( OPEN )

[fhux]

WHO: Hux & YOU
WHAT: His first month in the Quarantine.
WHEN: Feb.
WHERE: All over! Tag his open prompt or contact me for a private thread.
WARNINGS: tba

i. central perk in space.

[ It has been so long since Hux was planetside (aside from Starkiller Base which doesn't really count because nothing was new there, culturally, after the First Order set down roots) that for his first couple of weeks without duties, responsibilities, or even a timetable, he flounders for what to do with himself. After throwing himself into his work at the Perimeter Guard (training and such menial obstacles that must be overcome with his indictment) and messaging the network only to find a wealth of the Resistance skulking around, determined to sabotage his attempts to do exactly anything, not to mention Kylo Ren running wild with the most common of ruffians available, Armitage decides Kriff this and goes into the city with no clear purpose. It's horrible yet somehow soothing to have no direction and aimlessly wander, discovering this and that along the way. He takes notes of local engineering workshops and purchases what passes for a datapad from some galaxy he's never heard of, spends a little too long outside a pet store watching a young batch of kittens under a For Sale sign (Millicent), and indulges in rating caff-shops. Or coffee-shops, whatever they're called.

He finds one in particular that he likes. No one knows him or looks twice when he steps inside, half-anxious FN-2187 or Dameron is going to pop up like a mouthy sarlacc and shriek obscenities at him, but he purchases a black caff and some cookies and sits down near a window in peaceful silence, greatcoat folded beside him and the new datapad his current focus as he attempts to reprogram its language into Basic. It's a relaxing task and somewhat flexes his technical skills, keeping his head down so that he is soon absorbed in his work, occasionally raking back loose red hair that flops forward without the usual regulation pomade, sweater sleeves rolled up as the heat of the shop seeps into his pale skin. Oddly, he thinks of his quiet talks with Phasma at the end of her shifts whenever she would approach him in his private quarters to log reports, and he misses the subtle humour that would wryly peel through her helmet as he drank his bitter tea, gently ribbing back and forth. He misses ... a lot about home. Yet, even though most of his time was objectively spent alone on the Finalizer, never has he had the time to actually feel lonely. There has always been something to do.

Armitage isn't happy but neither is he despairing anymore, which is as good as he suspects it will get on this moon. At least the caff is decent and no one is adding new bruises to his collection of faded relics. ]

ii. shuttle adventure. (closed to jim kirk)

[ It's a matter of time before one of the Resistance sabotages his attempts to get anything of worth done at Armitage's new job (he still isn't sure what to do with himself, exactly) but before they do he intends to get as good of an overview of what he's dealing with as possible, and that means actual legwork. No longer does he have a star-destroyer to simply scan the terrain on his behalf and relay any salient information; no, today he arrives on what passes for the Guard's shuttle bay with his homemade datapad under an arm, greatcoat buttoned (minus any insignia that might set off an unwanted confrontation) and ungelled hair whipping in the wind as he approaches the owner of the craft.

Not knowing what to expect with the rebels an unknown factor lurking in the shadows, he straightens up near Kirk and clears his throat. Manages a tight smile. (Certain factors run through his mind, taking note of the height and muscle Kirk has on him, comforted by the concealed blaster and knife Hux decided to keep hidden away on his person ... just in case.) ]

Captain. If you and your vessel are ready and willing, I believe I'm a little early for our tour of the Abandoned City.

iii. getting up, close and wet. (closed to valkyrie)

[ The only significant amount of time Hux spends in the public apartments is to shower, distrustful of the showers at the Perimeter Guard which are so close to the hygiene sectors that Stormtroopers use he can't bear to imagine setting foot inside them. So his routine goes as follows; enter the apartment with spare clothes and toiletries in his satchel, head straight to the showers, return to the bedroom and change into fresh clothes. He keeps a hairbrush and spare towel in the drawers next to his allotted bed, which is fortunate because today he doesn't have another towel to dry his hair with and, having discovered Tico is a resident on the same floor, he would rather not linger longer than necessary.

The aggressive woman known as Valkyrie is, of course, therefore passed out on his bed with her feet in the way of the drawers he needs to get into, dripping and cold in a single towel wrapped around his waist. She's the violent type, he has vaguely heard, so when it comes to waking her up he doesn't take any chances.

Armitage uses someone else's pillow to throw at her head, himself keeping a safe distance. In a cutting tone usually appropriated on the bridge of the Finalizer, he barks, ] Up, now!

Comments

[winscenario]

[ Luckily for Hux, Jim is yet to be put up to speed about this particular development. To be fair, Jim has been away on a mission for a while, and he's only been back a few days, so that doesn't leave a lot of time to be caught up on certain things. In this case, it works in Hux's favor; when he steps out onto the shuttle bay, he's greeted with a friendly smile, and Jim thoughtlessly offers a hand for a shake. ]

Hux. [ He tilts his head, lips quirking into a lopsided grin. He can't very well let that wording slide without a comment, now can he. ] Oh, you'll come to find that I'm always ready and willing.

[ Anyway— he's been getting the shuttle ready for their flight, so with pleasantries exchanged, he nods for Hux to follow him as he steps into the shuttle. ]

[fhux]

[ He hesitates for a moment then takes Jim's hand to shake in his own gloved one, unused to the gesture but quick to pick up on it. ]

I'm glad to hear it. [ Any double-entendre is entirely absent, lost on Hux who shifts his attention from Jim to the ship as they head in. ] So, this is the Intrepid. She's about the same size as an AAL or Upsilon-class command shuttle, minus the retractable wings. Bigger than I expected.

[ Not that he sounds unimpressed, it's not a bad ship. ]

[winscenario]

[ Aw Hux. He was going to have a bit of fun teasing him, but he's not terribly disappointed that the double meaning goes right over his head. There's a tug to his smile but he's quick to shift his attention to the talk about the shuttle, evidently interested in what Hux has to say. ]

Well, it's not a starship, but she takes me where I need to go on the moon. I wouldn't have minded a warp drive, but can't be too choosy around here. [ He takes up one of the pilot seats at the front, gesturing for Hux to take the other one. He trusts him to know his way around a shuttle so he doesn't ask if he needs help buckling up. ]

I did some alterations to the interface, so it's a little closer to what I'm used to. Still, fairly intuitive to those used to starships and space shuttles. [ He nods to Hux. ] I take it you can pilot shuttles too? Or am I wrong to assume?

[fhux]

Warpdrive sounds like the sister-term of hyperdrive, that's what we call it.

[ His smile quirks once more as he locks into the seat, peering at the controls. ]

I can, it's required of every officer. Not that I've personally done it in a while, [ he defers to Jim here with a glance, ] the benefits of rank and so forth, but I know my way around most control panels and sensor arrays. My field of expertise is engineering.

[winscenario]

It is, actually. We used to call them hyperdrives, so the term isn't entirely unfamiliar to me.

[ He's also heard Poe and other people refer to it by that term, so he's all the more used to it around here. ]

Yeah, I get what you mean. [ He nods. It's not often he gets to fly a shuttle either, though he'd wager a guess and say he did it a little more often than Hux, before coming here that is. Here, he does it every week, almost every day. ] Well, if you feel like giving it a try while we're out there, just let me know.

[ For now, he revs up the engines once they're both securely strapped in, opening the shuttle bay doors and flying the shuttle past them at a slow speed at first. With the inertial dampeners online, though, Hux shouldn't feel any acceleration, even when he does pick up speed eventually. ]

iii.

[trashvalkyrie]

[The thing is, Valkyrie doesn't pay a whole lot of attention to where she's passing out. Sometimes she falls asleep in the common room and Steve has to carry her back to bed. Sometimes she falls asleep on the kitchen floor. Sometimes she falls asleep in the bed next to hers because they all look the same in the dark.

As such, she really has no clue she's not in her own bed. And she's very, very tired after a long day of work and a longer night of partying down. So when the pillow hits her, she grumbles awake, lifting her head with great effort and turning to see a man in a towel and only a towel, barking at her to get up.

One hand shoves her hair out of her face, and she gives him a bleary-eyed look.]

There are nicer ways to wake a girl up for a booty call, you know.

[What? She's just connecting the dots as best she can, here.]

[fhux]

[ The withering look he lays upon her could be best described as 'Man Who Drinks Bitter Tea Becomes His Favoured Snack'. ]

You'll need to move, Valkyrie, if I'm to retrieve my possessions.

[ With a curt nod to the drawers. ]

[trashvalkyrie]

[Her head doesn't leave the pillow for very long, but she still eyes him dispassionately where she lays.]

Don't see how that's my problem, actually.

[fhux]

Are you so drunk that you can't tell you're sprawled on my bed? Of course you are, what am I saying. [ Shivering, he hardens his voice. ] Move your feet so I can get to my towels!

[trashvalkyrie]

I'm not drunk. [She pulls herself up, propping herself up on an elbow. Is now a good time to mention she's not wearing pants? Because she's not. It's fine.] I'm hungover, that's different. Besides, it's not like you ever sleep in it.

[To her credit, she actually complies with his request. To her detriment, she follows it the Val Way™, and kicks one foot out to just. Shove the bedside table toward him in the aisle between their beds.]

There. All yours.

i. central perk in space

[snapkaboom]

[Roy had also found that there was a strange lack of responsibility in the Perimeter Guard compared to what he was used to back in Amestris, especially since he wasn't working overtime to solve the murder of his best friend as well as the conspiracy with the homunculi. At first, it left him restless, but he was able to quickly adapt to having more free time. He spent a lot of it out and about the city, getting to know the layout and getting more familiar with the culture.

While coffee shops were certainly something you could find in Central, the abundance of them in the quarantine almost seemed like overkill to the Colonel. While he was more inclined to visit bars, the coffee shops were much easier to find near the Perimeter Guard HQ, and they were open in the morning and early afternoon. He walks in one, getting himself a black coffee and taking a look around to find a seat. He spots a man about his age, bent over some device. Hadn't he seen him around HQ? If so, he might as well introduce himself. It would be advantageous to make as many allies as possible.]

Excuse me. Are you part of the Perimeter Guard?

[fhux]

[ Jerking out of his thoughts, his grip tightens on the datapad. He glances up quickly, alarm turning into wariness as he looks the stranger over, straightening in his seat. ]

I am. [ Being 'trained', but he won't specify that. ] Did you need something?

[snapkaboom]

[It was pretty clear now that this person didn't want to be bothered. Still, a quick introduction wouldn't hurt and he could let him continue with whatever he was doing.]

Not really. I'm just new to Riverview and the Perimeter Guard and I thought I recognized you from headquarters. I'm Roy Mustang.

[He would normally give his rank, but he wasn't a Colonel here.]

I'm sorry if I bothered you. I'd just like to familiarize myself with everyone I might be working with in the future.

[fhux]

[ Reasonable sense returns when it becomes clear this man isn't with the Resistance and Hux nods belatedly to the seat opposite. ]

No, of course. I'd planned to do the same. [ He doesn't get up but he slides his plate of biscuits toward the window, making room. ] Good to meet you, Mustang, I'm Hux. What is it you do at the Guard?

[snapkaboom]

[Roy takes the seat he was invited to take, draping his long dark coat on the back and fully revealing the blue uniform from Amestris that he more or less wore out of habit.]

Right now I'm just your average recruit. [He smiles to hide his displeasure with it.] I was a Colonel back home, so it's a bit of a blow to have to climb up from the bottom again. What of yourself?

i. caff with coworkers!

[killthepast]

[ By now, Ren's recovered enough from his multiple gunshot wounds that he can largely mask the fact that he'd ever been injured in the first place. A keen eye could pick up on the stiffness in his left shoulder and arm, but to the less observant, he seems to be operating at 100%.

Which means he can finally stop holing up in the motel, and resume his usual schedule.

Except, now his usual schedule has him crossing paths with a certain general. It figures they'd be drawn to the same 'coffee' shop, where people are quiet and content to mind their own business. He can sense Hux before he even sets foot inside, and Ren actually has to take a moment to pause and consider if he should keep with his routine, or if he should turn around and go elsewhere.

No, he won't retreat from Hux, of all people. And besides, better the general than any of the Resistance. At least the two of them have something of a detente at the moment.

So, in he storms, a dark cloud dressed in black. Like Hux, Kylo's decidedly dressed down, in a sweater and jeans (courtesy of Leonard), looking positively... like a civilian. Not wholly out of the ordinary, considering he never bothered to adhere to the First Order's dress code to begin with. Hux, on the other hand, looks like another person entirely without the uniform or pomaded hair.

Perhaps that's why Ren, drink (A CINNAMON LATTE AND NOBODY WILL JUDGE HIM FOR IT) in hand, grabs the seat across from Hux (who needs an invite? he doesn't) and looks at the redhead as if he's a particularly interesting-- and unusual-- specimen.

No words, though. ]

[fhux]

[ He almost chokes on a cookie, the immersive peace of his datapad shattered by the hulking shadow that drops down on the opposite bench of the booth. Hux covers his mouth as he chews faster, straightening and taking a sip of his drink before tersely croaking out, ]

What, Ren?

[ Absently with a quick gesture, he locks his screen. ]

[killthepast]

[ Hey, better to choke from a cookie than to have it done by the Force! Anyway, Ren's stare doesn't falter as Hux sputters and washes down his cookie. His eyes glance down only briefly as Hux locks the screen, thennnn... back up again. He shrugs one shoulder. ]

I've never seen you so relaxed. [ Though Hux clearly isn't so relaxed anymore. After a beat, he adds: ] There weren't any open tables.

[ IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING. ]

[fhux]

[ He sniffs, mildly proud of never having (until now, ugh) let down appearances. ]

Generals don't have lunch in front of the crew, for starters.

[ It makes the officers and stormtroopers antsy. Nothing more awkward than trying to enjoy your meal and your boss is nearby, plus Hux has never enjoyed the company of others overmuch. Constantly surrounded by people who need his attention, relaxing while eating and working on his own project is like a private holiday ... or it would be if he was back on the Finalizer.

Ren doesn't look all that different: black, black, more black and all of it hardly steam-pressed to say the least. ]

Going somewhere?

[ It's odd to have no idea where and what Ren does these days. Even under Snoke's authority, Hux had a vague idea of whether he was on the same ship or not. ]

[killthepast]

[ Ren never had lunch around the crew, either, so the dynamics of dining hall etiquette isn't information he keeps on mental file. But, really, he just means here and now: no empty tables, so they're stuck together. He can only imagine how odd such a scenario would play out on the Finalizer, Kylo Ren sitting across from General Hux and engaging in some stiff, backhanded attempts at smalltalk. ]

In a bit.

[ Deliberately vague. Truth be told, the only people who might have a sense of his routine are Pierce, as his employer, and Leonard, since he's still staying at the other man's place. Ren's recovered enough now that he could move back into the communal residence, but there's something comfortable about where he's at now. It's a refuge, from everything and everyone that vexes him.

Normally, Hux would be on that list, but at the moment, in the absence of the First Order, he's more of a curiosity to the knight. Their power dynamic is up in the air, and they have no forces to command, or throne to fight over. He doesn't respect the general, and neither does he like his company, but Hux is still the closest thing he has to a potential ally. Valuable, considering how frequently the Resistance makes pests of themselves here.

And now that they're face-to-face for the first time since Crait, he can feel things out with the Force, get a better sense of where they stand with each other. ]

Have they given you any further trouble? [ Curiosity, rather than concern. ]

( for pierce aka sithdad )

[fhux]

[ Prometheus labs. Ren's employer is the man whom Hux seeks out with a scheduled appointment sometime after the talk in the coffee shop, vaguely impressed by the rosta of projects listed under Pierce's name. Giant defence tech piques his interest in a way the mind-erasure themes don't, only idly considering those useful in a scenario where torture would be applicable to an enemy. After reading a few summaries of the government-approved programs, Hux picks a reapectable hour after midday (no one likes having their lunch disrupted) and arrives promptly on time for an informal interview, curiosity fuelled by a desire to see the man responsible for such forward-thinking outside the Perimeter Guard and, frankly, Ren's new soft-Snoke.

He dresses in the only suit he owns, forgoing his general's uniform but sticking to an all-black theme, his greatcoat folded over an arm when he enters the office. He can't seem to find the right pomade to make his hair entirely flatten into regulation-neatness but it has been strictly parted and, as in any meeting with his captains and commanders, he is clean-shaven. Sharp. First impressions count, loathe as he is to admit he needs anyone's help. ]

Good afternoon.

[peacemongering]

[He was not an impossible man to seek an appointment with, especially with another who might be in a similar industry. Many of the best projects were co-operative ventures, and there were already more than enough technological based large companies that were in operations, but he had taken over Prometheus Labs a few months ago and elevated it from small projects to taking on large protection government projects. He had put himself out there with the government, used all of his charm to make Prometheus the lab to call upon when strange technology came to this place.

So when someone of similar industry wanted to meet with him, he made himself available. Of course, he looked into the individual in question who would come knocking upon his door, but it seemed to him that Mr. Hux was new. That meant ambitious to him. Few people around here were ambitious enough to actually make a difference. They toiled and flounced about their projects, claiming great fame but producing little to show for making people truly safe.

Sitting at his desk when Hux was directed inside by his aged secretary, he looked up from the stats overview. His office might have been large, but he held meetings here rather than waste another room for that extravagance. There were neat stacks of paper detailing projects on that large table to Hux's right. The rest of his workspace was tidy and organized, and the best part of the room was the view. It helped him think.

He rose from his chair smoothly, smiling warming and offered a hand for a shake. He always considered a hand shake to give him a good measure of a man or woman.]

Good afternoon, Mr. Hux. Can I offer you a coffee or tea for this meeting?

[fhux]

[ The mister makes his hackles rise but he returns the polite smile, now familiar enough with handshakes that he provides a firm one of his own. ]

Neither, thank you. I had an early lunch. [ He always hated it when his crew accepted the offer of a drink in his quarters and isn't sure if this man feels the same way. Niceties must be observed but rarely accepted, as Brendol had said.

Everyone seems to love using paper on this moon, it was quaint at first but now it seems like an extravagant waste of resources. Perhaps that's the point, when Pierce could easily use a datapad or the equivalent, just like the luxurious yet intimidatingly tall view from the window. ]

An associate of mine informed me that you were the man to get in touch with if I wanted to see through any of my projects.

[peacemongering]

[Pierce was a man who used the common and polite expected niceties in order to set a certain standard and, at times, to make the other individual comfortable enough to open up more than they otherwise might. Extend the hand of friendship and one might just earn more than they originally hoped would come their way. Observing social niceties also allowed him to gauze the other individual that he was meeting.

A refusal of them gave him clues to the man before him. Stern. Orderly. Focused on the task at hand.

Still, it didn't stop him from moving over to the simple kettle and tea, flicking on the water and turning his head as he considered whom of his employ was an 'associate' to a man like that. He narrowed it down to three people almost instantly.]

That's quite the recommendation. Projects requiring approval will go under the Prometheus Labs wing. Are you a contractor looking for something in specific?

[fhux]

I'll be plain: an open-ended contract with access to materials both new and old. [ A hand in his lap flicks. ] From where these are harvested I have no interest, that is entirely your business. It's rather difficult to do my work without anything with which to work on.

[ He glances from the brewing tea to Pierce. ]

My department at the Guard is Industrial Scientific Advancement.