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#RedrockAgency – January 28, 2017
Vasquez is sitting at the kitchen table in the rec room, speaking to her brother over some sandwiches. The conversation is not exactly relaxed, and Markus is doing most of the talking, catching her up on some of what he's been up to with the Alliance as well as relaying some news from Mars. Vasquez herself seems a little distracted, gripping her glass of juice in both hands and looking at him in silence as he speaks.
A single quarian approaches the front door. Her environmental suit is adorned with an intricately designed shawl that matches her hood. The pattern almost resembles flowers, though a more abstract representation. The borders are grey in color while the actual art design are two different shades of right- light red for the background and dark red for the linework. Clutched in both of her hands is a small, hand-made vase containing a bouqet
of flowers. It, too, is adorned with an intricate pattern. As she reaches the door, she hesitates for a moment, looking it over before finally reaching out with one hand and buzzing the building. She straightens her posture and shifts nervously back and forth in place as she awaits a response.
The door to Redrock slides open, and Fergus materializes behind the counter in the lobby, bowing in greeting. "Greetings! I am Fergus, VI of the Redrock Agency. How can I help you?"
Rayla`Deeran steps through the door as it slides open and gives a glance around for any sign of activity. Her eyes light up behind her mask as Fergus appears behind the counter and she steps forward. "Ah... A VI." she observes, looking it over with a passing interest. Though it quickly sets in that she's here for a reason and she nods her head. "Yes. I am here to see-... ahh..." she hesitates for a moment, trying to get the
pronunciation correct, "...Linda Vasquez." She sounds unsure of herself and out of her element, a nervous gaze casted around every now and then as both hands return to gripping the vase.
Fergus offers a polite smile. "Of course. Would you like to schedule an appointment with Chief Vasquez?"
Rayla`Deeran's gaze moves to the floor briefly and her stance turns to one of discomfort. "I-... Am not sure." she says, mentally kicking herself in the ass for not doing this sooner, "It would be of great convenience if she could see me today. I promise I will not take up too much of her time." she offers.
Fergus bows his head. "I shall notify her of your request." he says before disappearing. There is, of course, nothing at all preventing him from projecting in multiple locations at once, but 'leaving' to speak to someone else gives a clearer cue for organics.
Rayla`Deeran takes the time 'alone' to continue glancing around the reception area, attempting to keep her nerves in check as she awaits a response.
Fergus re-appears a moment later. "Chief Vasquez will see you in her office. 'Tis the second door on your left." he says with a gesture down the hallway.
Rayla`Deeran's eyes light up once again and she gives an appreciative nod. "Thank you." she says. She steps towards the indicated hallway and starts down it, carrying herself with a great amount of unease. It isn't very often that she finds herself wandering around a mercenary base. As she reaches the door, she releases her tight grip on the vase with one hand and buzzes the panel.
Vasquez is seated behind her desk as the door opens, her hands folded in front of her and her screen inactive as she just sat down. She studies the quarian with a hint of curiosity. She's wearing her usual gray military pants and tank top combo, as well as her light jacket with the Redrock logo.
Rayla`Deeran bows her head out of respect before stepping into the room. Her posture straightens once more now that she's in the presence of someone else, putting on an air of confidence and grace. "My apologies, Linda Vasquez." she begins, "If I would have known an appointment was required, I would have set one up before coming here today. I am Rayla'Deeran vas Karaya." She continues further into the office, passing a glance towards
the chair opposite of Vasquez before taking a seat in it. She sets the vase down in her lap, both hands still wringing it, betraying the confidence she's projecting. "Your extranet site led me to believe that you are the one in charge of this organization...? You see I-... I am seeking an employee of yours. Jason Wolfe?"
Vasquez watches the quarian approach, nodding when she glances at the chair. She raises an eyebrow as she asks for Jason. "I... see. And what is this about?"
Rayla'Deeran glances down to the vase in her lap, falling silent as she considers her words carefully. Finally, she looks back to Vasquez. "He-... I am unsure of what he would wish for me to say on the subject. It is... personal. I understand this is perhaps something of a strange request, but if you could just assist me in getting in contact with him, you would have my appreciation. I do not believe my people will be remaining in
Freedom Falls for too much longer, and-... It is important." she settles on, her eyes shining through her visor.
Vasquez looks surprised, her interest definitely peaked, and it's not hard to see the gears turning in her head. She nods, and glances up at the ceiling. "Fergus, tell Jason to come to my office." The VIs voice sounds from the room's speakers: "Right away, Lady Vasquez." Her attention turns back to the quarian, looking at the vase. She furrows her eyebrows slightly but says nothing. Her hand brushes against her ring,
Rayla'Deeran becomes rigid in her seat as Vasquez requests Jason's company. While she had initially hoped to speak with him today, the talk of appointments and such had mostly dashed that hope and she was mentally preparing herself to jump through hoops before any sort of meeting would take place. "Oh-... he is here, then? Now?" she asks before muttering a soft, "Keelah..." to herself.
Fergus materializes in the gym, making a show of turning around until 'spotting' Jason. "Milord, Lady Vasquez has requested your presence in her office."
Vasquez ' attention snaps back to Rayla. "Hm? Oh. Yes, we live here." she offers. As she notices the quarian's reaction she adds: "Is... that a problem?"
Jason reaches out and taps at the treadmills holographic interface, slowing his jogging as the machine slows to a stop. He's dressed in a white form-fitting workout shirt and a pair of jogging pants. "Yeah, sure..." he says, grabbing his towel from the handhold. He pats at the sweat accumulating on his forehead as he steps off of the machine. "Let her know I'll be right down."
Rayla`Deeran cocks her head to the side, her mind focusing on the word 'we'. She gives a shake of her head. "Oh! No. Of course not. I just wasn't-... After-...." she trails off, her gaze moving back down to the vase once again. "....We? As in... together?" she asks, her eyes glowing in guilt instantly for being incapable of holding back her nosiness.
Fergus bows his head and disappears, materializing in miniature form on Vasquez' desk an instant later. "He is on his way, milady."
Vasquez raises an eyebrow, but her response is interrupted by Fergus. She dismisses the VI with a nod and then looks back at Rayla, studying her mask. It has been a while since she dealt with a quarian, and the mask was throwing her off a little. "Yes, we... we're engaged." she says a little uncomfortably, but she finds herself unable to hold back a brief hint of a smile just saying the words.
Rayla`Deeran's eyes widen, visible even through the visor, and her gaze once more looks to the vase. When she looks back to Vasquez, her smile has made its way to her eyes. "You-... That is wonderful." she says, the smile able to be heard in her voice. She suddenly leans forward, placing the vase at the edge of Vasquez' desk. "Then-... Then I suppose these are for you as well, miss Linda Vasquez." She leans back in her seat, suddenly
feeling as if she should explain herself. "I understand it is sometimes customary for humans to provide a gift when they have not seen one another for a long time. The extranet informed me that flowers or an alcoholic beverage, such as a bottle of wine, are preferable. I did not want to be presumptuous." she continues, "So... So I went with the flowers."
Vasquez ' smile takes hold properly as Rayla starts to explain herself. There's a hint of a chuckle in her voice as she responds. "I, uh... thank you." she says, glancing at the flowers. "And... just Vasquez is fine, Ms... Adeeran?" she says, taking a stab at figuring out which part was the last name.
Rayla`Deeran seems to shake off some of the nerves as Vasquez' demeanor softens. "Deeran." she corrects with a chuckle of her own. "But feel free to address me as Rayla-..." Before she can continue, the door slides open.
Jason appears at the door as it slides open. "Whatsamatter? Already missing my sexy a-...." he begins before his attention is drawn to the quarian seated across from Vasquez, ".....Aaaaaand you have a client." he redirects. With a furrowed brow, he glances upwards, raising his voice a bit. "Would've been nice to know, Fergus!" With a sigh, he leans against the doorframe, folding his arms across his chest. "Uhh... Fergus said you
wanted to see me, Linda...?" he asks, a bit of embarassment in his voice as his gaze moves back to Rayla. He studies her for a moment the way one does when they're trying to figure out if they should recognize someone.
Vasquez lets out a grunt, covering her face with her palm. "This is Rayla'Deeran." she says with a gesture to the quarian. "She's here to see you."
Rayla`Deeran shifts a bit in her seat as Jason makes his appearance, a bit of that rigidity returning to her posture. "I-... I understand it is often difficult for humans to recognize us through our suits-..." she begins to ramble nervously, trying to get out in front of the conversation as she realizes Jason doesn't recognize her, "...And-... And it has been years since we last spoke, Jason. So I-..." she nods, "...I understand. It
Jason rolls his eyes at Fergus, giving another glance up. "Uh huh... You do that..." As Vasquez introduces the quarian and Rayla begins to ramble, he straightens up and steps away from the doorway and further into the room. As soon as he hears the name 'Deeran', the rest becomes a soft droning to him. "Rayla...?" he repeats. A soft, uncomfortable chuckle escapes him and he glances from Vasquez to Rayla. "No... No, of course I
Rayla`Deeran tilts her head to one side, then the other. "It is. This is just something I have been putting off for far too long, Jason. And for that, I apologize. I have been meaning to visit ever since I heard of your presence here on Aite." Her gaze lowers as she brings one hand over the other in her lap, "My... husband wished to be here as well, but he-..."
Jason interrupts with another chuckle. "No he didn't..." he corrects. "He-... wasn't my biggest fan. And I get it. Especially after-..."
Rayla`Deeran seems unable to allow Jason to continue on with this line of thinking and interrupts him just as quickly. "No, you are correct." she sighs, "He can be a bit of a-... a bosh'tet at times."
Jason gives another chuckle, but decides better than to comment. It's pretty obvious that he's not the most comfortable right now, and his gaze keeps moving back to Vasquez, as if searching to see if she knows what any of this is about.
Vasquez gives a barely noticable shrug, clearly knowing no more than Jason. She continues to listen with interest however, her eyebrows furrowed.
Rayla`Deeran wrings her hands for a moment before continuing. "Jason. After-... after everything happened. You never answered any of my calls. You didn't come to the ceremony we held. You-... I was worried for you." she says. Her gaze moves to Jason's hands and she falls silent, just now noticing the prosthetics. She focuses on them before realizing she's staring and lifting her gaze to his eyes once again. "I just-... needed to make
sure everything was going well for you. That you were alright." Her smile returns, hidden by her visor as she passes a glance towards Vasquez and gestures her way. "And... from what I understand, you are to be wed to miss Linda Va-..." she glances apologetically towards Vasquez, "...To Vasquez." she corrects.
Jason becomes increasingly uncomfortable, a look of obvious guilt crossing his face as Rayla mentions the wedding. "Rayla I-..." he begins, but he's cut off before he can get so much as a sentence out.
Rayla`Deeran shakes her head. "No, Jason." she cuts him off. "You do not need to explain. This is what Mina would have wanted. For you to be happy. For you to live. For you to not allow her memory to be a crutch. Something that cripples you." With a deep sigh she continues, "My husband. He does not understand. He needs something to blame for taking our daughter away. Someone to blame. But I know our Mina was never returning. That
was a decision she made even before she met you. Once she had a taste of life outside of the Flotilla, there was no turning back for her." She gives a short, sad chuckle, "And you have no idea how much you meant to her, Jason. Everytime I spoke to my daughter, she talked about you. And always with a smile. You made her happy. And for that, I only wish to thank you."
Jason looks downward, unable to hold Rayla's gaze. As she finishes, his attention turns to Vasquez, his discomfort no better by this point. Though now his guilt seems to be directed her way for having to hear all of this.
Vasquez ' frown deepens, a growing sadness to her expression as she continues to listen. The word 'daughter' causes her eyes to widen as she looks on the visit with new understanding. She meets Jason's gaze when he looks her way, her expression sympathetic, but she doesn't say anything.
Jason swallows hard, blinking away the tears. "The person responsible for Mina-..." he begins, but is once again interrupted.
Rayla`Deeran seems unwilling to let Jason have the opportunity to sour the occasion or turn the mood on its head. "It does not matter. My daughter is gone, Jason. And nothing can be done to change that." she says matter-of-factly, "I also have no doubt that had she known the way things would have ended... She still would have chosen you, Jason. She loved you. And I know you loved her. And to know that my daughter felt that sort of
love..." she trails off and the smile returns to her voice as she looks to Vasquez. "And now, the two of you have each other. I hope the two of you are able to bring each other great happiness." she adds sincerely, climbing out of her seat.
Jason continues to look Vasquez' way. A sincere smile returning to his face as he studies his bride-to-be despite the room suddenly filling with ghosts of his past. A bit of his discomfort sheds away at hearing just how supportive Rayla is.
Vasquez briefly lowers her gaze, but Rayla's interruption causes her to glance the quarian's way, shooting her a faint smile before looking back at Jason, studying his expression.
Jason nods softly to the quarian, still holding Vasquez' gaze. "I think we can do that..." he says, his lopsided smirk crossing his lips. He returns his attention to Rayla. "I appreciate you-..." he begins, but is again cutoff.
Rayla`Deeran steps towards Jason and, without any warning, wraps him in a tight hug, quieting him once again. It takes a moment, but Jason returns the hug, if somewhat awkwardly. As she releases the hug, she looks back to Vasquez. "I have taken up far too much of your time." she offers apologetically. "I should be going." She pulls her attention back to Jason, her sincere smile obscured by her visor. "Be safe, Jason." she says, her hand
coming to rest over his prosthetic forearm. "The best memories of my daughter live on right here..." she reaches up, tapping a fingertip against the side of Jason's head, "...and here..." her hand slides down, resting over his chest. "I would like to see them grow old with you." She holds Jason's gaze for a moment longer before offering a graceful nod to Vasquez and beginning her departure.
Jason's discomfort returns as the quarian's hand presses against his prosthetic. 'Be safe'. The thing he and Mina argued over more than anything. His lifestyle and the danger it put him in. He suddenly found himself wondering the sort of things Mina told her mother. If Rayla's words meant more or just a general offer of well wishes. "You and me both, Rayla." he says softly.
Vasquez stands up as Rayla starts to leave, circling around her desk. "Thank you." she says softly to the departing quarian, moving towards Jason. She places an arm on his shoulder, squeezing it gently as she stands next to him.
Rayla`Deeran stops just outside of the door and passes a glance back to Vasquez, her glowing eyes shining through her visor. "Keep him out of trouble." she says through a smile before giving one last bow of her head and continuing down the hall feeling a whole lot lighter than when she came in.
Jason looks Rayla's way as she continues out of the room. He remains silent, only a distant, short chuckle escaping him at Rayla's comment. Once the quarian has disappeared down the hall, his gaze moves to Vasquez' hand resting on his shoulder and he brings his own hand up and places it atop hers.
Vasquez leans forward, tilting her head and stydying Jason's expression. She doesn't say anything, her gaze just travels across his face.
Jason sucks in a deep breath, blinking hard a few times. "So that was awkward." he says with a chuckle. Turning to humor, as usual, when faced with an uncomfortable situation.
Vasquez squeezes his shoulder again and then slides her hand down under his arm and to his back, moving closer. She doesn't look away from his face. "Jason..." she sighs. "I'm here."
Jason gives a few shallow nods. "Yeah... Yeah, I know, Linda..." he says, forcing a smile as he looks to Vasquez. His smile quickly fades and he gestures back towards the door. "I-... I was in the middle of something. Should probably-..." he cocks a thumb towards the ceiling, "...You know. Get back to it."
Vasquez moves in front of Jason, her hand slipping over to his arm and gripping it tightly as she frowns at him. "Don't you even fucking try, Jason." she says, shooting him a brief glare before her expression softens. "I know you. It's a shocker, I know, but I do. Don't... brush me off."
Jason raises an eyebrow, his lopsided smirk returning. "Oooh. So sexy when you get all-..." he points at her, drawing a small circle through the air around her with the tip of his finger, "...pushy." After a moment he sighs and gives a short shrug of his shoulders. "What do you want me to say, Linda?"
Vasquez ' frown returns as Jason attempts to deflect yet again. After his question she looks at him for a moment before sighing and letting go of his arm. "I don't know... I just-... I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me about... her." she says, avoiding his gaze as discomfort takes hold, but it doesn't last long. "This is a two-way thing, you know?" she meets his gaze again, flashing a faint smile. "I... get
you weren't expecting... this, right now. I sure wasn't. But I'm here. If you want to talk. That's all I'm saying. If you don't, that's fine."
Jason gives a couple of short nods, lowering his gaze slightly. "I know..." he says with another sigh. "It's just-..." he gives a shrug as he glances towards the door, "...Mina would still be alive if she hadn't met me, Linda. That's not an opinion. That's not-... me blaming myself over it all. It's just fact. So... if coming here and facing me makes her feel better about all of this? Great. But it doesn't change facts."
Vasquez furrows her eyebrows as she listens, and when he's done she takes a step back, folding her arms across her chest and studying him for a moment. "Okay... it's a fact. So what?" she asks, rather bluntly.
Jason gives a shrug of his shoulders, his smirk returning briefly at her bluntness. "So what." he repeats, returning his gaze to her eyes. "So much has happened since then. It-.. it feels like a lifetime ago by this point, you know? Yeah, it hurt for a long time. It still hurts. And there was a period where I felt guilty over it all. Guilty that she was gone and I was here. Guilty that-..." he gives a sympathetic tilt of his
head, worried about how his next words may land, "...Guilty that I found you." He gives another sigh, "Point is... Yeah. Seeing her again? It shook me up a bit. But it doesn't change anything. It is what it is. And I'm fine, Linda." He reaches out, placing a hand on each of Vasquez' sides. "I'm exactly where I want to be. Exactly where I belong." he says and, though obviously quite sincere, it's easy to see that there's a
Vasquez moves her hands to Jason's arms when he reaches for her sides. She continues to look up at him as he speaks, her expression soft despite the bluntness that she spoke with. She offers a faint, lopsided smile at his final words and slides her arms up to his shoulders. "So am I." she says softly, looking off to the side before adding, slightly hesitant. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you, Jason. That's a
Jason leans forward and presses a kiss against the top of Vasquez' head. Hearing her words causes his smile to grow. Yeah, there's no 'balancing the scales' in a situation like this. But somehow knowing he was able to be there for her when it mattered brings him a bit of comfort. "I guess that makes you and me even, then." he says, his hands sliding further around her and interlocking his fingers at her lower back.