Jessica goes through a range of emotions. At first, she seems confused. Then, as what Sau is implying sets in, her brows pinch together, frustration settling in. But she seems to land on confounded amusement, a shallow snort slipping out. "Why people like you-..." she begins, wielding the phrase like a weapon, "...can never think that they have done something wrong? Mm?" she asks, her tone sharp now that there's no need to hide her
#SunTower – May 3, 2026
Sau 's face twitches slightly, and for a brief moment his gaze is distant, elsewhere, but then he scoffs and straightens up in his seat, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "I have made mistakes, it is true," he admits with a small nod, expression somber, but that underlying disdain lingers. "In the past, I foolishly and bull-headedly dismissed my daughter's... inclination towards women. I believed it inappropriate, and
incompatible with her destined future as heir of the Sun family legacy. This is a mistake I seek to rectify, for I see now that this is not so. I fear it is my actions that drove her away from her family, and into danger, and the arms of... ones such as you, Miss Kaya."
Jessica blinks as Sau begins to speak so candidly, clearly having expected (And perhaps hoped for) a fight. Still, she can't help but roll her eyes as he drones on. His final statement, however, causes her to tilt her head back, brows furrowing as if to say 'What is that supposed to mean?' And then she does, in fact, say: "What the fuck does this mean?! Mm?" The chair makes a loud creak as she scoots it back from the
table, her entire body shifting to better face the man. Her posture is charged, daring the man to say what it is he's implying.
Sau 's expression is cold and unimpressed, mouth a thin line. "I know who you are, Miss Kaya. A criminal. A killer. A wanted woman," he says, unblinking as he meets Jessica's gaze. With a couple of quick button-presses against his omni-tool, a holographic image of Jessica's Adrasteian wanted listing appears above his wrist, and he spins it around with a twist of his finger for her to see. "I don't know what you told my daughter to
ensnare her heart, but I hope you possess reason enough to see that her future does not lie with one such as you."
Jessica's expression wavers, clearly caught off guard, but she does her best not to let it show. Selfish, heartless, psycho. Just more judgement from another person who has no idea what they're talking about. "You don't fucking know me." she corrects him, the words forced between gritted teeth, willing herself not to look at the hologram. But it's the words that follow that cause the crack in her facade. Her future does
not lie with you. A little too close to her own thoughts, perhaps. Thoughts that have been fast-tracked to the front of her mind by this visit. It's gotten harder and harder to ignore just how different they are. Just how different their lives have been. Her gaze flicks to the wanted listing, lingering on it for just a moment before turning back to Sau. "You say before that you want me to tell you about me, yes?" she
asks, the question still sounding like a challenge despite the scratchiness in her words replacing a bit of the previous bite.
Sau 's eyebrow rises almost imperceptibly. After a moment's pause he gestures for her to continue, stone-faced.
Jessica doesn't even bother waiting for his permission. It wasn't a sincere question so it doesn't need a response. "I spend my whole life there." her eyes flick towards the Adrasteia listing. "In a shitty apartment as big as one room in this-..." she snorts humorlessly, gaze drifting around the penthouse before rolling her eyes derisively, "...fucking place. With my brother. My mother. My father. Everyone I ever know-... everyone I
ever love is in this place. This shitty building. I fight for-..." she bites down, the man in front of her suddenly feeling even more like an affront to the live she's lived than he had previously. "...for everything I ever have. For everything my family has. And then, one day, a man with many credits comes to my home. A man who thinks that he is better than me. That he is better than all of us. A man who is never
fighting for anything. He is just taking, taking, taking. Because he can. Because nobody say to him that he can not. So he did not like it when we told him no." She pauses, letting her words linger for a moment as she stares holes through Sau. "But it did not matter. Because he has credits, mm? He can buy an army to take, take, take whatever he wants, mm? Since we will not move out of their way and let them take whatever
they want, they come to our building-... to our home. They block all of the ways out, and they light it on fire." she explains. It's delivered coldly. It's the only way she's able to say it out loud. This is not a man she cares to share personal, intimate details of her life with. It's far from any attempt at bonding or finding a middle ground. It's weaponized. Her head tilts, the burns that decorate her face prominently on
display. "Families. Children." she shrugs, giving a small shake of her head. "They do not care. We are nothing. We do not matter. We are underneath them." The silence that follows seems to make even her uncomfortable and, as if only sudden realizing how long it's passed, she gives a small roll of her shoulders, forcing herself to sit up straighter. "You do not know me because you see some-... some-..." she nods to the hologram,
"...and read some shit that some fuck says. But I know you." The edge of her mouth tugs upwards. "And if you are wanting for me to move out of your way? Then I hope you have a bigger fire than the last fuck that tried."
Sau listens in silence, impassive at first, although when Jessica speaks of the fire his mouth scrunches up and twists slightly to one side. Her final words to him makes his eyes narrow. he dismisses the hologram. "You most certainly do not know me. I am not some petty Terminus warlord who puts his adversaries to the torch. This is Earth. Civilization. And I am a reasonable man. So I will make you a reasonable offer. You sought to escape
the hell from which you came, so you latched onto my daughter. Someone of status. Wealth. I will not have you drag her down into depravity and soil her reputation, nor will I have you leech from her as she retakes her rightful place, but I understand the impulse to seek a better life. I do. So I can offer this..." A deep breath. "Break things off with my daughter. Sign a non-disclosure agreement, to ensure her reputation will not
be... besmirched. In return, a generous sum, say... a million credits, and transport aboard one of my ships to a world of your choice. A reasonable deal, I think. One that is in everyone's interest."
Jessica seems a bit smug as Sau begins to respond, seeming to believe that she's found that soft spot. A seam to pick at. It's what she's good at. She brings an elbow up, leaning it against the table in a show of comfort. But as he continues, the grin at the edge of her mouth slips a bit. The offer erases it entirely. A million credits. More money than she's ever even considered having. Enough for almost anyone to kickstart a new
beginning. Enough to replace a life lost. Enough to forget some rich brat. "This is what you are thinking that your daughter is worth...?" she asks, propping her amused grin back up. "Only one million credits?" She tilts her head, making a show of being unimpressed at the offer. "No, I am thinking that you can do better than this, yes?"
Sau 's expression shifts subtly as Jessica's words confirm his assumptions about her motives. "A question as bold as it is distasteful, Miss Kaya. Very well. Two million," he decides casually, as if it makes little difference to him. "Is that enough for you to let my daughter reclaim the life she was meant to live... unimpeded?" he asks, restrained venom in his voice.
Jessica snorts, amused that he finds her request distasteful. "Mm. I am a criminal. A killer!" she offers in defense, as if to say 'what did you expect?' She shifts in her seat once again to reach for her beer and takes a sip with a shake of her head. "But-... He was not a 'Terminus warlord'." she says as a 'by-the-way', giving a pointed, sidelong glance Sau's way. "The fuck who put my life on fire? Just another man from
Earth with too many credits." She rotates the beer in her hands, briefly studying the label again just to have somewhere to look as she considers the offer. "But it does not matter. You are thinking that I am being unfair for you, mm? Comparing you to him? He is a rich piece of shit from Earth so you are a rich piece of shit from Earth, yes?" Drawing in a breath, she sets the beer down and swivels to face Sau once more, leaning
forward a bit in her seat. "You run off your own daughter because she is gay." she says matter-of-factly and then gives a tilt of her head, trying to hammer that point home, "And, trust me, she is verrry gay." she drawls. "You push her away sooo far that she can not even say goodbye to her mother before she dies. And now? Now you are thinking that the way to fix all of this is to buy her back?" She studies Sau, trying to
see if any of this is getting through to him. "Because you can take, take, take whatever you want as long as you have enough credits, yes?" she adds, seeming to take some satisfaction in being able to point it out if the grin tugging at her lips is any indication. "Mm." she hums, nodding to herself, "This is why I am thinking you are a piece of shit." She brings a hand to the edge of the table and pushes herself to her
feet. "I usually do not like making deals with little bitches, but I will think about it." she says unceremoniously as she starts towards the balcony.
Sau 's face contorts in outrage that he is unable to conceal, slamming his palm against the table and standing up. "Do not think that I will tolerate such vileness! Out of love for my daughter I have offered you hospitality well beyond what is owed to a lowly wretch such as you, despite the insults and filth you spew, but do not think I will not have you expelled if need be!"
Jessica is quick to rotate on her heels to face Sau as he raises his voice. She gives a roll of her shoulders, stance widening slightly as if expecting a physical confrontation. Her eyes- one deep brown, the other a milky white- seek his out, shifting from his left to his right, waiting for him to make his move. "Do it." she drawls, her whole body tensing as she issues the challenge. Perhaps giving him a little too much credit that he'd
Sau draws in a long, slow breath, looking down at Jessica with undisguised contempt, but her words hit the mark, and his shoulders sink slightly as he exhales - he clearly realizes how precarious the situation with Yan Sun is. "I pray that you see reason," he says as he reluctantly backs off for the time being.
Jessica smirks. "Mm." she hums, nodding as he visibly backs down. "Is not reason. Is a spoiled man who does not like when he does not get his way." she corrects, smile widening briefly. "But do not worry." she relents sarcastically, giving a dismissive shrug. "Like I say before. I will think about it." she repeats, standing her ground as she stares him down, attempting to make it clear that he's not calling the shots here. "So have my
credit chit ready." she instructs, once more turning her back to him to continue towards the balcony.
Sau is fuming, but lets Jessica leave without another word, remaining where he is. After she's gone he huffs a breath, running a hand over his hair and walking off in the direction of his office, half-eaten dinner left behind.
Jessica doesn't bother looking back as she leaves the dining room but, as she nears the balcony, her shoulders slump, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Two million credits... More than enough to start over. And he's not wrong in believing that it would probably be best for Yan Sun, too. She knows that. She's always known that. Not that she'd give that rich fuck the satisfaction of admitting it, of course. She's a
wrecking ball and it would only be a matter of time before she brought everything down around Yan Sun as well. Besides, this was never going to be forever anyway. And ever since they arrived in this building, the writing on the wall has just become more and more clear. Yan Sun is destined for greater things. Expelling those feelings churning with a breath, she takes a quick glance through the windows flanking the balcony entrance to try and
There is no sign of Yan Sun on the elevated deck. Emerging onto the balcony, Jessica finds it no longer bathed in sunlight, the sky darkening above, but subtly integrated lights along railings, the bar, and several other places, maintain visibility without sacrificing atmosphere. In the green area, strategically placed spotlights illuminate the lush trees from below, and in the pool... colorful spectral fish swim around beneath the surface,
their movements incredibly lifelike. Distant, muted city noises and the gentle lapping of the pool's water against the edges are the only sounds.
Jessica frowns and steps over to the railing overlooking the pool. Leaning her forearms against it, she looks out over the lower deck in search of Yan Sun, on briefly distracted by the colorful fishies.
Jessica draws in a breath and starts down the stairs. She passes a brief glance out towards the cityscape beside her as she treks alongside the pool and into the artificial forest, seeking out any sign of Yan Sun.
It's a peaceful journey into the absurd miniature woods, the city, and Victoria Peak, keeping her company as she goes. Soon enough a small figure comes into view. Yan Sun, sitting in the dirt underneath a tree next to the furthest curve of the artificial river. She's curled into a ball, legs pulled in close, arms crossed over her knees, cheek resting against them as she watches the gently flowing water. She hasn't noticed Jessica, lost in her
Jessica continues to meander along, the serene setting of the fake forest unintentionally causing her to slow her pace as she finds herself unable to avoid considering what it would feel like to have two million credits. What kind of difference would that kind of money made to her family? To any family in Adrasteia? And here is a man with so much that he can throw that sort of money at his problems just to make them go away. But as
she spots a figure ahead of her she pauses, finding her thoughts shifting to the person who stands to be hurt most by all of this. To the past few months of her life that have taken a turn she never could have anticipated. And for a while she remains where she is, merely watching Yan Sun, a soft frown etched into her features. But eventually she approaches. "Hey, slut." she offers, her words lacking much enthusiasm.
Yan Sun startles when Jessica's familiar greeting brings her out of her head, head lifting as she looks her way. "Hey..." she exhales, watching her for a brief moment, a wet shine to her eyes before they close with a sigh, her shoulders slumping. "Sorry..."
Jessica doesn't bother waiting for an invitation before she drops onto the ground beside Yan Sun. She scoots up against the woman and extends one leg out in front of her, resting her arm against her other knee. "Mm." she hums before adding bluntly: "Your father is a fuck."
Yan Sun props her chin against her arms, eyes opening once more, gaze on the water. "Yeah..." she sighs.
Jessica falls silent, her shoulder pressing against Yan Sun. For a few moments she simply joins in on watching the water. "You are wanting for me to stab him?" she jokes, head tilting Yan Sun's way and giving a small raise of her brows. "Since I like you, I can even give a discount. For you? Only two million credits."
Yan Sun lets out a quiet, half-hearted snort, turning her head to look at Jessica, her other cheek now resting on her arm. "I shouldn't have left like that. I-... I just had to..." she trails off, gaze falling away as she swallows. She ends the sentence with a faint shrug.
Jessica snickers, though it's short lived, finding far less amusement in her own little inside joke than expected. Instead, it just makes that pit in her stomach grow. So she ignores it. "Is fine." she offers quietly.
Jessica's gaze drops a bit and at first she just watches the river. It would be so easy to light Sau up right now. To just tell her everything. And she'd be well within her right to do so. He's an asshole who thinks he can throw his credits around to get whatever he wants. But it would probably take the deal off the table and... and it's about more than just that, isn't it? It's not hard to see how badly Yan Sun wants
to believe that her father has changed. That there's a chance at some kind of olive branch there- at some kind of reconciliation. And who can blame her? Especially after she just found out that it's a chance she'll never get with her mother. And maybe he has changed to some degree. Who is Jessica to say? What she just saw from Sau certainly wasn't a good look, but... who really gets hurt if she tells Yan Sun the truth? She
blinks away her distant thoughts, brow furrowing as a frown crosses her face and she shakes her head. "Not really. He is just being annoying." She glances over to Yan Sun, propping up an annoying smirk, "Like you. Definitely your father, kitty cat." she teases before offering a shrug and leaning back, once more looking to the water, "I just tell to him to fuck off and came to look for you." she explains dismissively.
Yan Sun lets out another quiet snort, this one more sincere. A sniffle follows, and she lifts her head to free her arm, using her thumb to brush away a tear that's escaped one eye. "Thank you for trying tonight. I'm sorry about the way he was..." she trails off with a sigh, looking out at the water.
Jessica nods softly. And then more silence passes as she wrestles with her thoughts. "I do not care what he thinks." she finally says. She passes another glance Yan Sun's way, "You should not either." she says, shoulders bouncing slightly in a shrug as she studies the woman beside her. "I see how you are being when he is around. My time away from Earth was-... it was soooo rewarding and so much education!"
she mocks playfully, stumbling through an unflattering- and quite frankly inaccurate- impression of Yan Sun. If nothing else, it seems to amuse her, grin widening. But it doesn't last long and, as the grin fades, there's a hint of sadness buried somewhere beneath it. She seems to catch herself and shifts her focus back to the river, idly rocking her foot back and forth. "You do not need to impress him, kitty cat..." she adds.
Yan Sun looks a little embarrassed by Jessica's impression, lifting her head and looking her way to protest. "I wasn't... I just wanted..." She sighs, quickly giving up. Instead her gaze shifts to an arbitrary spot between two trees. "It used to be the most important thing in the world when I was younger..." she says quietly, the words laced with a complicated mix of emotions. Resentment. Shame. Wistfulness.
Yan Sun shrugs slightly. "I... I don't know. He got me the best education, the best tech. Anything I ever wanted, really. And in return, he had all these expectations, and I always... I wanted to live up to them. Wanted to make him proud. He would talk about how SunTech was our family's legacy. About how my grandfather had built it from nothing, and it'd be my responsibility some day..."
Jessica looks down at her shoe, focusing on a speck of dirt as she listens. For all of her parents flaws- and there were many flaws- she never felt like she had to earn their love. "My family did not have a legacy. Is maybe better this way." she decides with a snicker.