Backwater Nexus. Black Dog. Meeting New People

[dens_extra_pups]

Drift: *saunters over in human mode, nomming a 'nanner*

Tarantulus: *glances over at the dark-haired kid with his black and white shadows. Snerk* Table, booth, or bar?

Drift: Table.

Tarantulus: *points to the bar* Go sit with that merc team. And don't leave that peel on the floor.

Drift: *shrugs and stows the banana peel in subspace before moving to climb up to the bar top*

Wing: *abandons Knockout and Goretusk and flies up to join his friend*

woman's voice: Oh! It's white!

rasping voice: Itssssss eyesss are golden.

Drift: *curious now, will move to head toward the voices* His name is Wing. *pauses as he spots a familiar person, though said person is currently wearing a green cloak. Even if this version of Grok had decided to keep their hood on, the back plates are obvious enough for an almost certain identification*

Grok: *looks at the young man who spoke, his red eyes creased at the corners* Wing? I am Grok.

grey-haired Dwarf: *absent wave as he crams food into his mouth* Col.

tiny woman: *wearing white split sided robe with a thrown back hood and baggy pants, she turns uncertain blue eyes set in a milk-white face toward the newcomer* *softly* Legacy.

Drift: Wing's the cat. I'm Drift

Col: We got the part about the cat. *pauses to look at that cat as Wing lands daintily on his arm and asks nicely for some of his eel and rice* Heh. Mooch. *looks at Drift*

Drift: *amused snerk* He does that. At least he's asking instead of just helping himself. *moves to pull up a chair*

Col: So tis alright to oblige the lad?

Drift: *nods* Yeah. He'll probably visit the rest of the table at some point, too. But he'll always ask to share.

Grok: *promptly bites a small piece off one of the slabs of raw meat on his platter and offers it to the winged cat*

Wing: *surprised! Had been asking for eel. But ooo. Raw. Delicate nom*

Drift: *amused chuckle*

Col: *hand up to see if the waiter will come and serve the newcomer*

Grok: *offers Drift some meat too*

Col: Ye'll make him sick, y'big lug. *pushes at the big hand*

Drift: *quietly, half-expecting to be cuffed* I'm not sure my systems could process raw meat.

Grok: *blinks* Oh, alright. *offers it to Wing*

Wing: *dainty nom*

Grok: *rumbles a soft, strange sound. He's laughing with delight at the little animal*

Legacy: *shy grin as she watches*

Drift: *cautiously beginning to relax now* *fondly, to Wing* You are such a dork, cat.

Wing: *soft talk as he goes to Friend. And then little calls. No one is coming to give Friend food*

Grok: *curiously* What isssss he doing now?

Col: Eat yer meat before it gets cold.

Grok: *absently stuffs more food into his mouth*

Mutt: *just picked up Galeas over at that far table, will set the younger mech on his feet, then move to get Drift's order*

Col: I'll pay for his.

Mutt: It's been covered already.

Drift: *snerk* Blackout beat Den here again, huh?

Col: *frowns* Our boss's gone t' talk to yers about that. We've plenty 'o gold.

Drift: They won't win that argument. *tells Mutt what he wants, then turns his attention back to the group at the table as the Maximal takes the order to the kitchen* Blackout's got a standing order that everyone who is a first timer, or isn't well off, is fed on her tab.

Col: *frown deepens* Who is this Blackout?

Grok: *watching the faces of the other two men as he eats*

Legacy: *has cheese and spinach on a slice of meatplant* *also has a worried expression*

Drift: *thinks about how best to explain the Destron Warlady* She's a local tribe leader who helps others and follows orders from her Boss, the Greatest Creator.

Col: How kin a tribal woman hold that much power?

Drift: *tips his head back slightly as he thinks of how to answer* Well... Some of what she does is mercenary work, and she's got strong family members who listen to her... Plus, she's not human.

Col: Wait. She's a merc?

Drift: She's the Destron Warlady here. Even the Warlady from my home listens to her out of respect for her prowess in battle. The Greatest Creator tells her where to go, and what foes to deal with... and then she sells the stuff she's allowed to keep.

Col: And who's this Greatest Creator?

Drift: He's got a lot of names... One of the more common ones is "God".

Legacy: *softly* Is He ever called the Starsinger?

Drift: *nods* I've heard him called that, yeah.

Col: *face clears behind his beard* So she's a Listener.

Drift: I guess? *shrugs* All I know is she and hers help people who need it.

Nemesis: *in passing* She's a servant. Hormah's the Listener. Mutt, stop that.

Mutt: *abashed, will scoot over to the table and deliver Drift's order*

Drift: *expression lights into a sunny grin as he's presented with the meatplant-stuffed, mashed and fried plantain dish*

Wing: *gives Friend a funny look. You're eating THAT stuff again?*

Tarantulus: *swats a mammoth in passing for scratching his butt on the ladder*

Drift: *ducks his head for a couple moments, then he's digging into his meal with vigor*

Mutt: *back with a bowl of diced meat for Wing*

Wing: *oh! There's the good food!* *quiet talkings*

Mutt: *snerks and then he's moving back to the kitchen*

hooves: *clatter toward the table from behind Drift, their stride purposeful and a little angry*

Drift: *blinks and glances over his shoulder*

centaur: *strong faced black woman with snapping amber eyes. Has soft fur all over the visible parts of her body, long ears that are currently angled back slightly in keeping with her scowl. Lower body is horse-shaped, but there is something about her movements that makes it clear that she is nothing equine, despite those steel shod single hooves* *stops in the empty place at the table, turns the chair, and then rests her lower chest on it with a grumpy sigh*

Col: No chance?

centaur: No chance: *quizzical frown for Drift*

Drift: I'm Drift. The cat is Wing. And nobody wins that argument with Blackout.

centaur: Shade. *grumble*

Drift: *small smile* You're an alternate of one of my friends.

Shade: *quizzical frown returns as she accepts a bite from Grok and pops it into her mouth* Alternate?

Drift: *nod* A version of you from a different path.

Shade: *bewildered* I don't understand.

rest of the team: *watching and listening with interest*

Wing: *half in his bowl*

Drift: *will give a simplified explanation of the Multiverse and alternate realities*

Col: And there's another Shade? *amazed grin on his old face*

Drift: *nods* There's probably more than just one other... And I know a couple different versions of Legacy. One lives here, in the Backwater Nexus, and one's from where I come from.

Nemesis: *snerks in passing* Three in the Backwater.

Drift: *surprised expression is a go* There's three now?

Mutt: *as he makes sure the mammoths get fed and aren't being pests* Yeah. There's the one you know who works for Den, Seaspray's daughter, and the mermaid we get our abalones from.

Shade: *frowning as she eats another piece of food, this one from Legacy* Three of a single person in one place doesn't cause trouble?

Mutt: Nope. The Backwater Nexus is a connection point between all places, all stories, and all times. Only way it causes problems is when people have problems with seeing a different version of themselves, or someone they know, and they react badly.

Drift: Perceptor and Kia could probably explain why that is. It just goes over my head.

Shade: *snorts* I may be a centaur, but I'm not interested in science.

Drift: *answering snort* I'm just a warrior. Science isn't my thing.

Shade: So your world's Shade shamed her people and got kicked out like *poop* too?

Drift: *headshake* She's Aliat, not a centaur. And she, her sister, and their ship are visiting Earth as hired muscle.

Shade: *absently takes a bowl of Vietnamese meat and carrot stew as she frowns at him, then sets the big bowl down on the table before removing her beautiful Dwarf work helmet to expose a scalp covered by the same fur as the rest of her* I thought you said she was me. What's Aliat?

Drift: *will show you, Shade. Have a hologram projected from the palm of his hand* Alternates can be different races. It's a quirk of the Multiverse.

Shade: *leans forward to study the picture as her teammates draw back from it* She looks like a deer.

Drift: *shrugs one shoulder carefully* Difference in realities.

Shade: *points to spots on the image with one finger* Four digits on the hands. Hair on her head like a human. No... It's a mane like a horse has. *brows lift slightly with interest* And she looks like she's watching for predators. Is she a ruminant?

Drift: *snerk* Only when she eats raw, tough bark and stuff like that.

Shade: So she's vegetarian.

Drift: *more snerk* Nope. She loves milk and cheese. She and Mist get a special crate of milk and cheese each week just for them, kinda like how I get a crate of bananas.

Shade: *soft "Huh!" deep in her throat. And then she's pointing to something else on the woman in the image* What's this on her back? That fur is a different colour.

Drift: That's her firstborn son, Denver.

Shade: *just for a moment, there is sadness on her face, but that moment is very fleeting* So she's married.

Drift: *headshake* No, she got hit with an enchantment that made a baby that's related to her.

Shade: *very distinct GROWL as Col says very uncomplimentary things about magic*

Drift: *puzzled expression is a go* Er...

Grok: Sssshhhade hatessssss magic. That issss why we have Legassseee asss our hhhhealer.

Drift: *blink blink* Oh. Well, it's not everyone's thing. Nothing wrong with not liking it.

Col: *sceptical look* It's dangerous. Haven't you seen what it does to users?

Drift: *shrug* My only experience with it is with the Guardian Fae, and they do their best to help others.

Nemesis: *going past again* That's not magic, piston head.

Drift: Oh. *didn't know that*

Legacy: No, Grok. This is enough. This is delicious. *has another bite of her sammich*

Drift: *blinks and glances to Legacy*

Shade: She's got a deep link with Grok. It makes things like that happen all the time.

Grok: *acquiring a Legacy AND her lunch. SNUGGLE*

Legacy: *goes on eating*

Drift: *soft D'aww and a grin at the cute*

Col: Things like that happen all the time too. *snorts and has a pull from his stein*

Grok: *just crinkles his eyes in a grin*

Drift: Doesn't mean it's not cute. *chuckles*

Shade: *head turns toward a squeal down below* *frown*

Drift: *blink blink. Will get to his feet to take a look* Awww, fuzzy kiddo. *grin*

kvLegacy: *gonna try climbing the ladder on her own! Issa big girl! And is probably giving her babysitter fits*

Roger: Are you sure? I can lift you, sweetheart. *wings rustle as the huge old man worriedly watches his tiny descendant*

kvLegacy: *squeak squeak, considers, then pounces on Grandpa's hand*

Roger: *happy smile as he lifts his hand to a level with the counter. Then notices the tense expressions on the people at the table behind the dark-haired young man* Oh, I'm peaceful, friends. My name's Roger Jones. This is... well, she's a several greats granddaughter. Her name is Legacy.

kvLegacy: *chirp, and an attempt at a curtsy!*

Drift: *friendly nod* Nice to meet both of you. *looks to Shade and her group* The little girl is an alternate of your healer.

Legacy: *softly* Is there custom to follow for meeting yourself?

Grok: Ssshhhe is coloured.

Drift: Could try saying hello. *shrugs*

kvLegacy: *squeak squeak, yap! Sees another her, Grandpa!* Sissy! *will point* See a Sissy!

Grok: *charmed expression as he gets up and comes over to stand his teammate in front of the toddler and then hunker himself* *...LOOK at how big he is, Drift!*

kvLegacy: *will dart over to give hugs! She's had a bath today, so she's nice and fluffy, and smells like flowers!*

Legacy: *hugs the little girl gently, her pale blue eyes wide with wonder*

Drift: *kinda boggling where he's standing*

kvLegacy: *gonna give all the snuggles and kissies to Sissy and Sissy's friend!*

Roger: *puts a hand on the bar and looks down at Drift with concern* What's wrong, friend?

Drift: *quietly* He's a lot bigger than the guy I know.

Roger: *looks at the biggest guy on the bar* Oh, he's not that big. *smiles as he watches the big white man lower that toothy head for his little granddaughter to kiss*

kvLegacy: *gonna give ALL the kissies!*

Grok: *eyes squinted as he chuckles quietly*

Drift: *slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth now*

kvLegacy: *will also give hugs! And tell this big ALL about how Grandpa is gonna get good noms*

Legacy: *also laughing softly as she watches the fuzzy little girl* What do you like to eat?

kvLegacy: *will look to her Sissy, and begin talking about all the nice noms she and her family share with one another* Buggy noms, 'n crunchies!

Drift: *to Roger* He's still bigger than the Grok I know.

Roger: Ahh. Is the one you know your friend? *orders a behemoth shellbeast, and three chitons*

Nemesis: *blinks, and goes to get the things*

Drift: Er... Kinda? I mean, he's IGP. *shrugs*

Roger: *glances toward a happy squeal from his granddaughter and grins to see her lifted and cuddled along with her alternate. Back to Drift* *very quietly* You're afraid of him?

Drift: *quieter, remembering that he'd been being a git earlier and had been knocked flying by the swampman* It's not that I'm afraid... I'm Destron, former Decepticon... and he's strong, and could do serious harm if he wanted to.

Roger: *now sees a trace of sheepishness* *gentle amusement* Fun went a little too far?

Drift: *small nod*

Roger: *big hand comes up, and a finger pats gently*

Drift: *will lean into the comforting gesture slightly*

Roger: It's not something to kick yourself over, friend. Just learn from it.

Drift: *small nod, accompanied by quiet clicks*

Roger: *surprised grin* You're Cybertronian?

Drift: *blinks and nods* Yeah.

Roger: *grin turns pleased* Have you ever met Blue Crew?

Drift: I've seen them at the rat pits.

Roger: They saved my wife's world, and helped bring me back to her. *and now you'll be able to see a faint, familiar light in his eyes, Drift*

Drift: *blink blink* ... You're Guardian Fae Changeling? *recognizes that glow to your eyes*

Roger: *rumbles a chuckle* Sort of. I asked to be a normal Drachenschwarm man except for the ability to stay with my wife for the rest of her life.

Drift: ... Drachenschwarm?

Roger: *surprised lifting of brow ridges, and then he straightens up and spreads his wings slightly* That's what this is.

Drift: ... Huh. I don't know if we have any Drachenschwarm in my reality.

Roger: Do you have any JD? *hand on the bar by Drift*

Drift: *nod* Yeah.

Roger: That's what I used to be. But they're extinct in my reality now. *slight sadness as he looks over to check on his granddaughter, who is happily eating some of Grok's meal as the big man carefully feeds it to her*

Drift: *small frown and nods*

Roger: We've got Schale Drachen now.

Drift: *bit of a blank look for a moment, is looking up what the words mean* ... Shells?

Roger: *nods to where kvLegacy just untied her dress and then transformed so that she could eat the piece of bone that Shade found in the stew* Like my Legacy.

Drift: *looks, then blinks* Huh.

Roger: Our home world was damaged by people from somewhere else. My wife came and used her genetic engineering skills to give the JD people what they needed to survive.

kvLegacy: *CRUNCH crunch crunch crunch* :)

Drift: *frowns muchly* Do the IGP know about your people and your world?

Roger: They do now. *shakes his head ruefully*

Drift: *more frown* What happened before?

Roger: *wryly* They tried to punish the Schale Drachen for making their women go on four legs and not giving them clothes.

kvLegacy: *swallows mouthful of nom* Thrrpt! Thrrpt thrrpt!

Drift: ... Why? It's not like the women have anything showing that shouldn't be.

Roger: Legacy, sweetheart, that's not ladylike, even if Kriti does it. *to Drift* They were going by second hand reports and went off half cocked. *more head shake*

Drift: ... They made afts out of themselves.

Roger: Yes. They did. *turns his head with a delighted expression as he catches the scent of his meal* Oh, look at how big that is.

Nemesis: Farm raised and tender despite the size. *looks at Drift* Move or be a place mat.

Drift: *snorts and scoots out of the way of the platter*

Nemesis: *snorts back and sets it down, then walks off to go back behind the bar*

Roger: *happily picks up a chiton and puts it in front of Grok* Raw for you, right, friend?

Grok: 0_0 Yesss...

kvLegacy: *laughs at the funny expression on the big's face* Lots'a nom for Uncle!

Legacy: *eyes going to the second platter that just got set in front of Shade* *uncertainly* What is it?

Shade: *sniff sniff* *stomach rumble!*

kvLegacy: Fishy noms. *nod*

Drift: It's a type of shellfish that's really good to eat.

Roger: *pokes him in the back with the last chiton platter*

Drift: *startles, then looks at what he's being poked with. Cue big grin*

Wing: *chirrrrrrrrup?*

Roger: Do you want me to set it on the table?

Drift: *nods* Please.

Roger: *does so* Feel free to share. *looks at the human Legacy* *gently* Oh. Do you eat meat?

Legacy: I want to have some of this. *shy smile for the old dragon*

Shade: *promptly breaks hers open* Cooked?

Drift: *nods and moves to share with the human Legacy*

Col: *as he eyes the huge hunk of translucent white meat he's just had set on his plate by Shade* Thank ye, Sir Roger. *poke nom. Taste nom* O_O ^_^

Drift: *will make sure the human Legacy has an appropriately-sized serving of chiton, then he's gently chiding Wing for begging*

Legacy: *quiet thanks as she examines this wonderful smelling, softly sizzling treat*

Grok: *pulling off legs and chomping them. Plans on, with kvLegacy's help, leaving no trace of this creature*

Wing: *puzzled sound, and then goes and gets a piece of his meat to offer in trade*

Drift: *nods to Legacy, will cut off a small piece of chiton and set it where Wing can get it*

Wing: *puts raw meat on Friend's funny food, and then carefully takes the good-smelling cooked meat and noms*

Shade: *quiet snort as she watches the winged cat*

Drift: *soft snerk, will work on cutting his portion into bite-sized pieces*

Shade: *as she gives Col more meat and some of the flavoured oil to make it even more fat and tasty* So the Shade of your reality's not exiled. Has she got a sister?

Drift: *nods* Her sister's name is Mist.

Shade: *mouth twitches* Is she coloured, where you come from?

Drift: *headshake* She's white, with blue eyes.

Shade: *slight nod* Have you got a Legacy where you're from?

Drift: Yeah. I haven't really seen much of her though. I know she works with one of Ratchet's kids.

Shade: Is she coloured?

Drift: Er... I know she's pale and blonde, but that's about all I know about her. *small frown, considers calling Rachel to ask her*

Shade: *nods at the Legacy who is pushing white hair back under her white hood* Like that?

Drift: *looks, shakes head* Her blonde's colored more like the little girl's fur.

Shade: So she's not Touched.

Drift: ... Touched?

Shade: Like Legacy. No colour anywhere but pale blue in the eyes. Sometimes they can do unusual things without magic.

Drift: ...Huh. *considering something now*

Legacy: *talking with Grok*

Grok: *isn't saying anything*

Col: *nodding once in awhile as he glances at Legacy*

Shade: She heals by somehow bonding with us. She can feel some of what we feel, and she can hear Grok before he says anything out loud. *more quietly* My sister can tell who's coming just from the feel of the breeze on her fur. And knows what plants are by touching them.

Drift: *small nod, is still thinking about this*

Col: *BRRAP* .>.<. Scuse me.

Drift: *SNERK*

Roger: It's no problem friend. *has a drink from his tankard*

Legacy: *doesn't even look around from her conversation*

Drift: So, what's your group's story?

Shade: *ears flick* We're hired swords. Cheap enough for common people to hire, if they can get past two of us being white and one a centaur. *offers Wing a bit of food as he comes to look at her*

Drift: *just about to ask another question, gets beat to it by kvLegacy*

kvLegacy: *curiously* Can you do other stuff, 'sides fight?

Shade: *lifts her chin slightly, disgruntled pride showing in those amber eyes* I can read and write, though my hand's not as pretty as people expect of a centaur.

kvLegacy: *perk* Do you know any stories?

Drift: *glad he's in alt mode. He's grinning like a loon as it is, because darnit, the little girl is adorable*

Shade: *shakes her head, lips pressing together as her ears flick slightly backward* No. I could never sit still to learn them. Col's the one with the stories.

Drift: Well, what about each of your stories? How'd you become hired swords?

kvLegacy: *more perk in anticipation of story time!*

Legacy: *softly* My father cast me out when he came home from sea and saw that I'd been Touched. Shade was the only person who'd hire me.

Grok: *protective cuddle for both Legacys*

Drift: *seriously* You're better off without him, if he can't see a person.

Grok: Ssshhhe is with us now. *looks down at the girls in his arms, his red eyes only now showing a trace of hardness*

Drift: *nod* Even I can see she's got a good family.

Grok: *looks up, and now those eyes are smiling as his tongue flicks*

Drift: *nods to Grok* What's your story?

Grok: Mmmy ssstory? *tongue flick* I wasss raisssed by human adventurersss after they fffissshed me from the mire where I was born.

Shade: He suggested we team up, six years ago.

Grok: *nods* It'ssss a good life.

Shade: *sniffs and eats*

kvLegacy: *curiously* What's a mire?

Legacy: *as she offers her younger alternate another chiton leg* Mire is a word for a swamp. Bitter water with plants and trees growing in it, and mud all around it and on the bottom. Do you know what an amphibian is?

kvLegacy: *nod* Amphibians're creatures that start off one phase'a life in the water, 'n when they get older, they turn int'a land creatures.

Legacy: *nods* Grok may look like a reptile, but he's amphibious.

kvLegacy: *surprised to learn this! See how she's boggling?*

Grok: *nods and offers her a piece of meat instead of shell* It'sssss true.

kvLegacy: *much thinking on this, will thank Uncle for the meat*

Legacy: A lady named Ironhide saw him when he was a baby and brought him home to the pond on her family's farm. When he was old enough to come out of the water, she taught him to read and write, and to fight.

Drift: *soft, fond snerk* That sounds like something Ironhide would do.

Grok: *perks and looks over as he cracks a leg open* You have another Ironhide asss well asss a Ssshhhade?

Drift: *nods* The Ironhide who lives where I do is a guy though. He's protective of his family, and his friends, who are basically family to him.

Grok: *wonderment and interest on his face as he hands the cracked leg to Legacy in response to her wiggly fingers* A man? Who isss hisss family?

Legacy: *picking bits of meat out of the leg and offering the shell bits to her little alter sister*

Drift: A lady named Chromia is his wife. They have a son named Starforge, and Ironhide is good friends with Wheeljack and Ratchet, and Optimus and Elita, too.

Grok: *amazing show of teeth in that grin* Good. Chrome isss there too. I haven't met anyone withhh the othher namesss.

Legacy: *small swat* Grok...

Grok: *hides teeth, though his eyes are still crinkled in it*

Drift: *amused snerk*

kvLegacy: *talkin' about teefs now!*

Grok: *huge chunk of dripping meat offered to the little girl* Hhhow many teetthh have you got?

Col: *amused snort and a glance from where he's started talking with Roger*

kvLegacy: *will show you her teeth, Grok. She's got a full set of chompers in that little mouth*

Grok: *tilts his head and obligingly counts, still holding out the meat**

Roger: *glances over* It sounds like that one that was bothering you is in, sweetheart.

kvLegacy: *waits until Grok is done counting, then she'll trill happily*

Grok: *gives the tongue flick grin this time, then jiggles the meat slightly* Are you ffffull?

kvLegacy: *bit of a pause as she thinks, then she'll reach for the meat with another thanks*

Grok: *approving nod, then indicates the plate* Which piece sshhould we give Sshhade?

kvLegacy: *looks and considers, then points to a tender piece of meat* That one.

Grok: *strong big hand gently lifts kvLegacy and holds her where she can reach that piece of meat*

kvLegacy: *will grab the meat and offer it to Shade with a chirp*

Shade: *turns from following Col and Roger's conversation* *gruffly proud kindliness* Thank you. Oh, that's full of butter.

kvLegacy: It's good noms. *nod*

Legacy: *smiles her shy small smile as she watches*

ping: *comes to Drift's comm*

Drift: *slight start* //This is Drift.//

Patrick: //Alright. That was funny. Now come clean it up.//

Drift: //... Oooh, right. The bags of packing peanuts.// *sounds like he just remembered about rigging the bags to drop down when anyone sat at the desk*

Patrick: //Make it quick? I have a meeting with a school official in less than half an hour.//

Drift: //Give me a few minutes and I'll be there.// *looks up* I have to get going... The Prime found a prank I set up ages ago in his office.

Grok: looks over, his disappointment mirrored on Roger's face* Be well, fffriend. I hhhope we meet again.

Roger: **amusement and a knowing look from those old eyes** Stay out of trouble, son.

Drift: I hope so too, Grok. *nods to Roger with a grin* It's just bags of Transformer snacks. *will politely excuse himself to Shade, Col, and the two Legacies, then he's corralling Wing, Goretusk, and Knockout, and vanishing in a PINpoint flash*