dens_tf_den | dtc, The Tavern, Lizard babies and a Surprised Wheeljack

Ironhide: *one... more... wriggle.... MAN DOWN* :D

Old Lumen: *Startled yelp as he lands on the floor*

Ironhide: *is that chuckle fit up on the now coverless bed*

Sludge: *issa o.0*

Kriti: *Back in time to see Old Lumen topple off the bed* ... *facepalm, snicker*

Old Lumen: *Grumbles and moves to put the blankets back on the bed*

Ironhide: *grins in the direction of the grumble* Th't's... two.

Old Lumen: *Razzes Ironhide as he carefully gets the blankets situated again*

Sludge: *also is taking care of sissy's dolly!*

Kriti: *moves to set the plate of good food down for a few moments while she carefully scoops up the cloth-wrapped egg by the fireplace and tucks it under her shirt. Then she's picking the plate of food up and heading for the bed to feed Sludge and Ironhide*

egg: *wriggles*

Kriti: *pauses for a moment, then she's setting the plate where it won't get knocked over easily. Takes the egg out and unwraps it*

lizard baby: *snarl, yawn, smack smack, snuggle. Is bitty boy with teeny crest*

Kriti: *Soft sound of surprise, reaches for a small piece of meat to offer the newborn*

Old Lumen: *quietly* Wow... The other egg hatched...

Ironhide: *turns her head as she hears those little snarls and croons* Wh't'd.... we git?

Kriti: A little boy... *clicks and croons softly to the newborn lizard baby, even as she tries to feed him*

baby: *snarly little guy, but then he's crooning again as he noms his first meal and snuggles*

Ironhide: Fulla... sass. *chuckle*

Kriti: He's snarly..... *continues to feed and cuddle the little guy*

Sludge: *peeeeeking, her dress bulging from having both herself and Kriti's rag doll stuffed into it*

Ironhide: Show... Lu.

Kriti: *nods and then Old Lumen is gently cradling the newborn close to his own chest*

baby: *wriggle, snarl, pause and look up at this new guy with eyes that are a bit blinky and very newborn blue*

Old Lumen: *Quiet clicks, offers a small piece of meat* What should we call him?

Ironhide: Snarl.

baby: *nom nom, snarl, nom*

Old Lumen: *Chuckles* That suits him... *moves to bring Snarl over to Ironhide so she can meet the newborn as well*

Snarl: *amazed expression on his tiny face as he hears the woman's voice speaking to him. He recognizes it. And he recognizes her heartbeat as she holds him close, too. This is the one who made the one who held his egg the most sound happy. Tiny prrrrr as he snuggles close*

Ironhide: D'awww.....

Sludge: Sludge like!

Kriti: *chuckles and moves to bring Sludge over to meet Snarl*

Sludge: *nuzzles the younger and smaller baby, and then tries to put him in her dress*

Ironhide: *snerk*

Kriti: *soft snicker*

Old Lumen: *chuckles and moves to see if he can't find something for Snarl to wear*

Ironhide: *softly, as she carefully and slowly moves her hands to take both baby brother and dolly out of Sludge's dress* Top... drawer.

Sludge: *happy cheeping and laughing*

Old Lumen: *gets one of the baby dresses out of the drawer and brings it over, before moving to try and put it on Snarl*

Snarl: *wriggles and lives up to his name before finally submitting with bad grace*

Old Lumen: *chuckles* Yeah... Snarl suits you just fine, little one....

Snarl: *pouty*

Sludge: *lovey!*

Ratchet: *chuckling as he comes in* Wheeljack's a dad.

Kriti: *looks up at that* Huh?

Old Lumen: ... Since when?

Ratchet: Since Blackout just gave him a couple hatchlings from the center world. He's got a little tiny winged one and a stocky little guy that looks like he'll have three horns on his face. He's calling them Swoop and Slag.

Old Lumen: ... Creator preserve us.... *amused as all get-out*

Ironhide: *chuckling and not looking surprised in the least, though she'll never admit that it had been her idea to give the newborn center dwellers to the young engineer*

Ratchet: Slag looks like some kind of lizardman baby, but I've never seen such a bundle of spit and vinegar that young.... Hey, your egg hatched?

Kriti: *nods* This is Snarl... *reaching to give the lizard baby back scritchies*

Snarl: *decides to nom on Old Lu's thumb, but then purrrs at scritchies*

Sludge: *excited. Must tell Uncle Ratchet the important part!* Sludge liiiike!

Old Lumen: *Carefully transferring Snarl back to Kriti, who continues giving scritchies*

Ratchet: I brought some broth for Ironhide. It's got seaweed in it for the iron.

Ironhide: o.0

Old Lumen: ... Sea... weed? *headtilt*

Ratchet: It's a plant from the oceans. And it's good for strengthening the blood.

Old Lumen: ... *totally lost.*

Kriti: *blink blink* What's the oceans?

Ironhide: .... Dun wanna... be no... golem.

Ratchet: *sigh* It's medicine to help you heal. And.... *blink* You've never heard of the oceans? Seas?

Kriti: *starting to hunker in on herself a bit, doesn't want to admit that she has no clue what Ratchet's talking about*

Ratchet: *sees this* *gently* Over the mountains to the south there are bodies of water bigger than the biggest lakes up here. I'll see if I can't find a book about them. *offers the broth so he can go hit the shops*

Old Lumen: *a bit baffled by the idea of bodies of water bigger than even the biggest lakes, but moves to grab the broth and bring it to Ironhide*

Ratchet: *grins* Congratulations on your son, Lumen. *turns and makes his way out to the shops*

Ironhide: *has actually seen an ocean, though she never knew there were weeds growing in it. She's curious about this broth, and sniffing to see if she can't catch the scent*

Sludge: *wants to go to sister and see baby brother*

Kriti: *Scooting closer to the bed, is curious about the broth as well, will prop Mama up with pillows as well as she can with one hand free*

Old Lumen: *Will help Ironhide with the broth now*

Sludge: *going to climb into sissy's arms and croon to Snarl*

Snarl: *snarls at sister, but then snuggles and prrrrs himself to sleep*

Ironhide: *cautious taste and then a sound of surprise*

Old Lumen: *Curious* Ironhide?

Kriti: *moving to sit in Aunt Chromia's chair, since the War Master is out and about*

Ironhide: S'good! *lopsided grin*

Old Lumen: *Chuckles* Well, that's good... Some of the things Ratchet brings don't seem like they taste too good...

Ironhide: Medicine... don'... usu'ly.

Old Lumen: *gonna have a taste as well*

Ironhide: *chuckles at that*

Old Lumen: Heeeey.... *impressed*

Ironhide: Gimme.

Old Lumen: *chuckles and focuses on feeding Ironhide*

Meanwhile, in the common room

Bluestreak: *wanders in after a hard day's work. She's limping*

Young Lumen: *notices this, moves to see if Bluestreak needs any help*

Wheeljack: *In babeh heaven, is crooning and trying to interest Swoop and Slag in small pieces of meat from his own plate*

Bluestreak: *smiles at her teacher, though the smile's a little wan* I found a bear trap the hard way. It wasn't very nice for someone to just forget it was there, but it was so rusty that I don't think anyone remembers about it but me, and I was so busy trying to stop bleeding that I forgot where it was, and I set it again while I was getting it off my leg, and.... *wince*

Young Lumen: *moves to scoop up the half wood-elf, intending to carry her over to one of the chairs near the fireplace so he can take care of her leg* Take it easy for the next couple of days, alright, Blue? *Concerned and acting a bit paternal*

Bluestreak: Well, I have a lot of loot, including a few credits for Ironhide's room, so I guess it'll be.... *turns her head toward the sound of cheeping and is surprised to see babies she doesn't recognize* Wheeljack, what's that?

Swoop: *has her tiny winghands in the plate and is drinking broth*

Slag: *killing an empty bowl*

Wheeljack: *Proud papa grin* Swoop and Slag... *indicates which one is which*

Bluestreak: Ohhhh, are they yours? I've never seen lizardfolk like them before, where did you find them, how old are they, do you know what they'll look like when they grow up, ohh they need dresses! I have cloth, so I can make them some like the ones I just made Mama's babies, only they'd have to be different because Slag's bigger and Swoop has wings and owwwwwww. *looks up at Young Lumen with big eyes*

Wheeljack: Blackout found their eggs and gave 'em to me... I'm not sure what kind of lizardfolk they are specifically.... But yeah, that'd be great if you have the time to, Blue... I'm only good at patching stuff up...

Young Lumen: *chuckles and carries Bluestreak to the chair by the fireplace and gets what he'll need to clean her leg*

Slag: *killed bowl good! Tastes and makes angry little sounds of disappointment when his kill proves to be non tasty*

Wheeljack: *clicks his tongue a bit and offers Slag a piece of meat to kill instead of crockery* Noooo idea what gender they are, Blue...

Blackout: *from where she's sitting at her table with her husband and a stocky dwarf girl with red hair* The flier is female. The other one's male. *puts an arm around the dark-haired girl child who runs over to her*

Slag: *kills meat ded!*

Blue: So I better not put very many ribbons on his dress... wow, he's mean, isn't he? He sure looks a lot different from Sludge, and he's a lot bigger than her too... oh! Hello, Swoop, I'm Bluestreak. *grins at the little wingling as she looks over, attracted by all the talking*

Swoop: *chirp!*

Wheeljack: *Thinks Slag and Swoop are the most precious things ever, even with Slag killing the meat dead*

Swoop: *chooses that moment to beetle across his plateful of food so that she can stuff her tiny sparrow-size self under his hand and hide from the talky lady. And then she peeks right back out*

Wheeljack: *Soothing clicks, gently rubs Swoop's back*

Bluestreak: *hands folded under her chin with delight at sight of the tiny baby* Ohhhhhhh!

Young Lumen: *works on cleaning Bluestreak's leg, will bandage it with a poultice just to be on the safe side, since she said the trap was rusted*

Slag: *over the side of the table!*

Bluestreak: *gasps and bolts to her feet to go to the baby's rescue, and yeah, might kick Young Lu along the way*

Wheeljack: *diving to save Slag!*

Young Lumen: Ack! *knocked onto his butt*

Bluestreak: *crashes into Wheeljack, and then looks quickly to see if Slag is safe, babbling questions so quickly that she's incoherent. The fact that she's crying doesn't help matters*

Wheeljack: *Acks and fusses over both Slag and Bluestreak*

Slag: *promptly tries to bite Wheeljack on the nose, but is distracted by all the sound that this other one is making. Turns his head and tilts it, making a curious chrrr*

Wheeljack: *Soothing sounds, will check to make sure Bluestreak isn't hurt*

Bluestreak: *gets Slag into her arms and just clings to the husky infant as she shakes and continues to ramble and cry*

Slag: >:\   *hey... wait. This is nice and warm and soft. SNUGGLE*

Wheeljack: D'aww.... Bluestreak, are you okay?

Bluestreak: *more rambling*

Swoop: *does not like all the sad she hears. Sad little cheeps come from where she's hiding under the edge of Jack's looted plate*

Wheeljack: *more soothing sounds, will try and lift Bluestreak and Slag*

Bluestreak: *frees an arm from Slag to cling to Wheeljack too*

Young Lumen: *coming over after getting up, will help Wheeljack*

Deepdancer: *coming over from her corner by the fireplace* What's all the noise?

Wheeljack: Nothin' to worry about, 'Dancer... Just Slag deciding to take a few years off'a all of our lives by fallin' off the table... *said fondly as he and Young Lumen move to gently set Bluestreak on the chair at the table*

Deepdancer: *as she watches Bluestreak cling and cry and talk* ...She's hysterical.

Wheeljack: *more soothing sounds, will gently rub Bluestreak's back*

Deepdancer: *turns in a swirl of robes and goes to the fireplace, where she quickly stirs something up before bringing it back* Here. Make her drink this. I'll help with whatever's got her legging all red, too.

Wheeljack: *Small nod, will continue with the soothing sounds and offer what Deepdancer brought over*

Young Lumen: She found an old beartrap...

Deepdancer: *scowls and airs her opinion of old bear traps. She still bears reminders of her own encounter with one* Someone get that little squeaker out from under that plate.

Showtime: *will come over to do that*

Swoop: *trills with fright and tries to get away. Where is her mama?*

Showtime: *Soothing sounds, moves so Swoop can see Wheeljack*

Swoop: *Mama! Calls!*

Bluestreak: *slowly sipping the drink as her breathing starts to settle back to a normal rate. She's still clinging to Slag and Wheeljack*

Wheeljack: *Clicks his tongue a bit, attention half on Bluestreak, half on Swoop as he holds out his hand to the little one*

Swoop: *clambers over there, clumsy yet with her wings*

Bluestreak: *watches her, falling silent as she does so*

Slag: *SLEEP*

Wheeljack: *Will hold Swoop close once he's got the little flier*

Bluestreak: *rests her head on Wheeljack's shoulder, her big blue eyes blinking groggily* Wheeljack?

Wheeljack: *Attention going to Bluestreak now* Yes, Bluestreak?

Bluestreak: *softly and contentedly* I think I love you. *passes out*

Wheeljack: ... Bhuh?! *confused now* Deepdancer, what was in that stuff?

Deepdancer: *snort* A very little bit of poppy sap.

Wheeljack: ....

Deepdancer: *turns to go back to her chair* Not enough to make her see strange things.

Wheeljack: ..... *And now his ears are turning red!*

Young Lumen: *Finds this amusing, will share this turn of events with Iste*

Deepdancer: Finish taking care of her leg and stop sniggering, you yahoo. *back to her chair she goes*

Young Lumen: *Snorts and carefully bandages Bluestreak's leg*

Bluestreak: *soundly and peacefully asleep, one arm wrapped around the sleeping Slag and her free hand locked on the front of Wheeljack's tunic*

Wheeljack: *looking absolutely brain-broken now*

Young Lumen: *going to tell Iste about what Bluestreak said now, kthx*

Swoop: *snuggle snuggle, peeeeeek*

Wheeljack: *absolutely flabbergasted that a lady is interested in him as something other than a friend*

Showtime: *soft click, reaches to poke Wheeljack*

Swoop: *Peep! Hide!*

Showtime: *amused, will go find Ratchet and let him know someone needs to reset Wheeljack*

Ratchet: *has found a lovely book with coloured pictures of the ocean to go with a sweet and interesting story. Is haggling fiercely*

Showtime: *Will wait patiently*

shopkeeper: *determined that that book is worth more!*

Ratchet: *just as determined not to go broke buying it!*

annoying big fly: *buzzing around by the shopkeeper's head*

Showtime: *calmly getting an arrow nocked on her bow. Then she's taking careful aim at the fly, eyes watching the bug's every move. With the barest hint that she's even moved, the fly is suddenly pinned against the back wall of the shop*

shopkeeper: *gives Ratchet the book for a song*

Ratchet: *turning his head slowly to see where the slag that arrow came from*

Showtime: *calmly, and just a bit smugly* Wheeljack needs a good poke in the ribs...

Ratchet: *frowns with concern as he pays for his book* What happened?

Showtime: Bluestreak broke his brain. *Moves to go retrieve her arrow, intends to show the 'kill' to Young Lumen*

Ratchet: *frown deepens* Blue... how did Bluestreak break Wheeljack's brain?

Showtime: *has her arrow!* She said something that shocked him stupid. :3 *Off to pester Young Lumen!*

Ratchet: *hurries back to the tavern and over to where he last saw his best friend* 'Jack?

Wheeljack: *looks to Ratchet, looking like he's just gotten the biggest surprise in his life*

Ratchet: *stops beside him, book under arm* What's wrong?

Wheeljack: ... Blue... likes me....

Ratchet: *puzzled expression* Well... 'Jack, you knew that awhile ago.

Wheeljack: Meant... as more than a friend....

Ratchet: *blinks, and then starts laughing*

Wheeljack: This isn't funny, Ratch!

Ratchet: Hey, Eclipse, come here!

Eclipse: Huh? *looks up from what she's working on* What's up? *coming over, project in hand*

Ratchet: Tell Wheeljack the names of your parents.

Eclipse: *Blink blink* *eyes Wheeljack* This guy's my dad's Name Brother?

Ratchet: Yup.

Eclipse: ... I knew Blue's my mom's Name Sister....

Wheeljack: ... waitwhathuh?!

Eclipse: *more blink blink* You mean you never heard of my folks? *begins telling one of the stories associated with her father*

Wheeljack: *REALLY starting to look brain-broken now*

Ratchet: Oh snap out of it, 'Jack. If a lady can love a guy like Tracks, then it's no big shock for one to decide she likes you. I mean, look at your Name Sister.

Wheeljill: *drunk out of her sensibility and chasing her husband around with a dead sunfish*

WakeJumper: *Trying to avoid being 'fished*

Anna: If you stop playing with that I can cook it for you!

Wheeljack: ... *Wants to facepalm, currently has arms full with Bluestreak and Swoop*

Ratchet: So take a deep breath and put poor Blue somewhere she can sleep, okay? *grin*

Wheeljack: *small nod, takes a deep breath, gets up and carries Bluestreak, Swoop, and Slag over to a spot near the fireplace*

Ratchet: Eclipse, that's Blue's pack, will you bring it over for 'Jack?

Eclipse: *nods and moves to do so*

Ratchet: Thanks. *heads off down the hall and into the sickroom, where Ironhide is now sleeping peacefully with her babies and Thrrpt* Kriti? Are you here?

Kriti: *Sound asleep in Aunt Chromia's chair*

Ratchet: *sees this and looks around for Old Lumen*

Old Lumen: *making sure everyone's comfortable, intends to tuck Kriti in shortly* *Quietly* What's up, Ratchet?

Ratchet: I got Kriti a book with pictures of the ocean. *holds up the largish but not frighteningly thick volume* Loanshark read me some of it and it sounds pretty interesting. *nope, still not the best at reading Mountain script*

Old Lumen: *Chuckles and moves to carefully lift the tiny Infiltrator and get her tucked in with the rest of the family on the bed* I'll have to have a look, myself...

Ratchet: *starts a bit as Snarl lives up to his name in his sleep* He's still doing that?

Old Lumen: *Soft chuckle as he moves to tuck Kriti's dolly in with her* Yep...

Ratchet: Oh he's going to be fun when he gets bigger. *shakes head*

Sludge: *sleepy little sound from where she's hugging herself... no. She's hugging the tiny green dolly that's sleeping in the front of her dress*

Kriti: *Sleepy murmur, snuggles against whoever is closest*

Thrrpt: Thrrpt. *hugga sister without waking*

Old Lumen: *makes sure the blankets cover everyone*

Ironhide: *snuggles and murmurs*

Ratchet: *quietly* And Blue told 'Jack.

Old Lumen: *pauses for a moment* *Quietly, and a bit gruffly* How'd he take it?

Ratchet: I left Eclipse talking him back to reality.

Old Lumen: *soft snort*

Ratchet: He needed a restart pretty badly. *goes over to his chair by the fireplace, unaware of the wistful glance he gives to Chromia's*

Old Lumen: That surprised, huh?

Ratchet: *opens book to look at a picture* Yup.

Old Lumen: *chuckles* He'll be good for her... And she'll be good for him...

Ratchet: *nods without looking up from the beautiful picture* We'll have to wait to see if her other father approves. 'Jill's fishing again.

Old Lumen: *snerks* What type?

Ratchet: One of those little round things from the pond.

Old Lumen: Ah... *chuckles again* Those two act like they're still courting.

Ratchet: *still studying the picture* So do you and Ironhide.

Old Lumen: *Eyes Ratchet* Or you and 'Mia.

Ratchet: *looks up at that* We are courting.

Old Lumen: Got a ring yet?

Ratchet: A few, but I'm not sure any of them are something she'd like.

Old Lumen: Lemme see?

Ratchet: *closes the book and reaches under the chair for his pack* If Kriti's not keeping them for me. But my point was, 'Mia and I have only known each other for a short time. We have an excuse for acting silly... not that we do. So we don't count as an example.

Old Lumen: *very soft snort*

Ratchet: Will you take a peek at Kriti's knapsack? *straightens up, his hand empty of what he sought*

Old Lumen: *nods, and proceeds to do so, quickly procurring a carefully wrapped bundle* *soft chuckle* She really wanted to make sure 'Mia didn't see these...

Ratchet: *grinning, the expression holding fondness for the tiny Infiltrator*

Old Lumen: *Carefully unwrapping the bundle, chuckling softly when he sees the rings*

Ratchet: They all seem too flashy for her. Especially that one with the opal on it.

Old Lumen: *nods* Yeah.. Maybe you could ask Moonracer how she made the ring she gave Torque, and make something similar?

Ratchet: What did she give him? I didn't notice.

Old Lumen: Something made with wire in some sort of braid....

Ratchet: Hrrrm. *scratches his beard as he thinks*

Kriti: *soft sound, shifts position slightly*

Old Lumen: *Quick glance at the sleeping teen, relaxes when Kriti continues to sleep peacefully*

Ratchet: You want to put them back? I won't need them. *still thinking and running over his options. Also yawns*

Old Lumen: *nods, carefully re-wrapping the rings and tucking them back into the pocket he got them out of* You should do like the girls and Snarl, and get some sleep.

Ratchet: Actually I'm going to go have a look at 'Mia's worry stone, and then see if Hairball can track her.

Old Lumen: *Gives Ratchet a Look* You need to rest.

Ratchet: *oblivious to looks* Today was easy. I'm fine. *gets up, pulling the pack out and slinging it onto his shoulder as he picks up his ax and his chakram*

Old Lumen: *more snort* If you conk out halfway to wherever it is she's gone and gotten herself into, it won't do anyone a lick of good.

Ratchet: *just grins and goes, confident in his ability to go now, sleep later*

Old Lumen: *Headshake, moves to carefully join the family that is here in the bed*

((co-written with

random_xtras))