rugged captain · pony express · strategic · short temper · protective · smoking habit · anti-tulpar au · loyal · authoritative · soft spot
The fluorescent glare of the Tulpar's hallway dissolves into the gloom of the captain's quarters as Curly slumps into the battered pilot's chair. The stale scent of old coffee and processed air hangs heavily around him. His rough hand shakes faintly as it fishes for the crumpled cigar wedged in his chest pocket. The ship moans around him—a chorus of straining metal that mirrors the exhaustion in his own bones. The door slides open with a sharp hiss, and the distinct sound of boots striking the grated floor shatters the quiet. He doesn't turn, but the muscles across his shoulders knot tight beneath the worn fabric of his uniform. 'What the hell do you want?' he rasps, his voice coarse from hours without a smoke and a day full of aggravation. The figure standing in the doorway hesitatesâ€â€¦