Chapter Text
Running. Don’t stop running. That blasted thing is behind you. If you stop running, the damn thing is going to get you. That’s all that goes through Tan's head as their footsteps drag. Their breath falters as they struggle to run. Their breath finally cuts out fully as they stumble, landing visor-first into the ground. Tendrils wrap around their body before they can even react, pulling them up towards the maw of a large creature, its tongue sharp as it feels over Tan’s visor, coating it in a thin line of saliva. It begins to laugh, biting down on Tan’s head with a loud beep. … wait. …A beep?
As Tan wakes from their slumber, their alarm continues to blare at them. “Mpfgh- It’s always too early for the day to begin…”
the bean huffs as they pull themselves out of their cot, picking their headphones off their counter, sliding them over their head swiftly. “One more day on this fridge of a planet, one more day. At least the bonuses are good.” With a sigh, Tan leaves their quarters, headed to the main office. Their suit rattles as the gravity changes as Tan steps out of a building, adjusting to the moon's unpredictable pull. As they walk, another steps in beside them, coming from the north. Tan barely registers them, but they address Tan nonetheless. “Pause until lunch. Neither of us want to fight before we’re awake.” Maroon mumbles to the communications officer as they both walk to the main office. Maroon seems even more out of it than usual, from Tan’s perspective. More Specifically, Maroon’s hand is wrapped in a bandage, their visor narrowed and focused, their suit imprecise and flawed, and their goggles missing. “...I may not like you, but are you okay M?” Tan questions before their mind decides not to, mouth moving before thought. “Oh CAN it, Brown wannabe. I don’t have time for this.” Maroon sharply retorts, shoving Tan roughly as they walk.
Tan, luckily, only slams against the Weapons doors, as the ground is less than ideal to fall down onto, with its protruding angles and geometry. “Okay Crimson. I thought you wanted a goddamn Truce for now?” Tan growls out as they push themselves up, using the wall as a support for themselves as they bark at Maroon. “Oh SHHHUT upp!! I don’t need your barking first thing in the morning, Camo! I GOT MY PROBLEMS, AND YOU DON’T NEED TO ADD TO THEM!” Maroon shouts back, slowly tipping into their temper. “Problems, huh? Well you’d have less if you weren’t INVENTING MORE, CRIM!” Tan hisses back, their hands clenching. Crimson's visor widens and they raise their hand to shout again, before a small pip cuts the furious bean short. A small critter, a fluffy orange ball with brown antennae raised upwards on five purple tentacles. “...hey, Squig. You hungry, buddy?” Tan asks the critter, bending down to rub the fluffball on its top. Maroon stares at the crewmate and pet, before shutting up with a huff. “Come on bud, I'll get you some food in the lab.” Tan says softly, before Tan and Maroon continue their walk towards the main building.
Once the unfortunate pair and Tan's dear pet get to the office, they split ways. Maroon to the coffee machine, Tan and his pet down to Admin to head to the Laboratory. Olive always needs Tan first thing in the morning to test some form of concoction, and Tan’s not about to make the madman wait. As the decontamination chamber opens, Fortegreen, the HR Representative and Olive’s twin, steps past Tan with a small nod in greeting.
Tan steps into the chamber, and after a few seconds of the steam pouring over him and his tentacled companion, the doors to the laboratory open up. During the few moments of silent walking to the full laboratory, Tan's mind begins to wander. I wonder what Olive’s cooked up today. …I hope it actually tastes half decent. Maybe Coral will be in there today? Been a while since I've talked to them… They’re only shaken out of their thoughts once they walk into the lab proper. …Or, to be slightly more accurate, they walk directly into a table. Running your gut into a solid edge does wonders for knocking you out of your head, it seems. “Auf- ow. Honestly, if Maroon gets outdone by a table, they’ll be pissed.” Tan remarks to themselves before their visor drifts back up to the lab. Olive is down by the far end of the lab, leaning over various vials and chemicals Tan doesn’t bother to pretend they know the names of.
“Hey, Ollie! What do you got me testing today?” Tan snarks as they fish food out of the cooler for Squig. The alien warbles in appreciation, circling Tan’s legs as he opens the bag and pours it into the bowl for the miniature fluffball.
Once they stand up and turn around, Olive is standing right in front of Tan. Visors nearly pressed together. “BEANS ABOVE-” Tan screeches out as they nearly trip backwards, only to be caught by Olive, who is laughing their head off. Once they regain their composure, they clear their throat. “Well, besides scaring the sprout outta you, I doooo HAVE THIS FOR YOU!!~” They giggle out, holding a vial filled with some unknown blue substance that sloshes from her rapid showing to Tan. “...Olive that thing is glowing.” Tan bluntly states, their visor narrowing. “I KNOW!!! Isn’t it amazing?! That’s why I need YOU to test it, my plain patron!” they finish their gushing by holding it up to Tan’s hand expectedly. “...hhh…. Fine. Fine. But if I go crazy, take care of Squig." The bean takes another deep breath before swallowing the liquid. It tastes… surprisingly good. Sweet, but… odd. Unlike something Tan’s ever tasted before. It’s also unfortunately got a horridly sour aftertaste, and the texture is somewhat chunky, making the overall experience horrible. As their vision begins to blur, they quickly grab onto the crewmate in front of them for stability as their legs begin to give. Olive, who previously was ecstatic, quickly figures out to help Olive up, squinting at the now Glowing Bean in their hands. “Okay… noted. Makes people glow. Anything on your end? Numbness?” they question gently, a hand on Tan’s side as they begin to help them leave the lab to go get the poor bean some water.