Yan Sun returns the soft kiss before her lips shift into a small smile under the dim light of the holographic galaxy swirl above. The glow of her left eye disappears as her eyes close and she nestles closer still to Jessica, wrapping her up in a tight hug, burying her face against her neck... and probably burying Jessica's face under damp hair.
#AbandonedPrefab – April 2, 2019
Jessica draws in a breath, taking in the scent of cheap hotel shampoo that was probably taken from the Respite. There's a stiffness to her posture as Yan Sun cuddles up to her. A lingering tension in her shoulders from the uncomfortable sincerity. But it doesn't last long. Her left hand shifts as she settles onto her back, bringing Yan Sun with her. Silence persists as she merely looks up at the glow of the hologram, only eventually
Jessica broken by the 'Pthew! Pfthoo!' of Jessica spitting wet hair from her mouth. "I am maybe going to shave your head while you sleep if you do not take your hairs out of my mouth, kitty cat." she says softly, her words lacking the usual attitude behind them as her mind remains preoccupied.
Yan Sun lifts her head with a snort, jerking her head to the side to toss her hair away from Jessica's face. Her amused look fades as she looks down at the woman below her, remaining partway atop her, right elbow supporting some of her weight. Her left hand traces Jessica's collarbone as she studies her face, falling silent. Her own features are shrouded in shadow, turned away from the soft glow, but her left eye stands out, a point of blue
Jessica's skin across her chest, just below her collarbone, is a mess of uneven, jagged scars. Not just burns. Sure, there's some of that along the right side of her chest, just creeping inward. But beyond that is a blanket of scars. Lines. Scrapes. Some deep. Some shallow. Some long. Some short. Discolored flesh that has healed to raised scar tissue. Small specks of color from the tattoo that was once beneath it show through, but
they're few and far between. Her eyes slowly scans across the holographic stars painting the room, her ghostly white eye merely going through the motions. Her left hand slips around Yan Sun, fingertips idly brushing over skin as she pulls her right behind her head, lips drawn out in a straight line as she continues to study the display above them.
Yan Sun doesn't prod for the thoughts running through Jessica's head. Instead she plants her elbow against her pillow and pulls up a blanket to cover the gaps in the sleeping bag where cold air is seeping in, resting her head in her palm as she continues to study Jessica, lying next to her now, although a naked leg remains draped over her warm body amid the still-chilly synthetic textiles. Her hand journeys down to the scar across Jessica's
chest, brushing idly across marred skin. She seems content to let silence, or, the sound of the wind, rather, take over, as she watches her.
Jessica doesn't seem to be in any more of a hurry to break the silence than Yan Sun. Whatever thoughts are in her head she, unsurprisingly, doesn't voice them. Brown eye merely scanning back and forth distantly across the image above them. The feeling of Yan Sun's touch against her scars doesn't seem to bother her. There was a time when she'd self consciously try to guide her caress away from them, but she seems to do it less and less
these days. Like much with Jessica, however, that can change at the drop of a hat. But tonight, in the cold old house in the middle of a blizzard-painted field, the touch is welcomed. Eventually her gaze flicks to Yan Sun and a bit of a sheepish grin crosses her lips as she realizes she's being watched and she's pulled back from her thoughts. She reigns it in, stiffening her smile. "Mmm? What you are looking at?" she asks, the
Yan Sun gains a faint smirk at the repeated question. "You." she answers softly once again, her smirk shifting into a faint, sincere smile. There's a thoughtful look on her face as she continues to study Jessica, gaze never leaving her face, eyes filled with an inescapable affection that only seems to grow with the hint of awkwardness in Jessica's reaction.
Jessica gives a roll of her eyes. "Mmm. Yes, I can see this, dumbass." she offers through her grin. She prods at the corner of her mouth with her tongue, a single eyebrow raising as she pointedly holds Yan Sun's gaze as if it's a staring contest. But it's only a few moments before her eyes dart away and a scoff escapes her. She tries to shift her gaze back to the hologram, but the lingering unease at knowing a pair of eyes are on her
only seems to worsen, restrained, awkward grin still painted across her features. She lifts the leg that Yan Sun is laying against slightly, as if to jostle her. "If you are going to keep looking at me like this then I am going to kick your ass" she threatens playfully without bothering to look to Yan Sun again.
Yan Sun snickers as she's jostled a little, a grin crossing her lips in response to her 'victory', but she relents, shifting onto her back next to Jessica and joining her in looking up at the hologram once more, head on her pillow. The miniature Milky Way above is still spinning idly. It's pretty for a map, akin to the navigational galaxy maps used on starships. Whether it has the same resolution and zoomability is not quite clear. "Do you
Jessica nods against the pillow, shifting to remain right up against Yan Sun. "Mmm." she hums, "We are a little bit away from Adrasteia. But we still are having very far to go."
Yan Sun snorts at the response, amusement showing on her face again. She shifts in turn, pressing the side of her head against Jessica's on the shared pillow. Her gaze moves slightly and a red pinpoint appears amid the billions of holographic stars above them. A glowing line extends from the pinpoint, a separate hologram appearing below the map, which dims a little so as to not clutter things. The new hologram shows a glowing nebula dotted
with hundreds of stars. A small label near the edge of the floating cloud of light helpfully reads "The Phoenix Massing".
Jessica tilts her head against the pillow as she watches the hologram with curiosity. When the label appears, she gives a small snort in turn, suddenly realizing the scope of Yan Sun's question. "Yes, I know where we are!" she says with a snicker and a roll of her eyes, a bit of defensiveness entering her tone. Truthfully it's only the label that gave it away. She probably couldn't point the Phoenix Massing out on a galaxy map if her
life depended on it, not that she'd admit as much. It wasn't exactly 'required learning' in Adrasteia. There were plenty of other things to worry about. She continues to watch the hologram, gaze traveling from the nebula outlined towards the countless stars that fill the room. A reminder of just how small and insignificant Aite is. Just a dot amongst a sky of dots. And yet it's all she knows. "You know what this is, yes?" she
Yan Sun 's eyebrows furrow slightly. "It's... the star cluster we're in?" she says with a hint of confusion in her voice, not quite sure where Jessica is going with this. As she speaks, Typhon is highlighted, a list of the system's planets appearing beneath the label. Aite is on there, second after Echidna.
Jessica gives another roll of her eyes. "Is a bird." she explains matter-of-factly, tilting her head against the pillow to give a look as if Yan Sun's response means she must not know what it is. "A very big bird." she clarifies as she turns her gaze back to the stars above. "Very beautiful and proud." she continues, her tone as if discussing a real thing. "And one day they just-... poof." She puffs out her cheeks, raising her
hand up into the air and making a fist before slowly opening it up to pantomime an explosion as she makes an animated noise. "Blow up and burn into dust." She falls silent for a moment as she brings her hand back behind her head, eye scanning from left to right across the galaxy. "...But-.." she swallows at the lump in her throat as embarrassment sets in that Yan Sun may connect the dots and draw a line to the reason for her
interest in some random mythological creature, it causes her tone to turn disinterested, "...then they are coming back to life from in the fire." A short pause. "And probably fuck shit up." she adds with a dismissive shrug before giving one final tidbit of wisdom, "They are badass birds."
Yan Sun 's eyebrows furrow deeper at first, before she realizes what Jessica is referring to, her gaze darting over to the little label. Her expression softens, quickly connecting the dots. A quiet breath escapes her as she listens to Jessica's... own interpretation of the mythical bird, turning her head to plant a soft kiss against Jessica's cheek. "Yeah..." she agrees in a whisper.
Jessica's gaze remains fixed to the hologram as she feels lips press against her cheek, her reaction little more than to lean her head against Yan Sun's while she studies the stars in silence. The wind continues to howl outside, signalling that the blizzard hasn't yet let up. A fact that the windswept snow beyond the window confirms. Jessica rotates back onto her side, extending her left arm up so the side of her head is rested against
her bicep and presses a kiss against Yan Sun's shoulder. Allowing her lips to linger against her shoulder, Jessica's right hand reaches across Yan Sun's midsection, draping it across her bare belly.
Yan Sun shifts slightly under Jessica's touch, glancing her way briefly, a smile crossing her lips. Her head remains partly turned towards Jessica as she looks up at the projection again, left hand behind her head. A second point of light appears, far from the first, another hologram extending out beside the Phoenix Massing. 'Local Cluster' the text reads. A reminder that it was only decades ago that all of humanity was confined to there.
The holographics zoom, skipping past the collection of stars directly to Sol itself, planets being highlighted in orbit around the yellow star at the center.
Jessica's kiss lingers for a few more moments before more planets are highlighted. Given her bad eye, she has to tilt her head to watch the display. A somber smile tugs at the edge of her mouth as she spots Earth. Humanity's 'homeworld'. Their destination. A place she has dreamed about for so much of her life. And now it's finally within reach. Going back is finally a reality. And, despite that, it somehow feels further away than ever.
The area between the two highlighted locations is filled with clusters of planets, little more than pinpricks in the vast distance between them. And practically her entire existence has taken place on the tip of one such pinprick. The thought brings about a tightness in her chest that she's quick to ignore. For a moment the wind picks up and it's felt through the reverberation of the abandoned prefab. "...You miss it, yes?"
Yan Sun shivers a little, as if the sound of the wind rattling the dilapidated building reminds her of the cold, and she shifts to her side towards Jessica, curling up a little and pressing closer, hands under her head. For a moment her gaze is on Jessica, before going back to the hologram. She shrugs a little. "Sure. Sometimes. It's... weird, to be somewhere else after living there my whole life. I miss-... I miss the smells a lot. I
don't-... maybe-... maybe that's weird, but... yeah. And... never thought I'd say this, but... the weather too. I've... had my fill of snow for a while I think." she says with a soft snicker. She avoids mentioning the people she left behind. The friends. The family. Her mind still goes there though, a small hint of shakiness in her voice as she speaks again. "But... I, uh... it was the right call to leave. Get out." Her gaze shifts
Jessica gives a snicker at the mention of the weather. But Aite seems to take offense to the statement and another strong gust causes the structure to shudder. Her gaze remains on the hologram as she listens to Yan Sun's words, silently wondering if it'll be the same for her. She's spent so much of her life hating Aite. Dreaming of getting away from it. Of bigger and better places across the stars. But now that each day brings her
closer to finally realizing that dream, she's unable to shake that hollow feeling in her stomach reminding her that it's also bringing her one step further from-... from what? From them. And soon there'll be more than just time separating her from her family. There'll be lightyears of distance. Worlds apart. "Mmm." she hums to the final sentiment, pressing another idle kiss against the woman's shoulder as she forces those
heavy concerns out of her mind. Burying them deep in that pit in her stomach. Given everything Yan Sun has told her it's not hard to see that there's a lot of hardship behind her decision to leave. But the night has already been too heavy for her, so she doesn't push. "Of course you are." she says instead, giving a matter-of-fact shrug against the bedding, "You get the best fucks of your life out here."
Yan Sun is a little caught off-guard by the shift in mood, a surprised snort slipping as she buries her face against the pillow. "Shut up..." she mutters, gaze darting over to Jessica before she rolls over inside the sleeping bag, grabbing Jessica's to drape it around herself as she presses back against her.
Jessica furrows her brow as she shuffles closer, wrapping her arm around Yan Sun. "What?" she asks through an audible grin. "Is true!" She matches the shape of Yan Sun's body with her own as her snicker fades into silence, pressing tightly against her, the presence and warmth both comforting amidst the howling of the wind. The heater is doing its best to make sure it's not unbearable but there's still a chill in the room, only made
worse by the lack of clothing. A few moments of silence persists as she gets comfortable, ending with her forehead pressed against the back of Yan Sun's head. "...I am glad, too." she offers softly, a bit of unwelcome sincerity creeping back into her voice as she presses a gentle kiss against the back of Yan Sun's neck.
Yan Sun 's own grin is hidden, but she can't keep a small snicker of her own from slipping out. Her eyes close and a warm sigh sounds as she enjoys the feeling of Jessica's warm body pressed up against her under the insulating materials of the sleeping bag. Their choice of sleeping location might not exactly be luxurious, but it certainly beats the truckseat, and with Jessica's naked body clinging tightly to her own under the thick, puffy
fabric that shields them as howling winds rattle the prefab cabin it's very hard to complain. They might be sleeping on a hard and dirt-covered floor, with wildlife roaming outside, but it still manages to be among the coziest she's ever been, and a smile spreads across her lips, growing with Jessica's soft words. She lifts her hand up to her lips, a kiss of her own pressing against the rough skin of her knuckles.