without me, mmm?"
Yan Sun climbs back properly into the chair, sitting up and hissing at Jessica before shoving her away, almost immediately followed by a mumbled "...thanks.". She eyes Her up and down, and her smile quickly returns. "You look good in armor, you know... so professional..." she teases with a snicker. She crosses her legs and folds her hands over her knee, a big grin plastered across her face. She doesn't seem to have any
Jessica glances down at herself, lifting one foot briefly as she looks over her boots. "Mmm." she agrees with a nod, "I am thinking that what you meant was: I look good in anything, yes?" she adds, that exterior confidence masking the self consciousness she's let slip many times before in front of Yan Sun. She begins returning the favor, her eye scanning over Yan Sun, "And you look good in nothing." she teases with a grin, "Is
what you should always be wearing." She steps closer to Yan Sun and leans over, resting her hands on the armrests of the office chair as she hovers over her. "And you are also sitting in my seat." she continues, cocking her head to the side, "...Sooo how about you get up before you hurt yourself and ruin my comfortable chair and I'm forced to kick your ass, mmm?"
Yan Sun spins the chair slightly back and forth as she looks up at Jessica, grin never wavering. "I don't know... I'm pretty comfortable right here. I think I'm gonna stay." she says with a shrug that seems to say 'oh well'.
Jessica blinks a couple of times, gripping the armrest on each side. "Oh? Really?" she asks, a look on her face as if she has just been challenged. She begins tipping the chair slightly away from the console. "Still comfortable?" she asks, continuing to tip it further, a silent threat to dump her out of the chair as her own smirk grows.
Yan Sun 's grip of the chair tightens and she winces a bit, but remains seated. "Uh... huh... yup. Very... comfortable. Gah-... yep. I'm staying right here. In my chair."
Jessica continues tipping the chair ever-so-slightly. "You are so annoying." she groans, though the smirk remains on her face. Her patience, however, doesn't seem to hold out as well as her mood and, worrying she may toss Yan Sun on her head and seriously hurt her, she suddenly and without warning changes tactics. She releases her grip on the chair- causing it to teeter back into an upright position- and grabs Yan Sun by the
Yan Sun was clearly not prepared, and lets out a suprised cry as she's yanked out of the chair, ending up on her back on the floor, rubbing the back of her head which she hit on the way down. "Ow." she says with a grimace as she looks up at Jessica, who still has both of her legs.
Jessica releases her grip on one of her legs, bringing a hand up to her mouth as she watches Yan Sun hit her head, clearly not her intention. "You see!" she says, quickly shifting blame, though she's unable to suppress a loud, inconsiderate chuckle, "This is what you do! You're some kind of-... freak or something, mmm?" She drops to her knees, positioning herself between Yan Sun's legs as she sits back on her boots and watches to
make sure it was nothing serious, though she continues to defend her actions through a smirk, "You like to push and push and push until I do something! Is a turn on or something for you. You are some kind of freak!" she teases.
Yan Sun props herself up on her elbows. The floor isn't exactly comfortable, but she's content to stay put. "I'm fine, thanks for asking..." she says with a roll of her eyes before lifting one of her legs up to shove Jessica's shoulder. "And don't call me a freak! Not cool!"
Jessica seems to ease up somewhat once she realizes Yan Sun is fine, but there's certainly no apology coming. "What? Is not my fault you're a freak!" she teases as she shrugs off the push. She swats the leg aside and leans forward, climbing over Yan Sun until she's straddling atop her midsection. "Is okay..." she says with a dismissive shrug as she looks down at Yan Sun, "Freak is good."
Yan Sun stops propping herself up, letting her head come to rest against the floor as she looks up at Jessica and her hands moving to her hips. She furrows her eyebrows, and a moment later she says plainly: "The chair was more comfortable..."
Jessica shrugs her shoulders as she settles in, seated atop Yan Sun. "I don't care. Is my chair. You should have listened." she says, giving another dismissive shrug. Her own hands move over Yan Sun's as she studies her from above. "You lost your right to use the chair when you almost broke your neck falling out of it. Floor for you." she continues to taunt. She runs her fingertips back and forth across the top of Yan Sun's
hands as her gaze is drawn to them and the contrast between her scarred, burnt flesh and Yan Sun's. "I like this seat better anyway." she says, bouncing in place somewhat to emphasize her point.
Yan Sun smiles faintly, her mind distracted from the dirty floor. She snatches one of Jessica's hands, interlocking their fingers on top of her armored hip. She lets out a strained noise as Jessica bounces a little, the armor making it rather uncomfortable, but her smile widens regardless. "I guess there are worse fates..." she considers, her gaze following Jessica's to their hands. She closes her eyes for a moment and then a
pulse of light runs through her arm, energizing her hand and causing the implants there to glow. She runs her thumb back and forth, looking lost in thought.
Jessica's gaze moves up Yan Sun's arm as the trail of light shoots through it. Her attention rests on the woman's face and her grin grows. "What is going through that fucked up freaky mind of yours, mmmm?" she asks, bringing one leg over Yan Sun as she climbs off of her with a grunt- releasing her grip on Yan Sun's right hand- and takes a position on the floor beside her. Her right hand maintains its grip, giving Yan Sun's hand a
slight squeeze. She brings her other hand up behind her head to shield it from the hard cloor and watches the woman beside her as she awaits an answer.
Yan Sun glances to her side, picking her beanie of the floor and using it for a pillow before turning back to Jessica with an unamused look. "I'm not-..." She lets out a sigh, her annoyance short lived. A small smile forms as she realizes Jessica isn't hiding her right side as she so often does. "Just looking at you." she says with a faint shrug, gaze wandering over her face.
Jessica lifts her right hand, turning their intertwined hands over as she studies them silently for a few moments. "I am happy I meet you, kitty cat." she says, seemingly out of nowhere. As per usual, it's difficult for her to both maintain eye contact and say something nice, so her gaze remains focused on their hands. "Is-... weird but-... I know I am difficult sometimes. And you are the biggest pain in the ass I ever meet..."
she groans, "...But I am glad we are here together. And if you tell anyone I admit to this, I will choke you, mmm?" she threatens, her voice hardly even changing as it shifts from kind sentiments to threats, "And not in the good way."
Yan Sun 's smile widens at the rare moment of sincerity from Jessica, and she squeezes her hand. Starting to get accustomed to her ways, the last comment doesn't phase her too much, and she rolls over to her side, propping herself up with an elbow and looking down at Jessica. "I'm glad too." she says simply, leaning down to kiss her softly. After a moment's thought she asks, in a cheerful tone: "Now... I'm still not wearing
any pants. And this floor is cold. So... either I put my pants back on, or you give me a reason not to."
Jessica meets Yan Sun's gaze once again, relieved that she didn't make a big deal out of it. Upon hearing the comment about her pants, Jessica gains a devilish grin and rolls onto her side as well to face Yan Sun, releasing her grip on her hand. "I think your pants are fine right where they are, no?" she says as her gaze moves down Yan Sun's body.