#VVApartment – June 24, 2026

Va'ynna enters the apartment with a slight shiver, as a green long-sleeved shirt and plain black pants is not sufficient for even a relatively mild winter day like today. "I need a new jacket," she muses tiredly to herself as she crouches down to take off her boots.

Victoria has mostly been at the Siren's Call for the better half of the day, helping the ship's engineers and the space port's mechanic that was hired to lend an extra set of hands on the repairs. She got back to the apartment a little bit before Va'ynna did. She was making her way to the kitchen from the bathroom, stopping after she sees Va'ynna at the door. "Oh hey sweetheart." She had

Va'ynna stands back up after putting away her boots, and walks up to Victoria. "Hey," she says softly, sounding tired. "How... are the ship repairs going?" She glances past Victoria at the couch, but remains by her for now.

Victoria continues drying her as Va'ynna approaches. "It's going well enough." She notices Va'ynna looking towards the couch. "Why don't you take a seat, I'll be over shortly." She moves out of Va'ynna's way and towards the kitchen.

Va'ynna nods softly and does walk over to take a seat in the couch with a weary sigh, closing her eyes. "Good," she says. "I hasn't been as... useful today. Li gave me a... lesson in paleontology," there is some fondness in her voice, but it's barely there, "I then had lunch with her, Jason and Ilyna, and... then went to see my colleagues." That's not a day that should exhaust Va'ynna, but she did not sleep well last

Victoria once in the kitchen grabs herself a glass and fills with water. "That's good, what did you learn from Professor Li?" Deciding to ask about Li first, before asking about the Respite. Almost as quickly as her glass is full, she gulps down the water in the glass before placing it in the sink.

Va'ynna tilts her head to the side in thought. "I didn't know that would be on the test," she says, not sounding as jokingly as she may have intended. "Well, just... telling me about different extinct Earth megafauna and... their behavior." The asari sinks further into her seat.

Victoria starts making her way over to the couch, she hangs the towel for now on the edge of the kitchen counter top. "Got enough information to decide on your favourite extinct megafauna?" She reaches the couch rather quickly and takes a seat next to Va'ynna.

Va'ynna hums thoughtfully, and briefly opens her eyes when Victoria sits down next to her, but she shift closer yet. "Not yet," she murmurs softly. "I think I'll need more lessons... when I'm not so tired." Her hand, still cold from being briefly outside, seeks out Victoria's hand.

Victoria takes Va'ynna's hand in both of her own hands, not caring about how cold it is. "One thing I can say for sure. Tired or not, is that we gotta warmed you up." Her own hands warm from being in the shower and inside longer than Va'ynna.

Va'ynna gives a tiny smile at the warm hand against hers, and she does reach out with her other hand to steal more of Victoria's warmth. "Mhm," she says. "I... didn't think to look for my other jacket until... Enila was already here to pick me up this morning."

Victoria smiles back at Va'ynna. "And you left how you were cause you didn't want her to wait?" She shifts closer to Va'ynna. "You could have took one of mine, might not of fit quite as well but something is better than nothing."

Va'ynna snorts softly, looking a little bit embarrassed. "Yes," she says just above a whisper, and she does lean on Victoria when she shifts closer. "I should have, but... my mind was somewhere else this morning." There is some sadness in her tone at that, but it shouldn't be hard to guess that is was probably not somewhere good.

Victoria squeezes Va'ynna's hand. "I know, love." She takes a second before deciding to bring up something that might shift the mood, wanting to have Va'ynna think about something more pleasant. "I mean, once the Siren's maintenance is done you won't need to worry about needing a new jacket for a while." She gives Va'ynna a playful nudge with her elbow. "Take a detour to somewhere with

Va'ynna leans her head against Victoria's. "I haven't changed my mind on that," she says. "But I... hope we can find somewhere safe with a beach." She closes her eyes and leans on Vcitoria. "What... other planets will we be visiting? This isn't just... a trip for us two, right?"

Victoria keeps the smile on her face as Va'ynna leans on her. "Well, gotta pick up some new equipment for Redrock. So if there is anywhere you wanna go, I am sure I can sweet talk the crew into taking a detour." She stops for a moment. "We will just tell the chief that we got held up by local customs officers or something."

Va'ynna looks thoughtful as she closes her eyes again, seeming a bit hesitant to answer the question. "I... I was thinking, maybe... Armali if... the Siren's Call could go there," she says. "I would like to see that... place again." She lets out a soft sight, and she adds, "And... Nari is there." She sounds a little bit angry in the addition, but mostly tired.

Victoria sits for silent for a moment. "I don't think the Siren should be on any Council space's lists. We primarily stayed in the Terminus." She continues to ponder on that for a moment. "I'll have to check with Austin and Rubia about that, so maybe to that one."

Va'ynna looks disappointed as Victoria answers, even if she may have expected as much. "I... understand, it's... it wouldn't ruin the trip if we can't go," she says. "Nari... would probably not be... any more helpful in person anyway." Her eyes are still closed.

Victoria frees one of her hands from Va'ynna's cold grip, she wraps her newly free arm around Va'ynna. "I just gotta double check with them, I don't think it will be an issue but they will know if I am forgetting something."

Va'ynna leans heavier on Victoria as an arm is wrapped around her, and she has her eyes closed. "Thank you," she says. "So... what will we be... doing on the ship? Will we be spending most of our time on the bridge?" Her voice is quiet, not much above a whisper.

Victoria gives Va'ynna's shoulder a squeeze. "You will probably have free reign of the ship. Rubia will most likely be on my ass if I am spending more time with you than doing my captain's duty." She gives a somewhat defeated sigh. "But when I ain't on duty, I guess most of our time will probably be in the mess or my cabin."

Va'ynna hums faintly at the answer, and it takes a few moments before she answers. "I... said 'we'," she says. "It will take some time before I... start to feel... comfortable... walking around alone on the ship, I think, but... maybe I'm wrong."

Victoria relaxes in her further into the couch. "I don't think it will take you too long. Karth seemed eager to have someone new to see Tovix's tricks." She starts leaning into Va'ynna now at this point. "I have a feeling you might get a little bored with being on the ship after a while. You might not have too much to do."

Va'ynna raises an eyebrow. "Karth... is a krogan," she whispers, figuring that is answers enough as to why she might not be so eager to seek him out on her own, "but... you'll be with me." She continues in a whisper, as well, and her voice is starting to sound more distant. "I... also used to be an expert at wasting time, back when... I had... that luxury, so I'll... think of something to do."

Victoria gives Va'ynna another squeeze with the arm she wrapped around the asari. "Well, I am sure when I am off duty we can do something that will keep us both busy." Her usual jovial tone coming to the surface. She shifts her head and plants a kiss on Va'ynna's cheek.

Va'ynna lets out a faint gasp at being squeezed, but the kiss is just answered by a brief smile. It takes her a moment to realize -- or assume -- what Victoria is aluding to, and she looks a bit embarrassed. She gives a weak affirmative hum, and another brief smile shows up, but she doesn't give any answer beyond that.

Victoria gives a chuckle at Va'ynna's reaction. "Oh don't act all innocent now, I remember that look you had when I first brought up going to a beach." She teases. "Lucky I got someone who owes me a favor who owns a place on Elek'cin. Since of the corpo interest, most sane people don't fuck with their security." She figures tacking that last part on would sell Va'ynna on it.

Va'ynna jolts a bit as her half-asleep state is interrupted by Victoria's teasing accusation. "Wh-no, I... know what you meant, and... I do hope I'll be... in the mood for it," she says. "Are you sure... they're really fine with... you borrowing their place? That it won't... mean trouble for us?"

Victoria smirks and nods her head. "Yeah, they will be fine with us doing that. He offered some time there for a old cargo job I did for them, he probably thinks I forgot all about it." She remains silent for a moment. "I'll send him a message tomorrow, he shouldn't have an issue he travels quite a bit and has places everywhere."

Va'ynna nods slightly, though uncertainty shows briefly in her otherwise sleepy face. "I see, I... I'll trust you," she says, her voice starting to slip away again. She then sits up straight and takes a deep breath as she tenses her muscles. "I need to... do something so I don't fall asleep...; maybe we can start on dinner." She then casts a glance towards the hallway. "After... a warm shower."

Victoria watches Va'ynna sit straight. "Hey, I'm quite reliable." Her standard smirk on her face. "I guess I can start getting things prepared while you are in the shower. Unless you need a hand with washing your back."

Va'ynna looks at Victoria with a tilted head. "I... I'll be okay," she says. "I would have liked to join you, but... you couldn't wait, I guess." It may come across as less light-hearted than intended due to how tired and weary she sounds. She then stands up, taking another deep breath.

Victoria looks at Va'ynna and gives an exaggerated insulted face. "I'm sorry, I smelled like grease and sweat." Her tone matching her exaggerated facial expression. She gives a defeated sign. "Guess I will just be out here, getting things ready for us to cook."

Va'ynna starts walking over to the bathroom, not showing much of a reaction to the face Victoria's making. She would have taken that offer of help on a normal day, but today is not that. "I'll be quick," she says, a promise she may not be able to keep in her state.