December 17th. Late afternoon. It was back to sleeping in the truck last night. The tent may not have been the most spacious, but it was certainly a few steps up from the constant balancing act it takes for two people to sleep on the truck's cramped seat. Tossing and turning. Interrupted sleep. Aches and pains. And a constant battle with numbing arms that get trapped beneath one another. The wonders of trying to get some sleep on the road.
#Kirill'sTruck – November 20, 2019
They made good time the previous day and it's back to frozen wastes. It was a gradual change and, for a good portion of the previous day's drive, slushy, half-rain-half-snow made for a treacherous trip. But now they're back to the familiarity of rolling fields of white for as far as the eye can see. True to her word, Jessica has left driving duty to Yan Sun today. Thankfully it's a pretty easy drive without much in the way of obstacles. Just
Jessica is currently laying across the seat, head buried against a pillow in the passenger's seat. A blanket burrito. She's drifted in and out of sleep throughout the day. Despite her refusal to admit it, it's pretty obvious that the trip and the sudden onset of a cold has taken a lot out of her. It's a much-needed lazy day.
Yan Sun hasn't exactly been thrilled about going back to sleeping in the truck, and the poor night's rest has left her pretty tired. Still, she's kept her complaints to a minimum owing to Jessica's sickness, doing her best not to zone out to the point that she falls back asleep as she follows the nav-point through the endless snowscape. She never quite realized how mind-numbingly boring driving is when you don't have someone to talk to and
the terrain amounts to little more than an empty field. For now she's resorted to lighting up her cybernetics and viewing... something, on the ocular display. Since the terrain has been cooperative she's let her right hand leave the wheel, resting idly on Jessica's blanket cocoon, thumb stroking idly back and forth.
Jessica eventually breaks the silence that has set into the cabin. Eyes shut, face remaining pressed against the pillow, it's unclear how long she's even been awake. "What about your other family? Mmm?" she asks, seemingly out of nowhere. "You never say about them. Just your shit parents. You have more than them, yes?"
Yan Sun blinks, attention torn away from whatever she was doing, the glow in her eye fading as she glances over towards the bundle of blankets that has suddenly spoken up. The question seems to catch her a bit off-guard. "Wh-... what?" she says as she processes. "I mean-..." she goes silent as she considers the question. It doesn't take very long before that causes a frown to cross her face. She swallows and nods a couple of times, it's a
fair question. "My grandfather-..." she trails off as the limitations of the English language cause a bit of trouble. "Uh... my father's father died when I was young. He's the one that founded our-... uh... SunTech. Grew up with a lot of stories about how brilliant he was..." Her voice quiets a little towards the end, gaze a little distant as she looks out the windshield. My father's mom... I don't know, to be honest." she admits
Jessica's eyes never open, she just remains cuddled up to her pillow as she listens in silence. A silence that persists even after Yan Sun has finished speaking. "...And the others?" she asks, her voice quiet, slightly muffled by the pillow she's pressed against. "There are any that you were close to?" The question prompts her to shift in place a bit, turning onto her back as if to give Yan Sun more of her attention, though her eyes are
Yan Sun glances briefly Jessica's way, an awkward, faint smile briefly crossing her lips. "I-... I don't know..." she hesitates a bit, looking through the holographic map a little distantly. "I guess... my other grandmother. When I was younger, anyway. She..." there's a little snicker, a small smile briefly crossing her lips. "She lives in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere. My parents tried to get her to move into the city so many
Yan Sun times, but she wouldn't have it..." she says with a shake of her head and another shrug, a warm look on her face before the smile fades, her expression souring as she falls silent, turning back to the windshield without explanation.
Jessica gives a hoarse, half-asleep snicker as Yan Sun talks of her stubborn grandmother. "Why she did not want to move?" she asks. The familiar listing takes hold for a moment as a strong gust of wind carries across the large truck. "Is because she did not want your father's credits?" she adds, perhaps reading more into a simple comment than was intended.
Yan Sun reflexively moves her other hand to the wheel when the wind hits the truck even though there's hardly much risk of any serious effect on the bulky vehicle. Jessica's question causes her to let out a snort and consider her answer for a moment. "I-... she's just... old-school, I guess. She's lived her whole life in that village. Her parents too. I don't know how many generations back. She came to visit once, and uh... that was enough
Yan Sun for her I think. I guess... the city can be pretty overwhelming when you've lived your whole life in a tiny place like that. But... she was happy for my mom, for finding the life she wanted. And we'd go visit..." she trails off as she catches herself talking about the past and her family with fondness rather than bitterness, looking uncomfortable for a moment before frowning and turning silent as she stares out at the snow.
Jessica continues to laze against her pillow, unwilling to sit up or fully commit to waking up quite yet, the warmth of the blanket far too comforting. Her hands shuffle beneath the blankets, pulling them up to her chin as her eyes shut once more. "You miss her." she says. It's not a question, just an observation. Whether right or wrong, it undoubtedly stems from her own experience. That constant desire she seems to find some common
Jessica ground between herself and Yan Sun in regard to family. That desire to understand just how so much bad blood could get between Yan Sun and her family. "We should go and visit to her."
Yan Sun is pretty obviously hesitant, an uneasy look crossing her face as she keeps staring out at the snow ahead. "I... I don't know. I-..." she lets out an uncomfortable sigh. "I haven't talked to her since things went bad with my parents." From the tone of her voice there's more to her hesitance than just that, but she falls silent again.
Jessica falls silent in turn. It's not in her nature to push or pry. Wait... no, no, it definitely is. "Why you don't know? Mmm?" she asks, her eyes finally peeling open, tired brow furrowing as she studies Yan Sun from across the seat. "You want to see her. You should see her." she explains, as if it's obviously that simple. The blankets shift gently in what's probably a half-assed shrug.
Yan Sun lets out a heavier sigh as Jessica keeps prodding, shifting a little in her seat. "I-... I never told her about Changying." she reluctantly explains with a brief glance Jessica's way. "I-I-I don't know how she'd-... what she'd think of-..." she trails off and swallows, frown deepening to cover her discomfort as she fixes her gaze back on the path ahead, adjusting her grip on the wheel restlessly, struggling not to look back at
Jessica continues to study Yan Sun in silence for a few moments, brow furrowed. Eventually she gives a low snort. "Why you are always so fucking worried what everyone is thinking of you? Mmm?" she asks, amusement slipping into her voice. "You are you. Not them. If they do not like who you are fucking? They can-..." a grunt escapes her as she shifts to free an arm from her layers of blankets. "...Can-... gah-..." she struggles a bit
more before her right arm finally manages to slip out the top. Middle finger extended, she lifts it into the air, waving it towards Yan Sun. "...They can go fuck themselves." she explains. Simple as that.
Yan Sun 's frown just deepens further as Jessica voices her first question, frustration and embarrassment mixing as she keeps her gaze straight ahead, biting back an upset reply. As Jessica continues her expression softens a bit, and the final conclusion elicits a muffled, conflicted snort as she closes her eyes for a moment. As they open she lets out a heavy sigh, shoulders dropping, but there's no reply.
Jessica doesn't need a reply. "And if your grandmother has a problem? She can fuck herself, too." she continues non-chalantly, lifting her middle finger a little higher for emphasis before laying her hand atop her blanket. "But I am thinking she will like me." she explains, head sinking back into her pillow, having lifted it slightly during her exclamations. "I am verrrry likeable, kitty cat. Maybe she will even try to steal me away
Yan Sun doesn't seem quite sure how to respond to Jessica's vulgarity, her nose scrunching up as she shoots her a look somewhere halfway between horror and amusement. The words that follow cause her expression to soften a bit, looking down at Jessica's hand on the blanket as another little sigh slips out. She reaches over to give the hand a squeeze, opening her mouth to speak only for the final comment to cause a grimace, her hand shifting
Jessica allows another snicker to slip out as she brings a hand up in a lazy, half-hearted attempt to slap the blanket away. "Don't make me kick your ass!" she warns, the threat a bit undercut by the loud sniffle that caps it off. She's a bit slow to tug away the fabric that's half covering her face away, revealing an unamused expression. "Slut." she adds grumpily.
Yan Sun lets out a snicker of her own, a small grin crossing her lips as she looks over towards Jessica, mood at least a little lifted. As the grin fades her gaze falls, and after a moment she breaks the silence. "I'll... think about it." she says quietly, a small shrug accompanying the words. Her gaze darts briefly back to Jessica before returning to the path ahead. It's pretty obvious that there's no shortage of hesitation there, but the
Jessica's fake grump falls away soon enough once Yan Sun agrees to consider it. "Mmm." she hums. She shifts a bit to try and get comfortable once more now that her blanket has been displaced, purposely invading Yan Sun's personal space in the process as revenge, plopping her feet into her lap. "I do not know much of my father's family either..." she offers softly, eyes slipping closed once more. "But my mother has two brothers. This I
know. And I have many cousins. My brother says they would come over to visit a lot but I-..." she swallows, her voice quieting a bit. "...I don't remember them. I was too young. Just a baby."
Yan Sun doesn't seem to mind the feet in her lap much, her hand soon dropping to Jessica's ankle. When she speaks, she glances over, eyebrows furrowing slightly. She listens in silence, nodding slightly towards the end. There's a bit of hesitation before she asks: "Have... have you thought about trying to get in touch with them?"
Jessica gives a small shrug of her shoulders against the blanket, eyes remaining closed. "My father did not want us to speak with them when we come here..." she explains, mostly relaying second-hand info told to her by her brother, having been far too young to take part in any of that discourse. "My father had many enemies and-..." she trails off, giving a gentle shake of her head as she draws in a soft breath. "...I do not know them.
Yan Sun 's gaze falls slightly, a quiet "Oh..." slipping out. She nods a couple of times and gives her leg a light squeeze, shooting her a quick glance. The topic of family and the unpleasantness that accompanies it draws out a long sigh as she focuses on her driving again. She's not silent for long. "How are you feeling? Rest helping any?" she asks, no doubt mostly trying to get away from the subject.
Jessica doesn't seem too put off by the talk of her distant family. It is what it is. They might as well be strangers to her. The question prompts her to snap off another quick, "I am fine." that has become like a reflex at this point. "Why? You are wanting me to drive?"
Yan Sun makes an exasperated sound, a small smirk crossing her lips. "I'm good." she assures, a quiet yawn slipping out. "You keep resting." she adds, giving her leg a pat.
Jessica's only response is a small, hummed, affirmation as she shifts onto her side to face towards the back of the seat. "Good. Because you are driving tomorrow, too." she says in little more than a mutter. "You need more practice." she explains, rather than admitting to feeling under the weather.
Yan Sun head drops a little with a quiet snicker, nodding a couple of times. "Sounds like a plan." she agrees, rather than poking at Jessica's pride.