December 11th. It's nearing 7PM. The excitement over the defeat of the Collectors is still rolling through Adrasteia strongly. With the sun setting, the sky is ablaze with fireworks. Plumes of colors explode throughout the city at random intervals. It's a sight to behold, for sure, but it doesn't exactly allow for much relaxing or movie-watching.
#Torthus-CrossBuilding – April 15, 2019
Jason isn't exactly the most fashion-conscientious of people, but he's at least put in a little effort for their dinner downstairs. Just a nice, simple, dark blue button-up shirt and a pair of black pants. If one were to look closely, they might notice the pants are suspiciously similar to the ones he wore on their wedding day. But, hey, at least they're not cargo pants. He's still wearing his black boots, but they're
mostly concealed by the hem of his pantlegs being pulled over the laces. With a fresh shave and a little attention paid to his hair he's looking a bit more like his usual self. Less tired. Less worn down. Something that's undoubtedly helped along by the bomb that was dropped on them earlier in the day. The news still doesn't quite seem to have worn out its welcome. A big dumb grin is plastered across his face as he
stands, shoulder pressed against the large floor-to-ceiling window, to watch the festivities outside. There's been a particularly excited group atop the roof of a nearby apartment prefab that have set up chairs and soldiered through the cold weather to celebrate and join in on the fireworks display. From their perch up in Cross' ivory tower, the group is just barely in view.
Jason idly interrupts the disembodied voice as he continues to watch the people on the rooftop. "Shut up, Valea." he says as he picks at the wrist of his shirtsleeves in an attempt at adjusting them, smile never leaving his face.
Vasquez is, of course, far from fashion-oriented herself. Her clothes are mostly the same as on arrival. Boots far less clunky than her usual military fare, a pair of black jeans - nice jeans, but still jeans - and a fitted dark blue top with thin shoulderstraps that shows off battle-scarred arms. Not exactly fancy clothes, but perhaps as fancy as she feels comfortable in. A decade as a soldier, Alliance and corporate,
leaves its marks, and if she's honest, her fashion before enlisting was pretty far from 'fancy' too. Her black hair is pulled back in a ponytail, but it's obvious that she's put effort into her appearance for this. Over her arm is draped a surprisingly stylish leather jacket that must be a very recent purchase, considering she's never worn it before. She approaches Jason by the window, stopping a little behind him
as her gaze shifts to the celebrations outside, a small smirk crossing her lips, although her gaze quickly turns distant. The day since hearing the news had been... surreal, to say the least.
Jason casts a glance back over his shoulder as he hears the approaching footsteps, smirk widening as he spots Vasquez. "Hey, beautiful." he says, shifting a bit against the window and looking back towards the crowd on the rooftop. "They're still going at it." he says with a nod in their direction. Almost as if on command another mortar of color shoots into the sky which gets a snort out of him. "It's looking like this
might be how the rest of our stay is. So much for peace and quiet, huh?" he continues, though by the tone of his voice it doesn't sound like he's all too bothered by the idea. How could he be? After so much going wrong, it's nice to have a reason to celebrate. To have reasons to celebrate.
Vasquez flashes Jason a small smile before her gaze follows the colorful display as it rises into the sky. "Where are they getting all the fireworks...?" she mutters with a quiet snicker. She walks closer, joining Jason in looking out the window, smirk soon fading as her gaze wanders the darkening city, a thoughtful, distant look in its place, but she doesn't say anything.
Jason gives a snicker of his own and a shake of his head. "No idea..." he mutters. A loud crack serves as a reminder that it's not all fireworks. The telltale sound of a distant gunshot. Unfortunately more recognizable to the pair than it should be. There's been more than a few of them throughout the day since the news broke. Most likely just those without fireworks looking to join in on the festivities. Hopefully. It gets
a small jolt from Jason that he tries to hide by shifting against the window. An instinctive tensing of his body, ingrained in him by years of combat experience. Gunshot equals 'get ready for a fight'. He fights off his instincts and casts a glance back to Vasquez. Noticing the look on her face causes him to furrow his brow and give her a small, playful nudge with his body. "What's up?" he asks.
Vasquez likewise tenses a little, her gaze scanning across the horizon before consciously relaxing, only for Jason's nudge to draw her attention his way with a brief glance. "Just... still wrapping my head around it." she says with a small shrug. The confused but immense relief that accompanied the news has faded, and although her shoulders are still far lighter than they were a day ago, it's remarkable how quickly a new
weight seems to have settled on her, visible in the distant, faint frown on her face as she looks down at the city, arms loosely crossed.
Jason draws in a breath through his nose as he studies Vasquez for a moment before turning his attention back out towards the city of neon and white. It's not hard to figure out what's troubling her. It's not like the three-headed implication of the news hasn't been in the back of his mind, too. But one thing at a time. "...Yeah." he mutters softly. "But it sounds like it's for real." he says, the non-stop coverage that's
Vasquez nods a couple of times in agreement. It's real. She's convinced of that much. "Yeah..." she too says, although it comes out more like a quiet sigh. Her mouth opens as if to say something else, gaze still out the window, but no words come. She clears her throat, glancing Jason's way. "You ready for dinner?" she asks, propping up a small smile as she looks him over, apparently not particularly eager to address that
Jason's smile widens a bit and he nods to Vasquez' suggestion. Though, as he shifts to face her, back coming to rest against the vertigo-inducing window, his smile slowly slips away. "I know." he says simply with a small, apologetic tilt of his head. "Believe me, I'm thinking it, too, Linda." he continues, avoiding outright saying what's on both of their minds, "It sure as shit isn't ideal. But-... but, fuck it, right? If
it means that we're not gonna get invaded by a bunch of pissed off bugs intending to kill all of us in the middle of the night?" he shrugs his shoulders, propping up a small semblance of his previous smirk despite the rather grim implications, "I'll take it." He pushes away from the window, hands coming to rest on Vasquez' sides as his smile grows a bit more genuine. "Tonight?" he gives a few soft nods, "Yeah...
Vasquez brings her free hand up to Jason's neck, leaning in for a soft kiss. Her smile feels less dishonest on her lips when she pulls back. "You're right." she says, glancing out the window briefly before her attention returns to his face. She means it. The relief is real, and right now she wants to just enjoy the fact that the future looks brighter than it has in a long time, even if the reasons that is leaves a knot in
her stomach. There'll be time to talk about that later, she tells herself, doing her best to ignore the memories.
Jason returns the kiss with a smile. Their list of problems are far too numerous to be solved by a single bout of good news. That much is clear. And he's not going to try and convince Vasquez otherwise. He's not going to go the usual route of pretending that everything is fine. He's tried and it just wears him down. Saps the energy from him. Builds a wall between them. A wall that cuts him off from the person most
important to him. It's not worth it. The past year has felt like one trial after the next. And, yeah, maybe everything isn't perfect. But it's a hell of a lot better than it was yesterday and, right now, that's worth celebrating. When she speaks up again he gives a shrug of his shoulders as he holds her gaze. "Of course I'm right." he says confidently. "I'm always right." A moment of consideration passes and another
The holographic display in the elevator gives a clear view of the festivities outside during the elevator ride to the ground level. It seems like a crowd has formed on the main street where the Torthus-Cross building is located. People bundled up, riled and drunk. Food vendors eager to make some quick and easy credits off the celebration. The building's thick walls silences the loud music playing outside. A number of Enforcers
patrol, but it doesn't seem like any real trouble is afoot. The entrance to the restaurant is on the ground level but the restaurant itself occupies three levels. A fact that seems wasteful given that- outside of the bar near the entrance- it isn't exactly packed. The ground level of the restaurant has a fair few patrons- regulars out for a good bite to eat as well as those just looking to celebrate- but the other two floors have
little activity. As a matter of fact, the whole idea of 'reservations' seems to be more of a formality. A vestige of the way Cross' hotels are run back in Council space. Out here, however, few are clambering over each other for an opportunity to eat at a prestigious, expensive restaurant.
Much like the rest of the hotel, the restaurant is dressed in a palette of greys, blacks, and whites. Mostly unoccupied tables are spaced generously apart. Jason and Vasquez are seated on the third floor near the window as a way of allowing them to watch the festivities outside. There seems to only be one other pair seated in their section, making it a rather private, cozy ordeal. Seated at the other occupied table is an asari and
a turian. Both dressed in clothing expensive enough to advertise the fact that they're probably in Adrasteia due to having business with Cross. It's likely that these private seating arrangements were orchestrated by Cross himself. He certainly likes to make an impression.
True to Cross' words, it was made clear that their meal was covered. Sillera has returned as their hostess for the night, another fact that was probably set up by Cross. Make sure it's a familiar face to ensure everything is comfortable.
Jason ordered the biggest, most expensive steak on the menu, seemingly unafraid to take advantage of Cross' generosity. Imported beef from Earth. Medium rare. Cooked to perfection. And each bite gets washed down with a sip of the cheapest beer on the menu because it was the only one he recognized. It's been a while since fireworks rang out, so when the sky explodes in a plume of blue it causes him to sharply glance out the
Jason window, leg hitting the table with a loud thump in the process. The knee-jerk reaction to the loud crack causes him to pass an embarrassed glance across the table to Vasquez before returning to pretending like he can actually notice a difference in taste from the egregiously expensive steak he's shoveling into his mouth like a sailor. There's a bit of lingering discomfort from being in a place that he soooo does not
Jason belong. But there's also something else. Something that's been missing for what feels like forever. That feeling that, for once in a long time, it's okay to sit back. Take a breath. Relax.
Vasquez feels almost as out of place than Jason, and it's in reflected in the slight awkwardness of her interactions with Sillera. Despite this, she seems to be enjoying herself. Enjoying the chance to live outside their means a little and experience something new, yes, but more than that, enjoying the almost alien normalcy of it all. Dinner date with the man she loves. No work, no missions, no life or death situations
Vasquez looming over her head. It's only underscored by the celebratory mood outside, and it's enough to ensure that a smile is never far from her lips as they take their time with dinner. She's ordered beef too, although tenderloin, because, well, how often do you get the chance to eat beef out here? It's delicious to be sure, although the truth is she would probably opt for a greasy varren kebab most days. She doesn't
Vasquez have as strong of a reaction to the sudden firework, or maybe she just hides it better, but her leg shifts to press against Jason's under the table, shooting him a soft smile. As he resumes eating she nudges him with her knee in response to his table manners, or lack thereof, a lighthearted frown of disapproval crossing her face.
Jason cocks an eyebrow as he meets Vasquez' gaze. "What...?" he asks in confusion, bite of food still in his mouth. He swallows hard to get down the large chunk of beef, wincing slightly and taking another sip of his beer to help it down. He licks at the corner of his mouth as he settles back into his seat and studies the woman across the table from his, lopsided grin returning to his face as he nudges her leg with his
Vasquez lets out a quiet snort and pushes back against Jason, glass covering her growing grin as she takes a sip from her soft drink. "Food good?" she asks through a snicker as she puts the glass down, studying him with a raised eyebrow. Her gaze wanders briefly away to just... take in the atmosphere of the restaurant, before going back to Jason, grin widening.
Aside from the festivities outside, the whispered conversation and gentle clanking of silverware of the other pair as well as the distant semblance of spirited laughter from the bar downstairs are the only constant source of noise in the restaurant. The section they're seated at is accessed by a single, short flight of steps from the second level of the restaurant. The second level is similarly accessed from the first. It's set up
as if three plateaus, each level slightly smaller than the one beneath it. A balcony on the opposite end of the floor they're on flanks each side of the staircase, allowing one to look out over the bar and the restaurants entrance. A number of holographic displays cover the walls, displaying the sort of generic art you'd expect to see in a hotel. The dim lighting of the restaurant and the generous spacing between tables has the
intended effect of allowing it to feel like a more intimate and private ordeal than you'd get from most restaurants.
Jason casts a glance down at the half-eaten steak and gives a small nod. "Yeah. You can really taste the-.... uhh-..." he flounders for a moment, brows furrowing as he studies the food and desperately tries to think of something fancy to say, clearing his throat to buy some time. "...You know, the-..." he swallows, eyes flicking to Vasquez as if it's on the tip of his tongue. He draws a deep breath in through his nose and
Jason lets it out in defeat. "I mean, look, it's just a fucking steak, right?" he admits, leaning forward and lowering his voice as if someone might be offended. "So... is it good? Yeah. Sure." He settles back, plunging his fork into another piece of meat he cut off and lifting it up to look it over. "Is it 'fuck I can't afford to pay my bills this month because I had steak' good? Questionable. Highly questionable." he
Jason says before stuffing the bite into his mouth and beginning to chew loudly. Despite his complaint, he certainly seems to be enjoying it well enough. He uses his fork to gesture towards her plate. "What about yours? Life changing?"
Vasquez tilts her head a little as she waits for Jason to finish his floundering, a exasperated but warm look on her face. The comments that follow elicit a small snicker, the question prompts her to stab some food onto her fork and look it over briefly before eating it. "It's good." she agrees with a nod after swallowing. "Feels weird to be having dinner in a place like this." she admits, looking around a little again.
Vasquez "Honestly, feels a little weird to be away from the base like this for anything that isn't a job." she adds with a shrug and a slightly awkward look as she looks back to Jason.
Jason begins to idly cut at his steak as he listens, offering a small nod of his own to Vasquez' words, a small, sad smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Things have been so off the rails for so long that the thought of just having a night out together feels alien to them. "Yeah..." he agrees. He takes a moment to focus on his food before glancing back to her. "...It shouldn't, though." he says, "I mean, this is life,
Jason right?" he snickers. He gives a small roll of his eyes, gesturing about the room with his fork, "Well maybe not this, but-..." he trails off, attention shifting back to his food with the assumption that she'll get the jist of what he's trying to say. A moment of silence passes before he speaks up again. "...I meant it, Linda." he reiterates his earlier thoughts, peering up from his plate as he stabs his fork into a
Jason cube of meat, "We figure out the shit that we need to figure out, and then... we're done." It has been little more than half a day since he expressed that exact sentiment to her, yet it somehow felt so much further away back then when a massive, Collector-shaped blockade stood in their way. Now it's so much more real. So much more terrifying. "We need to start-... you know, thinking about that. Really thinking
Vasquez ' focus is fully on Jason now, studying him with a soft look on her face. She nods in affirmation. "Yeah..." she agrees, flashing a small smile. "Hell of a sense of timing..." she mutters with a shake of her head and a quiet snort, popping a bite of food into her mouth and looking out the window at the crowd below. Upon looking back to Jason she studies him in silence for a moment before letting go of her fork and
Jason gives a small nod to her sentiment, joining her for the moment in people watching as he attempts to fight off that lingering fear. A line of nameless, faceless Enforcers standby outside, thankfully having little to do at the moment as the celebration continues without incident. Their presence, at the very least, seems to be working as a deterrent to any overly drunk, rowdy, would-be troublemakers. Well, their
presence and the presence of their openly carried weapons. It's not until he feels the dull pressure of Vasquez' hand on his that he glances back her way. His gaze turns to her hand, focusing on it as he interlocks his fingers with hers to avoid having to meet her gaze, lest she see through to his worries.
Vasquez gives Jason's synthetic hand a squeeze, aware of the lack of fine sensation in his prosthetics, but left with little option with a table separating them. For a moment she just looks at him. "It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be good. Taking a step back? It's not the end of the world, trust me."
Jason furrows his brow, feeling a tinge of embarrassment over having to be reassured. Reassured that getting out of a line of business in which he finds himself regularly shot at is a good thing. Of course it's a good thing. Yet, still, that fear remains. Fear of what his place will be in all of it. Fear of all the possibilities it opens up and all of the ways that he can fuck them up. He gives her hand a squeeze,
propping up that lopsided smirk of his. "I know." he says simply. There's a heaviness to his words, but they're sincere. "Just-... guess I didn't see this day coming." he snickers. There's a grim implication behind his words that he doesn't linger on. "But I know." he assures as he finally meets her gaze. His smile grows a bit more sincere as he studies her before once more turning his attention to their hands as he
idly brushes a thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. "It's gonna be good." he repeats her words with a small, but stern nod, more to himself than to her.
Vasquez ' foot pokes Jason's a little under the table, and she gives his hand another squeeze before letting go. Her leg lingers against his, a faint, reassuring touch. She takes another bite from her food, watching him with a silently sympathetic gaze as she chews. Her gaze falls for a moment as she considers. "What do you think of the jacket?" she asks out of the blue as she looks up at him again, perhaps judging that if
she was in his spot she'd want the focus taken off her worries a bit. She leans against the table a little, gesturing at the dark leather jacket with a questioning look.
Jason's leg remains pressed against Vasquez, her mere presence doing more than she knows to ease his concerns. The sudden- but welcome- change in subject is met with a brief snicker as his gaze turns to the jacket. "I..." he begins his assessment, studying the jacket for just a moment before meeting her eyes, "...think it looks good on you." he offers with a smirk. Unafraid to lay it on too thick to try and earn points, he
goes one step further, giving her leg a playful nudge in the process, "Of course everything looks good on you, so..." he shrugs. "Did you pick it up back in Freedom Falls?" he asks, genuine curiosity slipping into his tone, having not really known her to take much of an interest in fashion.
Vasquez rolls her eyes, but a small grin crosses her lips regardless. She takes a sip of her drink before responding. "Yeah... Cyn helped me pick it out, actually. Can you tell?" she says, grin returning briefly as she studies her own sleeve for a moment. "She... pointed out my wardrobe could use some expansion." she says with a shake of her head, but her expression is fond. "Guess I'm still used to living out of a pair
Jason studies the new jacket for a few more moments as Vasquez speaks, another snicker escaping as she mentions Cynthia's involvement. Her final statement causes his smile to dim ever so slightly. His own fashion sense- if it can even be called that- has suffered from the same mentality. But, truthfully, it's been years since either of them 'lived out of a pair of duffelbags'. For better or worse, they've found
stability. Or some semblance of it, at least. They've both just been too stubborn to accept it. Maybe too scared to. They've lost so much, both since meeting one another and long before. So it has kind of always felt like they were 'living out of a pair of duffelbags'. Ready for things to go wrong. But Freedom Falls has become more than just a 'duffelbag'. It's home. "Well, you look nice tonight." he says sincerely
before furrowing his brow and making eye contact again from across the table. "Does this mean I might see you in something other than cargo pants every now and then?" he teases despite having absolutely no room to talk.
Vasquez snorts quietly, a smirk briefly on her lips as she casts a glance out the window. "Now and then, maybe." she replies with a small shrug upon meeting Jason's gaze again. "Figure she's not all wrong. Might be time to acknowledge that we've set down roots. And a decade in nothing but fatigues is... probably enough." She eyes Jason's shirt after falling silent, before looking down at her plate to cut up another piece
Jason's lopsided smirk remains as he listens to Vasquez speak. Her glance to his shirt causes him to look down at it in turn. "Yeah, well don't come to expect this level of effort out of me." he says. Not that what he's wearing is exactly 'high effort'. Just a nice, well fit shirt and slacks. But it's a far cry from his usual attire. "This shirt is-..." he begins, giving a small shake of his head as he studies it, "...I
just didn't want them to throw us out of here." Glancing back to her, a brief scowl crosses his lips as he reaches under the table, tugging at the pants in a less-than-gentlemanly way, "And these pants are grabbing me in all the wrong ways if you catch my drift." he continues, sitting back in his seat. "Besides, I look damn good in fatigues." he adds matter-of-factly.
Vasquez snickers, looking down at the snowy, crowded street for a moment until her grin has faded. "You do." she agrees as her gaze returns to Jason. "Bit of variety can be... fun, though. Now and then." she muses, falling into silence as she studies him with a slight tilt of her head, faint hints of her grin lingering. Her leg rubs against his under the table, less reassuring and more playful now, echoed in the look on
Jason's eyes remain on Vasquez. "It's the spice of life." he agrees through a smile which only grows as she begins to press up against his leg, causing him to glance over towards the window as if to pretend it doesn't fluster him. But it doesn't last long and, soon enough he's back looking her way. Staring as he idly prods at the inside of his cheek with his tongue with a restrained grin on his face, as if trying not to
acknowledge her flirtiness. "How's the food coming along?" he asks in a continued attempt to play it cool, bowing his head in a nod towards her plate.
Vasquez shifts a little to one side, using her right hand to prop her chin up as she studies Jason. The question causes her gaze to fall to her plate, picking idly at the food with her fork as she continues to rub her leg against Jason's. "What, you got somewhere to be?" she asks, glancing his way with a questioning raise of an eyebrow before flashing an amused grin and popping a bite of food into her mouth, looking
Jason gives Vasquez an even, unamused look as he pokes at his fork into his food. "Nah." he says. "Good food. Good beer." he lifts his cheap beer by the neck and takes a quick sip before setting it back down beside his plate. "Beautiful view." he casts his gaze out the window, watching for a few moments before sniffing at the air and looking back to her. "Hell, I might stay here all night." he shrugs, putting on a big
Vasquez ' warm amusement only grows, a small laugh slipping out as she studies Jason. She continues to make teasing strokes with her leg as she eats at a leisurely pace, head propped up with her right hand until she needs her knife again, at which point she sits up a little straighter, pulling her leg back as well and cutting up some more tenderloin. "Good. I figure we have to check out the desserts, right?"
Jason continues to divide his time between his steak and passing glances across the table. The celebration outside continues on tirelessly, with the occasional distant crack or firework sprinkled in. When Vasquez pulls her leg back, he sits up a bit straighter in turn. "Absolutely." he's quick to agree, as if any hesitation might sell him out. "Hell, I might get two!" he one-ups. "...Uhh.... Two desserts!" he
clarifies. A few of the holographic displays of generic art that line the walls of the hotel suddenly sputter out, replaced by blackness, gaining a curious look from Jason.
Vasquez lets out snort at Jason's questionable attempt at one-upping, her grin growing as she studies him with an exasperated look. When the holograms go out it takes her a moment to notice what's drawn his attention, her grin slowly fading and eyebrows furrowing slightly as she studies the dead display, lowering her fork a little.
The blackness persists for a few moments before being replaced by a live feed of Cross. Behind him is the city, the view from high up in his castle fourty-something odd floors above them. Pressed, pricey suit. Charming smile. Not a hair out of place. As usual, he looks.... expensive. He glances to someone off to the side- out of frame- as if awaiting confirmation before looking back to the camera. If one were to look out the
window, they would find that plenty of the holographic displays on the side of buildings have shifted over to the same feed. "Good evening!" he says energetically, big toothy smile on display as he clasps his hands together in front of him. "As you are all very well aware judging by the sound of things, we have one hell of a reason to be celebrating tonight. And I don't just mean us humans. I mean all of Adrasteia. This city has
seen plenty of hardships throughout its history, but tonight? I am happy to announce that the Collectors will not be added to that list." He falls silent for a moment, as if well aware that his statement is going to rouse the crowd. Sure enough, the muffled sound of the crowd outside roars in cheers and the patrons downstairs all chime in, in unison. Given the short delay, it takes a few moments before the sounds make it back to
Cross' ears and bleeds into the broadcast. But when it does a wide, genuine smile crosses his face. "I know I've said it many times, but the way forward for us is together. It was something my father firmly believed all those years ago when everyone else called him crazy for shaking hands with a turian, and it's something I still believe today. We put aside our differences, we bury our pasts, and we move forward. Together. So, yes,
this was a win for humanity. But tonight? We're here to celebrate together. So keep the beers coming. Keep the skies lit up-..." his smile widens as he briefly goes off the script, "Loving that, by the way." The sentiment causes him to glance back towards the sky over the city displayed behind him just in time to catch a plume of red erupting, causing him to snicker and shake his head as he looks back to the camera. "I've doubled
security around the city for the next few days so, if there's any problems, don't hesitate to speak with one of the Enforcers. That's what they're there for. Well, that's pretty much all I wanted to say." he continues, "So have a good time out there, but be good to one another. Be safe. Annnnd-..." he leans forward slightly, casting a brief glance off to the side once more as if looking for assurance from someone that he's
covered everything. When he seems satisfied that he has checked all the right boxes, he looks back to the camera and, judging by the muffled laughter coming from others in his office off-camera, goes off the script once again with a quick, "Fuck the Collectors? We won!" before the feed cuts. It seems to land well with the people of Adrasteia, resulting in a roaring wave of cheers, both inside and out. There's a dash of self-serving
propoganda in it all, for sure. But he certainly seems comfortable with giving speeches and knows how to work a crowd.
Jason furrows his brow as the feed switches, casting a glance out the window towards the domino effect of holographic displays suddenly displaying the rich man who desperately needs a haircut. He passes a glance Vasquez' way before leaning an elbow against the table and shifting in his seat slightly to better watch the broadcast. A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as it goes on and, as it ends, a small snicker
escapes and he joins in with all of the cheering with a quick, "WHOOOOP!" of his own, which garners a bit of a look from the other pair on the third floor. Not that he seems to particularly care.
Vasquez raises an eyebrow as Cross appears on the feed, shifting a little to watch more comfortably, apprehensive curiosity in her face. She eases up a little as she listens, and realizes what it's about. A small grin crosses her lips when he goes off-script and the roaring crowd causes a chuckle, her gaze falling to the table for a moment, but Jason's joining in prompts a look that seems to say really?, but considering
the circumstances her grin just grows. She looks out at the crowds for a little, just enjoying the high-spirited atmosphere, and a smile lingers as she resumes eating. It's more than a little surreal to be surrounded by people celebrating the end of what in many ways had felt like a very personal horror story, but it's a good feeling. Easy to just let herself bask in the collective relief.
Jason returns Vasquez' look with a lift of his brow, as if to say 'What?' A barrage of fireworks cascade in the sky as if to cap off Cross' speech, causing him to look back to the window with a big, goofy smile on his face. He takes a few swigs of his drink before he naturally finds himself looking back to Vasquez, smile unwavering. He leans back slightly as he stretches his leg out to nudge hers with it. "I'm glad we're
Vasquez seems content to eat in silence for a bit as fireworks flash and thunder outside. Her smile widens as Jason speaks, her attention turning fully to him, the emotion in her eyes simple for once. Happiness, warm and unconflicted. "Me too." she says with a poke of her boot, the words almost lost amid the fireworks. She stabs the last piece of beef onto her fork along with some stray veggies.
Sillera makes her appearance just as the plates are beginning to empty. The sign of good service. There when she's needed, scarce when she isn't. Her approach is slow, weighing whether or not she'll be interrupting anything before stepping over towards the table wearing a friendly smile. "Is there anything else I can get for you?" she asks, gaze turning from Jason to Vasquez.
Jason snickers at the playful poke, holding Vasquez' gaze for a moment longer before returning to what little remains of his steak. He tilts his head towards the approaching asari when she makes her appearance, drawing in a breath as he turns his attention back to his wife. "We doing dessert?" he asks, lopsided grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Sillera seems to take that as an invitation to begin her pitch. "We have a delightful selection of dessert dishes." she begins, reaching down to touch the bracelet around her left wrist. As she does, the corners of the table- one near Vasquez and one near Jason- light up with an inlaid holographic display. A number of dessert options are projected with ridiculous names such as 'The Goddess' Garden' and 'Delightful Darkness',
complete with rotating images. Plenty of desserts familiar to humans across the galaxy- cakes and ice creams (some with prices that would probably make the pair's credit chit cry if it wasn't being covered by Cross)- as well as plenty of options native to the wide array of races that call Adrasteia home. As some sort of strange, green, dextro goop is displayed, Jason studies it with confusion, tilting his head from one
Vasquez shares a small grin with Jason, pulling back a little as the holographic menu comes to life, studying the extravagant selection with slightly furrowed eyebrows as she considers. She reaches out to stop the projection on a tasty-looking ice cream dessert with fruit and molten chocolate, shooting a questioning look Jason's way. "Share one?" she suggests. It's a rare opportunity so it seems a shame not to try
something, but she's wary of overeating. There's enough days when she feels bloated as-is with the pregnancy, she'd rather not add today to the list, especially because she's got other things on her mind, something which shows in her eyes as she studies Jason, hint of a grin lingering in the corner of her mouth.
Jason seems to catch the look, gaze lowering back to the menu briefly as a small snicker slips out. He gives a small, exasperated shape of his head, unwilling to be the one to give in and suggest that, hey, it's been a long day. Maybe they should just... head back to their room. Get some rest. Nah, that would be admitting defeat. "Yeah." he agrees with an exaggerated nod of his head, looking back across at Vasquez through
Sillera gives a small bow of her head in acknowledgement. "Excellent choice! I'll have that ready for you shortly." she says with a step back from the table. She gives a tap at her wrist, causing the holographic images to break apart until there's no sign of them remaining, and waits for a brief moment as if to be sure nothing else is needed before taking her leave.
Vasquez crosses her hands after Sillera's departure, resting her chin on her knuckles as she studies Jason, a crooked grin on her lips. So be it. She can wait. Her leg is soon back where it was, a simple presence for the time being. She seems to ponder something, head tilting a little as her gaze wanders his face. Her grin widens a little. "Love you." she concludes.
Jason doesn't give much of a reaction to the returning presence pressed against his leg, just a goofy, exaggerated smile as he watches Vasquez from across the table. "Yeah, definitely feeling the love right now." he muses as he studies her. He slides his plate aside towards the edge of the table to make room for the dessert that is to come and takes another small sip from his beer. "So?" he asks as he sets his beer back
down, "Put any more thought into the whole 'name-change' thing?" he asks, grin widening a bit, "Or are we doomed to forever be 'Vasquez and Wolfe, Attorneys at Law'?" He gives his best infomercial voice as he announces their titles. It seems to be more of a lighthearted poke rather than something he's done any dwelling on. Just something to keep the conversation going in an attempt at steering his mind
Vasquez lets out a snort, grinning against her knuckles as she looks down at the table with a faint shake of her head. "Hey, you're free to change it whenever you want." she retorts, shifting to push her plate to the side as well. "Guess we do need to figure out how to handle that for..." she says as it occurs to her, hand shifting to her belly for a moment before reaching for her glass and takin a sip.
Jason gives a furrow of his brow at the suggestion. "Yeah, but my name is really badass." he says, as if it should've been obvious. "And yours is just-..." he gives a small shrug, "...You know. Kinda badass." he decides. He studies her for a moment before relenting and addressing her following statement. "Hyphen." he suggests simply. "Vasquez-Wolfe." he announces, lifting his hands up and pulling them apart from one
another as if painting the name in the air in front of him. "We'll give the lil' rugrat a hyphen. I mean, the hyphen key has to exist for some reason, right? Might as well get some use out of it."
Vasquez smirks, shrugging slightly as her gaze goes to the window. "Not the worst idea." she concedes, arms folding against the table as she goes back to studying Jason. "You know, I realized... that old concert tee? Pretty sure that's the oldest possession I have." she says after a moment's silence, as if it was a thought that just occurred to her. Maybe a leftover of the talk of clothing. "Not counting anything in Markus'
Jason settles back in his seat, smirk remaining as he watches Vasquez. The change in subject prompts a small raise of a brow, but he doesn't question it too much. He, too, has little left from his life before Vasquez outside of old Alliance clothing that's beginning to show its age and has been relegated to sleepwear. There's still his old crap back at his uncle's house- well, what Chris didn't donate, anyway- but that
practically feels like it's from another life at this point. He left everything else behind when he jumped on that ship to Omega. But there's not many good thoughts associated with all of that, so he doesn't dwell on it. Instead, he levels that unwavering smile of his on her. "Yeah? How long have you had that thing, anyway?" he asks.
Vasquez furrows her eyebrows a little, her gaze wandering the buildings across the street as she ponders the question for a moment. "Shit, it's... getting close to 15 years?" she says, looking as if the realization makes her feel a little old. "Was my first real concert. I've-... I've mentioned it before, right? Was a pretty big deal for me back then, Mars doesn't exactly get included in a lot of tours..." She snickers
Jason snickers to himself, hand resting around the neck of his beer. Having visited Mars with Vasquez before, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that it's not at the top of any tour lists. It's not exactly paradise. "The next time your brother has some time off we should go visit him." he suggests, "Might give you a chance to go through some of your old things. I mean, we've got plenty of space at Redrock that we're not
using so there's no reason for all of your stuff to stay in his storage anymore, right?" he asks. "Not to mention I was-... uhh-..." he stammers, reaching up to rub at the back of his head, "...I was thinking we might want to consider, you know-... looking into a place that-... that has a bit less-..." Guns? Mercenaries? Walls with the names of dead friends and employees? "...Something that feels a bit more like
'home'." he decides on. "So-... so if we do go that route. Yeah." he nods a few times, "...No reason to make Markus hold onto your old crap, right? Might as well be here." He clears his throat awkwardly, "...With you." There's a hopefulness in his voice. A sense of stability in his plans that was has been lingering in limbo for far too long as they've waited for everything to crumble around them.
Vasquez gains a small smile at the initial suggestion, although it's accompanied by a faint shadow of discomfort. Luckily the words that follow distract her from thinking about her family. She nods a couple of times, looking down at the street as a contemplative look crosses her face, gaze following a patrolling Enforcer. "Yeah... would be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it too." A PMC compound is no place to be
raising a child. And... maybe they don't need to live in a fortress anymore. Maybe it does more harm than good. "Maybe it's time look at other options..." she agrees as her gaze returns to Jason, drawing in a deep breath.
Jason gives a few small nods, his smile broadening a bit when Vasquez doesn't turn her nose up at the idea. "The Matriarch might be able to help us figure all of that out. Just-... you know, something small. Close to the office." It looks as though he has more to say but reigns himself in with a small, dismissive shrug of his shoulders as if to imply he hasn't given it much thought despite that obviously not being the
case. His gaze lowers back to the table for a moment before settling right back onto Vasquez, lopsided grin returning as it sinks in yet again that they actually seem to have finally made it to something resembling stability. Marriage. Family. No Collector threat looming over them. But movement out of the corner of his eye pulls his attention away and he sits up a little bit straighter.
Sillera makes her approach with a large dish in one hand and a pair of stacked plates in the other. A couple of spoons are buried into a mountain of ice cream surrounded by fruit and bathed in chocolate. She places it in the center of the table and a plate in front of each of them. "Here you go!" she offers enthusiastically before clasping her hands together and taking a step back. "Is there anything else I can do for either of
Vasquez seems a little caught off-guard by the sheer amount of dessert once her eyes land on it. Seems like splitting was a good call. "Wow. Uh... I think we're good?" she says, glancing Jason's way for confirmation. She reaches for one of the spoons, carefully scooping a bit of dessert onto her plate.
Jason furrows his brow as he studies the dessert. The plate sat in front of him is ignored. "Won't be needing that." he mutters as he dives right in, already shoveling a mouthful of ice cream into his mouth before the asari even has a chance to step back. He gives a pleased hum, looking towards Vasquez once again with a few nods of his head. "S'good." he confirms through cold-ice-cream-mouth-syndrome, gesturing back
towards the mountain of ice cream with his spoon. Sillera's question is more of an afterthought, pulling his attention back to her. "Hmm? Oh, uhh-..." he glances Vasquez' way before giving a shake of his head to the asari. "Yeah. All good." he confirms with a small nod before turning his focus back to the food.
Sillera restrains a snicker as she watches Jason less-than-elegantly dive into the food. "Perfect." she says, gaze turning back to Vasquez, the less distracted of the two. "As I said, dinner is on Mr. Cross, so you're all set. Feel free to stay as long as you'd like and... watch the festivities." she offers, gaze briefly turning towards the window and the bright plume of purple that bathes the street in color as another firework
erupts high in the sky, "And if you decide there's anything else you'd like, don't hesitate to ask. Just-..." she gestures towards the holographic interface inlaid on the table, "...give it a tap and I'll be right over. Otherwise, you're good to go. Don't forget for the remainder of your stay that the hotel's VI, Valea, should be able to answer any questions you might have-..."
Jason is leaned over the table, bringing another spoonful of ice cream towards his mouth when Valea is mentioned, causing him to give an idle thumbs up with his free hand. "Mmhmm. She's been great." he says, Vasquez likely to be the only one to catch the sarcasm in his voice.
Sillera gives a sincere smile at the brief interruption before continuing. "...But I'm more than happy to answer any questions or requests myself should the need arise. My name is Sillera. Just ask for me by name and Valea will inform me." she reminds with a pleasant smile. "Enjoy the rest of your stay." With that, she gives a small bow of her head and steps back from the table.
Vasquez offers Sillera a polite smile and a nod. "Thank you." she says, giving Jason a light kick under the table as he speaks while shoveling ice cream into his mouth. Despite this, a wide grin is spreading across her face after tasting a bit of the dessert. "Can you believe this?" she says through the smile, looking around them with a content sigh. "This is good..." she agrees after scooping up another bite of dessert.
Jason winces from the kick, causing him to shoot a none-too-serious frown Vasquez' way and sit up a bit. Her question causes his expression to turn to fondness as he sits back in his seat and takes in the whole picture. Expensive restaurant. Colorful fireworks display outside. An entire city celebrating with them. There's a certain electricity in the air. A positive vibe that was missing for so long, replaced by a
lingering dread. He gives her boot a poke under the table with his own as his lopsided smirk reappears. "It sure is-... something, huh?"
Vasquez ' gaze settles on Jason, the smile turning softer as she watches him. "It is..." she agrees quietly, forgetting about the dessert for the moment, just poking it idly while looking at him. Things feel right and simple in a way that they all too rarely do. Hopeful. She returns the poke in kind, letting her foot slide up Jason's leg a little afterwards as the soft, affectionate smile turns a little wicked. She leans
Jason restrains his smile, giving a small tilt of his head, gaze fixed to the woman across the table from him. "You're playing with fire tonight, you do know that, right?" he teases as he idly pokes his spoon back into the mound of ice cream in the middle of the table.
Vasquez snickers, raising a questioning eyebrow. "No idea what you're talking about..." she says innocently, only slightly undercut by the the growing grin on her lips and the toe of her boot brushing up the inside of Jason's thigh briefly. She nonchalantly reaches over to scoop up some more ice cream as her leg pulls back.
Jason tries to hide the amusement on his face, shifting a bit in his seat to play it off as if Vasquez isn't getting to him. "Uh huh." he says, attention fully on her, ice cream seemingly forgotten for the moment. He just lifts his spoon and stabs it back in a couple times distractedly.
Vasquez ' grin doesn't leave her face as she tilts her head a little, continuing to study Jason. She lets out a quiet laugh before starting to poke the dessert with her spoon again, securing another small piece of ice cream. She seems content to take her time, taking little bites of dessert now and then as they enjoy the atmosphere and let dinner settle. Plus, it leaves room for some occasional teasing, which she seems to
Jason manages another few bites of ice cream between pokes under the table. It's not long before he loses interest in the food and his focus returns to Vasquez once more. Just watching her excruciatingly slow enjoyment of the ice cream. "You enjoying that?" he asks through a smirk, giving a nod towards her plate. "Planning on-..." he sniffs, casting a glance to his side briefly as another flash of colorful light catches
his attention, "...you know." he continues as he looks back to her, "Actually finishing it any time soon? Or you just gonna-..." he trails off with a small shrug.
Vasquez furrows her eyebrows a little, scooping up another bite and making a show of considering the question after eating it. "Mm... I am." she interjects. The following question causes her grin to resurface briefly before being replace by a look of consideration. "I don't know... there's a lot of dessert. We could be here a while..." she says with a sigh and an apologetic shrug of her shoulders, struggling to keep from
Jason leans forward a bit, resting his forearms against the table. Big dumb smirk remains. "Or-..." he begins, "Or-... I mean, I know you're not big on the whole-..." he attempts to explain, giving a small gesture around with his hand, specifically towards the craziness outside, "...crowds thing. So, you know, I'm not gonna be upset if we just... get them to toss that in a container. Bring it up to the room with us." He
settles back in his seat once more, smirk widening a bit. "Or, what the hell, we've got room service, right? Can just, you know, head back up to the room. Order a fresh one of those." He gives a small shrug, gaze fixed on the woman across the table from him. "...Later. I wouldn't be disappointed at all." he assures with a shake of his head, as if getting out of the restaurant would be doing her a favor.
Vasquez raises her eyebrow a little. "Mmh... yeah? That's thoughtful of you..." she says, allowing her grin to manifest again. "And... now that you mention it, I think I'm good on ice cream for now..." " she continues, stabbing her spoon into the dessert and leaving it there, seemingly considering Jason's suggestion a victory. "Let's head back to the room." she says, looking him over.
Jason watches Vasquez' theatrics, dumb grin remaining. As she finishes up he gives a small roll of his shoulders and straightens up, seemingly taking it as a victory on his end. "Back to the room?" he asks, as if it's her suggestion. He draws a breath in through his nose, furrowing his brow before offering a single nod. "Ya know what? Yeah, what the hell." he shrugs, placing one hand against the table and rising from his