Yan Sun makes her return soon enough, slipping into the tent in a hurry, letting out an exaggerated shiver as she kicks off her boots and gets on her knees to zip up the tent, still clad in stolen, ill-fitting pants. "BrrrrrrIhatecamping!" she complains, stark awake from the unrelenting cold of the night air... and ambiguous noises in the dark as she was peeing. Hungry carashan?! Geth?! Or... just the wind? It's hard to be rational in pitch
#TheMonument – June 13, 2019
Jessica is on her side, elbow propping her head up. Physical exertion is a surefire way to kill a good buzz. Thankfully she has just the cure for the threat of a sobering mind. Her free hand is loosely wrapped around the neck of another large bottle of that disgusting batarian ale that she, apparently, had tucked away in the tent amongst the rest of their possessions that she moved from the truck. She's still every bit as undressed as
she was when Yan Sun left the tent. Well, mostly. In Yan Sun's absence she somehow managed to find that ridiculous hat of Kirill's that was discarded amongst the rest of their clothing and it's right back on her head. The return of Kirill's dark sunglasses is a... questionable choice considering the fleeting light of the flames outside that barely filter in through the canvas tent and the glow of Litae high in the sky are the
only sources of illumination. To that point, she lowers her head, chin-to-chest, in order to peer drunkenly over the top of the sunglasses as Yan Sun makes her return, the lenses far too dark to see through in these conditions. "You are not eated." she observes aloud flatly.
Yan Sun grumbles as she finishes with the zipper, another shivering running through her body. "No, just frozen..." Her clothes, barely staying on as they are, come off easily as she scoots over to rejoin Jessica on the bedroll, immediately wrapping the unzipped sleeping bag over both of them as she starts to get close to Jessica, eager for some warmth, only to stop dead in her tracks as she comes face to face with the ridiculous sight that
Jessica sniffs at the cold air that threatens to overpower the personal heater in the tent, causing her to gesture aimlessly with the bottle and give a loud groan as if that might somehow encourage Yan Sun to speed up the process of zipping the tent back up. The chill- dampened as it may be by the alcohol coursing through her bloodstream- leaves her scowling as Yan Sun crawls across the tent, which only lends to the ridiculousness of
the whole look she's got going on. She shifts around to her other side as Yan Sun rejoins her so she can face her, bringing her bottle with her and holding it between them. "What you are laughing at? Mmm?" she hums through a furrowed brow as the sunglasses droop down to the edge of her nose while she peers over top of them at Yan Sun through an unfocused gaze.
Yan Sun 's head just slumps from her shoulders for a moment as she half-lies next to Jessica, propped up with one elbow, big grin on her face. Her dismay over the cold and less-than-luxurious living conditions derailed by Jessica's ridiculousness, she looks up to meet her gaze again, a warm look in her eyes. "You." She reaches out with her thumb to press the glasses up into place and then leans in for a soft, giggly kiss while her hand goes
Jessica's scowl returns as it's revealed that she's the subject of Yan Sun's laughter. "Bitch." she mutters, but their lips meeting causes a drunken grin to cross her lips and she presses into it. Her grip around the bottle tightens when she feels it being pulled from her. She playfully tugs at the bottle for a moment, "Mmm, I am thinking you have had enough." she says, face still pressed against Yan Sun's as a snicker slips out.
Reluctantly, she releases her grip on the bottle. Left in a sloppy state of partly-kissing-partly-speaking, she adds, "You are maybe too drunk, kitty cat."
Yan Sun grins into the sloppy kiss, her forehead resting against Jessica's fluffy hat as she lets out a snicker. "Me...?" she questions in a quiet mumble, casting a brief glance around for a cap to seal the bottle, although she's quick to deem the task hopeless in the cluttered tent, resorting to leaning away from Jessica and reaching over to stick the bottle upright amid some of their stuff to get it out of the way and hopefully have it
The cap is, as expected, nowhere to be found. Lost somewhere in the dark and cluttered tent. Jessica's armor crate is within arm's reach, though, and would serve as a sufficiently flat surface to sit the bottle on.
Jessica brings her left hand to Yan Sun's side, her right forearm pressed against the floor between them to keep her semi-propped up. Yan Sun's question causes her to scoff loudly. "I am not drunk." she lies. Yan Sun has seen her drunk enough to know when she's trashed, and she is most certainly trashed. Probably not surprising given the amount of booze she drank. She playfully leans after Yan Sun when she leans away to set the
bottle aside, her kiss unable to reach lips and planting against the cold skin of Yan Sun's neck instead. She gives up after a moment, folding her right arm beneath her head as a makeshift pillow as she peers up at Yan Sun through the dark.
Yan Sun lets out a quiet snicker as she turns back to Jessica. "Riight..." she agrees with a smile, lying down and pulling the still-unzipped sleeping back up around them as she cuddles closer to Jessica. A sweat-inducing time in the tent and an underdressed excursion out into the cold night means her skin is quite cold, especially so the palms that press against Jessica's belly. No better way to cure frozen fingers!
Jessica winces as cold fingers press against her stomach, the daggers of ice nullified somewhat by her drunken state. It causes her left hand to drop down and clasp around Yan Sun's hands. "I am going to make you sleep outside." she threatens. The arm of her sunglasses pressed against her right arm causes them to keel off center and it's not long before that seems to frustrate her and she flicks the eyewear off recklessly with her
thumb. In the darkness of the tent it's hard to see exactly where they end up. The tent fights back against a heavy gust of wind, held in place by the stakes pinning it to the ground. Only the slightest bit of light bleeds through the tent from the fire outside, shadowing most of the details of her face as she peers through the blackness at Yan Sun, though a big, drunken grin can be heard in her voice. "You want this? Mmm?"
Yan Sun meets Jessica's gaze in the dark, her glowing cybernetics serving as a beacon of light to focus on, always visible. Somehow, she doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by Jessica's drunken threatening. It may have something to do with the ridiculous, fluffy hat that still crowns her head. Or the cozy, exhausted relaxation that's started to return after getting out of the cold, the tent and Jessica's warm presence only seeming all
the more comfortable in comparison. "No you won't." she says through a big grin, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Jessica's cheek.
Jessica gives a roll of her eyes as she's called out, but her grin remains. The kiss doesn't get much of a reaction out of her, instead she merely watches Yan Sun, the blue glow of her cybernetics guiding her gaze. "You know that I can just picked you up and throw you outside if I am wanting to, yes?" she asks with a small raise of her brow. She gives another small wince as her left hand continues to grip Yan Sun's icy hands and she
shifts onto her back to lift Yan Sun's hands up in front of her. She brings her right hand up to meet her left and wraps them around Yan Sun's, huffing a warm breath against them in an attempt at heating them up. Moreso to alleviate her own discomfort than anything else.
Yan Sun lets out another snicker, letting Jessica warm her hands for a moment before letting herself fall against the pillow and twisting around so that her back is against Jessica, wrapping her arms around herself and pressing close against the warmth of her body. Skinny butts get cold too! "Mmm... but you don't. You like me too much." she asserts in a confident, cozy mumble, her grin heard in her voice even though she's no longer facing
Jessica shifts with Yan Sun as her arms are tugged around her. "Mmm. I am only using you for your body." she mumbles lazily, lips pressed lazily against the top of Yan Sun's head. It takes a moment before the chill of her partner's icey skin pressed against her body gets a reaction out of her, causing her to suck in a sharp breath as her whole body stiffens instinctually, surely felt by Yan Sun. "Gah!" she exclaims, arms tightening
around Yan Sun's body and pulling her tightly up against her, seemingly hoping to smother out the cold with her own body heat, "How you are so cold?!" She's not exactly the toastiest of people herself right now, but that fact seems to be lost on her amongst an alcohol-induced haze.
Yan Sun hums quietly. "I'm very okay with that..." she mumbles in response, pressing back against Jessica. The complaint that follows causes laughter that she muffles by turning down against the pillow. "Not my fault this planet is freezing!" she protests.
Jessica simply tightens her grip around Yan Sun, crossing her arms across Yan Sun's chest as she matches the shape of Yan Sun's body with her own. She keeps her face buried against the back of Yan Sun's head as they share the pillow. There's a few beats of silence before she actually responds, Yan Sun's statement seeming to bounce around in her head for a moment. "Mmm. We are not needing to put up with Aite for much more longer." she
finally mutters into her partner's hair. "...We will be gone soon enough." she adds, her voice growing a hair quieter.
Yan Sun falls silent, having neither the energy nor the disposition to prod at those words right now, just cuddling up to Jessica instead, giving her hands a squeeze in the dark of the tent.
Jessica falls silent in turn, drunken mind beginning to wander in the blackness of the tent. The occasional gust of wind whistles by. Distant yips, barely audible in the distance. Soft crackling of fire outside. The sound of their breathing. At one point, the sound of a car door opening. Trace or Malek. Probably checking on the fire or going to the bathroom. Soon enough, the truck door opens and closes once again. It's hard to know
exactly how much time has passed before Jessica speaks up again. Minutes? Half an hour? "They are down there." she eventually says softly, drawing a long, deep breath in.
Yan Sun 's mind lingers only briefly on Jessica's words. As the cold fades, the haze of an evening of drinking by the campfire and an intense time in the tent has started to return, and the cozy combination of being pressed up against Jessica under the shielding insulation of the sleeping bag and the muffled sounds outside the tent has brought her to the verge of dozing off when Jessica's quiet words break the silence, drawing her back from
the verge of sleep. Her eyes open, the difference minimal in the dark of the tent, blinking a few time and shifting her head a little as she lets out a quiet sigh and squeezes Jessica's hand again. "I know..." she says in a soft whisper after swallowing.
Jessica tilts her head foreward slightly, only her forehead remaining pressed against the back of Yan Sun's head. Her left hand reciprocates the squeeze, fingers interlocking with Yan Sun's as she lifts her right and idly traces her fingertips across Yan Sun's skin. As her head shifts back to its previous position, the tip of her nose presses through Yan Sun's hair, grazing against the back of her head. "They would be so disappointed in
me." she admits with an uneven snort, caught somewhere between that pocket of defiant, selfish pride at the notion, and actual guilt over the possibility of having let them down.
Yan Sun closes her eyes at Jessica's words, a louder sigh slipping from her lips before she rolls over in Jessica's arms, remaining close to her, left hand coming to rest against burned skin on her side. "You don't know that..." she says quietly, forehead pressing gently against Jessica's, studying the faint hints of her face in the glow of her own eye.
Jessica lowers her gaze slightly when Yan Sun shifts in her arms. She nods softly as her right hand fishes for Yan Sun's left beneath the sleeping bag, the rough, burned flesh of the palm of her hand making for a familiar sensation. Her gaze remains low, as if attempting to look into the sleeping bag as she conducts her search for Yan Sun's hand. "Mmm." she hums with a small nod, "I do." There's no sadness in her tone. Guilt? Maybe. But
no real sadness. Perhaps it's just drowned in a night of drinking. Or maybe it's something she made peace with long ago. Or, at least, had convinced herself that she did. She gives Yan Sun's hand a soft squeeze before she begins to playfully drum her fingertips against the back of her hand. The playful, drunken gesture causes a small, gentle smirk to cross her lips as she lifts her gaze to meet Yan Sun's. She pulls a breath in
through her nose and shrugs her shoulders against the embrace of the sleeping bag as if to say, 'That's just how it is'
Yan Sun draws in a long breath in the silent tent, just studying Jessica for a time. There's nothing she can say that hasn't already been said. Try as she might to find something that doesn't just sound stupid and pointless in her head, all that comes as her mouth opens is a sigh, no shortage of sadness in her own eyes, mixing with discomfort over her own uselessness.
Jessica shifts in place a bit to better position her head against the pillow, forehead remaining pressed against Yan Sun's. She idly fusses with Yan Sun's hand, drawing small shapes on the back of it with her fingertips, drunken amusement over the dull, muted sensation she feels through burned nerve endings and scarred flesh. Her eyes shift closed and she runs her nose alongside Yan Sun's with a few small nods of her head. "My father
would be so disappointed that I let that fuck doing these things to my family. That I am going to piss on their memory by running away." she explains when her eyes open, keeping herself amused by picking at the back of Yan Sun's hand as she speaks. A small snort escapes, the tiniest bit of drunken pride slipping in at the prospect of still being able to piss her father off even after he's dead. "My mother would be
disappointed that I was not able to forgive. That I was not able to move on. That I-... at everything I have done..." she says, voice growing quieter utnil it trails off in a whisper. There's no pride there. Just unspoken guilt that's buried beneath a whole bunch of self loathing. It causes her eyes to turn down once more, focusing on what she can see of Yan Sun's lips in the darkness of the tent. She swallows, allowing a moment
to pass before speaking up again. "...And Martin? He would be soooo disappointed in me for giving a fuck what either of those pieces of shit would think." Her shoulders rock slightly as a bit of sincere- if drunken- laughter escapes her and her head sinks against the pillow a bit more.
Yan Sun just listens, silent sympathy mixing with a little bit of unease that always surfaces when they talk about what Jessica's done. It's so unreal to her. So distant. Even though she knows, she wasn't there. She's only seen flashes of that Jessica. The one that scares her. Dwelling on that, on the mistakes, the innocent dead, makes her stomach churn, but it fades as she focuses on the woman in front of her. The guilt. That matters.
That's what makes it different. Different than-... she swallows hard, and lets out a quiet, thankful breath as Jessica speaks again, the words drawing out a small, soft chuckle of her own. Her eyebrows furrow, soft question following a moment's silent thought: "What would they think of me?" she asks quietly, an attempt to nudge Jessica's thoughts away from the pit of suppressed guilt and self-loathing.
Jessica's grin only widens at Yan Sun's question, her attempt at a distraction seemingly working. "My father would look at you one time and see credits everywhere." she explains, head tilting further against her pillow. "You are looking very rich with your-... your-... stuffs." she explains, giving Yan Sun's left arm a jostle when her English fails her. "But he would like you, I am thinking..." she settles on. "Probably." she
shrugs. "We disagree on everything and since I fucking hate your dumb face, I am thinking that he would like you." she says, another round of drunken laughter slipping out part way through her teasing.
Yan Sun lets out an almost imperceptible snort, a hint of embarrassment entering her face as her cybernetic arm is nudged. The words that follow prompt a small grin and a quiet "...right..."
Jessica gives a small, dismissive shrug. "Is fine. I like to sit on dumb things." she says which makes little sense but, hey, an attempt was made. She follows it up by sticking out her tongue and touching it annoyingly against the tip of Yan Sun's nose which amuses her enough to get another snicker from her. "My mother-..." she begins as her head settles back against the pillow once more, "...would be thinking you do not have a big
enough dick for giving her a grandchild." she says, another chuckle escaping her. Despite the crudeness of her delivery, the sentiment probably isn't all that foreign to Yan Sun. Though there doesn't seem to be any underlying resentment to Jessica's words. It's not a point of contention. The subject doesn't seem to be quite the sore spot in Jessica's life that it was in Yan Sun's. "And she would probably not like you very much
for helping to sending my mak to Jahannam." she explains through her chuckle, a clash of cultures finding its way into her sentence. Her fingertips have begun to make their way to Yan Sun's arm by this point, the scratchy, familiar sensation of scarred skin drawing lines up her arm. "You know. Because of for all of our fucking." she elaborates through her grin. "But-..." her gaze flicks away as she finds herself considering
her mother. Considering the type of person she was. It causes her grin to slip away, her unfocused gaze momentarily falling distant before settling back on Yan Sun through the darkness. "...but she would treat you well." she says sincerely, a small nod accompanying her words. "She treat everyone well. She was-..." she stammers with a wince as her English fails her once again. "...Tresh'shenlah." Batarian. 'One with
Yan Sun lets out a quiet snicker at Jessica's questionable assurance. The words that follow cause her to let out a surprised snort, embarrassment mixing with an underlying bitterness. Too close to home. The former takes the upper hand as Jessica continues to speak, caught somewhere between amusement and embarrassment as Jessica 'elaborates'. A faint laugh fades into silence as the tone turns more sincere, her expression softening. She nods
softly, studying Jessica's face as she continues to listen, her now-free hand returned to her side, tracing the edge of her burns idly.
Jessica draws in a deep breath, the chill in the air helping to clear her foggy thoughts. It seems like she has more to say, but she's just not the sort to get sappy. So she doesn't. "I am my father's daughter." she says instead, a dry smirk tugging at the edge of her mouth. "Martin would-..." the words hang in her mouth for a moment and her eyes narrow as if she's really thinking on it. "...He would have liked you." she says, as if
only just now having really considered it for the first time. A small nod follows. "Mmm." she assures before repeating herself with a bit more certainty, "I think that he would have liked you." She lets out a breath as she settles against the pillow in an attempt at getting more comfortable, hand continuing to pick at Yan Sun's arm. "You are dumb, sexy, and you are liking to party." she sums up with a small shrug as if that
Yan Sun scrunches up her nose, giving Jessica a light shove at her description. "Asshole!" she exclaims quietly, a small grin crossing her lips despite the words. It soon fades, a sigh slipping out as a thoughtful look takes its place, studying Jessica as unknown thoughts worm their way into her mind.
Jessica gives a snicker as she gets the intended reaction. Yan Sun's sigh is met with one of her own as things turn quiet and she finds herself simply studying Yan Sun in the dark, fingers idly tracing along the inside of her forearm. "But it doesn't matter what they would think of you, kitty cat." she says with a shrug. "They are dead." It's just a cold statement of fact. "Dead and disappointed." she adds with a hollow snicker,
returning to her original point. She brings her left arm up in an attempt at providing more padding to lay her head upon, but it dislodges her dumb floofy hat a bit, causing her to lift her head from the pillow and pull it off. She studies it through an uneven gaze for a moment before tossing it off into the darkness. "...Even Kirill... He is disappointed, too. Disappointed that I go. Bishop is disappointed that I stay... You
see, kitty cat? I disappoint everyone that I care about." she says, though there's a bit of that usual, defiant pride in the statement. As if owning that means it can't hurt her. As if that puts her in control of it. "Mmm. I will disappoint you, too." she continues through a restrained, drunken grin, her warm breath stained with alcohol from a long night of drinking. Her brain, a half step behind her mouth, seems to catch up a
moment later and realize the implications of her words, causing her to turn her gaze downward once more and swallow at the lump in her throat.
Yan Sun 's expression shifts uncomfortably as Jessica speaks again, inevitably put off by her matter-of-fact reality-check. She seems ready to protest the words that follow in the dark, eyebrows furrowing, but her final addition knocks the wind out of her sails. She lets out a quiet sigh, gaze falling for a moment before seeking Jessica's eyes, trying to catch hers. "I don't believe you." she says softly, with a small shake of her head
Jessica falls silent, gaze remaining low, avoiding Yan Sun's as she speaks. She doesn't try to argue. She just lets out a deep breath as her right hand drops from Yan Sun's arm and falls to her side, running back and forth for a moment before looping under Yan Sun's arm to hook over the back of her left shoulder and keep their bodies pressed close together. Finally- almost reluctantly- she meets Yan Sun's gaze. "You are too stupid for
your own good, kitty cat." she says softly, though there's a tenderness in her tone that isn't often there.
Yan Sun gains a small, soft smirk, a tiny snort slipping out. "I haven't been wrong yet..." she points out in a quiet murmur, her own hand sliding up Jessica's back in turn as they press closer to each other, shifting her head a little to bump her nose against Jessica's, smile widening a little.
Jessica gives a small roll of her eyes, unable to suppress her own smirk in the face of Yan Sun's. "You are only wrong." she mutters in some drunken nonsensical defiance, unwilling to let Yan Sun be right even if it makes no sense. "Always." The gentle nuzzling causes her to close her eyes and slowly tilt her her back and forth, rubbing noses with Yan Sun. Her left hand slips between Yan Sun and the sleeping bag so she can rest her
left hand on Yan Sun's lower back. When their lips make contact she lingers there, pressing a lazy kiss against Yan Sun's lips. "You stink." she mutters into the kiss, giving an exaggerated sniff.
Yan Sun snickers again, breaking away from Jessica's lips slightly. It's definitely true - she hasn't exactly bothered to brush her teeth. That can wait until morning, right? "You too." she replies with another snicker, seeming entirely unbothered judging by the fact that her lips brush against Jessica's once more.
Jessica sinks her teeth into Yan Sun's lower lip, giving it a soft tug. "Mmm." she agrees in a hum as she releases her grip with her teeth and merely presses her lips lazily against Yan Sun's once again. "Is my favorite stink." she says, prodding Yan Sun's lip with the tip of her tongue. "Booze and pussy." A tired snicker follows as she remains in place, unwilling to move.
Yan Sun lets out a snort after her lip is freed, Jessica's words causing her grin to resurface. Her left hand continues to trace up her spine towards her neck, head shifting back just a little to study Jessica. She licks her lips, a small laugh slipping out. There's a brief moment of thought as her grin softens. "My parents would hate you..." she assesses with a rise of her eyebrows. It's not meant to offend. Quite the opposite really.
Jessica certainly doesn't look offended by the comment. As a matter of fact, a small, prideful, devilish grin crops up. "Mmm?" she hums inquisitively, seemingly interested in however Yan Sun came to that conclusion, not that it's a hard one to come to. She leans in slightly, playfully clasping her teeth together loudly as if threatening to bite her lip again. "How you are so sure about this? Mmm?" she asks through her grin, "I am
Yan Sun snickers softly. "Mm... pretty sure they'd be immune to your charms." she says through a grin. "My dad would-... my dad would prooobably accuse you of 'corrupting his sweet daughter' or some bullshit like that." she snorts with a roll of her eyes, the glow of her cybernetic iris making the movement stand out.
Jessica gives a loud snort of her own. "Mmm." she hums, right hand shifting from Yan Sun's shoulder to her side. "I am thinking you are corrupt long before I meet you." she teases, hand running along Yan Sun's side until it reaches her hip. She gives it a squeeze, pressing her thumb into skin.
Yan Sun squirms slightly at Jessica's touch, snickering at her words. Her only response is a small shrug turned uneven by her position, and a mischievous grin shrouded in the dark of the tent. She cuddles up to Jessica, leg wrapping around hers and nuzzling the crook of her neck, head burrowing between Jessica and the pillow to reach it.
Jessica's hand drifts lower, helping to support Yan Sun's leg by grasping her thigh when it's draped over her own leg and hiking it up slightly. "Mmm. Is true." she insists as she lifts her head slightly to help Yan Sun in nuzzling up, pressing a lazy set of kisses against her neck as she shifts her position. Her right hand traces back and forth along the underside of Yan Sun's thigh as they lay tangled in the sleeping bag. Dirty,
sweaty, drunk, and a bit ripe. But she seems dead set on making sure they're pressed tightly against each other, her left hand pulling Yan Sun as close as she can. There's a comfort in it. A familiarity with one another's body. An absence of boundaries. For Jessica, there's no shame when it comes to physical closeness. No walls put up. She reserves those for emotional intimacy. "I am thinking maybe you are a bad influence on
Yan Sun lets out a muffled snicker against Jessica's neck, her body shifting until she finds the right fit, enjoying the comforting closeness in the dark. Enjoying the fact that there's no one to stop them, to keep them apart. No one to make her feel wrong for wanting this. Wanting Jessica. Even just resting in her arms without a trace of worry. "Mm..." she absently agrees in a quiet hum, eyes closed as her face remains nestled between
Jessica continues to trace the fingertips of her right hand along the underside of Yan Sun's thigh for a while before shifting into a more comfortable position. She makes sure to hold onto Yan Sun as she slowly turns onto her back to ensure their bodies shift together, keeping Yan Sun's leg draped over her body. The closeness of a body helps to fight off the chill that infiltrates the tent despite the small space heater. Sure, she could
always just put her clothes back on. But where's the fun in that? And maybe there's more to it than that. A desire to be close to the woman in her arms. The woman who has seen the darkest parts of her and, for some reason unbeknownst to her, decided it was worth sticking around. It's a desire that she can't express with words. Not easily, anyway. That's just not how she's wired. Instead, she wraps her left arm a little tighter
around Yan Sun and gives her a squeeze as her unfocused gaze stares up towards the ceiling of the tent, a faint hint of Litae's glow above bleeding in through the fabric of the tent.
Yan Sun shifts with Jessica, relaxing against her after they've settled, leg draped across her and hand resting against her chest, thumb brushing along the scar where a tattoo once sat. Her eyes close as she focuses on Jessica's breathing, a small smile lingering on her lips. She doesn't say anything else, not now. There's no need to. She's content to just enjoy the closeness.