"We have a kinship, you and I," The pilot says with a bright, wide smile, "havin' our problems with the law, I mean,"
(Option 1) You were taken aback by the pilot's frank words, though they weren't unappreciated. You pull a smirk from your lips, and give the leather-clad pilot a tilt of the head,
"We do?" You begin, "And how'd you end up piloting the ship to a council brat?"
The pilot takes the insult easy, "With my killer smile, of course. Every crew needs a pretty face, and you're lookin' at the best of them. Don't you think?"
Hey ren. Ren. Ren. Ren. Ren. Ren. Renny!!! My love, my darling, my sun, my stars, may I have some angst?
"Idk how to love you" or something like that with my man Javier? Pretty please? <4
It was the aftermath of a long night spent in the comfort of another; a warmth that Javier would dull his aches to, a fire that when stoked, kept his loneliness away- if only for a little while.
There was no morning sun to greet him- no light at the break of dawn. Just the countless, endless expanse of distant glowing, fading stars.
Javier rolled his cotton shirt over his head, the trace touches of your fingertips gripping at the locks of his hair, ghosted still. His shirt rolled over the reddened scratch marks of your nails and bruising- purple flowers blooming in the wake of your lips against his skin. Like the ash and coals and soot of a flame, he carried traces of you- of last night- with him.
Fitting then- to look out the window and see nothing but ghosts.
That was the funny thing about the stars, Javier thought idly, the button to his pants pulled through its hole like he’d done it a million times before. The stars themselves are not there anymore. Not really. They shine, and move, and gleam against the ever-expanding darkness of the universe, but only their light ever stays.
Those stars, those bluish glimpses into the primordial cradle, haunt the sky that Javier begs answers from; but they’re spectres. Poltergeists. They’ve all exploded and expanded into dust- the light from their existence continues on, staying there for as long as time would allow.
Are you his spectre, too?
That ghost in the night of burning flames and fire- the warmth that calls his sailor’s soul home; the haunting figure of his dreams, the wisp that utters every promise he’s ever wanted to hear.
You say it sometimes. Those words you wait patiently for. You whisper them under your breathless sighs, quiet and ready and wanting- resigned. The light that flickers in the darkness, the bluish hue against the inky, hollow black.
Javier slides his feet into his shoes, the laces left untied. He smiles morosely, all too aware of how silent his movements are, how practiced they seem. He feels meek enough to try not to wake you; embarrassed enough to hide from you how he couldn’t stay.
A foot forward, and he wonders how much longer he can keep this up.
Another and he wonders just how much more of your time you’ll spare him.
Again- oh, his bright blue star, his beacon home, how could he try to give you what he knows he can’t?
Javier reaches the door. He doesn’t look back- he can’t, look back. Any semblance of control he ever had would break down there and then, and all of this would be over.
But he loves you too much. He loves you to the realization that he could not possibly be the one for you. Too broken. Too hollow. A sailor with no star chart to guide him at all.
The door slides open with a shudder, accompanying the silence Javier carried with him. He pauses, briefly, to remember the warmth you brought him; it was all that he’ll have for now.
And Javier walks out of your room, into the sunless light of dawn.
Javier's eyes were dark, save for the glint that shined of danger, warning. His smile, as handsome as it was, held the promise of a thousand ways to tear your body to pieces.
Ophelia, it seems, was not the only person you should be concerned with.
"I'm the nicest guy you'll ever meet, MC," Javier says smoothly, his words causing you to tense as he spoke, "provided you don't pull anything stupid and, you know, try to kill us or something.
"Not to say you're that stupid. But...not many people meet the end of the noose because they make all the right decisions, eh?"
Hi sorry to bother you but the angst in the Ophelia & Rosalie prompt is so good 💕 if you don’t mind could you do the same prompt for Javier? No worries if you can’t and hope you have a nice day I love your writing it’s absolutely gorgeous :)!
Thank you darling, under the cut-!
“God, I’ve missed this,” you moan with a sigh, your hands gripping the edges of Javier’s leather jacket nice and tight- that warm, musky smell of cologne and tanned leather was enough to make your eyes practically roll to the back of your head. The familiar fires of pleasure started to burn in your stomach, rising higher as Javier’s lips accepted yours so pliantly, welcomingly.
“Three weeks, Javi, three!” You gasp, and that sudden shock of air to your lungs was enough to feel a sharp twinge of pain at your side. You ignored the uncomfortable awareness of your stitches pulling at your skin, and forced yourself to practically drown in Javier, instead.
You’d never admit this, of course; you’d never tell Javier just how much better you feel around him, how much you never wanted to leave his presence.
It’s foolish, after all, to think that something more than physical touch could come from whatever you and Javier had. You weren’t in the business of being open, vulnerable- too much time wasted on rehashing the pain of past failures you’d rather not feel.
“Wasn’t that long,” he mumbled into your kiss, his hands finding purchase in the small of your back, and you relished the feeling of Javier pulling you close, safe, “Are you really that insatiable?"
"Only for you, you know," You don't move your hand from his jacket, your fingertips hovering right above his waist, the trim of his trousers, "the only kinda guy around here who can give me just the high I need."
You don't notice at first the way Javier's face drops, the way that shimmer in his eyes fades. He swallows, his smile still plastered wide on his bright red, puffed lips,
"Just the high, eh? Nothin' else?"
You laugh, "Was there? Now, c'mon, tell me- what did you think about while I was in the medbay for these last couple weeks? Hm? What naughty thoughts ran around in that beautiful head of yours?"
Javi shakes his head for a moment, as if amused by your words. His hand comes to clasp your cheek, and you tilt into it, eyeing him mischievously, expectantly,
"Well I was...I was worried about you. I was thinkin' about how you got shot the entire time, and I- I just wanted you safe," Javier admits, "stupid, I know, but I...I couldn't help it, I don't think."
"Ah, but I'm here now," You point out, your desire dimming only slightly. You didn't like where this was going, you couldn't handle where this is going, "and ready for the perfect night with you, yeah?"
Javier's face drops more obviously now, and you frown at the sudden discontent that crossed his face. Javier moved his hands away from your back, your hip, and he settled his body back to the wall behind him, saying only,
"Oh."
You swallow, the prickling feeling of deja vu running across your skin,
"Oh? What do you mean, 'oh', I'm alright, Javier, can't we just-"
He laughs. A soft, loathed sound. You retract, surprised,
"Javi-?"
"I thought you were different, but I uh," Javier nods, swallowing thickly, "I get it, now,"
You furrow your eyebrows, "Get what, Javi? I'm- I'm happy you were worried about me, I guess, I just wanted to focus more on this, between us," You motion, "right now?"
"I've been worried sick, nonstop because of you, you know that?" Javier starts, ignoring your questions and pleas for continuing with your plans for the night, "and that's all you have to say?"
You scoff, confused and slightly hurt at the accusation you weren't sure you wanted to understand, "The hell are you saying? Everyone's been worried, I was shot,"
"And you didn't need to be," Javier chides, "You were careless. Thane had your right flank and you completely, utterly ignored anything Valerian said-"
"-as if that is new?-"
"-and got hurt. Badly." Javier's jaw hardens, "Do you know how long it's been since I've felt such fear for someone else that wasn't me?"
You do say anything for a brief moment, your eyes staring deep into Javier's. It was too much. This was too much. You just wanted to forget, to feel warm, to fuck. And now?
Your lips tighten, feeling an anger boil in your blood that you hadn't felt in a long time. Who the hell does he think he is? You get bitched at by Val and Thane, and now you're getting it from him of all people? Him?
You grind your teeth, your hands tightening, fingernails breaking skin. Pah.
"I don't need a lecture from you," You spit, the warmth in your voice gone, your smile replaced with a scowl, "Thane chewed me out the entire damn time I was in there. If I wanted something else other than your dick, I'll let you know."
Fuck.
You expected something from Javier, then, something far worse than you just threw out into the cold, dark embrace of the universe. You felt guilt rot away in your insides, your heart beating wildly as you stayed silent, holding your ground. You were right, of course, people should be aware to mind their goddamn business.
And yet.
Javier licks his lips, his eyes no longer holding your gaze, his hands moving from your body entirely, the warmth leaving you as soon as he did,
"Go find somebody else if you just want to fuck. You're not finding with me."
"I already did," You say condescendingly, "get the hell out of here, now."
"Served my purpose," Javier snarks, "Didn't I?"
"Go find someone else to hang your sob story on, Javier," You repeat, his own words wounding him like steak knives being driven into his chest, "If you want someone to give a shit about you. You're not finding it with me."
Here are the romance options’ portraits. A reminder that this is also a sci-fi story, and there are three specific characters that have very specific features that cannot be shown with Artbreeder. These characters are:
- Thane: Thane is half-Kal’morra, a semi-aquatic alien race that has features such as: scales, gills. Thane has such features, these are not shown with the portrait.
- Ophelia: Ophelia is a Harpii, a warrior-bird race of people. She has feathers, sharpened teeth, and bird-esque eyes. These are not shown in the portrait.
- ????????????????????: Due to spoilers, I won’t go into the reasons as to why this is not exact, but I can assure you that this is closest I can get to what they look like in my mind.
And now, without further ado, the Artbreeder portraits for the main cast of ITOOS:
I've not written much today because I've been feeling...terribly off. I get these days occasionally, this terrible feeling of dread and sadness. I have medication for it, but I think we all know that even our best days with our medication and therapy can't quiet "fix" our worst days.
So for that reason, I'll be listing out some 'soft' facts about the romance options in hopes of getting out of this slump.
Valerian
- prefers tea over coffee. Rose tea is his favorite.
- has the urge of petting any and all animals he sees on sight. Doesn't matter how nasty or dangerous looking the animals are, he wants to pet them
- shines his shoes and, when possible, irons his clothing. takes great care of them. makes him feel like he can wear them
Peter
- Lives on coffee exclusively. please get him some water.
- is the mother hen, "have you eaten?" "get off of there, you'll hurt yourself!" "i made cookies!"
- writes poetry. badly. very badly. don't ask him to recite your poetry. please.
Rosalie
- Learned how to make eggs "the right way". "The right way", she was taught, was burning them. She ate burnt eggs for ten years. Peter was mortified.
- Loves bubble baths, and will sell every single one of her crew members out for a freestanding bathtub.
- Once cried for thirty minutes straight because they rode past a town that featured, quote, "the universe's smallest pony". Valerian said they didn't have time to see it, Rosalie cried, and Thane about ended Valerian's life over it.
Ophelia
- still has her stuffed animal from her childhood. It is a klaxir, a lizard on her homeworld that spits acid and is capable of swallowing men whole. depictions of a klaxir on children's bedposts and as stuffed toys are said to ward off bad dreams.
- attempted to spar with Rosalie in the training room, thinking this would create a bond between the two of them. Rosalie was surprised when, upon being invited to the "girls night out", she was hit in the face with a bo staff. Ophelia promptly apologized for the confusion and left the room.
- was once caught with her hand stuck in the cookie jar. Ophelia swore Thane to secrecy, much to Thane's amusement. He never mentioned it to anyone.
Javier
- Has the terrible habit of walking out of his room in his underwear. You're not home, Javier, please put a shirt on.
- Has a bet with peter going involving how many times thane hits his head on the low-hanging entrance to the Cheyenne. Peter has the number of 35, Javier has the number of 28. So far, Thane's at 16.
- is allergic to a Kal'Morran fruit called 'graelo', but loves it because it "tastes exactly like candy". Thane has forbidden Javier from going to the market with Peter because Peter always relents on getting the fruit, and Javier always winds up in the medical room.
Thane
- Has hit his head on the entrance to the Cheyenne a total of 40 times. Neither Javier nor Peter know, and he prefers to keep it that way. No, Valerian will not be making an upgrade to the ship.
- Secretly into trashy romance novels. He wants love too, okay?
- has yet to tell Peter that the coffee he drinks is actually decaffeinated. Thane switched it out after listening to Peter's heartbeat during one checkup. The irregular beat to Peter's heart that day still gives Thane nightmares.
Sergio
- Plays music from his hometown when he gets homesick
- Is actually very good friends with Ophelia, and will spend time with her discussing literature.
-Shares trashy romance novels with thane. It's about the one thing the two can agree on. Gotta get your smut from somewhere.
????/Hope
- No understanding of how doors nowadays function. They run into them, send help
- Loves birds. Begged the captain for a pet bird, but Valerian said no- not because Valerian didn't want the bird on board, but because Annie (the cat) will eat it. He knows this from experience
- is intimidated by stoves. if you see them staring at the one in the mess hall, turn the other direction.
hey! if you're accepting prompts from that writing challenge list, could I request apricity?
Thanks for the request bab! <333
(TW: depression, drinking)
Apricity- the warmth of the sun in the winter
(Also known as: the moment Javier had a 'meltdown' about the MC)
“You’re in love with them.”
It was a statement, not a question. Javier looked at Valerian with red, tear-stained eyes, and a simple nod was all Javier could give, lest the tears started again.
A bottle of whiskey sat half-full at the center of the table. The warm, amber-colored liquid was the only bright color in the dark corner of the bar. Undoubtedly, it was probably the only form of warmth Javier could find, as well.
Valerian pulled against the rotted wooden chair and sat down without a word. The atmosphere was thick, suffocating, and yet the air around him ran cold. Freezing, even.
Valerian shivered. Javier sighed.
“Is that a bad thing?”
Javier said nothing at that moment, a hand running through the curly, unruly mop on his head. How did this happen? How can this be?
“Yeah,” Javier managed, his voice thick from the tears that were stuck in his throat, “yeah, Val, it is. What do- What do I do?”
“What do ya think you should do, Ortega? Do they- do they know about your feelings, or…?”
“Fuck,” Javier gasps, as if he’d never considered such a possibility, “fuck, I don’t know. But I can’t do this again, Val, I can’t- what happened with Clem, I don’t-”
Valerian’s eyes hardened, his blood turning to ice at the mention of her name,
“That wasn’t your fault. You can’t blame yourself for that. She wouldn’t want you to blame yourself, you know that,”
“Can’t I?” Javier starts, “I didn’t get there in time. I’m a goddamn pilot and I couldn’t even fly the fucking ship fast enough!”
“We are not going over this,” Valerian hisses, surprising himself by his own reaction. Valerian sighs, closing his eyes- his chest squeezed his heart, practically tearing his own emotions to ribbons, “Clem is gone. They are not her. That’s not going to happen again.”
Javier says nothing, his eyes flickering to the dirt-stained walls of the establishment, his mind- as it has so often these days- losing itself in thought about them.
Their touch is warm, soft despite the calluses and scars on their hands. Their eyes burn themselves into his soul- their lips, and oh, does he wonder how sweet they would taste. They were brilliant. Bright, burning, shining against all other stars. Alive. Free.
Their sheer presence is enough to make Javier feel for the first time in...how long?
How long has it been since Javier felt anything at all?
Cold and numb. That’s all he’d been. It was safe. He didn’t have to care when his heart had stopped beating any warmth into his soul. A permanent season of frost had taken over, and it felt good not to...to be anything.
“I’m scared, Val,” Javier says quietly, his confession nothing more than a whimper, “I don’t want to lose them, too.”
