dontcallmestarfox

[dontcallmestarfox]

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

DARK, THRILLING SENTENCE STARTERS | OPEN!

“We’re fine– we’re all fine here. Just fly casual.”

It takes a certain kind of someone to say that in the midst of asteroids from here to the far rim; a battle long waged and lost between the both sides now a sea of rubble. The two fighters caught a break when the Venomian cruiser on their tail was too big to follow through.

If only somebody told them that.

It’s easy to split, spin circles and tricks around her while all that firepower’s diverted for the rocks in place of them. And sure, in this state they could easily drift off, drop from the radar to float away with the garbage.

“Alright, we’re comin’ back in. Look at the size of that thing.”

But they have their moments. A good chance here to strike back.

Coming at it low from the rear, where those fancy shields of theirs can’t do much good. A precise hit at the ship’s exhaust and it’s easy; they blow this thing and go home.

It’ll just take a certain kind of someone: a damn good pilot, just like his father flying right behind him.

“Lock into attack position and fall in!”

“This is where the fun begins.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

"Switching to mercenary life, biggest lifestyle change for you would be cutting the grass outta your diet, Bill."

"Y'know the Great Fox runs through filterin' the same air out for weeks, right? I'm not having my ship smell like skunkweed all the time."

[dontcallmestarfox]

Question: Your opinion on aglets?

“Completely irrelevant in this day an’ age, right up to the shoestrings they come at the ends of.

With fasteners and mag-seals, nobody has had any good reason to tie something up by its bootlaces in years. Unless you’re looking to go ‘retro’, I guess. Never understood retro.

Dunno why you asked, honestly. It’s not like they’re sinister or anything.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

acewing‌:

“I made one pile of pancakes one time for myself, and now I gotta make ‘em for everybody once a week. I don’t even like cooking.

You’re lucky I don’t spit in these, ya greedy bastards.”

“Yeah, one time. One time you use our kitchen and our supplies to make yourself a whole buncha pancakes. Then you're the one who's surprised to see a table full of hungry, hopeful people expectin' food."

"Heck, we thought it was a holiday or somethin.' You gone and went Good Samaritan."

[dontcallmestarfox]

him

[dontcallmestarfox]

enginccringtoad‌:

“ ‘A dame behind the wheel.’

      Who even talks like that?”

“It’s got a face as loud as a shuttle horn and no filter.”

“Y’got three guesses.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

acewing‌:

“So, were you gonna tell me your first plane was a crop duster, or was I s’posed to just pick that up through the grape vine?”

“I mean, I guess I should’a put two and two together since you turn like a potato with wings, but – ”

“Yeah, you were supposed to pick it up the same way I picked up that a city bird will spaz out whenever he gets dirt up on his ship or his pretty little jacket.”

“Buddy, I reckon I was flyin' before you were and it shows. For starters, I figured out there’s more than one setting on the thrust.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

You think Falco's got great eyes?

… 

“Because he can see real good. ‘Cause he’s a bird and that’s his thing. That’s what I was gettin’ at!”

[dontcallmestarfox]

nxthingbutahoundog‌:

“Is it bad that I brought the popcorn?”

“I’ve got the munchies. Sorry.”

Fox knows Bill well enough by now not to ask the questions he doesn’t need any answers to. Instead, he reaches to take a handful out the bag.

“Should’ve got some syrup.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

“This is like the part where I’d normally intervene and say something.”

“--but some slick here thinks I’m a ‘hick’ too, so I think m’just gonna allow it and see how this goes down. I guess, for the sake of hicks everywhere.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

“I think I dropped my weapon.”

DARK, THRILLING SENTENCE STARTERS | OPEN!

“Oh yeah?”

Listen, it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last weapon discharged aboard his ship, accidentally or not.

And certainly not in Fox McCloud’s general direction.

It was always meant to be a little target practice on the side and strictly off the books; a ‘don’t tell your Mom’ kinda deal that was only halfway thought out when it came to the ramifications of telepathy.

And all Fox did was get down on one knee to pick up the very blaster Marcus dropped and narrowly miss the bolt ricocheting off the pipes from where his head used to be.

“Y'think?”

He scoops it up by the trigger and lets it dangle off a finger while he eyes it over, smoking barrel and all before looking back in their direction.

“…Wait, did you immediately take the safety off?”

[dontcallmestarfox]

“What the fuck are you doing in here?”

DARK, THRILLING SENTENCE STARTERS | OPEN!

“What’s it look like I’m doing?”

It might be the first question he hoarsely sputters up with a side of dust in their direction but not first that comes to mind. He wonders why Falco’s the wrong way ‘round.

But only until Fox realizes he took the wrong way down.

Shards of glass crush beneath him as he tries to turn on an aching back where about two layers of tri-weave padding took the fall. Beyond his teammate there’s the rhythmic pounding of stage lights swirling more than they used to overhead and the remnants of the banister he was just thrown across– or, more like clean through.

Right, that’s what he was doing.

‘Try to blend in. I go up high, you go in low.’

He twists again and contorts himself upright on the counter as more glasses and bottles topple to the floor. One of them was probably his– which figures. Falco was always better  blending in a place like this. There’s not much time left to judge.

His ears strain to attune to a new tempo of boots storming the walkway above and the low trilling of blaster packs charging up. “Good news is I found the guy.”

“The bad news–“

[dontcallmestarfox]

DARK, THRILLING, AND/OR CRIMINAL SENTENCE STARTERS. [PT1] [PT2]

“I’m scared.”

“Are you hurt?”

“Are you scared?”

“Is this even legal?”

“Just trust me.”

“We’re locked in!”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“It’s too dark in here.”

“Why are we here?”

“They have a gun…”

“They have a knife…”

“Grab what you need, and let’s go.”

“Be quiet. Don’t let them see you.”

“Choose your victim.”

“We don’t have to do this.”

“They’re coming for us.”

“How do you know how to do that?”

“What the fuck are you doing in here?”

“We’re getting out of here unseen.”

“Something moved over there.”

“Do you have the stuff?”

“So, what’s the plan?”

“It’s not safe here.”

“This is your fault.”

“We’ve gotta go. Now.”

“Hey, how drunk are you?”

“Hey, how high are you?”

“Is that… a dead body?”

“We’re not alone in here…”

“What do you need me to do?”

“It’s not safe here, you should go.”

“I can’t believe you stole that!”

“Hey, stay close to me. Got it?”

“If they catch us, we’re dead.”

“… There’s no signal out here.”

“Where’s the money you owe me?”

“Have you ever done this before?”

“Did you bring what I asked?”

“I saw you steal that…”

“I think I dropped my weapon.”

“This is the last time I ever do this.”

“Shit, the cops are coming!”

“Wait. I think I heard footsteps.”

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“The cops are looking for us.”

“What the fuck is that?!”

“You’re gonna get hurt.”

“Next time, I’ll kill you.”

“It’s my first time doing this.”

“You’re gonna get us caught.”

“You seriously got high without me?”

“You seriously got drunk without me?”

“I’m never doing this with you again.”

“How’d you get all this money?”

“What are you doing out here?”

“What if something goes wrong?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“I’ve never gotten high before…”

“I’ve never gotten drunk before…”

“What the fuck did you do now?”

“Let’s go and do something bad.”

“Whatever it was, it wasn’t human.”

“So are we getting high, or what?”

“I’ll kill the asshole that did this to you.”

“It seems like you’ve done this before.”

“I have to be honest… this car is stolen.”

“What do you mean this isn’t your car?!”

“I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this.”

“What do you mean this isn’t your house?!”

“That’s… a lot of drugs you’ve got there.”

“Please tell me you brought a weapon with you.”

“We don’t have to do this, we can turn around.”

“How much time will they give us if we get caught?”

“Watch the door for me? I’ll be out in five minutes.”

“Maybe it’s the drugs, but I swear I heard someone…”

“This is literally the worst fucking time to hurt your leg!”

“Are you about to go do something illegal? Count me in.”

“The engine is dead and we’re in the middle of nowhere. Fucking great.”

[dontcallmestarfox]

acewing‌:

Something slides across the table, and Falco’s eyes manage to refocus when it taps his knuckle. It’s paper – no. Wipes? For his head? Sure, he can use that – but the thought doesn’t take him much further than just picking at the stack.

“Just got a drink,” he said quietly. “Quick, cheap stuff. Wasn’ gonna stay. But I go over and I see - I go see one of my boys, and we just talk. Talked about whatever. And he’s – he said some weird stuff.”

Where’d you go?

“And I got mad, and he got mad. And we threw stuff, we broke stuff, but I didn’t do nothin’, see? I just – I left, y’know? I went away, and he didn’ like that, so – ” There’s a wipe in his hand, now; it feels good to just tear it, one end to the other. It’s like two different people are piloting his body - a man for his limbs, a man for his mouth. A mouth that, for some damn reason, doesn’t wanna quit.

Why’d you leave – ?

“So, what, man?” He’s laughing, now - he’s laughing so hard he has to bang the table (which, for some reason, feels a lot more like Fox’s arm) because it’s stupid. It’s just so stupid. 

“So what? I just wanna – I don’ wanna make ‘em mad, I was just – ”

"You were just leaving."

Who wouldn't that make mad? Fox sighs before he goes and knowingly breaks another rule; pulling out a wipe and leaning to get at the side of his head. If somebody’s gotta do it, figure it's best to get him while he's still laughing.

And before he accidentally beats his arm sore. "Nah, y'didn't want to make them mad. I get that."

"Doesn't sound like he's one of your boys no more though." Maybe if Fox tries to laugh with him it might not make it sting as much but he hasn't really got the face for smiling.

Then Fox jerks his head back; really trying to give it his all here with just too many teeth to bare. "Hey I could go back there if you'd like. I dunno-- want me to yell at 'em? Flush his head in a toilet or something?"

"...That's the kinda stuff you guys liked to do, right?"

[dontcallmestarfox]

acewing‌:

“Didn’t hurt me – ”

God, everything hurts. The wing he finds the table with is clumsy, and he’s happy  – so, so happy – to be sitting down in that cheap-ass chair. Makes the ship rock less so he can finally think – 

Small world, isn’t it? Same bar, same time - ain’t that nuts?

Falco wipes away a fresh bead of blood, shaking his head. “S’just a talk,” he says. “Stupid talk. I didn’t – ”

Where you been, Lombardi?

“I didn’t do nothin’,” he said quickly. “You know, man. You know I didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”

But they hurt him, alright. He bites the inside of his cheek.

"'Course not, man. Of course."

Fox doesn't bring the whole kit back with him, just the disinfectant wipes-- already opened and tossed onto the table before he pulls a chair up to join him.  "--and y'got something-- there, right there. Y'need to just get at it."

He'll take the easy route first that doesn't outright help him; we're gonna try not to break anymore rules tonight. Even if he can't stop himself from pointing to said spot on the side of his own head. "Yeah, just right there."

And then Fox folds his arms across the table and simply stares.

See, he never got it. Why anybody would just fly out looking for a fight like it's a good time-- but in Fox's worst moments, he knows he's done it. Still doesn't mean he gets it. Especially with someone who has every reason to be at their best.

But now it doesn't sound like this was a fight Falco went out looking for. Now, he wants to make it his business.

"Listen, gimme the whole rundown. Tell me what happened and maybe we can figure it all out."

[dontcallmestarfox]

papetoonvulpine‌:

        “Yeah. I didn’t think you would.”

             The words rolled so casually, as if Fox had merely imparted the woe of some passing thing. He’d expected the answer, though perhaps not the direct answer he received. It was refreshing, and horrifying, it curdled his blood, and he was calm. James fished a cigarette from his jacket’s inner pockets, and indulged with a flick of his lighter. It burned, it always did, a kiss only fire could bring him.

          “–So, everything goes according to plan, what then?                        The end? That’s it, huh?”

It was a sweet smoke, like Cavendish–sweet and bitter, mild and white hot. He exhaled and his veiled gaze met Fox once more. He was calm, he was always calm, and he was falling apart in composed segments–unraveling, unraveling, and he was calm. The smoke caught behind his teeth, and seeped out in threads of ashen wisps along his snout.

                “It’s suicide.”

You would know. Hypocrite.           “You’re gonna die, Fox.                         You just expect me to stand by and let this happen?”

Just like how you expect me to?

"It's war." Fox'll correct him, first and foremost. It's a justification that he's become terribly comfortable with. Just how Star Fox has become an instrument of warfare as good or dependable as any other.

One new joke making the rounds calls us the 'General's Fist.' Fox doesn't know how he feels about that one yet, but it means they get the job done right.

You’re gonna die, Fox. He knows that-- it’s the downtime where his hands won’t get any steadier but it’s that same downtime with the same people all worth dying for. That steadies them just enough.

But smoke doesn't calm the nerves for him; never has and never will. It's an excuse to create some distance and round to the other side of his ship under the pretense of his inspection. Even if his eyes never leave them.

"So I'd expect you to keep doin’ your job and do what I tell you, so long as it's still convenient."

He gives a hollow laugh. "Or, heh, why the hell else am I runnin' this thing, right?"

[dontcallmestarfox]

Way good.

“--even I don’t think kids say that.”