It's 9:35pm and last chance for simple food orders have passed. While it might not be entirely popular, Enila have dialed back opening hours on the kitchen, so still hungry guests will have to settle for pre-packaged items or a limited selection of wrapped sandwiches.
#Miner'sRespite – January 21, 2026
Va'ynna has just loaded the dishwasher for the last time today. The solitary work has unfortunately given her too much time to think, and she does not look any less deflated now than earlier in the evening. She has sent Jason a message a few minutes ago that she's free to talk now.
Jason takes a few minutes to make his way back to the kitchen, his arrival announced by the sound of the door to the bar sliding open, allowing the lively sounds to filter in before the door closes behind him and seals them out once more. He steps into the kitchen, glancing around for any sign of Va'ynna.
Va'ynna steps away from the kitchen counter at the sound of the door opening and crosses the room to look at the open doorway while she washes her hands. "Hey," she says, sounding quite tired. "We... have some time to talk before... Uvena gets here."
Jason gives a dip of his head in greeting as he spots Va'ynna, propping up a lighthearted smile. He steps over to the counter beside her, leaning back against it, cybernetic hand resting against the edge of the countertop. "Busy day, huh?" he offers. He's a fair few drinks deeper than he was during their last meeting, but not drunk. Just a healthy buzz. Drunk might not be too distant, however. At least it'll help take the sting
out of those credits he's probably gonna lose if the game continues going the way it's been. Fucking Port Hanshan!
Va'ynna sighs. "It wasn't so bad after... I got through the... orders that piled up because I late," she says as she walks over to hang up her apron. It hasn't completely protected her green shirt from getting stained, but that's the kind of mistakes one makes when a lot of things need to happen at the same time. "How have things been... outside the kitchen?" she asks. Va'ynna has relied on Enila to deliver the food
Jason gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Lots of familiar faces." he muses, remaining at the counter while Va'ynna gets situated. "Seems like the weathers got everyone coming out." But that thought is short lived, his smile wavering slightly. He didn't come to talk about the weather, after all. "So how are you holding up...?" he asks hesitantly, studying the asari.
Va'ynna frowns. "I... wish I was feeling better so I could come out and say hi too," she says, then averts her eyes as her voice starts to tremble as she thinks about how to answer the question. It also doesn't help that she is at the end of a long workday at the Respite. "I... I... it was a mistake... calling Nari."
Jason shifts a bit, discomfort starting to settle in. Especially considering that he was almost certainly the reason she decided to reach out to Nari in the first place. Or at least played a large part in toppling that first domino. A heavy sigh slips out. "...Wanna tell me what happened?" he asks.
Va'ynna closes her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath to still herself, but to no avail. "You... talked with her; that's... the same Nari I talked with," she says. "Just... lies and secrets. Saying nothing that... sounds like something... and... I-I... was fine with that when I was... young. She... she does dangerous work, necessary work, but now...." She turns away a bit, embarrassed as tears well up under her
Jason falls silent, simply listening as Va'ynna speaks, his gaze fixed on a small pattern of dirt speckled on the floor. Nari's ability to be infuriating certainly doesn't need to be questioned. Not if his own discussion with her is anything to go by. Lies and secrets. Yeah, that seems to sum it up well. But he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he settles on a simple, "I'm sorry, V..." He brings his gaze her way, offering an
apologetic tilt of his head. "I never should've pushed you to reach out. I just thought-..." he trails off, deciding against finishing that line of thought with a shake of his head, "It doesn't matter. It wasn't my place." Thoughts spoken before, perhaps, but they bear repeating.
Va'ynna frowns. "I... I don't blame you, Jason," she says, only looking up at him briefly before turning to towards the kitchen counter. "It... felt like the right thing to do for me too, after thinking... through it, and... I agonized for so long so I thought... it would help somehow, but... no." She grabs a paper towel off the roll on the counter by the sink to wipe under her eyes, catching a tear that rolls down
her cheek. "She... acts like she did me a favor pushing me out here with her lies, like... I should be grateful that I've grown so much... compared to the 'meaingless' life I had back on Thessia." She takes another deep trembling breath, but it's no use. There's little in her sad voice to gauge how much (or whether) she agrees with any of that. "She... admitted to lying to me, Jason," she adds as she glances
Jason swallows as Va'ynna speaks, feeling no less guilty regardless of where her blame lies. "Lying to you...?" he repeats, clearly expecting her to elaborate, but not wanting to push too hard.
Va'ynna continues wiping her tears for a bit before turning back towards Jason. "That... I was in danger, that... I had to leave Thessia, don't... you remember?" she asks, struggling to speak clearly as she can't put the lid back on the hurt she's been feeling after the call. "I've... believed that was a lie for a while, but... she... admitted it."
Jason gives a few nods. "Right, right." he mutters as she confirms that they're both on the same page. "But did she say anything about why she lied...? Why she wanted you out here in the first place?" That's the million credit question.
Va'ynna shakes her head, and takes another deep trembling breath as if it would help. "She... said it was... for my sake, that I... I'd understand... the value of it one day, that... Janysa would be keeping an eye on me." She is stumbling over her words a bit as he sobbing is getting worse. She looks up at Jason. "That... it didn't all go to plan when... I pointed out that I haven't... grown. That I'm scared to walk