just another expedition in space... what could go wrong?

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: CONVERTED IS SO GOOD. ITS ADORABLE AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD WEEK

Abfnfksnfjcjf

Omg thank you so much for saying that TT^TT I'm so happy you liked it!!!!!

Have a wonderful week yourself!!!

drew these on the same page as the pic with the 3 of em, but i didnt feel like reposting lsdkjflksf

anyway have some individual shenans :D

shy alien/coding squad havin some designated chill tiem... 

*funney meme voice* spece mabens

you’re just like me, i’m just like you!!! 

(requested by @fvaleraye)

*scuttles back in* how long is nubnub a. stowaway on the ship before they become an official part of the crew asdflkjn

Well, they actually get absorbed into the crew from pretty much the moment the ship lifts off with them on it! They don’t get the opportunity to “stow away” so much as “grab the most convenient disguise ASAP” and rolling with what role everyone assigns them with.

The crew thinks nub is a botched transfer. There was a lot of chaos right before and during takeoff. Any computer transfers or whatever would have gotten corrupted in their haste to just leave, so they just try to get the “newbie” acclimated once they’re in space.

That’s really vague but tldr they snuck on and off the ship a handful of times before chaos happened and the ship took off with them in it and they didn’t hide they picked a disguise rather than stowing away

And they get official papers n registration after they figure out who’s the impostor and why nub is going apeshiz hfjdkkd

Among Us: CR3WM8TS

Impostor Walking ——————————————

Curious aliens will find a way around locked doors and impostor scares. It just takes a bit of planning!

Among Us archive/askblog Fic chapters post

——————————————

moar nubnub content, bc this is my comfort silly story to play with like a stress ball. also wanted to establish why nub’s so familiar with the concept of crews walking about- surprise surprise, they’ve snuck around the base multiple times! 

big ol shoutout to @lightkrets312​ and @fvaleraye for proofreading this for me!!!!!! y’all should check those two out, they’re really rad :>

                                                ###~###~###

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:06:02:35 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: NIGHT CYCLE [OUTER DOOR, DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER, LOCKER MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems:

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: SEALED, NO CREW ACCESS IN LAST [10] HRS

Lockers: SEALED, NO CREW ACCESS IN LAST [8] HRS

                                               ###~###~###

The world above the water was… loud. Bright. Heavy. The harsh cerulean void above had them yearning for the soothing abyssal blue below. But they couldn’t slip back just yet. They wanted to do some investigation of their own. So, to the surface it was. The creature floated a small distance from the coral shore, eyes just peeking out from the surf. They’d positioned themself just inside the shadow of the roosting flight-house. Not only did it provide the familiarity of darkness, it kept them out of sight of… other things. Their first set of eyes scanned the horizon and lazy clouds warily. The skybound terrors still hadn’t returned. The strangers didn’t seem to care- or even be aware of any danger. But the creature knew better than to get completely reckless. They’d take their shelter where they could, thank you very much. In any case, their second gaze was trained on the couple of strangers sluggishly scuttling about the coral. The day’s blazing light was still climbing out of the ocean. For some reason, these strangers needed light to upkeep their energy- it suited the creature just fine. It meant there weren’t too many around to notice in this early glow. Not too many to bump into. And if they really wanted to make a move, the best time was now. When the coral finally cleared out, the creature bolted silently from their shelter. Desperate tentacles slithered between the cracks in living rock, sliding them up and out of the water. They didn’t have much time to lose- any second, a stranger could spot them. A soft schmuck schmuck accompanied their movements, tentacles carrying them swiftly to a nearby tide pool. The steam rising from it made their snout wrinkle and ears flick back, but they kept moving. The strangers’ house passed right over it, a metal sheet filled with long, thin slits allowing the steam to billow inside. It made the sides of the tunnel above billow out slightly- but nothing too bad. They didn’t care much for the tunnel at the moment. Their gaze was only for the slitted metal sheet. They knew one edge of it was loose- they’d wrenched it open many times before. So they moved there now, tentacles easily sliding between the metal and strange crinkly covering of the tunnel’s sides. One quick yank, and a decent sized hole opened before them. They slid in without a second thought, tentacles twisting around to wrench it shut again. They stood stock still in the middle of a long, sagging tunnel. There were entrances on either end of the tunnel, but they needed to get in only one. The closest sported a familiar hatchlike chunk of metal. A thin line ran down its center- clearly sealed tightly closed. That was their admission into this strange house. Swiftly approaching, they spotted a squarish cluster of symbols against the right side. They’d watched the strangers jab at the symbols from the tidepool below more than enough times to catch the order. 2896468, their mind flashed, turquoise spots along their tentacles lighting up in an echo. Their sharp claws rapped lightly against the little symbols, the tingling amusement of how each bump depressed under their touch lasting only a moment. With a loud hiss, the entrance rent open, and the creature darted through the gap.

                                              ###~###~###

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:06:26:18 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: NIGHT CYCLE [OUTER DOOR, DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER, LOCKER MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems: 

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: UNSEALED WITH SECURITY CODE BY [ERROR]

Lockers: SEALED, NO CREW ACCESS IN LAST [8] HRS

…

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: OCCUPIED BY [ERROR], CLEANING IN PROCESS…

Lockers: SEALED, NO CREW ACCESS IN LAST [8] HRS

                                             ###~###~###

A slippery, wet chamber greeted the creature, a small circle of pierced metal covering a hole in its center. Their lights glowed softly in fondness as a forceful mist began to filter in from the ceiling. It settled on them strangely- something in the watery substance stinging just a bit- but they didn’t mind now. It was wet. That’s all they cared about. They simply shifted to the side of the next hatch, waiting for it to heave apart. If they were lucky, there’d be no one on the other side. From their observations, there shouldn’t be. But… well. Pays more to be safe than sorry. When the entrance hissed open again, their eyes searched it with lightning speed. No vivid stranger’s coverings met their gaze. The coast was clear. As the entrance started to slide closed, the creature darted out, tentacles holding fast to the slippery floor. The lights made them squint more- why in the tides must it be so bright in here?! The harsh rays’ reflection against the pale gray and blue floor didn’t help matters. Focus, they reminded themself, find a spare covering. Their large ears swiveled around to catch the slightest sounds, and their smaller ears shifted backwards to keep attention on the sealed entrance. If anything close to the sound of entrance-hiss or stranger footsteps reached them, they’d jam themself behind the nearest large object. So far, though, the only sound was the schmuck of their tentacles against the ground. The creature made their way through a room with a fabric hanging wall half obscuring a set of four raised platforms. The platforms had soft, rectangular padding- but now was not the time to curl up on them. They continued, sliding past strange icelike containers arranged on another raised platform, odd depressions and metal sticks marring one of its sides. The glint of the strange, never melting ice drew one pair of eyes- but only until they passed it. From there the floor shifted to something altogether different. Not as hard as the other floors, but not soft either- they recalled a stranger pointing to it, uttering some sound like ‘whoodun.’ It was completely foreign. Completely otherworldly. But there wasn’t time to ponder the ‘whoodun’ surface either. The slippery, cold flooring returned, and a line of rectangular metal containers sat against one wall. The creature let out a pleased coo. Finally, the strangers’ covering storage. They kept one pair of eyes trained on the far door, the other eyeing the small gaps on the top half of the metal containers. Their dark-suited vision picked out colors immediately. And, to their dismay, only one of the containers yielded a different shade than the gaggle of strangers currently living in the house. Oh tides. This wasn’t good. Huffing an anxious sigh, the creature ran through the colors they’d seen scuttling about the strangers’ home lately, checking them against the array before them. Sure enough, all but one were taken- and twice over. But they only remembered seeing one orange covering- so taking it would have to do. After all, the strangers were very particular about their companions’ colors. They were just lucky an undoubled covering was left… Might as well grab it while they could.

                                            ###~###~###

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:06:37:52 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: NIGHT CYCLE [OUTER DOOR, DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER, LOCKER MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems:

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: SEALED, LAST ACCESSED BY [ERROR] AT [06:26:18]

Lockers: ERROR, RELOADING…

…

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: SEALED, LAST ACCESSED BY [ERROR] AT [06:26:18]

Lockers: LOCKER [19] UNSEALED AT [06:39:43] BY [ERROR]

                                           ###~###~###

The container swung open without too much tugging. Its metal was much softer than the hatches on the strangers’ houses. The creature held itself off the ground with one pair of back tentacles as it shimmied its way into the orange covering. Their feet stuck out oddly from the leg sheaths, and their claws threatened to rip through the fabric wrappings around their paws. But they simply curled their digits inward, letting the soft ends of their paws rest against the fabric, claws tucked away. Now they reached for the foot shells at the bottom of the locker. They attached to the main covering with a soft ‘hiss’- the creature didn’t so much as blink at the sound, now. They just tried to lay their feet flat against the shell bottoms. Such a strange way to walk… how did the strangers do it? And then, of course, came their least favorite part. After a moment of indignant glowing and chittering, the creature set itself on its feet, back tentacles retracting inside the suit. They reached carefully for the covering’s cap, which sat at the top of the locker. Putting the cap on over their snout wasn’t hard. It wasn’t! Their body was too soft for that sort of issue. Their snout and ears just- didn’t quite fit in their default shape. So they had to squash it all flat. At least the thick, clear membrane before their eyes dimmed the house’s lights. A little, anyway.   Their lights flickered in resigned annoyance as they gave themself a once over. Foot shells attached, paw wrappings intact, cover cap locked into place… Seemed all was ready. Taking a deep breath, the creature turned toward the main door. A few colored bubbles stuck to the wall on its left. The top one, red, was glowing, while the lower one, green, stayed dark. They were still alone. Everything was still silent. But they were one of the strangers now- at least from the outside. With a little luck, they’d never realize one of the “eempostors” was walking among them. There was no danger anymore. With a satisfied chirr, the creature turned back towards the main building. It was finally time to further investigate those tantalizing objects… the ‘whoodun’ floor, the nevermelting ice, and maybe even those padded rectangles. Oh, this was going to be fun!!!

                                          ###~###~###

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:06:59:59 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: NIGHT CYCLE [OUTER DOOR, DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER, LOCKER MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems:  

Outer Doors: LOCKED, [NIGHT SHIFT CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: SEALED, LAST ACCESSED BY [ERROR] AT [06:26:18]

Lockers: LOCKER [19] UNSEALED AT [06:39:43] BY [ERROR]

…

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:07:00:00 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: DAY CYCLE [ALL SYSTEM MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems:

Outer Doors: SEALED, [ALL CREW] ACCESS

Decontamination chamber: SEALED, LAST ACCESSED BY [ERROR] AT [06:26:18]

Lockers: ALL UNSEALED BY [BASE - SYSTEM]

ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS LOADING…

…

PLANET [326-OCE-894 / SECTOR G] BASE SYSTEM LOG: TIMESTAMP [SED:HR:MIN:SEC]: 85:07:10:29 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: DAY CYCLE [ALL SYSTEM MONITORING]

Location: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Base Setup Rationale: SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, EXPLORATION Connection to HQ: STEADY Systems:

Outer Doors: [ALL CREW] ACCESS, RECENTLY UNSEALED BY/AT [show entire list]

Decontamination chamber: UNSEALED, LAST ACCESSED BY [BASE - RED] AT [07:08:29]

Lockers: ALL UNSEALED, ACCESSED BY [show entire list]

show additional systems

NIGHT CREW CLOSING REPORT: There were a couple more instances of our system clashing with the tracking software on the crew of SKELD D34-H120. Will consult SKELD D34-H120’s PINK about possible older software interfering with recent software updates. However, I must note again that these occasional glitches happened also with newer model SKELD ships at the last supply dropoffs. My current hypothesis remains that SKELD ship software simply does not run well with BASE software. At end of shift, an unidentified individual was moving about the base. The lack of identification is likely due to this glitch- there were two members of SKELD D34-H120’s crew on the night shift. We must get this lack-of-identity glitch fixed before we continue our exploration and receive further supplies.

what's everybody's favorite/least favorite tasks(including u bc why not)

Ooh thas a fun one… I’m gonna do like. Short answers bc there’s 10 of them and then me too

My favorite tasks are the wires and asteroid clearing! They’re matchy and/or explodey, v good. My least favorite is downloads bc they always get interrupted hfjdj

Bunbun likes wires, calibrating the stuff in electrical, and taking out the trash! All tasks she’s familiar with and knows well. She hates downloads because they make her nervous with how long she has to sit and watch the screen/have her back turned, often in somewhere isolated.

Nubnub likes asteroids and garbage disposal!!! Shooty shooty crash bang make good sounds and tosses stuff around outside the ship. They dislike downloads because what is a computer. As a bonus, their favorite thing to sabotage is oxygen bc it means they get a snack (eat plant) and they love being in the vents, but they hate going near the engines (loud)

Groud likes tasks that take them around the ship to visit others (wires/downloads/gassing engines/etc) and dislikes card swipe. They know keeping tabs on who’s in the ship is important, but what’s the point if you’re in open space with nobody new coming on/going off?

Silk LOVES downloads and plotting ship courses- it’s xir job but xe enjoys looking through files n figuring out stuff with star maps. Xe also likes Simon says. Is fun. Silk dislikes wires bc of what it implies (bad signal)

Lemon loves anything to do with the engines or reactor. It’s his element!!! He dislikes downloads bc they mean he has to sit still for awhile

Junior likes Simon says and doing the samples in medbay. Patterns fun! He dislikes getting his med scan because he’s always afraid he’ll accidentally morph while being scanned and mess the system up.

Laser loves shooting up asteroids SO much. It’s the best part of her job in her opinion. She also likes gassing the engines bc she likes being around the heavy machinery. She hates downloads for the same reason lemon does. She has a love/hate relationship with Med scans bc they take awhile and might get rose to make her get fixed up, but also rose is there and that’s her gf <3

Rose likes cleaning up the oxygen and checking on shields. One of these means tending to plants (part of her job but still) and the other means making sure crewmates are safe. Also her gf might be there!!! Space gays <3

Nanner LOVES all the tasks actually. She’s happy to help and they find people tasks amusing bc they spent a long time just Vibing in open space.

River hates any task that sends him underfoot of other people. Which is… most tasks. But he especially hates the reactor/engines tasks bc of lemon being there. The only one he really doesn’t mind are the wires, so long as he doesn’t have to go in electrical for it.

Yeh there u go

*sits* *softly* what is like... the crews... general protocol for first contact with new aliens...

The crew will observe from a distance, and try to gage if they really need to interact with the aliens or not. If they don’t need to, no problem, they’ll do their best to stay out of the way- it’s not their home after all! But if they do need to, they try their best to be courteous and make what they need/can trade clear. Small diplomatic and peaceful interactions with new aliens will help more in the long run than anything else!

​if the aliens initiate the first interaction, same rules apply- be polite and clear as you can with your speech etc, try not to step on toes and just do what you need to get out of their home asap if need be.

The main thing is that they don’t have much info on new aliens, and there’s no cultural specialists on the team atm. They’re not a research crew, they’re a supply and exploration assistance crew. Best to let the experts handle the first contact than accidentally bungle something and make a bad impression!

i jus wanted to post them all together *shrugs*

no suit nub n nan undercut

Among Us: CR3WM8TS

Docked and Loaded ——————————————

The ship finally arrives at the newly established Sector G base on a new planet. Hopefully, start of work goes smoothly. Hopefully the logs are functioning well, too... 

Among Us archive/askblog Fic chapters post

——————————————

once again i am chopping a chapter in half to keep it from getting too long. anyway!!! more normal crewmate troubles n dorkiness with some ominous vibes for Flavor (tm).  hopefully the next part will come out sometime soon! enjoy this for now!

                                                 ===+===+===

Mission Log 10

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: IN TRANSIT Course: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Systems:

Navigation: COURSE INLAID / STABLE

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK 0.86 / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK 0.83 / OUTPUT ALIGNED

Reactor: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: STABLE

Communications: ONLINE

Shields: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Weapons: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Security: CAMERAS ONLINE / ALL FUNCTIONAL

Administration: MAP ONLINE / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UP TO DATE / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT ONLINE / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: Updates by PINK still taking well to system. Travel into sector G uneventful. Crew bonding time worked into today’s schedule, all crew in attendance for at least an hour. Crew performing normal activities.

                                                ===+===+===

Mission Log 15

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems:

Navigation: COURSE REACHED / STABLE

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK 0.72 / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK 0.68 / OUTPUT ALIGNED

Reactor: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: STABLE

Communications: ONLINE

Shields: OFFLINE / FUNCTIONING N/A

Weapons: OFFLINE / FUNCTIONING N/A

Security: CAMERAS ONLINE / ALL FUNCTIONAL

Administration: MAP OFFLINE / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UPDATING FOR MISSION / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT ONLINE / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: [SKELD D34-H120] docked at [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] successfully. No transport issues to report. All supplies for transport intact and in transfer process to base. Mission files currently integrating to ship system. Crew integrating to mission base to assist in tasks, exploration, and supply dropoff. Weapons and shields offline to align with docking procedures. Course will remain unlaid until HQ supplies further information.

                                               ===+===+===

It had been a good long while since Bunbun worked on an exploration ship. She’d been stuck updating supply line SKELDs for awhile, and got bogged down repairing virus bound code in defensive SKELDs for longer. Exploration ships were like little breathers in the middle. It meant she just had to worry about one ship, once all the updates were done. She could sit and watch the stars. Make a friend, if she was lucky. And, on days like these, it meant she’d be helping out with something bigger. Planet 236-OCE-849 was a gorgeous world. A new one, too! Sector G was largely new to HQ. They had high hopes for the planets and inhabitants. This one in particular was the first they’d set up a base on. Crashing waves and strange colorful formations were the source of many rumors across the airwaves. Bun had been unable to see the planet’s surface as they descended, but the views before they made landing preparations were breathtaking. Most of it was enveloped by an ocean. The water bound world was like a painted marble, little bits of vibrant colors poking through. She’d never seen land so vivid. It made her all the more eager to get down to the surface.

The door of the ship opened with a loud hiss of pressurized air. Metal clanked against itself as the two halves pulled themselves apart, the groaning making everything in the vicinity go still. Of course, what happened afterwards was anything but. The gangplank was already lowered, so the cooped up crewmates came scrambling out. Captain Groud was first, their voice echoing back towards the ship as they called for the Mission Lead. Silk trailed after, one of xyr robots hot on xyr heels. Rose and Laser went off as a pair, aiming to tend to any wounded and check how defenses were going. Nanner emerged with supplies already loaded, a couple crewmates from the planet coming to help her transport them where needed. Lemon and Junior were off to check the base’s energy status, the son sticking anxiously close to his father. River, to no one’s surprise, sauntered off the ship to go find somewhere to lounge. Groud said he’d help when they needed him, but from the looks the rest of the crew gave, there was probably a fat chance. That left Bunbun walking down the gangplank last. She was glad now that she’d pulled down her solar visor. The light outside was nearly blinding compared to the ship’s lobby. Around her she could see miles and miles of open sea, the bluish purple waves almost hauntingly familiar. Like an echo of the blue green waters she had back at home… I wonder why the water here is more purple… I bet Rose might know. She only took her eyes off the ocean when something crunched under her boot. She drew back hastily, afraid she’d stepped on some planetary inhabitant- only to draw in a sharp breath from surprise. The ground she stood on was a bright pastel orange. Upon closer inspection, it looked to be made out of some sort of… finely webbed rock? Coral, she realized, eyes widening. Her gaze snapped up to the island they’d landed on. The whole thing looked like a fractured rainbow, colors radiating across the ground. It was all made of the same webbed rock- coral, as she’d remembered. The realization had her bouncing on her heels. I’m standing on an island made of coral!!! She took another hesitant step. It crunched again under her foot. She couldn’t keep herself from giggling as she kept moving, feet dancing over coral that shifted from orange to yellow to green to purple. A myriad of colors, and all so bright!!! She’d never laid eyes on anything quite like it. “Enjoying the scenery?” a voice called, snapping Bun out of her happy dance. She froze in place, instantly standing to attention and trying not to drop her tablet. Another voice laughed, the sound carrying closer as her face flushed. When Groud’s star patched green and Silk’s beat up purple came into view, she let herself breathe. Ok. So. She hadn’t entirely made a fool out of herself. These two, at least, knew who she was. “M-maybe a little, Captain, eheheh,” she called sheepishly. “I’ve never been on a planet with coral islands before.” “Well, it’s a treat for you then!” Groud laughed. “Hey, if you’re not busy, why don’t you go head down to the power room?” “Oh, are the base crewmates busy?” Bun blinked. “Yeah, a little,” Groud nodded. “There’s a lot going on. Lots to update and lots to move.” “That, and Lemon ‘n Junior said they might need some help,” Silk added. Between you and me, I think they just want someone they can rely on to help figure the energy out.” Bunbun’s face flushed again, the warmth from Groud’s voice and Silk’s visor-shadowed smile buoying her mood higher. She’d only been with this crew a few days, but they trusted her this much? … Honestly, she couldn’t tell if that was foolish or not. But things needed fixing, and her crewmates needed help. So, off she went.

The base layout was pretty standard. It was a bit compressed to fit the strange coral island, but they’d managed to fit everything in about the right place. Lucky for Bun, she didn’t have too far to go. The building to the gangplank’s right would give her access to Electrical’s courtyard. The crunching of multicolored polyps beneath her feet made her smile with giddiness, picking up the pace to get inside the base. The door was already left open- standard procedure for operating periods- so she strolled right through. Nobody seemed to be waiting for her in the building’s lobby. She’d guess they were all outside, if it weren’t for a few voices. She could hear a couple people down in the security area. River and some other security crewmates, if her auditory memory served. They were talking pretty boisterously. She hooked a hasty left out towards the courtyard, eager to move on before one of them noticed her. The courtyard was once again standard. Four generators, one control panel along the outside wall, and cagey wire fencing around the edges. Bunbun found herself wondering once again what that was meant to keep out. On a new planet like this, nobody really knew what to expect. It could be anything. Images of creeping beasts and flashing eyes started to bubble up, so she shoved the thought out of her mind. It was fine! The fence would do its job, surely. Just as she would do hers. It’s fine. Lemon and Junior were standing before the control panel, their confused chatter making Bun glad they enlisted her help. From the frustrated looks on their faces, they needed it. They should teach more cross system repair in the academy… oh dear… “You two need some help?” Bun called, striding over to the panel. The pair looked up, relief instantly appearing on their faces. “Bunbun, thank fuck,” Lemon sighed. He leaned against the wall, pulling his goggles back up over unruly red hair. “we’re really goin through the ringer here…” “Y-yeah, uh, any help would be really appreciated,” Junior added sheepishly. He fiddled with his tablet, nervous fingers closing out a couple HQ manual tabs. “Of course, guys,” Bunbun smiled shyly. She tilted her head at the open panel, a mess of wires greeting her. Well. That was. Not encouraging. Her brows furrowed the more she looked, eyes trying to trace input to output and back. “... ok. I uh. I see several problems here.” “That’s an understatement,” Lemon snorted, shaking his head. “I don’t even know where to start.” “Did you make sure to take the relevant systems offline?” Bun asked. “Already done,” Junior nodded. He held up his tablet, a couple tabs pulled up to show electrical systems operating on reserve. “We can’t keep it offline for too long, or else the lights are gonna go out. Which, um, wouldn’t be super fun.” “Right, we’ll have to move fast,” Bunbun replied. “I think I can manage that.” Rubbing her hands together, she eyed the mess of wires before them. She’d handled worse, right? This wouldn’t take too terribly long. It was only when she remembered the other two were watching that her confidence faltered. Was she supposed to help? Was it even ok to take over here??? “... Is, um, is it ok if I… uh… manage it…?” She chuckled timidly, scuffing a boot on the ground. “By all means, dear,” Lemon chuckled, giving her a little dramatic bow as he moved back. “I’ll give you all the space you need.” “Just remember we’re here to help if you need!” Junior offered, scooting back to his dad’s side. He smiled nervously, the sun flashing off his visor as he shifted a bit in place. Gathering courage, if his next little quip was anything to go by. “We might, uh, know the reactor better, but we still know our way around a pair of wire cutters! Eheheheh...” Bunbun smiled gratefully at them both. “Of course, thank you. I’m, um, gonna get on this as fast as I can.” With that, she fixed her attention on the wires once more. Whoever set this base up hadn’t been picky about organization. She could fix that easy enough. She’d just… start by sorting the colors. Taking a breath, the electrician hefted up her tablet, free hand reaching carefully for the nearest red wire. Yeah. This would be over in a sinch. And maybe later, she could go explore a bit more. The thought made her grin wide, fingers flying between wires even faster. Oh, yes. Seeing some more of this beautiful planet would be worth any circuitry headaches. She’d just have to remember to add this to the ship’s log later…

                                              ===+===+===

SHIP SYSTEM REALTIME LOG: System setting: DOCKED [STORAGE AND VENT MONITORING]

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems: 

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: MATERIAL BUILDUP DETECTED  

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

So I was considering how sleeping arrangements work on the skeld bc, as we know, there’s really no beds visible besides. Like. In Medbay???

So I’m saying crew quarters are accessible via an elevator on one of the walls of the caf that u can’t see. The quarters are underneath the caf/Storage, and positioned to be in the protected belly of the ship.

I’ve also decided that there’s five cabins a set of bunk beds each...

... meaning that everyone on the ship has (or will have) a bunk mate

Among Us: CR3WM8TS

Beneath the Waves ——————————————

It’s not just the humans who do the exploring. Especially when their ships are so easy to poke around in... 

Among Us archive/askblog Fic chapters post

——————————————

at long last!!! we have the introduction of a very special guest! and by that, i mean the one member of the crew who has yet to appear LKSJDF. that’s right, it’s nubnub’s debut! hope y’all enjoy :D

and big big shoutout to @vaaloirr​ for proofreading this for me!!!!!! y’all should check hir out, ze’s rlly rad :>

                                                 ###~###~###

SHIP SYSTEM LOG REPLAY: TIMESTAMP [HR:MIN:SEC]: 01:27:02 AFTER ARRIVAL

System setting: DOCKED [STORAGE AND VENT MONITORING]

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems: 

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: MATERIAL BUILDUP DETECTED  

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [ONE] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

                                                  ###~###~###

Today was a better day. A simple statement, with much behind it. A better day implied much. It needed a reason. Something to set it apart from the others in a positive manner. To those who cared, it all boiled down to the sky’s sudden roaring. That meant whatever was living above the water might be leaving a gift instead of pain.

The first time it happened, everyone had fled to the deep. The sky was not meant to roar. When it did, it could mean many things. None of them were positive. It could mean death- the large beaked horrors that flew about above the waves were merciless with their soft-bodied kind. It could mean fire raining from above- rare, yes, but it had taken one too many of them for their liking. It could mean horrible flashes of light- the huge crackles of terrifying light leaving those too close to the surface charred and twitching. This time, they expected no different. The seas were always one to change. But danger never had. So when the roaring died down to bring a myriad of different noises, different lights cast into the water and towards the sky, no one was sure what to think. Many wanted to move out of the area. There was more reef, sure. Plenty far away from whatever was scuttling around on the coral. Some wanted to wait in the deep, confident the sky’s beasts would finish off beings that tried to live on the surface. An idiotic choice, with them around. And still others… well. They were a curious species, after all. It was only a matter of time before they found out the strangers had something useful.

                                                 ###~###~###

The sky finished roaring not too long ago. The water surrounding the coral island seemed to have settled. But all was not as it appeared. Just out of sight, a quartet of scarlet eyes quietly watched the goings-on of the strange house. They guessed that’s what it was- in the handful of months the strangers had been here, the multicolored figures always seemed to retreat inside. There was all manner of things stored in there. They hadn’t gotten a good look, of course- their curiosity wouldn’t lead them headfirst into danger- but peeks in the windows showed plenty of shiny metals and blinking lights. Not to mention they’d sometimes take the top of their shiny coverings off. It was a shock to see that for the first time. But their rainbow of smooth coverings just made them all the more intriguing. It seemed to factor into their very social fabric! The strangers were fascinating to watch. Fascinating to hear, too. The strangers’ voices carried over in the sea salt breeze, making the creature’s smaller set of ears flick forwards. They had to wait until they heard the right thing to head inside. The sounds these strangers made were in some sort of odd, squeaking tongue. Like the delphiins, if a bit deeper in pitch. It didn’t take too long of observing to realize it was a language. Didn’t take too long for those of their people who remained to try and understand it. The creature was certainly doing their best. It took a lot of work, a lot of watching, and a lot of listening. They were getting the hang of it well enough, so they thought. But observation wasn’t what the hidden swimmer was here for today. They eased a bit closer, their large pink back tentacles holding tight to the side of the coral island. Their back claws scraped lightly against the webbed rock, front paws flexing impatiently. Peeking around the side of the strangers’ house, they spotted plenty of them moving about outside. That might’ve been a problem. The sight of them swarming about large capsules, though, put their mind at ease. Ah, yes. The strangers brought each other containers from far away. They didn’t seem to hunt or farm at all, or sit out in the sun long enough to survive, so they needed sustenance from their brethren. Fair enough. Their first set of eyes trailed wishfully after the multicolored swarm and their capsule. The other set strayed to the place it emerged from. It was some sort of house that flew- they’d heard it roar in and out of the sky plenty of times. They also knew that’s where the capsules were kept. Their mind wandered briefly back to the time- a few weeks after the strangers appeared- that their friends and themself managed to knock one of the capsules into the sea. Oh, how they’d feasted on all the food inside… The months after were just full of finding the best ways to get at them. And, of course, how to recognize which capsules had food, and which ones had more strange metal objects. They’d never have to worry about food again, so long as these strangers were around. Of course, there was still the matter of getting the capsules in the first place. Which was easier said than done. They’d been careful to keep track of what colors they saw as the strangers scurried past. In previous trips, their friends had been able to steal an unused covering to sneak around the ship. They noticed the strangers got rather distressed if they saw more than three of the same color walking around during a drop off. They got nervous if there were two, if the other flying house was absent. They’d all whisper about some “eemposster,” and then the creature and their friends would have to lay low for awhile. The bad thing about a drop off like this is that you didn’t know which suits would be in the house. From the looks of it, the creature would be hard pressed to find an unused color. So, waiting on plan B it is. As worried as the strangers were about those “eemposters,” they didn’t seem to guard their flying house after removing their capsules. They had no reason to, they supposed. They had what they wanted. The creature ducked under the waves, tentacles pulling them along the rocks and coral. Their brown fur and bright teal accents kept them relatively well hidden, though the business of unloading capsules did the job better. They popped the top of their head out once they reached the back of the flying house. One pair of ears flicked forwards, they listened carefully to the strangers’ conversation. One of them- a green one with a star shaped marking- was busy talking with another- a bright blue one with a similar star mark. They were leaders, if their observations were right. The green one was gesturing to the flying house, saying something about ‘crayts’ and ‘dun unlohding.’ The blue one seemed pleased by this. As did the creature. Those words- ‘dun unlohding’- was the all clear they’d been waiting for. Turning their attention to the flying house, the creature approached it carefully. There would be a hatch somewhere they could get in… they just needed to remember where it- aha! There, near the water- a hatch surrounded in yellow and black stripes. They chirped to themself excitedly, suckers glowing in satisfaction.  They darted closer, eyes fixed on their prize. Once they were under the hatch, they carefully reached a pair of tentacles up towards it. They made sure their suckers had a nice grip on the metal before drawing their body up too. They studied the hatch carefully, their remaining tentacles helping anchor them to the metal surface. It was closed tight, a squarish pattern locking the sides together. Fortunately, this flying house seemed a bit old. The doors weren���t as tightly sealed as they usually were. The creature stuck the tips of their claws in the crack, wiggling and scraping at it until they had a good purchase. Grip established, they carefully braced themself against the side. And yanked. The resulting screech of stubbornly moving metal made them cringe, but there was no shout of confusion from back on the island. They squinted as they yanked again, metal groaning in protest. But it gave away soon enough. It always did. They grabbed the edges of the hatch with their tentacles once it was open enough, holding it so they could squeeze inside. These were the times they were glad their body was so malleable. A dark, dirty metal tunnel yawned before them. They chittered again as their claws hit the floor, proud of themself for sneaking in. Of course, their pride faded the second their tentacles let go of the hatch sides. It shut with a rather loud slam. They didn’t manage to clamp their mouth shut before a surprised shriek slipped out. They slapped their front paws over their mouth, curling into an anxious ball. Had anyone heard them??? Was it over??? They sat silent in the dark for a couple minutes. Waiting. Nervous. … when nothing happened, they let the tension leave their body. Ok. It was ok. They’d just. Move a little quicker this time. Turning their back to the hatch, they started crawling up the tunnel. The dark was no problem- they could see just fine. Not to mention the soft teal glow of their suckers and short horns. It made the whole place feel like a sea cave… if a bit stranger to move in. After all, there was no water up here. They reached another hatch soon enough- it was outlined with the same yellow and black stripes, some red squiggles above it like a label. They weren’t even gonna try to decipher what it said. But they knew it was their way in. They were more cautious with this next hatch, squeezing through carefully and slowly easing the sides back together. It still gave a louder thunk than they preferred, but it was leagues quieter than the last time. Hatch troubles taken care of, they let their gaze trail to the room around them. It was a tall one, with plenty of large capsules sitting around. Some of them even sat on top of each other. The thought of all the food inside was already making their mouth water, tongues lolling out of their mouth… … They shook themself out of it. Focus!!! They scolded themself. They still had to find a food capsule. They took a moment to tuck their tentacles into their back- no need to leave them out to hit things in such a cramped space- before slinking towards the nearest capsule. It was large. Too large to get out of the hatch, unfortunately. But they gave it a sniff anyway, hoping there’d be something worth snagging. The scent of iron and copper greeted them. They curled up their lip with an unhappy chirp. No, not that one. They moved on to another one a little closer to the entryway, tail flicking eagerly.

The process of sniffing and poking at capsules continued for longer than the creature would’ve liked. All the food was better hidden for some reason- it was frustrating. Eventually, though, they rooted out a small capsule that smelled absolutely tantalizing. They stood over it gleefully, claws twitching in eagerness. If it wasn’t foolish, they’d rip it open and chow down right this very moment. However, this wasn’t their home. And they didn’t know how long the strangers would stay away. So they grabbed the capsule, digging their claws through the steel outside to gain a hold. Their tentacles slithered out of their back, lifting their body off the ground as they held the capsule protectively. From there, they picked their way across the room and back to the hatch. It was a little harder to get it open this time. Not necessarily because they couldn’t use their front paws- that was fine- but rather they had to use another set of tentacles to do so. As strong as they were, the slimmer ones on their arms had no suckers to help hang on. But they managed in the end. It was a straight shot back down to the other hatch once they were through. They’d figured out the one in the other room, so this? This was a cinch.

The only signals that anything was amiss was a metallic thunk as the hatch closed, and quiet ripples as the creature disappeared under the waves.

                                                ###~###~###

SHIP SYSTEM REALTIME LOG: System setting: DOCKED [STORAGE AND VENT MONITORING]

Location: SECTOR G Ship Status: DOCKED AT [PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G] Course: N/A Systems:

Supplies: ERROR - RELOADING…

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

...

Supplies: ERROR - RELOADING…  

Storage Chutes: BLOCKAGE DETECTED - PLEASE EMPTY

Vents: CLEAR

…

Supplies: [TWO] CRATES SHORT  

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Sometimes u jus need 2 doodle aimlessly for like,,, an hour or so,,,

Among Us: CR3WM8TS

Updates Required (part 1)

——————————————

With the ship launched and crew settled, it’s time to get to work. Which, for Bunbun, means updating. How smoothly that goes depends on the crewmates in charge... Bunbun’s hoping she’s in good company. 

Featuring appearances by River and Lemon! 

Among Us archive/askblog Fic chapters post

——————————————

Ok so originally I wanted to keep all this together, but decided it’d be better to chop it into pieces. That way I can keep my momentum, keep posting for y’all, and still intro y’all to the crew as things get moving! Hope u guys enjoy!!!

                                                    ===+===+===

Mission Log 2

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR E Ship Status: JUST LAUNCHED Course: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Systems:

Navigation: COURSE INLAID / STABLE

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK FULL / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK FULL / OUTPUT ALIGNED

Reactor: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: STABLE

Communications: ONLINE

Shields: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Weapons: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Security: CAMERAS ONLINE / ALL FUNCTIONAL

Administration: MAP ONLINE / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UP TO DATE / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT ONLINE / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: FULL

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: crewmate PINK settled quickly. Launch was successful, no issues of note. Supplies loaded, all systems functioning optimally. PINK noted many systems need updated - updates will be performed in transit. All crew accounted for

                                                   ===+===+===

Mission Log 3

Ship Model: SKELD D34-H120 Designation: SUPPLY TRANSPORT, EXPLORATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF SECTOR G PLANETS Crewmate Count: 9 Crewmate Colors: DARK GREEN, WHITE, PURPLE, DARK BLUE, YELLOW, RED, LIME, BLACK, PINK

Location: SECTOR F Ship Status: IN TRANSIT Course: PLANET 326-OCE-894 - SECTOR G Systems:

Navigation: COURSE INLAID / STABLE / UPDATES NEEDED

Engines: UPPER - ONLINE, TANK 0.98 / LOWER - ONLINE, TANK 0.97 / ALIGNMENT UPDATES NEEDED

Reactor: OFFLINE - UPDATES NEEDED / RESERVE POWER FUNCTIONAL

O2: STABLE

Electrical: CALIBRATOR OFFLINE

Communications: ONLINE / UPDATES NEEDED

Shields: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Weapons: ONLINE / FUNCTIONING OPTIMAL

Security: CAMERAS OFFLINE - UPDATES NEEDED

Administration: MAP OFFLINE - UPDATES NEEDED / CONNECTION SECURE / SHIP FILES UP TO DATE / ALL CREW ACCOUNTED FOR

Medbay: EQUIPMENT OFFLINE - UPDATES NEEDED / FUNCTIONAL / CREW FILES UP TO DATE

Supplies: FULL

Storage Chutes: CLEAR

Vents: CLEAR

Notes: travel into sector F uneventful. Many systems functioning on reserve power temporarily, as updates are needed. PINK identified systems in need of updates. Updates will be performed today under DARK BLUE supervision. Other crew performing normal activities.

                                                  ===+===+===

Bunbun stood in the hall next to security, foot tapping nervously. If her hands weren’t clutched tight around her tablet, they’d be caught up in her hair, or fidgeting with her bandanna. It was just a routine ship update. Yes, most of the systems needed it. Yes, she was being supervised by a stranger. But it was nothing she hadn’t done before. She knew the ship layout. So did her new crewmate. It was just… extra precautionary measures. Nobody quite knew who they were dealing with nowadays. It didn’t seem like the door to security was about to spring open. It had been closed for all ten minutes she’d stood there. Captain Groud said it was nothing to worry about. Dark blue- or River, as the crew called him- often shut himself into security. At least, he seemed to do it a lot. If the doors are faulty, we’ll know soon enough, Bunbun thought ruefully. She tapped on her tablet screen, sighing softly at its  comforting glow. Her task list was still updating. She watched the number in the upper left tick slowly upward. Yeah. She’d be busy alright. A quick glance at the map confirmed what she already knew- the ship had a standard SKELD layout. A little pink icon stood right outside security. Crew Locator and Tablet Sync are working just fine, she thought. Good. Swiping to the right, the live feed of ship’s systems now lit up her screen. The amount of “OFFLINE” and “UPDATES NEEDED” made her snort. “HQ really doesn’t take care of their older ships, huh?” she muttered. Scrolling down, her eyes swiftly located the vent status. “CLEAR,” declared the system. “Clear,” Bunbun echoed, sighing. For now, at least, she could quell any suspicions of River. 

Speaking of which, the telltale clunk and hiss of an opening door announced his presence. Bunbun straightened up quickly, standing to attention as the door split and slid into the wall. A crewmate in a dark blue suit stood in the doorway. A faded blue security cap was jammed down low over his unkempt ashy blonde hair. His green eyes were ringed with a raccoon’s mask. All in all, he looked like a standard security crewmate. Though his bored look and slouched posture said he might be a little put out by his recent assignment. Bunbun tried for a smile and wave. She opened her mouth to speak, voice a little shaky. “Um, hi, I’m-” “Bunbun, right? The new crewmate?” River interjected, a brow raised. “Yeah. Guessed as much. Haven’t had a pink around here for awhile.” “Er- right,” Bunbun stammered, a little taken aback. Interrupting? And… ‘a pink’? Someone was a little annoyed. “I’m… I’m here for the-” “Yeah, the updates, I know,” River said bluntly. Bun’s face reddened a bit. Was she overexplaining? Or was he just in a bad mood? She wasn’t quite sure. Yawning, River made a shooing motion. “Let’s get this over with, ok? I’ve got cams to watch, and I can’t do that if they’re all offline.” “Of-of course, sir. I’ll get on it,” she twittered. She quickly scooted around him, eyes downcast. Talk about a tough crowd, she thought grimly. 

She took quick stock of the room as she entered. The monitors on the far wall were all dark. The desk along the back had piles of unorganized papers. Records that needed to go to HQ, she’d guess. The vent lay dusty and undisturbed in the back. With the maintenance panel closed and no other ideas, she wandered over to the flashing bulbs near the monitors. The bulbs were blinking red intermittently. Though, from what she saw, she was surprised anything was happening at all. The lights were indicators on an old, massive computer system, split between two shelves. Bunbun hadn’t seen a system like this since her academy trip to the ship tech museum. She gave a low whistle as she hooked up her tablet. Wait till everyone learns I worked with one of the old old models… “You really think you can update that thing?” River called from the doorway. He was leaned against it, arms crossed and gaze impatient. “Or anything here, really. This bucket of junk has been outta the loop for years. It’d probably short circuit with new input.” Bunbun looked back at him a little indignantly. She could understand being irritated with new crew members. It happens. New recruits often get things backwards, or bite off more than she could chew. But she wasn’t new. Her recommendation was high enough to have her bouncing all over. And doubting her skill? The one thing they brought her here for? That was going too far. Standing a little straighter, she held her tablet like a manager with a clipboard. “Even if things go a little haywire, this ship hasn’t dealt with me yet,” she replied. “I’ll get it running.” “Is that so?” River snorted. “I could make ship software run on a half dead toaster.” “Yeah yeah. I bet you could.” Bunbun didn’t miss his eye roll. She just shook her head. Fine. If he wanted to be difficult, he could. But she was going to do her job whether River thought it possible or not.

Raising her tablet, she tilted her head at the screen. She’d never been so relieved to keep the same tablet regardless of assignment. Working with a new one after being used to her personal upgrades would be a nightmare. The data whizzed past at an astonishing speed. Her gaze picked out the important stuff. The camera system was still functioning well, it just had a couple minor bugs. That was an easy fix. First off, the camera movement program had become a little glitchy. Old camera feed confirmed this- the cameras just jerked around sharply instead of sliding smoothly in circles. It only took a moment to find the problem code, pulling and replacing it with a patch she’d worked out years ago. Just for the fun of it, she slid in an extra bit of code. Just to keep the camera movement unexpected. Made the feed edges much harder to track from the outside, even if the cameras weren’t physically going anywhere. After that, she did a little survey of the feed record system. A few more patches here and there, and it was running properly again. 

Bunbun smiled to herself as she closed out the security system, booting up the cameras on her way out. The monitors flickered back to life as she unplugged her tablet. And it had only been eight minutes. Bunbun looked over at River just in time to see him wiping an impressed look off his face. Her smug smile just earned another eye roll. “Ok. Maybe you know what you’re doing. But we got a lot more to get to,” he grumbled, “so you better be just as quick.” “Repair can’t be rushed,” Bunbun pointed out, “but I’ll do what I can.” “Good.” With that, River turned on his heel and left. Bunbun had to run to catch up with him. Despite supposedly sitting around in security all day, the guy moved fast. What was he in a hurry for? “You coming?” he called, standing in the middle of the reactor room. “Yes- yes, sorry-” she stammered, slowing to a stop in the doorway. The reactor towered over her in the back of the room. Glowing pulses slid from the main machine to cables inlaid in the floor. The whole place was awe inspiring.  And very scary. Things could go very wrong very fast if she wasn’t careful. 

“Well…?” River prompted, gesturing around him. “You gonna do your thing?” “Of… of course,” Bun replied, nervously striding over to the control panel. “It’s just been awhile since I’ve worked with the reactor.” That’s usually left to the experts. “Well, let’s hope you know what you’re doing,” River grumbled. As he wandered away to lean on the wall, Bunbun nervously eyed the control panel. The startup mechanism was just as she remembered it. An older model, sure, but the light up cube pattern and well worn keypad looked about the same. Glad I’ve got that going for me, she thought ruefully. As for updating the thing, though, she… didn’t have a clue. Looking around for a place to plug in her tablet was unsuccessful. It didn’t look like it had a touch interface either. Not besides the keypad, anyway. She didn’t want to try wrangling code with that. The only other options she had were with the manifolds- not wise, as fiddling with those could cause a meltdown- or with one of the hand scanners. Her memory told her those wouldn’t do. They were for biological input, not technical. Bunbun bit her lip, looking back down at the control panel. What to do, what to do…? “Ay, what’s the holdup?” River called, making her jump. His shadowed eyes were narrowed, and his arms held tight across his chest. She stammered for a minute as she tried to compose herself. “I- I’m sorry, I’m, u-um, not used to working with reactor equipment- I- I can’t f-find where to, u-um, plug in my t-tablet-” “For the love of- ghhhhhhhhhh-” River strode quickly to her side. Gesturing to the control panel, he gave her a withering look. “You got my cams working in two seconds. What’s so hard about this? You just take the tablet, get it hooked up-” “B-but if I don’t find the r-right place-” “You try again, and you get to work-” “B-but the reactor is delicate-” “So be careful then!” Bunbun was cowering behind her tablet by now. She didn’t know what to do, River was not helping, and she wished she could just get out of-

“HEY! What’s the big idea?!” A voice shouted from the door. 

It made Bunbun jump, and River freeze. She took the opportunity to take a step back and turn towards the doorway. In it stood a crewmate with a bright yellow suit. His short, shocking red hair was rather unkempt, a pair of repairman’s goggles managing to keep the longer locks on top from his hazel eyes. A couple bandages poked out from under his rectangle glasses and stuck to his cheek, and a pair of black hoop earrings hung from his ears. A pale coating of stubble surrounded his downturned mouth, brows furrowed in a very displeased scowl. 

Uh oh.

Bunbun went right back to cowering behind her tablet as the man strode over. One angry crewmate was enough to deal with, but two? No thank you. Fortunately, he walked right past her to stand toe-to-toe with River. Jabbing a finger into his chest, the newcomer spoke again. “What EXACTLY do you think you’re doing, wandering in and putting bad vibes in MY reactor room?!” he growled. River took a step back, looking quite put out. “Geez- dude, calm down, I’m just watching the new crewmate,” River grumbled, hands up. “I wasn’t even gonna be in here long. What’s the problem?” “You, obviously,” the newcomer huffed, “you should know better than to rush the artists. Speaking of which-” Turning to Bunbun, a soft grin replaced his broody scowl. “Hello there, stardust! Glad to have you aboard! What’s your name?” he bubbled, holding out a hand. Bunbun blinked in surprise. Artists? This guy was… certainly interesting. But it was a good kind of interesting. The kind she knew pretty well. She let her shoulders relax just a bit. Taking his hand, she gave it a gentle shake. “Hello,” she said softly, “I’m, um, Bunbun…” “Bunbun! That’s a fine n’ dandy name. I like it!” he grinned. “I’m Lemon, in case orientation memories are hazy. Glad to finally be workin with ya!” “Y-you too,” she smiled shakily. A glance at River said he was subdued for now. Summoning her courage, Bunbun turned her attention back to Lemon. Time to see if the interests really matched. “Um, so, I take it you’re the reactor caretaker?” “Thaaaat’s me!” Lemon drawled chipperly. “Well, me and my son, but you’ll meet him later.” He waved a hand as if brushing the thought away. “But that’s- eheh- for later. I take it you need somethin’ from me?” Bunbun nodded shyly. “I’ve got a couple updates for the reactor,” she explained, “nothing drastic, don’t worry- just to keep it running up to HQ standards.” “Understandable,” Lemon nodded. “And uh- lemme guess-” he gestured to the control panel- “you can’t find the interaction interface?” Bunbun nodded again, relieved she didn’t have to explain. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you…?” “Of course, Miss Bun! Don’t you worry your fluffy lil head!” Lemon hummed. Gently nudging her to the side, he stood before the control panel. Bunbun watched in silence as he tapped out a complex code with surprising speed. With a beep and a click, the panel slid to the side, revealing… “Hey! That’s the update interface!” Bunbun beamed. “Correct! ‘S a lil hidden here, but it’s all for safety’s sake,” Lemon explained. He took a step back, waving her towards it. “Reactor’s all yours. Just treat my baby like you treat your tablet, m’kay?” “Makes sense. And of course! I’ll have her running smoothly in just a few,” Bunbun smiled knowingly. Seems her intuition had been right. She settled in front of the control panel happily. 

Within a handful of minutes, the updates were once again finished. She stepped back to let Lemon close up the reactor, thanking him silently with her eyes. From his tiny nod and gentle glance, he’d caught onto her gratitude. “You done in there?” River huffed from the doorway. Bunbun’s shoulders slumped a bit. She’d nearly forgotten he was there. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get your leg stuck in a wormhole,” Lemon shot back. Giving Bun a pat on the shoulder, he led her over to River. “You two should head to upper engine next. My son was headed up there to do some alignments, last I heard.” “Ok! Thanks, Lemon,” Bunbun said shyly. He held up his hand- er- fist, smiling at her. It took her a moment to realize what he wanted. With a soft ‘oh!’ she bumped her fist against his. He laughed again, giving her a pat on the back. “Of course, Bun!” he beamed. “You’re welcome here anytime.” “Let’s get going,” River grumbled, turning back to the hall. 

As Bunbun trailed after him, she could hear Lemon’s call of “don’t be a stranger!” I most certainly won’t, she thought happily.