December 20th. Late afternoon. The sun is going down, leaving the sky ablaze with pinks and oranges. The mountain range that loomed over them for the beginning of their journey is back within view, a majestic reminder that their time within the cramped confines of the hulking vehicle are coming to a close. It's been a peaceful, quiet few days on the road. A couple of sightings of tire tracks have been the only indication that they're not the
#Kirill'sTruck – March 16, 2020
only two people left on this rock. Aside from a few patches of thick snow that slowed travel down to a crawl, the drive has been pretty uneventful. Probably for the best considering Yan Sun has been shackled with driving-duties while Jessica has been under the weather.
Jessica was pretty much down for the count for most of the previous two days, but she has seemed a little more energetic today. A bit sniffly with the occasional sneeze slipping out- and she's put a good dent into their toilet paper supply with her constant nose-blowing- but a far cry from the previous couple of days where she mostly cocooned up in a nest of blankets. She's currently sprawled out across the seat, back against the
passenger's side door. One elbow perched against the backrest of the seat and head propped up with her hand, she's lazily poking through the omni-tool in her lap with great disinterest. That ridiculous hat that she claims to be wearing ironically is still sitting upon her head, Kirill's sunglasses perched atop it. True to the universal rules of road trips galaxy-wide, Yan Sun has been granted control of the music whilst she's
driven. It's a rule that even Jessica knows better than to break. Or, more likely, she just doesn't mind Yan Sun's taste in music. She shifts in place, a crease crossing her forehead in frustration over the soreness that has settled into her shoulder from sleeping in the cramped truck so much.
Yan Sun hasn't exactly been thrilled about spending several nights in a row in the truck - the respite of a hot shower and soft bed at Mallory's homestead on their way down to the coast had been a very welcome one. Her back and neck are protesting, and she's starting to feel pretty rank. She's tired and worn-down in general after days of staring out at the unending snowscape. Maybe she's about to come down with whatever Jessica's got, or
Yan Sun maybe she's just drained after days of driving and poor sleep. With little in the way of company from the Jessica-burrito next to her she's been occupying herself with the contents of her local storage, or, increasingly, with thoughts of what's to come. Hong Kong. The novelty of being on a road trip only lasted so long, and she's more eager than ever to sleep in a bed again. Any bed. And to never go on another multi-day drive. She's
Yan Sun done her best to curtail her grumpiness and keep her complaints to herself, letting Jessica rest and doing her best to handle as much of everything as possible - fetching food, clearing the wheels, scraping the windows. Still, she's inevitably been a bit more prickly than normal - it's probably a good thing Jessica hasn't had the energy for her usual, relentless needling. Jessica rejoining the living seems to have lifted her spirits
Yan Sun a little today, although she still scans the way ahead with tired eyes, staying mostly silent as she scowls at the glare of the snow. The music that fills the cab is the same sort as usual - the relaxed electronic music that Yan Sun favors when working. Pleasant background noise. One hand leaves the wheel to go to her neck as she cracks it with a grimace. "Urrrgh... I can't wait to be out of this truck." she comments, the complaint
Jessica sniffles as Yan Sun speaks up and tears her gaze from whatever is on her screen. Brows furrowed, she fails to come up with any sort of jab, her usual edge a bit dulled amidst numerous body aches and the cold that has settled in. "Mmm." she hums in reluctant agreement. Her attention shifts to the windshield, looking out over the mountain range that stretches on for what seems like forever. She studies it for a few moments before
Jessica drawing in a long, deep breath, her dark, brown eye tilting back towards the device in her lap. "Tomorrow I am going to drive." she says matter-of-factly.
Yan Sun is mid-yawn when she glances Jessica's way in surprise. "Aiieumgh... you sure...?" she asks, eyebrows furrowing slightly as she studies her. If all the time behind the wheel has accomplished anything, it is to make her feel more secure in driving, at least so long as the terrain stays simple. She no longer sits with eyes glued to the windshield, hands gripping the wheel for dear life. "I wasn't trying to..." she trails off with a
Yan Sun little shrug, caught between wanting to let Jessica rest and her undeniable eagerness to relinquish the wheel for a bit - especially as they get closer to the mountains.
Jessica scoots against the passenger's side door a bit more to sit up a bit straighter as she taps at the interface a few more times. Yan Sun's statement prompts a small shake of her head to cut off any protesting. "I am fine." she restates, briefly glaring through her browline. In a mutter she adds, "There is-... somewhere else that I am needing to stop before we get back..."
Yan Sun 's attention briefly returns to the terrain ahead before going back to Jessica, a questioning look on her face. "Okay...?" she asks cautiously, curiosity dispelling a bit of the exhaustion as she watches her for an answer.
Jessica continues to swipe through her interface in silence, seemingly fine with leaving it at that until she feels the continued presence of eyes on her, causing her to tilt her head up until the back of her fluffy hat is pressed against the window. Her brow lifts ever-so-slightly in that way it tends to whenever she finds herself unamused. The blank look on her face matches it nicely. "Why you are so nosy? Mmm?" she asks, a short
Yan Sun rolls her eyes, grabbing a half-empty toilet paper roll from between the two of them and holding it out for Jessica. "What, you're not going to tell me?" she asks, sounding unimpressed with Jessica's complaint.
Jessica reaches out lazily for the roll of toilet paper. After a couple of near misses, she reluctantly leans forward, a tired grunt escaping her as she swipes it out of Yan Sun's hand. She doesn't bother responding immediately, instead busying herself with unrolling a bit of paper and wiping at her nose. It seems that even she- Queen of Annoyance- is a little too worn down to keep up her usual song and dance of giving Yan Sun a hard
time for her own amusement. "I need to go to the Gorge..." she says simply, stuffing the used tissue into a small bag on the floorboard beside her that she's been using for garbage. The roll of toilet paper gets shoved into the crease of the seat, between her and the backrest for later use.
Yan Sun had been meaning to ask how they were going to be returning the truck, but Jessica intending to actually go there of her own volition catches her off guard, eyebrows rising a little, although she does her best to contain her reaction beyond that. "Okay." she says with a small nod, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. She seems to regain a little bit of energy, although she goes quiet as she wrestles with
Jessica's gaze remains on Yan Sun for a few moments, as if assuming she'll have more to say. She always has more to say. But as the smile begins to stretch out across Yan Sun's features she merely rolls her eyes and shifts her attention back to her omni-tool, sliding down the door slightly in an attempt at getting comfortable once more. The door cutting into her back causes her to shift in frustration and take a moment to reach back and
Yan Sun 's gaze darts back to the windshield for a moment, and she adjusts her grip on the wheel before looking back towards Jessica, studying her as she fidgets in search of a more comfortable position. Her expression turns soft as she watches her, echoing back to their time at the cliffs as a bit of the quiet frustration that's built up during the return trip leaves her. "So... what are we doing at the Gorge...?" she asks, the question
Jessica lets a breath out through her nose. Of course it couldn't be that easy. She couldn't just accept the answer and leave it at that. She resists the urge to point out the evidence of Yan Sun's nosiness. But whatever frustration accompanied the question quickly dissipates as Jessica continues to look through whatever is displayed on her omni-tool, singular brown eye scanning from left-to-right across the holographic image. "I have
taken a bunch of pictures-..." she says, seemingly indicating whatever she's looking at, hand lifting to swipe through another image before she gives a small shrug of her shoulders, gaze briefly peering over the top of the display towards Yan Sun. "...But none of the Gorge. I-.... just want to take some before we go." she says, voice softening. Betraying her attempt at downplaying it. It was a place she spent a lot of time.
Maybe not the best days of her life... Quite the opposite. Her time at the Gorge may have been the lowest point in her life. But, for a moment in time, it was home. And with their encroaching plans to hop on a ship bound for Earth, passing day brings her one step closer to leaving her entire life in the rearview mirror. Not even the most stubborn and cynical of people would be unable to find some perspective amidst something
like that. "Besides-..." she continues, dismissive of whatever sentimentality may be buried in that, "...you stink and they are having a shower there."
Yan Sun 's eyes are drawn to the projected screen with Jessica's words, not that she can really make anything out from where she is. Still, her words bring out a soft smile and a nod, happy that Jessica is giving her a genuine answer - and that she's acknowledging her own feelings instead of burying them. She has to fight to keep from leaving the wheel behind to wrap the woman next to her up in a hug, settling for resting a hand on her leg
and giving it a squeeze. She's about to say something when Jessica's addition causes her to let out a snort, shaking her head a little. "I'm not gonna say no to a shower..." she concedes through a grin that quickly softens as she adds: "And... I think that's a great idea. Getting some pictures before we leave."