Claire began to slowly approach Blade, but she paused when she felt a grip on her arm. She looked over her shoulder to see Archer. Archer just shook his head at her. She looked at Blade. "We understand you have sympathy. But now is not the time, and we never accept it anyways. He will only get angrier." he stated. Claire looked back to Archer. "Are expressing emotions really such a taboo to you people?" She said in frustration as she pulled her arm away. Archer simply nodded. "If hugs were such a powerful thing, why would human history be so aggressive?" Archer said and Claire scoffed. "Sometimes it's not about the hug it's about someone actually being there when you need them. Whether you know you need them or not." She bit out bitterly and walked away. After everything was prepared, the Yautja began the mass cremation. There was some form of ceremony, but unfortunately the females had no idea what anything meant, and didn't understand a word. Claire paid her respects, but mostly she was continuing to look at Blade. He was so still and so stiff, that if she didn't know any better she'd have thought he was a statue. After everything was done all the Yautja and the females boarded the mother ship once more.
When the ship lifted and took off, Claire pulled up the map on her wrist device. By following Blade when they boarded the ship earlier she was able to figure out where his room was, she even remembered the code he entered to get into it. She decided to not listen to Archer. She had given Blade a few hours alone, and to her that was enough. If she regretted it later because his response would be as Archer said, at least she had tried. It would be better than regretting it for not trying at all. Once she arrived at the door, she typed the code and was glad when it opened up. Cautiously she stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. The room she had been given was bigger than his. She couldn't understand why. The decor was simple. Gunmetal grey, white and red lights, equipped with the same panel that allowed them to get basically any food they wanted, a small what she could guess was their version of a kitchen, their version of a bathroom, and then a plain black bed. He had a wall lined with trophies, and also weapons. What drew her attention was an absolutely massive skull of one of those serpents. Her eyes landed on Blade next. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, facing towards a wall that was currently invisible to allow the view of outer space. His katanas were next to him, one beside each leg, while his mask was laying in the middle in front of him. He had his forearms rested on his knees, and his clawed hands were crossed. He looked like the meditating Buddha statue. He was just as still as the statue too. Claire didn't know they meditated. She didn't want to disturb him, so she just sat quietly next to him, switching between watching him and staring literally into space. When he finally opened his stormy eyes she spoke softly, "Seară." He turned his gaze to her and trilled lowly. She really did love his eyes and the sounds he made. The eyes reminded her exactly of the sky during a severe thunderstorm: dark until a flash of white lightning cobwebbed through and lit up everything. The trills just sounded so sweet and innocent, they really didn't fit with such a fierce race, but that made her love hearing them more.
Claire reached out to him. When his eyes moved to her hand and his mandibles twitched she paused. She saw what a bite did. She didn't expect him to bite her, but Archer made it sound like they were unpredictable and violent when they were upset. She didn't want him to do it now, and then make her sweet, silent hunter regret it later when she'd be doing it to herself. Slowly and cautiously she moved her hand again, gripping his hand gently. Blade just looked confused. "Are you okay?" she asked, and his gaze shifted from their joined hands to her. He simply nodded at her, although an emotion she'd never seen before passed through his beautiful orbs. She slid closer to him, and stood up in front of him, then wrapped her arms around him hugging him tightly. When he was sitting and she was standing, naturally she was a taller. Similar to Archer and Blaze, he tensed at the action. "It's just a hug, Blade. I'm not trying to and I will not hurt you." She soothed. Blade started to slide his arms around her waist, but Claire could tell he was unsure, and contemplating letting her go because she felt him pause. She decided to help him out by wrapping his arms around her, and then continued hugging him tightly. He hugged her too, his head resting against her diaphragm. She gently stroked his tendrils as she hugged him around his neck. "I am very sorry for your losses... But for what it's worth I'm here if you need a hug or something." She said softly, Blaze trilled quietly in response. The pair stayed like that for quite a while. It wasn't the time or the place, but Claire snapped a photo of them. The Yautja didn't really do this kind of thing, so she wanted to immortalize the moment. She wanted to be able to look back on it in the future if anything happened. She was already drilling the feeling to memory, but a photo would help her to remember it for sure. She continued holding him and stroking his tendrils. This was the first time since they met that she had touched him, and she couldn't be fascinated enough by their anatomy. Something overlooked, especially on dark colored ones, was the quills that lined the sides of their face and sort of seemed like their version of eyebrows on them. On lighter colored ones she noticed some had them on their chest and going up the center of their abdomen. Blade only had them on his face, and unlike porcupine quills, they were blunt instead of sharp like needles.
Eventually the pair slowly parted. Claired looked down at Blade, and as she did some of her hair came loose from her braid, and fell into her face. Blade once again watched her hair intently. "Are you okay?" she asked, and Blade trilled, his eyes never left her hair. Claire smiled as she had an idea. She sat down in front of him, turning her back to him. "Take it out for me will you? It needs fixed and it's giving me a headache." She asked. Blade trilled, this time it sounded excited. When she felt his claws in her hair, undoing the braid as gently as if he was handling a newborn, she smiled. She could tell he was playing with it too, really letting the sensation sink in, just like she had done when she was feeling his tendrils earlier. The door to his room opened. Archer, Blaze, Nadia and Roxy were all standing in the entrance. They couldn't find her, and knew she'd have gone nowhere else. They were all concerned that Seară would accidentally hurt her in such an emotionally devastated state. However, when they saw the scene before them they discovered they were wrong. Claire sat in front of a totally normal Blade. In fact he even seemed to be happy as he ran his claws through her red curls. Claire slightly turned her head glancing at them. She grinned ear to ear. She gave them a thumbs up then she flicked her wrists shooing them away. When they didn't immediately disperse she sat up onto her knees turning to face Blade. He gazed in confusion as he stared at her and her hair. She wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him close. This time he didn't even tense, he just lowly trilled and hugged her too. He also nuzzled his face into her hair like a cat as he chuffed. Claire smiled, practically melting. Homicidal aliens really had no right to be so adorable. Seeing that they were obviously fine the other four just slipped away quietly.
"That was too cute!" Roxy squealed as they walked away. She turned and glared at Archer. "Why aren't you cute like he is!?" she hissed at him. Archer just stayed quiet and she grunted. "You are welcome to try seducing Seară." Archer replied matter of factly. "You think I won't dare?" Roxy challenged. "I think you may attempt... And lose." Archer matched her and Roxy gasped. "You big bastard!" She snapped, her face reddening partially in anger, and partially in embarrassment. She tried to smack him, but Archer dodged and jogged away. "I'm going to beat you to death!" She said and ran after him. Back and forth the pair chased each other, and Archer always dodged Roxy's punches or kicks. Nadia laughed, and Blaze was clearly amused as well. "Hold still you big bastard!" Roxy yelled, but she and Archer both had playful gleams in their eyes. Nadia giggled when she categorized the males: sugar, spice and everything nice. They were basically the power puff girls, but instead of chemical X they got some reptilian DNA. Her mind imagining that opening theme, but with the hunters instead just made her laugh. Blade was the sugar, Archer was the spice, and Blaze was everything, and she did mean everything, nice. In her mind it made perfect sense. She giggled and blushed thinking of their evening activities together. Biting her lip she grabbed his hand, and all but dragged him to their room to start their nightly activity. Roxy stopped trying to hit Archer glancing around. "Where'd those two go?" She questioned and Archer looked around as well. "It is about time for their recreational activity." Archer answered. "Arc, please just say fuck, or sex, even making love." She rubbed her temples and he just looked at her. "It's easy I promise. Just repeat after me. 'I want to fuck you.' Now you go ahead and try." She said and looked at him expectantly. "I want to procreate with you." He challenged and Roxy groaned in frustration. "Arc! Seriouslyyyyyy. 'Let's have sex.' And now you." She pressed again. "Let's procreate." he replied and she yelled in frustration. Archer meanwhile looked thoroughly amused, with a touch of mischief. Roxy noticed and her face turned red in anger. "You big bastard!" She yelled and chased him again. Archer just laughed as he jogged away.
This big bastard was starting to make Roxy fall way harder than she expected. At first it was a crush, fueled by a lot of lust, but now she was wanting more. She was beginning to want him in the way Nadia already had Blaze. Hell even the way Claire already had Blade. They may not be official like Blaze and Nadia, but it was clear that Blade was obsessed, and Claire had him around her finger. Seeing those pairs together sparked something, and Roxy wanted that too. She wanted to be held the way Nadia was, and she wanted to be looked at the way Claire was looked at. She just wasn't sure if Archer would give her that or if he wanted her too. Either she was just a friend to him, or he hid it pretty damn well. Archer had circled back once he noticed Roxy was just holding still and staring at the ground. He crouched in front of her to look up into her eyes. She didn't even notice. Whatever she was thinking about, she was completely unaware of all of her surroundings even the ones right in front of her. Archer reached up and he lightly flicked her forehead. Roxy snapped out of it. "Ow!" She complained as she rubbed her forehead. Looking down she was looking into Archer's eyes. Her cheeks heated up under his gaze. Once she was back to normal Archer stood to his full height. "It is unsafe to zone out like that, female." He lectured as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. Roxy scoffed. "For the last time. It's Roxy! You colossal asshole." She snapped. Archer raised a brow. "How did I get stuck liking the asshole?" She grumbled. Archer just tilted his head. She looked up at him. "Hey, Arc. Real talk. Did you... Like that female that would've mated with you?" She questioned. "She would have made a very agreeable and profound mate." He replied. Roxy shattered. She could genuinely feel and hear her own heart breaking. Archer noticed and put a hand on her shoulder. "I never said for me specifically, Roxeanne. Ideally she would have accepted myself or my brother. However, it was not a rule. She could've taken any of us. Besides that, she is no more. So why are you distraught?" He questioned. Roxy looked up at him again. "What about other females?" She asked quietly. Archer tilted his head. "All females are agreeable in their own way." He answered. Roxy saw her vision cloud, as tears stung her eyes. She brushed his hand off of her shoulder and jogged back to her room. She left Archer standing alone and very confused in the hallway.
--------------------1 Week Later--------------------
Once again the three males had been assigned a mission. They had all been gone for about five days now. The three females were getting antsy. They tried to pass the time by exploring, and it helped a little but not much. However they did discover that not only was this ship their method of transportation, but they actually lived on it. They had learned this particular clan was like voyagers. They did go to their home planet for about a quarter of the year, but mostly stayed in this ship. They explored uncharted planets, found dangerous game, or hunted bad bloods. Hunting bad bloods is what the three were currently doing. They had also learned that the weapon they had simply been identifying as spears or lances were called Combi-Sticks. Blaze's favorite weapon was known as a smart disc, and their shoulder canons were usually identified as plasma castors. They also learned they had far more weapons than what they've seen so far. Their favorite place to go was the center and bowels of the ship. It was just a colossal botanical garden with a greenhouse in there. Many of their herbs were grown in it, but also beautiful, exotic and alien flowers. It also seemed like a popular hangout. The most like home the girls guessed. "Do you think we'd be able to watch them again?" Claire asked. Roxy shrugged. "We could always ask." Nadia offered. Together they nodded and headed to the command center. Noian of course was there. He glanced at them all when they walked in. "Greetings daughter-in-law, and friends." He said and Nadia blushed. She still couldn't believe what her life had become. She was terrified that any day now she'd wake up and find it was just a dream. The situation made her think of the Carrie Underwood song "Just A Dream," and considering everything that had happened before now, she didn't want that song to become her reality. "He's fine, daughter-in-law." Noian stated. Nadia sighed in relief. "I assume you all are here because you'd like to see again?" He said as he piloted the ship. The girls nodded. "Well I can't let you all just think of this center as a theater. But I can allow you to see them in other ways." The girls perked up. "You are aware of the laboratory? The engineers have made you all your own bio-masks. I figured you'd come sooner or later. So I happen to have them here. They are over there." he pointed with a clawed hand to three masks on pedestals. The girls walked over to them and took one. "They are all the same for now as they are only prototypes. You seek for us to train you all? We will teach you the skills and the weapons. However you will still be at a disadvantage due to your species. Therefore, the engineers will begin on your customized bio-masks, and suits when you are ready to handle them." he stated and the girls squealed. "I will send you what you need to tap into their feeds. Return to whatever you were doing in the meantime." He said and the girls nodded leaving quickly. "They're making us suits!?" Claire shrieked as she bounced up and down. "And masks!" Nadia added and joined her. Roxy smiled. They all went to Claire's room as it was the most spacious aside from Blaze and Nadia's, and too much of that room was taken up by Blaze's training equipment. They all sat on her bed putting their masks on. Soon there was a blip that told them all there was a message. They all opened it and followed the instructions that Noian had sent. He also included three codes, one code for each hunter. They were able to choose if they wanted to see just one or all of them. The girls chose to view all three.