Plantsss are Friendsss!

A StarBound oc rp/ask blog. Cross-overs welcomed! Multi-ship (Anything in the story chapters is a bit like a side story chapters 1-6 are set up. 7 and beyond is primary timeline. When and if a new ship starts, it'll most likely reset the timeline.) Muse(s): Mar (open)

[mar-in-space]

new Mar ref

[mar-in-space]

The Miner and the Trader

A new pain forced him to again open his eyes, his head hurt. But now for a reason he could clearly see. And hear.

Sharp pain in his leg caused him to hiss and pull away best he could. But the pain got stronger as did the noise. Humming. A tune that dug it's way into his skull. Eyes watched him and small voices hummed his death.

Poptops. Cute and deadly creatures.

He bared his own fangs and hissed and kicked out the leg that was being bitten. Barely dislodging the poptop that was attached. He hissed again and pulled his injured leg close then stood. His stance was shaky. It's fine. Just a few scratches and a deep bite. He'd been through worse before. He muttered string of curse words to himself, despite the foul words, he was rather glad. He had woken up before he had gotten too hurt to move.

He'd fought off poptops plenty of times before. He reached for his spear and… his hand grabbed at nothing. Then grabbed the broken matter manipulator.

His spear wasn't here.

"Well… Crap."

The poptops all get closer, the humming getting louder and overwhelming his senses. He forced himself to brace and stay standing. His injured leg threatening to give out and quicken his death.

"Oi! Floran! DUCK!" An unfamiliar voice, but he reacted to the order. Dropping to the ground with a heavy thud.

The poptops humming changes to the sharp sounds of gunfire and screeching. Mar's eyes squeezed shut and his hands moved to cover the sides of his head. An attempt to block out the gunfire.

Once the world fell silent. He felt a boot nudge his shoulder.

"Ya' dead?" It was the same voice that had yelled at him earlier.

"Yesss, Floran iss dead." He was still down on the ground. Eyes shut and body tense.

"Ya' lyin' to me, Planty." The mystery voice declared, "You're livin'. Not great at it, but you're livin'. Let me look at that leg o' yours."

He shifted a bit, glancing up at the owner of the voice, the figure was silhouetted by the sun. He squinted. It was a human. He could tell that much. They had a large pack that was way overfilled.

He sat up and pulled his bleeding leg closer to himself as the human tried to get a look at the bite. "Floran can fix Floran'sss own leg, thank you goodbye."

"Oh comeon, Planty. I ain't gonna bite." They knelt down and held out a hand for him to shake, "name's Nally. Pleasure is mine. Now, who are you? Don't be rude now."

He wanted to be rude. Floran were known for that, usually, right? But Ushi and others had thought him that manners were important. He took the hand and shook it. "Hallo, Nally… Floran isss called Mar."

Nally smiled and got out a water bottle, "Well, now, Mar. I just wanna help. I'm not one to let a fellow being bleed out." She tipped the bottle over and spilled water over the bits on the Floran's leg. Washing red off the pink.

It stung but not as bad as getting the bites had.

He watched her closely as she took out a roll of bandages and wraps his leg up before the bleeding gets bad again. She wraps and wraps then tucks the end under one of the loops. She gently tapped the leg.

"There ya' go, Planty. Good as new" Her pride in her bandaging skills obvious in her voice.

He squinted at his leg… then up at her. "No?"

She sighed playfully, "What's a girl gotta do to get a 'thank you,' little buddy?"

"Tha.. thank you?"

She stood and dusted her knees off, "Yer welcome, Mar."

He pushed himself to his feet, moving away from Nally in the process. His leg felt stiff with pain and bandages. He gave a half way, ready to part ways.

But she stuck her hand out again. "You're welcome to come with me to my camp. Could get some rest and some food."

He started to shake his head, but his stomach grumbled. Interrupting.

The human chuckled. "Seems like at least the food might be a good idea." She waved at him, gesturing for him to follow her.

Which he does. Tempted by the thought of food. He walked with a heavy limp over the hills and past trees. Down some other hills, under a bridge, and past more trees. He figured if this turned out to be a trap, it was a lot of effort for it. And he'd just warp away should Nally try anything.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Are we there yet?" This was the third time he had asked.

"Keep yer pants on! We're almost there." She glanced back at him and laughed, a smile across her face.

He returned the smile, but it was stiff. "Floran… isssn't wearing pantsss."

He fidgeted with his S.A.I.L. handheld, pulling up his recorded logs. "<Sship'ss log… Floran hasss met a crazy lady. Floran hasss counted at leassst sssix pickaxesss, who needsss that many?>"

It was pretty soon after he recorded his log, that Nally started shouting.

"JOE!" Nally jumped and started waving, startling Mar, "I found a Floran! I told you that the poptops would be buggin' folks"

Whoever this Joe was, rolled their eyes. "So what?"

"So what? SO WHAT? It means the third person we need for mining safety, ya' dunce."

Mar took a step back, voice shrinking, "Floran didn't come to help mine. You talked about food… not mining…" His head throbbed and his protests turned into grumbles. He sat on the ground. Leg protesting as he moved.

Joe got up from the folding chair they sat in, "You can't just promise folks food and then force your work on them, Nal." They went over to Mar and helped him up. Getting him to the chair they had left behind. "There's food and pain meds in the crate next to you. Feel free to take from it, Floran."

They left him there before he could say anything.

"You mentioned work?" Joe grabbed Nally's arm and started to pull her away. "Well, now, you have to help me with mine. Come wander and sell things with me."

Left alone in the camp, he waited, seeing if they'd return. He stretched. Pangs of pain shot through his leg. and he froze. Grumbling. The amount of pain was probably his own fault for walking with the injury.

"Sship'ss log." Out came the S.A.I.L. handheld again, "Floran hasss made a misstake. Walked very far with a leg injury. Floran isss alsso making thiss to log the fact Floran iss going to take unfamiliar pain medss. Ssso… if thisss iss Floran'sss lassst log, bye bye."

He put the handheld away and reached for the crate. He rummaged around inside finding the food and medicine inside. He munched the food while looking at the drugs. The label wasn't in common or Floran so he was at a loss as to what it said. He hoped these were the pain meds. It was the only bottle of medicine in there, so he tried once more to read the label.

Giving up. He took a couple of the meds.

And it hit him immediately. Every ache in his body went numb and cold. The world froze. He blinked. And he was home.

⬅️Previous - START - Next

[mar-in-space]

Beaming Down

His feet his the ground rough and he sat down hard. Dizzy from the teleport and sick from the sudden shift of pressure and air. Fresh air barely eased his nerves as he took deep gasps. Fresh air felt cold compared to the warm recycled air of the ship.

The ground was warm by the teleport beam that had hit the ground. Dirt scrunched between his fingers. Sharp claws dug into the dirt. Grounding him as the world spun.

"<Bleh… Floran hatesss teleport…>" His stomach felt like it was inside out, he flopped over, pressing close to the dirt. It felt warm from the sun too. He stayed put. Letting the sun, dirt, and stillness aid him. He rested till the sick feelings passed.

"Sship'ss log. Beam down sssuccessssful. Teleporter worksss jusst fine."

Mar eventually stood up and dusted himself off. He set off walking in a random direction, no plan other then clearing his senses of the dizzy spell and of the smell of the ship. A smell he had hardly been able to stand.

He would have to clean it more at some point, he had done his best. But he had shoved most of the physical mess into a corner of the ship. He groaned softly, his pout made the whole situation feel far more petty then it really was.

"But," he muttered to himself, "that'sss the problem for future Floran."

"…Sssail, make a reminder. Floran isss to clean sship once Floran findsss bucket and water."

There was a soft ding. The handheld S.A.I.L. device marking down his note.

He shook his head, trying to clear his anxious thoughts. The quick motion made his head spin, and he stumbled as the world took to twisting in circles again. Mar struggled to keep going forward.

Each step felt heavy and like he was trying to balance on a spinning top. His head throbbed, driving him back to the ground. Where he curled up as small as possible. It helped, at least with the spinning. His head had other plans and continued to build pressure in his head. He felt like he was choking and he squinted open his eyes, not even aware he had shut them, and the world was a kaleidoscope of colors. Everything shook and moved. The world was blurred.

He couldn't move.

He tried to move, but his muscles would just twitch. The lights danced and brightened as he tried to keep his eyes open. So he shut them again. Squeezing them shut against the on slot of light, with eyes shut, everything faded. The dancing lights became a dull glow against his eyelids.

It was almost blissful.

⬅️Previous - START - Next➡️

[mar-in-space]

The Broken Ship

It was dark and quiet. Finally quiet. In a loud, alarm filled way.

But the buzzing screaming in the Floran's head had quieted to a dull pulse. Letting the plant based lifeform finally start to think. Not that he wanted to think.

No. Thoughts right now would be bad. Thoughts would let him process the limp, broken form at the control panels.

So Auto-pilot kicked in. Which allows him to ignore it all. His sticky skull, the stinging that touching the controls brought, the dripping that plipped off the buttons and levers that were covered with a Hylotl.

The small spaceship protested at the inputs. But primary lights flickered to life, and drowned out the dull red emergency ones.

S.A.I.L. kicked up. An unemotional voice crackled to life.

"-Life support needs manual reboot."

"-Low power."

"-Crewmate Mar injured. Captain Ushi deceased. All controls and command re-issued to surviving crewmate."

Mar blinked at hearing his own name. It forced his survival instincts to slow down for a moment. Just long enough for his eyes to cut to the Hylotl. To Ushi.

Thud.

Hands and knees hit the tacky, wet floor. Mar gasped. Struggling to breathe and rip his eyes from the sight in front of him. The broken figure in front of him getting burned into his memory.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

It was S.A.I.L. that woke him again. Simply stating his name again and again. Issued warnings and offered assistance that dragged the panicking Floran to his feet and to work.

First. Life support. He ducked under the control panel, avoided wires that sparked and followed instruction from the helpful, robotic voice. Air started to move in the ship not long after he finished pinching wires together and messing with small panels.

"-Outer hull damage along port is at 40%, inner hull damage is at a low 5%."

"-Support beam damage along port."

"-Low power."

"<Sssail… open communicationsss." Mar rasped, "<transsmit using Ss.O.Sss ssignalss."

"-Sending SOS signal."

Mar let the machine work. And he swallowed his pain. Finally turning to face something that made the ship smell of rot and death.

The Hylotl was no longer actively bleeding. Fully cold and eyes glassy. It was a struggle to move the figure. Mar's emotions boiled and screamed as he dragged the figure to the cargo-bay.

After what felt like forever, he got the cargo-bay shut and the hiss then hush of release sounded from behind the heavy door. The window dark, and let him see nothing but the cold darkness.

He was thankful for that. Moments ago, he could see nothing but the corpse he had pushed out of the cargo-bay after untangling it from the control console and rolling it there. He gripped tight an odd device that they had been holding. A dented, yellow, metal thing. Ushi's Matter Manipulator, a symbol of the Terrene Protectorate. It reminded him of a gun. Ushi had been clutching it so tightly.

He leaned against the wall and slid down. Pulled his knees up to his chin. Clutched tightly to the device. He choked on sobs.

Finally.

As he choked and sobbed, the dark of space crept onto the ship. Making him cold. And alone.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

-Transmitting frequency

"Hello? Thisss isss Mar. Isss anyone there? Floran'ss ssship isss damaged and food ssstorage isss low. Help isss needed and wanted."

-Transmission ended

It was a long struggle. He sent that message out every hour, between other tasks and panic attacks. Other tasks being to fix the ship and find a way to make food stretch. He started keeping a log of sorts, to keep from going mad in the silence and hunger.

"Ssship'ss log… Sship isss very broken. Kinda fixed the lightsss and it'ss nice to be able to ssssee."

It was slow.

"Sship'sss log… The panel that sssail livesss in isss proving difficult to fix. The voice isss all sscratchy and sscary and the ssscreen isss glitchy."

It was long.

"Sssship'sss log..! Floran hasss got part of that beam fixed. But only the inssside part. Alssso sssail sssayss that the teleporter iss broken now."

But he kept at it.

"Sship'ss log. Floran broke a pipe. Floran ssshould not have touched that. In good newss, Floran hass ssstarted work on the teleporter and maybe fixed the transsmitter."

No transmission ever came through on the S.A.I.L. But as he fixed the power, the S.A.I.L., the control panels, and the teleporter he started to think that maybe he was alone.

He shook his head every time that thought crept into his head. He'd chase the dark out by talking to S.A.I.L. Though, S.A.I.L. never talked back much. Just giving status reports.

"Sship'sss log. Floran hasss fixed the teleporter! And that pipe. Air feels less sticky."

One status report that stated that reported the ship has drifted into orbit of a planet. Which was in teleportation range. Which was rather timely on his part.

"…Wisssh Floran luck. Floran wantsss to go down to the planet."

Anything had to be better then starving up here. Surrounded by nothing. He gathered the Matter Manipulator and sent himself down the planet below.

Next ➡️

[adventurer-eventuality]

@mar-in-space You've heard of 'Mar in a terrarium,' now get ready for 'Mar in a snow globe'

[mar-in-space]

(Absolutely precious, adorable, and cute!

[bubblewonderabyss]

@mar-in-space Mar holding a familial looking plushie

Merry christmas! 💜

[mar-in-space]

In MerMay we draw Mer!Mar

[mar-in-space]

Mar and Titabec swapped outfits!

Collab with @bubblewonderabyss

[bubblewonderabyss]

Collab with @mar-in-space. They did the sketch and I did the rest

See the other half here

[mar-in-space]

Collab with @bubblewonderabyss ! They did the sketch and i got to colour.

See the other part here

[bubblewonderabyss]

@mar-in-space Most dramatic high-five

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar held the manipulator tight, glad to have it back. He flipped through it for just a second, checking to make sure things were still in place. The secondary slots were still organized how they had been since that day.

“You like to modify machinesss? Floran knowss another floran that likesss to tinker.” He didn’t put the matter manipulator away, “Floran learned machinesss while at home and then a lot while near the aca…demy….”

He got distracted… trailing off. The screensaver seeming to catch his attention fully. “….Floran likesss ssscreensssaver.” He shook himself out of the quiet, “Floran ssshould let you tessst the bike now.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

“Does floran like to modify machines?” Titabec repeats, amused. “Floran have bachelorss in mechanical engineering and computer ssscience.”

Near the academy huh? That gave Titabec pause. So Mar hadn’t been a protector, but he’d known someone who was. And that someone wasn’t around anymore…that painted a grim picture. Could that be the friend Mar had said would trust them?

They felt a pang of sympathy, almost reaching for Mar’s shoulder, but they stop short. ‘Not without the gloves!’ their body protests. It doesn’t seem like Mar noticed, enraptured as he is by the little animation. Titabec smiles, sadness and fondness mixing on their face. They don’t usually show people the smaller things they make, even Vlarion doesn’t know about this one

“Yess,” they reply, “floran looking forward to thiss.” They sit properly in the seat and shut the door behind them. They start the bike up and slowly drive away from where Mar is standing. They speed up a great deal once they’re a respectable distance, going in a tight circle clockwise, then another counterclockwise. “It’ss working fine.” They call to Mar. They slow down again and pull up next to him. “Want to go for ride?”

[mar-in-space]

Mar watched Titabec drive in circles, watching it kick up dust and glint in the sun. It looked fast! Not quite as fast as his car in a straight line, but he wasn’t a good judge of that… And way better at turning.

He gave a thumbs up when Titabec announced the news of the bike still being in working order

He hopped back when the other Floran pulled up, he’d never been a passenger before in something like this. Only a driver. “Floran would love a ride!” He paused before getting into the back seat, then he shook his head and settled in

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec heaves an internal sigh of relief, they would have just about died of embarrassment on the spot if he’d said no. “Hold on tight.”

They accelerate more slowly than they normally would in an attempt to not make Mar panic, but they pick up speed soon enough

An actual road really does feel better than the wilderness, hoverbikes naturally drive smoothly but they still react to any debris or bumps taller than a few inches. This is very flat, with a lack of resistance that nearly reminds them of spaceflight. But they can’t feel the wind in their petals in space

They don’t know how long they’ve been going, there are no clearly marked blocks or road signs to mark their progress out here, it’s freeing and disorienting all at once

Eventually, reluctantly, they slow to a stop. “Sso,” they turn around to check on Mar, resting their arm on the top of the backrest and smiling pleasantly, “how wass that?”

[mar-in-space]

Mar had been leaning forward, holding tight to the seat. He had a huge grin on as he leaned back to not bump Titabec as they stop and then face him.

“Floran loved it! Sssso fasst!” Driving fast was the only ‘exciting’ thing he ever did on purpose. And being a passengr was so different. It was nice.

He was a bit breathless, but still grinning “Bikesss are ssso cool, Floran hasss a car, but itss different. You drive well! Did you like it?”

[adventurer-eventuality]

“Did like it. Floran did good job on these roadss.” They open their door and step out of the hoverbike, shaking the stiffness out of their legs.

They still aren’t sure how long they’d been out. “Should probably not sstick around too much longer. Crew may sstart to worry.” They turn to Mar and offer him a hand up, painfully aware that they still hadn’t put their gloves back on. “Thankss again Mar, for everything.”

[mar-in-space]

“Thank you too,” he looked at the hand for a moment. He was half sure Titabec didn’t like contact…. so he gently accepted the help. Making sure to try and keep the hand holding to a minimum.

He bowed his head after he was standing on his own two feet, “Floran enjoyed today, you are good company to have! Floran’sss glad to have met you, Titabec.” He looked up and smiled again. Smiling in such a way, his eyes squinted a bit.

“Don’t be a ssstranger, Floran hopess to meet you again.”

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar held the manipulator tight, glad to have it back. He flipped through it for just a second, checking to make sure things were still in place. The secondary slots were still organized how they had been since that day.

“You like to modify machinesss? Floran knowss another floran that likesss to tinker.” He didn’t put the matter manipulator away, “Floran learned machinesss while at home and then a lot while near the aca…demy….”

He got distracted… trailing off. The screensaver seeming to catch his attention fully. “….Floran likesss ssscreensssaver.” He shook himself out of the quiet, “Floran ssshould let you tessst the bike now.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

“Does floran like to modify machines?” Titabec repeats, amused. “Floran have bachelorss in mechanical engineering and computer ssscience.”

Near the academy huh? That gave Titabec pause. So Mar hadn’t been a protector, but he’d known someone who was. And that someone wasn’t around anymore…that painted a grim picture. Could that be the friend Mar had said would trust them?

They felt a pang of sympathy, almost reaching for Mar’s shoulder, but they stop short. ‘Not without the gloves!’ their body protests. It doesn’t seem like Mar noticed, enraptured as he is by the little animation. Titabec smiles, sadness and fondness mixing on their face. They don’t usually show people the smaller things they make, even Vlarion doesn’t know about this one

“Yess,” they reply, “floran looking forward to thiss.” They sit properly in the seat and shut the door behind them. They start the bike up and slowly drive away from where Mar is standing. They speed up a great deal once they’re a respectable distance, going in a tight circle clockwise, then another counterclockwise. “It’ss working fine.” They call to Mar. They slow down again and pull up next to him. “Want to go for ride?”

[mar-in-space]

Mar watched Titabec drive in circles, watching it kick up dust and glint in the sun. It looked fast! Not quite as fast as his car in a straight line, but he wasn’t a good judge of that… And way better at turning.

He gave a thumbs up when Titabec announced the news of the bike still being in working order

He hopped back when the other Floran pulled up, he’d never been a passenger before in something like this. Only a driver. “Floran would love a ride!” He paused before getting into the back seat, then he shook his head and settled in

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec heaves an internal sigh of relief, they would have just about died of embarrassment on the spot if he’d said no. “Hold on tight.”

They accelerate more slowly than they normally would in an attempt to not make Mar panic, but they pick up speed soon enough

An actual road really does feel better than the wilderness, hoverbikes naturally drive smoothly but they still react to any debris or bumps taller than a few inches. This is very flat, with a lack of resistance that nearly reminds them of spaceflight. But they can’t feel the wind in their petals in space

They don’t know how long they’ve been going, there are no clearly marked blocks or road signs to mark their progress out here, it’s freeing and disorienting all at once

Eventually, reluctantly, they slow to a stop. “Sso,” they turn around to check on Mar, resting their arm on the top of the backrest and smiling pleasantly, “how wass that?”

[mar-in-space]

Mar had been leaning forward, holding tight to the seat. He had a huge grin on as he leaned back to not bump Titabec as they stop and then face him.

"Floran loved it! Sssso fasst!" Driving fast was the only 'exciting' thing he ever did on purpose. And being a passengr was so different. It was nice.

He was a bit breathless, but still grinning "Bikesss are ssso cool, Floran hasss a car, but itss different. You drive well! Did you like it?"

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar held the manipulator tight, glad to have it back. He flipped through it for just a second, checking to make sure things were still in place. The secondary slots were still organized how they had been since that day.

“You like to modify machinesss? Floran knowss another floran that likesss to tinker.” He didn’t put the matter manipulator away, “Floran learned machinesss while at home and then a lot while near the aca…demy….”

He got distracted… trailing off. The screensaver seeming to catch his attention fully. “….Floran likesss ssscreensssaver.” He shook himself out of the quiet, “Floran ssshould let you tessst the bike now.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

“Does floran like to modify machines?” Titabec repeats, amused. “Floran have bachelorss in mechanical engineering and computer ssscience.”

Near the academy huh? That gave Titabec pause. So Mar hadn’t been a protector, but he’d known someone who was. And that someone wasn’t around anymore…that painted a grim picture. Could that be the friend Mar had said would trust them?

They felt a pang of sympathy, almost reaching for Mar’s shoulder, but they stop short. ‘Not without the gloves!’ their body protests. It doesn’t seem like Mar noticed, enraptured as he is by the little animation. Titabec smiles, sadness and fondness mixing on their face. They don’t usually show people the smaller things they make, even Vlarion doesn’t know about this one

“Yess,” they reply, “floran looking forward to thiss.” They sit properly in the seat and shut the door behind them. They start the bike up and slowly drive away from where Mar is standing. They speed up a great deal once they’re a respectable distance, going in a tight circle clockwise, then another counterclockwise. “It’ss working fine.” They call to Mar. They slow down again and pull up next to him. “Want to go for ride?”

[mar-in-space]

Mar watched Titabec drive in circles, watching it kick up dust and glint in the sun. It looked fast! Not quite as fast as his car in a straight line, but he wasn’t a good judge of that... And way better at turning.

He gave a thumbs up when Titabec announced the news of the bike still being in working order

He hopped back when the other Floran pulled up, he’d never been a passenger before in something like this. Only a driver. “Floran would love a ride!” He paused before getting into the back seat, then he shook his head and settled in

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar held the manipulator tight, glad to have it back. He flipped through it for just a second, checking to make sure things were still in place. The secondary slots were still organized how they had been since that day.

“You like to modify machinesss? Floran knowss another floran that likesss to tinker.” He didn’t put the matter manipulator away, “Floran learned machinesss while at home and then a lot while near the aca...demy....”

He got distracted... trailing off. The screensaver seeming to catch his attention fully. “....Floran likesss ssscreensssaver.” He shook himself out of the quiet, “Floran ssshould let you tessst the bike now.”

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar often had to speed up his steps to catch up if he flagged behind even a tad, Titabec was quick. This was better then the desert though, the air had a feel to it, and the heat carried some moisture.

Not much, but a bit.

“Floran… Isss good for now, but thank you. Might need sssome later. Floran made a well thisss way too. Water ssshouldn’t be a problem. Floran hasss worked on thisss planet a long time.” He was starting to get chatty again as he walked. It killed time. “Floran’sss friend, Grapevine, sssaid ssshe could get sssomething to terraform thisss place with? Floran thinksss that sssoundss dangerousss.“

He scuffed the sandy dirt with his bare feet, trying not to think of deserts.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec keeps their back turned to Mar, still looking this way and that for a suitable place to work, while maintaining distance from anything he had built. “It iss,” Titabec confirms, they’d done some manual terraforming back on earth a few decades ago, and if Mar is referring to what they think they’re referring to, well, that could be even less precise, “many factors to consssider…But floran not done it on floran’s own before, only assissted. Not know everything.” They give a thoughtful pause. “If this Grapevine ssounds confident she probably has ssolid plan in place. Might sstill be best to vacate premises for a time if she goess through with it though. Let land ssettle.”

[mar-in-space]

He kept walking, trying to follow close. “Grapevine isss confident, but not in that way. Floran doesssn’t think sshe'ss the plan type. Her captain isss though.”

….he trailed off. Maybe he shouldn’t be talking about his pirate friends. Titabec was a protectorate.

“How much farther?”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec glances Mar’s way, giving a nod of acknowledgement. Welp, they’d killed that line of conversation. Not surprising, they weren’t the best at just…talking 

Best to focus on what the task at hand. “Not much farther floran thinkss.” They’re a ways out by now, nothing but empty unyielding ground as far as the eye can see

They squint at the horizon, looks like they’re coming up on a clifftop. This could work! They run over, peering over the edge to make sure there’s nothing important at the bottom. The plateau juts out a good bit too, they should be able to get rid of a sizeable chunk with minimal consequences

“Thiss is the place.” They take out their tools, then hold their hand out to Mar. “Floran need floran’s matter manipulator again.”

[mar-in-space]

Mar hoped he hadn’t outed Grapevine and the others too much… then again, other Protectorates didn’t seem to mind the Pirates. He was about to start talking again right after his question, but oh!

Finally in a good spot.

“Oh! Thissss isss Invissible Cliff Ssside! Alssso known assss ‘AAH!’” Mar laughed as he went to peek over the edge, going past Titabec, “Floran found it while walking here the firssst time. Went right off the edge.” 

After he looked he turned and handed them the Matter Manipulator, “…it won’t break it to do thisss, right?”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec lets out a snort of laughter, then immediately covers their mouth and clears their throat loudly. “Floran hope floran wass not too badly injured.”

They take the manipulator from Mar and shake their head. “Will not break, floran done thiss before. Thisss area however will not be sso lucky.” They indicate the ground within a three foot radius of themselves

They back up a good ways from the indicated area, smiling to themselves. This would be fun. They carefully remove the two small panels from Mar’s manipulator, and the inhibitor units within. They store the inhibitors, put the shell back together just in case, and turn to Mar, full-on grinning now. “Get behind floran, and cover earss.”

[mar-in-space]

Mar was smiling, even if he was worried. He had gotten a laugh from the other Floran.

He ducked behind Titabec and covered his ears. More worried about the matter manipulator now. He keep an eye what Titabec was doing, so he could do it later.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec holds the manipulator out as far from themself as they can, both hands gripping the handle like their life depends on it. They inhale deeply. Hold steady…aim true…

They squeeze the trigger down as far as it’ll go

CRACK

Solid rock is reduced to dust in less than a second. The manipulator’s lights flicker and fade a second after, dropping the dust out of sight

“That did it.” Titabec gives a lopsided smile, hands shaking, heart pulsing. They turn the manipulator around in their hands. “Should be back to normal in half hour or le-”

They stop mid-sentence. They hear a faint rumble over the ringing in their ears. A tremor runs up through their legs from the ground beneath. They must have misjudged the angle of the cliffside, how do they keep messing this up?

They pick up Mar and run

[mar-in-space]

Mar squeaked and clung to Titabec, it was loud and the other floran had picked him up and was rushing off. He could only assume that the cliff or the matter manipulator had somehow done something unforeseen.

He didn’t struggle. That would make things worse. He struggled to keep his thoughts clear and pin point. Panic wouldn’t help. Panic wouldn’t help. His chest felt tight with the panicked feeling, but he didn’t let it out yet.

All he knew is he wouldn’t forgive himself if this caused Titabec to be hurt.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec’s boots hit the ground hard, chunks of rock falling away from where they’d been standing moments ago. They had to get away, they had to-

They trip and fall, tossing Mar a couple feet ahead of them on the way down so he won’t be crushed, and so he’s farther from the crumbling cliffside

They pitch face first into the dirt, arms outstretched. They know they won’t be able to scramble away in time if gravity decides to take them too. Their left ankle flexes as the ground beneath their foot gives way. They pull away instinctively, but…nothing else happens. The artificially induced rockslide has come to an end

That was way too close

They breathe a sigh of relief, blowing a cloud of dust into their face in the process. “Is floran okay?” They ask, voice slightly muffled by the dirt

[mar-in-space]

Mar had managed to roll when tossed, he was used to that sort of maneuver, and he was now flopped on his back. Only to rush to stand when Titabec spoke. Worry.

Lots of worry, “Floran isss fine. Are you? How are you? That wasss loud, Floran isss sssorry, probably ssshould have checked the cliff before you did that…” He should have checked things first. How many times had he been told as a sprout to check his surroundings. 

He edged closer to Titabec, when he was sure the ground wouldn’t fall away, he crouched down and offered the taller Floran a hand. “You sssaved Floran, thank you.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec pulls their head up off the ground, wiping their face on their sleeve. “Dussty,” they say, more to themself than to Mar, “but otherwisse unharmed.”

They take Mar’s hand and get to their feet, a bit rattled, and more than a bit embarrassed. “Should not thank floran, was floran’s own misscalculation that caused this in firssst place.” Endangering themself with their own recklessness was one thing, but if something had happened to Mar…

[mar-in-space]

“You ssstill sssaved Floran.” He dusted himself off only after Titabec was standing, “Floran isss usssed to being the one making the missstakess. We’re both fine? Then it isss good. Floran ssshould probably build around the cliff though… to avoid future isssuess.”

He was giving Titabec a look over from where he stood. To make sure they were actually ok… and not just bluffing.

Time to try and… sort of semi-redirect the subject, he didn’t want to dwell on this too long. Both of them seemed a bit shaken, "Ssso the manipulator isss fixed?“

[adventurer-eventuality]

“That iss good point…” Titabec concedes, if somewhat hesitantly, “we are ssafe, that is what matters.”

They don’t like the way Mar’s eyeing them. They cross their arms defensively

“Almosst.” Their tone brightens at the question. They look down at the screen, it’s black except for a single line of green in the center. “Sstill need time to recharge.” Speaking of recharging, it’s probably time they check on their bike. They point in the general direction of Mar’s house. “We sshould head back.”

[mar-in-space]

“We ssshould head back, you’re right.” He started walking. Only glancing back at the cliff. He could build a support…

He was walking, mostly thinking as he did. Only paying mind to his thoughts and to Titabec. Not wanting to lose the other Floran in the sand and grit. He hoped this whole… problem with the cliff hadn’t hurt Titabec. 

His other thought was wanting to have Ushi’s Matter Manipulator back… sure, it was better off in the hands of a Protectorate, but it and the ship was all he had of them… He coughed a bit, noticing how close they were to the house thing.

“You think your bike isss charged yet? And you’re welcome to tessst it on the roadsss here.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec rubs their face, starting to register some soreness

They should say something to Mar. He’d gone quiet, understandably so given what had just happened, but it had made them realize how hard it was to bear the silence out here. They look around, though there’s not much to see, wracking their brain for something, anything

Ah, they’d been walking too fast, the house was in sight already, they slow their pace so they and Mar are almost side by side. “Floran would like that.” They give a small smile, excited. They hadn’t driven on a proper road in ages, they didn’t encounter many of those outside of actual cities

They make their way to the bike in question, opening the door and sitting down sideways, taking comfort in the old familiar seat. They remove their gloves and stow them in their pocket. “Floran ssaid earlier that floran is accident prone? That’ss surprising, sseem so careful.” Not exactly small talk, but saying what was on their mind was better than saying nothing as far as they were concerned. They take their manipulator off their belt to get out the inhibitor units and tools, then set it on the dash to focus on Mar’s. They gently and carefully return the inhibitors to their proper place

[mar-in-space]

Mar smiled when Titabec seemed to be a bit happier. The bike must be important.

"That'sss why Floran isss sso careful. To try and prevent accidentsss or have good waysss to fix them nearby." He shrugged, seeming tired at the thought of all the precautions.

"Floran doessn't want to causse trouble for othersss." He focused on Titabec, not on the protectorate uniform but their face and flower, "Floran... isss too often a problem."

Too depressing... don't sound sad.. Mar looked closer at what Titabec was doing. Cataloguing the process away for if this happened again. And... now to get off this subject..

"How fassst iss your bike?"

[mar-in-space]

It's a dim, early morning at the outpost. The Terramart shopkeeper is just beginning to open for the day, Elliott is only on his second cup of coffee, and an unfamiliar orange and green floran appears to be in a heated debate with a penguin in the repair bay

Mar beamed to the Outpost, making sure to sit down quickly at one of the tables near the shops. He was near a heated conversation between a Protectorate and a Penguin, but only hearing the occasional word.

He had come to ask for some help with the Matter Manipulator (the tool bar setting had locked somehow), and he’d rather talk to anyone but Esther. If only from habit.He stood up and went to see if the Protectorate might have an answer.

“Excusse Floran, but may Floran asske a quessstion of you, Proectorate?”

[mar-in-space]

(Continued from this [x])

Mar often had to speed up his steps to catch up if he flagged behind even a tad, Titabec was quick. This was better then the desert though, the air had a feel to it, and the heat carried some moisture.

Not much, but a bit.

“Floran… Isss good for now, but thank you. Might need sssome later. Floran made a well thisss way too. Water ssshouldn’t be a problem. Floran hasss worked on thisss planet a long time.” He was starting to get chatty again as he walked. It killed time. “Floran’sss friend, Grapevine, sssaid ssshe could get sssomething to terraform thisss place with? Floran thinksss that sssoundss dangerousss.“

He scuffed the sandy dirt with his bare feet, trying not to think of deserts.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec keeps their back turned to Mar, still looking this way and that for a suitable place to work, while maintaining distance from anything he had built. “It iss,” Titabec confirms, they’d done some manual terraforming back on earth a few decades ago, and if Mar is referring to what they think they’re referring to, well, that could be even less precise, “many factors to consssider…But floran not done it on floran’s own before, only assissted. Not know everything.” They give a thoughtful pause. “If this Grapevine ssounds confident she probably has ssolid plan in place. Might sstill be best to vacate premises for a time if she goess through with it though. Let land ssettle.”

[mar-in-space]

He kept walking, trying to follow close. “Grapevine isss confident, but not in that way. Floran doesssn’t think sshe'ss the plan type. Her captain isss though.”

….he trailed off. Maybe he shouldn’t be talking about his pirate friends. Titabec was a protectorate.

“How much farther?”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec glances Mar’s way, giving a nod of acknowledgement. Welp, they’d killed that line of conversation. Not surprising, they weren’t the best at just…talking 

Best to focus on what the task at hand. “Not much farther floran thinkss.” They’re a ways out by now, nothing but empty unyielding ground as far as the eye can see

They squint at the horizon, looks like they’re coming up on a clifftop. This could work! They run over, peering over the edge to make sure there’s nothing important at the bottom. The plateau juts out a good bit too, they should be able to get rid of a sizeable chunk with minimal consequences

“Thiss is the place.” They take out their tools, then hold their hand out to Mar. “Floran need floran’s matter manipulator again.”

[mar-in-space]

Mar hoped he hadn’t outed Grapevine and the others too much… then again, other Protectorates didn’t seem to mind the Pirates. He was about to start talking again right after his question, but oh!

Finally in a good spot.

“Oh! Thissss isss Invissible Cliff Ssside! Alssso known assss ‘AAH!’” Mar laughed as he went to peek over the edge, going past Titabec, “Floran found it while walking here the firssst time. Went right off the edge.” 

After he looked he turned and handed them the Matter Manipulator, “…it won’t break it to do thisss, right?”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec lets out a snort of laughter, then immediately covers their mouth and clears their throat loudly. “Floran hope floran wass not too badly injured.”

They take the manipulator from Mar and shake their head. “Will not break, floran done thiss before. Thisss area however will not be sso lucky.” They indicate the ground within a three foot radius of themselves

They back up a good ways from the indicated area, smiling to themselves. This would be fun. They carefully remove the two small panels from Mar’s manipulator, and the inhibitor units within. They store the inhibitors, put the shell back together just in case, and turn to Mar, full-on grinning now. “Get behind floran, and cover earss.”

[mar-in-space]

Mar was smiling, even if he was worried. He had gotten a laugh from the other Floran.

He ducked behind Titabec and covered his ears. More worried about the matter manipulator now. He keep an eye what Titabec was doing, so he could do it later.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec holds the manipulator out as far from themself as they can, both hands gripping the handle like their life depends on it. They inhale deeply. Hold steady…aim true…

They squeeze the trigger down as far as it’ll go

CRACK

Solid rock is reduced to dust in less than a second. The manipulator’s lights flicker and fade a second after, dropping the dust out of sight

“That did it.” Titabec gives a lopsided smile, hands shaking, heart pulsing. They turn the manipulator around in their hands. “Should be back to normal in half hour or le-”

They stop mid-sentence. They hear a faint rumble over the ringing in their ears. A tremor runs up through their legs from the ground beneath. They must have misjudged the angle of the cliffside, how do they keep messing this up?

They pick up Mar and run

[mar-in-space]

Mar squeaked and clung to Titabec, it was loud and the other floran had picked him up and was rushing off. He could only assume that the cliff or the matter manipulator had somehow done something unforeseen.

He didn’t struggle. That would make things worse. He struggled to keep his thoughts clear and pin point. Panic wouldn’t help. Panic wouldn’t help. His chest felt tight with the panicked feeling, but he didn’t let it out yet.

All he knew is he wouldn’t forgive himself if this caused Titabec to be hurt.

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec’s boots hit the ground hard, chunks of rock falling away from where they’d been standing moments ago. They had to get away, they had to-

They trip and fall, tossing Mar a couple feet ahead of them on the way down so he won’t be crushed, and so he’s farther from the crumbling cliffside

They pitch face first into the dirt, arms outstretched. They know they won’t be able to scramble away in time if gravity decides to take them too. Their left ankle flexes as the ground beneath their foot gives way. They pull away instinctively, but…nothing else happens. The artificially induced rockslide has come to an end

That was way too close

They breathe a sigh of relief, blowing a cloud of dust into their face in the process. “Is floran okay?” They ask, voice slightly muffled by the dirt

[mar-in-space]

Mar had managed to roll when tossed, he was used to that sort of maneuver, and he was now flopped on his back. Only to rush to stand when Titabec spoke. Worry.

Lots of worry, “Floran isss fine. Are you? How are you? That wasss loud, Floran isss sssorry, probably ssshould have checked the cliff before you did that…” He should have checked things first. How many times had he been told as a sprout to check his surroundings. 

He edged closer to Titabec, when he was sure the ground wouldn’t fall away, he crouched down and offered the taller Floran a hand. “You sssaved Floran, thank you.”

[adventurer-eventuality]

Titabec pulls their head up off the ground, wiping their face on their sleeve. “Dussty,” they say, more to themself than to Mar, “but otherwisse unharmed.”

They take Mar’s hand and get to their feet, a bit rattled, and more than a bit embarrassed. “Should not thank floran, was floran’s own misscalculation that caused this in firssst place.” Endangering themself with their own recklessness was one thing, but if something had happened to Mar…

[mar-in-space]

“You ssstill sssaved Floran.” He dusted himself off only after Titabec was standing, “Floran isss usssed to being the one making the missstakess. We’re both fine? Then it isss good. Floran ssshould probably build around the cliff though… to avoid future isssuess.”

He was giving Titabec a look over from where he stood. To make sure they were actually ok… and not just bluffing.

Time to try and… sort of semi-redirect the subject, he didn’t want to dwell on this too long. Both of them seemed a bit shaken, "Ssso the manipulator isss fixed?“

[adventurer-eventuality]

“That iss good point…” Titabec concedes, if somewhat hesitantly, “we are ssafe, that is what matters.”

They don’t like the way Mar’s eyeing them. They cross their arms defensively

“Almosst.” Their tone brightens at the question. They look down at the screen, it’s black except for a single line of green in the center. “Sstill need time to recharge.” Speaking of recharging, it’s probably time they check on their bike. They point in the general direction of Mar’s house. “We sshould head back.”

[mar-in-space]

“We ssshould head back, you’re right.” He started walking. Only glancing back at the cliff. He could build a support...

He was walking, mostly thinking as he did. Only paying mind to his thoughts and to Titabec. Not wanting to lose the other Floran in the sand and grit. He hoped this whole... problem with the cliff hadn’t hurt Titabec. 

His other thought was wanting to have Ushi’s Matter Manipulator back... sure, it was better off in the hands of a Protectorate, but it and the ship was all he had of them... He coughed a bit, noticing how close they were to the house thing.

“You think your bike isss charged yet? And you’re welcome to tessst it on the roadsss here.”