mtmte. /Lost Light/. Jade Dragons and New Relationships Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Red Alert: *checks himself in the reflection of a neon bulletin board advertising Swerve's. Thinks he's never looked this shiny before* *as he continues walking* What do you think, Skids? Too much polish?

Skids: That depends. Who are you trying to impress?

Red Alert: *simply* A woman. *stops and looks up at the sudden thud inside the ceiling* ???

Skids: ... *looks up with a frown*

Red Alert: Since you're not up there, and Mavis isn't saying anything... *eyes flash* Benny, come down!

Skids: ... *face-palming*

Benny: *muffled response to master as he thuds his head again*

Beauty: *is that slightly smaller thud*

Red Alert: *face-palm* You're being naughty. Shoulder angels don't go in the ceiling.

Skids: How did they even get up there?

Red Alert: How do you get up there?

Skids: It depends on where I start from.

Red Alert: *snorts at Skids, and then blinks in shock as Benny lopes around the corner of the corridor with a baby shoulder angel in his arms* ...That's not a Stringer.

Skids: ... *blink blink* What strain is it?

Red Alert: *takes the baby and watches as it wriggles in clumsy and friendly silence* ...It's a Jade Dragon. *looks at Beauty*

Beauty: *crooning softly as she brings over another baby shoulder angel*

Red Alert: *shocked* And that's a Jade Dragon.

Benny: *talk talk. Master said to stay out of the ceiling, but the other babies are too little to come down alone*

Skids: ... How'd they get into the ceiling?!

Red Alert: I have no idea. The last known clutch of Jade Dragons are adults, but too young to be parents. *takes the second baby and then frowns at the urgency Benny and Beauty are displaying* *on a hunch* ...Bring me the others. Skids, will you help?

Skids: On it. *quick to get into the vents, and from there to the ceiling*

Benny: *puts his head down and runs back to the service access that he'd used to get in and out before*

Beauty: *croons and stays with Master and the babies*

Red Alert: *hunkers down and sets the lanky little green creatures on the floor* What am I going to do with you?

babies: *clumsily but happily trying to show affection to the nice bigs*

Red Alert: *strokes their little heads, and then impulsively pings someone* //Sideswipe, what are you doing?//

Sideswipe: //Um... Whatever you heard, I'm innocent!//

Red Alert: //I'm in corridor *so and so*, section *such and such*. Come and join me if you want to see newly hatched shoulder angels.//

Sideswipe: //...// *can be heard hurrying down the corridor a few moments later*

Skids: *muffled overhead* Wow. I'm glad to meet you too.

Red Alert: *looks up, unaware of how the light is playing on his highly polished armour* Don't frighten them.

Beauty: *watching you, red lady!*

babies: *uncertain but very curious lookings!* *oh, and staying close to the bigs they hope are parents*

Sideswipe: *can't help but give a little squee as she sees the baby shoulder angels... Though that could just be due to seeing you all polished up, Red*

Red Alert: *attention back to the hatchlings as one baby bumps into his hand* Yes. They're adorable. JumpJet will be pleased to learn about them.

Skids: *overhead* The kissings are finished now?

Sideswipe: *looks up to the ceiling, smirk* Yeah, we're done. *plans on planting one on Red once Skids is out of the ceiling*

Skids: ...What?

Red Alert: *blushing slightly but keeping his attention on the babies*

Beauty: *crooning and gently nosing the babies a little*

Sideswipe: We weren't even being that gross, you big wuss! *so much mischief in her optics*

Skids: I was talking to Benny!

Benny: *happy sound*

Red Alert: *shoulders shaking now. Knows how kissy Benny can be!*

Sideswipe: *snort* Well, at least someone'll kiss ya, Skids!

Skids: Thrrpt.

Sideswipe: *snickerfit*

Benny: Pppth!

Red Alert: *shoulders really shaking now. Hadn't realized Benny could do that*

Sideswipe: *cackling now*

babies: *so much big-eyed lookings!*

Beauty: *headtilty*

Skids: Okay. We're coming down. Wow, you guys are quiet.

Benny: *talk talk talk*

Skids: Whatever.

Beauty: *crooooooooon*

Sideswipe: These guys're cute. *will gently touch the head of the nearest baby shoulder angel*

Red Alert: *quietly, as he watches the little dino looking up at her* There are less than thirty of this breed.

Sideswipe: ... *blink. Blink. Wibble* Aw.

Red Alert: *looks up and down the corridor*

Benny: *lopes into sight a moment later, a net bag in his arms that wriggles slightly*

Sideswipe: Is that good for them?

Red Alert: *gets up and walks over to help Benny lower the bag and help the babies out of it* Yes, they're alright. *counting as he frees each little one from the bag*

Benny: *croon croon crooooooon*

Beauty: *much crooning and helping with the babies!*

Sideswipe: How many are there?

Red Alert: Seven. Three male and four female. *gentle stroke for one little one* This one's got a black chin, but she still looks like a Jade Dragon.

baby: *fingers taste taste, her eyes bright*

Sideswipe: Aww. *crouching to fuss over the babies*

Beauty: *crooon crooooon croon*

Red Alert: *pings JumpJet*

JumpJet: //Yer credit.// *sounds pretty upset*

Red Alert: //JumpJet, this is Red Alert of the Lost Light. Are you busy?// *accidentally lets the crooning speech of his shoulder angels to the babies transmit over the line*

JumpJet: //...I'm comin' over.// *recognizes the crooning. Can be heard yelling for Belladonna and Francisco*

Red Alert: *quietly* //They're Jade Dragons.//

JumpJet: //*nope, not writing that statement*//

Red Alert: //There haven't been any mature Jade Dragon females aboard the ship. And the eggs were in the ceiling crawlspace.//

JumpJet: //Feed the babies. The scrapheads 'n I are en route.//

Red Alert: //What should I...// *blink* //Beauty just threw up.//

JumpJet: *snorts over comms* //She's feedin' 'em, then.//

Red Alert: *absently reaches out to catch fainted Sideswipe* //Oh.//

JumpJet: //'M callin' one'a the vets, too. They'll be able ta tell us who the parents are.//

Red Alert: //Alright.// *tells her his location in the ship as he watches Benny carefully pick up bits of food, make them smaller, and poke them into little mouths*

JumpJet: *acknowledgment before she closes her comms*

Red Alert: *shuts off the comm, and then looks down at the woman in his arms* Sideswipe?

Sideswipe: *woozy and mumbling about urk*

Red Alert: *soothingly* It's the normal way that they feed the babies. *then frowns* You laughed till you fell over when Pipes threw up the other day.

Sideswipe: *mumbles something about "dizzy" and "Streaker"*

Red Alert: *frowns* Sunstreaker is making you dizzy?

Sideswipe: Stupid... dizzy.... gonna kick their afts... *yeah, like that's any more clear?*

Red Alert: *frown deepens slightly, and then he moves so that he can open his pocket and let Mavis out, hoping she will like to comfort Sideswipe*

Mavis: *fussing and scolding her nice man for nearly letting her nap through BABIES!*

Red Alert: *so much for that. Lifts her up and sets her by the hatchlings*

babies: *curious interest for this new being. Temporarily forget that noms are happening*

Mavis: *fusses over babbies!*

Benny: *soft crooning as he waits for the babies to be hungry again*

Red Alert: *tries to lay Sideswipe down so that she can be more comfortable*

Sideswipe: *soft, confused sound*

Red Alert: Shhh. Just rest. I'll bring you to your quarters after JumpJet takes the babies.

Sideswipe: *quiet clicks* 'Re... Babies okay?

Red Alert: *glances over* They're kissing Mavis.

Mavis: *loving on babbies now!*

Benny: *crooning encouragement to smart babies who are working on learning!*

skinniest baby: *pushing himself around on his tummy, his eyes bright as he plays*

Beauty: *crooooon*

Red Alert: *soft chuckle as two babies try to hop like Mavis just did*


A short while later


JumpJet: *dragging a mech in via headlock, Belladonna a grumpy sulk behind her as Francisco fusses over the brown and tan shoulder angel*

Red Alert: *looks up from where he's sitting with Sideswipe snuggled against him on one side and the heap of babies and Mavis snuggled against him on the other*

Benny: *croons to Belladonna and Francisco. Look, look! We found them!*

Beauty: *chirps and talks to Bella and Frankie. Babies have been fed! They can go home with you now!*

Belladonna: *soft chirp*

Francisco: *so startled. Stops right in front of Master as he smells these babies!*

JumpJet: *unprintable as she collides with Francisco*

Red Alert: *optics widen* Please don't trip. I can't catch you.

JumpJet: *scowling at Francisco after she regains her footing* *bleeping* Dumbaft.

Francisco: *flailing now!*

Benny: *happy and excited sounds!*

Beauty: *happy chirps and crooning*

Belladonna: *scooting around Boss and moving to sniff the babies up close*

black-chin baby: *sleepy little hand grabs the sniffy nose*

Mavis: *quiet beep*

Belladonna: *gonna clean you up, baby. And make soft croons of her own*

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here.