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#RedrockAgency – October 30, 2016
Jason is seated behind his desk, typing away at his terminal. His door is open as he awaits Nathan's arrival and his eyes are fixed on his screen. "Oh..." he says softly before his eyes widen significantly, "...Ohhh!"
Nathan enters the agency building, grumbling about the prices of taxis. What he would give for being able to ride his eezocycle right now... He shrugs off some snow from his shoulders and glances around, scratching at the thick stubble on his face. He hasn't really been all that motivated to shave, given that his focus has been on just enjoying the luxuries he took
for advantage before heading off to that dustball of a planet. "Hey, Fergus," he says, glancing up to the ceiling. "Jase in his office?" The man slips out of his jacket, revealing the white shirt he wears underneath. Combined with his belted blue jeans and casual boots, he's looking rather relaxed. Which stands in stark contrast as to how he's feeling, since
Fergus materializes beside the front desk and bows gracefully to Nathan. "Indeed, Ser Tennhausen. He is awaiting your arrival."
Jasper is just down the hall in the intersection beyond Jason's office. A small amount of snow has accumulated atop the brim of his cap and on the shoulders of his worn down coveralls. As he spots Nathan from down the hall, he gives him a nod. "Winter is in full effect out there, Ten! Better stay all buttoned up 'fore ya catch a cold! Jus' spent the last couple hours clearin' some a' that snow out the way. Damn near froze my toes!"
Jason straightens up in his seat as he overhears the voices outside his office and quickly tabs over to something more work-appropriate. 'When Alien Animals Attack: Part 294' would have to wait.
Nathan nods to the VI and waves it off as he walks towards Jasper, unable to suppress a smile at the old coot. "You don't have to tell me twice, Jasper!" He calls out in return. "Just thought I'd wear something half smart looking for this... meeting." He shrugs lightly as he stops outside Jason's office, throwing his jacket onto his right shoulder. "Why don't you
go and brew up something warm? Take a breather?" He suggest, offering the man a glance and a grin. "Warm them old bones~."
Jasper rolls his eyes. "These bones are jus' fine!" he assures, "An' they still got a trucker's haul worth a' work to do, too! But that ain't a half bad idea! Jus' somethin' to take the chill out." he nods. "But you jus' go ahead and get to what yer gettin' at. Don't let me keep ya." he says as he turns on his heels, raising a hand up to wave to Nathan as he glances back before starting towards the staircase at the end of the hall. "We
Jason remains seated behind his desk, still dressed as he was when Lantea arrived. White t-shirt, black cargo pants and boots. He snickers to himself as he hears Jasper and Nathan's back-and-forth. "Come on in, Ten." he calls out.
Nathan waves back to Jasper. "See you," he says. With a deep inhale of breath, he opens the door at the prompt. He offers Jason a smile and a nod as he walks towards the free chair, gesturing a silent question at it. "Hey, Jase. How're you doing?" He asks.
Jason gives a nod. "Have a seat, Ten." he says. With a long sigh, he gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Not too bad. Happy to be home. Not so happy to be handling all the paperwork and bullshit required to follow up on that shit-show of a job." he continues, allowing a small grin to show through. He leans to his side, opening a drawer on his desk. After rifling through it for a moment, he lifts two glasses up onto his desk and
then a bottle of rum. "What about you?" he asks as he focuses on opening the bottle and pouring a bit into each glass, "It was pretty dicey out there. You recovering alright?" He slides one of the glasses across to Nathan and sets the bottle back down behind his desk.
Nathan takes the seat, more falling than lowering himself into it. He runs a hand through his hair, also due a trim. "Well, the burden of leadership, eh?" He muses with a small smile. At the offering of rum, he eagerly takes the glass and sips at the drink. He makes a sound of contentment as the liquid warms his insides and burns his throat. "Thanks," he says
before answering the question. He leans back in his seat, sinking into it. The bags under his eyes have lessened considerably since the trip, but still remain somewhat distinctive. "My leg is doing alright. Healing up well. But sleeping? Eh, I could be doing better." He waves a hand idly in the air, propping an elbow on the arm rest. "Giant snakes aren't all
Jason gives another nod accompanying a short snicker. "Yeah, I bet..." he says as he grabs his own glass and takes a quick sip. "So..." he begins, gesturing towards the glass in Nathan's hand and then his own. "Didn't want to make a big deal out of any of this, but you're a good dude. And because you're a good dude, I just don't want you to think there's any hard feelings on account of me having to fire you. So I figured we
could, you know, have a drink... Shoot the shit a bit... Make sure this isn't any harder than it has to be." He takes another sip from his glass and lets out a pleased sigh. "This is good shit, right?" he asks, holding his glass up slightly.
Nathan groans quietly and runs a hand down his face, drawing it out quite a significant time. "Yeah," he sighs, setting his hand down on the arm rest. "Well... at least you're getting the good stuff out for it. I might need a few more glasses before I come to accept the being fired part, you know?" He offers a tired smile, a hint of mirth in his stormy grey eyes.
Jason blinks a couple of times, doing his best to hold Nathan's gaze. "I know I said it wasn't gonna be like this... And I meant it! But I went over it all with Linda and what you guys did and she-..." he begins, but all at once it falls apart and he bursts into laughter. "Nah. We're celebrating because I'm gonna be a father! Can you believe that shit!?" he says, leaning forward to set his glass down. "Linda told me last night.
I haven't really had anyone to talk to all day about it and I'm kind of bursting at the seams so-... you know. Felt like I had to dump that on you." He sucks in a deep breath, "Whoooo. Feels good to say out loud." He slugs back another quick gulp of his drink before something occurs to him, "Oh, and you're not fired. I was just fucking with you." he says as if almost an after thought.
Nathan blinks once. Blinks twice. Blinks a third time. Jason's prank is swiftly forgotten as he sits bolt upright in his chair, eyes wide and a large smile plastered on his face. "Heiligen mist, seriously?! Y-you're gonna be a dad?!" He sets his glass down and stands, leaning across to plant a firm hand on Jason's shoulder and shake him, all the while laughing.
"Congratulations! I mean that's- wow!" He seems at a loss for words, instead just settling on grinning from ear to ear.
Jason looks up to Nathan with a matching grin. "Right?! Fucking insane! I'm gonna be a dad!" he repeats. Suddenly he furrows his brow and says it once more, "I'm gonna be a dad." He lets out a long whistle and slugs back the remainder of his drink, wincing slightly at the burn. "Man, that's fucking terrifying." he says as he swiftly reaches down and begins to refill his glass. "But-... but good terrifying, you know?" he
clarifies. "Shit, I'm sorry, man. I don't mean to just throw all of this at you. Like I said, just been holding it in all day. Felt like I was gonna pop if I didn't tell someone." He sets the bottle down on the desk.
Nathan takes his glass and raises it to Jason, awaiting a toast. "Jase, don't worry about it! Seriously man, this is some fucking good news to hear about after that shit-show!" He grins, canting his head. "And, you know, not getting fired helps. But forget about that! Celebrations! We need to go out, hit the town!" He then pauses, glancing off to the side and still
Jason chuckles, suddenly seeming as if a great weight has been lifted from his shoulders. "Yeah, absolutely! I think there's one not too far from the Respite, actually... Considering my wedding is in a couple weeks, I was thinking of getting a group together and heading out that way for a little bit of a celebration anyway." Upon noticing Nathan awkwardly holding his glass up, he furrows his brow before realizing he's expected
to say something. "Oh..." he says softly, reaching for his own glass again. He quickly clears his throat, holding his glass up somewhat. "To.... uhh..... You know.... Swimmers swimming..." he trails off, glancing down briefly as he searches for the words, "Not dying on a dustbowl to an enormous snake!" he continues, his gaze snapping back to Nathan as he points at the man, "And uhh..... And family." His gaze moves to meet
Nathan's as he suddenly grows serious, "And that's what we are, you know that, right? I mean, this whole-... Redrock thing. It started as Linda's idea back in the day, you know? But when we cemented the idea, it was never intended to just be a job. It was about doing the right thing, helping people, and getting the right people onboard. I know you haven't been around too long, but you've already shown your colors. I want you
to feel comfortable here. It's your job, but these people are also your family. They're the ones who are putting their lives in your hands, and the ones holding your life in theirs. Right? Which is why we should probably talk about what happened out there...."
Nathan clinks his glass with Jason's chuckling. "Inspiring speech!" However, as Jason continues on, his smile very slowly fades. It disappears as Jason concludes. He leans back and lowers himself into his seat, throwing back the rest of the drink down his throat. To his credit, he doesn't even flinch as it travels down his gullet. He merely extends his arm out for
a refill, his gaze distant and remorseful. "Yeah... yeah we do... So... I think I need to... I mean... I just-" he mumbles, unsure of where to exactly start. Clearly this has been a burden upon him since returning... and even now, he's still unsure of how to explain, what to say.
Jason sets his own glass down and silently refills Nathan as he speaks. Or, more appropriately, stutters. Once Nathan trails off, he settles back into his seat, letting out a quick sigh. "I just need you to trust me out there, Ten. I need you all to trust me out there. I know shit got off track a bit and you had the team's best interest at heart, but sometimes you've got to just believe I'm doing my best to see us all through
shit like that, alright? That way, when shit doesn't work out, the blame can fall on my ass and we won't need to have anymore of these awkward talks..."
Nathan slugs half the glass into his mouth, swallowing before replying. "I know, Jase. And I do trust you. I do. Shit, in the short time I've known you, you're easily one of the best people I've worked for." He glances off to the side, rubbing the side of his glass with his thumb as he mulls over what to say. "I just... thought...". He falls silent again for a few
moments. "I thought I was covering all bases by heading off. And Steve... threw in a pretty convincing argument at first. It made sense, at least to me." He looks back to Jason, his nostrils flaring as he exhales. "Clearly that wasn't the case when we got to the compound. But... I made the call. And I'm completely willing to take the full extent of the
blame." He props himself up, resting an elbow on the arm rest once again. "...Especially since I nearly got them both killed...". He snorts, shaking his head as he looks down to his glass. He idly swirls the liquid as he speaks. "Second bad call I made... and this one nearly cost Redrock lives. As you said... they're family and...". He shrugs.
Jason grips his glass after placing the bottle back down as he listens to Nathan. A brief smile crosses his face at Nathan's praise. He idly slides his glass back and forth across the desk between his cybernetic thumb and index finger. "I'm in charge out there, Nathan. If anyone needs to shoulder the blame for what nearly happened out there it's me, alright? Not you. It's my job to keep you guys in line." he sighs, "But when you
go and do something like that-... all three of you-..." he corrects, not wanting Nathan to think this is all about him and him alone, "....there's not a whole lot I can do to stop you. I just need you to back me up out there, alright? This shit is life and death and I've seen far too many people lose their life already... I don't need a few more on my conscience." He drags his glass closer to him, looking it over distantly
for a moment before focusing on Nathan once again. "I just need you to tell me I don't need to worry about something like that happening again, alright? And I need you to talk to Steve. When I spoke to him, he didn't try and throw anyone under the bus, but he definitely didn't seem happy about the whole ordeal. We can't have that trust damaged if you two are out in the field together again. That's not good for anyone."
Nathan turns his gaze back to Jason as he speaks, giving the man the respect he deserves by at least maintaining eye contact while he's talking. As he concludes, he finishes off his drink and sits up, setting the glass back down on the desk. "You won't," he says with a firm nod. "I don't plan on doing that again. Ever. I'm not willing to risk anyone's lives in such
a way." He falls quiet before continuing. "I'll speak to Steve when I see him next. Whilst I don't agree on... how he views the situation, I also don't want any bad blood boiling when we're out in the field again. As you said, it isn't good for anyone." He gestures to the building as he speaks. "I've lost people too. I know how burdening the weight is. If
you've seen my true colours, Jase, then you know that I will fight tooth and nail to make sure everyone gets out alive. It's why I spend so long in the armoury... to make sure that their gear won't fail them." He sets his hand back down, smiling faintly. "I am sorry, Jason."
Jason nods sternly. "I have seen your true colors. And it's why I know your decision out there was motivated by the right reasons, Ten. Even if I don't agree with the decision itself. Which is why you're sitting here talking to me about the situation rather than looking for a new job." he says plainly. "Nothing to apologize for, Ten. It was a fucked up situation that we were all lucky to come back from. It's done and over with
now. Just don't let it happen again." He lets out a deep breath and brings his drink up to his lips once again. "Well, now that that awkward business is out of the way..." he says, pleased to have gotten through the conversation without either side getting angry.
Nathan nods. "Alright. And now that it is out the way...". His grin returns and he folds one leg over the other. "How's the wedding planning going and what's the guest list looking like? Plus ones? Cake? Buffets~?" He laughs and points towards Jason. "And who's arranging the stag do?"
Jason gives a chuckle, but then falls completely confused. "Stag do-.... the hell is that?" he asks. "That got something to do with horses? Was I supposed to be getting horses out here!?" He suddenly gains a concerned look and brings a synthetic hand up to his mouth. "Fuck. I forgot the horses."
Nathan blinks slowly. He leans forwards, canting his head and giving Jason a confused look. "Wait, what? You haven't heard of a st-". He then sighs, rubbing his forehead. He keeps forgetting that not everyone uses the term. "Bachelor party," he clarifies.
Jason's concern slowly fades away, replaced with a lopsided grin. "Oooooh! Now you're speaking my language. Yeah, for sure. I've got some family and a few of my old Alliance buddies coming out, but it's nothing huge. I'm expecting everyone from Redrock to be there-..." he lingers on that, looking pointedly at Nathan as he repeats the word, "Everyone. As for a bachelor party-..." he shrugs, "Yeah. Figure a group of us will go and
get shitfaced. I'm not really sure where the horse comes into play on a bachelor party, though..." he says, glancing off to the side briefly as he tries to work it out in his head. "Ya know what? I think I'm just going to skip the horse entirely." he decides. "I'm still not sure how to handle the whole Ilyna situation, though. You know? She's one of my best friends, but-... But she's asari, right? So... So can I have her
up there with me on the wedding day? What are the rules on that? Isn't there like a 'dongs only' rule on that sort of thing for the groom?"
Nathan leans back in his chair, deciding to not correct Jason on what a stag is. "Well, I got a question for you but that can wait until after we sort out this bachelor party." He then pauses and scrunches up his nose as he thinks, humming softly. "Well, usually I'd say yeah but... I dunno, maybe the rule doesn't apply to an asari? I mean aren't some technically...
'fathers'? So... maybe... um," he mutters, trying to actually figure this out. Clearly this is an issue for the ages. "...Fuck it, just bring her along anyway if she wants to- wait! A bachelorette party for Vasquez! Ilyna can hold one for Vasquez and the ladies."
Jason sighs, frowning at the thought of having to share his friends with Vasquez. "But she's my friend...." he whines. "...I guess maybe she could go to both... I'll ask her if she'd mind taking care of something for Vasquez." he decides. "Either way, I don't think this is going to be the sort of wedding that requires a ton of planning. We're just going to decorate the hangar. Put out a bunch of tables. People can sit wherever
the fuck they want, you know? We'll have some music, some drinking, some dancing, some toasting, a little more drinking, a buttload of food. Somewhere between all that drinking me and Vasquez will get hitched and bam. Wedding. Simple. If you've got someone you want to bring, bring them. If not, don't."
Nathan nods to each of Jason's words, chuckling as he whines about sharing friends. "Shit, I wish all weddings were as simple to plan as yours. Most people make such a big deal out of it. Thousands of credits on the damn things!" He waves a hand as he speaks. "And, uh, yeah, I do have someone to bring, actually. Was going to ask if it was okay but... clearly it
is." He chuckles once more. "It's... my little sister. Annnnnnd... if you need some music then I -might- be able to help you out with that."
Jason gives another nod. "Yeah, for sure. If you've got something to offer in regards to music then the floor is yours." he says. "But yeah. I don't think either of us are the 'traditional' type, you know? I mean, I plan on it being nice, of course, but-... I mean, fuck man, we've been together for years now. We've nearly died together. Traveled across the galaxy together. We're having a baby together. A marriage doesn't make
it any more official. Not for me. There was never any doubt that she would be the one I spend the rest of my life with, ring or no ring. I mean we've seen each other in hospital beds, Ten. There's nothing more terrifying than that..." he says, his gaze moving to his hand briefly as he raps his fingertips against the desk. He opts not to mention that whole endeavor. Despite the reminder, a smirk still tugs at the corner
of his lips, "And despite all of that, I'd be full of shit if I said I wasn't just a little bit nervous about all of this..."
Nathan grins and nods. "Excellent. And you two? Going through all that? At this point, a marriage is just a novelty. The bond you've created... that'll take some divine force to break and even then I doubt it would crumble." He laughs, rubbing his stubbled chin as he continues on. "And I would say you're full of shit if you weren't a tad nervous. But as I said, it
should be fine. You've been through hell and back and you're still standing. Just push it down and focus, alright?"
Jason listens as Nathan speaks, looking the tiniest bit proud at what he and Vasquez have been through and accomplished together as it's all laid out there. Once Nathan finishes speaking, he gives a nod and a quick snort as he lifts up his glass. "That's the plan." he says before looking the liquid over through the clear glass and slugging it back. As he sets the glass back down atop his desk, he taps a synthetic finger against
the rim. It makes a sound that he has become rather fond of, despite the reminder it leaves him that his hands are no longer.... his. "Before I forget, I'm gonna need you to show up in a couple days. I'm trying to put something together for Li. Just something quick, you know? This was her first Halloween and I thought it would be nice if we all-... you know.... gave her candy and shit. That little girl has been through way
too much for someone her age to endure. She could use a celebration or two of her own. You don't have to dress up or anything, but it'd mean a lot to me if you just like-..." he looks Nathan over and shrugs, "I don't know-... cut out some eyeholes and tossed a sheet over you or something. Made some effort. I doubt most of the employees will, but I don't want to be the only one to look like a complete jackass."
Nathan keeps his gaze on Jason's eyes, even as he pings the glass with his metallic fingers. Not the first cybernetic hand he's seen, probably won't be the last. No point in drawing attention to it. "A sheet? I'll go flat-out for her. Zombies or vampires?" He grins and settles back into his seat. "Seriously, I'll be there. A kid shouldn't be deprived of fun and
that's what Halloween is all about. Having fun. We can do a game or two. Get some fruits and a tub of water and do some bobbing. Or, if you can get a few of the others involved, take her for a round of trick or treating in here. Have some people behind some doors and act surprised when she knocks on them dressed up as a ghost."
Jason's smirk grows and he gives a nod, obviously pleased to see that Nathan is on board. "Sounds like a plan to me. I had Linda order a fuckton of candy before we left on that last job, so don't worry about bringing any. Got her an outfit, too. So that's covered. Just-... like I said. I felt like she could use a day of having fun. Has to be rough to lose your whole family and everyone you knew to be whisked across the galaxy
with a bunch of strangers." he says, a brief look of guilt crossing his face. "But she's tough. She'll manage. Besides, she has all of us now."
Nathan nods and stands, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. "Good plan," he says with a smile. "And as you've said, Redrock is family and she's apart of that now. We look after our own. So, we'll throw the best damn Halloween for her. And she'll have a hell of a time." He extends a hand across the desk, nodding. "Thank you for the talk, Jase."
Jason rises from his seat in turn, reaching out to shake Nathan's hand. "Not a problem, Ten." he says, "Just-... keep in mind what we talked about, alright?" He gestures towards the door, "Now get home before it gets any colder out there. These winters can be brutal..."
Nathan shakes firmly before pulling his jacket close, zipping it up. "I will. And I'll try my best. I'll grab a taxi and get prepping for my sister's arrival." He coughs and glances to the side. "I... may have already been told she's on her way so... Yeeeeeaaahhh. Hence why I asked." He puffs his cheeks out and exhales. "She always pulls this kind of shit...".
Jason's shoulders bounce with his chuckle. "Family, right?" he says. Not that he'd know. Damn near his entire family has been wiped out. But it was going to be nice to see his uncle again. He goes to sit down as something dawns on him. "Oh... Jasper is around here somewhere. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a lift back to town or wherever. If you don't want to take a taxi, just go bother him." he offers.
Nathan gives Jason a thumbs up as he opens the door, stepping out. "Sure thing. Take care, Jase and see you around." He glances up and down the corridor, humming. "Fergus, where is Jasper?"