dens_tf_den | Nexus, Tarantulus and Showtime's Apartment, Dahlia

yOp: *knocks on Tarantulus and Showtime's apartment door*

Tarantulus: *takes a few moments, but does eventually get to the door*

yOp: *standing there with a tall young femme curled in his arms. One so young that she isn't even painted yet* Tarantulus... I need to ask a favor.

Tarantulus: ... *blink blink* Favor?

yOp: *quietly* She needs somewhere to stay.

Tarantulus: ... Who is she? *is already planning on making a blanket run, as well as going to the Nexus Mall to get the femme a berth to sleep on*

yOp: *still quietly* Her mother is one of us.

Tarantulus: ...

Showtime: *From the berth she and Tarantulus share* What's going on?

yOp: *glances toward her voice, but then looks at his brother. He's unwilling to bring Showtime into this until Tarantulus has had a chance to decide*

Tarantulus: *quietly* Can you two keep Showtime company while I get a berth and some blankets?

yOp: *smiles, but asks even more softly* Don't you want to know who her father is?

Tarantulus: *quieter* I think I know....

yOp: *nods and looks down at the young femme's face* We'll sit with Show.

Tarantulus: Thanks... *will head for the Nexus mall*

yOp: *moves toward the berth room and slips inside* Hi, Showtime.

Showtime: *is surrounded by a variety of entertainment options, including several comic books, holo-vid chips, and books* Hey... What's going on?

yOp: *slight grin* Someone's coming to live with you.

Showtime: *headtilt, doorwings up* Oh?

yOp: Yeah. There are reasons she can't be with her parents.

Showtime: Awww.....

sparklet: *moves slightly and frowns in her sleep*

yOp: *soft words, and then looks at Showtime again* She hasn't even started datacrunching yet.

Showtime: *doorwings up with surprise*

yOp: But she was already talking a little before she charged up and went to sleep.

Showtime: Aww... *moving to clear space for the femme*

yOp: You want me to lay her beside you? She might wriggle, and she's pretty tall.

Showtime: There's nowhere else for her to sleep right now, besides the couch...

yOp: *slight grin and lays his niece down*

sparklet: *frowns and curls up a bit upon losing contact with a familiar sounding spark*

Showtime: *gently rubs the sparklet's back, making soothing sounds*

sparklet: *opens her eyes to give the blue femme a wary and watchful look*

Showtime: *more soothing sounds, will offer part of a cinnaSeeker*

sparklet: *optics widen and then she's reaching for the treat and sniffing at it* Where?

yOp: *making some datachips while the youngster's distracted*

Showtime: Home... Near the Black Dog....

sparklet: *frowns as she fails to understand, but then looks a bit fretful and frightened as she turns her head and looks for her mother*

Showtime: *Clicks quietly*

yOp: *offers Showtime the datachips*

Showtime: *blink blink* ... I don't know what to do, Oppy....

yOp: Really? Just give these to the sparklet and... //tell her it's data.//

Showtime: Oh... Okay... *will move to offer the datachips to the sparklet* Here... Data...

sparklet: *perks and forgets about her piece of cookie as she takes the little plastic chips. Intent frowning follows before she realizes how to get the data out. And then her expression's blank as she downloads it*

yOp: *watches silently, thinking how like her male creator's her expressions are*

Showtime: *pings yOp's comm* //So who're her parents?//

yOp: //A female Optimus, and the Sentinel of her reality.//

Showtime: *doorwings up* //So Tarantulus' spark will sound familiar....//

yOp: *nods* //That's why she complained when I put her down. She thought I was her mother.//

Showtime: //...// *soft snicker*

yOp: Thrrpt.

sparklet: *startles and looks up at the sound, frowning*

yOp: She'll need a name.

Showtime: *blinks and gets a considering look*

sparklet: *steadily consumes all the data, and then conks out with her mouth open*

yOp: *gently nudges her chin till she shuts it*

Showtime: Dahlia.

yOp: *blinks* Dahlia? Isn't that a flower?

Showtime: *nods*

yOp: *looks at the sparklet* ...Why Dahlia? What does it mean?

Showtime: Well... I like the flowers... and it's a pretty name...

yOp: *chuckles* Alright. *scans the young one, his expression holding his sympathy for her*

Showtime: *moves to cover the newly named Dahlia with a blanket, pauses for a moment before her expression softens*

yOp: *quietly* From what I've seen of her so far she's a lot like her father.

Showtime: *blink blink* I never met the mech in Tarantulus' and my reality...

yOp: *nods* Just... try to teach her to think of others. *adjusts the blanket around Dahlia's shoulders*

Showtime: *nods*

yOp: *checks in with Tarantulus*

Tarantulus: //How's the sparklet doing? And do you think she'd like a bunny or a teddy bear to cuddle?//

yOp: //She's sleeping after her first programming. Show's named her Dahlia. And... I don't know, what do they look like?//

Tarantulus: *Sends yOp an image of the plushies, which come in a variety of colors* //I've got a berth and blankets for her...//

yOp: *scratching his head and considering the toys* //I like the pink bunny with strawberries on it.//

Tarantulus: //Okay... I'll get that one for her then... Showtime's staying put, right?// *sounds a bit worried about his mate*

yOp: *transmits his chuckle and shows the worried new father an image of the blue femme and the youngster cuddled against her*

Tarantulus: //Good... I'll be back soon... Just gotta pay for the bunny....//

yOp: //Alright.// Tarantulus is nearly done. *smiles at his sister*

Showtime: I just hope he remembered to get blankets...

yOp: He did. And a berth. And a bunny. *grins*

Showtime: *soft snerk*

yOp: *shows her an image of the bunny*

Showtime: Aww...

yOp: *grins and then sighs* I should probably be getting back. Do you need anything?

Showtime: Not that I can think of off the top of my processor...

yOp: Alright. I'll just wait till Tarantulus gets back. *knows brother won't like to have his carrying mate unguarded*

Tarantulus: *arriving back a few minutes later*

yOp: *grins at his brother as he stands up* Do you need any help with the berth?

Tarantulus: That'd be great...

Showtime: *Had started to nod off*

yOp: *glances at sister, and then looks back to brother* -Where are you putting it?-

Tarantulus: *as he moves to get things moved around along the wall that's directly perpendicular to the wall that the other berth is against* -Along this wall, so Dahlia won't have too far to go if she wants to sleep in the berth with Showtime and me.-

yOp: -D'aww.- *walks over to help, muting the sounds for Showtime and the sparklet so that they won't be disturbed*

Tarantulus: *once enough room's been cleared for both the berth and a bit of room around it for walking space, he's moving to get the berth out of subspace*

yOp: *helping, considering the model and smiling* A padded one, huh? *glances at the young femme* What do sparklets look like in your reality?

Tarantulus: I figured it'd be more comfortable for her.... And sparklets... Well... Most of the time, they're about the same size that they are as adults... just a lack of armor, mostly....

yOp: So it's a standard reality for our tech type. *puts a bolt into the right place and then threads on the nut*

Tarantulus: *As he works* I guess... I've seen one of our counterparts who has a little femme sparklet... And a couple of Seeker-looking youngsters with him...

yOp: Well, every tech type of realty has different possible sparklet types. Ours is standard because it's the most common. I heard a Perceptor the other day call the ones with baby sparklets infant class realities.

Tarantulus: Huh... *soft snerk as he thinks of something he said to a Ratchet the other day*

yOp: *quizzical glance as he catches a hint of the thought*

Tarantulus: I called a Ratchet a n00b the other day because he hadn't realized there could be a Maximal version of someone from his reality....

yOp: *chuckles* What did he say?

Tarantulus: Said he wasn't a n00b... but he was. Basic tech, and probably from around the time Unicron made lunchmeat out of one of the moons in his reality....

yOp: And he didn't cuss or give you the Look? *brow ridges lift* So he was non fanon, too.

Tarantulus: He looked brain-broken.

yOp: Poor guy. *chuckles and tests the berth for steadiness*

berth: *is quite steady and ready for sleeping on!*

yOp: *quietly* I think we're good to go.

Tarantulus: *small nod, glances to the berth* *quietly* I don't really want to disturb them while they're sleeping....

yOp: *looks over as well* -She's just new born. Let her process her data and bond with Show, since Show's going to be her mother.-

Tarantulus: *Another small nod*

yOp: *looking at the new femme thoughtfully* *then glances at brother and ponders to him how brain broken Sentinel would look if he ever met Dahlia. Ebil, him? Nahhhhh*

Tarantulus: *getting that protective glimmer in his optics again. Dahlia's Sentinel would have an epic fight if he tried to take the newborn away from Tarantulus and Showtime, more than likely*

yOp: *senses his brother's thoughts and puts a hand on the cloaked mech's shoulder* *softly* -He doesn't know she exists. He never even knew about the bond, and it's gone now.-

Tarantulus: *small nod, is still feeling protective of his growing family*

yOp: *grins and gives Tarantulus a crushing guy hug* -I'll see you later, alright? Looks like you get to test out the new berth yourself tonight.-

Tarantulus: *Softly* Thrrrpt. *chuckles and moves to drape a blanket over Showtime*

yOp: *grins and heads for home*

Tarantulus: *Will stay awake and keep watch over Showtime and Dahlia until he can't stay awake any longer*

((Co-written with

random_xtras))