January 12th. It's a nice winter's day in Freedom Falls. Typhon shines bright in the sky, bringing enough warmth to turn the snow in the streets to slush and leave some roofs shedding the snowfall atop them. In town, people are out and about, taking advantage of the pleasant weather. On the outskirts, near the Redrock building, a lone figure strolls down the street, weatherproof combat boots treading without hesitation through wet snow.
#RedrockAgency – February 20, 2025
Her hands are stuffed into the pockets of her green winter jacket, and her face is half-hidden behind a pair of aviators, which shield her eyes from the bright glare of the sunbathed snow.
Vasquez draws in a deep breath, letting the sun warm her face as she stops briefly to admire the moons lurking half-hidden behind the jagged peaks of the Dactyls. It's good to be home. She was supposed to call Jason for a pickup when the ship arrived, but it had seemed like a shame to waste the chance for a walk given the weather. Not too long ago she'd been accustomed to being cooped up on a ship for weeks on end, but now... the
chance to stretch her legs and breathe crisp, unrecycled air is a relief. On reaching the familiar, reinforced concrete box that is home, Vasquez' makes note of its (at least superfically) intact state. So far, so good. She casts a brief glance up towards the half-shuttered window of the living space above the entrance, approaching the front door confident that Fergus will let her in without a fuss. Maybe she can surprise
January 12th. It's a nice winter's day in Freedom Falls. Typhon shines bright in the sky, bringing enough warmth to turn the snow in the streets to slush and leave some roofs shedding the snowfall atop them. In town, people are out and about, taking advantage of the pleasant weather. On the outskirts, near the Redrock building, a lone figure strolls down the street, weatherproof combat boots treading without hesitation through wet snow.
Her hands are stuffed into the pockets of her green winter jacket, and her face is half-hidden behind a pair of aviators, which shield her eyes from the bright glare of the sunbathed snow.
Vasquez draws in a deep breath, letting the sun warm her face as she stops briefly to admire the moons lurking half-hidden behind the jagged peaks of the Dactyls. It's good to be home. She was supposed to call Jason for a pickup when the ship arrived, but it had seemed like a shame to waste the chance for a walk given the weather. Not too long ago she'd been accustomed to being cooped up on a ship for weeks on end, but now... the
chance to stretch her legs and breathe crisp, unrecycled air is a relief. On reaching the familiar, reinforced concrete box that is home, Vasquez' makes note of its (at least superfically) intact state. So far, so good. She casts a brief glance up towards the half-shuttered window of the living space above the entrance, approaching the front door confident that Fergus will let her in without a fuss. Maybe she can surprise
Jason has wrapped up his work for the day and remains on standby for Vasquez' call. He's opted against his usual work attire today, choosing something a bit more casual, no doubt attributed to Vasquez' return. Jeans and a white, long sleeved thermal shirt. His hair is cleaned up with a recent cut and he has juuust the right amount of stubble on his jaw to show he at least put some effort into his look today. He's seated on the
couch as the asajura highlights play out on the screen in front of him. Having missed breakfast, he picks absently through an MRE on the table in front of him. They'll probably pick up some real food on the way home, but that could be hours from now. Besides, you can't go wrong with roasted chicken and potatoes.
Vasquez checks in on the office first, but on finding no sign of Jason there her eyebrows furrow and she starts to make her way upstairs. The door to the apartment slides open with a faint hiss, and Vasquez lets her bag drop to the floor just inside with a soft thud as she steps in. "Working hard?" she calls out, resigned amusement in her voice.
Jason sits up as the door opens unprompted, attention snapping that way. His confused expression slips away, softening into a gentle smirk. He pokes his disposable, Alliance-approved fork into a piece of meat masquerading as chicken and leaves it there as he rises to his feet with a shake of his head. "You-..." he says sharply as he takes a step towards Vasquez, "...were supposed to call when you touched down." The accusation is
Vasquez cracks a smile of her own, shrugging as she unzips her jacket. "Mh, felt like stretching my legs a bit," she says, hanging the jacket by the door and rolling her shoulders once they're free. Underneath, she's wearing a distressed jeans and a black tour tee - the back lists tour stops, while the front features a colorful print of a thresher maw encircling the silhouette of the members of Eezo Credits. Black nailpolish,
slightly chipped, still coats her fingernails, and the studded bracelet that was included in Cynthia's gift is on her left wrist.
Jason gives a playful roll of his eyes. "Uh huh..." he hums. But as soon as he reaches her, he wastes no time in wrapping her up in a hug, arms enveloping her and pulling her in close against him. When he finally releases his grip on her, he brings one hand to her chin to gently angle her head upwards and press a kiss against her lips. "Welcome home..." he says through a warm smile when he pulls back.
Vasquez ' hands come to rest on Jason's arms as she returns the kiss, smiling against his lips as they break apart, but before he has the chance to pull back her hands slide up his shoulders, meeting behind his neck as she presses closer for another, deeper kiss.
Jason's arms slip around Vasquez' waist, pulling her body against his as he presses into the kiss. He seems to be in no hurry to break away, though he does eventually, smile lingering. "Miss me?" he teases, thumbs tracing small patterns against the small of her back.
Vasquez lets out a quiet snort, one hand lingering, thumb brushing across the stubble on Jason's jawline. "Mmh, a little," she concedes with a smirk, studying him idly. It's not hard to tell she's in good spirits, and she's in no rush to extricate herself from his arms.
Jason snickers, blue eyes dancing across Vasquez' face. "I'll take it." he offers softly. After a few moments, he presses another quick peck against her lips and reluctantly releases his hold on her. "So?" he says, urging her over towards the couch with a hand that remains on her lower back, "How was the trip?"
Vasquez drops into the couch with a comfortable sigh, letting her head lean against the backrest as her eyes close for a moment. "It was... good. Really good." The admission sounds a little reluctant, perhaps owing to her initial hesitance when the idea of the trip was first presented to her. Still, there's a rare, content smile on her face as she opens her eyes again, turning her head to look at Jason.
Jason sits down beside Vasquez, smile everpresent. "And ... this place is still in one piece." he brags, gesturing to the rest of the room and giving it a quick scan, both to reinforce his point, and in a stealthy attempt at making sure he didn't forget anything during his last minute cleanup detail the previous night. Nope. Everything is in its place. Operation: Pretend I Didn't Live Like A Slob For The Last Week was a success.
Could use a some workshopping on the name, though. "Without you single handedly carrying the whole company on your back." he continues, hand seeking hers out and giving it a light squeeze. Seems that he might be trying to not-so-subtly imply that there's a lesson in there somewhere.
Vasquez grasps Jason's hand in turn, her other arm propping her head up, elbow against the backrest. "Everything go smoothly? You have to put out any fires?" Physical fires? Metaphorical? She could be asking about either, really.
Jason snorts, offering a shake of his head. "No fires." he assures. Well, there was that little visit by Viper. But that's a talk for later. And then there was the 'incident' with the Falcon in the woods, but as long as Tarkus can keep his mandibles closed, nobody has to know about that little mishap. Besides, it could've happened to anyone! Who could've possibly expected that some simple target practice with a few empty bottles
and a grenade launcher could go south so quickly? He seems to realize he's gone quiet and blinks the thoughts away. "Was-... uhh-... actually pretty quiet around here, to be honest."
Vasquez studies Jason as he goes silent, trying to gauge the veracity of his claim. His addition draws a small smile, and she seems to accept the assessment, relaxing again. "Good. I'm glad," she comments, but just a moment later she asks: "No signs of trouble with the Merciers since the attack?"
Jason gives another small shake of his head, smile growing a bit heavy as he watches Vasquez do what she always seems to do. Immediately immerse herself in the day-to-day grind and disasters that come with operating Redrock. "They're fine. Everything's been good, Linda." he says, giving her hand another squeeze in an attempt at emphasizing his point. "Really. So how about you stop worrying about everything that could've gone
wrong and start telling me about your trip. That's what we should be talking about." he encourages. "I mean-..." he lifts her hand, studying her nails for a minute before shooting a look her way with a questioning look.
Vasquez holds back on the verge of asking another question, letting out a quiet scoff and looking down at her own hand. "Cyn convinced me to go all out for the concert. What about it?" The words carry the sound of a challenge, daring Jason to comment, as do the brown eyes locking onto his face.
Jason releases her hand, putting both hands up in surrender. "Nothing!" he protests, annoying smile remaining. "Just-... not used to it is all. Cute." he says, poking the bear.
Vasquez ' lips thin to a line. "'Cute'...?" she repeats incredulously, shifting to sit up fully, facing Jason.