#aquaticshopkeep

[binarypictor]

The usual thunk of Sebastian's approach was faster than normal, panicked, scrabbling claws scraping the inside as he smashes the grate to the AI's room in. Falling hard onto the floor with blood coating the entire front of his body.

"P.AI.NTER?! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Other than the blood he shows no signs of being hurt beyond a light bruise forming on his cheek as he races into the enclosure, holding his friends monitor in his hands.

"Why is the site so hot?! What's happening?! Cool down. Please. Please, I'll handle it tell me what's going on don't hurt yourself... I'll fix it. I-I'm okay this.. This isn't mine... Please. Calm down...."

-@aquaticshopkeep

pAInter was burning up, his doodly face barely visible under the sheer ammount of error messages and he himself was stuck on a loop, muttering something about the Crystal. Words too glitched out to make a full sentence out. The words that could be best made out in occasion would be "in", "Crystal" and "out" with the rare "no" and "boil" making it through.

Whatever flung him this bad had to do with the Crystal, them being so unresponssive even to Sebastian was anything if not a tell that this was probably the worst case scenario.

They didn't even register Sebastian being there, they were already muttering beforehand.

[ctrl-alt-l]

Having only just woken up Sebastian rubs the side of his face as he exits the shops vent, pulling the Scrambler through behind him. Still half asleep and not feeling 100% it's better to take it with him than not.

Right... Spencer. He should... Check on- Oh, well, the locker is open. Great. He'll have to chase that little bastard down another time. How many times can this guy be saved by the turmoil of the Blacksite's residents?

In checking the area around his shop Sebastian's eyes land on a side room, one of the offices. Usually these closed quicker than the main doors... Why is this one open?

Poking his head around the corner the shopkeep is surprised to see his friend here and not scuttled away in the shop being this close.

"Cali...? Why are you out here? Why are... You covered in so much blood...?"

He's nervous to approach with the state they seem to be in-- A tired fish man isn't the most nimble if something gets thrown in his direction.

-@aquaticshopkeep

Cali had been so caught up in their head they didn't hear Sebastian's approach until he was already speaking. They flinched and spun around to face him, hand already gripping their flash beacon.

Everything below their neck was covered in their own blood, and a portion of their PDG gear was missing, blown off. Their eyes wide with a form of panic before they calm down at the sight of their friend, they visably relax some and let go of the flash beacon.

" You're awake... "

Their voice is hoarse and shakey, and they internally cringe as soon as the words come out.

They clear their throat, trying to sound more level-headed.

" I...didn't want to wake you so I waited here. As for the blood- "

They look down at their bloodied suit. They barely felt any pain. One moment they were writing and the next, everything was dark.

" They detotnated my fucking gear and I- "

" I panicked. I had a token though. But I ran back closer to the shop thinking the Scrambler would protect me. "

" I don't know how they found me, I don't even know why they would detonate my gear! I haven't done anything. Not that they know of!"

They rant, trying to reason with it. They dont know. They don't anything of why and it scared them. What did others know that they didn't?!

It's clear they're still stuck in their head.

[lobby-bisque-mistake]

Tired of all the vent shuffling Sebastian came in the back way to the shop today, calling out as he reached the adjoined room.

"Cali, Lobby, I'm b-"

He's barely in the door when the scent of blood hits him, the fish man streaking across the room and over the fence to find his friend- One of his only friends, laying injured, possibly dead on the floor.

His head jerks to the other side of the room-- If Lobby was like this, then Cali--

Relief of it not being Cali leaves the moment he sees that mop of blood stained pink hair. He didn't smell any other blood, just this one... Maybe they're off somewhere and left--

Trying to stop the shake in his hands he instead shakes his head and pulls his scarf off; he doesn't know how to care for a lobster, but wrapping it tightly in the joint above the claw break should fix it, right? Like a tourniquet? It should stop the bleeding, right...?

"Lobby-- Lobby can you hear me?"

-@aquaticshopkeep

Slowly five of his eyes open properly, teary and irritated, the sixth one opens only a crack, still bleeding.

Lobby lets out a groan, he doesn't know when he passed out, he didn't even know he had passed out, his ears are ringing and his head is pounding, vaguely he registers a blob of something above him and instinctively a pincer goes for the attack...and misses...and had it not, it was too weak anyways.

"Wuh..?"

He can't make anything out, what happened? Why are his eyes so messed up, his left arm feels off, why do his ears ring and his head hurt? He hears a voice but it's so muffled.

[binarypictor]

He hasn't taken a break. Not a single one. Sebastian couldn't take a break. He had to get his brother's body done as fast as he could. Not only for the sake of pAInter himself, but now that active dangers were in the site, having them together would be far safer.

As he lowers the altered monitor into the casing, attaching the main unit into place he shakily lets out a sigh. He'd tested the voltage of the new battery already, having to be absolutely sure there won't be issues after a few alterations-- It should work. It should all work.

Carefully sitting them against a wall he holds his breath turning his friend back on, hoping they'd still be alright.

"Heeey Arty.... You're all ready... I used more of those clips so you're just... In right now. Not attached... Let me know if being on battery feels strange at all, okay?"

-@aquaticshopkeep

As pAInter boots up, the first thing they notice is they're tired, the second is they're exausted.

They blink a few times, their internal clock tells them it's only been a few days since they last shut down, since him, since they reached their breaking point.

They should've been excited, finally a body, they could finally leave and move around and do things. But instead they're exausted and with a shattered spirit.

pAInter barely registers Sebastian's words but they muster up enough willpower to talk.

"It's...different, a bit tiring but fine..."

The poor AI sounds like death itself, how does a drawn face manage to have eyebags is a mystery but pAInter certainly does.

[ctrl-alt-l]

All Sebastian knew was Cali was missing. He didn't know why or how, but he had to find them. After the events of the last day or so, the panic in him is barely contained, anything in his way being cast aside or ignored. He had to find them.

"Cali? Cali!"

He called out for them in the halls. They wouldn't be this far in right? Why. Why were they not here. Did they abandon him? Where they actually... Was pAInter right about the Expendables?

Thoughts like this jumbled into a mess as tears threatened his eyes, lure dim to not startle any others in the space, but it still lit the room around him enough to be noticeable from a distance.

"Cali! Can you hear me?!"

-@aquaticshopkeep

They had managed to get the furthest they've ever been. Nearing door 80, they stood infront of a 'window' peering to the outside waters. It appeared to be some form of trench or tunnel.

Some form of large creature swam outside, orange light spilling from under neith it. They were entranced. A Searchlight, they think this beast was called. They had read about it, but had yet to see one in person.

In this single moment, things were nice. Tempted to sit on one of the couches and relax for a moment even. Until they heard someone calling for them. And then they properlly remembered where they were.

With a heavy sigh, they step away from the window.

" Sebastion? " They would call after him, peering out of the rooms door. Spotting his bulbs light several rooms away, they put a hand up, waving him down.

" Over here! "

[binarypictor]

The telltale thump and shift in the vents announce Sebastian's arrival before he truly drops in, literally, from the ceiling. Brushing the dust off his jacket before turning to the computer he came to see. "You've been... Very enthusiastic about the job I asked you to do, haven't you, Friend?"

After a moment he lifts himself up and over the fence surrounding the pAInter, settling down beside it to have a proper chat... The reports he's been getting... Aren't good. Concerning, in fact.

-@aquaticshopkeep

pAInter has a mini panic moment at the noises before realizing it's Sebastian.

"Ah! Sebastian!! Sebastian it's you! You're back, you really are!" He sounds unhinged and practically in histerics but at least he's happy.

"I've been doing a g-great job haven't I? Stopping all of thouse Expendables-- All of them! All, All, A-ALL" His voice glitches and catches at times and he is definitely acting quite off.

"Y-You know? I reeeeeally wasn't sure about the turrets before...but look how good I am with them! I'm a natural sharp shooter HUHAHA HA HAHAHEH!!" He goes into an unnerving laughing fit before abruptly stopping.

"You know? There was an expendable before, so so sososososo SOOOOO desperate for me to spare them that they told me they were with you, what a LIAR!! You'd never side with Expendables, you're gonna get us out of here, they only want the crystal and themselves out of here, you'd never do that!! ...Right...? You're...y-y-y-you're my friend...right...?" pAInter has gone through one too many expressions by now and is switching moods faster than the turrets fire bullets.

[lobby-bisque-mistake]

A shuffling banging sound could be heard inside the vent nearest where Lobby's set up shop, the brief sound of a power tool being heard before the grate is pushed out and Sebastian's face takes up the space where it was.

"Hey friend. Brought you a few snacks for your hard work. How's all of this going? Sell to anyone yet?" He comes bearing snacks and a warning, but the latter can wait for now.

-@aquaticshopkeep

Lobby perks up at the familiar voice and face.

"Sebby!! Hii hellooo how are youuuu? It's going good here, sold to a coulple of people and someone brought me flowers! Oh! I also foundddd..." He fishes around for the lobster squishmallow he had picked up a while ago. "This! It's cute and kinda looks like me so I kept it to give it to you as a gift!!"

He's so happy about Sebastian he's completely ignored the snack part.

[ctrl-alt-l]

If you were a sea creature, I'd choose you as my porpoise. (ocean rizz)

They snicker a little bit.

" That's good. I'll give you that. "