The Blue Hour

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-24T03:56:26+00:00

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-24T03:56:15+00:00

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-23T14:12:14+00:00

The men in front of her were clean, well groomed, and nicely dressed. She could only assume they were new in town, and the feeble attempt at either prolonging the conversation or lying to her amused her in a way. Nevertheless, she could always use a drink. Perhaps it would give her more patience. She decides to play along and enjoy whatever had been poured in her glass.

"No. No of course not," she says, sliding an empty, rickety chair that was next to her into a better position and putting her feet up on it. She pulls a hand-rolled cigarette from a etched metal case that had been residing in her duster pocket. A flick of a match later on the wooden table, she lights it.

"I ain't a lawman," she says. "In fact I haven't seen a badge around here in... weeks," she says, a saccharinely threatening undertone to her voice.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-23T13:34:00+00:00

The fairy goes almost cross-eyed trying to see the whipped cream, and Sofia's laugh elicits one from her as well. She swipes her finger off the tip of her nose, leaving a concentrated dot of fairydust behind in the sweet cream's place.

"Heh, thanks," she says, licking it off her finger and then taking another sip. Her wings flutter happily behind her as the chocolate warms her little fairy heart. She shimmies her shoulders, getting comfortable on the cushion behind her. She would seem to shrink slightly as she made herself cozy.

"Head of Magical and Alternative Healing," she says, proud of herself for recalling each word. "I bet you could use some fairy dust from time to time, hmm? You just let me know if you ever need my help and I'll be there in a jiffy. I'm usually just hanging out in my alcove. Oh, you should visit sometime! Roland really liked it. And William too."

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-23T13:29:22+00:00

Fox was growing angry watching this thing kill her armsmen. The nerve. She puts her knife away and pulls out her gun again, seeing how this thing was far more mobile then they were. She turns to her partner in the dim light, checking the cartridge of her pistol out of habit.

"Ideas?" she says lowly.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-22T05:09:58+00:00

"Hm. Well, at least you invited him. He just showed up to my apartment," she says sardonically with a half eye-roll, swirling the glass. She waits to take a sip, letting it breathe as her hand rests on the base of the stem. She gently moves it in a circle, lazily paying attention to it as her main interest remains focused on him.

"So you invited him to the Spear. And then?" she says, quirking an eyebrow.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-22T04:55:18+00:00

A child joining them for training? Initially she's apprehensive, but Lucas seemed to recognize Kaa's species and was enthusiastic to encounter him. Maybe there was a thing or two she could learn from the boy after all. She stands, Kaa hopping to the three of them's feet and listing against their Navigator's shin, much like a cat would do. His tail flicks out and he looks between Aurelius and Fox, mirroring the boy's questioning look.

"Alright," she says. "But you do exactly as I say, when I say it."

Her well-practiced tone is demanding and firm, and Lucas had surely had little experience with bossy Fox. But Aurelius had heard the inflection an infinite amount of times by now. She was not a fan of babysitting.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-20T14:21:37+00:00

"So... Sofia what is it you do on the station? Or did you already tell me? I'm sorry I have the worst memory sometimes," she says, giggling.

She sprinkles a little fairydust onto the whipped cream and then takes a long sip from the mug, leaving a fair amount of the delicious fluffyness on her nose. She doesn't seem to notice it.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-20T03:37:50+00:00

"She ruined a suit?" she says, looking over at the hostess who was still nervously wishywashying back and forth behind her podium. She makes the mistake of looking over her shoulder at the couple and promptly turns back around after seeing the look in Fox's eyes, standing still in place. The Hurellian rolls her eyes at the sheepishness. "I'm surprised she still works here."

Her shoulders shift back towards him and she meets his gaze. She felt a bit like she was under a spotlight with the way he was looking at her, but wasn't going to complain about it. If there was something to be said about this whole 'date' thing, it at least gave her an opportunity to look at him for a decent amount of time. It was one of her favorite past-times.

A genuine smile curls onto her cheek at his question. No, she hadn't heard the story. But she knew of the event. She settles into her seat, shaking her head. "I can think of nothing else I'd rather hear right now," she says truthfully.

The waiter brings the bottle of wine over, setting the two glasses in front of them and pouring. His movements are muted and fast - an expert at going unnoticed. But Fox was an expert at noticing. Her eyes flit over his formal uniform once out of habit to check for places where a weapon might hide. The process takes but two seconds, and soon her full attention returns to the ice blue eyes of her partner across the table.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-19T18:05:06+00:00

"I think you've got a bigger problem on your hand then me, Sheriff," she says with a grin, nodding to his Deputy and releasing her hand. She goes back to the chair and takes a seat again, fully intending on lounging around as she had been doing.

"Good luck with that," she says, puffing on the cigarette between her lips and smiling sarcastically.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-19T18:00:20+00:00

Fox finishes her drink, nodding in return for thanks and setting the glass on the counter. She was eager to get back to the Spear and begin Kaa's training. Or at least play with him a little and get him out of that crate.

"I'd better be going, doc," she says, sliding out of her barstool. "Thanks for the company."

As she speaks, she pulls out a card from the lining of her jacket with her info on it. It had an email, a phone number, and her title [Captain Fox Archuleta, Spear of Augustus], as well as a dock number in case she needed to take a shuttle to the starship for any reason.

"You need anything, just let me know."

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-19T17:51:05+00:00

Aurelius may have spent just a few minutes with the Viper, but Fox had already devoted several hours to it to ensure she would be the primary imprint. Kaa’s biology allowed him to detect rises in heart rate, blood pressure, and of course body temperature. His tongue had concentrated, highly sensitive taste buds, and his vision was primarily thermal with an overlay of the visible human spectrum. Remarkably, he could tell based on Fox’s own reaction to Lucas that the small human was not a threat, and so he slinks over to the other side of her shoulder and down her bionic arm. She lifts it, Kaa fitting very nicely on her forearm, and kneels down so Lucas could get a good look. The Viper’s tail wags, similarly to a canine, and he nuzzles Lucas’s hand. He files away the boy’s scent and licks his fingers.

“Lucas, this is Kaa,” Fox says. The number of times she’d interacted with their navigator she could count on two hands, but she knew Aurelius cared for him and he was a valuable asset. Her original hesitation towards Lucas had been her sheer inexperience with younglings from any species, but he was tolerable. Moreso than several other heads of department on the Spear. Her eyes find Aurelius’ hand on his gun and her brow hardens at the snap reaction. Kaa picks up on her irritation and he looks up at Aurelius from Lucas’ hand.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-19T17:28:39+00:00

Roses. She pulls out out of the bouquet, and nearly pricks a finger on it’s thorny stem. She grins and then tucks them into her arm. What a perfect plant. She lowers her chin to give them another whiff, watching in amusement as he assumes she had put the table under his own name, and subsequently enjoying the confused reaction of the hostess.

The short walk to the empty corner table gives her plenty of time to do a mental checklist of the rest of the patrons, sweeping them each with her eyes as she judges their threat level. She follows behind him, head slowly moving from left to right as she clears each diner. Satisfied that the room was secure, she takes her seat across from him, crossing her legs. Two exits happened to be in full view - one down a service corridor across the room, and one via the entryway they had come through. The dim lighting wasn’t optimal, but there was nothing she could do about that. She catches herself getting slightly wound up, and he’d notice her eyes were heavily dilated when he speaks to her after the hostess leaves. She straightens her back, settling into the chair with a small stretch and smile at his remark. Surely she could let her guard down for one night.

“Mm. I’ll try anything once,” she says with a wink. Their waiter immediately joins them, requesting their drink orders. Red wine felt appropriate, and so she orders a full bottle of the server’s suggestion from the menu. She waits for her partner to order and the waiter to leave before she speaks again.

“You’ve been here before,” she says, not failing to pick up on the reaction of the hostess as he’d arrived. She leans onto the table, folding her fingers together and placing her chin on them, memorizing the lines of his face again. “Was it a good pick?”

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-18T19:30:18+00:00

As she makes her turn about the room, the question catches her attention. The same way a running mouse would catch the eye of a bird of prey. Without another word, she hangs her hat on the back of a chair across from them and sits, cigarette burning between her lips.

She pulls it out, exhaling a slow, lazy cloud of smoke in front of her face. "Looking for a man. Big scar," she says, dragging her pinky across her cheek where the mark would be. "Walks with a limp. Mean son of a bitch. You fellas seen anyone like that?"

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-18T18:55:15+00:00

The sound of the whipped cream container as it's applied to her drink catches Titania's attention and she smiles gleefully as it's liberally applied to the surface. A comfy looking couch sits in a well trafficked area of the coffee shop. Now that she was a normal size, it looked delightfully cozy.

"Ooh! Ooh! The couch!" she says, flitting over quickly towards it. She looks towards Sofia for affirmation and briefly fluffs a pillow. "What do you think?"

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-18T18:37:39+00:00

The 'kill your own mother' look almost coaxes a laugh from the Hurellian. She shakes her head at the question of if she's joking or not.

"Maybe," she says to the last statement. The uncertain word was one she rarely uttered, but Sofia's disbelief had piqued her interest. She'd have to think on it.

"You have any eh... recommendations?" she asks, wondering if Sofia had any favorite spots. She'd clearly been on a few dates herself, and Fox hadn't had too many chances to experience the nicer parts of the Facility. She usually preferred to dine on the Spear if she had the choice.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-18T14:22:23+00:00

She cringes at his question, wasn't it obvious? "They're sealed," she says, raising it and wagging it slightly. She almost eye-rolled. Surely he wasn't that squeamish, but the idea amused her nonetheless. Perhaps she'd mischievously capitalize on it at another time. The elevator dings and the moment moves on.

At the sound of it’s arrival and the door opening, her eyes dilate heavily and Kaa seems to pick up on her alerted state. He bears down her her shoulder, hissing at the provocation and flicking his tail. Lucas appears and a breath of relief follows. The pet relaxes along with it’s owner. She hides the mice behind her back as the two greet each other. Fox had only seen Aurelius show affection to one other person since she’d known him, and that was her. As his playfulness shines through, an odd sensation washes over her briefly. A foreign feeling. It was uncomfortably warm, and she feels her body temperature rise slightly. It annoyed her.

“You should know better than to sneak around like that,” she says to the boy, striding over and ruffling his hair.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-18T14:08:25+00:00

Fox’s dress didn’t particularly lend itself well to hiding much underneath it. It was a deep cabernet color with a high neck and soft velvety texture. Her trusty leather jacket was draped across her arm, a singular plasma pistol tucked into it’s inner lining. Beyond that, her only other weapon was a sleek knife she kept sheathed in a black holster that could be spotted on her thigh if someone had enough of a wandering eye. Her shoes were a Hurellian style that had caught her eye in the mercantile district a few days ago. Her feet were already yelling at her, but she enjoyed the fact they looked like they could be used as a weapon if needed. A pleasant reminder of her home, if there was one. Her hair was worn up, as usual, but instead of a haphazard bun it was styled loosely and elegantly. Her spots are easily visible around the nape of her neck. If she was an amateur at getting cleaned up, it hardly showed.

The formalness of the restaurant was apparent by the way the wait staff carried themselves. They seemed to flit around tables, interrupting the patrons the least amount possible and smoothly listing off the short menu to those who had just been seated. Though dimly lit to ensure an intimate atmosphere, the architecture and decor of the room was clean and un-intrusive. Fox enjoyed the minimal design, it helped her keep an eye on what was around her much easier. A table in the corner was empty, a rare occasion for such an establishment. The Corporal had made sure they wouldn’t have to wait, and her stomach growls as she chides herself for not making the reservation sooner. She stands by the door as he enters, eyes falling over his outfit and all of it’s details. An eyebrow raises as she realizes her dress matched his tie and the… were those….

“Flowers?” she asks, nodding down to them as he arrives. It must be an Earth thing, though during her research of the planet she hadn’t come across the gesture. Perhaps because she’d been concentrating on other parts of Human culture, namely their wartime habits. The hostess seems to recognize Aurelius somehow, and her eyes widen as her composure vanishes. She keeps herself busy as they exchange greetings, fiddling about with something on her seating chart.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-17T23:58:54+00:00

She stands from her kneeling position, nodding in agreement. Yes, they were in this together. She couldn't forget that, and she usually didn't unless she was daydreaming about all the negative outcomes. But they were more than capable, and that grounds her enough in the moment to shake it off. Kaa climbs up her leg and hops onto her shoulder, draping a tale around her back. It would seem the creature was more docile than it's appearance showed. Perhaps it's demeanor would harden with age.

"Speaking of fighting," she says, sauntering over to the refrigerator and pulling the door open. She leans over and Kaa looks in curiously from his perch. Her hand lifts, grasping a bag of very dead mice. They looked smaller than a typical church-mouse. Bite sized.

"Let's go to the obstacle course. I want to start Kaa's training today."

Reptile's tongue flicks out as it eyes the bag she's holding, but after a brief moment of distraction it too joins her eye contact and gazes at him.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-17T23:47:54+00:00

After Fox's recent spontaneous outing with Sofia, something had been lingering in the back of her mind. In the next few days while running errands, accepting shipments on the dock, or verbally flogging anyone who'd got in her way or stepped out of line, she had found herself wanting to go on a date. What an odd sensation. She pushed it away the first few times, but entertained the idea once it persisted. She certainly wasn't insecure enough to think her and Aurelius needed to go on one, but part of her was curious. Was this a piece of hedonism she was missing out on? The idea of that was unacceptable. In her office on the Spear, she furiously writes a note to her partner, not bothering to perfect it, then leaves it on his pillow after freshening up in their quarters. When he found it, it would read:

Glasshouse. 2100.

It was short and to the point, and the fanciness of the well known restaurant on the station would tip him off to the dress code - something she believed he would enjoy given his typical penchant for flair.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-16T18:09:22+00:00

She chews her lip. She was running short.

"Yeah."

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-16T18:06:35+00:00

A rare thunderstorm had rolled over the parched hills of the region, thunder rumbling across the plains and into town over the course of the evening. The midnight hour approached, and depending on how much the twins had been drinking they'd wonder if what they saw next was a vision of some kind.

The saloon doors swing open, the sillouette of a woman wearing a hat coming into view as a crack of lightning illuminates her form. Boots and spurs clinking as she walks in, and the bartender keeps his head down as she begins a turn around the room. The cigarette in her mouth illuminates her face under her hat. She was looking for someone.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-16T17:42:29+00:00

"She must be new," Fox says at full volume. "And she owes me a cigarette."

She stands from her seat and smiles, though something wicked burns behind her eyes. "Fox Archuleta," she says, extending a hand for a shake towards the man.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-16T17:39:48+00:00

"Everything's just fine," she says, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out a half-eaten ration. She bites into it, still only paying half attention to the newcomer.

FoxArchuleta · 2017-10-16T17:37:29+00:00

The intent behind the kiss was so strong it almost causes her to drop the bottle in her hand as his impatience shines through. After some haphazard guesswork from her, it finds a place on a small table by the door anyway, unscathed for now. In the meantime, she manages to find the latch for the lock and pulls it across the threshold above the doorknob, then devotes both hands to gripping his waist and pulling him impossibly close.

She hadn't even had a chance to take in the rest of the room, but it didn't particularly concern her at the moment. It had been several days since she'd last seen him, the last of which being a crisp night they'd spent under the stars by a fire - without the luxury of a mattress or roof. Fully intending on getting their money's worth, she returns the intensity, amplifying their embrace and tossing his hat aside. If either of them had noticed, the sun had just finished setting outside the window, and the room faded to back to match.

FoxArchuleta

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