( 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

[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?

[fhux]

[ His own First Order uniform is folded neatly in the drawers of the bedside table they allotted him at the public apartments, choosing to wear civilian outfits to avoid the sharp eyes of the rebels floating around the city. He misses it when he notes the smartness of his colleague's attire, ostensibly the colonel's uniform from home.

Hux's lips twitch and he nods, understanding well enough how galling it is to be treated like a cadet. ]

General. [ Some small pleasure is always derived from outranking others, native to his galaxy or not, but he keeps that inside. ] Would you care for a drink, Colonel?

[snapkaboom]

[Roy understands the rivalry between officers working to move up. He's very well used to dealing with angry generals at home who were caught off guard with his own promotions since he was considered a little young for a Colonel. He allows Hux to bask in his own ego.]

I'd love one, since you're offering. [Roy makes a mental note of this. It would be rude not to return the favor sometime in the future.]

I've been trying to learn about the various worlds people were pulled from. Would you mind telling me about yours a little? [Of course, if Hux was interested, he would share a bit about Amestris. Nothing wrong with a bit of equivalent exchange.]

[fhux]

[ Well, he was offering the drink for Mustang to buy as an invitation to stay, but ... He motions to a waitress to take the other man's order. ]

I'm stationed on no singular world, but the Finalizer is my ship. From there I've commanded the armies of the First Order for some time, wherever they require deployment across the galaxy. And your history, if I may be so bold as to ask for a similarly concise summary?

[snapkaboom]

[Roy tells the waitress his order, a black coffee. He can't help but feel a little out-classed as he finds out that he's run into yet another space explorer, but he hides it well. The First Order sounds rather imperialistic to him too, but you can't judge a book by its cover, right?]

I'm afraid you won't find mine so interesting. I'm stationed in Central and have men under my command of course. [Granted, the Fuhrer had just let him know that his most loyal subordinates were being transferred, but Hux didn't need to know that.] There isn't the technology there to explore space like you, so I mostly just deal with local issues.

You're not the first person I've met with experience in space. Have you met James Kirk yet?

[fhux]

[ Plenty of First Order officers were station on-planet across the old Enpire's handprint on the galaxy, it detracts nothing from his opinion of a military professional. Mustang, unlike many people here, has a decorum and manners that show through the way he carries himself and it is ... familiar. Hux feels like he could navigate a conversation with this man without immediately wanting to leave the room, thankfully. ]

I have, he seems a competent sort. [ A pleasant fellow who asked very few questions, although that's probably exactly what made him so amenable to hosting Hux's company. ] I haven't met with a great deal of officers who have a military background, however. The Guard appears to be made up of anyone who can shoot a blaster in the right direction, for the most part.

[snapkaboom]

[Roy <was raised to be a gentleman, and he knew the benefits of getting on the good sides of people if it was possible. The more people he could consider an ally, the better, though he hadn't been here long enough to really get to know anyone yet, hence why he went out of his way to do so.]

Indeed. ['Competent' was surely an accurate word. Roy had already had a small taste of Kirk's piloting skills.

He couldn't help but smirk at Hux's comment about the rest of the Guard.]

Considering the situation, I'm grateful enough just for that. From my understanding this place hasn't had to deal with opposition from an organized group, otherwise I don't think there would be such a lack of discipline.

[If there was that kind of threat, that lack wouldn't last long. Either they'd be destroyed or someone would step in to control it more closely.]

I've found it difficult to find something to do with all the free time I have. [And boy did he have a lot of it. When in Amestris, he always had something to do, whether it be a criminal investigation or just daily reports, and when he had been transferred to Central any free time that he did find was spent investigating the murder of his friend.]