There's a short silence that settles in, the others around the fire merely letting the turian's words sink in as a truck rolls past, guided by the lanterns laid along the road. Kirill's omni-tool continues to serenade those around the fire with the soft plucking of strings.
#Traveler'sGorge – August 19, 2021
Jessica shifts a little as Yan Sun's grip around her tightens, her arm coming to rest overtop Yan Sun as she continues to stare at a spot along the bench. It's hard to tell what's going on in her head, but the turian's sentiment seems to at least be a welcome one. As a kiss is pressed against her neck, she cranes her neck a little in an attempt at looking to the woman peering over her shoulder. Failed as it may be due to the lack of
Thomas is the first to break the silence, a soft whistle escaping him. "Damn..." he says, "...I didn't know you could get that deep, Cal." he offers, his words followed by a loud snort that seems to draw smiles out of the others around the fire and inject a little life back into the others.
Caelus casts an indignant look Thomas' way. "What are you talking about? I've got plenty of depth." he declares none-too-seriously, which only serves to further cement the smiles on people's faces and garner a few snickers.
Yan Sun lets out a quiet snicker of her own, smile felt against Jessica's neck since she's still nuzzling her. Although the incident with Jean-Luc's mystery brew sobered her up, the alcohol, late hour and crackling fire still combine to leave her in a cuddly mood, and her arm remains firmly wrapped around Jessica as she turns her head, still resting on Jessica's shoulder, to look at the others across the fire.
Amy 's gaze is on the fire as she ponders Caelus' words. Whatever her thoughts, they remain her own, but Thomas' comment and the round of snickers that follows makes the corner of her mouth twitch upward as she's drawn out of her head.
Rafe chimes in, leaning a little forward in his seat, forearms coming to rest against his knees. "You really think there's any chance that this tired old man isn't here in another ten years?" he asks with a nod Kirill's way, shooting him a shit-eating grin which gets an unamused glare in response.
Caelus shifts his focus back Rafe's way. Then to Kirill, as if assessing him before answering Rafe. "Didn't say that. I'm just saying-... if he is? Then... I think maybe we've failed."
Paige finally speaks up, unwilling to allow that statement to linger, lest it bring the mood down again. "Ya know what I think?" she begins, a bit of exaggerated flair in her tone as her focus settles right on the 'tire old man' in question.
Kirill seems to already be prepared to be the butt of another joke as Paige speaks up, turning that unamused glare right to her. "I'm sure that whatever it is, it's gonna be very insightful and not-at-all insulting. Go on, what do you think?" he asks, slipping a little further into his seat as he props his cheek up against his fist, smile hidden by that big beard of his.
Paige is still all balled up in her seat, heels of her boots on the edge of her chair, arms wrapped around her knees. A big, unfocused smile is spread across her face as she watches Kirill from the other side of Amy. "I think that in ten years? You and Ms. Cassidy-..." she continues, weaponizing Kirill's refusal to call the obvious target of his affection by her first name. The giggles are already beginning to spill out of her, making
it difficult to go on and she casts a couple of glances Amy's way, as if seeking support, "...will be settling down with a place of your own. And-..." it goes downhill from there, devolving into a loud gigglefit as she buries her forehead against her knees.
Jessica offers a soft snort at Rafe's ribbing. But it's Paige's words that actually seem to tear her away from her thoughts, shoulders soon bouncing against Yan Sun with laughter. It takes another moment before the potential implication of Paige's words settle in and she shoots a glance between Paige and Kirill. "Wait, wait, wait! Did he finally do it?!" she asks, there seeming to be some history there.
Amy looks Paige's way as she speaks, expression changing into the very specific look of someone making an effort not to laugh - eyebrows furrowed, mouth a thin line aside from the tugging at the corners. There's a brief glance in Kirill's direction. She's definitely not going to say anything, but she has to bring a hand up to conceal the smile that Paige's teasing and the subsequent giggle-storm brings out, ducking her head.
Yan Sun 's eyebrows rise a little as Paige speaks, gaze shifting from her to Kirill curiously, Jessica's laughter proving infectious even if she lacks context, a quiet one of her own sounding as her smile widens.
Paige is too preoccupied with laughter to answer Jessica directly, instead settling for shaking her head against her knees.
Kirill seems to, as usual, take the lighthearted ribbing in stride, looking entirely unbothered, gaze shifting from Paige, to Amy, then back. "Glad you're havin' such a great time over there." he offers, unable to will away the big smile that crops up over seeing Paige lose her shit.
Rafe has a hearty chuckle as well, passing a glance Jessica's way when she speaks up. "What do you think?" he asks, his tone implying she probably already knows the answer.
Jessica gives a dissatisfied, "Gah!", turning her nose up in a frown. "Why you are being such a fucking coward?!" she asks.
Paige manages to reign her giggles in enough to shoot a sharp nod Jessica's way. "I keep telling him! Just grab her and kiss her lips right off her face!"
Jessica turns in her seat to face the fire once more, happy to just no longer be the focus of conversation. Poking fun at Kirill is a far more agreeable topic. "No-... what you are-..." she stammers a bit drunkenly, lifting one hand to get his attention, seemingly believing to have a solution to the problem. "Here is what you are to doing! Get her-... to going into an elevator with you!" she continues, and Yan Sun can probably already
tell where this is going. Jessica tilts her head Yan Sun's way, poking at the bottom of her front teeth with her tongue, an antagonizing look on her face. "Bitches loooove elevators!"
Kirill watches with furrowed brows, just about to respond to Paige when Jessica speaks up, causing him to level look her way that's equal parts confusion and amusement. "I... ain't particularly sure I even know what that means."
Paige's laughter only grows, nodding along with Jessica. Doesn't matter that it makes no sense to her, it's meant at Kirill's expense and that's good enough for her. "They do! They-...." her laughter slows as it seems to finally settle in what Jessica just said. "...what?"
Yan Sun 's laughter is muffled as her face is half-hidden against Jessica's jacket, but it comes to an abrupt end at the mention of elevators. She lifts her head to give Jessica a flustered warning glare.
Amy is fighting a loosing battle to conceal her laughter, hand still over her mouth and face turned away from Kirill, looking at Paige - unfortunately her drunken laughter just serves to fuel her own. Jessica's words bring confusion and a little bit of shock over her language - she's still not used to it - as she looks her way.
Thomas furrows his brows. "I mean-... I love elevators." he shrugs when confusion seems to wash over the others, as if confessing to something they were all thinking but none dared to say aloud.
Gaz slowly turns her attention to Thomas, far too kind to outright tell him to shut up, she merely blinks blankly at him.
Thomas' expression shifts to a self-conscious frown. "What? They get you where you're going..." he mutters.
Jessica bites down on the tip of her tongue, holding Yan Sun's gaze with a threatening grin as the others' focus turns to her in search of some sort of explanation. You can practically see the wheels spinning in her head, deciding whether or not to further embarrass Yan Sun. "Mmm. Elevators." she repeats with a shake of her head, holding Yan Sun's gaze for a moment longer before looking back to Kirill. "This is my advice. The rest is
not for free!" she settles on, which gets a mixture of confused snickers and playful disappointment over the lack of elaboration. Seems Yan Sun won the internal coinflip... for now. She gives the woman at her side a playful bump with her shoulder.
Kirill blinks a few times. "I'll... uhh-... take that under advisement." he says, seeming no less confused.
Yan Sun grumbles quietly, although she relaxes a little as it seems that she's in the clear. Maybe. Her grip on Jessica loosens a little as she turns slightly to grab her beer and take a sip, resting the bottle in her lap afterwards. She certainly has no intention of clearing up the group's confusion.
Jessica snickers to herself as Yan Sun grumbles, very much looking the part of someone with an inside joke.
Rafe watches the pair, Yan Sun's reaction and the big grin on Jessica's face is enough context for him to know it was probably a dig at the former, but he thinks better than to push things. He gives it a moment for the conversation to run its course before, smile plastered across his face, he draws in a deep breath as he looks Jessica's way. "So... You up for a walk?" he asks, waiting until the woman looks his way before elaborating. "Be a
Jessica sips at her beer, pleased with having pushes Yan Sun's buttons just enough. Rafe's question garners a hummed, "Mmm?" as she considers it. After a moment, she turns Yan Sun's way. "You are going to be okay by yourself for a few minutes if I leave, kitty cat?" she asks through her grin. "I am not going to come back and you are covered in your own puke, yes?"
Yan Sun withdraws the arm around Jessica and extends a middle finger in front of her face in response, an unamused smile on her lips. A light nudge follows to indicate that she should get going before she sips her beer again.
Jessica gives a raise of her brow, brown eye turning to the finger put in her face. Still, she's unable to hide the slight smile that the night has mostly kept on her face. Before climbing to her feet she leans in, pressing a quick peck against the very tip of Yan Sun's nose with an exaggerated 'MWAH'. If it was anyone else, it might be perceived as a cute, endearing gesture. But somehow, coming from Jessica, it just seems like an
Rafe climbs to his feet, snickering at the back and forth between Jessica and Yan Sun. "I won't keep her too long." he assures Yan Sun.
Paige is quick to slug back the rest of her drink, setting her empty bottle into the cup holder of her chair as her boots find the ground. "Room for one more?" she asks, rosy cheeks capping off an ear-to-ear smile.
Yan Sun scrunches up her nose, swatting Jessica away, although she can't quite keep from smiling regardless. Rafe's words make her look his way, her smile widening a little. "Take your time." she says with a snort, making a show of looking tired of her as her gaze darts back to Jessica.
Jessica gives a none-too-serious roll of her eyes, returning Yan Sun's previous gesture with a middle finger of her own that she swipes right in front of her face. She gives her beer a quick wiggle to assess it's weight and make sure there's enough to last her for the walk. Shae's unsolicited opinion was more sobering than she'd like to admit, and right now? Sober isn't exactly what she's going for.
Rafe snickers at Yan Sun's response before shooting a glance Paige's way with a dip of his head. "Always." he says.
Caelus and Thomas both decide this is probably a good time for them to take their leave, lest they be forced to wait for the trio to return so they can say their goodbyes. Pleasantries are exchanged with Yan Sun. 'Nice to meet you's and 'See you tomorrow's. But, soon enough, it's only Kirill, Amy, Jean-Luc, and Yan Sun that remain at the fire, the other five already disappearing into the shadows beyond the fire's reach.