YD Verse and HNMV. Sparkplug's Shop and The /Ark/. Learning New Things

[dens_extra_pups]

Denver: *sleeping at an odd angle on her workstation. Was up late rebuilding and tooling a brand new part for the Decepticon femme*

Raoul: *comes wandering into the garage from the back hall, walking slightly sideways and blinking blearily as he tries to aim for the front door. Grunts as he gets sideswiped by an Ironhide* ...Dog.

Ironhide: *good morning, I see you, what's wrong?*

Denver: *snores because of the angle her head and neck are at*

Raoul and Ironhide: *both look toward her with surprise*

Denver: *sooo not awake*

Raoul: *shakes his head and clicks his tongue, then walks over and pokes her gently, as shaking her just scares her*

Denver: *grunts and moves to sit up*

Raoul: *quietly* You better go to bed.

Ironhide: *sitting and head tilting at you, Boss*

Denver: ... *blearily* Wh't tahm 's 't?

Raoul: *looks up at the clock on the wall* Eight.

Denver: *cuss* *moves to get off of her stool*

Raoul: *steps back to give her room* What?

Denver: Gotta git... clocked in. S'posed t' work 'n th't 'un gah's cah...

Raoul: I'll do it. You're wasted. Go to bed.

Denver: *frown*

Raoul: Before Tracks realizes he never got any snuggles last night. *stern*

Denver: *quietly, as she backs down before sternness* Make sure Ratchet gits th't paht... *will head for the apartment*

Raoul: *turns toward the front door for that look at the morning* Ya think? Ouch, dog, that's my *butt*.

Denver: Go git s'me breakfast, first. *stumbles through the door and moves to join Tracks on the berth*

Tracks: *murmurs and turns toward her, a slight smile touching his face without his waking*

Denver: *trying to get comfortable, conks out partially snuggled against him*

Tracks: *hand goes up and cuddles her close to his face. Gentle nuzzle and another murmur, this one clearly her Cybertronian name*

Denver: *soft sigh, sleep*


guest room


Magenta: *sits up and rubs her eyes, then looks at NanNan to see if it's time to get up yet*

Hattie: *just starting to wake up*

Magenta: NanNan, Mam? Papa? Eat?

Hattie: *rubs at her eyes a bit* Le's git y'u s'me breakfast th'n.

Magenta: *cute pout* Git s'me breakfast th'n.

Hattie: *chuckles and moves to get out of bed*

Magenta: *rolls over the side. Clunk!* *chirp*

Hattie: *moves to make sure Magenta isn't hurt*

Magenta: Wh'sie daisy. :p *nope, falling off stuff is no big deal to this baby*

Hattie: *amused sigh*

Magenta: *crawls toward the stairs, pouting studiously all the way*

Hattie: *will move to follow and make sure the sparklet doesn't tumble down the stairs this morning*

Magenta: *looks up as Hattie comes near her, then sits and holds up her arms to be lifted* My NanNan.

Hattie: *soft chuckle. Stoops to lift the sparklet, marveling at how quickly things have settled into a routine, and also at how fast Denver and Magenta have become very important to her since the day she and Jake showed up at the shop*

Magenta: *cuddles and lays her head on Hattie's shoulder*

Hattie: *will bring Magenta downstairs, absently musing to herself about what to get Denver as a birthday gift, and realizing she really doesn't know her granddaughter as well as she'd like to. Mentally promises to change that, now that she's here*

Magenta: *looks around as they emerge into the hall* Mam? Papa? *turns a quizzical little face to Hattie's*

Hattie: *confused by the lack of Denver and Tracks' presences in the hall. Usually, the two are up and about by this time* Wondah wh're th'y c'ld be...

Magenta: *big, temperamental pout*

Hattie: *will walk toward the control room, intending to see if the couple is in there*

Ratchet: *looks over as they come in, then chuckles softly and reaches toward the row of little bottles that contain Magenta's fuel. Hunkers down to offer the bottle to Hattie* Good morning.

Hattie: *as she accepts the bottle* Mornin', Ratchet. 'Ave y'u seen Tracks 'r Denver 'round?

Ratchet: Tracks is in bed, and Denver just stopped working to join him before you came out. *carefully doesn't look at Magenta, so that sleepers will not be wakened by angry shrieks*

Hattie: *small frown* *will offer Magenta the bottle* Oh. Well, 'n th't case...

Ratchet: *settles to one knee* How are you feeling this morning?

Hattie: Ah'm alrahght. Slept pretteh good.

Ratchet: *quietly* That's good. *gently* How is your situation?

Hattie: *snort* Matilda's still 'n th' warpath. Jes' 'cause th' courts said th't since Ah proved Ah w's 'f sound mahnd 'n bodeh...

Ratchet: *slight perk* They've acknowledged that you can take care of yourself?

Hattie: *nod* 'T 'elped th't Ah talked t' th'm 'n person.

Ratchet: That's good. *glances toward the door as Ironhide comes to sit by the door of Tracks and Denver's apartment*

Hattie: *quietly* Ratchet, Ah've been meanin' t' ask... D' y'u know much 'bout Denver's past?

Ratchet: *looks back to her with slight surprise* Only what Kriti told me. Denver doesn't hide it, though she's not much of a talker.

Hattie: 'N th't 's?

Ratchet: That her father treated her as if she were worth less than his sons and nephews. She ate after them, wore second hand clothes and shoes, and was always wrong in any arguments.

Hattie: *expression darkening* Th't...

Ratchet: Her stepmother used to set the boys on her. She was fifteen when her parents threw her out.

Hattie: *doing her best to avoid teaching the baby words not fit for polite company. Is trembling with the force of her anger*

Ratchet: When I first met Denver she was afraid to look a man in the eye. Optimus scared her so bad that she would shake. Sparkplug's attempts to joke with her scared her too.

Hattie: ... *quietly* 'Ow long 'go w's th't?

Ratchet: She met Sparkplug four years ago.

Hattie: *small nod* Knew th't...

Ratchet: She worked two years at a store, and lived at a youth hostel before that. *glances toward Magenta's tiny burp*

Hattie: *small nod* *expression is not happy* Jethro's gonna be gittin' 'is comeuppance 'f Ah 'ave anehth'n' t' say.

Ratchet: *quietly* She's shorter than the other Denver that comes here, and she hasn't got as much body fat as my book says a woman her height should have.

Hattie: ...

Ratchet: *quiet and serious* When she slept here before she and Tracks became a pair she used to keep Wheeljack up all night worrying because she'd cry. And I think she's got shell shock.

Hattie: ... *frown, looks toward the door to Tracks and Denver's apartment*

Ratchet: Jack's an old worry wart. *pot kettle*

Hattie: *quietly* Will Denver evah not be undahweight?

Ratchet: I don't know. It's hard to get her to eat sometimes. And the good food makes her sick.

Hattie: *confused expression is a go as she looks back at you, Ratchet* Wh't?

Ratchet: *quizzical look*

Hattie: 'Ow c'n good food make 'er sick?

Ratchet: Oh. Because she's not used to it. She thinks a tub of greasy chicken is a feast, and stays up all night with a stomachache after eating it.

Hattie: ... 'S th're anehth'n' th't c'n be done t' 'elp 'er? *quietly seething and plotting unpleasant things to do to Jethro*

Ratchet: *hands up in a shrug* I don't know, Mrs. Lamont. I haven't been able to find enough books on the subject to be able to tell.

Hattie: *quietly* Th'n 't's a good th'n' Ah'm 'eah now.

Magenta: Ah'm 'eah now.

Hattie: *soft snerk, cuddles the baby*

Ratchet: She thinks that Wonder bread and pickle and pimento loaf is a meal, and even Raoul doesn't like that stuff.

Magenta: Mac'n cheese loaf.

Hattie: *hums quietly. Is forming ideas on how to get Denver used to good food*

Ratchet: *perks* Though Sparkplug's gotten her hooked on Beefaroni. He says it has more food value.

Hattie: *snerks* Th' canned stuff?

Ratchet: *puzzled* There's a kind that doesn't come in cans?

Hattie: Ah bet Ah c'ld make s'meth'n' similar fr'm scratch.

Ratchet: Ohhh. *points* The kitchen's that hot plate in the garage.

Hattie: Wh're's th' neahest campin' goods stoah?

Ratchet: ...I'm not sure. What do you want to buy?

Hattie: A campin' stove, a set'a cast ahrn pots 'n pans, fuel f'r th' stove... *names a few more things that can be packed away easily when not needed, but are generally thought of as common kitchen essentials*

Ratchet: *scratches his head* Wal-Mart hasn't got those?

Hattie: ... Th'y mahght.

Raoul: *strolls in* Who got what?

Magenta: *huffs and turns her back on him*

Hattie: *as Kriti yawns and stretches in the inflatable boat in the corner* Does Wal-Mart 'ave campin' stoves, 'n *lists off everything else she's wanting to get*

Raoul: Beats me. But Slow Johnny's does. Except maybe the pans.

Hattie: Slow Johnny's? *raised brow*

Raoul: Yeah, he used to fence stuff 'n run a pawn shop, but now he sells military stuff. It's Denver's favourite place to shop.

Hattie: Wh're w'ld Ah be able t' git th' pans?

Raoul: *looks at Kriti* Think Johnny'd know?

Kriti: Prolly. *more stretch* And if not, we can always check at Sadie's thrift shop... She might even have some.

Raoul: Johnny's still got some of his old pawn stuff that never got claimed, too.

Kriti: *moving to get fuel* We can check later on.

Raoul: *snerks and jogs out of the room* Gonna go give him a phone call and see if he's up yet.

Hattie: *chuckles and proceeds to babydance with Magenta*

Ironhide: *comes trotting in to check things out in this room*


another time and another place


Diehard: *wibbly frown at the yellow bot* Up!

Sunstreaker: *backing away slowly* *remembers what happened the last time Diehard wanted to be picked up* *to both the sparklet and his passenger, who is strangely silent right now* No.

Desinex: *contemplating the strange little bots as she lets the idiot who originally owned this body run from them for a little bit to see how they react*

Diehard: *frown deepens, and then he starts to scold this bad stranger who won't be his friend!*

Sunstreaker: *backing up even more and trying to find the door* *do not waaant*

Diehard: *pushes to his feet and staggers toward the yellow one, talking now. Cheer up!*

Mauler: *quizzical chirp from where he's been watching this from under the table in the corner*

Diehard: *somebody strange is there, bubby! Two somebodies! They're not his friend, but they come see him. And Mama beated them up*

Sunstreaker: *wary look for the chirper*

Mauler: *shoving himself to his big feets with much more confidence than the older Diehard shows. Lifts his head and plots his trajectory, then grins and CHARGES!*

Sunstreaker: 0_0 *RUNS*

Desinex: *now it's getting interesting!*

Optimus: *opens the door about then and steps into the nursery to see if the sparklets want to play with him. Grunts as Sunstreaker slams into him, and then gives a strangled yelp as he feels something touch his circuits*

Sunstreaker: *pwned*

Desinex: *so startled* *and now she's seeing what Optimus knows about the tiny beings that have held her attention for so long* *ANGER*

Optimus: *staggers back from the surge of rage, hand to his head as Mauler hugs his leg* *has presence of mind enough to show this angry entity WHY the sparklets are started tiny and helpless. This way, they will have stable personality matrixes and much less chance of cognitive problems. Youngsters force fed data and immediately treated as adults often wind up struggling. Even his own Aerialbots have personality problems. And he doesn't even want to think of the Dinobots' issues*

Desinex: -...- *wondering about Halcyon now*

Optimus: *surprised as he staggers again under the wash of sadness and anger and winds up sitting on the floor* You're not Halcyon. *softly, with compassion* Come into the matrix and find peace.

Desinex: *had been thinking about her own start, and how many of her VS batch survived, as well as how few of Halcyon's fellows were still alive* *GROWLS and gives Optimus the equivalent of a solid kick to the head* -NO!- *and then she's gone*

Diehard: *crawls over to snuggle against Optimus' leg*

Mauler: *standing and wondering at bigs falling down and going boom*

Optimus: *groans and calls for Ratchet to come repair the unconscious Sunstreaker again* *then gives a deep sigh and gathers sparklets into his arms to comfort them and himself*

Ratchet: //... He slagged Elita off again?//

Optimus: *wearily* //He ran into me. The ghost isn't Halcyon.//

Ratchet: *surprise* //... It's not? Did you talk to it?//

Optimus: //Yes. I think she was controlling Sunstreaker.// *more quietly* //Halcyon had Sunstreaker's coding.//

Ratchet: *looks in* You sure about Halcyon's coding?

Optimus: //I saw it clearly in Desinex's mind.//

Ratchet: Desinex! *boggling even as he carefully lifts Sunstreaker* So Huffer wasn't exaggerating when he said Sunstreaker gave a detailed description of how he wanted to take Brawn apart.

Optimus: *looks up with surprise* No one told me about that.

Ratchet: *shrug* I thought it was malarkey. You know Huffer.

Optimus: *holds up Diehard, who chirps cheerfully* I would have still liked to know.

Ratchet: Sorry, Prime. *grunts slightly as he shifts his patient and considers the best way to step over Optimus* I'll get Sunstreaker to medbay and keep an eye on him.

Optimus: Good idea. *and then he's calling a warning a moment too late*

Mauler: *just slammed into Ratchet's leg*

Ratchet: Ooof!!! *skid meet floor!*

Sunstreaker: *groans as he's jostled*

Mauler: *hug hug!*

Optimus: *sighs and calls to Mauler*

Mauler: *chirp?* *turns and runs back to Unca*

Sunstreaker: *bleary blinking as he regains consciousness*

Ratchet: *trying to work out how to get up without dropping Sunstreaker*

Sunstreaker: Don't let them scratch my paint or drool on me!!!

Diehard: *scoldy bitty*

Mauler: :o

Optimus: *blinks* Sunstreaker?

Sunstreaker: *trying to get up and get away from the sparklets*

Ratchet: *denied!* Calm down, buddy.

Sunstreaker: *circulating rapidly* Don't let her get me again!

Optimus: *though he knows the identity of "her", he has to ask* Who are you talking about?

Sunstreaker: That crazy-aft 'Con! *starting to shiver with distress* It's bad enough she made Elita-One mad enough to dent me!!!

Optimus: *slowly rises to his feet after setting the sparklets down. Comes over to lift Sunstreaker* Which 'Con, Sunstreaker?

Sunstreaker: *as he's lifted* Don't make me say her name! She'll come back and take over again and then I'll be scrap metal!!!

Optimus: *sternly* How do you know Desinex? She was a sniper, and didn't work on the battlefield.

Sunstreaker: *cringing* She attacked me when I was escorting the President... Threatened to kill him unless I did what she told me to.

Ratchet: ... What did she make you do? *scanning the frontliner*

Sunstreaker: She... She... *swoons at the memory*

Ratchet: There's no bond, but...

Optimus: *frowns with worry and offers him the golden frontliner* But?

Ratchet: *as he accepts Sunstreaker* Somebody nicked a sample of his spark.

Optimus: *frown of concern* *quietly* Take care of him.

Ratchet: I'll do my best, Prime. *carries Sunstreaker out*

Optimus: *watches him go, and then sighs and turns his attention to the sparklets in time to stop an escape attempt by Mauler*


elsewhere


Desinex: *still reeling a bit from her inadvertent meeting with Optimus, and still seething from it as well. Saw the medic arrive, and decided it would be too risky to try and repossess the golden warrior's shell. So now, she's hiding deep within the Autobot computer. It's quieter here, which suits her just fine*

Teletraan 1: *watching the intruder with quiet curiosity and compassion*

((Written with random_xtras))