#Halisi'sApartment – February 27, 2018

Ilyna didn't spend long in her apartment, but has packed enough clothes and toiletry to last her and Li more than a week. She was surprised to find that the window has been sealed off during her absence to keep the harsh weather from further damaging it until proper repairs can be done, and any electronics that contain Redrock Agency data has been moved to the agency's office; Uvena acting on her own initiative according to the report. She also fetched shoes and winter clothes for her, Li and

Jason has been silent since the civilians were left at the Respite, allowing the exhaustion that he's been fighting off for days to show through. He has applied a fresh coat of medi-gel to the gash on his head and is currently seated, but his harness isn't on as he idly checks his omni-tool to ensure his message to Captain Riley was sent.

Jasper casts a glance back from the pilot's cabin as the Kodiak slices through the Aite night sky. "Looks like they've been put through the grinder." he muses aloud to Cynthia without looking her way.

Vasquez has remained silent as well, letting Jason handle interactions with the rescued civilians until she can be brought up to speed. She's remained next to Jason for the duration of the trip.

Cynthia turns her gaze from the window to Jasper, and then glances over her shoulder back at the others. "Yeah..." she mutters. "The hell happened out there...?" she wonders quietly as she leans back in her seat.

Li still sits between Ilyna and Halisi after the acquisition of items from Ilyna's apartment - hopefully including ever-important art supplies. Her silent mood hasn't changed.

Halisi did indeed accompany Ilyna to collect her winter clothes, and has put them on over the borrowed outfit she's wearing.

Jasper gives a small shake of his head, but doesn't attempt to venture a guess at what may have transpired. He's seen enough during his time with Redrock to know that whatever happened out there, it probably wasn't good. It's not long before the remaining passengers reach their destination. Under the ever-watchful eye of Litae, Jasper sets the shuttle down just beside Halisi's residence. The Kodiak rumbles slightly as it

Jason glances up at the sound of Jasper's voice, allowing the orange glow of his omni-tool to fade away. "Need a hand getting your things inside?" he asks with a glance to Ilyna. He just barely manages to get the words out when a long yawn ambushes him, causing him to bring his hand up to his mouth. "Shit, sorry..." he mutters, finding himself absently falling in line with Jasper's whispered tone.

Halisi shifts as the shuttle starts to set down, getting ready to stand up, which she does as soon as they land, looking to Ilyna. She's quick to grab one of the bags to make sure there's less for the asari to carry.

Cynthia sighs quietly, looking out the window in silence once more.

Ilyna gets up from her seat after Halisi, and nods to Jason's offer, "I'd appreicate that." She gestures at the heavier of the two remaining travel bags, before taking the other. Ilyna has slept reasonably well last night, so she's not tired. She's still a bit absent-minded though, her mind racing about Li's recovery; her and Halisi, and how Jason might be misinterpreting it; Ehanis' unwillingness to talk with

Vasquez looks a little puzzled, sitting up a bit. "You're getting off here?" she asks Ilyna.

Li stands up as the others do, immediately reaching for Ilyna's hand.

Jason gives a few small nods as he rises from his seat and scoops the travel bag up. He glances briefly to Vasquez, seeming reluctant to leave her side after the week they've had. "I'll be right back." he says as he starts towards the opening shuttle door and the cold it lets in. As he steps out into the snow, Vasquez' question causes him to glance back towards Ilyna, doing a poor job at hiding his own curiosity and interest

Ilyna takes Li's hand before looking over at Vasquez, looking a bit uncomfortable at the question as it's received in the context of her own thoughts. "She… offered me and Li to stay with her until repairs are complete," she says before stepping out into snow. She looks towards Halisi, waiting for her to take the lead.

Vasquez furrows her eyebrows. "I-... huh." She seems briefly dumbfounded, and her gaze turns to Halisi. "You know we could make room at the base for-..."

Halisi offers a small smile, shaking her head. "It's-... it's not a problem. Really. We've already discussed it." she assures with a gesture of her hand before turning to follow Li and Ilyna out of the shuttle.

Jason quickly steps aside as Ilyna exits the shuttle and waits for her and the doctor to lead the way as he shrugs the strap of the bag over his shoulder. Ilyna and Halisi's responses do little to erase his curiosity, but now isn't the time to be nosey. He passes a smile Li's way as she and Ilyna join him outside. "You tired, shortstack?" he asks, reaching out to rustle her hair a bit with his free hand.

Vasquez rises from her seat after a moment's hesitation, walking to the edge of the shuttle and crouching down. "Li." she calls out calmly. The girl turns around, looking almost a little startled, but she walks up to her when Vasquez waves her over, after a quick glance up at Ilyna.

Ilyna sighs when Vasquez calls Li over, but she is curious what it could be about. She give a reassuring smile to Li as she looks up at her, and turns around to observe their conversation.

Vasquez looks briefly uncomfortable as she searches for a way to voice what's on her mind without much luck. She sighs quietly, putting a hand on Li's shoulder. She finally opens her mouth to speak and... nope.

Li furrows her eyebrows. "Are you ok?"

Jason remains in place when Li moves towards Vasquez, watching the awkward encounter. As Li speaks up, he clears his throat and shifts the strap on his shoulder as it digs in to the area where flesh and prosthetic meets.

Vasquez lets out a quiet chuckle, nodding slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." she says, smiling faintly before wrapping Li up in a hug, which the girl is quick to return. "You're gonna be okay." she says quietly before letting go, nodding for her to head back to Ilyna. "It's good to have you back, Li."

Halisi has stopped shortly outside the shuttle, looking back at the others.

Ilyna tilts her head at the awkward conversation, but she does not intervene. She gives a small smile as they hug, nodding along with her words. Ilyna holds out a hand for Li to take when Vasquez nods towards her.

Li seems largely unfazed by Vasquez' somewhat awkward attempt at addressing her - she's fairly used to her ways. She's quick to return to Ilyna's side, grabbing the asari's hand again, but she glances back once or twice as they start heading toward the apartment.

Jason allows a small, tired, but genuine smile to cross his lips as he watches Vasquez interact with Li. He gives the girl another pat on the head as she returns to Ilyna's side, but his eyes remain on Vasquez for a moment longer before he turns to follow the others to the apartment.

Halisi leads the way to the door, entering a keycode and stepping into the stairwell. "Second floor." she says with a look back at the others, starting up the stairs and towards the door to her apartment. The stairwell itself is quite bare, as might be expected. She stops by the door to her apartment to unlock the door.

Vasquez stands up as the others leave, one hand rubbing the back of her neck briefly. She remains in place as she waits, frowning slightly.

Ilyna casts another glance back to Vasquez before following the others over to the apartment. She's deep in thought as she starts up the staircase, not saying a word.

Li is of course following right next to Ilyna.

Jason gives a nod to Halisi. Of course it couldn't be on the first floor. He adjusts the strap of the bag once more before starting up the stairs behind the others. "What's the damage like at your place...?" he asks tentatively with a glance up at Ilyna as he pulls himself up the staircase by the handrail.

Halisi steps inside the apartment, scraping the snow off of her shoes before dropping the bag by a door on the right side of the entrance. "Just put the bags here. I know it's not the nicest place, but... hopefully it will do for now." she says, offering a slightly tired smile. The apartment is small, with windows on the side opposite the entrance, overlooking the street. The main room consits of a couch meant for three,

Ilyna frowns at the question, it was hard enough walking in there without feeling the fear she felt that night, it's not something she wants to think about right now. "The window needs to be replaced," she says. "I didn't take the time to check the furniture for damage." She steps into the apartment and places her bag next to the other. She looks around the apartment from where she stands, and gives a reassuring

Li walks further into the apartment, looking around in silent curiosity.

Jason follows suit, doing a poor, lazy job of kicking some of the snow off his boots before stepping over to set Ilyna's bag in the indicated location. He gives a couple of nods to himself as Ilyna responds. "Well, you know the deal. If there's anything I can do to help, just say the word." he offers as he gives a brief glance about the apartment from just beside the bags, clearly having no intention of sticking around a

Li blinks, turning to look at Jason. She gives a few small nods, but that's about as enthusiastic as her response gets.

Halisi smiles faintly as she watches Jason and Li, letting out a quiet sigh as her gaze wanders to the slightly messy state her apartment is in. "There's... a lot we need to talk about." she agrees at the mention of a meeting.

Ilyna gives a nod at his offer, but there's a long day ahead to think about that. The instruction to Li evokes a chuckle from her; the unenthusiastic response is not lost on her but she manages to not show it. "Yeah," she says. "A few days of rest is something we could all use right now."

Jason's smile fades a bit when Li doesn't give much of a response. If Super Centurion isn't enough to get her hyped, nothing is. He draws in a deep breath, giving a nod to Halisi before adding a quiet: "You could say that again..." in response to Ilyna. He looks from Ilyna to Halisi, falling silence for a few uncomfortable moments before he gives one last look around the apartment and takes a step back towards the entrance.

Halisi purses her lips slightly, giving a small nod and waiting politely for Jason's departure. "Thank you." she says simply, glancing at Ilyna to see if she has anything to say to Jason before he departs.

Ilyna does notice his awkwardness, and she steps over to give him a quick hug. "Thank you, Jason," she says. "I do need your help about getting the repairs started, but… that can wait until tomorrow."

Li remains silent as the grown-ups talk, looking around again.

Jason is quick to return the hug, giving Ilyna a gentle squeeze as his cybernetic arms wrap around her. As they pull away, he waves off her gratitude. "I'm just glad everything worked out..." he says with a quick glance towards Li. As his attention returns to Ilyna and Halisi, a bit of that awkwardness shows through again. "But-... yeah." he nods, "Tomorrow. Whatever you need. You know where to find me." he continues with

Ilyna nods at first, not getting the implications until he draws attention to it. Now she looks flustered as well, which probably wasn't his goal. "Good night," she says after a moment's pause to gather her composure, though some of the awkwardness showing in the uncertainty of her words.

Halisi sucks in her lips, bringing a hand up to her mouth and looking off to a corner uncomfortably for a moment. She clears her throat as her hand lowers. "Goodnight, Jason." she says through almost-gritted teeth.

Li furrows her eyebrows slightly as everybody gets awkward. She gives Jason a small wave goodbye.

Jason nods a bunch of times as he stands out in the hallway. "Goodnight!" he repeats with some false cheer in an attempt at covering up the awkwardness as he reaches out to the door panel. "Going now." he announces as he taps the panel, but rather than the door closing, he just buzzes the apartment. Try again. A frown briefly crosses his face but he's quick to hide it behind a dumb smile. "Goodnight!" he says a third time,

Halisi winces slightly at Jason's drawn-out exit, remaining in place for a moment after the door closes, awkwardness permeating the air. She clears her throat again, looking over at Ilyna. "The, uh... bedroom is through that door." she says, pointing at the door behind her. "I... just need to fetch the spare blankets and then you'll have it to yourself." she continues, seemingly feeling the need to assure that she has no

Ilyna catches herself staring at him failing to defuse the awkwardness, and it does reflect on her. Halisi's words manages to snap her out of it slightly, and she turns towards her. "No, no, that won't be neccesary," she says. "I… have just slept." She looks away to steps out of her shoes and hangs up her jacket. "I'll have a few days to rest, you need it more than I do."

Jason remains in place for a few moments, silently cursing himself before finally stepping away from the door and descending the steps. As he reaches the bottom he absently shoves a hand into his pants' pocket as if to shield it from the cold- an old habit that hasn't yet faded away- and steps back out into the winter chill.

Vasquez is waiting by the shuttle door when Jason returns. She raises an eyebrow as he approaches, not yet voicing the obvious question.

Halisi seems about to protest, but the prospect of a night's rest in her own bed after what they've been through holds a lot of appeal. She nods slightly. "Right. If... you're sure you don't need any more sleep tonight I'll just clear out tomorrow instead. I just... want you to be comfortable here." she says, frowning slightly as she exhales loudly, starting to relax a little. She goes to remove her shoes and outerwear as

Li shakes her head slightly.

Jason moves over to Vasquez' side, leaning against her briefly before reaching up with his free hand to grab at the shuttle's handhold. "Let's go home." he says, making no attempt to delve into Ilyna and Halisi's business with her if given the choice.

Vasquez does likewise, bracing herself for takeoff. The simple statement from Jason causes the question to suddenly seem a lot less important. It's hardly her business. Jason is home. Li's safe. That's what's important. She nods slightly. "Let's go." she agrees, loud enough for Jasper to hear, shooting Jason a faint smile, a quiet sigh escaping her as she studies him.

Ilyna sighs at Halisi's insistence, looking a bit guilty that her being here is possibly negatively affecting her. "I'll be fine," she says. "Don't worry about me." She crouches down to look at Li. "You haven't eaten at all today," she says. "Are you sure you're not even a little bit hungry?"

Halisi stands up with a sigh, a slightly sad smile crossing her lips briefly. "Come on... I'm sure we can find something you'll like." she says, holding out her hand for Li to take.

Li frowns slightly as Ilyna asks if she's sure. She hesistates slightly before taking Halisi's hand, following silently to the kitchen area.

Jason takes a seat beside Vasquez and leans his head back as he closes his eyes. The first time in nearly a week that he hasn't been closed in with a ship full of people. The silence serves as a reminder that he's actually home. It's certainly not enough to drive out all of the conflicting thoughts running through his mind but, for now? It's a start.

Halisi opens the fridge door, crouching down to lift Li up with a slight grunt, aiming to give her a better view. "How about it? See anything you'd like?" she asks, trying to keep a cheery tone as she tilts her head to look at Li.

Vasquez silently places a hand on Jason's leg after they sit down, running a thumb back and forth across his knee. She's content to sit in silence while they travel. Just assuring herself he's really there.

Ilyna smiles warmly as Halisi takes Li to the kitchen, and she walks over to take a seat on the couch; watching the two of them from there. She could get something to eat later.

Li eventually points to a container of chocolate pudding after some indecision.

Halisi raises an eyebrow. Li's choice prompts a quiet snicker. "I'll make you a deal." she says, putting her back on the floor. "I'm going to make you a sandwich. If you finish that, you can have the pudding for desert, alright?"

Li frowns, but eventually relents, nodding slightly. She remains in the kitchenette for a little while as Halisi starts to prepare a sandwich, but soon enough she heads back to Ilyna, taking a seat in the couch.

Ilyna tilts her head at her choice, and is about to voice her protest to it, but Halisi's response is enough to avoid that and she lets out a soft laugh. When Li takes the seat next to her, she puts her arm over her shoulders. She doesn't say anything, enjoying the silence after days of the ever-present background hum.

Halisi soon arrives at the couch with a simple sandwich with spacecow meat and lettuce on a platter, which she places in front of Li along with a glass of juice.

Li shoots the sandwich a skeptical look, but nonetheless takes it and nibbles tentatively on one corner.

Ilyna keeps her arm around Li's shoulder, but she doesn't move it, not wanting to disturb her. She looks past her at Halisi with a smile and an appreciative nod. With friends like her helping out, getting Li past this nightmare one day was not only possible, it felt like a certainty. She looks at her thoughtfully, but she doesn't say anything.

Halisi returns Ilyna's smile, content to just relax and enjoy the silence for a moment as Li eats. She'll need to get some sleep soon enough, since a long day at the hospital awaits.

Li seems to deem the sandwich acceptable. For now. A larger bite follows, and she chews in silence, her gaze low.