BWv. The /Axalon/ and the Autobot Base. New Beginnings

[dens_extra_pups]

Lio Prime: ...So that's the rundown. We can take you to the world whenever you're ready in the next few weeks. The sheep can't come, but the little pet quail, the dog, and that horse shouldn't matter. *looks up at the assembled Maximals, both human and Cybertronian* It's time for the 'Powerful beings from the stars' to ascend.

Optimus Primal: *questioning look for An*

An: So we shouldn't bring the crop seed either?

Lio Prime: No. But there are crops ready and waiting for you at the home site.

Tracks: Well, at least this time, Denver won't want to kick my butt.

Rhinox: *drolly* Well now, that's just too bad.

Santon: *looks at his fellow medibot with surprise*

Tracks: *frowns at Rhinox*

Rhinox: *grins at him*

Tracks: *dryly* I see where Beau picked up that particular attitude now.

An: *nods* Then we should give our stores away to neighbouring tribes. *thoughtful calculation in her expression*

Rhinox: *just snerks, and turns his attention back to the discussion*

Mama Neko: *reaches over and pokes Tracks in the side* Shhhh.

Tracks: *startles and gives the pink femme a 0_0 look*

An: What gear should we bring? We'll have the Axalon, right?

Lio Prime: Yes. And the crew will need to sync her sensors with the orbital protection grid. It's no good for me to find you a home if you let someone invade and take it.

Optimus: Hmmmm. *rubs chin with thumb and finger*

Tracks: *bit of a frown as he thinks about something* *more to himself than anyone present* It's going to be a circus getting Denver's family rounded up.

Santon: Do you think so? *quizzical frown* I think we'll have more trouble finding Grimlock and Scattershot.

Tracks: Well, Matthew and Jake do tend to not hear when we try to call them back to settle down for the night.

Santon: Ahh. Yes, that's right. But we just got that big Irish elk, remember? It's going to start smelling really good, really soon.

Tracks: *thoughtful expression* True...

Santon: And we can tell them when they come in to eat.

Tracks: *nods, chuckling as he thinks of how quickly the two show up once food's ready*

Optimus: Alright. We'll be ready by then. Thank you, Lio and Mama Neko. Oh, and congratulations.

Mama Neko: *serene grin of a woman newly married and loving her new family* Thank you.

Lio: *gruffly* Thank you. And we'll see to Soundwave and Wisp's transfer to Caspilon Delta. *rises to his feet and asks his ship to open the hold door and lower the ramp so that the locals can exit*

Lio Junior: *looks up from galloping around in lion form with Beau on his back*

Beau: *bit of a pout as the ride ends*

Santon: *offers to pick the little human boy up* Should we go home and see what Mikaela's doing with that elk?

Beau: *perks and nods as he reaches to be picked up*

Tracks: *soft chuckle*

Santon: *puts the little guy up on his shoulder* There we go.

Lio Junior: *as he runs up the ramp* Bye, Beau!

Beau: Bye! *waves*

Optimus: I'll see you later, Santon, Tracks.

An: *waves*

Tracks: *nods to Optimus and An, will transform once he's down the ramp*


Back at the forest base


Mikaela: *digging seeds out of lotus pods as Trapjaw and Rock Dove trot in the big wheel that turns the cooking spit*

Torca: *repairing something on his person*

Denver: *absently humming as she mashes cattail tubers. Will be making patties out of the mashed tubers and cooking them in the fire*

Prowl II: *squeezing the juice out of little native citrus fruits*

Dixie: *carefully slicing cattail hearts into bite-sized pieces*

Prowl II: *shows her his wooden bowlful of juice* Do you think we need more for the salad?

Dixie: *looks* Th't looks lahk 'nough, Prowl.

Prowl II: Alright. Do you want oil with it today? Or salt?

Dixie: Le's use salt t'day.

Prowl II: Alright. *sets down the bowl* I'll grind it.

Jesse: o.0 *watching the snails that came out of the pond with the cattails crawl around in a bowl*

Scattershot: *is busy being grossed out, kthx* *spaaaaazz*

Mikaela: *to Jesse and her twin* We can't eat those yet. They need to stay in the bowl for a few days, and have the water changed every day.

Chrissy: ... Huh...

Mikaela: And then we can add them to the stew we make out of the bones of this deer.

Jesse: *perks at the idea*

Denver: *holding tuber patties in the fire now that she's finished mashing and shaping them*

Mikaela: Here, Denver, use this flat rock.

Denver: *frowns and reaches for the rock*

Mikaela: And then you won't be too drunk to eat. *pauses to look at the massive fish that Snarl and Raoul just brought in* Guys, we already have a lot of food.

Snarl: He caught it! *grinning ear to ear* You think I was gonna make him put it back?

Mikaela: You did? *big hug for Raoul, though careful because he's still not very strong*

Denver: *chuckles* Nahce.

Prowl II: *as the bots who'd gone to the meeting with the Primes come in* I don't think we'll have too much. Grimlock's lurking in the yard.

Denver: ... Ah'll git moah pattehs made th'n. *back to work on that*

Mikaela: You guys better clean the fish so we can roast it too.

Raoul: Did. Got the scales off, too. *sees Tracks and grins* Hey.

Tracks: *as he lands* Have Matthew and Jake come back yet?

Dixie: Not yet, but th'y's gonna be back soon. *chuckles*

Mikaela: Raoul caught a fish, Tracks. *grin*

Tracks: Oh? *looks* ... Are you sure that's a fish and not a small shark? *eyes sparkling*

Prowl II: *looks over* Pike.

Tracks: Ah... *chuckles*

Santon: Well, one common name for pike at one time and in one area was 'slough shark'.

Beau: *blink blink* Wh't's a shark?

Santon: *looks at him* You know our one fuzor who has wings, and the head of a big fish?

Beau: *nod*

Santon: That big fish is a shark.

Beau: ... Oh.

Torca: Pike are meaner.

Beau: ... o.o

Raoul: *as Mikaela hauls his fish off* This one ain't anymore.

Denver: *snerks*

Dixie: *amused headshake*

Optimus Minor: *suddenly up on Dixie's shoulder in his monkey mode* Is it time to eat yet?

Ramulous: *snorts and walks on by*

Dixie: Jes' 'bout.

Optimus Minor: Yes!

Razorbeast: Hey, quit flirting with the cook, she's claimed.

Optimus Minor: Thrrpt.

Dixie: *chuckles*

Denver: Fail. *snickerfit*

Polar Claw: *wanders in with a skinned and dressed ibex over one white furred shoulder* Oh... Wow. Should I go hang this up where Grimlock and Snarl can't get it?

Denver: *looks* Th't'd be a good ahdeah.

Tracks: Well, nobody can argue that the children aren't getting enough food. *chuckle is muffled by Denver shoving one of the cattail tuber patties into his mouth*

Prowl II: So what did the Primes say, Tracks?

Tracks: *muffled* Lio Prime found someplace safe for everyone to live.

Denver: *baps Tracks for talking with his mouth full*

Prowl II: So we're leaving Earth?

Denver: ... *expression darkening*

Tracks: *as he dodges another bap* Yes. All of us.

Santon: Human and bot.

Jesse: o.0 Eart's t'e world, rahght?

Tracks: *as he catches Denver's hands and stops her from bapping him again* It's this one, yes.

Chrissy: But... 'ow're we leav'n 't?

Optimus Minor: Ship, I'm guessing. The Axalon still works, right, Razorbeast?

Razorbeast: It does, yeah. *thoughtful look*

Tracks: From my understanding, that's how we'll be going. *glances to Santon to double-check*

Santon: *poking at the snails* It's the only functional ship we've got, and it's plenty big enough.

Torca: How most of us got here, anyway. *chuckle*

Denver: ... *looking a bit uncertain now*

Dixie: *slight frown* 'Ow safe 's 't?

Jake and Matthew: *returning with a haul of eggs from raided nests*

Torca: Perfectly safe, so long as there isn't a crazy Pred shooting your aft off.

Dixie: ... *small nod*

Jake: *bringing the eggs to Mama*

Optimus Minor: Roast eggs? :D

Dixie: *chuckles as she accepts the basket of eggs* Mahght 's well.

Raoul: *perks* Scrambled eggs 'n lotus nuts?

Dixie: *more chuckles* Wah not?

Mikaela: Ohhh, where's the bowl for cooking that? *looks around, finds the iron bowl and sets it in the coals, then adds a dollop of lard*

Denver: *cooking more patties*

Dixie: *will recruit Jesse and soon they're working on mixing eggs up with some milk*

Chrissy: *will get the lotus seeds and parch them in the iron bowl once it's hot enough*

Mikaela: *cuts a bit of fatty meat off the roasting deer, and then chops it fine and adds it to the bowl once the seeds are all popped and a few have found their way into Chrissy's mouth*

Denver: *will cook more patties, and shake her head when Matthew grabs one before it's cooled off enough to be eaten by everyone who isn't fireproof*

Torca: Whoa, careful!

Optimus Minor: 0.0

Snarl: Fail.

Matt: *shaking his hand and trying to hang onto the nom*

Razorbeast: *takes the patty and puts it on a round of bread, then offers it back* Need some medicine on that hand?

Matt: *sheepish nod as he accepts the offered nom*

Santon: I'll be right back. *sets down the Jake he'd snagged and heads for the infirmary*

Jake: *bit of a sulk, will go see if he can't gank some noms from Mama*

Mikaela: *offers Jake a piece of roasted fat from the deer*

Jake: *thanks Mikaela and proceeds to nom the treat*

Razorbeast: You know, back in the time we came from parents thought fat was something like poison.

Dixie: ... *raised brow*

Chrissy: ... Whah? *so confused*

Mikaela: ...How did they keep warm in winter, and walk around?

Razorbeast: Central heating. And a lot of them don't.

Chrissy: ... *shares a "WTS" look with Jesse*

Denver: ... Wh't's 'central heating'?

Dixie: ... Th'y don' walk 'round? *baffled by the concept*

Tracks: *as he moves to try and snag a piece of roasted fat* They have other forms of transportation.

Mikaela: *smacks Tracks' hand* You can wait.

Raoul: *peeks toward the bowl* Are they ready yet?

Tracks: *shaking his hand from the smack*

Denver: *moves to offer Raoul one of the patties*

Dixie: Jes' 'bout. *baps Jesse's hand as the teen tries to sneak some lotus seeds*

Santon: *back with medicine and synthaskin for Matt's hand* Alright, let's get this patched up.

Matt: *holds still so Santon can patch his hand up*

Raoul: *settles down to wait as he holds his patty carefully and waits for it to cool a bit* *sniff sniff* Hey, is there pepper in this?

Denver: *nods* Black pepper.

Raoul: *happy grin*

Torca: *goes and sticks his head out the door* Hey, Grimlock, and girls. Come eat!

Lickety Split: *scoots in between his legs* I'm NOT wearing that lipstick, Scattershot!

Scattershot: But it'd look good on you! *has forgotten about the 'eww' spazzfit she had earlier*

Lickety Split: I'd rather eat those snails you were freaking out about!

Torca: *looks at Grimlock as the former Autobot walks over*

Grimlock: Don't look at me. Me never seen slag like this slag.

Torca: *snerks and goes back to the fire*

Scattershot: EWW! *flailspazz*

Denver: *rolls her eyes*

Snarl: *pauses in his gleespazzing about eminent supper to grin and try to flirt with Lickety Split* Hey...

Lickety Split: *GONE!*

Denver: *SNERK* Fail.

Prowl II: *puts juice and salt on the salad, to which he's added some mint and other greens* Let's eat.

Grimlock: Hmmm. Yeah. Now you talking!

Moonracer: *giggles from her perch on his shoulder*

Dixie: *will help get everyone served*

Raoul: *bows his head and murmurs, then gives half his patty to Beau and eats the rest*

forest base Maximals: *settle down to enjoy their supper*


few weeks later


Optimus Primal: *looks around at the small group of people who are meeting with him today. An is here, and so are Tracks and Dixie. He's still a little surprised that these two have wound up the leaders to the other half of the tribe, but there are old rumours that Tracks isn't as vapid as he often acts* So, it's been decided that not all of the Fire Tribe is coming with us. And two of the young men who are have married girls from other tribes so that their children will be less related to everyone else.

An: I've trained my successor well. *leans her elbows on the table and examines the plate of roasted snails that is here for a snack during the meeting*

Dixie: Th' girls've been makin' sure all th' 'mportant stuff's not gettin' left behahnd.

Tracks: *casually* Denver's been preparing food for the trip.

An: So have the Fire Tribe women who are coming. *nods* Things that will keep for a long time, so that we'll have what we need till the first harvest comes off. And they've traded their wool and flax for more food to bring.

Optimus: Tracks, you did tell Denver that the trip itself won't take any time, didn't you?

Dixie: *chuckles* Yep. Couple'a tahms. Last tahm, 'e bareleh dodged th' cook'n' rock.

Tracks: *gives Dixie a scandalized look*

An: *startled expression* She threw a rock at you?

Tracks: Well... I suppose I should have stopped trying to explain after the fifth time...

Dixie: Sh'ld'a stopped aftah th' first tahm.

An: But still, throwing a rock?

Optimus: It happens. And the food can pad your stores till the harvest comes off. *takes out his datapad* Now, I have pictures of the flock Lio's crew gathered for us, and of the field where the main crop grows.

An: *leans forward with interest*

image: *shows a field of tall plants that look at first glance like nettles, but upon closer inspection also show similarities to sage and mint*

Dixie: *blink blink blink* Wh't're th'se?

Optimus: Lio called it purple field mint. He says it's very good to eat, and that the stems make a better fibre than flax does. The plants grow back every year, and they'll spread if they're not harvested regularly. This field is the natural way that it grows.

Dixie: Huh...

Optimus: *touches the screen, and there is a picture of a little fawn creature that is about knee high to an average five foot tall woman. It's clearly a large rodent, and just as clearly sports a coat of soft, fluffy wool* Here's one of the flock.

Dixie: *slight headtilt* Awww.

An: I bet those would be good to eat, too. *studies the picture thoughtfully* And that wool looks different from what our sheep grow.

Optimus: *fiddles a bit, and then pulls a ball of fluff out of subspace. Offers it to the women*

Dixie: *will reach for some of the fluff* Ah wondah 'ow well 't'll spin up?

An: *pokes it experimentally, and then pulls at it gently herself* It looked long on the animal. Ohhh, look at this fibre.

Dixie: *considering look as she studies the fluff* Mahght spin up pretteh nahce.

Optimus: Mama Neko said she left a book on how to knit in one of the houses.

An: ...Knit?

Dixie: *blink blink* Knit?

Tracks: Manipulate spun fiber with a couple pointed sticks.

Optimus: Like this. *grabs the blanket Rattrap left laying in here and will soon be looking for*

Dixie: *will examine the blanket* Huh...

An: Ahhhh. That will be useful. *grin* Windracer will like it.

Tracks: So will Jake and Beau. *chuckles*

An: *curious look* They'll knit? Really?

Tracks: They like helping. And Jake has been working on weaving baskets for everyone.

An: *pleased smile* They should like being able to spend more time with the Fire Tribe children, then. Our boys and girls are always trying to make things. And till now there has been a lot of frustration at not being allowed to weave till they were old enough and strong enough to handle the looms.

Dixie: *chuckles* Mebbeh Ah'll be able t' teach Matt s'meth'n' th't'll git 'im t' sit still f'r a spell.

Tracks: ... That would take a miracle.

An: Do these little animals make milk for cheese and yogurt, Optimus?

Optimus: Ah, no. *changes the picture again to show a pretty little woolly coated pony with a horn on its forehead* These are the milk animals. They're semi intelligent, and Lio introduced them to cheese.

Dixie: Awww, th'se're cute.

Optimus: I hear they come and check the houses every day to see if we're there yet.

Dixie: Awww!

Tracks: *chuckles* Oh, the twins will have a field day with them.

Optimus: And here are the houses. *next picture shows what looks like a log building smaller than the one at the forest base, and a long low hill beside it with a blooming baby cherry tree standing proudly atop it at one end. Toward the centre of this hill is a stone chimney*

Dixie: *blink blink* 'S th't a chimneh?

Tracks: I'm guessing the chimney's part of an earth building?

Optimus: It's an underground house of rock and turf. *nods, grinning*

An: *amazed* I think we'll make some huts.

Dixie: Undahground? Lahk th' caves?

Optimus: *finds the picture on the menu that he was looking for, and shows the interior of the turf house*

An: Yes... we'll have to start building huts as soon as we get there.

Dixie: *chuckles*

An: Oh. What will we grow for bread? The field mint doesn't make seeds that are good for that?

Dixie: *perks* Yeah. We's gonna need s'meth'n' t' make bread wit'. *has learned to love that Fire Tribe food*

Optimus: *thinks of the delicious sourdough flatbread that his wife's people make along with their beer and feels hungry* I'm sure we can get barley flour from the Nexus sometimes. But there's bread that grows naturally on the new world.

An: *blinks and then looks at him*

Dixie: *confused expression is a go*

Tracks: *blink blink* Whatever do you mean, Optimus?

Optimus: *next picture is a go. Shows a mountainside with a soft, pale substance visible in a crack of it* It's a kind of fungus. If you cut pieces off it, it just keeps growing.

Tracks: ...

Dixie: *blink* Huh...

Tracks: Is it very nutritious? *concerned about that, since he's seen first-hand what a lack of nutrients can do to humans*

Optimus: It is. Carbohydrates and even some protein. And a lot of minerals. The rock it grows on is high in iron.

An: *brightens* Iron. That's the mineral that makes blood strong, right?

Optimus: *nods*

An: *then frowns* Can you make stew with it?

Optimus: I guess we'll find out. *grin*

Dixie: *chuckles*

Tracks: *so amused as he shakes his head*

Optimus: Any more questions?

Tracks: How soon are we going to be getting packed to leave?

An: *surprised look* You haven't been packing?

Optimus: The planned date for leaving is later this week.

Tracks: I've packed my belongings. It's just a matter of getting Scattershot to quit pestering Lickety Split. *sigh*

Optimus: *frowns* Why is she pestering Lickety Split?

Tracks: I have no idea what goes on in her head. She even irritates Denver most days.

Dixie: *headshake* Notta lick'a sense. Keeps trah'n' t' put... *hesitates at the unfamiliar word that she's heard the two femmes use* lipstick... 'n Lickety Split.

Optimus: *facepalms* And Lio thought she'd make a good member of our group?

Tracks: Well, it was pretty funny to watch her reactions to the snails.

Rattrap: *somewhere else in the Axalon but clearly audible* Oh for the lovva cheese! Whea's dat slaggin' blanket?

Dixie: ... *snerk*

An: *turns her eyes toward Optimus and chuckles*

Tracks: *snorts and shakes his head*

Rattrap: Choppaface, yous seen Secret's blanket? She's gonna lick my arm rusty if I don' find it!

Dinobot: If you had not lossst it to begin with, Vermin.

Rattrap: *closer to the door of the meeting room now* Yeah, yer a slag load'a help.

Tracks: *rolls his eyes*

Dixie: *headshake, chuckle*

An: *takes the blanket, and walks over to stick it out through the door*

Rattrap: Eeeep! Oh. T'anks, An. Yous guys gettin' everything hashed out in dere?

An: Yes. *shuts door and comes back to table*

Tracks: *snerk*

Optimus: So. Any other questions?

Dixie: *headshake, looks to An and Tracks*

An: No. I think I've asked everything I can think of.

Tracks: *calmly* I don't have any other questions.

Optimus: Alright, then. This meeting is adjourned. *looks at the snails, and then picks one up and sniffs it as he would do while in his gorilla mode*

Tracks: *amused headshake* I still don't see why Scattershot was making such a fuss about the snails. They're not half bad.

Dixie: Scattershot ain't gotta lick'a sense. *still a bit offended that the pink femme was so put off by the food*

An: What do they taste like? *takes one and sniffs it too, then perks* You used the chili powder on them.

Optimus: *nomming*

Dixie: *nods* 'T tastes good 'n 'em. *chuckles as she sees Optimus nomming*

An: *eats one, and then grins and has another. Is soon studying the new wool with the other woman while the mechs go to get Cheetor's head unstuck from a vent*

((Written with random_xtras))