Backwater Nexus. Black Dog. Starting Anew Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Backwater: *sunny, warm but not hot. Sounding with the voices of the inhabitants and rustling with tree whispers*

Mirden: *enjoying a quiet moment where nobody's wanting a picture, Skywarp and Sunstreaker are both busy, and Sideswipe isn't getting into shenanigans* *is currently being lazy on one of the benches on the porch of the Black Dog*

porch: *rather empty today, other than Mirden and a prime-tech Galvatron who is sleeping in a rocking chair at the far end of the railed area* *people are inside the Black Dog, but they're all intent on a story teller on the stage*

voice: *female. Starts whimpering very very softly somewhere out on the ground between the bar and D'Coda's garden*

Mirden: *sits up as she hears the voice* *checking scents now, on alert*

voice: *broken by the chattering of teeth now. Seems to be attached to that scent of frightened young human woman*

Mirden: *will get up and move to approach*

girl: *tallish. Has the slender build of someone who lives on a mostly protein diet, but also shows the soft roundedness of someone who is accustomed to low physical energy exertions. Her skin, though naturally dark, still clearly has never been touched by the sun. Her hair is a close cropped dark buzz, and her greenish brown eyes are wide with utter confusion as she shivers so hard that her teeth chatter more loudly than she's whimpering* *is wearing a one piece garment of microfiber "string" that barely covers enough of her to make her be wearing more than her birthday suit*

Mirden: ... *going to start by getting the poor girl something warmer to wear* *cheats a bit and uses her Guardian Fae abilities to teleport one of her good, soft cloaks to where she's at*

girl: *stares at the twinkles, but then perks* *hopefully, though she's shaking nearly too hard to speak clearly* Is that for me? *seems glad to see something that halfway makes sense*

Mirden: *nods* Until you've gotten some warmer clothing.

girl: *reaches a shaking hand free of any calluses to touch the cloak, then looks at Mirden uncertainly. She's got no idea what to do with the thing*

Mirden: *will move to gently drape the cloak around the girl's shoulders*

girl: *sighs as her shivering abates somewhat. Pulls the cloak closer, her toes curling in her thin, soft, sandals* *quietly* It's so cold.

Mirden: Where were you before? *concerned*

girl: *looks up at the taller woman, her confusion so strong that it nearly makes her look blank* I was walking in a corridor on the edge of Eighth City, on my way to look at the list of jobs I'll fit.

Mirden: *raised brow* Eighth City?

girl: *nods, pulling the cloak even closer and trying to get it over her head too*

Mirden: *helps her pull the hood up* *quietly* I believe you may have walked out of your reality of origin on accident.

girl: *quietly, from the depths of fabric* I heard what sounded like an eruption. The floor shook, and I hit the wall. *shiver* It was hot. That's all I remember.

Mirden: ... *PINpoint (that she borrowed from Sideswipe) out, will use it to scan the girl for coordinates*

girl: *...has none*

Mirden: *lips pressed thin* *quietly* It wasn't that you walked out of your reality. It's that your story in that reality is over.

girl: *pulls the hood back to look up at her uncomprehendingly* ...Please use different words?

Mirden: That eruption ended your life. But since you still have work to do, you were brought here.

girl: *eyes go even wider, and fill with tears* Where are the other citizens?

Mirden: *quietly* I'm not sure.

girl: *mind full of a huge, AI driven mecha moving over the night side of a molten world, and the people who call the mecha their home city* *the thought that the city is gone makes her awareness grey, and then she's collapsing*

Mirden: *moves to catch the girl*

girl: *easy to catch, but in a dead faint*

Mirden: *will bring the girl to the nearest flat surface, which happens to be a bench. Will also call Sideswipe*

Sideswipe: -The peanut butter lid's stuck again.-

Mirden: -I'll fix it when I get home. I need help with an Exile.-

Sideswipe: *perk* -Someone new? What kind of help?-

Mirden: -First and foremost, she needs warm clothes. She's borrowing my good winter cloak, but she needs clothing of her own. She's from a very warm climate, and was saying that she was cold. She also needs someone to stay with her while I try and find out what happened to her home.-

Sideswipe: -Should I bring that fur lined dress you looted the other day? Or the pants and shirt?- *impression of him hopping around and looking in the ceder chest as he talks*

Mirden: -The dress should be fine. Do I have a spare pair of fur-lined booties in there too?

Sideswipe: -You mean these ugg things?- *has them on his hands*

Mirden: -Those will work, I think. We're at the Black Dog. I've got your PINpoint.-

Sideswipe: *cheerfully* -Here I come!- *feeling of transforming and playing Lambo ATV*

Mirden: *fond amusement and affection* *will return her attention to the girl, making sure the poor thing's comfortable on the bench*

girl: *shivering even while unconscious, but from the small sounds she's making she's nearing wakefulness*

Mirden: *will crouch so she can talk to the girl. Is careful not to get too close*

girl: *opens her eyes, then turns her head and raises her eyebrows appealingly* There... there were over two hundred people in Eighth City.

Mirden: *quietly* I'll try and find out what happened. My husband is on his way over with some clothing that I think you'll fit into.

girl: *hopeful* I won't need the clothes if I'm going back with you.

Mirden: *headshake* That won't work... *will show the girl her borrowed PINpoint* This showed me that you have no coordinates for where you came from.

girl: *confusion returns as she looks from the PINpoint to the redhead*

Mirden: *will explain what the PINpoint is, and what it can do*

girl: Then why can't it get my coordinates?

Mirden: *quietly* Because you were written out of your reality of origin.

girl: *more confusion* I'm not a program. I'm a citizen.

Mirden: People can be written out of their realities... They're called Exiles. Most congregate here in the Nexus.

Sideswipe: *as he trips in bot mode on his way up the steps* You're dead. Ooof!

Mirden: *attention going to Sideswipe* Be careful.

girl: *frowning at him* Who's dead?

Sideswipe: *transforms to human and sits up on his butt to rub his head and offer the clothes* I brought the legging/chap thingies too.

Mirden: *to the girl, as she moves to grab the clothing* You died. But you've still got work to do, so the Greatest Creator brought you here, so you could do what you were meant to do.

girl: *sits up and puts her head in her hands* I don't understand those words.

Mirden: ... *not sure how to proceed now*

Sideswipe: *seriously* Think about the stuff that you do understand. Like getting warm.

girl: *peeks at him, her eyes spilling over with tears*

Mirden: *will offer the dress, boots, and leggings* This is my husband, Sideswipe. My name is Mirden.

girl: I'm Cora Wesson. *reaches one hand to gently finger the garments* *quietly* I don't know how these go.

Sideswipe: *stands up and tugs on his shirt* The dress goes like this! Only it's long enough to fall down over your butt.

Cora: *quick glance of study at Mirden's tunic, which goes like that but is long enough to fall down over her butt*

Mirden: *holds up the leggings* These go on your legs.

Cora: *slight perk, then takes them and pulls them on. Studies them for a moment, and then stands and pushes the cloak back so that she can fasten the tops of the leggings to her microfiber harness*

Sideswipe: *meeps and turns his back politely*

Mirden: *will move to shield Cora from passers-by*

Cora: *soft grumble as she looks up at Mirden* These need a strap around the waist. But this is casual dress, so there isn't one.

Mirden: I can fix that...

Sideswipe: *waves a belt without turning*

Mirden: *will reach for the belt* Or Sideswipe could think of something I didn't. *so much affection for husband* *will offer the belt to Cora*

Cora: Gratitude given. *bit of a shaky smile, and then she's taking the belt and slipping it through the loops at the tops of the leggings before putting it around her waist and poking at the slide buckle till she understands it and fastens it*

Galeas: *from the Black Dog door* Eeek! Buttfloss! *hides his eyes!*

Mirden: *attention going to Galeas*

Cora: *curious and startled look toward the voice even as she reaches for the dress* Use different words?

Galeas: *runs inside instead*

Mirden: *looks Cora's outfit over*

Cora: *turns to her from watching the strange boy run away* What does "buttfloss" mean?

Mirden: It refers to garments similar to what you arrived with. *will offer to show Cora how to put the dress on*

Cora: *worried expression on her face as she pops her head through the neck hole of the dress* He's afraid of my clothes?

Mirden: *headshake* The clothes don't meet the minimum coverage requirements for the Black Dog... but the dress you've got on does.

Cora: *hugs herself and curls her toes* But I was covered modestly.

Sideswipe: *heard what his wife said, and has turned now. Is offering one sheepskin lined boot on each hand*

Mirden: They have a "no bare butts" rule. *will reach for the offered boots*

Cora: Oh. *puzzled, but accepts what you said. She knows that people on other worlds often cover their posteriors*

Sideswipe: *gives boots* It's kinda an insult to show your butt. It's called a moon.

Cora: ...

Mirden: *nods*

Cora: A moon? *looks at the boots in Mirden's hands and reaches for one tentatively*

Mirden: *as she gives the boots* I'm not sure where the term originated.

Cora: *slight frown* Butts aren't that big. *examines the boot, and then sits on the bench to remove a sandal and replace it with the boot*

Sideswipe: I don't know, Metroplex's is pretty close...

Mirden: *soft snerk* I've seen dragons that have very large butts...

Sideswipe: o.0 Hey. The moon IS a dragon! *looks up, even though the moon's off somewhere raising caine at this time of day*

Cora: *stares at the man*

Mirden: *chuckles* Yes, but she's being rowdy somewhere else right now.

Cora: Moons are big rocks that orbit planets. *looks at second boot, and then swaps sandal for it*

Sideswipe: *grin* Not here.

Mirden: *fiddling with her PINpoint absently* Here, the moon is a dragon.

Cora: *frowns* How does it breathe?

Mirden: She sleeps in a basket that goes from one edge of the sky to the other. The atmosphere up there agrees with her.

Sideswipe: I don't think we actually have outer space here.

Cora: *frown deepens* What do you mean?

Mirden: *considering* I think you're right, Sideswipe. We'd have heard about it from the fliers by now if we did.

Cora: *quietly, but insistently* What do you mean?

Sideswipe: *blinks and looks at her* Oh. This isn't a planet.

Mirden: *surprised sound as her PINpoint beeps*

Sideswipe: *startles and looks at the teleporter* What happened?

Cora: *is also looking at the gadget as she settles her skirt around her legs and then hugs herself and shivers very slightly*

Mirden: *studying it* ... It picked up coordinates from Cora's shoe. *so amused*

Cora: *quick glance to the sandal laying on the porch floor*

Sideswipe: *brain broken look* So the shoes can go back?

Mirden: ... I guess? Or I can check and see what happened.

Sideswipe: *perk* Ohhhhh! That's probably a good idea. *grin* Can I come?

Mirden: We need someone to get Cora some essentials, and to help her find a place to stay... *will try calling Skywarp*

Skywarp: *pings busy*

Mirden: ... Skywarp pinged busy.

Sideswipe: Oh, her 'n Sunny're at the dungeon.

Mirden: ... *sigh* That explains why they were so quiet earlier.

Sideswipe: o.0 You told them to go do something productive.

Mirden: I was expecting them to do something like help people in the Question Square.

Sideswipe: *blink blink* Amy says they're not allowed to prank answer questions anymore. And they thought you wanted them to bring some credit home.

Mirden: ... Oh. *small frown*

Uther: *wanders up and leans against her leg, then burps softly*

Cora: *shrinks from the dragon pony slightly, her expression uncertain*

Mirden: *looks to Uther* Hello, Uther.

Uther: *looks up at her with happy sleepiness* Helped 'Coda. Eated up bad buggys.

Sideswipe: Ewwwww.

Mirden: *chuckles* Alright.

Cora: *quizzical look for Mirden. She stopped shrinking away from Uther when he spoke*

Mirden: *to Cora* Uther was working, and eating the insects that were causing harm to D'Coda's plants.

Cora: *slight cringe, but nods her understanding* So he was doing something productive?

Mirden: *nods* And he got a meal out of it as well.

Cora: *pales* Oh.

Mirden: *thinking quickly* Let's go inside and get you something to eat first, and see if anyone's needing any assistance.

Cora: Assistance? *picks up her sandals and rolls them small, then blinks and thanks Sideswipe as he hands her a belt with a bag attached*

Mirden: *nod* You said you were looking for work when you arrived here.

Cora: Oh. *brows lift* You have programming positions here?

Mirden: We can find out if someone needs a programmer.

Cora: *quiet sigh of relief, but then startles as Sideswipe loses his mind*

Sideswipe: *runs inside whooping gleefully*

Mirden: *reassuringly* He does that. Every time we come here.

Cora: ...Why?

Mirden: It's just how he is.

Cora: *expression says, "Does not compute", but she only looks toward the door of the bar*

Mirden: *will move to guide Cora toward the door*

tDesinex: *leaning on her stool so her top half rests on the seat* Hey, Mirden. Saw your derp come through here. *chuckle*

Cora: *politely keeping herself from showing surprise or undue interest in this odd little mechanical being. Has put her sandals into the pouch, and found a pair of fingerless gloves inside it*

Mirden: *nods* Thank you, Desinex.

tDesinex: There's a storyteller on stage today. *grin*

Mirden: *another nod* For now, we're just going to get a table and some food.

tDesinex: 'Kay. *scans the crowd, looking for a certain green and white mech* *quiet sigh as she remembers that Hound is at work*

Mal: *hag rides husband over to meet Mirden and the girl* Under the mountain or on the bar?

Mirden: *looks to Cora* Would you like to sit under a mountain, or on top of the bar where you can see everyone?

Cora: *uncertainly* I don't know. *then she realizes how big this room is, and how big some of the people sitting over there are, and pales again*

Uther: *bumps divaShot with his head as he bounces past on the way to the stage*

divaShot: *squeaks and does his best not to dislodge Mal*

Mal: *frowns at Cora* *looks at Mirden* N00b?

Mirden: Exile.

Mal: *doesn't blink as a thump from the bar heralds Nemesis bashing a 'Con's face on it, but does blink at Cora's reaction*

Cora: *just about fainted, is fighting to stay on her feet*

Mirden: *wordlessly moving to support Cora* Someplace quiet.

Mal: *looks down at her husband's face as he glances up at her* Private room it is. *looks back to Mirden* You know where they are. Nobody's usin' any of 'em.

Mirden: *small nod. Will move to guide Cora to one of the private rooms* *will also let Sideswipe know that that's where she's going*

Cora: *is shivering again as Mirden supports her* *softly, her voice holding her fright and disbelief* She hit him.

Nemesis: *does it again*

Cora: *out!*

Mirden: *quiet sigh, will lift Cora into her arms and carry her to a private room*

Senaiji: *soft, startled sound as he meets the woman and her burden in the dimly lit hallway, then blinks with concern* What's happened?

Mirden: *softly* She's Exile, and got too overwhelmed when she saw Nemesis thump a 'Con.

Senaiji: *offers to take the girl* It frightened her?

Mirden: She was already under a lot of stress...

Senaiji: *turns to bring the girl into the first of the private rooms, then gently sets her on the floor with her back to the wall* Exile, right. I understand. *soft sound to Cora as she stirs and frowns*

Mirden: *very small nod* *to Cora* You're safe, Cora.

Cora: *blinks up at the redhead, and then puts her face in her hands* I'm sorry.

Senaiji: *protective protective anxious*

Mirden: *gently* You've done nothing wrong.

Cora: *faint smile that still holds apology, though her eyes are lost and sad* Except make a scene over something that seems to have been nothing.

Mirden: The first visit to the Black Dog is often startling for anyone unaccustomed to its atmosphere.

Senaiji: *nods from where he's moved to the background*

Cora: *quietly* I think I'm more overwhelmed now by wondering what I'm supposed to do now. I wasn't trained for anything but city life.

Mirden: For now, why don't you keep Senaiji company, while I try and find out if there's any way to find out what happened?

Cora: *slight, puzzled frown* What does that mean?

Senaiji: *quiet and kindly* It just means that I'll stay with you till she comes back.

Mirden: I'm going to see if Oppy or Scattor are around, and find out if they know anything.

Seniaji: Alright. *lowers himself carefully to sit on the floor at a friendly distance from Cora, his brow creased slightly with concern*

Mirden: *nods to the Dragonkin, will duck back out into the hallway and head for the bar*

Elijah: Meep! *nearly ran into Mirden*

Mirden: *startles and growls before she can stop herself*

Elijah: *wince wince, perk* You're looking for somebody stronger than you? *green cat eyes study Mirden's face*

Mirden: *nods* I encountered a girl who is newly Exiled... I want to know what happened in her reality of origin. *blinks a bit, confusion making her brows draw together slightly*

Elijah: *her own silver brows lift slightly* Yes, that's me. I've been Changed for awhile.

Mirden: Then you're the one I was noticing.

Elijah: *nods* I do the Nexus mail.

Mirden: Can you see what happened in Cora's world? *picturing the girl*

Elijah: *frowns slightly with concentration and does that glance at nothing that Aoife does so often* *brows lift* A power conduit blew out and caused a chain reaction that destroyed the corridor she was in. It would have incinerated her instantly if she hadn't been taken.

Mirden: *small nod of understanding* Does she have family who miss her?

Elijah: Yes. She's a programmer, and places had already been opened and expanded to give her possible job options. And her parents are going to have to have another child to even out the population. There's a young man now who won't have a wife his own age.

Mirden: Is there any way to get reality coordinates? *will go and talk to the bereft in person*

Elijah: *eyes narrow slightly, and then she gives a tiny bit of a smirk* Wish.

Mirden: I wish for a way to get reality coordinates for Cora's reality, so I may speak with the people she left behind and let them know what happened.

Elijah: *blinks* Scan her clothing. But you could have just asked for the coordinates.

Mirden: ... *blink blink* Oh.

Elijah: *slightly amused but not mocking smirk*

Mirden: Thank you for your help, Elijah. *polite half-bow*

Elijah: *bows in return, and then offers her a small parcel*

Mirden: *blink* *and then she's remembering the package of vinegar and salt chips she ordered to try* *will smile and happily accept the parcel*

Elijah: Senaiji's got an empty house. *and she's gone*

Mirden: *blink blink, soft chuckle as she realizes there's a place for Cora* *will return to the private room, absently wondering where the shoes Cora was wearing when she arrived are*

Senaiji and Cora: *look up from a quiet discussion about one of the fingerless gloves the girl is wearing now*

Mirden: *quietly* A power conduit blew out, which lead to a chain reaction that destroyed the corridor you were in, Cora.

Cora: *anxiously* Was anyone important lost?

Senaiji: *gives her a surprised frown*

Mirden: You were the only person in the corridor, I think... May I see your shoes, Cora?

Cora: *looks at her feet, but then thinks she understands and reaches into her new waist pouch to take out the rolled up sandals and offer them*

Senaiji: *is a little surprised that something that lacking in substance can be called shoes*

Mirden: *will get her PINpoint out and scan the shoes for coordinates*

PINpoint: *beeps happily*

Mirden: *small nod, looks to Cora* Senaiji can show you how to order off of the menu... Order whatever you would like.

Cora: Yes, ma'am. *watching her curiously*

Mirden: *will PINpoint to the coordinates*

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here