I poked the fire with a stick watching as it crackled. It was getting really cold, but between setting up a campfire and Arcanine acting as my space heater I was fine. Not that the rest of the researchers weren’t still complaining of the cold.
Should have brought Pillow with me, could have offered him out to someone as a space heater.
I suppose I could just… Go grab him.
I snorted at the thought. No way! It's too cold for me to want to get...
“Hehehe!” I giggled as I woke up, blinking sleep out of my eyes and wiggling to escape the tickling I was receiving. “T-Tini! No f-fair!” I giggled as I reached down and pulled the noodle away from my belly where he was tickling me.
“Dradradra!” He giggled at my squirming as I pulled the blanket away and managed to get myself covered again so he couldn't reach my sides.
“Okay! Okay I’m awake! Jeez, none of you want to let me s...
2024-11-28 23:01:35 +0000 UTC View Post“Zelooos!” I cheered as the large executive style car parked in front of the school, and the door was opened.
I could see Zelos look up from her lap to see not the airport but almost her entire former class.
Then she turned, giving a betrayed look to her father beside her who just waved her to get out.
She looked mad at being tricked, but I thought the little banner with ‘Goodbye Zelos!’ That Ivy had drawn was a good job!
...
2024-11-27 23:58:07 +0000 UTC View Post“And this is the main lab.” Cerise proclaimed as we walked into a room with what looked like super computers along the walls, a small work desk area, and a rest area with a crash couch.
Ah yes, the crash couch. I’d spent my own amount of time on one of those before.
“Neat.” I couldn’t help but say, mostly because that was an insane computer setup.
“It’s still under construction, and the Data is difficult, but I hope to start t...
2024-11-27 03:29:00 +0000 UTC View Post“Gib.”
“Is that so?” I asked, as I sat beside Gible out on the grass. I honestly don’t know if she even noticed me being gone for the conference, but when I came back she’d been… Close. Walking over to stand near me or settling next to me.
Training was over. My little baby dragons had done well, but Gible was still just sitting next to me.
“Gib gib.” She muttered, as if she didn’t hear me, but when I shifted to look at her, h...
2024-11-26 01:49:09 +0000 UTC View Post“That was mean!” I whined to Zelos who just ignored me as she grabbed some of the treats left out on the buffet. “Zeloooos.”
“Vicky stop complaining.” She snapped back and then bit into something that looked tasty. I grabbed one and tried it.
“Yuck.” I decided even if I swallowed it down.
“If you didn’t like it why grab it?”
“I’ve never had one before so I didn’t know.” I answered back and she blinked before scoffin...
The hold door was down as I watched Hammond pull off the road. He looked a good bit rougher than he had before. Dirt and grime coated his face and beard, but as he stepped out of the hauler after parking, he flicked his tab at me before saying anything.
I checked what he sent, and the data was clear.
Coordinates in the nebula, undoubtedly where the pirates were hiding.
“This legit?” I couldn’t help but ask as I looked up and he nodded.&...
2024-11-22 17:01:07 +0000 UTC View PostI had one of Papa’s big coats over my shoulders as I sat outside.
It was cold, and I’d really prefer to be inside where it was warm but…
“Are you ready to come inside yet?” I asked into the large hole that Mama had been glaring at me for.
It wasn’t my fault! Arcanine was being… Stubborn.
I peaked over, squatting down to peer into the hole. Arcanine's big eyes were glowing a little bit from the house's evening li...
2024-11-21 19:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post“Yo!” I greeted the group of classy Arasaka students all wearing their fancy uniforms as I walked up.
“Motoko!” Hiromi cheered her previous flat look shifting into the smile I was so familiar with.
“Hey Hiromi. Hey David. How’re you?” I asked, the boy had been standing beside Hiromi.
“Who is this trash?” Answered another boy instead, surprising me. I looked over and…
“Wow, that's a shitty haircut. ...
2024-11-19 17:06:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe bar was full, and fairly noisy, but it was darker than the outside, and the path was clear. Hammond stepped forward without hesitating and I only followed after I got my bearings.
As I looked around I couldn’t help but wonder.
We were looking for pirates right? Weren’t they all right here?
The people in the bar looked rough, and dangerous, blasters and weapons, adorned hips and bodies, and it was obvious there was a tension of d...
2024-11-18 17:01:22 +0000 UTC View Post“Vicky!”
“Wassa?” I blinked awake at the yell. Looking up, Ivy was hurrying over and then grabbing me “Hey!” I yelped at the rough treatment.
“You’re late! Stupid!” She yelled at me and started trying to drag me along but I fought her for a second.
Mouth wipe, yep that was drool. Alright I was cleaned up.
“Okay I’m going, relax.”
“You’re late! They’ve called for you!”
“It’s fine. Not li...
“Give me a bit more light.” I asked, as I grumbled, my fingers not quite able to figure out what I was dealing with.
“Yes yes! Liiiiight!” The Crabbit cried out and then turned on its little flashlight. That let me see what had happened. The cords got tangled, and it had dragged a connection out of socket.
I started pulling the section apart, and reordering it. This hadn’t been something I’d done. This whole section needed a bit of cord management...
2024-11-14 15:35:11 +0000 UTC View PostHammond gone from the ship meant I had time to have a private conversation with my other crewmates. I gathered all the Crabbits onto the bridge and started the meeting.
“So Hammond is going to join us for at least a little while as part of the crew.” I explained to the gaggle of Crabbits hovering and hanging around me.
“Hmm.” The Crabbit said as she rubbed at her chin. “Information needed.” They finally responded in fits and spurts among them.
2024-11-10 17:00:29 +0000 UTC
View Post
The arrival into the new system was as always a breath of fresh air as we emerged into real space. Star-like lights that didn’t move or shift, or grow or shrink met my eyes and that was a relief from the constant weirdness of subspace.
I flicked my Tab to open the Comm channel, and broadcast my basic information, as I started shifting the Phantom towards my goal.
The station was near one of the main planets in the system. My sensor net was already picking u...
2024-11-06 17:00:13 +0000 UTC View PostThe brothers thankfully didn’t follow, and I think my sudden and hasty departure saved me from anyone thinking to follow me, as I rushed back onto my ship as fast as my long legs could take me without breaking out into a sprint.
I immediately hit the hold door, watching as the armored wall of metal that would laugh at any handheld weapon these… Assholes! Would have!
Yeah! Assholes!
Only when the door shut did I realize I was pressin...
2024-11-02 17:01:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Marco!” I called out slowly walking through the hallways of my ship.
I heard some of the Crabbit that had already failed the game, tittering all around me, but finally one called out from down the hall. “Polo! Green!”
“Oh you think you’re green do you?” I muttered darkly as I hurried down the hall and then came into the empty crew room. The light was off, which made sense because I didn’t have a light installed yet. I flicked a flashlig...
2024-10-29 17:01:23 +0000 UTC View Post“Open the Diamond Drive!” I called out firmly, I was nervous, but I didn’t want to show that to the Crabbit.
Seven Light Iris Drives were floating around me, held in place by Crabbits as I looked at the new Diamond Drive.
I had done test after test to make sure. It was… Perfect.
My stomach didn’t care though.
The much larger Diamond Drive opened, revealing the inner slot for the core drive. “Inse...
2024-10-25 17:00:55 +0000 UTC View Post“Oh… Uh, hey Alice.” I greeted as I opened the door to see our neighbor.
“Hey, Motoko. So yeah. Umm, you had time to think about that offer?” She asked and I blinked and rubbed my head. I felt like I was still pulling blood out of my knuckles despite a shower.
“Yeah I thought about it. Yeah…” I said despite not having thought about it at all. I’d been focused on grinding skills this week, and then our scheduled Section 9 work.
“The winner!” I cried out holding a flipper up to the sky and the Pokemon center went wild with cheers.
The Nurse Joys attacked me as soon as I stepped into the pokemon center to get Blissey checked out, and so now we were holding a party.
Poppers exploded confetti, and Blissey looked like she was going to start crying as the Nurse Joy’s Chansey all cheered around Blissey almost singing and dancing, throwing confetti into the air around her.
<...
There was something so integral, something so human, about the awe I felt when I took the step onto an asteroid that no human had ever visited before. A place nothing human had ever reached.
“One small step.” I repeated the famous line as I landed softly on the dusty rock.
“Ah? But it was a big step Captain! You went. Wooooo, all the way from the ship!” I blinked at the comments of my shoulder Crabbit doing my best not to break into giggles at h...
2024-10-21 17:03:08 +0000 UTC View PostIt was not yet time to install my new stuff.
For one, everything was super heavy in atmosphere, and the Crabbit weren’t much help like normal.
That would have to be a later thing. Instead we all had a decision to make.
Well, I had a decision, but I was trying to make others decide it for me. I turned away from where everything was finally stored away in the hold to look at my guests.
“Do we leave now, or spend the rest of...
2024-10-17 17:00:26 +0000 UTC View PostThanks to the wonderful Crabbits I now have a Discord!
2024-10-17 06:36:17 +0000 UTC View PostMarie, Collin, and I found another shuttle. This time demanding a more reasonable ride from the driver, a woman chewing some sort of… Stick? It made me think it was some sort of drug or something, but Collin didn’t make any motion to choose another shuttle, and then we were off.
We didn’t end up going far, just across the gap from the Star Port and right up to a large tower that I could have seen from the Landing Dock.
“This is the best sho...
2024-10-13 17:00:26 +0000 UTC View PostI slipped down the ladder into the hold and rolled my eyes at the Crabbit tantrum I was witnessing here too.
“Oh Kat, umm?” Marie asked, looking at the spectacle in concern.
“Don’t mind them.” I said as I walked over to the Crabbit on her back who was crying as I just flipped her with my foot.
“Ah! Nooo! Heavy!” It whined and then to my amusement flipped herself back, and continued to cry and flail.
“Hey knock it off....
2024-10-09 17:00:17 +0000 UTC View Post“Okay. Everyone is secured?” I asked, looking around the Phantom Stars hold. Double checking everything was in place.
“We got it Captain.” Old Collin said, speaking formally much to my surprise. “Everything is locked down and ready for the trip. We’re set for travel.” I took the words and nodded, my back straightening as the time was now.
“Alright. We are setting off. Call me through the Crabbit if you need something.” I said, to the s...
2024-10-05 17:00:40 +0000 UTC View Post“Brat.” Aunt Sheila called out, surprising me and I stalled out on my rapid pace towards the air locks.
“Aunt Sheila, what’s up?”
“Before you run off, I’d like a second.” She called out and I shifted my path, turning towards Aunt Sheila's little shop area. I followed her back in, and noticed that a lot of the scrap that once was scattered across the ground was now gone.
The war had been a constant drain on all the resources on...
2024-10-01 17:01:19 +0000 UTC View PostThe battle I was watching was interesting. The boy that had beaten Ivy was confidently taking apart another contestant. The girl was a few years older than us, but she was doing way worse than Ivy had against him.
He had some serious skills.
“Exciting isn’t it?” Ivy asked, as she was to my surprise not bothered by the boy, although she was paying more attention to the crowd.
We were in the large main arena. This was it. Everyone that ha...
2024-09-29 17:01:08 +0000 UTC View PostWalking up to the airlock of the Octavius I wilted a little under the looks of the two guards standing outside it.
The soldiers were huge and both locked eyes onto me the moment I started approaching.
“Umm. The Baron?” I managed to stutter out before the guards nodded and stepped aside.
“I’ll escort you Captain.” The guard offered surprisingly kindly and I perked up a little. They might be scary as fuck in their uniforms with ...
2024-09-27 17:00:27 +0000 UTC View Post“Motokooooo!” I blinked looking away from my lunch.
“Hey Hiromi.” I greeted as she rushed inside the apartment and leapt onto the couch. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”
“Noooo!” She whined and I just watched her until finally she stopped. “Yes, technically. But more importantly, Section 9 needs to sell some of the goods we picked up, and I set up some sales today. Guard my body?” She asked, suddenly throwing her head back as she lay on the cou...
Slowly, as the drip drip of liquid splattering onto steel slowed to a stop I finally started feeling at least a little better. My nose had stopped bleeding, at least, which was a good sign. My eye fluttered as I tried to open them, and I realized one of them was crusted over.
I felt strong enough to stand up with only a little wobble to retake my seat.
“Status report? And let’s get back to UNK-L. I think we need to dock.” I called out weakly.
“...