FEMBOI Initiative

the year is 2050, and mankind celebrates yet another decade of surviving its own hubris
quite the achievement, actually, as not too long ago, survival didn’t seem all that plausible
global warming, overpopulation, corporate greed…
so many threats that seemed to be insurmountable weighed down upon us, with predictive reports expecting nothing short of devastation
but through a desperate stream of regulations, ordinances, and the copious amounts of political brannigans that transpired to implement them…
the overall consumption rate of the globe has finally reached fairly manageable levels
of course, it was far from easy getting to this state, and the common man had to suffer greatly in order to achieve it
there was always a public outroar when they found themselves subject to yet another time-of-use electricity mandate or nationwide plastic restriction
recent history books speak in great detail of the international riots that occurred as a result from the 2032 UNFCCC’s commitment to universally ban any and all use of “fossil fuels”
controversial was putting it lightly, but with multiple climate-related state-of-emergencies issued worldwide, our leaders didn’t have much room to argue against the decision
transportation was crippled, unemployment skyrocketed, entire economies seemingly collapsed overnight
people genuinely believed that it was the end of the world
it was… pretty rough having to grow up during such a period
you remember back as a kid when your family’s fridge officially became unusable, the monthly power allowance too low to reasonably maintain it
the ice box that replaced it had to be constantly refilled, made everything within it soggy, and could only fit the bare essentials
often, you’d angrily stare at the empty space right above it, envisioning your old fridge in its place, wishing you could open it again and have the freedom to eat
and of course, that was before the internet went out, then the heating, then the lighting
...yeah, that’s just how it had to be in those days
both humanity and anthroity festered within a global depression for a good while
it wasn’t until 2039, 7 years after the ban, that we finally saw stability begin to take hold, both within our economy and our climate
as the years went by, the world’s carrying capacity reached equilibrium and global temperatures became more steady
progress was slow-going, but it was present, and we kept it up
and now, for the first time in a long time, we’ve finally reached a point where the future doesn’t seem to be doomed
yes, life may be less indulgent than before, but it is life, and it is sweet, so it’s worth it
however, maintaining this peace requires constant, near unwavering supervision
even now, an unchecked environmental threat could easily impose disaster, sending us all back into global turmoil
this is where federal initiatives like FEMBOI come in
FEMBOI (Fluorinated Emission Monitoring and Broad Observation in the Ionosphere) is a mission headed by NASA’s earth science division with the intention of monitoring atmospheric contaminants
one of the biggest scares during the final stages of the climate crisis was the notable increase of f-gasses within the atmosphere
f-gasses, of course, being synthetic, fluorinated greenhouse gasses several thousand times more potent than carbon dioxide
even a minuscule increase in their manufacturing rate meant significant atmospheric detriments
modern laws restrict their production and usage more harshly than fucking Schedule 1 drugs
but their effects on the Earth’s climate, as you can imagine, are still everlasting from their previously copious utilization
the FEMBOI initiative, at its heart, is a two-person crewed space station set within low-orbit, tasked with recording various f-gas ppm readings
the slightest fluctuations are recorded within seconds and sent directly to a ground facility for analysis
such data keeps climate predictions accurate and the continued safety of the world within our grasp
…still with me here?
i’d imagine you’re wondering how this all relates to you
well, wouldn’t ya know it, a few months ago, NASA offered you a promotion from a ground facility manager to a space station manager
you were to be in charge of the ol’ SS FEMBOI
with only 4 years experience in the department, too… ain’t that some shit?
you mainly agreed because you liked the acronym
heh… rumor has it they were trying to avoid naming it “FEMBO” since it sounded too much like “bimbo”
if only the fools knew…
anyway, Facilities Maintenance Technician is the official title you now hold
and no, you’re not a fucking janny
you manage waste disposal, that much is true, but you also handle docking procedures, supply deliveries, and operation inspections
so really, you’re more of like… a quartermaster?
whatever, you know what i mean
government regulations mandate that, in order to reduce space waste, all orbiting satellite bodies must now be staffed with at least 2 trained individuals
(1) a technician who can address/repair issues within the satellite
and (2) a technician who can address/repair issues within the satellite’s supply chain (provisions, repair materials, etc.)
so really… you’re pretty much only there to keep the other guy alive
originally, they only required the repair technician, who would simply receive some training on how to operate the satellite’s intake and outtake ports
but after the infamous incident that occurred in ‘44 (unofficially deemed “The Great Shitsplosion”), your position was deemed necessary as well
nothing so heinous shall ever happen again… not on your watch
still, you thought that this specific position was a little above you
a guy in his early 20’s deemed qualified for space station maintenance…
not too long ago, only mankind’s finest were allowed to ascent amongst the stars
“Astronauts”, “Cosmonauts”... they used to have the coolest fucking names
but you suppose that the second space boom eliminated the need for utilizing only the very best candidates
now, there’s so many different stations, satellites, and observatories, it’s hard to keep track of them all
with each mission being mandatorily manned, you guess it makes sense to ease the restrictions
lucky for you, huh?
who knew that networking session you did back in college would’ve opened the door for an opportunity like this
first your internship stocking coffee for the FOD, and now, a career where you get to stock space coffee… woah…
you remember how it felt when you first cruised along in the shuttle up here
how nervous you were to spend the next half-year or so in the great expanse
you were required to familiarize yourself with the station’s layout, operation protocols, and all that other fun stuff beforehand, so none of that was too big of a surprise fortunately
it actually ended up being pretty spacious for a 2-person spacecraft
the total square footage is comparable to a decent house in the suburbs
what threw you for a loop, though, is what your fellow technician ended up being like
you knew from your briefing that his name is Tobias and that he specialized in small electronics, including several of the measurement devices this station is equipped with
he should be familiar with operating in low-orbit environments, as he’s apparently been doing it for years, so unlike you, he’s no rookie
…truthfully, you thought he would end up being a bit of a prick
the last “small electronics tech” you had the displeasure of working with certainly was
but your first impressions with him painted a much different picture
and by much, you mean MUCH
for starters, Tobias was an American Red Fox anthro
standing at 5’5’’, his immaculate, bushy tail would reach all the way up to the top of his head when he held it upwards
it was hard to keep eye contact when that damn thing kept swaying side to side right behind him
he also spoke far more casually compared to your usual colleagues
the last thing you expected to hear upon first entering the $164 million spacecraft were the words “what’s good, my man?”
but it did help to alleviate some of your nervousness, you’ll give him that
he’s a pretty friendly guy overall, and he seemed really glad that he got someone younger like himself as his partner
after all, there’s typically a lot of downtime once the daily maintenance checklists are complete, so having someone fun to talk to really makes a big difference up here
but, uh… um… how the fuck are you supposed to say this?
he… well, maybe the mission name isn’t actually coincidental or something
because his big, bountiful, amazing fucking ass is literally impossible to ignore
you nearly fell to the floor the moment he turned around to show you the facilities
there’s no reason a butt like that should be on a man
full, plump, malleable thighs, wide, voluptuous, feminine hips, soft, supple, squishy posterior
a pear would be jealous of the curvature, a model envious of its poise
your mind could just sit here and write poems all day on that fucking ass of his
h-how the fuck did no one warn you about this before shooting you up into space here for 4 months?
there’s no way you’ll be able to focus on anything with that thing in your face
even now, as he’s explaining how to restart the artificial gravity generator in the event of a malfunction
your eyes are constantly flicking downward, perhaps too intimidated to dedicate to staring, lest you succumb to madness
good thing you already know how to reactivate these things anyway
”...But until then, we’ll just have to wait until they send us a new interlocking guard for that section” he finishes
he looks back at you, seemingly mistaking the anxious look on your face as being caused by confusion
”I know... it’s a lot to take in at first. I spent my first couple of months in orbit wobbly as all hell. Thank God I don’t get motion sickness.”
he pats the hazardous, state of the art graviton generator as if it was a loyal dog
”For the most part, just make sure its intensity gauge doesn’t get too high. It pretty much never does.”
as your semi-formal tour continues, you really can't help but notice his unfortunate choice of attire
at least, it's certainly unfortunate for you
standard-issue Constellation Space Suits are provided to all individuals within the Space Operations department
they must be worn during the liftoff and ascension phases of a launch, but most crew elect to retire them afterwards
it's not like they're meant to be cheap or disposable… quite the opposite actually
NASA’s been trying for years to get people more comfortable with them
but Christ Almighty, those things have no ventilation, and they just cling right onto you
the sweat buildup becomes absolutely foul in a matter of hours, and no-one wants you smelling like ass in an enclosed space station
interestingly enough, however, this seems to be a non-existent issue for Tobias, as furred anthros, similar to their feral counterparts, pant rather than sweat to relieve overheating
he apparently has the freedom to wear it casually, then, and when you inquired about it, he explained that it pleasantly reminds him of the old Soviet-era aesthetic of space travel
even since when you first arrived, he's still been wearing that form-fitting, skintight suit that leaves almost nothing to the imagination
and as a result, when he nonchalantly bent over to demonstrate how to operate the power supply’s control switches, you quickly got distracted
which meant that instead of taking notes on how to adjust the sequential shunt unit's resistance load, as he's so kindly explaining to you right now
you're instead getting an absolute eyeful of grade A fox booty

”...Ya get all that?”
wait... damn it, what the fuck was he talking about again?
”U-Uhh… I… I’m sure I'll get the hang of it.” you stammer
his smirk deepens
”Y’know, you seem pretty nervous. You sure you know what you’re doing?”
”O-Of course, it’s…”
”Hahah! Don’t worry, man, I’m just fucking with you.”
“It's simple once you get used to it.” He shuts the control panel with an audible clack. “Believe me.”
”The guy that was here before you actually fucked it up once. Not too bad, of course, but you should've seen the look on his face when I scrambled to fix it.”
”Poor guy looked like he was on the verge of tears,” he jokes, his smile momentarily sullied by reminiscent sympathy
”It seems you already know a decent bit about the facilities then.” you reason
”Yeah, most of it, actually.” He makes his way to the lounge area, and you follow suit
”I could manage this place by myself if I really needed to, but that’s a fucking hassle.”
”I’d imagine,” you agree. “I was told certain calibrations here take hours even with close monitoring.”
“Yup. Thank God that’s your job, though.” He hands you a mug of coffee. “Here, try it. I whined to resupply services that the coffee here was ass, so they sent up the good stuff.”
”Thanks.” You take the mug, surprised to feel the denseness of ceramic
you know with certainty that this is not an approved material for station utensils
”Honestly, though, it gets pretty lonely up here after a while, so I’m glad they’re sending you guys.”
he uses both hands to take a drawn out sip, unashamedly basking in his morning brew
”I’m getting pretty lucky, too. It's nice they’re sending all the cu-... c-cool guys my way…”
seems he sputtered on his coffee there
might be enjoying it a little too much
“Haha… thanks, but you might be giving me a bit too much credit. I haven’t done much yet.”
“Yeah, but still…” He glances at you. “I don’t know. I can just tell you're fun.”
“...That easily?”
”Sure. Something about your face, I guess…”
”M-My face?” You self-consciously feel along your cheeks, trying to find anything amiss
you've never heard someone say that before… what could you possibly look like to make him think that?
your reaction seems to elicit an amused grin from him, and a gaze that almost seems…appraising?
”Relax, it’s a compliment.”
”Oh… right. Sorry, Tobias. I’m new to all of this, so I suppose I’m still a little jumpy.”
”It’s natural,” he assures you. “Once you have the routine down, you’ll be finished with your dailies in a few hours tops. Trust and believe.”
”Oh, and…” he takes the opportunity to add on, “Please, call me Tobi… written T-O-B-I if you ever need it for any of the forms.”
”Sure thing, thank you,” you confirm, although you wonder what’s with that specific spelling
with the tour over, once the both of you are finished with your coffee, you part ways to complete your individual tasks
waste disposal is an obvious start, gathering accumulated food wrappers and dirty water for the disposal procedure
...again, no, you’re not a janny, and you don’t do it for free
this is just a small section of your real important responsibilities
like maintaining the graviton generator, as previously mentioned, which you’ll be coming up on right afterwards
what you need to know is that it should always be calibrated to generate a consistent, uniform force mimicking g₀, or approximately 9.807 m/s², and cannot stray above or below 300 mGal beyond that
simple, right? heheh…
anyway, the godsend of artificial gravity allows space employees to enjoy the leisures of earth life once previously unobtainable within orbit
sleeping in framed beds, standard plumbing, freely leaving loose objects around, fucking walking
it's one of the most important life systems to maintain within any station, second only to the oxygen recycler
the quality of life it provides the crew, along with the psychological boost, made NASA the space titan it is today
it also allows anthro crew mates, such as Tobias, to regularly operate within the station
otherwise, the potential for shed fur hairs getting into sensitive machinery would be deemed too significant for extended missions
but of course, while it reigns high on your priority list of functional elements, it’s still just a minor part of the overall major operation you’re currently in charge of
readings of all life support systems, such as temperature regulation, atmospheric/climate controls, power supply, and water pressure, as well as each of their standard fluctuations, must be recorded twice a day
additionally, all safety provisions, such as fire extinguishers and breathing apparatuses, need daily thorough inspections and replacing as necessary
every instrument, no matter its purpose, is expected it be in tip-top shape, no exceptions
after all, if something fails, it's not like evacuation is much of an option here
your most significant challenges are expected to consist of waste outtake and water intake, as water tanks are a fucking pain to transport through space
even for only two people, drinking, cooking, showering, washing clothing… the overall expenditure of water quickly adds up, even with a decent recycler
as such, you are expected to update and maintain a water usage report on a daily basis
this is by far the most tedious part of the job
careful monitoring and logging is especially needed for this at all times, because if you end up miscalculating, even for as little as a single gallon, the mission can easily turn critical
and during the time they’d organize an emergency evacuation, you'd be forced to break out the urine recycler
...no, no you won't let that happen
even if it ends up running you ragged, you can’t-
...Goodness, you forgot how stressful this job can be
you realize that you’ve already been at it for a couple of hours so far
m-maybe it's time to take a little break, ease you mind a little
you were sent up in the same spacecraft that was carrying the monthly resupply goods, so the cafeteria/lounge is probably the most well stocked it’ll be for quite some time
makes sense to grab a little something nice and reset yourself a bit
it’s not exactly break time right now, but you somehow doubt they’re gonna bother sending a supervisor to check on you
still, perhaps your coworker might rat you out, so a little caution in making your way there wouldn’t hurt
perhaps it's a little silly to think you’d be reprimanded for this, but NASA does not fuck around with half-assing any of their missions, so you don’t wanna risk it
you carefully step past the compartment where he’s been assigned, admittedly feeling like a child sneaking past his parent’s bedroom, before sliding into the central hub area
but as the airtight autolock glides open, the last thing you expected to hear on the other end of the doors was a surprised “Eep!”
nor were you expecting to see Tobi, not where he’s supposed to be and also tip-toeing his way to the kitchen

”O-Oh, uh… heyyy… he winces
”Err, Tobi…” you similarly respond
well fuck, looks like you’re both slacking off right now
and it seems like he’s taking some exceedingly observable liberties on top of it
he must’ve really gotten comfortable up here to be walking around in nothing but his undies… and some rather snugly-fitting ones at that
...damn… the logo almost seems a little stretched out from how much heft those things must be accommodating
thank God you don’t work for human/anthro resources
if you were ever told that you had to fire him for this inappropriate display, you’d immediately promote him instead
...um, h-how the fuck do you ease the awkwardness of this, though?
you’re both just avoiding eye contact, painfully aware of his half-nakedness
c’mon man, say something
”Are, uh… a-are those limited edition NASA badge boxer briefs™?”
...
”...Oh shit, you noticed?”
while still a little apprehensive, he stands up straight to show them off better
”Yeah, I actually got a few of ‘em from the merch spot a year or so back. Kinda pricy, but they’re comfy as fuck.”
you try to admire them without looking like a creep, keeping your eyes off some of his more appealing features as you subtly inspect them
”That’s cool, uh… Nice to see that control lets you… get comfortable when you wanna.”
”Oh, psh, yeah, man.” He waves off your worries. “As long as you get your duties done, you can do whatever the fuck you want, really.”
of course, neither of you are doing anything relating to your unfinished duties right now, but those can wait… something interesting came up, after all
”Well, I just needed to check the cafeteria.” You change subjects. “I still have to, uh, take stock of general supplies there.”
”Ah, right, heheh, I forgot you handled that…”
”Yeah.” You scratch the back of your head in an effort to distract yourself from the awkwardness
...he must feel pretty flustered getting caught shirking his duties by the guy he’s supposed to be mentoring
it's a devilish thought, but maybe you can take the opportunity to try and tease him
”I guess I’m taking things a little out of order than what was assigned today, so I suppose that's why I bumped into you like this.”
you slightly lower your head as if in apology, although in truth, you’re hiding a wry smile
”I’m… very sorry for interrupting you. I didn’t want to make you feel embarrassed. It’s my-”
”N-No, wait, you’re fine…” His facade cracks, his guilt beginning to get the better of him
”You must’ve been working very hard if you’ve already had to strip down to this…” you continue. “I should’ve checked in before I so rudely-”
”W-Wait!” he nearly shouts. “It’s all good, I-I just… This is actually what I usually wear around the station...”
”Oh?” You’re actually surprised by that, but it's not enough to throw you off. “I see. Good to know, then. In that case, please, don’t feel the need to sacrifice your comfort. This is your home, after all.”
”Yeah, uh, thanks…”
”...Truth is…” you add to make him feel better, “I, uh... I actually have a pair at home myself. If I knew it was acceptable, I would’ve brought ‘em, too.”
”Hahaha! You’re kidding!” His confidence returns. “Well, shit. If you’re looking for a pair, I can always share.”
he brings his thumbs into the waistband, arching his back as if to pull them off
w-what the fuck? how’d he recover so quick from his previous embarrassment?
”Hold on!” You avert your eyes, much to his giddiness. “Enough nonsense. You’re distracting me from my work duties.”
good lord, you thought you'd have to feel a lot more gay before you got into a flirting war with another man
he giggles as you retreat into the kitchen, and he follows soon after
”See if you can get a count of the lunch packages” you delegate, “while I check the lemonade mix.”
you get a count of the little packs of drink powder before setting your work down to have a little snack, yoinking a surprisingly unbruised banana
you're fortunate enough to be on a mission where regular intervals of fresh produce are near guaranteed for you guys
the vast majority of the food still fucking sucks, though
there’s no fine dining up here in the ionosphere
admittedly, the concept of fine dining is a little archaic after the 2033 depression
but shit, man, sorting through this stuff, you can't even find a single seasoning aboard
just default ready-to-eat meals, sauce packets, and semi-hydrated ice cream
...for some reason, the ice cream in specific is near revered by all the NASA OGs
speak ill of it once and you'll be forever ostracized
one of your fellow interns back in the day learned that the hard way
her sacrifice will forever remind you hold your tongue when speaking on subjects beyond your understanding
”Eighty in total,” he confirms. “Yep. That’s about right… but did they remember to send th- oop, yes, they did.”
he holds up a rectangular bar of some sort, the biodegradable packaging crinkling with each adjustment of his hand
”This is the shit right here.”
”What is- oh.” You try to hold in your disappointment upon seeing him showing off a semi-hydrated ice cream bar
think of the devil, it seems
”Bro, those are all yours," you assure him. "I could never really get into them.”
”Seriously?” He raises an eyebrow. “That’s pretty generous of you. I wouldn’t wanna… well, maybe you’d change your mind if you knew how to make them.”
”...You mean you don’t just unwrap it and take a bite?”
he cringes at the very thought
”Hell no, man. It’s all chalky and shit like that. Look, let me show you how it’s done.”
he takes his unopened, frozen solid ice cream to the sink and turns on the faucet
confusion takes a hold as you see him rinsing off the bar underneath the water
what in the hell is he doing?
once you notice steam rising into the air, he shuts it off, and with a melodramatic flourish, rips the top of the wrapper clean off
the little strip of material sails off into the distance as he turns on his heel and strikes a pose, a finger snap resounding his apparent success
”Boom! Just like that!”

“I personally-” He starts, before a stray glob of his ice cream bar slips off and drips onto the floor
he stares for a second in resignation, disappointment clear in his eyes, before continuing
“...I personally just run the package under some hot water. Makes it a little bit mushy (as you just fucking saw) but still, big improvement overall.”
”... ah, I-I see.”
...oh sweet Jesus, that little drop of ice cream should not have guided your gaze downward like that
you felt your face growing pinker with every moment
you were beginning to forget how much of him was on display until that happened
his casual nudity is really beginning to take a toll on your willpower, and that cute little act he just did certainly wasn’t helping
you’re not gonna last very long on this station if you can’t snap out of it
...holy fuck… look at his fucking midriff
wait, wait, don’t. he’s right in front of you, you idiot, you’ll get caught staring
”G-Good to know. Um… I should probably… get back to what I was doing. Just needed a quick little pit stop before I continued taking stock, y’know?”
”Yeah, I gotcha.” He enthusiastically licks along the inside of the wrapper. “Just make sure to try some later!”
you scurry behind the kitchen island to tally up the results, your dick now firmly and uncomfortably pressing against your pant leg
fortunately, a swig of ice water and a granola bar serve to cool off your lust a bit
Dr. Kellogg would be proud
...shit, man… to think that you snuck over to the cafeteria in an attempt to calm yourself down, only to be met with this…
this job is already getting to be way more than you bargained for
”Alright, looking good.” you declare, subconsciously fighting the urge to specify that you’re talking about the supplies and not him
”Sick.”
he gives his treat one final lick before crumpling it into a ball and reeling his arm back to longshot the wrapper into the wastebasket
but upon realizing that you’re watching him, he hesitates before instead electing to walk it over and carefully place it inside
”Welp…” He casually scratches his back. “I gotta get back to it. Let me know if you need any help with your machines.”
”Of course. Shouldn’t be any problems from what I saw, just gotta get more familiar with them.”
”Good to hear… and hey, uh…” His eyes veer off to the corner
”I know I’m kinda taking it easy right now, so thanks for not being a dick. Some of the guys I’ve worked with just tolerate zero deviance from procedure, y’know?”
”Hey, if you get your work done and done well, I’m OK with whatever,” you assure him. “Shit, I’d just cut the dress code altogether for these little stations. Who’s even around to get upset?”
”Exactly!” He throws his arms out. “That’s what I’ve been saying this whole time, but-... psh. Well anyways, I gotta head out. Good talking to ya.”
a wave sends him on his way, and you in turn back to your route
the rest of your day goes by rather uneventfully, thank goodness
you felt a little bad for keeping to your work and cutting eye contact to a minimum during conversation
but, God, at the rate things were heading, he was probably going to end up sauntering out in a sinful pair of lingerie
that easily would’ve been strike three for you
...hmm… you didn’t think you were this much of a fag when you started your internship here way back when
you were a healthy young man who thought he had his life all figured out… and you still are, of course
as a precaution, any candidates NASA finds eligible for space travel have to be screened for physical and mental characteristics that could potentially be mission compromising
and the possibility of becoming romantically involved with your station partner would certainly be considered compromising
but something you never thought would come back to bite you was filling out the little bubble for Straight on your self-identification form
you really did think that boys did nothing for you, despite some intrusive thoughts here and there
couldn’t have been a few months later when a friend introduced a friend: a lithe, smoky black feline whose bright yellow eyes shone like headlights along a stretch of deep forest road
even to this day, that fateful 2048 New Years Eve party, you can still feel the rumbling across your chest from his purring, his soft tail brushing and curling along your leg
and amongst the commotion of rambunctious storytelling and silverware clinking, a whispered confession that he always found you to be rather attractive
nothing ever came of it afterwards… you doubt he’d even remember himself saying it on account of how sloshed he was that night
but that was the turning point for you… the day you realized that perhaps it was simply human men that couldn’t get you going
you wonder if things would’ve been different if your orientation was entered more accurately… maybe you would've been assigned as a lady’s partner instead
heh… your old gaming buddy would have begged to swap places with you, if that was the case
that night, or at least the time frame that best represents night on a station that sees the sun rise and fall over a dozen times a day…
your thoughts drift back to your friends, your family, all of the loved ones on Earth who’ve supported you and helped you to make it this far
it will be approximately 84 hours before you enter a reception zone where you can make a connection to call them
what should you say? who should you call first? there’s a lot of folks who’d want to hear from you as soon as possible
you write the scripts within your mind, mulling over which words could best quell the worries of each individual, before the lines slowly begin to slip and mottle, as you soon drift into rest

MAR 16, 2050, 06:36 UTC

... ugh… again?
you already spent 8 hours yesterday setting everything within its parameters, recording each figure down to its milli-unit, incinerating and ejecting all of the solid waste
and now you have to do it all again
god damn it… well, at least they give you plenty of time to get it done
and the coffee is pretty nice, you’ll give them that
wouldn’t be a bad start to your day if you got a mug of some of Peru’s finest and a little breakfast burrito
but first on the menu, of course: basic hygiene
after checking your email for any updates to the mission directive (you're in the clear), you make your way to the bathroom
if you were in charge of layouts, you'd make it so that orbitals were each given two personal restrooms rather than a single communal one
but space plumbing is still relatively new, so you suppose that they don't wanna get too crazy
you steel yourself outside the autodoors for what could easily be an undies-clad Tobi on the other side, a sight you're still trying to get used to
if that ends up being the case, then you'll have no choice but to treat prescribe yourself to some exposure therapy
can't keep avoiding it forever, unfortunately
but you breathe a sigh of relief when, once you enter, you find him seemingly decent and brushing his teeth
he spots you in the mirror, eyes still half-closed with grogginess, and greets you, his speech muffled by the overabundance of minty foam

”G’moming”
”Morning, Tobi. Sleep well?”
”Mmm-hmm.” He spits into the sink. “Pah. What about you?”
”Fine.” You consider leaving it at that but… “Had a lot on my mind, though.”
he steps to the side and politely gives you room to retrieve your own toothbrush
...although you wish he was more courteous with the toothpaste
poor tube looks like it was half strangled to death
”You were thinking about Earth, right? Only been a day and you already miss it.”
your eyes momentarily widen in shock, and he notices
”Yeah, man… I felt the exact same way on my first day. We all do.”
”Hmm,” you acknowledge, still brushing
"You realize how far away everyone else is, and the world just gets a whole new perspective put on it."
he glances around for a window to accentuate his meaning, but finds none
”It's like…” He settles for mimicking a sphere with his hands. “You see it from all the way up in orbit, and just how teensy everything looks. And the atmosphere… it's so delicate... just a little wisp above the surface.”
he wiggles a couple of fingers over the fictitious sphere, as if simulating the atmospheric winds
”It reminds you of how important our job is. All of that down there… everyone’s relying on us to make sure things are okay.”
you staidly nod as you spit down the drain
as... simple as that demonstration was, it still gave you a half-decent idea of what he means
you didn't recognize the importance of this initiative when you first accepted it, but now that it's beginning to sink in… you fully intend to stay diligent
”...but I'm sure they already told you that shit in orientation or whatever, c’mon…”
he gracefully hops onto the marble vanity top and sits down, crossing a leg onto his lap

”Tell me how the job is treating you so far. You were really lasered in yesterday.”
”Yeah,” you admit, “and it still took up a good amount of the day. I'm bringing a little notepad this time… something to mark down how each machine works.”
”Smart.” He nods. “Gotta write it down if you wanna remember.”
...hmm… wait, he IS wearing something underneath that t-shirt, right?
no, don't think too hard on it… it's too early for this
”Other than that, I'd say things are going well. Everything seems to be in order… I think I'll like it here.”
you extend a hand in his direction
“I probably should've done this sooner, but… I look forward to working with you, Tobi.”
he gives you a cheeky smile, amused at your formality while you're both in your jammies in the bathroom
he shakes your hand with all the acted out gusto of a successful job interview
”Oh, don't worry. The pleasure is all mine, uh-”
he stammers for a moment
”...Anon,” you inform him
”Holy fuck,” he chuckles, “I did NOT get your name this entire time! My fucking bad!”
some final pleasantries are exchanged before he sets off to check the dryer for today's clothing
meanwhile, you shove off to the shower corridor directly adjacent to the restrooms
the last time you’ve gotten a decent wash was before you first boarded the transport shuttle, so it's time to change that
this area contains two shower heads lined up on the tiled wall with a clear, waist-high partition right in between them
why they bothered with adding the separator, you don't really know… perhaps to stay in compliance with some sort of privacy regulation
you know all too well the agony of having to keep each and every facility up to code, so you don't question it
you take the shower furthest from the door, placing your towel and toiletries on the bench behind you
bamboo was an interesting choice of material, given the potential for splintering, but it does add a nice spa-like aesthetic
this place is certainly full of surprises...
turning the knob, you- Ow! Fucking Christ!
this water is as icy as the Arctic semi-circle, what gives!?
did the heating element already give out so soon after you checked it?
you were hoping to get this done quick, before Tobi potentially showed up and found you in the nude
it seems you'll just have to keep an ear out for him over the water as you fiddle with the temperature
...
...but you didn't hear him when he entered across the corridor
nor did you hear him when he stripped down and occupied the shower directly to the right of yours
all you heard was the sudden sound of something soft bumping against the partition next to you
thump
you instinctively turn your head toward the noise

”Yo, water warm enough for you?”
...
wha… w-what the…
”Yeah, I forgot to mention, the water heater in this place is kinda lame. Sorry. Takes a while to heat up.”
he starts up his own shower, the cascading symphony of water on tile now twofold
”Gotta give it a couple minutes to get going. That's what I do, at least. Cold water on fur is the absolute worst.”
if he was saying something just now, it immediately swooped right past you
your mind has simply been reduced to marshmallow at the moment
less than a couple of meters away, Tobi is bare ass naked and fully presenting himself to you, yet just as oblivious as usual
every luscious curve, everything you've been teased and tormented with for the past 24 hours is being displayed in gorgeous detail
you think you have an out-of-body experience for a moment as you just begin to process what's happening in front of you is, in fact, real and current
”...Tobi… um… you don’t mind?” is the best you can formulate at the moment
”Mind what?... Oh…”
he looks down for a moment as if he's just now aware of the state of you two
”Pssh, it’s no big deal to me. We're both guys, right?”
he reaches out an arm behind him
”Ah, can you hand me that bottle of Fox Fatale right next to you there?”
...you… you do as you've been requested
”Thank yoouu~” he sing songs back
once he's back to looking at the water, testing the temperature with his arm, you absolutely stare at those cheeks of his with zero abandon, drinking in every detail
how smoothly they squish against the material, how circular the overall shape of his ass spreads out, the perfect distribution of fat across his legs maximizing both plumpness and feminine hip-to-waist ratio
and of course, you can't ignore the healthy, hearty dosage of cute backsack reminding you that, no, this isn’t, in fact, the rear end of a bombshell porn actress
just the sexy fox boy that you'll be all alone with for the next 4 months in space
”Ah! There we go,” he announces once his shower is nice and heated
as he steps into the water, you notice a visibly steamy imprint where his butt kissed the acrylic, leaving a clear outline of every little smoosh and squish
...your teeth are chattering… but your shower was far from cold anymore
no… no, it's because you’re scared
you're absolutely terrified of what you're going to do to this fucking twink if he doesn't knock it the fuck off
you worked far too hard to throw away your career for something like this… you can’t give into temptation
your cock painfully twitches, scolding you for not dropping everything you're doing and immediately getting to work on the prime breeding material right in front of you
you've never had a more stressful shower in your life as you rush to wash yourself in record time
he glances your way when he no longer hears your shower running
”Damn, done already? Hah, NASA would be fucking proud, dude.”
your towel can only do so much to hide your throbbing manhood as you shuffle away
”Just k-keeping wastewater low, y’know? Too long in that shower, and I’d end up poundi- er- p-pruny, also, right? That's kinda something humans have to worry about, also, so…”
your attempts to explain yourself get more and more clumsy the further you go on, so you simply decide to leave it at that and vacate
...maybe it's just your paranoia, but you think you see his eyes take on a devilish gleam just before the autodoors seal behind you