#KindNature;Mar

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Mar and Titabec swapped outfits!

Collab with @bubblewonderabyss

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In MerMay we draw Mer!Mar

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

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

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

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

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Lyla was at the outpost to buy some things from Terramart, she had been going to this outpost for about two weeks since she had no other place to go.

Sometimes Mar stayed in the market area to just be around a crowd he knew. There was someone relatively new though.

So, with a bust of Ushi like friendliness and bravery, he went to introduce himself. "Hello..! Anything good being sssold in the terramart today?"

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new Mar ref

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Hey Mar! Sorry it's been a while since I've checked in. Buyers have been few and far between lately. Even Narzi has been kicking things. But that's okay. We'll manage. Big job coming up, if you're interested in Solarium tool shipment. -Rinka

Mar perked up at hearing from a friend. He sent a response right away, “It’ss good to hear from you! Floran isss interessted.”

He paused for a moment before adding an after thought, “What ssort of big job? If Floran iss allowed to know. No need to tell Floran if it’sss a hussh hussh thing.”

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There is a rather massive spider web in one area of the world. The strands were half as thick as rope, and don't seem to be sticky. Someone is here... (@omniblog-of-starbound, it's been a while, but i have a new muse of mine.)

@omniblog-of-starbound

He'd been walking and almost thought nothing of the odd webbing. Big spider were common where he was from...

...but he stopped. Eyeing it.

Was this just one of his weird hallucinations....

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"Hao said most of floran'sss bleeding iss internal, ssso no worriesss! That'sss where floran'ss blood isss ssuppossse to be."

Mar, after the fight; Chapter 13

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He did end up telling her, and he watched tensely as she practically pranced away. ...That was dangerous... Flint came in soon after to settle by Mar and comfort after such a confrontation. A warm hug to settle his nerves.

“...Flint.. Floran hasss... a quessstion. And you know thingsss from all over.”

That was a worrying statement, but Flint nodded, “Go on ‘nd shoot. What’s t’e question?”

Mar took a moment to organize his question. And went with the simplest way to ask, “Flint... can plantsss be controlled? Not through normal growing, but... by making them move?”

Flint shifted his weight and had Mar lean more against him, “That’s’a Floran thing only, Sunflower. It’sa thing some greenfingers kin do.”

Mar was quiet for a moment. He had learned of Greenfingers from other Floran from the academy he lived near. Greenfingers were leaders of their tribes, either born to it or chosen and raised to it.

“Floran... controlled plantssss.”

Flint nodded. Just letting Mar gather his thoughts.

“...Floran isss a greenfinger?"

Another nod, accompanied by a shrug, “Donno. But you are my Sunflower. I’m ‘ere for ya.”

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A while turned out to be longer then they all had thought... The ship was the wrong sort of quiet without the Novakid’s buzzing hum. Blue sighed and huffed. Being grumpy in general. 

She wanted Flint. Nightlight.

“..Floran doesss too, Blue. Floran missssesss Flint too.” This was said very often to the younger Floran. Along with picking her up to go talk to the flowers. Who were much better at listening then he was... He was distracted and worried.

Blue noticed but just thought it for the same reasons she was on edge. No Flint...

This all felt off. He should feel... safer right now right?

So why did he carry his broken spear with him on the ship?

He had just finished getting Blue tucked into bed, her attitude having worn him down during this. She was difficult. Flint usually did this better. And then S.A.I.L. beeped.

- Warning - Hostile ships incoming

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It takes a lot of quiet reassurance from Flint to make Mar feel like he hadn’t done something wrong. And that worked, thankfully. Quiet snuggles and humming continued well into moment. Mar was just about to doze off, leaning against the warmth that was Flint...

Hao pops in.

“So! Mar, Flint! I got a bit of an idea~” The moth-like medic wooshed in and had a smile in his eyes, “Hear me out?”

Mar just nodded. Sleepy.

“So I’ve got a project with some... DNA stuff. You know the sort. Putting things together and making stuff. And I was wondering if I could perhaps have some Floran and Novakid samples? I’d let you have the results!”

Mar just nodded. He wanted his nap... Stick an arm out for blood sampling or whatever it was Hao wanted. Flint just went along with this, best to keep the medic happy.

He had also overheard Hao coming up with the back up plan to make them do this. Hao had hyped Blue up for a baby sibling.

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He slept more. Only wake when Blue or Flint came to visit. Blue brought a babbling happiness. She would go on and on and on about the day she had with uncles, aunts, and other caretakers. Flint would hum or just sit quiet with him. 

And one time Grapevine came. That false air of calm.

“Mar! Floran... never got to asssk you about what happened on the ssship. Blue keepsss ssaying odd thingsss.” She pulled up a chair and it squeaked till she sat down, “...and you’ve had sssome time to ressst. Can you tell Floran?”

He moved a bit... her was concerned and strong. He didn’t want to answer, because he didn’t fully know... “Floran... put Blue in the plant room. Floran guarded the room but failed. Got beat up. Floran go beat up... then... they went got into the room blue wasss in...” his voice trailed off, tense. It got blurry after being beat up.

It was a few moments before he spoke again.

“Floran jussst... remembersss ssshouting and begging. Floran... Floran wanted.. needed help. And floran’ss chessst hurt... Floran.. heard ssssomeone.. voicess..”

“Voicesss?”

“Fl..floran doesssn’t know..”

Grapevine harumphed. Pouting. She then pulled Mar into a hug, he heard a scary and litling hiss. “And hey... Did you sssee any of their facess~? Desscribe the beingss that got on your ssship~”

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He woke with a start, his chest ached but he felt a bit better. Less dizzy. He heard foot steps.

The light shifted as a glowing blue figure paced. And it wasn’t the usual one seen with the pirates. It was Flint! He was still safe! He sat up...

“Sunflower!” The blue light shifted and got closer, Flint was sitting on the edge of the bed in seconds, “Don’t be gettin’ up. Ya’ took quite t’e beatin’.”

Mar just relaxed. Still leaning against the warm form of the Novakid. “Floran hasss had wor-”

“Dun matter. And I dun think ya know jus’ how hurt you were.” Flint mumbled. Arm going around Mar to just hold him. Whatever kept Mar from trying to get up and move too much. “Hao seemed surprised  ya managed to stay awake and get ‘ere. Head injury, broken rib, bruised othe’a ribs, bleeding on the inside, some cuts and you were shot at least once. And then there’s the matter of your shoulder got strained jus’a bit too much...”

Flint rubbed the scarred shoulder gently, and watched Mar relax further.

“Blood isss ssuppossse to be inssside.” He laughed, still tired. Why was he so tired... “Ssso the internal bleeding isss ok.”

“No!” Flint laughed a bit too, the gently crackling brought a smile to the Floran’s face. “...Well.. Either way, t’e pirates ‘ave said ye and lil’Blue can stay for a while. Please stay.”

Mar let his eyes shut, the ghost of blue lights on his eyelids, “ok...”

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Before even the motes of light had faded from the teleports, Mar had his back turned. Forcing aside the vines and mess of leaves and petals. Finding Blue. She was shaking and clung tight to him as he limped to the front of the ship. Better light to give her a check over.

He looked over her, as they sat in the big command chair. One arm held her close, the other punched in numbers. Ones he angrily recalled now.

He should have gone here first.

To the pirates.

He slumped and held the worrying Blue. He was tired. So tired. His breathing came in rough quiet gasps. He could still see the bright lights cause by the teleport beams.

“Wake Floran up when we get there...” He said that, but actively kept himself awake. Focusing on Blue’s worried babbling. Startling when he heard Sar’s voice crackle over the communications.

“Mar? What’re you doing here?” The pirate captain sounded concerned, he had a bad feeling.

“..Floran... Needsss help.”

“BAD GUYSSS!” Blue had heard a familiar and friendly voice, so was ready to just explode, “Bad guysss came on the ssship and ssS.A.I.L. wasss loud and floran hide in the plant room, and the PLANTSSSS MOVED!!”

By now, Grapevine had beamed onto the ship and had taken the hyper and blabbering sprout. And Mar slumped. Tired... last thing he saw was a flutter of wings and a faint blue glow.

“Floran’sss.... fine...” He heard voices disagree with him, gentle but loud... and then it was quiet.

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The suddenness of the pistol going off broke the painful quiet, but not as badly as the panicked cry from inside the room. Vines snapped in Mar’s chest. Writhing, tearing.

He started to struggle again. Screaming and shouting. He didn’t know what he was saying, if he was even saying anything.  He just knows more shouting happened and the weight on his back lessened. He made a grab for his spear head. His left arm screamed in pain as he moved it, and jabbed it again into the form of the person on him.

He left it there this time. Opting to grab the gun dropped. The plant filled storage room was writhing to match the emotional vines in his chest. The pistol was snapped in half and the being’s wrist was gripped tight. Mar’s back was to the plants, to the broken door.

“Get out of Floran’sss home.” He had never heard his voice like this before. Vines coiled at his feet. “Now.”

There was a tense air... before the Glitch left. Not even a word. The others followed fast. Beaming away in flashes of painful light.

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Fight would have to do for now.

The four voices rounded the corner and saw him. And laughed. 

“This is what is between us and the bounty? Well. Bait is bait, the smaller one is probably behind there. Catch ‘em.” A pistol was drawn.

He raised the sword and blocked. Blocked the shots, but not the body slam. The sword hit the metal ground and his back slammed to the door behind him. The clang was deafening and shook the breath from him. 

Or maybe that was the being slammed into the wall.

...probably that.

He gasped... and his grip tightened on the broken spear. It moved before he could even think. Jabbing into the leg of the being pressed against him. He felt something boil inside him.

The being jumped back with a surprised howl, and lifted a sword of their own. “Careful! It’s still a Floran. Floran are nasty little biters.” They pressed their free hand to their leg. It wasn’t a deep or bad wound.

All four lifted weapons.

“Irritated. Lets’ get this over with.” A hum started.

Mar didn’t let it continue. He lunged at the Glitch. Tackling with no real plan. Using the butt of the broken weapon he held to beat at their head and shoulders. Every fiber of his being screaming RUN AWAY.

It began to blur.

Blooms of pain grew. And his shoulder began to give. Starting to lock up and hold his movements back. And it wasn’t long after that his face met the floor, a painful heaviness held him there. It bit into his back and dug into his skin.

He struggled to even gasp.

His eyes were watering as they broke the door down. The one with a pistol, who hadn’t done anything throughout all of this, pointed with the gun into the room.

It all went quiet. Everything was quiet.

Save for a whimper.