Backwater Nexus. The Black Dog. Stories Exchanged Part 2

[dens_extra_pups]

Continued from here



Dennis: *shriek!*

Denpup: *SHRIEK! And jump!*

Dennis: *timely grab saves his sister from taking a nosedive off the bar!* WHOA!

Denpup: *panicked rambling*

Dennis: *ditto! But then he pauses* 0_0 Sis, they fell apart.

Denpup: *so confused and jumpy now!*

Dalek: *scoots over around them and aims tiny gun the way they're looking* The cake is a lie!

Dennis: *looks down. Groans* Den, your stupid *beep* minion...

Denpup: *BLEEP* it, Frank!

dalek: *is Frank!* *is looking for badguys* Bad wolf bad wolf bad wolf...

Dennis: Ugh, there's your *beepity* keys.

Denpup: *grumble* Crazy-*aft* dalek. *will move to head for the other end of the bar*

Dennis: You're cracked.

Kup: *turns to poke the little dalek in his foot as it goes past*

Frank: I'll timey whimy you! *shakes keys at him*

Kup: *snerk* You 'n whose army?

Don Q: *quieting the hyena, who is growling at the strange little creature*

Denpup: Oy! Quit abusing my minion!

Doctor: *SO much facepalm*

Kup: *just grins at Den and then offers a hug* It's Kup.

Denpup: *grumps as she accepts the hug* Doesn't give ya free reign ta abuse my minion.

Kup: *gruff gentleness* He don't look hurt. *looks over at a Frank who is spinning around and softly playing music*

Dennis: *just squeed. Loudly*

Denpup: *FLINCH* *oh, and cuss*

Dennis: Den, look at who he's *beeping* sitting with!

Don Q: *oh oh face*

Denpup: *reaches to whap brother* I saw, dumb*beep*.

Doctor: Why do you have a miniature Dalek?

Denpup: He's a drone made ta look like one.

Doctor: ...I didn't realize they would have appeal...

Denpup: Maybe not in your reality, but in ones like what the dumb*beep* 'n me're from? *Bleep*, yeah!

Frank: *jingles keys* *so seriously* The cake is a lie.

Kup: *snerk*

Denpup: Shaddup, Frank.

Don Q: *looks up from his PINpoint* That is not a phrase from the dalek stories.

Frank: *offers to timey whimy his boss*

Denpup: It's from a story called "Portal". *light bap for Frank with her foot*

Frank: *puts keys on boss's foot* Bad wolf...

Don Q: Ohhh. I see.

Kup: Random phrases? Or does he know what he's sayin'?

Denpup: He's a basic pet chip with a few add-ons so I don't lose him, 'n a custom shell. *shrug*

Kup: Ahh. So he's got enough sense ta record reactions 'n use his phrases accordin' ta the best reaction. *to Dennis* Where's yours?

Dennis: I'm still trying to decide if I want a Dalek, an R2, or a BB-8 knockoff.

Denpup: Or K-9.

Doctor: K-9 was a good companion... He stayed with Leela, I remember.

Dennis: You could buy a new one here. *shakes his leg to make Frank let go of it*

Doctor: I have companions. *will work on coaxing Sugar and Candy out again*

Dennis: *hand over his mouth to hold in the squee at sight of those two tiny faces*

Frank: *tugs on his boss's skirt now* Timey whimy you...

Denpup: *frown, looks to Frank* No.

Frank: Bad wolf.

Denpup: No.

Frank: The cake is a lie.

Dennis: *meanwhile is babytalking little glimmersprites*

Denpup: *rolls her eyes* Push the button, Frank.

Frank: *instead cuts loose an alarm and starts flashing an LCD time readout!*

Dennis: *jumps a foot, then gasps* The movie! Daniel and the kids're already there!

Denpup: ... *incredulous look* You haven't figured out how to time skip yet? Laaaame. *will pick Frank up, step on her brother's foot, and with a "See ya later" to Blackout, Don Q, Kup, and The Doctor, PINpoint out*

Kup: *shakes his head* Razzafrazzin'...

Don Q: I think I am now that much more crazy.

Doctor: ... Right. *not sure what else to say*

little sisters: *turning their heads and trying to see where squeaky squealey man has gone*

Blackout: *had been distracted by something on the floor, but now straightens up* Doctor, I have the janitorial staff that your ship ordered.

Kup: *curious look around a mouthful of nom*

Doctor: That... Oh, good grief. *so amused*

Blackout: *massive fingers delicately set two tiny robots on the table* They're tictocs. Newly finished. *takes hand away*

tictocs: *two little tiny round heads turn, and two sets of big blue eyes take in their surroundings*

Doctor: ... She's going to love them. I can tell already.

tictocs: *little clicks as both heads turn toward him and tiny feets step them closer to him*

one: *male voice* Are you the Doctor?

Doctor: I am.

two: *excited female voice* I'm Alonsy, and this is my brother Alonzo. We're ready to start working.

Kup: *chokes on his nom and then pounds the table with mirth*

Don Q: *pounds on Kup's back so he stops turning blue*

Doctor: *does his best not to snerk* *will check on Kup* Are you alright?

Kup: *BRAAAP* *hides face and sniggers more*

Don Q: I think that he will survive.

tictocs: *holding hands and looking from the Doctor to the other men*

Doctor: *attention going back to the tictocs* Kup's fine.

Alonzo: *sweet little smile* I'm glad to know that.

Alonsy: *soft sound of delight as Candy tiptoes over to study her* Ohhhh. You're soft.

Candy: *peep?* *sits up and head tilts*

Doctor: That's Candy. She and her sister, Sugar, are called glimmersprites.

Alonzo: *bright and eager interest* Will we be taking care of them? *drops a shutter over one eye as Candy sniffs the side of his face*

Doctor: Well, these two are the ones that chose to stick with me, but that's not saying you can't... Also, there are other glimmersprites and a hugmonster or two on board.

Alonsy: And you? You belong to our new boss too. Will we take care of you?

Kup: *is laughing again*

Doctor: She might tell you that yes, you will. But I'm an adult.

tictocs: *exchange a glance*

Alonzo: *shutters an eye again as Candy tastes it curiously*

Alonsy: *sweetly* We'll understand what you mean soon.

Kup: *amused amused amused*

Blackout: *marginally less so*

Doctor: *soft chuckle* Yes, I suppose so.

Kup: *gleefully* I might not have anybody in my corner, but at least I just got my wife 'n her pet ta argue with.

Blackout: *pulls his chair back and then dumps something in his lap*

Kup: *startled... squeak? Kup squeaked?*

Doctor: *surprised laugh*

Don Q: *gasp of delight as his hyena chortles curiously*

half-grown pup: *skinny black and tan child with huge soft ears lifts his head and shyly wags his tail*

Kup: There's no room in my shack fer a dog, Blackout. *hands making sure the pup doesn't fall*

Doctor: You're creative, aren't you?

Kup: We don't got sp...

Blackout: Your shacks are raised on pillars. Hounds like living in spaces like that.

Don Q: What is the weather like in your area?

Kup: It's the Sonora desert.

Don Q: *perk* It's shady under your shack?

Kup: Yeah.

Doctor: There you go.

Blackout: Spookums takes care of the coyotes. The pup'll be safe.

Don Q: *gravely* What are coyotes?

Doctor: Members of the canine family. In the United States they're considered pests, though in reality it's the humans who have been encroaching on their territory.

Don Q: ...Wolves?

Blackout: They're as much like wolves as rooks are like ravens.

Don Q: *brightens* Ah. I understand.

Doctor: One species considered a pest by the other.

Blackout: No. One's a smaller version of the other.

Kup: *deep sigh* I ain't gettin' outta this, am I?

pup: *sad and sympathetic look*

Kup: *soft snerk* Punk.

pup: *tail wag. Spanks the Doctor*

Doctor: What was that phrase.... Oh, yes. Pot, meet kettle.

Kup: *snort* I haven't ben a punk since I hit my third vorn.

pup: *Doctor spank, Doctor spank*

Doctor: Oh, so you were in your third vorn when you taught Leela those pictograms?

Kup: *eyes narrow* I'd like ta see you come up with somethin' off the top 'a yer head that fast.

Blackout: *lowers her hand a last time, but doesn't open it* Señor Quixada, your wife tells me that you need a second squire. One who can handle the fighting for you.

Don Q: *alarmed* Ah, our house is not big enough for another man.

Blackout: He's a boy, and he doesn't sleep.

Kup: *distracted from enjoyable quibbling by that. Looks over curiously*

Doctor: *curious as well, will look to Blackout*

Blackout: *lets a slender, ruddy-black Schattenfeen boy out of her hand, then carefully smooths his highlighter orange streaked hair with a finger*

Don Q: *eyes wide with wonder as he looks at the youngster, who seems too small for those massive wings*

Blackout: He's 56 years old. His name translates to "Bright Spot" or "Highlight".

Kup: *is grinning now and no longer curious*

Doctor: *still curious!*

Don Q: I protest, Milady! I can't leave a child out in the weather!

Blackout: He's not weak. He doesn't need shelter.

Doctor: Long lived?

Blackout: *nods* Schattenfeen are the most successful super soldier race ever created. The few things that can damage them don't damage them for long. And because of the rapid healing, they don't sleep. *gestures toward the kitchen door* The cook here's Schattenfeen.

Highlight: *looks that way with perk-eared interest*

Doctor: Interesting... *and now he's planning on doing some research. He's got the time to look into things...*

Kup: *sees the expression* There're feen livin' here in the Backwater.

Don Q: *meanwhile starts another protest*

Blackout: *with finality* Your wife asked for the help.

Don Q: *quiet despair* Oh, why do old men marry young women??

Kup: *glances at him* It was my first wife's idea.

Doctor: *attention going to Kup* River and I agreed to it mutually.

Kup: *frown* Well Nautica agreed. But it was Chipdancer's idea. And she said she'd make the Well an eternity 'a hell if I let myself die with her. *shrug* You don't buck a dyin' woman's last request.

Doctor: *quietly* No, that's generally seen as unwise to do.

Kup: *scrapes up the last of his meal with his fork* *gruffly* 'N I was so tired by then that there wasn' much fight left in me.

Don Q: *hand on Highlight's wing as he listens to Kup with sympathy on his lean face*

Blackout: *quiet snort* Know that feeling.

Doctor: *quietly* I do, as well.

Kup: *looks up from using his fingers to put the last bit of food into his mouth* Yeah?

Doctor: *quietly, as he offers Candy and Sugar more tidbits from his plate* There was a woman named Donna Temple Noble...

Kup: You were bonded?

Doctor: No, she was my best friend.

Kup: *puzzled frown as he puts an arm around the pup's neck* *quiet and gruff* I was tired 'cause Dancer's dyin' was sappin' energy from my spark. If she hadn't gone so quiet, I'd'a gone with 'er.

Doctor: *eyes downcast* She fused with my DNA; acquired a copy of my mind... It started to wipe out her own personality, so I had to erase all... *huff of a sigh* All memory of everything we'd ever done together.

Blackout: *touches the Doctor gently* It's a different thing from a weakened spark making you too weak to argue, but it's still hard.

Kup: *snorts at her* *quietly* What would you know about weakened sparks?

Blackout: *simply* I was dead the first time I bonded.

Kup: o.0;

Doctor: ... *blink. Blink*

Blackout: I'd been stabbed in the back and poisoned. I spent a time standing at the edge of the Well. And Jazz was there.

Doctor: *much wince* That sounds painful.

Blackout: *shrug* I'm not built to notice physical pain.

Kup: *gruffly* Don't think that's what he was talkin', about, Warlady.

Doctor: ... *a bit surprised with himself for asking this* What happened after that?

Blackout: *gruff now herself* In the Well, all are one. *turns to look back across the room and nods toward a tiny form sitting comfortably on the shoulder of a hulking near-replica of herself* I came back with that scraplet beside my spark.

Doctor: *looks, perks at the sight of the tiny*

Blackout: Jazz was dead. *turns back to her drink* So she's all of him I brought back.

Kup: *shakes his head, amusement mixed with his sober thoughtfulness*

Doctor: *sobered by that*

Blackout: *sets drink down* That's what I know about weakened sparks.

Kup: You know, I don't think anything can hurt worse 'n losin' half yourself.

Doctor: *quietly* The pain of being the only person to know what it's like to remember something that no longer happened is far worse.

Blackout: *snort* Don't flatter yourself, kid. You're not the only one that knows what that feels like. And I'm not talking about your alternates.

Kup: *hugga puppy, and flop his ears*

Doctor: *bewildered look for Blackout*

Blackout: Bumblebee's not even the gender I remember the brat being anymore. And that's the smallest detail that changed.

Doctor: ... *blink* *changing genders doesn't seem that strange to him* What other details changed?

Blackout: Everything. The Autobots remaining after Mission city had gone back to Cybertron to rebuild. Bumblebee, Ironhide, and Jazz were dead, and Bumblebee had been female. Autobots were nearly extinct, and Decepticons were. Megatron was dead, but before he died he shook Starscream's head off. Now... You know usual history. That reality follows it now, except that Witwicky and Banes were never an item.

Doctor: *much frowning as he thinks this over*

little sisters: *friendly little quibble over the piece of parsley from their host's plate. Itty bitty fistycuffs!*

Doctor: *startles at that*

little sisters: *faces turned away from each other as they throw punches*

Doctor: *going to try and separate the sisters now*

little sisters: *happy peeps as they snuggle his hands*

Kup: *chuckles as he watches that*

Blackout: *also watching*

Doctor: *fussing over the little sisters now*

little sisters: *cute little happy peeps*

Candy: *has the parsley now! Will climb up Host's collar to carefully poke it into the buttonhole. Looks up. Is good? Is cute?*

Doctor: *amused laugh*

Candy: *makes cute!*

Sugar: *happy little wiggle*

Doctor: *gentle pettings for the little sisters*

Kup: *glances toward the door as he catches a glance of blue* *grin* Nice meetin' ya, Señor Quixada. Keep yer nose clean, Doc.

Doctor: *nods* No more teaching people impolite pictograms.

Kup: She never wrote anythin' impolite with 'em. *shifts the pup to one arm and then gets to his feet*

Doctor: It's the principal of the matter.

Kup: Yeah. Sure. Tell that ta the (so n sos) of (such 'n such).

Doctor: *MUCH BLUSH* Might I remind you that you promised you wouldn't speak of that?

Kup: Did I mention any details? *grin widens for a moment, but then goes serious as he looks up* See ya later, Warlady.

Blackout: *grunts at him and watches that blue-haired humanoid woman hold Paean's hand and wave enthusiastically to Kup*

Don Q: *bows* It was indeed a pleasure, Señor Kup. May your days know peace.

Kup: *grins at him too* Yeah, thanks.

Doctor: Don't do anything you'll regret.

Kup: *grumbling sigh* Don't got enough energy fer that anymore. *and then a quiet snerk as he PINpoints down to join his wife*

Doctor: *will watch Kup leave, gently petting Candy and Sugar*

Nautica: *lets Paean scoot away, but doesn't watch the baby bot because she's too busy rumpling the pup's ears and squeeing over him*

Kup: *laughter can be heard in a lull, and then he turns and walks out with his wife on his arm*

Don Q: *sits up a little straighter as he sees a plump and muscular girl stop in the doorway, her hands on her ample hips*

Highlight: *ears perk* *softly* Who's zat, Vader?

Don Q: *quietly* That is Aldonza Quixada.

Highlight: Moeder.

Don Q: Yes, your madré. *stands and bows to Blackout and the Doctor, one hand on Highlight's arm to make sure he can get up again* Till we meet again, my friends. The good Lord's blessing on you both.

Blackout: *gentle touch and a soft snort*

Doctor: Safe travels.

Don Q: *smiles, and then gasps as his new son lifts him and the hyena and flies with them to where Aldonza is waiting*

Doctor: *surprised laugh at that*

Aldonza: *starts fussing with respectful and loving tyranny the moment Highlight lands and sets Don Q down*

Don Q: *speaks with asperity to that young wife and watches it affect her about as much as water affects duck feathers*

woman: *dark, frizzy hair pulled up in a loose bun and a dress that's cheerfully patchwork. She just darted over to talk to Aldonza and make Don Q's back go straight with dignity*

Blackout: *picks up her drink* There's yours.

Doctor: *amused* She's quite proud of her avatar.

Blackout: You better bring her her janitors. *looks down at the tiny beings who are discussing the syrup pitcher and a fork*

Doctor: *nods and moves to talk to Alonsy and Alonzo*

tictocs: *look up alertly, one still sitting on the handle of the fork and the other leaning a hand against the syrup jug*

Candy: *licks Host's plate and then paws at her mouth and spits*

Doctor: *gentle pettings for Candy* *to the tictocs* The TARDIS' avatar is here. We should go meet up with her.

Alonsy: Okay! *up off the fork and heading toward him* Pick us up?

Alonzo: *coming over to be in reach too, his little eyes sparkling with interest and excitement*

Candy: *licks Host's hand. Pleh. That's not nom either*

Blackout: *snerks as she hears the little spittings resume, then lifts her baby onto her lap*

Paean: *baby got jazz hands!* :D

Doctor: *soothing sounds for Candy, will reach to pick up Alonsy and Alonzo*

tictocs: *excited little sounds as they settle down eagerly in his grasp*

Alonsy: *tiny giggle as she watches Candy climb the front of his jacket*

Alonzo: :o

Doctor: *holds still so Candy can climb*

Candy: *into pocket with sister! Wiggling and peepy talking ensues*

Doctor: *soft chuckle. Will move to bring his passengers to Idris*

Blackout: *watches them go, and then turns back to her drink in time to fish another Mini-Constructicon out of it. Will set the little minion at the recently vacated table and order him a plate of something to eat as she thinks*

((Written with random_xtras))