hsv. Autobot Base. Neighbors

[dens_extra_pups]

plump girl: *doesn't look a day over sixteen. Black hair is pinned up messily as she yaks with Ophi and hangs laundry in the courtyard of the apartment building*

Ophi: *happily yakking back as she stands by a basket of laundry, Miracle asleep in a mei-tai on her front*

plump girl: *glances over toward a flash of pink and grins* There's my new neighbour. *gives a white pair of boxers a good flip and then hangs them up*

Ophi: Really? Who's that, Delores? *curious*

Delores: *slight grin* Hank's girlfriend. *waves to the pink-haired woman*

Ophi: *snerk* Hank's got a girlfriend now?

pink-haired woman: *waves back*

Delores: Yup. And she knows he's furry. They had the window open last night, and you should have heard them arguing over whether or not he was going to wear it to bed.

Ophi: *snerk* Good grief.

Delores: *sees her new neighbour pause and flips another pair of boxers* Kae! We're gossipping about you!

Kae Yau: *coming over now, curious*

Ophi: *excuse her, she's got to snickerfitdie*

Delores: *friendly grin as yet another pair of boxers goes up* Hi, I'm your neighbour to the right. Delores Holmes.

Kae Yau: *nods* I's Kae Yau Yasu. *still feels a bit odd introducing herself as such*

Ophi: *snerks and adjusts her skirt so the hem doesn't get caught in her braces. Has on her favorite, long, swishy skirt, and a cute blouse*

Delores: *you didn't introduce yourself, Ophi. Now you're in for it* This is my friend, Feely Walker. *grins and flips shorts*

Ophi: *thrrpt*

Kae Yau: *snerk*

Miracle: *starting to wake up*

Ophi: My name is Ophi Walker. Delores never gets it right.

Delores: *snerks and grabs more shorts* Were you at work, Kae?

Kae Yau: School. 'N I prefers bein' called "Yau" if ye're givin' me a nickname.

Delores: Oh. Sorry. *grins and stops for another pair of shorts* Got time to visit?

Kae Yau: Aye. 'Sup?

Delores: Not much. I'm just hanging up Mr. Holmes' pants. When he finally pries his beak out of that book and looks out the window he'll have an aneurysm. *snigger*

Kae Yau: *blink blink* 'Ow come?

Ophi: 'Cause, Senor Holmes is weird.

Delores: What do you expect from a guy from where he's from? *stoops and looks for that last pair of shorts that she knows is in here*

Kae Yau: ... Where 'e's from?

Delores: London. *looks so innocent, but her eyes are laughing so much*

Kae Yau: ... I's from London, b'y. *doesn't believe what she's hearing*

Delores: A few hundred years ago.

Kae Yau: ...

Ophi: *getting good at telling what's about to happen* Don't cuss around my kid.

Kae Yau: *mouth snaps shut audibly*

Delores: *sniggerfit into that last pair of shorts*

Ophi: *going to turn her attention to Miracle, who is making all kinds of happy noises now*

Kae Yau: ... *gives herself a bit of a shake*

Delores: He's not from this reality either, like yours, Yau.

Kae Yau: ... Oh. T'at 'splains t'ings, sorta.

Delores: *flips that last pair of shorts* You ever read old books?

Kae Yau: Not really.

Ophi: Ever hear'a Sherlock Holmes?

Kae Yau: *gives the short redhead a Look* Aye.

Delores: *waits for the click as she hangs up the shorts*

Kae Yau: Wait. Ye mean t' tell me...

Delores: Yup. I'm a Mary Sue. *snerk*

Kae Yau: *snickerfitdie*

Delores: *curious glance* Though I guess you're one too.

Kae Yau: ... 'Ow d' ye figure?

Delores: Your guy's in books here too.

Kae Yau: Ah.

Ophi: And there's Mama Yau, too. *snerk*

Delores: *looks at her friend as she pulls on the end of the sheet that's all twisted up in the basket* Mama Yau?

Ophi: *nod* She's another version of Yau. Married royalty, 'n is kinda the boss of things in her reality.

Delores: 0_0 *turns to Kae Yau* Well, you've got me beat.

Kae Yau: *looks a bit uncomfortable now* Oh...

Ophi: Yeah, she also gets Scattor in headlocks and noogies him, too.

Kae Yau: *can't help it, snerks*

Delores: *curious look* Who's Scattor?

Ophi: He's a guy in the Nexus who sparkles and gives wishes. Sometimes, he's a bunny.

Delores: o.0 Kinda like that blue and red guy that brings the food orders?

Ophi: Yup. *grin* Oppy's a Guardian Fae, but he's also a dragon.

Delores: *grins* Wow. Um. Yau, could you give me a hand? The washer really tied this in a knot.

Kae Yau: ... It's not still wet, is it?

Delores: It's been through the spin cycle... *quick look* Would getting wet be bad for you?

Kae Yau: *nod, looking a bit sheepish* Aye...

Ophi: She's not human. She'd get sick if she got wet.

Delores: Would it be safe for her to hold Miracle?

Ophi: *looks a bit uncertain now* Lemme check with Screamy... *cell phone out, speed dialing sister!*

Starscream: *the usual slight, very protective, alarm in her voice as she answers* //What's wrong, Ophi?//

Ophi: With the diapers you made for Miracle, would it be safe for Kae Yau to hold her, even if it's about time for a diaper change?

Starscream: *relaxes nearly audibly* //It should, but I just sent Fireflight with Miracle's basket so that you wouldn't strain yourself by carrying her too long.//

Ophi: *smile* Thanks, Screamy. I'll talk to you later.

Starscream: *shrill voice goes soft with affection* //You're welcome. Be careful.//

Ophi: I will. I'm with Delores and Kae Yau right now.

Starscream: //Hmmm. Watch out for Kae Yau.//

Ophi: *blink blink* Why? She's bein' good.

Starscream: //They can be... volatile.//

Ophi: *snerks* I'll keep that in mind. We going to the 'Dog for dinner tonight?

Starscream: //Yes, unless Allen drops this and injures himself.//

Allen: *in the background* //I'm not carrying too much, Scream!// *laughter*

Ophi: Tell Allen to bug Skyfire for help. I don't want a broken doofus. *laughs*

Starscream: //Skyfire's helping Snarl dig Thundercracker out of his last munitions experiment.//

Delores: *sudden laughter* That's not a bench, Fireflight.

Fireflight: I know. I'm being careful.

Ophi: *looks up* Hey, Fireflight. *grin*

Miracle: *chats to Uncle!*

Fireflight: *grins his sweet grin from where he's sitting on the roof of the south side of the apartment building* Starscream asked me and Archie to bring Miracle's basket. *reaches down and sets it gently on the ground*

Ophi: *nods* That's what she told me, too. *will bring Miracle over to the basket*

Miracle: *happy chatting! Sees her fun seat!*

Fireflight: *clicks to his niece, then looks over toward the other ladies in the courtyard. Sits up with interest when he realizes that he doesn't know one of those ladies* Oh, hello. I'm Fireflight, and this is Archie. What's your name?

Delores: *grinning still as she looks at Kae Yau to see if the pink-haired woman wants to speak up for herself or be introduced*

Kae Yau: *feeling a bit shy now* I... I's Kae Yau Yasu.

Miracle: *talk talk talk! Wave Little Archie around a bit and then kiss the little towelling squid plushie silly*

Fireflight: *shyness in response to shyness. Hugs his Archie and hides on him a bit* That's a pretty name, Miss Yasu.

Kae Yau: *ducks her head a bit* I's... I's an alt o' Mama Yau, 'parently.

Fireflight: *earnest curiosity* I've never met her, but I've heard about her. She set Skywarp's aft on fire once.

Delores: 0_0

Kae Yau: *boggling*

Ophi: *facepalm* I don't even wanna know why.

Fireflight: Nightwish said it was because he was backfiring.

Delores: *just collapsed face first into her laundry basket*

Kae Yau: ... *so very lost*

Ophi: *snickerfit, will gently tuck Miracle into her basket*

Fireflight: *looks up and laughs* Stormfire got away again. I better go get her back. *tucks Archie into his cockpit and then leaps into the air from the roof, has soon flown over to his temperamental niece and is sitting and rocking her on the roof of the administrative and office building*

Miracle: *chatters to Little Archie about being in the fun seat again as Mama pushes her back toward the others*

Delores: *looks up as Ophi comes back, her face red and damp with smothered laughter* Are you going to be alright helping me get this untwisted?

Ophi: Yeah. Miracle likes her basket, so Kae Yau can keep an eye on her.

Delores: Not what I was talking about. *stands and tugs on the sheet* I don't want you hurting yourself. Your sister can get scary.

Ophi: ... Oh. *small frown* *considering look for the sheet* I think that'll be okay for me to help out with.

Delores: Okay. *tugs it up and finds an end, which she offers to Ophi*

Kae Yau: *as Ophi grabs the offered end* Why not ask one o' the bots t' 'elp?

Delores: *blinks and looks at Ophi as the idea happens for the first time* Aren't they all busy? I haven't heard anything since the crash and Ratchet yelling.

Ophi: ... I know some'a them are busy on patrols. *perks* But Ariel, Dion, 'n Orion aren't busy, I don't think.

Delores: Right. They're only in school in the mornings. *looks at the sheet* You want to do that instead?

Ophi: Yeah. That way, they've got something to do, and Screamy won't fuss over me so much. *phone back out, calling Orion and asking him to bring Ariel and Dion to where she, Delores, and Kae Yau are*

Delores: *puts the sheet end back in the basket, and then checks the butt of her worn cords before sitting on the basket herself and clicking her tongue at Miracle*

Miracle: *happy bweee*

Delores: *soft laughter* What're you going to do when you have to go to work and can't bring this basket and your dolly?

Miracle: *chatter*

Delores: *chuckles more* Seriously. The new computer monitors don't have any room for dolls to sit on top of them anymore.

Ophi: *chuckles* Yeah, but her desk might have room. If her pants pockets don't.

Kae Yau: *about to chime in, attention goes to the entrance of the courtyard*

Ariel: *just slapped Dion in the gut and ran away laughing. Will scoot out to the courtyard*

Delores: *laughs* What kind of pants is this kid gonna be wearing? *stands and turns a stern cop face to the oncoming youngbots* Hey now.

Dion: *rubbing at his belly where he got slapped* At least she didn't go for my butt this time.

Delores: *turns the stern face to Ariel* You molesting this guy?

Ariel: You're supposed to pick on your brothers. How're they gonna know ya love 'em otherwise?

Delores: *stern face goes thoughtful* So that's why mine are like that, huh? *shrug* You wanna help with a big wet sheet?

Ariel: *nodnod* Dion and I have this. *grins and grabs one end of the sheet*

Dion: *coming over to grab the other end of the sheet*

Delores: *can't keep in a little fussing* Keep it off the ground.

Ariel: We've done this before, Aunty.

Delores: Okay. But I'm a cop and I had a crazy, controlling mother. And I'm Mexican. Let me fuss a little already.

Ophi: *will give Delores a whap*

Delores: Ow. *laughs and swats back gently*

Ophi: The kids know what they're doing, Delores.

Delores: *just grins at her friend and then turns to look into the laundry basket, her eyes saying she's embarrassed by the fussing she did and isn't sure what to do now*

Ophi: *patpat* *has seen moments like this before, where her friend was embarrassed because her fussing was noticed and commented on*

Kae Yau: *carefully wheeling Miracle back and forth in the basket, chuckling softly as the gregarious little girl chatters up a storm*

Delores: *hands Dion a clothespin when he shows her untwisted sheet, her grin restored and her dark eyes laughing*

Dion: Thanks. *will move to carefully pin the end of the sheet he's holding onto the clothesline*

Ariel: *waiting patiently for a clothespin*

Delores: *gives the slender pink girl a pin too*

Ariel: Thanks. *grins and gets her end of the sheet pinned*

Delores: *another pin for Ariel*

Ariel: *chuckles* I love Aunty Scream. *plays with the bird-shaped clothespin a bit before moving to pin more of the sheet up*

Delores: She's the one that made those? *a last pin for Dion, and then she's stooping to tug on the second sheet*

Ophi: Yup. After Allen made her watch "The Flintstones" one time.

Dion: *thanks Delores and pins the sheet in one more place, before moving to see if the next sheet needs untwisted*

Delores: I think the public machine hates me. *can't even really find an end on the second sheet!* I must not have enough laundry for it or something.

Dion: *soft clicks, offers to help with this sheet as well*

Delores: *steps out of the way to give the kid room* Yours don't get tangled, Ophi? *quizzical frown*

Ophi: Why do you think Ariel and Dion have so much practice at this? *grin*

Delores: Ohhhhh. *laughs* I thought maybe you'd got your own machine, like Mrs. Trach.

Ophi: Naw. This is easier.

Delores: *laughs and looks for Kae Yau as she stoops to pick the last piece of laundry out of the basket* Hey, Yau, what could I offer you instead of coffee?

Kae Yau: *looks over from where she's still wheeling Miracle back and forth* I's fond o' peppers 'n spicy food. *grin*

Delores: *brows raise* The moisture in them doesn't hurt you?

Kae Yau: *headshake* The 'otter, the better.

Delores: ...You want hot sauce and coke?

Kae Yau: *blink blink* Never 'ad t'at afore.

Ophi: It's good. *nods*

Delores: *watches Dion and Ariel skirmish across the courtyard, ducking in and out of the hanging laundry* Do I owe those guys anything?

Ophi: Other than thanking 'em, not really

Delores: *laughs* They're gone already. *expression says that she is seeing kids. Just kids. And that she is happy here and with the people around her* Okay, oh, I don't have Coke. It's this organic, hand made stuff.

Ophi: Ooooo.

Kae Yau: *raised brow* Really?

Delores: *slight grin as she starts across the courtyard* Yeah. Mr. Holmes said not to bring the usual stuff into the house anymore. He read something scary about it.

Kae Yau: Somet'in' scary, huh? *amused, has a hunch she knows what Mr. Holmes found*

Delores: Yup, but he tried telling me at bed time, so I didn't listen. *grins and wipes her feet on the mat by the patio door of the unit next to Yau's*

Kae Yau: *will do likewise, Ophi excusing herself and Miracle so they can start to get ready for dinner*

Delores: *pauses to hug Ophi* See you later, chica.

Ophi: See you later, hermanita. *teasing grin*

Delores: *snorts and laughs, and then leans down hurriedly to kiss Miracle on the cheek before the baby clamours herself hoarse* Hey, I didn't forget. See you later too.

Miracle: *chatters to Aunty!*

Delores: Gotcha. Awww. I gotta kiss Little Archie too?

Miracle: *insistant chatter!*

Delores: Okay, but turn him over. That's his butt.

Miracle: *chatters and talks, cuddling Little Archie and then offering him one more time for kissies*

Delores: That's the right end. *kisses the doll right between his eyes, and then grins at his little mother* There you go.

Miracle: *chatters and tells Mama all about things as Mama and she leave to go see Aunty Scream*

Delores: *chuckles and indicates that Yau should leave her book bag by the door and come on into the big, shaded living room* You wanna sit in here, or in the kitchen?

Kae Yau: Kitchen's fine. *will set her bag by the door*

Delores: Over here. *through the door shaped like a pointed arch* Seems weird to have the living room separate from the kitchen on a new building like this, but Dr. McCoy says it's safer in case of attack.

Kae Yau: *moves to follow* ... Who'd 'tack 'ere? *confused*

Delores: *soft snort* Not everyone's happy about non-human people being on Earth. And not everyone's friends with the Autobots. *sets hot sauce with a big warning label on the dragon fired clay kitchen island, and then goes to the fridge and comes back with a big jug of cola with a paper label taped on* Just let me run up and check on Mr. Holmes. *wrings the lid off a bottle of fruit flavoured kombucha and then checks to see if anything's floating in the contents, her nose wrinkled slightly with apprehension*

Kae Yau: *dots visibly*

Delores: *looks up* What's wrong?

Kae Yau: Jes' rememberin'... *hand absently goes to her ears*

Delores: *sympathy in her dark eyes, and then she's running through the other door out of the kitchen with a "be right back!"*

Kae Yau: *quietly pensive now as she thinks about how she was teased for having fangs, and how her ears had been modified before the wish fixed them*

Hank: *is a rumble of deep laughter coming down the stairs in his usual bounding way*

Kae Yau: *relaxes upon hearing Hank's laughter. Can't help but smile*

Hank: *and then he's in the room! And startling with pleased surprise as he catches her scent and sees her. Is in human mode* Yau, my love, what bringest thee here this eve?

Kae Yau: Delores invited me over fer drinks. *grin, moves to steal cuddles*

Hank: *arms around her as he rubs his cheek against her hair* *softly* Be warned, the woman puts chili in everything not intended for her husband.

Kae Yau: *as she snuggles* I like chili.

Hank: *rumbles with a chuckle* Even in thine drinks?

Kae Yau: I's adventurous. *more grin, snuzzle*

Hank: *cuddle love. ...Snerk*

Delores: *can be heard a moment later, gleefully snarking under her breath* Can't drink out of the bottle. Please bring a glass. What a lady. *into the kitchen and over to the cupboard to grab a big wine glass, and then away and up again*

Hank: *shoulders shaking with silent laughter*

Kae Yau: *muffles her snickerfit on your shoulder, Hank*

Hank: *finally gets his mirth under control* Ahh, Sherlock, thine old fashioned ways...

Kae Yau: *snerk* Di'nt realize he'd be so dang fussy. *so amused*

Hank: Consider the time from which he hailed, sweet Yau. *sigh* And, his hands are still not as steady as he would like.

Kae Yau: ... *small frown* Time 'e came from? *raised brow*

Hank: *looks down* Yes. This is Sherlock Homes that we're speaking of.

Kae Yau: Figures 'e'd be a fusseh git.

Hank: *rumbly chuckle and a quest for a kiss*

Delores: Back! Hey... not in my kitchen, you nuts.

Hank: *laughs and changes his hug to a one armed one* What? I may not greet my fair lady after being absent from her through the live long day?

Kae Yau: *thrrpts at Delores, snuggles against Hank happily*

Delores: *just cheerfully rolls her eyes and starts mixing up two root beer mugs of the promised drink* You want one too, Doc?

Hank: *regretful to pass up a chance to visit and talk* I must needs check on Dixie. She's tired today, and Tracks has nearly given himself an ulcer worrying about her.

Delores: *lifts her brows slightly* I still think you're nuts to have moved into that apartment.

Hank: *laughs, and then gives Kae Yau a peck before letting her go and turning toward the door* Be that as it may, I am away.

Kae Yau: *quiet, contented hum at the peck, soft sigh as Hank moves to leave. Knows she'll see him at dinner, but that doesn't mean she has to like that he has to leave*

Hank: *throws her a glance promising to see her again soon, and then he's gone*

Delores: He's jumping again. *says this with amusement and without censure*

Kae Yau: *attention on Delores* Why's Hank nuts fer choosin' t' live wit' me?

Delores: *glances up from hot saucing the drinks* Only you would know that. I just said he's nuts for choosing that apartment.

Kae Yau: *raised brow* What's wrong wit' our place?

Delores: *grins and offers a mug and the hot sauce bottle in case she didn't spice it enough* It's right between ours and the Trachs'. His two best human friends, and most demanding patients, are Mr. Holmes and Miss Dixie.

Kae Yau: *snort* Ye mean yer ol' man 'n Tracks' fussiness.

Delores: *pokes the drink and the hot sauce bottle at her, grinning* Miss Dixie's got her moments too. People stay in line around her.

Kae Yau: *tastes drink, considers* *as she adds some hot sauce to the mug of cola* Miss Dixie's nice.

Delores: I didn't say she wasn't. *settles down at the counter with her own drink, watching her guest with easy silence as she waits to see what Yau would like to talk about or do*

Kae Yau: *appreciative hum at the combination of sweet cola and heat from the hot sauce*

Delores: *sudden startle, and then stands and stuffs a hand down her pants, her expression showing consternation and amusement* You little...

Kae Yau: *startles, wide-eyed*

Delores: *hand out of pants and holding... an older model flip phone!* *sighs, and then sees Yau's face* Uh... They run around.

Kae Yau: *snerk* Hank's got 'un, too.

Delores: *soft chuckle* Euterpe's an angel compared to Gordo here. *shakes the phone, which obligingly makes a rattling sound*

Kae Yau: *snort* Ye've never 'ad t' chase 'er down at t'ree in the mornin'.

Delores: ... Nope. What was she doing? *sets her phone down on the counter and puts both hands on her drink*

Kae Yau: Poor lass got lost 'n started cryin'.

Delores: D'awww. Well she is only nine months old.

Kae Yau: Aye, but it was still some frustratin' t' 'ave t' track 'er down 'n fish 'er outt'a the laundry 'amper.

Delores: Welcome to motherhood. *hand squishes her phone as he starts to unfold*

Kae Yau: *snort*

Delores: Sari keeps hers on a sparkly bling leash.

Kae Yau: ... *more snort* Dunno if Euterpe'd tolerate t'at.

Delores: Hank's got her pretty spoiled.

Kae Yau: Aye. *chuckles*

Delores: She's still a pretty good kid. I've never seen her do a pants crawl, or bring roaches into a room, or puke on someone's foot.

Kae Yau: ... Puke on someone's foot? *raised brow*

Delores: *lifts her brows and points silently and accusingly at the phone laying next to her*

Kae Yau: *snickerfit*

Delores: *eloquent eye roll, but then pat pats the phone as he squeaks* *snerks then, and starts telling the story of Hank and Ratchet and the exploding blue goo*

Kae Yau: *attentive listener, will enjoy a good story and good company until it's time for her to head home so she and Hank can work on making dinner together*

((Written with random_xtras))