Nexus. Near the Sign and the Safehouse. Fatima

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Zoe: *standing in the Nexus, looking for the counsellor that she talked to on the phone. Held to her chest is a large covered box from which comes a soft murmur*

sgShowtime: *moving to approach, is carrying the alternate of hers who is human-sized and whose alt mode is that of a pretty redheaded woman*

Serenity: *watching Zoe curiously and wondering if this is the femme she spoke with over the phone* *a bit surprised to see a green Seeker femme*

sgShowtime: *very slight headtilt as she studies Zoe and wonders to herself what could be in the box*

Zoe: *looks at them, her blue optics going from the blue femme to the red-head* Serenity Anderson?

Serenity: That's me. You're Zoe?

Zoe: *quirks a smile and nods* Yes. *looks from one femme to the other again* Is this your holoform?

sgShowtime: .... What's a holoform?

Serenity: *headshake* She's one of my alternates.... She and her mate work at the Black Dog.

Zoe: Oh! *wider grin now for sgShowtime* Optimus has mentioned you.

sgShowtime: *blinks a bit, thinking, and then her expression is brightening* Oppy, right?

Zoe: *nods, optics twinkling* He's my oldest son.

sgShowtime: *nods, smiling*

Serenity: *blink blink, just a bit confused here....*

Zoe: *looks down at Serenity* My family runs the exotic fuel business that supplies the Black Dog and other places.

Serenity: Ooooh..... Swindle Co. *nod* Gotcha.

Zoe: *optics crinkle at the corners* Yup, Swindle Co. You're from the reality with the buried base in Virginia, right? *peeking at her wrist as she speaks*

Serenity: *nods* And the 'Military R&D Facility' with housing on the surface.

Zoe: *chuckles* That's a nice Seeker house.

Serenity: *chuckles* Well, Alpha Squadron seems to think so.... Even if their Wingleader lives in a different part of Blacksburg....

Zoe: Wingleader?

Serenity: *nods* Starscream. He and Moonshadow live in one of the houses in Blacksburg that holds a few apartments. Skyfire and Wander live in an apartment on a lower floor of the same building.

Zoe: *slightly rueful and amused head shake* Starscream. I should have known. Though... Skyfire living with Wander surprises me.

Serenity: .... Well, they are a mated pair....

Zoe: *chuckle* Still surprising. Has your Wander got the memory thing?

Serenity: And how.

Zoe: *more chuckle* Ours just hurt herself and managed to nearly forget everything. But she's relearning the important stuff. She's married to a Swindle.

Serenity: Aww..... Ours is about as old as Kup, and apparently used to run deliveries.... I have no idea why she's got memory problems though....

Zoe: Ours had the original ones because she sealed off a section of her processor that contained critical information about the first war.

Serenity: ... Huh... *will ask her mate if he's ever heard anything like that*

sgShowtime: *looking to the box against Zoe's chest*

Zoe: *sees that look* *quietly* I brought a friend to talk to Serenity. She's not really comfortable being visible to a lot of strangers.

sgShowtime: Ah.... *small nod*

Zoe: *turns back to Serenity* Do you have an idea of where you and Fatima could talk?

Serenity: *thinking* There's the safehouse that's near the Black Dog.... I've never been there myself, but one of my friends was for a bit....

Zoe: *perks* I know about it. It's got desks in the rooms, right?

Serenity: I have no idea....

sgShowtime: *nods* There are desks and comfortable chairs, as well as the couches and berths.

Zoe: Alright. Do you want to go there, Serenity?

Serenity: Sure.... It's probably a lot quieter and less exposed than anywhere else I can think of....

Zoe: Yes. Probably. *turns toward the path that leads to the warehouses that house the Black Dog and the safe house*

sgShowtime: *moves to follow*

Serenity: *to Zoe, as sgShowtime heads along the path* So what's your reality of origin like?

Zoe: Baytech. Ongoing war. Everybody knows the Tranformers exist.

Serenity: *soft 'heh'* So sort of close to what my reality's like, aside from the differences in tech....

Zoe: Well. Not really. *glances soberly down at the smaller femme* They're still not totally sure they're winning yet in the reality I was born in, even though Optimus was restored and took out the Fallen.

Serenity: ... *blinks a bit* The Fallen?

sgShowtime: *quietly* Serious bad news.....

Zoe: Yeah. Though he went down pretty fast once Dad got Optimus running again. *shutters her optics for a moment as she turns to face the way they're going*

Serenity: *soft clicks*

Zoe: You guys have heard of Sam Witwicky?

Serenity: ... No....

Zoe: *chuckles and glances at sgShow*

sgShowtime: *soft chuckle* The one from Jetfire's reality gets dragged here on occasion by Miles and Mikaela.... His girlfriend, Sari, is usually with them.... *will quietly explain about who Sam Witwicky is to her smaller alternate*

Serenity: ... He sounds like he would get along with some of the people back home...

Zoe: *snerk* Yeah, he's pivotal in a lot of baytech realities. *waves to the bots on the porch of the Black Dog* We never got him.

Serenity: *small frown for Zoe as the two small bots running around Locket's feet as she sits on the bench with her mate and symbiont pause to wave back*

sgShowtime: *quietly* Not all realities go the same way....

Zoe: *snerks as Mal resumes teasing her Scattershot about his flowered underpants and he resumes spazzing about it* Nope. But I haven't read very many bay'verses where Optimus Prime died before the Autobots ever reached Earth, and Ghost One travelled home with the Ark.

Serenity: .... *makes a note to do some research in the Nexus* *small nod*

sgShowtime: *waits for the door to be opened as they reach the safe house*

Zoe: *takes a hand from her box and opens the door, then grins at the Fireflight who is dreamily playing with a broom over by the energon dispensers* So yeah. We had Sam Walker instead. And he and Bumblebee became a pair. I was born the day Megatron fell the first time, and wound up being put in his shell. Which is how I wound up Exiled from the reality. *brows lift in a 'What can you do?' look*

Serenity: *brows up*

Zoe: Megs returned as Galvatron, and wanted his body back. *looks thoughtfully at the row of doors along the wall opposite the dispensers*

sgShowtime: *wince wince wince*

Serenity: .... *quietly* I hope Megatron never becomes Galvatron in my reality.....

Zoe: *pat pats sgShowtime* It was weird winding up in the Nexus mail, and then waking up as a Seeker. But it all turned out alright in the end. *gives Serenity a look that holds agreement*

sgShowtime: *soft clicks as she moves to bring Serenity to one of the rooms* *quietly* I can only imagine.... It was strange enough for me, waking up on a padded berth after who knows how long of being wedged into part of the Nemesis' outer hull....

Zoe: *winces herself* That's nearly as bad as suddenly belonging to the tech class of the mech creator you detest.

Serenity: *confused look back and forth between her alternate and Zoe*

sgShowtime: It seems we've all been on a strange journey at some point....

Zoe: Most of us who Travel have. *slight grin. Then looks at Serenity* I'm created from the codes of a baytech femme Bumblebee and the Starscream of the same reality.

Serenity: ...Baytech.... That's what Bea is.... *small nod* What's the Starscream of that reality like?

Zoe: *with a bit of grim satisfaction as she chooses a room* Dead.

Serenity: .... Oh....

Zoe: *quietly, as she sets her box on the desk* It wasn't Mom's idea for me to happen, and she still isn't totally recovered from being a science experiment. I can't remember exactly who did it, but whoever took Starscream down made her feel a lot safer.

Serenity: *small nod as sgShowtime gently sets her down near the box* That's understandable.... *is doing her best not to get upset*

Zoe: Hey. She's alright. She knows I'm alive, and she has a new version of Dad to take care of her and my baby brother.

Serenity: *blink blink* *small frown as she thinks for a moment* ...Baby as in infant-sized sparklet?

Zoe: *chuckles* Isaac is the size of a human baby, yup.

Serenity: *small nod* A friend of mine and the guys she was travelling with have met your mother and Issac.... Autumn just lights up when she talks about getting to hold the little bit....

Zoe: *big grin* Your Bumblebee, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe.

Serenity: *nods* Yup.... *chuckles* They're all in much better shape than they were the last time they saw Issac.... And all three have mates.

Zoe: *grins and nods* Optimus is feeding me background information now.

Serenity: *soft chuckle, will turn her attention to the box*

sgShowtime: *so amused* Oppy's usually on top of things like that, it seems like....

Zoe: *laughs as she gently opens the lid on the box* Yeah, but it can be a little shocking if something makes him lose his temper.

sgShowtime: *small nod, will move to sit down so she's not looming over Serenity and the box*

Serenity: *puzzled look for Zoe* What do you mean?

Zoe: *as she very slowly moves the box onto its side on the desk, watching the contents carefully* Optimus is a Guardian Fae dragon. He's telepathic, especially to people he has a bond with. When he's mad, we feel it.

sgShowtime: *as Serenity boggles* He also has a tendency to bring things to life on accident.

Zoe: *snerk* He's getting better about that.

sgShowtime: Drifter's been giving Bumblebee what-for as of late.... *so amused* Usually, it involves water balloons....

Zoe: *can't keep back the laugh. Turns and gives the two smaller femmes a grin*

Serenity: .... *so surprised* I never expected an Optimus to not be a Cybertronian.....

Zoe: *optics drop quickly to her* He was born Cybertronian. He's a Changeling.

Serenity: .... *going to look up information on Guardian Fae Changlings then*

Zoe: *gentle hand down by the opening of the box* I'm a low level Changeling myself, a Wisp.

Fatima: *is shy eyes framed by a black veil peeking between Zoe's fingers as her own small fingers grip them*

Serenity: *boggling a bit as she finds some information about Guardian Fae Changelings*

sgShowtime: Wisp? *curious headtilt, making a point to try and not appear threatening or overly curious about the human in Zoe's hand*

Zoe: *nods* I'm fully normal except for my bond with my mate, who is also a Guardian Fae Dragon Changeling. But because of that bond, if I wind up in deep stasis, or go into low function for any other reason, I manifest a second body with full but weak Guardian Fae ability.

sgShowtime: *surprised, doorwings up as she thinks about this*

Serenity: *blink blink* .... Wow....

Zoe: It's rare, really rare. I've only ever read about one other person who had the condition. *looks down again* She doesn't really want to come out of the box yet. Are you alright going in, Serenity?

Serenity: *nods* That's fine... *will move to approach, clicking softly and reassuringly*

Zoe: *moves her hand, which causes a quick scrambling sound within the box and reveals a black draped form scooting for a back corner*

Serenity: *both hands up, palms out. More soft clicks as she slowly enters the box and stops close to the opening* *gently* It's alright... I mean you no harm.

Fatima: *turns, and there again are those wide, uncertain dark eyes as her hands twist beneath the veil* *softly* She... she says no one can be hurt here. *those eyes seem to emote sadness at this for some reason*

Serenity: *gently* This is true.... The Nexus is considered neutral territory, and nobody can harm you without consent....

Fatima: *sadly* I wish to be dead.

Serenity: *gentle curiosity in her hazel eyes* May I ask why?

Fatima: *looking down at the cardboard floor beneath her hidden feet* I have no purpose. *head droops lower with shame* And I left my poor husband with no one to support him.

Zoe: *presses her lips together slightly up above the box where Fatima can't see her*

Serenity: *gently* What was it that you did before you came here?

Fatima: I was a courier. I delivered packages and messages in the Citadels.

Serenity: *small nod, an idea beginning to form in her head* What was your husband like?

Fatima: *softly* I don't know. I never met him. He sent a message saying that we should meet the day that I somehow walked out of the Citadels and into her world.

Serenity: *puzzled expression is a go* .... *gently* I do not understand.... How can he be your husband if you two have never met?

Fatima: I was legally bound to him at birth. It is our way.

Serenity: *very slight frown, squashes down the opinion that that sort of thing isn't right before she can voice it* *quietly* I see....

Fatima: *quick little worried glance over her shoulder* Do you really?

Serenity: There are many people in the reality that I call home who have similar ways.

Fatima: *turns toward her slightly* In your reality they understand that women were created to serve and comfort Man?

Serenity: There are people who practice that belief, yes... *seriously squashing down the indignation she's feeling*

Fatima: *droops and turns away again* But you don't understand either.

Serenity: My husband and I do not practice that belief.... but that does not mean your beliefs are not valid.

Fatima: She says they aren't. She says I must live, though contaminated and contemptible.

Zoe: *presses her lips together, but stays silent*

Serenity: *thinking quickly* *still gently* If you were to die, you would be unable to comfort anyone....

Fatima: I can't anyway. I'm contaminated.

Serenity: *headtilt* Contaminated?

Fatima: I've left the Citadels. I'm unclean, fit only to be cleansed.

Serenity: ... *has a different idea forming in her head now....* What if there was someone who does not care about that, and is in need of someone to comfort him?

Zoe: *leans over the box to quirk a brow at the smaller femme*

Fatima: ... What?

Serenity: I know of a gentleman.... He is similar to Zoe, though from my reality....

Fatima: Her people don't understand the Way.

Serenity: Octane's brother and wives do....

Zoe: *brow goes higher*

Fatima: ... *doesn't know what to say*

Serenity: I know someone who can arrange a meeting, if you would like to meet him....

Fatima: *wrings her hands beneath her veil* I'm only a woman. It doesn't matter what I like.

Zoe: *scowl*

Serenity: *gently* I only ask because Octane is a large being, and can be a bit intimidating at first....

Fatima: *unconsciously and inadvertently answers Serenity's question of whether she is afraid of the big bots by turning slightly toward where she can hear Zoe's systems running through the wall of the box. She may not agree with or understand the green Seeker, but she turns to her for comfort*

Serenity: *going to pester Patrick and get him to call Octane and arrange the meeting*

Zoe: *quietly* No. She better not meet him.

Serenity: .... *quietly telling Patrick 'Never mind'* *small frown*

Zoe: //Let her meet his wives.//

Serenity: *understanding nod* *will explain the situation to Patrick, and insist that Octane bring his wives*

Fatima: *startles at a little ding from somewhere under her veil, and then lowers herself to the floor to murmur softly*

Serenity: *gentle concern for Fatima, but will not speak out loud for now*

Zoe: *quietly* Who's this Octane guy?

Serenity: //He's a former Decepticon.... Megatron sold him to a trader for energy awhile back, and he wound up on a world called Leestos.... He calls one of the natives, Fer Lone, his brother, and has three wives now...//

Zoe: //Three wives?// *slight scowl*

Serenity: //They're his treasures.// *small smile* //I met one of them when they visited to check on the young lady that came to live with Patrick and Emilia. //

Zoe: //But still, polygamy? Women aren't possessions, they're people.//

Serenity: //Here...// *will share the information Patrick just sent her about Leestos and its natives* //Only one in forty women are fertile.... But all of them are treated well by their husbands.//

Zoe: *slight frown as she looks at the data, but then she blinks and chuckles quietly* //They're in charge. Even the ones with childlike minds.//

Serenity: //And how.// *soft chuckle* //Octane and Ruby stayed for a few days because Ruby wasn't done visiting with some of the women on base, including Little Sister.... Of course, Ruby's atypical.... Most of the women on Leestos are gentle, shy, and caring...//

Zoe: //So that's why Optimus suggested that Fatima meet Octane's wives instead of him.//

Serenity: *soft 'heh* //Well... Patrick's contacting Octane and arranging the meeting.... So we'll see how things go...//

Zoe: *nods and prays* //I just hope that somehow she can come to understand that women are human beings, and are worth something.//

Serenity: *small nod* *blink blink* //And Octane just suggested that we bring her to the room for women in his home....//

Zoe: *intakes deeply and peeks into the box just as Fatima sits up and wipes at her eyes*

Serenity: *watching and waiting*

Zoe: *quietly* //She's done.//

Fatima: *peeks over her shoulder to see if Serenity is still there*

Serenity: Would you like to come meet Octane's wives and the other women in the family?

Fatima: *uncertainly* Why?

Zoe: *quietly and gently* Because they want you to come.

Fatima: *looks from her to Serenity* ...You said they understand the Way?

Serenity: *nods* They do.

Fatima: But why do they want me? If they understand the Way, they know I've been tainted.

Serenity: They would not have asked if they did not want to meet you....

Fatima: *looks up at Zoe, trembling with uncertainty and fear*

Zoe: //She's used to being told what to do by a computer. It's probably going to be good for her to be away from me.// Don't worry, Fatima. They'll take care of you.

Serenity: *gently* Everything will be alright.

Fatima: *quietly, looking down at the floor* Alright. I'll come.

Serenity: *getting coordinates from Patrick, and an explanation of common courtesy* Okay.... *looks to sgShowtime and sends her a quick databurst*

sgShowtime: *small nod* I'll be right back.... *getting up carefully, will head for the Black Dog and see if she can get some of the grain that her smaller alternate mentioned*

Zoe: *quizzical look to Serenity*

Serenity: It's a common practice to bring a gift when visiting....

Zoe: Ohhhh. *slight grin* Can I send anything?

Fatima: *silent hand wringing beneath her veil*

Serenity: Any grain-based foods.... Things like bagels, unfrosted donuts, and breads....

Zoe: *grin gets wider, and she taps her audio and looks elsewhere for a moment*

good smelling box: *appears on the desk next to Fatima's box*

Zoe: Elephant ears? They're spread thinly with honey.

Fatima: *peeks at the box. Is attracted to the smell herself*

Serenity: *looks* Oh, that smells nice....

Fatima: *softly* I should bring this?

Serenity: *nods* It's a good gift

Fatima: *slight bow*

Serenity: *gentle clicks* I have the coordinates....

Zoe: Don't we need to wait for Show?

sgShowtime: *hurrying back with a box of grain, and thanking yOp over comms for his help*

Zoe: *chuckles* I heard that. He was offering you recipes and trying to arrange a pizza party, the brat.

sgShowtime: *soft chuckle* That's Oppy for you.... *totally suggested a pizza party for the Autobots of her reality of origin*

Zoe: Yes. It's part of why we all love him so much. *very gently tries to tip Fatima the rest of the way out of her box*

Fatima: *little cry of fright and clings*

Zoe: *softly* You can't go in a box, Fatima.

Serenity: *gentle clicks, clearly wants to reassure Fatima by putting a hand on the woman's shoulder, but isn't sure she should*

Fatima: *soft, frightened crying, but turns and clings to Zoe's hand as the Seeker puts it near her*

Zoe: *glances at Serenity* She's lived inside all her life. She's never even seen the sky. Are you taking her?

Serenity: *nods* We'll be inside, with a ceiling and everything. *will move to approach*

Zoe: *gentle touch for Fatima, then looks back to the smaller femme. Softly* Here, take her.

Serenity: *gentle clicks, will move to put an arm around Fatima's shoulders*

Fatima: *hugs herself beneath her covering, but turns blindly toward Serenity. Is shaking with fear*

Serenity: *more gentle clicks* *softly* You have the box of food?

Fatima: *lifts her head suddenly, eyes widening. Then she hurries over toward the large box and pushes it toward Serenity* I nearly forgot. Yes, I must deliver this. *going to focus on that. On doing her job*

sgShowtime: *will give her small alternate the other box*

box: *prettily decorated, as per custom*

Serenity: *thanks sgShowtime, will make sure Fatima is touching the box of elephant ears* *then she'll bring Fatima and both boxes of goodies to the coordinates, via PINpoint*


About an hour later....


Serenity: *returning to the Nexus* *such an amused and pleased expression on her face*

Zoe: *looks up from where she's sitting cross-legged by the open door of the safe house, drinking fizzy with Fireflight and sgShowtime* *quietly* How'd it go?

Serenity: The girls started gently fussing over her right away.... I think she'll be alright....

Zoe: *sighs with relief* Did they like the cakes?

Serenity: *chuckles* They did.... And they showed me that the elephant ear box needed to be decorated too.... Then they sang....

Zoe: Ooops. *ducks and goes XD*

Serenity: *chuckles more, then blinks as sgShowtime offers her a small fizzy* Thanks....

Fireflight: The blue flavour is very good. *optics sparkle gently at Serenity, then turn to sgShowtime* Right, Show?

sgShowtime: *nods* Blue anything is pretty good.... ^_^

Serenity: *grin* Yeah...

Fireflight: *thoughtfully* I don't know. Some Lumens are blue...

Zoe: *fizzy out intakes!* Owww *snerk*

Serenity: *blink blink* Who's Lumen?

sgShowtime: *'wings shaking as she tries not to snort fizzy out her own intakes*

Zoe: *flailahand descriptively, is sniggerfitdie*

Fireflight: *earnestly* He tries to make out with his wife on the couches in here.

Zoe: *snort snerk snigger groan*

Serenity: ... *facepalm*

sgShowtime: He used to try and get kisses from Blackout, too....

Fireflight: *sudden sad face* I'm not sure anybody is going to get kisses from Blackout anymore. She didn't even kiss me on the helm when I went to say hi to her in the bar this morning.

Zoe: *sobers and wipes face*

sgShowtime: *blink blink* Did something happen?

Fireflight: *softly* Jetfire says Jazz died.

Serenity: ....

sgShowtime: *hand to mouth* Oh, no....

Zoe: *slight nod and a wibble* *quietly* She loved him. But she hadn't finished waiting to make sure Skywarp wasn't coming back.

sgShowtime: *quietly* Poor Blackout....

Zoe: I keep trying to track her down to talk to her... she's done so much for my family. But she's not taking calls right now.

Serenity: *quietly* She's in mourning....

Zoe: Yeah. *shaky sigh* And it's not the Destron way to look for comfort from friends that you've comforted yourself, I guess.

sgShowtime: *quietly* I guess not..... But it also seems to be the Destron way to get roaring overcharged and bellow war ballads to the heavens....

Fireflight: Jetfire and Dready are doing a lot of that.

sgShowtime: *nods* Tarantulus is sharing....

Zoe: *turns her head and listens* You mean they're doing it now?

sgShowtime: *pinching the bridge of her nose in a very Optimus-like way* And how.

Serenity: *facepalm, can't help the snicker that escapes*

Zoe: Oh Skyfire and Starscream must love that. *shakes head*

sgShowtime: ... *facepalm* I think I should go see if they're alright....

Zoe: *finger to ear* *slight grin* Yes, they're okay. Ratchet says Skyfire's learned to block his twin.

sgShowtime: Good.... Starscream doesn't need derpy husband on top of caring for her children....

Zoe: *grins* Especially Stormfire. What a kid. *no ire in her voice or mannerism toward hsvStarscream*

Serenity: *puzzled look for the bigger bots*

sgShowtime: Stormfire's not as bad as Ophelia.

Zoe: I live with a Stormfire. I know exactly how she is. *chuckle*

sgShowtime: *headshake, amused*

Zoe: *then looks down and notices Serenity's expression* What's wrong?

Serenity: Stormfire? Ophelia?

Zoe: Stormfires are daughters of a Starscream and a Skyfire. Ophelia... *looks to sgShowtime* Isn't she Screamer's human sister?

sgShowtime: The one I know of is.... She's the mate of Allen Walker in that reality.... Flashpoint's cousin by marriage.

Zoe: And Flashpoint's Denver-used-to-be-MacKenzie. *nods*

Serenity: .... *soft snerk* So that's one similarity between realities then....

Zoe: *grins* Flashpoint's more like a femme Ironhide than an officer like yours is, though.

Serenity: .... *facepalm* Primus have mercy.... I've seen Ironhide when he gets going...

Zoe: Yours is a red Ironhide, right?

Serenity: *nods*

sgShowtime: *chuckles* I don't think she's seen the big ones yet....

Zoe: Black Ironhides are Ironhide squared, with added rowdiness.

Fireflight: *nods his head*

Serenity: *as sgShowtime also nods in agreement* ..... Oh good grief....

Zoe: That's a good way to describe them.

sgShowtime: I've seen a few.... They're stubborn, and usually pretty old... I know of one that's a bit younger, but I haven't seen him myself.... *slight headtilt* And neither has Tarantulus.... I think the guy keeps to himself....

Zoe: Do you mean the Thetacon?

sgShowtime: *puzzled* Thetacon?

Serenity: *wearing an identical expression to her alternate*

Zoe: That's the tribe black Ironhides belonged to before he became an Autobot.

sgShowtime: Oh.... Hm... *is likely going to look up information on the multinets later, just because she's curious*

Zoe: The younger guy's pre Autobot. He and his family have allied with Starchart's tribe. We deliver to them at their base out by the Lost Highway.

sgShowtime: *headtilt, trying to figure out where in the Nexus that is, since she and Tarantulus don't tend to wander very far*

Serenity: Lost Highway? *thinking about bringing Blaine there sometime and letting him run in root mode, since running flat-out helps him work through things, and she can't get him to sit still for very long anyway*

Zoe: Yup. It's where they run the races.

Serenity: Do you have coordinates for it?

Zoe: Sure. *gives her the coordinates of the main racing venue*

Serenity: *grin* I know someone who will probably like to go there....

Zoe: *grins* They do different kinds of races on different days. Don't bother sending your friend on the pro street race or pro enhanced stock days. He won't have a chance.

Serenity: *soft snerk* I'll keep that in mind.

Fireflight: *finishes his fizzy and then looks at Serenity* Those are the days Nightwind races.

Serenity: Nightwind?

Fireflight: *nods* She's a purple Minicon that's really fast.

Serenity: Huh....

sgShowtime: Faster than Blurr?

Zoe: Hmm. I don't know.

Fireflight: She says she's the second fastest thing on her Cybertron.

sgShowtime: Hm.... Well, even if I could find out where Blurr is.... I doubt he'd be able to take time off for a race.....

Zoe: Do you know if yours is alive?

sgShowtime: ... What do you mean by that? *no, she has no idea. She's that out of touch with events that happened while she was in stasis*

Zoe: *quietly explains what she knows about what happened to many Blurrs of their tech*

sgShowtime: *doorwings UP by the end of the explanation*

Zoe: *finishes* So, yeah. We have one in the dream that's just a ghost, and so afraid of walls of any kind that he lives out in the woods.

sgShowtime: *wibble*

Zoe: *hand on sgShowtime's shoulder* Hey. I know of a lot more realities where he got rescued.

sgShowtime: *quietly* He and I were friends, even though we got put on different squadrons.....

Zoe: *concerned look of sympathy* Do you want me to ask Optimus or Swindle if they can tell how he is?

sgShowtime: *quietly* Please?

Zoe: *tilts head and looks elsewhere, then smiles slightly* He's still on assignment on Earth.

sgShowtime: *relieved*

Serenity: *gentle patpat of her alternate's hand*

Zoe: *grin as she makes her empty fizzy bubble poof and gets to her feet* I better get back home, I can hear Silver and Cloe rioting.

Serenity: See you around, Zoe.

sgShowtime: *small nod* I'd better head back too... I still have to get presents for the kids....

Zoe: *chuckles* That reminds me. The Christmas elf should be there. I better go say hi, and promise that there won't be any bitties in the socks this year. *waves and walks away, then zips into the air*

Fireflight: If I tried taking off like that I'd probably hit my head on a whale.

Serenity: Christmas Elf?

Fireflight: *will explain that!*

sgShowtime: *wondering the same thing herself, but for now, she'll finish her fizzy, say goodbye to Fireflight as she poofs the bubble out of existence, and get up to go to the Nexus Mall*

((Written with random_xtras))