Fandom ✧ a blink of starlight ☆✧

[elliphant]

---

Fae watched the Captain go, thoughtful. She was remarkably unlike any other human she had met. Any other person for that matter.

A tap on the table grabbed her attention. Pitan. He touched each of his shoulders and gave a small bow, an Ariete greeting. "Oh," Fae breathed in surprise, then replicated the gesture. "That was a surprise. It's not many who know the formal greeting, let alone have the respect to do so. Thank you. It was Pitan?"

"Yes, Officer Brahea. It's as the Captain said, I was closest to Sapris, at least in duties. I can help guide you in his duties. I'm not one to question the Captain, or any other superior officer, but you are familiar with navigational duties?" Pitan's voice ground out like rocks sliding against one another, but his mandibles flared in a Turian imitation of a smile.

Fae smiled back. "Yes, I am. It's been a few years, but I'm sure that I'll remember quickly. Let's go to the CIC, I'm sure you can catch me up to speed on all of the ship's systems there. I saw the ship had an FTL cannon thruster, was that the 800 series? I heard that it could go nearly four lightyears a minute."

A spark lit in Pitan's eyes as he realized that he was not speaking to just a fancy diplomat that knew a little about maps and fancied herself a navigator. He straightened further. "Yes ma'am! The inertia dampeners in our mass effect..."

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o - o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

The conversation had lasted two hours, and likely could have lasted two hours more, but eventually, Fae had what she needed to start the navigation schematics and excused herself from Pitan's company. The Turian had been a bit sad to see her go, but told her that he was just around the corner should she need anything. She hadn't, but the offer was well received anyway. After she had gotten free of the conversation with Pitan, she spent another three hours working on the schematics, and found herself with a decent, if a bit rushed, plan to get to the Terminus Systems in record time. Well...perhaps not record, but it would be fast. Especially with the ship's massive drive core.

Feeling decently satisfied, Fae collected her datapads from her workspace in the CIC and made her way down the hall, where she remembered the Captain's office being. For a moment, she just stood outside the door. Perhaps she should have commed the Captain first. Or sent her a message. It was too late now though, so Fae gave a brief three taps on the door, requesting permission to enter. "It's Officer Brahea," she spoke through the speaker on the door, "I have the navigation schematics ready for your approval."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee had been tirelessly working at figuring out what happened. Reviewing the notes Faerar had forwarded to her was tiresome but required. Somehow Ambassador Galia had disappeared. The Nevostean Alliance didn't have many sworn enemies. At least no many who would go as simple as kidnapping an ambassador which could be replaced. Something clicked when she was reading the interviews though. One of the guards had fallen asleep. Perhaps, the remaining guard had allowed something for a bit of money. Who would pay money for a guard to show a blind eye just so they could kidnap an ambassador? Who would-

Baylee jumped out of her seat when she heard a knock at the door. At the sound of Faerar's voice, Baylee sighed and relaxed a bit. "Come on in," She said tiredly, still standing. "Hey, princess. I take it your meeting with Pitan went well? If I remember correctly, he actually worked on an Ariete ship once. Should've made your meeting go quite nicely, princess." Baylee spoke casually. Tiredly but casually nonetheless.

 

[elliphant]

---

She had been in a decent mood before the Captain started talking. In fact, she had been feeling rather good, having enjoyed working on the nav schematics and her conversation with Pitan. But there it was again. Princess. Then again. Princess. Fae thought of the pictures that had come up when she had searched the term. Pink, fluffy dresses and absurd triangle hats and crowns. Then there had been the stories of princes saving trapped princesses in towers with dangerous creatures standing guard. All of it stupidly frivolous and meaningless. Did the Captain truly think her that incapable? Or maybe she thought that Fae had been born in a castle with piles of gold. Or that she was just as frivolous and meaningless as the layers of tulle that "princesses" were wrapped in. It was demeaning. Especially when Fae had given the Captain nothing but respect, only referring to her as her rank, something she had earned, to call Fae such a horrible little nickname was just rude. It was high time that Fae say something about it.

"Captain," she started, her voice tight with leashed anger. "My name is Faerar Brahea. You may call me Officer, Brahea, or Faerar. I find your terran term 'princess' to be demeaning and rude. I do not wear pink fluffy dresses or crowns. I wear a uniform, same as you. I've worked hard for my position, same as you. I believe I deserve a modicum of the same respect." As Fae breathed the word 'respect' she found herself suddenly very close to the Captain, datapads discarded on the desk that she currently leaned over, her face inches from the Captain's. She couldn't back down now though. "If you must call me something informal..." Her light green eyes devoured those golden orbs across from her own. This close, she could see flecks of jade. "You may call me Fae."

There. She said it. She didn't know why. It wasn't as if the Captain was a friend. And only friends called her Fae. But anything was better than 'princess' right?

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee didn't expect it. The sudden burst of energy from Faerar. She wasn't entirely sure if she liked it either. It left her shocked and flustered. As Faerar spoke, Baylee didn't move a muscle. That was until their faces nearly met. Baylee's expression had turned. Going from tired and pleased to now a mixture of shock, fluster, and confusion. Her brows had furrowed, her mouth fell slightly agape, and her cheeks, nose, and ears had flushed with a light bright pink color. Their breaths seemed to be mixing as they stood so close. And Baylee could see the small flecks of jade crested into Faerar's ornate green eyes. Perhaps, the officer could see the small plain brown flecks around her dark pupils or maybe the desaturated blue flits that lined her outer iris. The moment fell silent for what felt like forever until Baylee finally spoke.

"You know my favorite kind of princess, Fae?" She whispered softly, not moving away. Her expression relaxed a bit as she recovered from the shock. "It's the kind of princess who's badass. Who could take down an army if she wanted to." The room fell silent again. "That's why I called you princess." Finally, Baylee leaned back and sat down. "Well, that and it made you flustered which I may or may not have found a bit amusing," she spit out quickly before relaxing in her office chair and changing the subject with lightning speed.

"So! How did you're introduction with Pitan go? I take it you might've enjoyed it?" She asked, scooting forward in her chair. "Also, I believe I remember you saying you had the navigation schematics ready for review? Let's see it." She looked intently at Faerar, all with a smug smirk wiped across her light pink lips. "I'd also like to talk furthur about the mission. I was wondering if you had more notes from me."

 

[elliphant]

---

The Captain didn't say anything. For long, excruciating seconds--seconds that Fae could not count even if she wished for the sound of her rapidfire heartbeat that drowned out any attempt at thought--neither of them said a word. Just...stared. Fae tried to understand what was going on behind those dark golden eyes, rimmed in the lightest of blues. But instead she saw the way her skin creased in a path well worn by scrunched eyebrows. Saw the delicate pink color spread across those fierce features like wildfire. Felt the Captain's breath mix with her own. The smell of orange blossoms and vanilla filled her nose, blinding the rest of her senses.

And then the silence was broken. The Captain's whispered words were raspy, like smoke seeping from a jar. It took much of Fae's concentration to understand the words coming from her mouth instead of focusing on the way her pink lips formed them.

Reality came crashing in with startling clarity as she did. Long seconds snapped up into short, microbursts of acute confusion. Baddass princess. Fae imagined an angry, pink fluffball. It was not endearing. Before she could try to clarify what exactly defined this "badass princess" though, the Captain left her sputtering for words and lurching backward at the offhanded flirt. Her brain struggled to keep up as, just as quickly as before, the Captain changed gears again, speaking about Pitan.

"I...I..." she gaped, her mouth moving but no sound coming out. Mother above, she looked like a fish. Fae inwardly kicked herself as she realized this was exactly the response the Captain had wanted from her. Oh yes, this was exactly what the Captain wanted. She could see it written all over that mother be damned smirk. Her heart seemed to be stalling in her chest like a Quarian drive core. It spiked once, twice, thrice in an effort to get back on track. The fourth time seemed to work.

"Ahem..." she cleared her throat and straightened her tunic, pressed her lips together and focused. "Yes, Pitan was very...helpful...in understanding the ship's operating systems. His knowledge of the Ariete is...appreciated." A frown tugged at her lips in her effort to concentrate. "Navigation to the Terminus Systems has been laid out for the fastest possible travel. Should they meet your approval, I can send them to Flight Control and we could leave by this after..." Fae checked the time and found it well past lunch. "By 17:00, Captain. That should get us out of Citadel Space and on autopilot by 19:00.

"I don't currently have any more updates on the mission...I've been a bit tied up with the schematics and haven't checked my messages yet." Fae glanced at the 36 missed messages and 4 missed calls and cringed. She didn't remember the last time she had been so absorbed in something as to block everything else out. There would be quite a bit of catching up to do later. She sighed. Another late night, and likely a dinner taken alone in her quarters. Not that she needed any more excuses to stay from the beautiful Captain.

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee simply watched Faerar as she tried collecting herself several times and failed. Her smirk only grew as she watched. In the back of her head, Baylee reminisced the clear scent of teran fir trees and fern that surrounded Faerar closely. Those reminiscing thoughts were brought forward in the time that Faerar blabbered. Baylee quickly banished them.

Baylee was brought back out of her thoughts as she heard Faerar finally forming articulate words. "Well I'm glad he was helpful. I believe I remember him working on an Ariete ship before he came here. He's also quite of fan of customs alien to his own. Sometimes I use him as a diplomat on missions," she explained casually. When hear about the update on navigation. "Impressive work, officer," She praised, her brows raising cheerily. "You may send the systems to Flight Control."

"Well, if you don't, I do." Baylee assured, showing Faerar the interview with the guard. "This guard spit out the fact that she'd fallen asleep on duty during his interview. This leaves only one guard and Ambassador Galia. Now, I'm not meaning to insult your kind, Fae, I simply... There's a possibility with one guard out that the other could have been bribed." Baylee spoke carefully. She didn't want to truly insult Faerar or the Ariete race, she simply had to look at the possibilities. "She could have been bribed to turn a blind eye whilst someone went in."

 

[elliphant]

---

Fae nodded at the Captain's update. "I suspected as much," she said, disarming the Captain's careful propriety. "It is no insult, Captain. All races are susceptible to corruption. To say otherwise is prideful arrogance. The guards were both children of Ariete nobles, selected more for formality and show than for actual duty. It's not particularly often that they're necessary." Fae thanked the Mother that she hadn't ended up in the same boat, her skills making her too valuable to be wasted standing by some official's door.

"I don't imagine money was the bait, though it could be part of it. More likely is blackmail. Either way, if we can trace it, it could be a lead. Before we leave we could interrogate the other guard? Her interview revealed nothing out of the ordinary, but I think you would make a more pressing figure for the truth."

Pressing figure. Really Fae? You couldn't come up with any other word choice than pressing figure. Fae tried to push the image from her mind, pinking slightly as she did.

"I'll go ahead and set the interro--" Fae stopped as she concentrated on the message displayed on her omni-tool. "This can't be right..." she muttered under her breath. "The guard is dead. The coroner says it was a heart attack."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee stood up, nodding at Faerar's idea of interrogating the guard furthermore. She could help but smirk at Faerar's wording, calling her a pressing figure. She could see the hint of blush, too, as it spread across Fae's cheeks and nose. Bay couldn't help but think her as beautiful and charming, despite her determined and formal nature. Baylee banished the thought. This was her client. Someone who needed her help and stars be damned, Baylee was not the type of person to take advantage of an innocent person in need.

She stopped in her tracks when Fae halted, though. 'The guard is dead.' The statement rung in her ears and frustration bubbled in her stomach like a great beast wishing to be set free. "Damn it." She said, a bit louder than she intended. She didn't want to scare Faerar by any means but this was a time sensitive mission and they needed to go. Baylee thought of working out. She always worked out whenever she was stressed or frustrated. It helped her get her thoughts in order. But she couldn't. Not now at least. And probably not until tomorrow morning. Baylee sighed. "Any other ideas for plan of action?" she asked, her voice sounding mildly defeated and yet still determined. She would complete this mission despite any obstacles.

 

[elliphant]

---

Fae stared and stared and stared at the message. Their only lead. Dead. A heart attack? Too convenient. Impossible. Or at the very least...improbable. What were the chances that their only lead ended up dead? Fae stumbled over to the couch and sat down, pressing her hands to her horns. "Fuck," she whispered to the air.

"Okay. Okay. It's fine. This changes nothing. My team will look into the...suspicious death of the guard. C-Sec will too. And we'll go to the Terminous Systems. That should take us at least a week. By then, they may know more. If not...we just start asking around, I guess? Oh Mother help me. I'm not sure. I'm a navigator and diplomat, not some sort of detective. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing." Fae made herself take a breath, then another, another, to calm down. This whole thing had gotten her emotions way too out of hand. She was usually so reserved, controlled.

"I'm sorry Captain, I usually have much more of a handle on my emotions....I'm afraid you've seen the worst of me in the last day or so." Had it been a day yet? Just about 25 hours had passed, so almost, but not quite. She hadn't even stopped to notice if the ship ran on Citadel time or Earth. An Earth day was only 24 hours. A lost couple hours would not be too difficult to adapt to...or at least she hoped.

"I promise I'll have better control over myself soon. There's just been...a lot to deal with."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee sat down at her chair and turned to see Faerar. She had her head caressed in her own hand as frustration bubbled inside her. It all halted abruptly though when Baylee snapped her head up in reaction to Faerar's words. "You want to go to the Terminous systems?" Baylee couldn't help the groan that left her lips. Pirates. She hated them and they riddled the Terminous system like vermin. Bay thought of her previous experiences there. Several pirates had overstepped, there had been drugs and drinking. Baylee took a moment to breathe.

She settled herself before changing the subject. "You don't need to apologize for having emotions." She said sternly, her eyes filled with worry. Baylee stood up and walked to the other couch before sitting down. She fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "If you'd like. You could talk about it to me. It might relieve some stress. The crew does it with each other all the time. Keeps them together like a family, you know?"

 

[elliphant]

---

With the last day's events swirling around her head like a windstorm, Fae had to work at not letting her eyes well up with tears. Instead, she focused on her breathing, as she always did. In. Out. In. Out. One breath, then two breaths, then three. It eased some of the tension in her chest, even if the world's needs were still pressing in on her. The Captain's words trickled into her consciousness. "If you'd like. You could talk about it to me. It might relieve some stress. The crew does it with each other all the time. Keeps them together like a family, you know?"

At this, Fae crinkled her delicate nose. "Like a family?" She thought of her own family. Cold and distant. Her mother rarely spoke to her father, and she rarely spoke to either of them. This seemed the opposite of what the Captain was implying though. Family meant something different to humans then. Not just next of kin, but something stronger? "Captain, please explain your meaning of this word. The translator can only do so much. You've said 'family' but the word...it does not hold the same sort of weight you seem to give it in Ariete culture."

In fact, whenever Fae spoke to her family, stress seemed to only skyrocket. Her mother would no doubt be furious when she found out that Faerar had let the Ariete Ambassador go missing. Not that it was Fae's job to keep tabs on the ambassador, but her mother seemed to think otherwise. Everything was Fae's job. Her entire life was to be devoted to duty, to the fleet, to her planet, her race. And to a point, Fae thought she had done a decent job of that. She was a diplomat, after all. She spent every breath doing her best for her species. But she knew it would never be enough for her mother. And her father? It might be 10 years before he even knew what happened. She wasn't even sure if he knew that she was stationed on the Citadel.

The thought reminded her that technically, now she was not stationed on the Citadel, but the spectre's ship. Her gut curled at the thought. Now she had lost her home, too. What else would she lose before this ordeal was over?

 

[- z a l t a -]

The captain opened her mouth to speak. To answer Faerar's question and define the term 'family' according to her own species. She opened her mouth but nothing came out, leaving her looking like a gaping fish. Baylee closed her mouth and reconsidered her answer. What was family to her? In her off-handed comment, she meant it as what family was supposed to be among the humans. The picture perfect 'everyone gets along and is happy together' image came up in her mind.

"Family.." Baylee began before stopping again. She was no longer making eye contact with Faerar and instead looking at the floor, hoping for inspiration which wouldn't come. "Family as I referenced it.. It's a close bond.. generally among a group of people. It's a bond made up of love, support, and care for and from every member of said family. It's generally biological but my reference of it wasn't. The crew are in no way biological. For them it's something they chose." Baylee had by this point shifted her gaze back to Fae's pretty green eyes. "Family's not always so nice though.." She remarked with a rueful smile and a tilt of her head.

Baylee never got to have that picture perfect home and picture perfect family. Destiny chose otherwise. Her father was cold and uncaring, thinking nothing of Baylee's thoughts or emotions but instead of her redeeming the family name of which he had stained. Everyday he had pushed her buttons and everyday she pushed back. He'd called her mother a hag and called her brother a pile of lazy bones. He treated her mother like a maid and yet she still stuck around. Her brother always said to just give up on dear ol' dad and move on but Baylee couldn't. She couldn't let him win his little game and rub it in her face every time they met. "Mine wasn't." She mumbled a bit too loudly. Though, Baylee didn't catch it.

 

[elliphant]

---

She had a hard time understanding the Captain's answer to her question. It made little sense. It was usually biological, but sometimes wasn't? And then sometimes biological families were not like this? But then why use the word family? Was it the norm to have a family that did all of those things all of the time? Her head hurt too much to figure it out. Only a bit past lunch and Faerar already had a headache.

She almost missed the muttered addition the Captain made to her statement for the throbbing of her head, but she picked up the two little words, and despite herself, Fae was curious. "So a 'family' as you say is supposed to be those that love, support, and care you, but it is also sometimes the people who do not do those things? But that you're born to. I have to say, the latter resonates with myself." Fae pinked at the words as they tumbled from her mouth. She hadn't actually meant to say them aloud, but something about the Captain seemed to encourage oversharing. And since she was this far...

"My family, that is to say, the people I was born to--my parents--they were none of those things." She paused a moment. "Well...they were supportive...but I suppose only toward goals that they had for me. Most of the time those goals were aligned with my own but...well, sometimes they were not. They were not so supportive of those. And love, I believe, is completely foreign to my mother. My father seems to love things, but not necessarily people? I don't know if love is the right word in your language. I've heard the translator has quite a bit of trouble with it. It means so many different things to so many different people."

Fae cocked her head, letting a lock of blonde hair fall over a shoulder. "If you do not mind, Captain, would you tell me about your family? Your birth family and...I suppose whoever else you consider 'family.'"

 

[- z a l t a -]

Bay seemed to find a similarity between the two of them. However her mind hardly kept on that subject as she was instead brought to the attention of Fae's hair, which drifted off of the officer's shoulder. It was a strawberry blonde, the lightest bit of red pink making all of the difference. It looked soft too. Delicate like the shoulder it fell from. Baylee didn't have delicate shoulders. Her shoulders were.. well buff. They we sculpted with hard muscle built from years of training.

Baylee pinked and then grimaced at Faerar's prodding. Not specifically at the prodding, per say, but more towards having to talk about her family and the fact that she was thinking pf Faerar's shoulders.. hair.. body.

Baylee pinked further when she caught herself again. "Uh.." Baylee was once again gaping like a fish. "Uhm.. well.." None of her family memories were all that pleasant. Though there were a few. "My mother is a kind woman.. too kind really. My father isn't much good of a father. Or a husband for that matter. I tried tell my mother to leave him. He didn't deserver her. But she stays with him nonetheless." Baylee avoided talking about her father's discharge. "My brother is fine. He's a commander. Though he hates it. I don't think he's all that great for the job either honestly. He never liked being a leader. Always let me take-" Baylee stopped herself. She'd always been reprimanded for oversharing. "Excuse me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overshared." She corrected herself, looking away a bit in shame.

Bay fell silent for a few moments before speaking again. "We should.." She faltered. Baylee straightened herself. "We should figure out our next move towards getting the ambassador. Or you could spill what's got you so stressed out. It can't be healthy for you to be hold all that in." Baylee was trying to change the subject. Desperately. She didn't want to spill her guts about her family and all of it's problems to a stranger.

 

[elliphant]

---

The Captain's perfect pink lips shaped their way into a pretty little 'o' that opened and closed very much like a fish. And with the rising pink color that overtook her (that Faerar found herself far fond of), Fae feared that she may have overstepped in asking. But the Captain continued. Her story was intriguing and rather insightful. Perhaps 'family' was not such a different term after all, except for in the first context that the Captain had used it in. "Oh," Fae tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice when the Captain stopped, apologizing for 'oversharing.' "That's alright, Captain. I asked, after all. Though of course, I don't wish to intrude..."

When the Captain turned away, Fae bit her lip, wishing really quite badly to reach out and touch her shoulder. To comfort her and tell her that it was okay. She didn't though, just watched her silently, until the Captain spoke again.

"Oh, well...the ambassador is quite why I'm stressed to be honest. Along with," Fae paused, giving the Captain a bit of a sheepish smile, "all of this, if I'm honest. My life has been quite...ordinary, Captain. Quiet. Space adventures are not the norm for me, as they must be for you." She sighed. "I don't do very well without much structure or plans. And I don't do very well when my plans are disrupted. This entire situation has been the largest disruption to all of my plans. I know it must seem silly, but I had plans to have a nice dinner on the Citadel...an Earth style restaurant actually. I should probably cancel my reservation. Just one more thing that I need to cancel..."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee took a moment before returning her gaze to Officer Faerar. When she did the blush had left from her face, leaving only Bae's bright amber eyes. She listened to Faerar's rant all the way until the end, where she saw an opportunity she simply couldn't miss. A nonchalant smirk found itself upon Bae's lips as she quickly blurted out something she most definitely shouldn't have. With a random chick on the street, sure. But with an officer she'd just met and was working with on an investigation? It was unorthodox.

"No need to cancel those reservations, Officer. After all you have someone to go with," Baylee said, her voice smooth as honey. Baylee was unorthodox. Therefore, this was entirely on-brand. "What time are the reservations?" She asked, the most charming smile joining her expression. "We can discuss the investigation, make plans, or

 

[elliphant]

---

Fae's brows drew together in question as the Captain said that she should not cancel the reservation, and in fact had somebody to go with. "Sorry, am I missing something, Captain? I know I have an awful habit of drifting away, but--"

There was something wicked about the way the Captain smiled. Fae felt her stomach lurch with butterflies. Her fears were only confirmed when the Captain asked what time the reservations were, followed by possible topics of discussion for their dinner together. Did the Captain just ask her out on a date? With Fae's own dinner reservations? This all felt a bit much. She was feeling faint, actually. Dinner. On the Citadel. With the Captain. Spectre. Most beautiful human she'd ever met.

"Oh. Um, well, yes. I suppose that would be...okay. It is formal dress...that shouldn't be a problem, right?" Fae blanched. "Oh it will be a problem! I only have my uniforms. We would need to stop by my apartment to get a dress. There's plenty of time, I mean, the reservation isn't until 19:00, but--well, sweet mother, it's already 17:40. If we're to make it to my apartment and to the restaurant in time, we'll have to leave now. Do you have something suitable to wear? Something that you could bring along? My apartment isn't much, but you could get dressed there...we're quite short on time, actually. It may just be better to cancel the reservations after all..."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee relished in the movements occurring on Fae's expression as she worked out exactly what Bay had asked. She listened to Faerar's confused question, her devilish smirk only growing as she did. She looked into the Ariete's eyes, watching them change ever so slightly as Fae realized what Bay meant.

Fae blubbered out a response that made Baylee's smile only widen, now showing a neat row of pearly white teeth. That smile gave away that she was entirely pleased with herself. Not only had she managed to get a date with the hottest officer she'd ever met, but she'd also managed to make that same officer flustered... again.

"Don't worry, Fae," Baylee cooed. "I'll meet you down the hall in front of the elevator," she paused, standing up, "and I'll bring a nice dress too." Baylee winked at Fae with all the amusement in the world, before extending a hand to the confused Ariete, an offer help her up.

 

[elliphant]

---

It was not a long ride via skycar taxi to Fae's apartment in the wards, but all the while, Fae distracted herself anyway, responding to emails on her omni-tool. Really, she just did not need to think about the heat of the human sitting dangerously close to her. Or about how if she shifted her knee slightly to the right, it would touch her's. Or if the taxi took a turn too sharply, their shoulders may touch...

Yes, there was quite a bit to catch up on, and plenty to distract herself with. Because she needed it. Desperately.

It was only when they got to the door that she realized that she was inviting the officer into her apartment. And the implications that might have. What would her neighbors think? Was it better to leave the Captain outside of the door, furthering the chance of her being seen outside of Fae's door, or to bring her inside, giving the impression that the Captain was here for more than just...just...what was Captain here for? She was here to get dressed. In a pretty dress. To go on a date. With Faerar. So the implications were true.

Sweet mother, she needed a drink.

As she opened the door, a whole different wave of anxiety washed over her, realizing that she'd left the apartment in a state of disarray. Mother damn her.

"Uh, sorry it's such a mess...I didn't have a chance to clean up...It's usually much cleaner than this, I promise." Which was a lie, of course. She was lying through her damn teeth. In fact, the apartment didn't get much better than this, with takeout containers strewn across tables and the kitchen, bed a mess with clothes scattered around the floor. Opened packages were left by the door from where they were first sat down, and nearly no surface was left without a datapad or three on top of it. It wasn't that she wanted to live like this, but she was always so busy, working long hours into the night and then tumbling out of bed to run to work the next morning.

So maybe she had a bit of a problem with work, but to make it this far this young was not something that happened without sacrifices. And so maybe the organization of her personal life had suffered, but there were worse things, right?

"I'll just, be a moment...you can uh, get dressed in the...kitchen?" There were all of two rooms in her apartment with actual doors, and it would have to do. Fae sifted through her closet (full of many uniforms and a few dresses to wear to parties), snagged one, and gave the Captain a brief smile before disappearing into the bathroom.

"Feel free to move anything! And sorry again about the mess!" she called.

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee had a hard time in the skycar taxi. They were close. Very close. Nearly touching. Bay was always one for a good tease but this kind of close proximity was teasing her too. Their knees would bump into each other each time they took a turn and if the turn was sharp enough... Stars, Baylee shouldn't be thinking about this! She tried to shake the thoughts from her head, but settled for leaving them in the back of her mind.

As Faerar led her up to the apartment, Baylee suddenly realized the implications this could leave on Fae's neighbors. A devilish smirk found itself on her face again as she thought of the ways she could fluster Fae with this information. She decided to leave it be, however, as they had just reached the door of Fae's apartment.

For someone so pulled together, Baylee did not expect the state of the apartment. She sparingly decided to mask her surprise with a calm expression. Take out containers littered the tables and counters, along with mugs, papers, cans, and other dishes. Clothes covered the floor around Faerar's unmade bed and datapads were strewn about on any willing surface. Something had been keeping Fae busy. Too busy too even clean up. She listened to Fae's apology for the mess and merely waved it off, not wanting to make a big deal over it.

Fae walked to the bathroom, telling Baylee where to change and apologizing again along the way. Bay made her way to the kitchen. She set aside a few dishes, placing them into the sink. But a few dishes quickly became every dish on the counter. And every dish on the counter became setting all of the trash into a small pile in the corner. Soon the counters were completely cleaned off. Bay set down her dress on the newly cleaned surface and quickly changed. She wore a simple black dress with two high slits on each side and extra fabric on the top that seemed to fold and cinch in just the right places. She put on some simple black heels and let her hair cascade down her shoulders. The outfit was revealing enough to show the toned muscles in her shoulders and legs but not so much that it became unprofessional or informal.

She walked out of the kitchen, smoothing the fabric over her stomach and hips, and looked up to see if Fae was coming out of the bathroom yet.

 

[elliphant]

---

The bathroom, at least, was clean. She probably should have sent the Captain into here. A toothbrush was a lot less embarrassing than mother knew how many dishes that littered the kitchen. But since that was no longer an option, Fae focused on the task at hand, slipping the dress over her shoulders, taking care not to catch her horns on the delicate straps, and tightening it around her waist to show off her lithe figure. Once the dress was on, there were a few moments devoted to touching up her makeup (which she noted, with no small amount of pleasure, was not terrible, even after a long day's use), then she was ready.

She took a breath, stood up straight, and opened the door.

"Captain? I'm read...." Her mouth dropped open as she saw the black dress on the Captain's figure. Her eyes dropped to her heeled feet, but didn't stay there for long, following the slits that revealed strong, toned legs beneath, to her flat stomach and generous chest that Fae had admired before, but now framed in the silky black top... Fae caught herself staring and made herself close her mouth.

"That's a stunning dress, Captain--you're stunning."

 

[- z a l t a -]

Baylee turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening and- by the stars, this woman was gorgeous. Surprise flashed in her eyes as Bay took in the champagne colored dress. The way it hugged Fae's graceful figure. The plunging dip in the neckline, revealing the pale pink skin of Fae's ches- great stars! What was she thinking?! Pink blush flourished on her cheeks as she caught herself staring.

"Um.. I- You-" Baylee's struggle thankfully ended quickly with Fae interrupting her.

"That's a stunning dress, Captain--you're stunning," she'd said. The blush intensified, turning from a pretty pink to a wild crimson covering her freckled cheeks. Her mouth fell open a bit, as if she were going to say something, but no words came out.

Baylee cleared her throat, turning away from Fae for a moment to recollect herself. "Uh-thank you... Officer Brahea," she managed. "You look quite exquisite yourself." Bay turned back to Faerar, the blush still burning on her cheeks and a newly formed soft smile on her lips. She forced herself to keep her eyes on Fae's, refusing to look even an inch lower for fear that she'd lose herself again to the chic shimmer of the champagne fabric or, more likely, the pale pinkish skin underneath it.

 

[elliphant]

---

She was perhaps too fond of the pink hue that the Captain turned, and perhaps even more fond of the crimson hue that followed it. The way that her plush lips fell open, and her golden brown eyes widened...oh Fae could get used to this. The Captain may have had the upper hand for their knowing each other thus far, but this is where Fae had the upper hand. Fancy dinners and sparkling dresses were her native ground, despite what her messy apartment might lead one to believe.

With the newfound confidence of familiar turf, Fae lifted her chin and glided over to the Captain, hooking her arm with her own. "I understand that we got off to somewhat of a tumultuous start, Captain, but this? This is exactly what I wanted to do with you from the moment I laid eyes on you." Well, perhaps not exactly. There were a few more things that Fae had imagined doing with the beautiful human woman, but this was most certainly the start to many of her fantasies.

"Thank you for inviting me on this date. Even if you happened to hijack my dinner plans for it." She adjusted her eyes the inch down to the Captain's, letting her dark lips form a sultry smile. "That...is, what this is, yes? Or do you take all your clients out to fancy dinners in dresses that would make a grown man weep?"

They were close enough to share breath. If Fae tilted her head, they'd be lined up perfectly for a kiss. And looking at those pink lips, Fae could think of few things she wished to do more. As the distance grew smaller between them though, Fae's omni-tool let out a sharp ding, reminding the two that they had a reservation to get to.

"What do you say?" Fae asked breathlessly, not moving an inch. "Would you like to go to dinner with me, Captain?"

 

[- z a l t a -]

"I understand that we got off to somewhat of a tumultuous start, Captain, but this? This is exactly what I wanted to do with you from the moment I laid eyes on you," Fae said. It sent shivers down Baylee's spine. The pink on her cheeks darkened a bit. Where was this confidence coming from? And why did she like it? Normally Bay was the one causing others to fluster. She was in control, on top, but now? ...Now? Great stars, this woman had Baylee wrapped around her delicate finger.

Bay's blush darkened to the same wild crimson as before at Faerar's next comment. 'dresses that would make a grown man weep'. Is that what Fae really thought? Sure, Baylee felt confident in this dress. It was a beautiful dress and she had chosen it for the explicit reason of making Fae stare- which she had done- but this was unexpected. This... This... behavior. It was astonishing.

As Fae leaned a bit closer, tilting her head to the side, Baylee could almost feel their lips touch. It sent her reeling. Alarms blared in her head as she tried to get a grip. Gay panic whirled in her brain, yet it all seemed to meld together into static. She leaned ever so slightly closer, feeling the heat coming off of Faerar. Her lips so close they could touc- Faerar's omni-tool announced a notification with an acute ding, ruining the moment. Baylee wished a meteor could have struck the damn thing to oblivion.

Faerar checked the omni-tool and Bay saw it was a reminder of the reservation they were attending. Baylee's eyes returned to Fae's as she asked the question and finally... finally, Bay seemed to have gotten control over herself. "Sounds lovely," she replied, letting a pleased smirk adorn her lips.

Baylee turned, letting her hand slip to Fae's lower back and leading them towards the door. "Confidence suits you," she commented, reaching to open the door from Fae. "You should use it to your advantage more."

 

[elliphant]

---

Her core tightened as the Captain's hand slid down her back, resting just above her tailbone. She wanted that hand lower, but they had dinner reservations. There would be time for that later.

"Confidence suits you," the Captain said, opening the door, "You should use it to your advantage more."

Fae smirked, bowing her head to the side, a sly smile on her face as she passed Bayley, knowing that the dark ink of her back tattoo would draw the Captain's attention as she passed. "I'll...keep that in mind, Captain." For now, there was no reason to argue that Fae was confident in many situations--when she had a plan, that was. And right now? She had a lot of plans for Captain Rogers.

One) Take her to dinner
Two) Impress her with witty banter
Three) Ply pretty words out of that pretty mouth with wine
Four) ...

...Well, she had a few plans for four, depending on how the evening went, but the best of them ended with the Captain in her bed, that golden head between Fae's thighs...

Letting that particular daydream slide to the backburner, Fae hailed a taxi again, sliding into the seat and letting the Captain follow. "To Sapphire Oaks, please." It was one of the fanciest restaurants on the Citadel--one that many spent years waiting to get a reservation for. She'd received a reservation and a complimentary tab for one dinner as a favor for an Elchor diplomat who had gotten deep into scandal with the Volus diplomat. Working as hard as she did came with some special privileges.

This time, Fae did not let herself be distracted with her omni-tool. It would honestly be a crime, with how the silky black top rested atop the Captain's chest, rising and falling with every breath, to not appreciate the site in front of her. Funnily enough, she was not so bothered by their knees touching this ride either.

The skycar beeped as they arrived at their destination. They were here.