a home on the moon and Pixie dust

Currently moving (litterally all my shit is going out of the house today) and working more on the main story as well as a another story on patreon, sorry for it going through so slowly, thank you for reading <3

"So how'd you get to this part of the station?" Carla asks, obviously not getting my 'type' often.

"Well... had to get my chip in, they sent me to some quack old man with dementia, already needed a drink so I asked and it sent me here, easy story." She looks at me in shock.

"Damn, yeah, that would do it. Surprised they even consider us a real bar, even with the permit that I was able to wrangle from some rich mommy dom. Not that I ever saw her again after that..." She stares off wistfully, poor thing, got laid and all she got was her own bar, tsk.

"Only thing I ever got out of mummy doms was more mummy issues, so at least you actually got something for yours." I point to my drink and she starts making me another. I look out into the void and enjoy the quiet. Must be working time for most people as there's barely anyone around, probably why this innocent thing is okay with opening up to me. Most times behind the counter you need to stay stone cold.

"So what did you think of our resident inventor?" Motioning towards my comms unit. Ahh yeah he did say that, despite only saying he was the chip man at first.

"Weird, I was pretty sure I was going to be killed there, not on purpose of course, but who's to say in this world. Reminds me of one of those crazy scientists from the old movies. Grampa didn't know what was on their head much less what they had 'invented', but... at least it meant that I got to make your acquaintance." I wink in the most gay fashion possible, she blushes and puts my drink on the counter, I thank her with a smile.

Clearing her throat "Yeah! Yeah it is good to meet you too. I was getting bored here by myself, perfect time for a stranger to walk on in. There's only so long you can stare off into space without starting to go crazy. " She grabs a drink from the side and pulls up a stool on her side of the bar.

"Soo where did you come from to get to this place?... If I may be so bold to ask." I got time to kill and what better way than with a soft butch.

"Mnn... Ex-Military, Engineer though not combat, when I left bummed around a while, eventually got picked up for this place on word of mouth. After all the heavy lifting work was done, I found less and less happening. Already had a thing with one of the people in requisitions to get booze for the boys and girls here, soo it was only a few more steps to make it official. Got some free space and my old team and I hooked up this monstrosity and the rest is history!" She sighs and looks around, reminiscent. "That was a year ago now, got a whole ass setup for making my own booze, keeps the station happy, keeps us wrench jockeys down in our region and we don't have to leave and deal with snotty bastards in theirs."

"Huh... Didn't think I'd find myself being served by such a saint!" I can't help but tease her, it really seems like she did a good deed for her people at least, always needing a nice place to drink. She scoffs and rubs the back of her head, a little embarrassed. "What about the old guy? Squared away in the middle of nowhere, seems weirder than the man himself, with his own little place to operate on people."

"The thing is, that old man, 'the Doc' we call him, apparently he did invent a huge amount of things for this base to make it possible, or at least more habitable. The comms, designed the goddamn farms underground to make them possible in this place, even the nuclear reactors are his, not that he could tell you it all himself. They basically kidnapped the guy, but then didn't know where to put him. He's mostly harmless thankfully, just stays in his hole and they throw him a job every so often so he doesn't go completely crazy." She leans back and looks around her bar, admiring it for all its chrome.

"Well at least I know who to go to when everything goes to hell! Might have a tool or two to save some cute asses heh!"

I ask for one last drink before thinking about my place in the station. All these people being squirreled away in their own little corners. I'm pretty sure most of my work will be done in the fronts of the station. Here in the back where the real work gets done are the most interesting people though, the Marvins and Vanessa's of the Moon. Making sure the rest of us are still breathing every morning.

Carla and her mech of a bar are my new best friends though. Depending on my shift times I may be here more at her dead hours, we could both use a drinking buddy I feel.

I twirl my drink, sipping it slowly, enjoying the bitter taste of station made Vodka and cranberries. I get to the sorrowful end and know that my enjoyable time in the metal bar has come to an end with the footsteps and voices of workers off their shift.

"Your hospitality has been more than adequate to lift my spirits Carla. We should do this again soon." I step off my metal seat with the grace of the queen and press my wrist to the payment machine, feeling my chip heat up in recognition of use.

"All paid for, I hope to see you again Emily. I tend the bar 12pm till 4am, if you wanna come on by." She looks at me hopefully.

"Ahh then I guess I'll have to find you on a weekend sometime, have a sweet night Carla." I turn and make my way through the incoming crowd of workers in their black and green hi-vis gear, leaving Carla, mouth open behind me watching my back.

It's all about making friends in the service industry, especially if you can have some enjoyment on the side.

I really need to get my head around how this whole place comes together, browsing my comms map I see that it's all laid out by numbers and then letters per referencing certain workers, then it's also split into multiple levels, most of the levels are separated by worker identification, thankfully all the places I had to go through today were basic access before I got my chip and comms unit.

Once I get sent to the high tier bars I should receive authorization to access those levels as well, though I'm sure it will be revoked shortly afterwards. Gotta keep the rabble out... Well, a job's a job.

Looking through, I see that there's a contact list, ahh shit I should have grabbed her number... I'm sure I will see her again though. How embarrassing it would be to go back after such a suave exit as well!

Maybe I can make a good life here.

…

Coming home there's no Eve to be found. I can only assume she's still working, it's only afternoon after all. I see the clock on the wall, the one showing how long until showtime… a few hours of enjoying myself by the soft butches side made short work of time, but did not stop the countdown that was omnipresent above everybodies heads…

A spot is quickly found to hang my clothes, Eve didn't seem to have much to wear apart from lab coats and basic ass clothing. When you live to work that's all you're going to end up with. The rest of my clothes I keep in my bag, wondering where on the moon I'm going to be able to get it washed and dry cleaned, alcohol stains are going to suck. I can't imagine they would forget to make a laundry service though… looking at some of the present stains on Eve's lab coats it's hard to say though, coffee's a bitch.

With time before she shows up, I decide to celebrate my inauguration into Moon Society with a long hot bath, endless bubbles and some me time. It feels like my moon goddess is embracing me wholly with her incense, her warmth that I miss so much.

After half an hour of zoning out to music from my comms, I hear the slightest knocking on the door to the bathroom, "I-I'm back…" I turn off my music and hear her waiting near the door.

"Welcome back cute thing, it's still hot if you want to join me?" I can hear the anxious deliberation from the door, small mutterings and should I, I don't think I can, eventually she calls back out.

"N-no that's okay, I-I have lots of work to do a-and I would only ruin it for you." Ruin it for me? Such a cute thing could never. Instead of answering I get out of the bath and wrap a towel around myself, still dripping wet I open the door to an Eep!

"You would only make it more fu-" I look down at the cute thing and she's covered in a fine layer of dust, or powder? She looks away bashfully. "Did someone pull a prank on you!?" She starts waving her hands as aggressively as a tiny thing could in denial.

"N-no! It was an experiment, just went weird , that's all. D-don't worry, I'm very respected!'' I'm not entirely convinced but there's not much I can do about it. I pat her on the head and some of the silvery dust comes off on my hand and all over the floor, they really need a cleaning station in their lab!

She bows slightly and then walks off, but not before I give her a small smack on the ass, a puff of the flour-like substance coming off her body along with a small squeak. With a blush on her cheeks, she heads off to her work station, a bag and lots of sciency things dumped next to it.

I don't know what kind of work they are doing in the power plants but this weird ass silver shit shouldn't be one of them? Idk maybe it's some special division, work is work, it's always rough no matter what you do, even if you love it, it can still wear you down. Eve's endless dark eyes lend to that fact.

She sits at her desk, headphones on and writing nonstop, constantly referencing notebooks as she goes. I lean over her at one point and see that all the writing is in gibberish, some sort of shorthand notes? Damn I guess it really must be secret, I mean there's a lot of math too but even your super bartender only operates in liquid measurements, not whatever the hell that mess of numbers could be.

I decide to be a good guest and make us some food. As I scavenge my way through her kitchen and find that she is a true scientist, what the fuck can I even cook up?! I'm surprised she has actual canned vegetables though… Probably courtesy of her brother. Thankfully there's rice and some sauces so I'm able to make something… edible. Not that I'm even close to being a good cook. The rice comes out a little dry and hard and the veggies a bit wonky, but after I fry them all together it isn't the worst. It's edible, and surely a hungry little mouse won't complain too much. Maybe she won't even taste it, it will just disappear past her taste buds!

Placing it down to the side of her she doesn't seem to notice at first. Peeking at her from the side I see her nose twitching, interrupting her train of thought as she pauses and looks to the side at the food. She looks back at me next to her in surprise, with tears in her eyes, starting to sniffle. Oh, oh dear, right right, severely under-loved tiny cuties being shown affection. Woops. She grabs it and downs it as quickly as she can, all while rubbing the tears out of her eyes. The warmth from such a thing, a home cooked meal. Something so easy for me, well, despite the lack of ingredients, to make such an impact on her.

Sometimes people just need to be shown a little care. She thanks me and apologizes profusely at the same time as I console her.

The rest of my night is spent exploring, searching, memorizing everything about the personal comms unit with countless applications that I will never touch. The last of the beer in the fridge from her brother's previous visit consumed as I scroll endlessly. The scribblings of my mouse emanating through the room.

After the 5th yawn and the clock approaching midnight, I figure that's enough from Eve, "Alright cutie it's bedtime!" I scoop her up easily while she struggles and yawns. Mumblings about work turn into tiny snores as the warmth of being in my arms overrides the need to work.

By the time we make it to bed she's out like a light, tucked into bed and in my arms, twitching in her sleep. I touch her pointed ears and they twitch along with her.

Even though she's still got that powder on her, it's barely noticeable, a scent coming off it like musk and lavender. I drift off breathing it in, not knowing what this would mean for my future.