Nexus. The Black Dog. Meeting of Travelers

[dens_extra_pups]

svRatchet: *stumbling into the Black Dog. Is in the middle of a mission as a Traveler, but managed to get some free time. Is looking forward to a drink, a rest, and a bit of snarking with Keg*

Keg: *over in the corner with his feet up on the table as he talks to some tall bot who is only a dusky glimmer of colour and two shining golden optics in the shadows across from him*

svRatchet: *will move to approach, weariness clear in all of his actions and in his face* *pauses to greet a pink-haired Den Ya woman who informs him she's got his tab covered this time, then he's continuing over to Keg's table*

Keg: Hey, Mother Chest, won't you join us?

Den Ya woman: *snort* I got yer "Mot'er Chest" right 'ere, b'y. *mockingly shakes a fist before moving to scale svRatchet's back and perch on his shoulder*

Keg: *blinks at her, a bit confused* Chest is right there. *points to his. Still has no idea why "Mother Chest" is one of Kae Yau's titles, or why she always reacts to it the way she does*

golden eyed bot: *snorts*

Keg: What?

Den Ya woman: *also snorts*

svRatchet: *ditto that, will also pull up a chair*

Keg: You guys, sometimes... *shakes his head and tips up his drink, but then nods to the half hidden bot* Ratchet, Kae Yau, this is Ultra Magnus. Mags, this is Ratchet, and Kae Yau.

Nightwish: I know. I've seen them before.

svRatchet: *raised brow* A female Ultra Magnus?

Kae Yau: *SNERK* Nice.

Nightwish: *leans forward, exposing her face to the few lights that are still on in the technically closed bar* It's a title where I live now.

svRatchet: ... *amused snort* I should've known.

Keg: Known what? *quirks a brow and tips his cube up to drink more of the nice warm hot choccy*

svRatchet: *nods toward Nightwish* I know a couple of her alternates. Usually goes by the name Nightwish.

Keg: Oh. Yeah. This is the one that Hormah got out of that sun. *slight grin, and then a murmur of thanks for Bet as the clone brings over drinks for himself, Ratchet, and Kae Yau*

Kae Yau: *leans forward a bit to try and get a good look at the other woman* So where ye from, eh?

Nightwish: I'm currently CO2 of the Lost Light in reality *recites the number*.

Kae Yau: 0_0 *UNPRINTABLE*

Nightwish: *smirks* Yeah. I know.

Keg: *o.0? over the upper edge of his new cube of choccy as he glances back and forth between the two women*

Kae Yau: Yer from the same reality as I is!

Nightwish: I am now. And right now the Light is sitting on Terra.

Kae Yau: *soft snerk* Nice place.

svRatchet: Terra? *raised brow ridge*

Nightwish: A Quadriate homeworld, in that reality. Part of the Den Ya Coalition.

Keg: 0.0 You mean the place with the storms and the crazy stampeding robo wildebeests?

Kae Yau: *nod* Aye. 'N home t' a few families o' Cani.

Nightwish: Mmmhmm. I think a visiting Cani wanted to keep Rodimus.

svRatchet: What happened? *can tell there's a good story to be had*

Nightwish: Hmm? *leans back into the shadows*

svRatchet: Why'd they want to keep Rodimus?

oldLumen: *comes wandering over, creaking* Sorry I'm late. The team went up against this ... *shudders and decides to keep the ick to himself* Sorry I'm late.

svRatchet: Pull up a chair 'n get some fuel, mech.

Lumen: *sighs and flips the chair around so he's sitting on it backward* Optimus can't come. She's got to make sure Percy doesn't have nightmares. And Mira's at Wake's hospital, getting duct tape extraction and some surgery. *mummified his sister to keep her together*

Keg: *hands over his hot choccy*

Lumen: *sniff sniff. Swig!* *sigh*

Kae Yau: And 'Mia?

Lumen: *stops to think as Bet comes over with more drinks* I think she 'n 'Hide were passed out in Aunty Desi and Hound's bathtub, because they thought they needed a bath before bed, but yeah. The recharge bunny hit.

Kae Yau: *small nod*

svRatchet: *slight frown as he nods*

Lumen: They live in the garage, and there's no washrack out there yet, because we keep getting distracted with other things. Including the time Uncle Streaker and Uncle Swiper got cratered and installed a shower in the cellar instead.

Nightwish: *shakes her head slowly*

Kae Yau: *snerk* 'Ow plastered was Show?

Lumen: *thinks, then snerks quietly* That was the time she got so mad at Uncle Streaker that she went and huffed couch gas.

svRatchet: *wince*

Kae Yau: Eeesh.

Keg: It's hard to think of a Showtime that mad.

Lumen: *quietly* Seeing her loved ones play chicken with death'll do it every time.

svRatchet: *nod of agreement*

Kae Yau: What'd t'ey do?

Lumen: I never did find out. *creaks softly as he lifts a shoulder in a shrug*

svRatchet: *frowns and scans Lumen*

Lumen: *all the marks of uncountable centuries of brawling on the front lines. Coupled with the fact that wherever he was today was well endowed with fine silty sand*

svRatchet: You need to hit the washracks, mech. *has a long pull from his drink*

Lumen: I know. I already did. But I had to come to this before I went for anything fancy.

svRatchet: *raised brow ridge*

Kae Yau: Maybeh the lad needs a buffer 'r a hugmonster? *slight grin*

Keg: Nah. I think those are only for your reality.

Kae Yau: Hm. *going to be thinking this over, even as she considers lighting the contents of her pipe*

Nightwish: Incoming.

Keg: *looks toward the door* Who else are we expecting?

svRatchet: *looks toward the door as well* At this point, it could be anyone.

Blades: *wanders in looking very lost*

Keg: *sits up* Blades? What are you doing here at this time of night?

svRatchet: *sitting up a bit straighter*

Kae Yau: *mama radar tingling!*

Blades: *deep sigh and a hand through his messy hair* 'Brina couldn't come home. *more sigh and deep sadness* I'm lonely.

Nightwish: 'Brina? *glances at the others*

svRatchet: *quietly* His wordmate.

Kae Yau: *climbing down from her perch to give hugs because the young man seems to need them*

Keg: *calls for warm chocolate milk*

Blades: *head on Kae Yau's shoulder* *softly and sadly, with a little tremor in his voice* Thank you.

Kae Yau: *quiet hum, will gently rub Blades' back*

svRatchet: Kae Yau, bring him to the table so he can have his chocolate milk.

Keg: *takes milk from Bet and sits it down nicely, then looks over toward the organic people*

Nightwish: *quietly* He's really stressed.

Kae Yau: *will gently guide Blades over to the table, still doing that quiet hum that she learned from an old Drachenschwarm lady*

svRatchet: *will gently and carefully lift Blades and Kae Yau up onto the table*

Keg: *hand out toward the organics*

Blades: *slight squeak as he's lifted, and then a sad look around as he's set down*

Nightwish: *watches him in silence, her expression thoughtful*

Kae Yau: *gently fussing over Blades now, is being very maternal*

svRatchet: *as gently as he can manage* Here, kid. Drink this. *will carefully offer the chocolate milk*

Blades: *looks at the mug, and then hesitantly accepts it* *quietly* Thank you.

Nightwish: *to the bots present* //Boy, he really works that voice tremble.//

Keg: *slight frown at her, and then turns his attention back to Blades*

svRatchet: *soft snort over comms* //He's as gentle as they come.// *keeping an optic on Blades as well*

Kae Yau: *going to gently fuss over Blades as long as he's in reach*

Blades: *sips and sighs, then lifts his head and wibbles*

Kae Yau: *wonders to herself where she put that jar of wishes she bought the last time she was here*

Keg: Don't worry, Blades. 'Brina's probably fine.

Blades: *more wibble* I don't know. She said her people are gearing up for a final assault.

svRatchet: *looks up at that, startled* What?!

Kae Yau: *blink. BLINK!*

Lumen: *sets down the tank he'd been busy draining* Oh yeah, that's right. They're getting ready to kick Megs' can.

svRatchet: *jaw drops*

Kae Yau: ...Do t'ey need any backup?

Lumen: Nope. *slight snerk* They've got it. Wanna see what happened to one of their Shockwaves the other day?

Blades: *free hand over his eyes* No...

Nightwish: I do.

Keg: *protective hand by Blades' back*

svRatchet: Might as well show it.

Keg: *other hand in front of Blades*

Blades: *quiet* Thank you.

Lumen: *shows the mv Shockwave clone after he grabbed that live lever. Accompanies it with the Harlem Shake soundtrack*

svRatchet: *snort, facepalm*

Lumen: *and then shares all the other little videos that Javan put up on Multiverse Video after Fluffy shared them*

Nightwish: ...Creepy.

Keg: :o

svRatchet: *wince* That looked painful.

Keg: Were those... //Internal tubing?//

Lumen: Yup. And the little kid yelling "bad Daddy" was his son.

svRatchet: ... His son?

Lumen: *image of a sassy little baby bucket head sitting with a couple little Seekers*

Keg: D'awww!

Nightwish: *snerk*

svRatchet: *SNERK*

Kae Yau: Aww

Keg: *lets Blades see the picture*

Blades: *blink blink* Babies!

svRatchet: Seeklets. *chuckles* Whose kids?

Lumen: *lowers his drink and squints* The browny gold guy's Starscream's and the black one's Sidewinder's.

svRatchet: *snort* Their Starscream's the one that wised up, right?

Lumen: Beats me. *burrp*

Blades: 0.0 Excuse you.

svRatchet: *headshake, even as Kae Yau sniggers*

Nightwish: That wasn't even well brought up enough to warrant the joke.

Blades: *sputters his milk and looks up again* There's a joke?

Keg: BRAAP. :D

Blades: 0.0!

Kae Yau: *slapping her leg now as she laughs*

svRatchet: *amused rumble*

Lumen: *frowns at Keg for a considering moment* *then snerks* BRRAAP!

Nightwish: *facepalm*

svRatchet: *BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP*

Kae Yau: *falls over in shock*

Keg: 8o

Lumen: *gasp*

Blades: I can't look. Is there a mess?

svRatchet: *looks around*

Nightwish: He didn't purge.

Blades: *peeks, then sighs and has another sip of his milk* Oh good.

Lumen: *must poke Ratchet*

svRatchet: *growls and swats at the Lumen hand*

Keg: *grins and pokes the other side of the Ratchet*

svRatchet: *NOTCUSS*

Kae Yau: *don't mind her. She's just going to lay there and wheeze until she can catch her breath*

Keg: *hesitates, and then reaches down and pokes her in the tummy*

Kae Yau: *wheezy squeak*

Keg: *tries poking her on the side instead*

Kae Yau: *startled braap*

Blades: *sputters his milk with a startled hiccough*

svRatchet: *scans Blades*

Blades: *has hiccoughs!*

Nightwish: *pokes Lumen*

Lumen: *rattles the windows* Ack!

Blades: *no more hiccoughs...*

Nightwish: My captain must never know that burps can be that loud.

svRatchet: Your captain?

Nightwish: Rodimus. *still eyeing Lumen, who has the grace to look embarrassed*

svRatchet: 0_0 *facepalm*

Kae Yau: *snickerfitdie*

Nightwish: He does a pretty good job.

svRatchet: How many roofs has he jumped off of?

Nightwish: None, since I've met him. *brow quirk*

svRatchet: *giving you an incredulous look now, Nightwish*

Nightwish: *steady look back*

Keg: *gently poking Blades' milk to remind him to drink*

Blades: *drinks and sighs*

svRatchet: That's impressive.

Nightwish: He's got a lot of bots depending on him.

svRatchet: *small nod* Now if we could just get the one where I'm from to realize that...

Nightwish: *leans her elbows on the back of her seat* Just take Optimus out of the picture.

svRatchet: 0_0

Blades: *spittakes the last of his milk on Kae Yau*

Lumen: *must laugh*

Kae Yau: *indignant squawk and frantic attempts at trying to get the milk off*

svRatchet: *quietly, sounding very spooked* If anything happened to Optimus, our entire society would fall into chaos.

Lumen: Nah.

Nightwish: Optimus usually only goes when it's time.

svRatchet: *still quiet, studying his drink* I hope ours isn't meant to go for a long time.

Nightwish: Couldn't tell you. The Captain's the bridge.

Lumen: *blink blink* Huh?

Keg: *can't help but snerk as he helps Kae Yau wipe off chocolate milk*

svRatchet: So he's got the Matrix?

Nightwish: The half of it with the map in it.

svRatchet: 0_0 Half?!

Nightwish: Mmmhmm.

Blades: *wibbly* Who broke the Matrix?

Kae Yau: *much frown now*

Nightwish: Optimus did.

svRatchet: *jaw. DROPS*

Keg: *done wiping* You've met Seaspray's Orion.

svRatchet: *boggling even more now*

Nightwish: Don't worry. We found Elita-One.

Blades: ...Who's Elita-One? *tries to drink from empty mug*

Keg: Your mother in law.

Blades: *blinks at his mug, and then up at the bot* No... that's Emi.

Lumen: *drinking Ratchet's drink*

svRatchet: *indignant sound when he realizes where his drink went*

Lumen: *quickly hands it back* :D

svRatchet: *SO MUCH STINKEYE*

Keg: You know, Doc. If you're this easily distracted then I think you need a visit to the safe house before you go back to the Core.

svRatchet: *scowls and rubs at his faceplates a bit*

Lumen: *sneezes and snerks about it, then rubs his intakes and nods* Yup, looks like the kid's tired.

Keg: *looks at the blue bot sideways for calling Ratchet that*

Kae Yau: *laughs*

svRatchet: *mutters about razzinfrazzinpunks*

Keg: *and then blinks* Blades, did you walk here?

Blades: *sad and tired nod*

Keg: o.o Through the spooks?

Blades: Yes.

Keg: *sighs and gets to his feet* *gently* Here, I'll bring you to your house and stay around till Sabrina comes home or you wake up.

Blades: *so much sad* Thank you. *offers Kae Yau his empty mug*

Kae Yau: *will accept the offered mug, worry clear on her face*

Blades: Goodbye, everyone. Hope you have a good night. *lets himself be picked up*

Keg: See ya, guys. Stay outta trouble, alright?

Lumen: I don't get in trouble. *winks at Kae Yau*

Kae Yau: Nah, b'y. Ye is it. *grin*

Lumen: *grins right back*

svRatchet: *tired sounding snort*

Keg: *chuckles and carries Blades out, calling a farewell to Bet as he goes*

Nightwish: *turns her head to study the wall as something rattles softly inside it*

svRatchet: *sighs and finishes his drink, praying silently for Blades and 'Brina to be reunited soon*

Nightwish: *studies the further wall* The tictocs just finished their wind harvesting field.

Lumen: The whutnow?

Nightwish: Those tiny little snowman shaped robots that live in that far wall.

Lumen: *Looks!* Oh. Huh.

svRatchet: *raised brow ridge* Huh.

Nightwish: *looks at the old medic* Can you see through the wall?

svRatchet: *headshake*

Nightwish: *turns her hand palm upward and creates the holographic image of a bot that's less than a foot tall. The body is one ball, the head is another nearly as big, and the legs are little things that cause the owner to beedy as they walk. Big eyes and a sweet little grin make up the face, and small arms include perfect tiny hands with four fingers and a thumb*

svRatchet: *blink blink!*

Nightwish: They've been here awhile, though not as long as the ponies in the city in the field. They've got that wall all full of little homes and walkways.

svRatchet: *small nod, will finish his drink*

Nightwish: *scans him to see how he's doing*

svRatchet: *definitely a bit run down today. Would benefit from a quiet rest*

Lumen: *pokes Kae Yau, has kind of spaced out*

Kae Yau: Oy! *swats at the Lumen hand*

Nightwish: *pushes up to her feet, and then lifts the old medic into her arms* Let's get you in bed, Doc. *yes, there's affection in her voice*

svRatchet: *sighs and consents to be lifted. Knows it's no use stopping a Nightwish when she gets an idea in her head* Alright.

Nightwish: *wishes the others a good night, as she intends to return to her ship after making sure Ratchet's on a berth. Then carries the medic out of the Black Dog*

Lumen: *hand poised and motionless near Kae Yau as he watches them go*

Kae Yau: *absently makes a lavender and blue fireball appear*

Lumen: *quietly conversational once the female Ultra Magnus is out of sight* Why can't the ladies of my tech have gams like that?

Kae Yau: Dunno. *will play with her fireball as it floats in front of her*

Lumen: *thinks about something and looks at her studiously* Yours aren't as nice.

Kae Yau: Ses ye, b'y.

Lumen: They're skinnier, and not as long.

Kae Yau: *snerk* Me mate figures t'ey's pretty fine.

Lumen: Really?

Kae Yau: Aye. *smirks and stretches languidly*

Lumen: Huh. *deeeep thought* I don't think I ever really stopped to think about how 'Halo looks.

Kae Yau: *snort*

Lumen: *looks in all the drink containers on the table* *quietly* But then we were never together till after my spark went out.

Kae Yau: *frowns as she thinks about that* T'en what happened?

Lumen: *turns his gaze to her* Huh?

Kae Yau: Did ye talk t' the lass or not?

Lumen: Sunhalo? We were best friends all my life. She and I met when we were just sparklets. She used to help me get messages to my girlfriends the times they were on leave and I wasn't.

Kae Yau: 'N now? *raised brow*

Lumen: What do you mean?

Kae Yau: What're ye t' 'er?

Lumen: Oh. We've been together for... *scrunches face* Nearly a year, if we were going by normal time. She still lives back where I came from, and I'm at the mansion.

Kae Yau: Ah. *small nod*

Lumen: She never said she wanted to be with me. *slight frown as he looks toward the door* Even when she asked me for the CNA sample so she could make the twins.

Kae Yau: Might'a t'ought she di'n't need t' say anyt'ing.

Lumen: *bewildered look* I ain't a bridge and I ain't Soundwave.

Kae Yau: But she made babies wit' ye.

Lumen: Yeah, a few weeks before I died. She'd made other lab-born sparklets for other people, too.

Kae Yau: *quiet for a few moments, making the fireball dance and contort as she thinks*

Lumen: *rumbles and looks around, then shrugs* You have a job going right now?

Kae Yau: Nay, b'y. Jes' finished knockin' some sense int' 'un o' me alts.

Lumen: *blinks and turns back to make the Spock brow at her* Which one?

Kae Yau: One o' the young 'uns. Ain't met Batsy yet.

Lumen: Ah. *attention wanders again, and then he stands* Want to go chase spooks around?

Kae Yau: 'Re ye fit to drive? *wicked grin*

Lumen: *again with the Spock* When aren't I?

Kae Yau: *laughs and moves to scale the oldbot so she can sit on his shoulder*

Lumen: *as he walks toward the door* So that chick Magnus is from your reality now?

Kae Yau: *nods* Aye. I's t'inkin' word o' 'er'll get 'round t' me 'omeworld soon 'nough.

Lumen: Your homeworld?

Kae Yau: *nod* Near a door.

Lumen: What do they care about some bot dame? *pauses on the porch to look over D'Coda's moonlit garden*

Kae Yau: *chuckles* Den Ya love t' keep tabs on the comin's 'n goin's. *relaxing a bit now that they're out in the night air, where the sounds of whispering leaves and the talking of nocturnal creatures from the Entwife's garden blends with the rattles and sounds of the spooks that are roaming the subdivision and the poplar bushland where the zombie Optimus was found*

Lumen: *looks toward the aspen bush forest where the Optimus who now lives at Hormah's sanctuary was captured, his sensors easily picking out the beings that are currently roving among the wild rosebushes and the snow. Then turns to look toward the subdivision as someone yells with surprise after unexpectedly meeting a spook face to face*

Kae Yau: *looks toward the condos in the subdivision, lavender and blue fire starting to creep up her arms* T'ere we goes.

Lumen: *notes* I don't know that guy. From the baseball bat, it looks like he thinks he's spook hunting.

Kae Yau: Never seen the *bleep* afore in me life.

Lumen: Let's go show him real spook hunting. *crouches slightly in preparation for a leap. Plans to PINpoint at the apex of the jump and come down on the spook with both feet*

Kae Yau: *flames at the ready* Go, b'y!

Lumen: *leaps!* *PINpoints!*

Genji: *about wets himself as big feet land on the walking skeleton he'd just come face to face with in his backyard*

((written with random_xtras))