..::Sᴡɪʀʟs ᴏғ Bʟᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ Gʀᴇᴇɴ::.. [PᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛOɴᴇ & Iʀᴏɴɪᴄ]

Why did it always feel so lonely searching for other planets? Was it because space was so dark, the stars and galaxies that inhabited it so far away and so out of reach from one another? Despite the ship she used for her travels reached speeds that weren’t necessarily deemed natural or being accepted into physics it felt forever before finding a planet that was suitable for research.

Cleptsii is known as the Celestial Traveler, a title given to her from her home planet Ormeon in the galaxy Typhin. Her duty is to find planets with different forms of life, recording the results to bring forth to her planet for further study. So far she has successfully found thirteen inhabitable planets with worthy resources that can be up for negotiating later down the road.

Nothing seemed to be coming into her radars on the day’s trip. She sighed heavily as her boredom grew. Another hour had passed before the twinkling glow of a galaxy called the Milky Way appeared. The vibrant balls of gas known as stars glinted against her ships windows, adding an excited spark in her irises that would ignite excitement in her soul. Eagerly she proceeded the route into the heart of the galaxy, exploring the planets and solar systems until suddenly her systems chirped.

‘A nearby planet, Earth, is close by. It is a thriving planet with a steady population.’

A map appeared on her screen, pinpointing the location of this planet called Earth. She cranked up her speed and shot through the galaxy to make her way to investigate the situation. She was going so fast that her ship began to leave a trail of fire, appearing like a shooting star. It only took her a minute before reaching into the orbit of Earth, her eyes widened and filled with enthusiasm as the perfect swirls of blue and green reflected in her eyes. Her system filled with endless information about the planet before her, from species to mating rituals, to the food and elemental compositions. She was so infatuated with her work that she almost didn’t notice the wails of her system crying out to her.

‘Warning! Warning! Warning! Incoming meteor in its way towards our course! Take action!’ The hunk of rock was heading her way at a fast rate, and even though she took her controls and aimed for a different direction it wasn’t fast enough.

BAM!

The meteor had knocked her out of course and sent the ship spiraling down into the atmosphere of Earth. Her sirens cried out to her, telling her that the engine was damaged and she was losing pressure. Luckily the atmosphere was similar to her own and would allow her to breathe easily but that was the least of her worries at the moment. The ship spun chaotically as it aimed downwards. Her body thrashed around like a rag doll, banging against the metal-like material that was the ship walls. Her head banged on the corner of the wall, leaving a deep gash right beside her temple. It gave her whiplash but it didn’t knock her out.

Her heart raced deep inside of her chest as she continued to spin into a planet she hadn’t researched. She didn’t know how dangerous this life would be once she landed, that is if she survived this crash. She shouted, begging for help as she tried to press the button that would contact her home once she was in arms reach but her systems have already shut down. It was broken, shattered, in shambles. A single tear left her eye before her body carelessly was tossed once more, this time causing the alien girl to be knocked out cold from the impact.

A large field was underneath her, the ship making its way down to plummet with the wet soil mostly used for farming purposes. It made its impact with the ground, skidding a bit from its landing spot until the friction was too much and forced it to come to a halt. Cleptsii laid on her back on the cold metal floor, purple goo, similar to human blood, poured out of the wound on her head, her body littered with new lacerations and marks. Steam roared from her ship, a small fire sparking inside of where the engine was kept.

And this was her fate, dying in a cold world and alone. This is what she got for being so careless.

Over the course of his life, Alexander Night had seen a lot of things that not many people got to see. He was a military brat, born and raised. He'd been to several different countries as his parents continued their military careers and when he graduated high school, he too joined the service. Serving eight years with the US Marine Corp. He'd seen the best the world had to offer and the worst that the human race was capable of first hand. He'd survived multiple gun fights, several explosions and been in situations that would have a lesser person curled in a fetal position.

After serving his eight years in he suffered an injury in Afghanistan that had him medically discharged from service and while it wasn't that bad now, thanks to hard work and physical therapy...A LOT of physical therapy, it was enough for the Corp to say he wasn't fit for duty. Now, he lived in Texas and owned a very good chunk of land. A ranch, only without the cattle. Today, he'd been out on his property with his "off road" truck when he heard a deafening booming sound. Stopping his vehicle he looked up at the sky just in time to see a ball of fire blast over his vehicle and smash into the ground a few hundred yards away from him.

The ball of fire passed by close enough that it shook his vehicle even as it was at a stand still. Gripping his steering wheel and the seat beside him to brace himself he looked wide eyed at the trail of smoke coming from where it had hit. Any sane person would high tail it home, call the cops and let them deal with it, however Alex had always been a curious one. Sighing after a few moments he slowed his heart rate and drove to the crash site. Expecting to find a good sized space rock he found something that he HADN'T ever seen before. It looked like a space craft of sorts. Much more mangled and less pretty then he was expecting but apparently gravity does that to pretty things.

Stepping out of his truck he left it running, just in case, and headed over to the smoking craft. His desert tan combat boots crunching on what sounded like metal fragments as he walked through the valley of dirt and debris he came to what looked like a cracked canopy that to his surprise had a humanoid inside. Looking at her she obviously wasn't human, or cosplay was taking things to a whole new level. Looking around he glanced into the cockpit and saw blood was all over the walls of the craft, probably from her being bounced around like a pin ball. One would think that seat belts would have been created.

Standing there he crouched down in his khaki tan cargo pants and woodland style turtle neck. As he sat there he could see that the craft was on fire and if he left her there long enough, he had a feeling she'd be tomorrow's charred remains for sure. Weighing the odds he climbed into the craft and carefully lifted her out of the wreckage. She was a lot lighter than he was anticipating. Carrying her out he walked her over to his vehicle and set her in the back seat, laying her down before going back to the craft and collecting everything he could. He then used a trench shovel to throw dirt on the flames and douse them. When he was sure the fires were out, mainly to keep them from spreading, he went back to his truck and drove her to his home.

The crash was a good three miles from his home and when he got there he carried her to the spare room he had and took about three hours dressing her wounds, using medical tape, giving her a few stitches and ace bandage wraps to hold the bandages in place. Luckily he'd been able to keep her....suit....on for the most part. Once she was bandaged up he attached an IV to her arm, she seemed moderately like a human and water was always good. Once that was done and she was stable from what he could see, he headed down to the kitchen to wash his hands as well as start cooking some food. His Glock 19 was still on his hip from when he'd had it upon first finding her and it was there mainly out of habit but also out of protection since he had no idea how she'd react upon waking.

The alien’s consciousness swayed in and out. One minute she was laying down, the next someone was grabbing her. Next the scent of smoke faded and her back laid on a cushiony-like material instead of the hard metal she had grown accustomed to. What was happening to her? Her eyes fluttered for a brief moment to catch the ceiling of the “off road’ truck, a sight she didn’t know. But before her mind could figure out what was happening the darkness swallowed her whole once more.

So tenderly the male helped her wounds and lacerations as she laid still in the spare room. From time to time she would twitch in reaction to the pokes and jabs of the needles but she would not awake. The fluids from the IV flooded inside of her body and gave her pale skin a more life-like appearance. The crescent mark on her forehead began to slowly glow, her body finding its own strength thanks to the help of this unknown creature.

As the male went his way to the kitchen, slowly Cleptsii’s eyelids started to flutter open. First lazily as her vision was blurry until she blinked a few times, the room focusing in her irises. Her body ached terribly and she groaned out in pain, rolling her head and neck in circular motions in attempt to loosen up the tensed muscles. “Where am I?” She couldn’t help but think to herself, immediately jumping to her feet to inspect the situation. Her head started to spin, causing her to fall back down where she was laying down at. Something was tugging at the dip in her inner arm and as she turned to look at what the object was she then noticed the IV that injected its way into her flesh. Her head tilted from side-to-side like a curious puppy trying to figure out the sorcery of what was unfolding before it.

A curious finger tapped at where the needle embedded inside of her until a sharp pain was emitted, causing her to shriek in pain. What was this device that caused her so much pain to the touch? She wanted to get up and run away from this strange place, but she didn’t have the strength to. Noises of someone inside the home caused the alien’s skin to shutter in fear, unknowing of what beast was residing here.

Alex had been in the process of making some beef stew, cutting up the carrots and potatoes to put them in the boiling water when he heard the sound of booted feet hitting the floor above him rather suddenly. Reaching down he turned the stove off just in case he'd be up there for a while. He then grabbed a cup of Jasmine tea and headed up the stairs. When he heard the shriek he flinched at the sound and shook his head as he rubbed the heel of his palm against his ear. Damn she had a set of pipes.

Walking into the room he looked at her as she was sitting there staring at him. Looking at the IV it'd been moved and thus it would not be the most comfortable thing in the world. Rubbing his forehead he walked over to her and set the cup on the night stand.
"Ya know. For an alien, I would have thought that not touching something sticking in your arm would be common sense."
He said as he pressed a gauze patch over the needle hole and pulled the needle from her arm. Putting some medical tape over the strange cloth he took her wrist and lifted it, bending her arm so that her forearm was facing upward to pinch the cloth tighter.

Grabbing the cup he set it in her free hand and took a step back as he looked at her and checked to make sure her spastic movements didn't move or open the wounds. When he was sure she hadn't done too much damage he crossed his arms over his broad chest and focused a pair of pale blue eyes on her.
"Drink that. It'll help calm the nerves. Deep breaths too. Keep your heart rate even. The higher the heart rate, the more blood you'll pump through your veins."
Which meant the more her wounds would struggle to not be bleeding all over the place even with his stitch job.

As he moved around the bed he kept an eye on her and it seemed she was keen on watching him. Good. Seemed her ability to track moving objects was working. So he didn't have to worry about any brain trauma. Looking back at her he pat his stomach.
"Hungry? The IV was for fluids."
He said as he pointed to the dip in his elbow in reference to what she'd just had removed.

Her breathing was quick and shallow, her head spinning from lack of oxygen; she was having a panic attack. She placed her palms on her face to feel that her skin was boiling as her blood pressure levels were high and rising. It would be wise to calm down since she was already stricken with trauma. Anymore and she might just vomit.

The steps creaked and moaned out as someone was approaching her room, the echoing sounds growing louder as he came closer. She ceased all actions and stared intently at the doorway to catch a glimpse of the figure that had brought her captive here. It was a tall and bulky male with sharpened facial features. Honestly, he didn’t look too much different than herself but he lacked the symbol on his forehead while hers glowed like the moonlight.

He was speaking in a language she had no idea, giving him an awkward expression as she tried to pinpoint what he was saying with his body language. As he closed the space between them she tensed up, digging herself deep into the chair she sat in to get away from him. His speed was quick as he grabbed her arm and worked on the IV and she would wince in anticipation to the harsh pain of the needle but it didn’t hurt when he had pulled it out. Perhaps he was jibber-jabbing about that just before.

The cup of tea sitting beside the night stand steamed from the warm temperatures, the scent of Jasmine coating the air. It was soothing, calming. Just what was it? Cleptsii would soon figure it out once the creature placed it into the palm of her hand, her fingers curling around the cup in response. His mouth started moving, talking more nonsense that she couldn’t comprehend but she knew he was talking about the object he had placed in her hand. It looked similar to Ghuki on her home planet, a beverage in celebration of occasions, but would it taste like it? Bringing the cup up to her lips the steam entered into her flared nostrils, already reassuring her from the sweet scent. Blowing gently, she tipped the cup to gently sip at the liquid, letting it glide on her taste buds before tapping her tongue on her palate to get a good taste. It was very delectable, causing her to sip on it some more as she continued to keep her blue irises on the male in the room.

There he goes, talking nonsense again. Doesn’t he understand she doesn’t know what he is saying? He pointed to where the needle was on his own arm and he patted his stomach. What was the reference? She had grown tired of guessing what he was speaking about and decided to take matters into her own. Her strength regained, it wasn’t much but it was enough to get out of her seat. She didn’t know the term of personal space and closely got up into his face, the tips of their noses almost touching each other. Her eyes as blue as the ocean simmered as if sequins were spilled inside, skated along his body to inspect the details. Her dainty fingertips touched his biceps, dancing them downwards to that dip and furthermore to the back of his hand. She lifted his hand up towards her face, his pointer finger sprawled outwards for her to see.

Pressing the finger onto her rosy pink lips, she would part them to gently nip at the calloused skin similar to a diabetic needle to test the glucose level, drawing blood before he would more than likely draw back from the stimuli reaction. She rolled his blood onto her palate, soaking in the white blood cells for DNA purposes due to red blood cells not carrying any form of DNA. Clearing her throat, she would finally speak up.

“What are you?” Pretty straightforward and random, right? Out of all of the greetings she could have bestowed on him it was that one. Her title, the Celestial Traveler, were granted a special trait for their travels; being able to speak in their language all by taking a small amount of their blood and extracting the white blood cells onto her palate that was designed for it.

Alex had come to the conclusion that she didn't understand him quite a while ago, he was mainly talking to keep himself calm. That and he was testing reactions and seeing how she was doing health wise. Her hearing was obviously spot on given how many times she'd look to his lips, see them moving then give him a deer in the head lights expression. A clear sign she had no idea what he was saying. No surprise there. The fact that she seemed to enjoy the tea was a good thing though. The herbs in the tea, if her body make up was similar to his, would help her calm down considerably.

That glowing moon on her forehead was a little unnerving but he'd deal with it. Right now he was way more concerned about how she was getting way too close to him. Standing still he watched her with intelligent and sharp eyes, cautious mainly. Like him being an unknown to her, she was an unknown to him. As she ran her fingers over his arms he tensed at the feeling. He'd never been a fan of being touched by a random person so he was not thrilled about being touched by an alien. When she lifted his hand he watched her for a moment and raised an eyebrow as she brought his finger to her lips. 'Okay...this is new...'

The moment he felt that sharp pinch his hand was pulled away from hers and his gun was out and up, a barrel in her face as he'd taken a few steps back. Keeping his gun leveled on her he inspected his finger and did a mental check. Nothing felt different. Seeing her work her jaw a bit he narrowed his eyes on her then he heard her speak, perfect English. Putting two and two together took him a minute but he slowly lowered his gun and holstered it before wiping his finger on the cloth of his pants.
"I'm human...which is the main race here."
Was all he said as he kept his eyes on her and held his arm straight out from his body.

"I have a bubble. Think of it as an invisible barrier. You'd be wise not to come in it again. I'm not a huge fan of being touched...or bitten."
Not in that aspect anyways. Sighing a bit he looked at her for a moment or two then looked back down the stairs of his home.
"Are you hungry? When I pointed to my stomach, that's what I was asking you. If your body make up is anything like mine, food will help you heal...and relax. If you are hungry, follow me. If not, you can park your ass right back on that bed as you need to heal."

He said as he motioned to the bed she'd been laying on. He then left the room and headed down the stairs and back to the kitchen. First order of business...washing his hands. He wasn't too fond of being bitten. Second order of business, drying his hands he walked to the patio door of his back yard and let his dog inside. Katy was a black lab and she was about a year in a half old. He'd gotten her when she was six weeks old and trained her himself. She was a damn good dog, very protective of him but the biggest sweet heart too. As she came in he smiled and pat his chest. When she hopped up he pat her side and head.
"I know sweetie. I'm sorry. Here."
Tossing her one of her dog biscuits from a jar on the counter he let her eat while he looked around in the kitchen.

He wasn't sure what his new guest liked or didn't like so he simply stood there and turned his attention to the stairs to see if she'd be making her way down. Katy wouldn't attack her unless he told her to so he wasn't worried about that.

The weapon that was pointing in her face caused her pupils to dilate, her muscles tensed up as she raised still in waiting for his next move. Undoubtedly she did no maltreatment but he didn’t know better just as if she would had been in the same situation. Finally, he lowered it and answered her inquire, a bite foully but he did have a point. It was in the wrong of her to be so inconsiderate.

“I meant to cause no harm. I am sorry.” She raised her hands up with palms facing him in her defense. He wasn’t afraid to get his point across as well as speak his mind, which would help her in the long run on what to do and what not to do. “What was it that you put here?” She pointed to the dip in her arm that was now concealed by gauze and a roll of cotton.

“Ah, okay I see. Yes, I have this hunger you speak of. We look pretty similar and the atmosphere here is the same on my planet. This is the first time I didn’t have to use an oxygen mask. I don’t think we will have much of a problem when it comes to digestion.” She then followed him out of the bedroom as he made his way down to the kitchen. Her hand gripped on the railing as she was still a bit unsteady, grateful that the object was there for assistance. The kitchen smelled grander than the tea he had given her, her stomach growling and aching for a nourishing meal.

“It would be rude of me furthermore if I don’t introduce myself. My name is Cleptsii, the Celestial Traveler. I come from the planet Ormeon in search of other celestial life out in the deep reaches of space.” She spoke as they walked down the stairs, feeling it was the right thing to do as he had helped her in more ways than she could imagine. “Is there something you humans do in order to pay back what you have done for others?”

As soon as she tiptoed into the kitchen the dog began to growl at her, Cleptsii stiffening up furthermore as she didn’t know what to do. “Will this species hurt me?” She asked as she stayed more still than a rock.

When she started spitting out this massive title to her name he stopped and looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. Cutting that name and title down a bit he nodded.
"Alright. So Cleptsii it is then."
He'd have to work that word around on his tongue for a bit. He wasn't even sure he'd pronounced it right after hearing it. If he'd seen it rather than hearing it he would have just called her 'You' for fear of butchering the name beyond recognition. When he heard Katy growl he snapped his fingers to shut her up then walked over and crouched over the dog, stroking her neck and the back of her ears.

"No. She's just never seen or smelled you. Hold your hand out, like this."
He said as he showed her how to hold her hand.
"Once she gets your scent she'll treat you as a guest. She's a big baby."
He said as he smiled down at his pup and pat her side. Katy then sniffed at Cleptsii's hand and after a few seconds she went back to chewing on a chew toy that Alex had gotten her. He then had her follow him into the kitchen and started showing her various fruits that she'd be able to eat if she liked them. Things like apples, banana's, grapes and a few oranges.
"These are fruits. They're good for natural sugars and some energy. This is wheat."
He said as he pulled out a loaf of bread. He then showed her a few other foods that didn't require a whole lot of prep, just cutting or peeling them for now.

Touching back on the other subject...her exploration.
"Also, if you're here to inspect the life forms, I'd suggest doing it from space. Humans here are very greedy and selfish. You'll be seen as an enemy and when you show no hostilities, then you'll be taken and treated basically as a new experiment. They won't care about your personal feelings or desires. It's all about what they can learn from you...which usually means taking blood samples and tissue samples. You'd be lucky if they killed you first instead of keeping you alive and taking you apart piece by piece. Trust me. This is not a planet you want to be on very long."

Which unfortunately was true. Up till now, the humans thought they were alone in the galaxy. If they learned of her, she'd be treated like a lab rat and they'd have no care at all if she was someone important. Then, if her people sought revenge for her death or capture, the humans would be confused why they were being attacked simply because to them, taking a random alien was just something they do. It was sad, pitiful and made him really wonder what makes humans think like that. Rubbing his forehead he sighed and looked at her.

"I put the fires out on your ship. So when you're healed a bit more, we can see about getting you off of this planet. I brought some things along that weren't attached to anything. I'll go grab them."
While she was eating he went to the garage and grabbed the things he'd gotten from her craft. Bringing them in he set them on the table for her to inspect.

Katy’s nose was wet to the touch as she sniffed her palm, simply uninterested in her afterwards. He was correct. Bending down just like Alex did she would stroke the black fur on her back, gliding in between the webs of her fingers. “I like this species. It’s neat that you two can coexist together.” She rose up from her knees and walked by Alex, making sure to mind that bubble he mentioned earlier.

The purple grapes glistened as the lighting in the kitchen casted down on it, the small orbs of fruity flesh looking appetizing and Cleptsii was eager to take a bite. “A grape, huh?” Elegantly she picked one off from the vine and delicately pushed it through her opened lips. The striations of her teeth caused the skin to tear and the juices burst into her mouth. Her eyes widened in surprise, amazed that so much liquid and flavor was packed inside of this little “capsule.” “Wow… This is pretty good!” She muttered as she grabbed a handful and shove them all in her mouth, her cheeks now filled like a chipmunk ready for hibernation.

She listened carefully as she chewed on the heaping amount of grapes, swallowing continuously as the juices were overflowing. After finally getting them down into her gullet she could finally respond. “It wasn’t my intention to get into the Earth’s atmosphere. A meteor close by hit my ship and sent me spiraling down. Do you think I want to be here?” She did get a little snarky with him but soon after casted him an apologetic glance. “Besides, I am grateful that you’re not one of those humans. That sounds awful. I don’t understand how you can exist with bad-mannered individuals like that.”

As the items were sprawled out on the table for her to see, she noted a backpack filled with clothing and snacks that she had tagged along just in case she had to explore further than she had anticipated. Another item was a useless pager that could only be used if the ship was turned on. It wouldn’t work with these frequencies. Lastly a small metallic stick that could be wielded as a sword for external use. Mostly all good finds. “I appreciate you doing this for me, you’re a very nice man.” She smiled warmly in his direction, her cheeks rosy red in contrast to her pale skin.

“So, what do humans do in an hour like this? Would it be too dangerous to explore? I mean, I look just like you to some extent. Would it be that obvious?”

As she tasted the first grape, seeing the excitement light up her face was to be expected. Grapes were commonly a loved treat. He could only imagine how she'd react to wine. When she crammed a handful into her mouth he smirked. That was not as graceful as the first bite. Shaking his head he began to cut up an apple as apples were a really good burst of flavors as well and the rich crisp bite was always a bit of a surprise as well. He had both red and green apples. Cutting up both of them he looked up as she got a little sharp with him but he didn't say anything, he just continued cutting them.

When she asked how he dealt with them he popped a wedge of the green apple into his mouth, a moist crunch coming from his mouth as he used his tongue to push the chunk to his cheek.
"Carefully."
Was his response. He didn't have to worry about the government turning him into a pin cushion because there wasn't really anything special about him. He was a prior soldier. He'd seen his fair share of combat and what people were capable of.

Hearing her ask about exploring he looked at his G-shock watch. It was about mid day. He could take her out along his property but he'd have to clean her up a bit before taking her into the general public. Sliding a small dish of green and red apple wedges her way he walked over to his tablet and pulled up google. Doing a quick search it turned out that there was a sci-fi convention in the city in about two weeks. She'd be able to blend in really well there. He'd just have to explain a few things to her first.

Looking up at her he sighed.
"I can show you around but we're gonna have to cover that mark on your skin. Can't have that thing lighting up like a Christmas tree or you're gonna draw a lot of attention to yourself. Physically you look like a human yes, but you have some characteristics that aren't. Human's mainly keep to themselves but their curious by nature and very...VERY nosy. Remember the greedy thing too. If someone thinks that turning you into the authority will give them a few extra bucks to their bank, they'll do it in a heartbeat."

Looking out into the back yard he jerked his thumb towards it.
"I can show you around on my property. I've got quite a bit of land but it's mainly some random bits of green and dirt. May spot a few deer here and there but that's about it, or a Coyote."
He said as he motioned to Katy.
"Coyote's are wild versions of her. She's domesticated so she's trained to live with humans. Coyote's are not and they'll attack if they feel threatened."
Walking over the Katy he got her attention with a snap.
"Katy smile."

Katy's lips lifted as a row of white fangs were now visible on top and bottom. Walking over he opened her jaw to show the teeth.
"You don't want those in your skin."

As he handed her a small dish of Christmas colored apples she eagerly took a red one and chomped down on half of the flesh, the crunch ringing through her eardrums as she felt the explosion of juices erupt into her mouth. It wasn’t as plentiful as a grape but it still was delicious. After eating a red one she picked up a green one, biting it into the same manner but was taken by surprise with how bitter it tasted. Wasn’t it the same fruit? She puckered her lips closing her eyes tightly for a second before drawing the apple wedge back to inspect it. “Dang, that’s bitter, but it has a good aftertaste.” And just like that she popped the remainder into her mouth, her cheeks pinching in response.

Her fingers brushed up over her glowing mark and she blinked awkwardly. “Awe, I’m pretty bummed I have to cover this up. I feel like I’m letting my people down if I did but then again I am in your world. I will do it for the sake of exploring, but what could possibly cover it up?” She asked as her fingers pressed against her forehead before retreating to grab some more grapes.

Keenly she nodded to Alex, showing him that she was following with him and understanding what he meant. “Wow… So those Coyote things are just like Katy but wild? I would love to see one but not if those teeth will pierce me.” She shivered just thinking about those long fangs digging into her flesh. It was adorable when Katy did it, though.

“If you do not mind I would love to be shown around your property. Let me know what I can and cannot touch, I don’t want another bubble occurrence. You didn’t look too happy when that happened.” She nervously combed through her hair with her fingers, the long white tresses swirling around her hands. “Speaking of you, honestly you haven’t told me much about yourself. I told you about me, why not share something about you?”

Letting Katy get back to her chewy he looked up at her as he smirked.
"You can look at them from a distance, just don't get too close and you'll be fine."
He said as he stood up and walked towards his garage door but stopped right beside her as his body language showed he was stiff. His face went neutral and as he looked at her his eyes were empty of any and all emotions.
"Nothing interesting about me. I was just a soldier."

Regardless of places or people, soldiers and warriors had an air about them when they'd seen combat. They were quiet and didn't talk about it, if they did, it was only to other warriors who had seen what they did.

Blinking a few times as if coming back to himself he sighed.
"My life hasn't been that interesting. My name is Alex, in case I didn't tell you. Other than that...not much to talk about."
He said as he walked to the garage door and opened it. Motioning for her to follow he let her sit in the front seat this time rather than stretched out across the back seat. When he started his car there was a deep growl from the motor as he pulled out of the garage and headed down a bumpy dirt path. The shocks and suspension of the vehicle handled the bumps rather well, but there were still a few spots that would lift them out of their seats a few inches.

As he drove through his property, most of the dirt was a maroon shade of red, Alex pointed out that it was clay for the most part. As he took her to an area that was more lush green and rocks he parked the car and got out. Pointing to a large boulder where a creature looking like a dirty brown version of Katy stood.
"That's a Coyote. He's probably looking for food at the moment. Careful though. he's got friends around."
He said as he stood against the hood of his vehicle and let her see the Coyote.

"Sorry about pulling a gun on you, but in the past, people getting too close to me wasn't a good thing."
He said as he touched on the subject of why he had a bubble. In Afghanistan, for the first few months, kids would walk up to them asking for water or candy and as they got close to soldiers, they'd explode as the terrorists were using them as bomb carriers. It made him very edgy about people getting too close to him. It also made him very paranoid around kids for the longest time.

His body language changed astoundingly, causing her to back up for a second because he looked so threatening. There was a very slim hint of sadness in his tone, as if the history of this so called ‘soldier’ titled bared a weight on his back that no one could ever imagine. Curiosity dug at her, though, wanting to know more about this soldier life, but that would be coming into that bubble. A no go, at least for now.

“No, you never did give me your name. It’s a nice name, Alex.” She let his name roll onto her tongue, sounding right for his image. “I am sure your life is somewhat interesting.” She encouraged him to tell more of himself without probing him. Maybe it’ll work. What’s the worst that can happen, him telling her no?

She followed him into the garage and hopped into the car. It was almost like a ship but not quite there yet. Did this planet even have ships? She’ll ask him later. Right before her eyes stood a Coyote, its fur looking more matted than Katy’s and more colorful. It was beautiful, but with the warnings Alex mentioned she wouldn’t go close to it. She hung out of the window as she stared, amazed at the life forms on this planet.

Unexpectedly he apologized for the earlier events but she waved a hand at him. “No no no, don’t apologize. It was my fault anyways. I too would be cautious if someone bit my finger. I thought examining your hand was a good enough indicator of my actions. Does your people not do the same to learn another language?” Her voice was spilling with innocence. Oh, how naive this girl was.

“So, I am guessing it’s just you and Katy living here? Why no one else?”

Standing at the hood he leaned in a bit and got a closer look at the Coyote. Smirking a bit he walked around the hood and went to the back of his vehicle. Grabbing some deer jerky, a whole bag actually, he walked back to her window and stood beside it.
"No. We learn through studying the language. Usually learning a language can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of years. It'd be nice if we could learn as quickly as you do."

Stepping closer to the Coyote he tossed some jerky to the ground and crouched down so that he was resting on the tips of his toes and whistled a few times in short bursts. This made the Coyote start to trot his way, four more of them cresting the boulder.
"Stay there for now."
He called back as he recognized this particular pooch. Living on the property as long as he did, he'd gotten to know a lot of the animals in the area. This little pack was a group of misfits. Males and a few females that didn't have a pack so they seemed to have just formed one of their own.

This one, who Alex affectionately named Bandit, was a little thief. Always stole food from Katy's outside bowl till Katy caught him one day and taught him the error of his ways. He had a deep scar on his snout and another on his neck from where Katy had taken a chunk out of him. As the Coyote came up and took the meat he smiled.
"Hey Bandit. Seems you've healed nicely. Bet you won't be taking her food anymore huh?"
He said as he waved another piece of the meat and the canine came over to him and sat in front of him, taking it from his hand.

Alex had nursed the poor pooch back to health after Katy kicked his ass. Since then, he'd been keeping an eye on him every now and then. As he pet the Coyote he looked back at her.
"It's safe. He's a regular around here."
He said as the other's came down to greet Alex and get some food. Food was the fastest way to any creatures heart...or stomach.

"Yeah. Just me a Katy. I have a few friends who visit from time to time but I don't get along well with a lot of people. I keep to myself."
That and with his flash backs and night mares, it makes having a significant other a bit of a stress. His ex, right after he got out, said that he was too violent at night and when he woke up one day over top of her with his hand on her neck, that was the last straw for her.

Cleptsii didn’t understand why he had told her to stay away from the Coyotes yet this one named Bandit was perfectly okay to be around? “Didn’t you say they’re not safe? How can something so dangerous be friendly?” She chose it would be best to keep her distance and watch from afar. Besides, it was pretty neat to see Bandit eating from Alex’s hand. It was a shame that Katy had to teach him a lesson but that’s what happens in the animal kingdom.

“I don’t blame you.” She responded to him as her cheek rested on her forearm against the cracked window. “On my home planet I wasn’t much to talk and be with others. That’s why I signed up to be a Celestial Traveler. That way I had my solitude and I could be alone. Even though that is what I wanted I can’t help but feel so alone sometimes.” Her mind went back to her planet and how she now missed the interaction with her own people. You can’t always get what you want.

“Your property is fairly large. You’re so small, I don’t get what you do with all of it. It’s just open space.” Her eyes stared off into the endless plains, wondering what other things could occupy this bland piece of land. “It seems like you have a lot of free time, do you work anywhere or do anything to pass by time?”

Alex looked up as she mentioned him basically contradicting himself which in a way he was.
"Bandit is the only one I'm friendly with, those four are still very wild. They just tolerate me because of him and because I have food. If he or the food wasn't here, then I wouldn't be anywhere near them."
He said as he shrugged.
"It helps to know when is okay and when to stay away."
Something she was going to have to master being on Earth. There was a time for curiosity and a time for self preservation.

When she spoke of how she liked to be alone and yet at times she was lonely and craved that interaction he nodded.
"Loneliness affects every living thing in different ways apparently. I have Katy to keep me company. I talk and she interacts in some ways, other times I have friends that will drop by."
Though one of his 'friends' he'd have to call her and tell her that dropping by any time soon was a no go. She was a part of his old unit, so she'd get his tone, knowing that he was dealing with something.

Looking around at his property he shrugged as she mentioned how it was a lot of space.
"It is. However it allows me to explore different areas when I don't feel like being stuck at home. It gives me places to go...or places for some random alien ship to add a new hole."
He said as he glanced back at her. There was sarcasm in his tone and a small smirk that graced his lips before he stroked Bandit's chin and blew a puff of air through his teeth so that the dog knew it was time to go. Standing up he backed up keeping an eye on him as he trotted off with his pack. When they crested the large boulder and vanished he turned back toward his truck.

"I work...yes. From home."
What he did, he wasn't about to say just yet simply because it wasn't a topic he felt like digging into. Alex was damn good with weapons and that's what he did. He upgraded his friends weapons and armor with things they would need. He also did random jobs for a few friends who were members of Black Water. It was a government sponsored mercenary company. Taking ex special operations and employing them to fight where ever the money sent them. Usually it was trips to Afghanistan or other countries where gun fights were just another part of life.

As he stood there his pocket buzzed, making him pull his phone out. Sliding his thumb over a green phone he pulled the rectangular box to his ear.
"Yeah? Hey Vix. I'm good. Dealing with some unexpected company. Wait...what?"
Hanging up the phone he looked up to see a woman with blonde hair, tied tight in a pony tail on the back of her head. She had piercing emerald green eyes, an almost angelic face and a toned figure, much like Cleptsii. Looking at the alien he shoved her into the Hummer and walked back to the blonde who was being led by Katy.
"Traitor."

He mumbled to the dog.
"You know I don't like surprise visits Vix."
The woman got off of the four wheeler that she'd taken from his garage as her black leather boots hit the dirt. She was wearing a pair of black leather riding pants and a black tank top.
"Good to see you too Night. So who's this guest? I saw some smoke off in the distance."
"It's fine."
Vixen looked at him and narrowed her eyes on the Hummer. Even through the tint she could see someone moving around in the front seat.
"Who's that?"

Her eyes rolled to his sarcastic comment before giving out her own smirk. “Oh, really now?” Today had been eventful, it was crazy to think so much has happened in just a short amount of time. She was glad that it was Alex who had ran into her and got to learn of Earth from him. Hopefully he didn’t mind being her mentor for a little while.

Cleptsii watched as he handled a device from his pocket and talked to someone else from it, just like her pager. Humans were really advanced, more than she had intended to think. Most of the other life she had come into contact with were more barbaric than anything, having tribes and such. Very few were on the verge of becoming civilized, though. He looked perplexed, and somewhat agitated after he hung up. She didn’t notice Vixen making her way towards their direction when Alex harshly pushed her back into the Hummer, the alien’s back hitting the middle compartment.

“Hey, that was rude!” She snarled at him before seeing someone’s figure walking up towards Alex through the side mirror. Promptly she froze and ducked her head into her shoulders before crouching down. Now she understood his prompt actions, but he was already ratted out once she inquired of Cleptsii’s presence. No sense in hiding anymore if the game has been over.

Slowly she crept back into view, blinking slowly only to stare at Vixen. “Oh, so this is unexpected guest. Nice tattoo on your forehead.” She commented before noticing the tattoo was letting off a strong light, causing her to second glance at the object. “What. In. The. World.”

“Hello…” Cleptsii mouthed slowly, unsure if she should have made herself visible now that she saw her reaction. “My name is Cleptsii, I am not from this planet. Please don’t hurt me.” She sounded like a child pleading for her life, shaking in her seat as she didn’t know what was going to happen. Alex was sure to not let anything happen to her, or was he just putting up a front and foreshadowing his true intentions?

To be completely honest, he was hoping that the inner nerd in Vix would shine through as she was a huge Star wars nut and always talked about aliens when they were on missions. How certain radio frequencies were able to go further than others. Blah blah blah. Everyone in the unit just called her Geek. She was probably one of the hottest nerds he'd ever seen but she was still a nerd.

"Vix. That smoke. That's her ship. She slammed into the ground a few hours ago. Keep your trap shut. I don't like uninvited guests and you know as well as I do what the government will do if they get wind of this."

Well he doubted he'd need to worry about her. The excitement in her eyes was shining like a thousand watt swamp light. Rolling his eyes he watched as Vixen shot to the window of the Hummer and almost ripped the door open to inspect her. Walking over he held up his hand to Cleptsii.
"She's a huge science fiction nerd. Meaning anything involving space, aliens, space travel...things like that. She's very interested in. You're like a shiny new toy for her. She's just hyper at the moment."

Grabbing Vixen by her pony tail was the only way to snatch her attention as he pulled her back.
"Hey. You're freaking us both out. Knock it off."
Watching Vixen try and take some calming breaths which sounded more like someone going into labor, he shook his head.
"Cleptsii....once you get over the fact that she's going to want to drain any information out of you about yourself and your people, she's a good female. She won't talk...mainly out of greed. She won't want to share this with anyone else."
He said as he looked at the woman who was pulling at his arm to try and get closer to the alien.

"Vix. Chill."
When he did manage to get her over the initial shock he rubbed his forehead.
"I have a headache now."

Cleptsii watched the woman dart to her and she couldn’t help but cower as the door was flung open. Her hands shielded her face until Alex’s reassuring hand was extended out to her. Everything was going to be alright. All this big talk on what humans would do to her if they found out about her presence frightened her a bit and made her hesitant to get near another one but since Alex said she would be fine then she had no choice but to ride along.

“You don’t have to hold her back, I don’t mind to talk to her as long as you say its okay.” Cleptsii responded as she jumped out of the hummer. Vixen eagerly pushed Alex out of the way and enveloped her arms around the alien, causing a bright red blush to coat her pale cheeks.

“Eeeek! I am so so so so so excited that this has happened in my generation! I thought I would never live to see the day!” She hugged her so tightly that Cleptsii may just burst.

“Uhm… bubble!” Cleptsii managed to mutter the trigger word after being choked to death, thanks to Alex for allowing her to know what this meant. As Vixen finally caught up with herself she immediately stopped her death hug and took a step back.

“I’m so sorry, I just don’t know what to do with myself! And by the way, Alex, you’re the one who pulled my hair, I should be the one saying I have the headache.” She rolled her eyes at him with a distasteful expression before regaining that happy-go-lucky attitude when faced with Cleptsii again. “You poor thing, I bet your ship is ruined and you were pretty injured. I see Alex bandaged you up pretty well.” Her eyes scanned the alien from head-to-toe, taking in everything she could. “You don’t look THAT much different…”

“It’s thanks to Alex alright, I would have been toast if it wasn’t for him.” She gave Alex a smile and a nod. “It may be true that I look the same but there are a lot of differences. Your grip was strong, but my people are very strong.” She said as her hands were placed on the Hummer, shaking it from side-to-side and making it almost tip over before letting it rest back in its position. “We can also see very well at night and many more things.”

Alex had been ignoring the conversation for the most part, only glancing over as he tossed a stick for Katy, when he heard his name. He rolled his own eyes when Vix mentioned him giving her a headache.

"Well if your hair wasn't pulled back tight enough to give you a natural botox, it wouldn't be a problem."
He said as he tossed the stick for Katy again then watched Cleptsii shake his Hummer and lifting his hands in a slight panic.

"Hey hey hey! Easy. Pick up a rock and crush it but let's NOT tip my truck huh?"
He said as he looked at his car to make sure there were no hand print sized dents then sighed as he rubbed his face.
"Let's go take a look at that ship of yours. Vix. You can drive her towards the smoke or follow me on the quad."
Tossing Vixen the keys for the truck he hopped on the quad and after the females were in the truck he drove the quad towards the crash site.

It was roughly a ten minute ride since they had to go fairly slow which would give Vixen and Cleptsii plenty of time to chat and get to know one another. When he pulled up to the crash it looked a little better...mainly with no fires. The metal was charred and mangled in most areas and Vixen was out of the truck and at the crash site the moment the engine in his truck was turned off.

She was investigating the crash as well as using her tech brain to scan the damage and see if anything could be re-used. Alex just sat on the quad and looked up.
"It'll ran here soon so don't start taking shit apart...just make a little mental list on the broken things and what could work with certain things."

As he said this he was looking at Cleptsii since this was HER ship and while Vixen was smart, this wasn't her ship.

As the two girls were driving in the Hummer Cleptsii essentially told her everything that she had told Alex. “Oh, so it wasn’t like you were trying to go to Earth, you just happened to get struck? Awe, that’s a shame. I really hope we can help you out.”

“I appreciate your kindness.” Cleptsii smiled as they halted to a stop and began to inspect the ship. Her heart sank as she saw her beautiful ship now charred and mangled. “Oh no, this isn’t good at all!” She distraughtly said as her fingers tangled her tresses on top of her head. “At this rate I won’t be going home any time soon!”

“Hey now… don’t say those things.” Vix tried her best to be as reassuring as she could but the alien wasn’t having much of it, disregarding what she said.

“You don’t understand, look at the condition it’s in! I bet you don’t even have the type of parts that is needed. It’s built on my planet who uses different resources. Ugh!” Her boot kicked at one of the scraps of metal that tore away from the ship, causing it to bounce a few feet from her. “I can’t even contact my home planet without it running. You think I would have something just in case this happened but I left it at home!”

Vix frowned. She couldn’t think of anything to say encouragingly. It was best to let her have her own little temper tantrum. If she was in Cleptsii’s spot she would feel just about the same way. “We just have to try our best, that’s all there is to it.”

Alex looked at her as she had her little fit. Looking up he sighed a bit then looked at Katy.
"Katy, go home."
Katy took off back to the house and Alex adjusted his sitting on the quad.

"While I understand your frustrations, how about we do this in the house. Red clay and rain don't mix. Cleptsii, come here."
He said as he pat the seat behind him. Looking at Vixen, a few times when Vix had been upset, he took her into a situation that turned her anger into an adrenaline rush. Laughter was the best medicine at times.

As he sat there he thought for a moment then nodded.
"Hop on."
When she was on he looked back at her and grabbed her hands, pulling them around his waist which made him slightly stiffen for a moment before relaxing.
"Don't break my ribs...but hold on."

He said as he revved the quad and cranked the handle bars, causing the tail end to whip out as he turned around and took off like a bat out of hell. The rough roads that they had been going slow over, he was currently flying over them which sent the quad into flight more than once.

Each time the vehicle hit the air, with the air under the tires there was a loud roar from the engine being able to spool the wheels freely. Alex whipped around large boulders and as he drove he kept his ass off of the seat a bit so that he wasn't getting jarred too badly when they landed from a ramp that sent them into the air, using his knees to brace the impact. The vehicle was only going about twenty five miles per hour which didn't seem fast but when there was nothing around you other than air, it sure as hell made it feel a lot faster.

As they tore out of the bigger obstacles he looked up to see the crested hill that he liked to jump every now at then. Giving it some gas he shifted gears and looked back at her.
"Stand up and bend your knees."

He said as they angled up and soon they got a good ten to twelve feet into the air, jumping over a small ravine that had some very unfriendly looking boulders inside. The wind soaring through her hair and whipping it around them as they flew. When they landed on the dirt the shocks on his quad absorbed a lot of the blow but it still rocked them pretty nicely. Skidding the ass end he whipped it around and drove towards the house.

Pulling into the garage he stopped and looked back at her.
"Feeling alright?"
He asked as Vixen pulled in not long after they did.

Cleptsii looked at the four-wheeled device and hopped on just as Alex asked her to do. “What are we doing?” She couldn’t help but ask, wondering if he was truly okay with it since she was close and invading his bubble. His hands wrapped around to make hers hold his torso and then she knew he wanted her to be close by and she couldn’t help but become flustered.

“Hold on? What do you mea-“ Her sentence wasn’t even finished before the quad sparked to life, whipping and trashing around due to traction on the soil before it was able to take off. She used those piped and hollered at the top of her lungs. She was use to flying in space at speeds far greater than this but her ship didn’t allow her to feel the effects of it. This, though, was a different story.

Her hair whipped and danced with the wind chaotically, forming knots and tangling everywhere. The torque he exerted on the machine was enough to make it seem like they would fall off, the alien holding onto him tightly as her face buried into his back. Her poor little heart couldn’t stop racing, feeling as if it was going to come out of her throat.

“WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I STAND UP?!” She questioned him but the dumb ass did it anyways, gripping onto his shoulders tightly and leaving small crescents embedded in his flesh since her nails were diving down into his flesh. It didn’t cause any blood to come through, though. It was a rush, soaring in the air like that. Before they landed she quickly sat back down and held onto him as the quad shook.

“Yeah… Yeah… I’m alright now…” She breathed as her hair was in a mess, her heart still trying to find a way to soothe down from the adrenaline rush. “I’m use to such high speeds but its different feeling them than not!”

“Alex always does that to me when I’m in a bad mood. Cheers me up every time.” Vix chirped in as she approached the duo, wiping some mud off from Cleptsii's cheek. “I bet a warm bath will also help you. I can help you with that.”

Alex sat back on his quad and slipped off, rubbing his shoulders a bit as they were a little sore from being treated like a stress ball but other than that, he didn't have any broken bones. Plucking a stray leaf from her hair he smirked a bit then shot a look at Vixen as she mentioned taking a bath.

"Hands to yourself Vix."
Seeing that look like the cat that ate the canary Alex gave her a look and she just waved him off as she walked into the house, ushering Cleptsii into the house. Man he sure hoped that she wasn't going to get freaked out by another female touching her. As he walked into the house he smirked.


"By the way, that rush you felt is commonly called an adrenaline rush here. Gets the heart pumping like it's trying to jump out of your chest and sends your nerves every which way. Some people get addicted to that feeling, but those who don't, it's a good way to take anger and sadness away."
With that he walked into the kitchen to get some Jasmine tea brewing for her for when she was done with her bath.

Something told him that she'd need it. Vixen on the other hand was walking her up the stairs, talking about how helpful Alex could be at one moment then be an ass at the very next moment. Mainly for telling her she couldn't touch. Well that's what doors were for. Once in the bathroom Vixen ran the hot water in the large bath tub and as it was filling she looked at Cleptsii.

"Okie dokie. Now, how do you take this suit off?"
She asked as she was watching her intently.

“It was a good feeling the more I think about it but scary when it happened.” Clepstii admitted as they walked into the house. Before going into the bathroom Clepstii went to the spare bedroom to grab her backpack that had some clothing in it, choosing to wear an outfit that she had packed up. It would be best fitted to sleep in since the fabric is soft but it was ideal to be a day outfit.

“There’s a zipper in the back, just pull down and I should get out of it. It’s a one pieced suit.” Clepstii guided her as Vix followed her directions, helping her slide off the suit to expose her bare body. It was no surprise that no undergarments were worn underneath like human females did.

“You’re pretty toned, do you work out or do anything to get a body like that?” Vix asked as her eyes curiously explored her body, astonished that there wasn’t much dissimilarities at all. “We look the same when our clothes are off, isn’t that so neat? How’s the sex?” She asked the too personal question as she began to fill the tub with warm water, tapping her fingertips in it to make sure the temperature was just right.

“No, it’s just my metabolism. I guess my people are just lucky to have nice bodies.” She smiled before her face frowned to a bewildered expression. “Sex? What’s sex?”