Hound and Desinex's pocket reality. Hound and Desinex's house. Healing for Perceptor.

[random_xtras]

Lumen: *sitting on the roof and listening to Perceptor sing in the attic below as he absently blows bubbles in a big botshake*

Mira: *having a nap on a nearby roof section*

Perceptor: *not really the best singer, but at least he's not terrible?*

Lumen: *scratches a healing dent from their last mission, then takes the straw out of his mouth and joins in with Perceptor, his deep voice carrying the scientist's weaker one along on its rich, warm tones*

Mira: *relaxing even more at hearing Lumen sing*

Lumen: *pronounces the words a little more clearly, hoping that it'll help Percy remember the lyrics*

Perceptor: *falters a bit on the next verse of the song*

Lumen: *continues the verse, still pronouncing the words clearly and carefully*

Perceptor: *a bit subdued as he picks up with what he can remember. Eventually, he'll fall silent as he tries to think of another song*

Lumen: *ignores the squawk from below as Sideswipe gets ganked by his wife while caught up in listening to the beautiful old ballad lullaby* *gentle and strong* I'll take the high road and you'll take the low road, and I'll get to Scotland a'fore ye...

Mira: *softly, without unshuttering her optics* But me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond...

Lumen: *smoothly* By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond,
Where me and my true love will never meet again
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond...

Mira: *will sing the chorus again* O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

Perceptor: *is that soft sound*

Lumen: *eyes bright as he gets up and walks over to give the milkshake to his sister* As weel may I weep, O yet dreams in my sleep,
We stood bride and bridegroom together,
But his arms and his breath were as cold as the earth
And his heart's blood ran red in the heather...

Mira: *quieter, as she accepts the shake* O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

Perceptor: *crying softly now*

Lumen: *sings soft counterpoint to his sister as he swings gently down onto the leads and then walks through the open French doors and into the attic. Eyes go toward Perceptor's lab corner*

Perceptor: *curled in on himself and shivering as he cries, optics nearly white*

Lumen: *walks over and sets a gentle big hand on the scientist's shoulder, then pulls him close in a protective and supportive hug*

Perceptor: *flinches and gasps, trembling as he's hugged*

Lumen: *gentle, parental rumble* *soft and gruff* Let it out. I've got you.

Perceptor: *quietly, voice cracking a few times* S-Shoot... Sh-shootout. *shutters his optics and hides against Lumen even more* S-shootout... d-did it.

Lumen: *rocks gently on the balls of his feet* Yeah. Optima dealt with him while I was in the hospital.

Perceptor: *very small nod, is just going to continue to hide against you for now, Lumen*

Lumen: *slight quirk at one side of his mouth, and then he's very softly singing in Cybertronian again. This time it's a gentle lullaby that sings of family, safety, and turbo fox cubs in the moonlight*

Mira: *carefully and silently climbing down to check on how Perceptor is* *Slight quirk of a grin as she watches Lumen and the scientist interact. Is gonna send a feed of this to Optimus*

Optimus: //What happened?//

Mira: //Perceptor was singing 'The Ferrofalcon's Nest'.//

Optimus: //...That's the song his murderer sang when he killed him.// *watches for a moment, then sighs* //He can heal now. Thank the Starsinger.//