Paxverse and MV, The Pit and Gordon's Planet, Return
Fire Robo: *carefully lowers his end of the makeshift stretcher as Two does the same with her end of it. Then stands and looks around the conservatory* You're right, Drift-kun. This is nice.
Drift: *soft chuckle* Yeah... Last time I was here was the first time I used my new alternate mode... *is feeling well enough to be amused at the fact that Fire Robo and the Aider Robos have ganged up on him to keep him from getting up*
Fire Robo: *slightly pensive expression as he reaches over to touch a fiddle-leaf fig leaf* *quietly* Ace and Emily would like it here.
Four: *settles down by Drift's head and gently tucks her legs under it, then strokes his helm*
Drift: *soft clicks, worry clear in his purplish blue optics as he watches Fire Robo*
Three: *quiet squeak of surprise as she touches a big grapefruit and it falls off the branch. Catches it, and then looks around for directions on what she should do with it*
Drift: *attention going to Three, can smell the grapefruit* *curious expression is a go* What is that?
Fire Robo: *looks, then walks over and takes the fruit to look at it* It's a grapefruit. ...A big one.
Drift: *very slight headtilt* It smells interesting....
Fire Robo: It's human food. *comes back and hunkers down to offer the fruit to Drift*
Drift: *reaches for the fruit, will try and work out what part is supposed to be eaten* *pulls an interesting face at the taste of the rind, and then he's squinting as he gets a taste of the inside*
Fire Robo: *watching with his mouth open slightly with surprise* Should you be eating that?
Aider Robos: *all watching Drift with slightly tilted heads*
Drift: *chewing thoughtfully, though he continues to squint at the slightly sour flavor* *swallows his bite before answering* I've got a fuel processing modification... High Tech installed it for me.
Fire Robo: But it doesn't look like it tastes very good.
Drift: It's different... *small grin and has another bite*
Fire Robo: *can't help it. He laughs as he watches that funny expression you just pulled, Drift*
Drift: *enjoying the grapefruit, even if it's a different flavor from what he's used to*
Three: *gentle bump for Fire Robo, then offers him a banana* Aid?
Fire Robo: *looks at the banana* I know what this is. Ace liked them. *takes it and examines it* Only the ones Ace ate were larger, and yellow.
Drift: *curious, has part of the grapefruit peel in his mouth*
Fire Robo: *finished studying the banana, carefully pulls the peel back from one end, and then offers it to Drift*
Drift: *finishes his bite of grapefruit peel, will reach for the banana and give it a curious sniff before having a bite*
banana: *rich, sweet, and very very faintly strawberry tinged*
Drift: *pleased sound. Likes the sweet flavor*
Fire Robo: *intrigued now* I'm going to see if there's anything else here that's good to eat. *stands and looks around again, remembering the shapes of things he's seen humans eat*
Drift: *turns his head to watch Fire Robo, adding grapefruit and bananas to the list of 'good-tasting food' he's started*
Fire Robo: *vanishes around a corner of the path, then makes a sound of surprise* Hello, is someone there?
Snake Eyes: *is a flash on Drift's sensors*
Drift: *attention going to where he thinks Snake Eyes is* Hey, Snake Eyes. *small smile*
Snake Eyes: *nods head, and then flips a fig at him*
Drift: *reaches to catch the fig and give it a curious sniff* *intrigued sound at the sweet smell, will give the fig a taste, before he's making a bit of a mess as he eats*
Fire Robo: Here's a different kind of fruit. It looks a little like the bananas.
Snake Eyes: *looks toward the sound of the bot's voice and nods. Yes, those are bananas*
Drift: Snake Eyes says they're bananas too.... *considers for a few moments* I think I want to try one....
Fire Robo: Alright. Whoops. Two fell off the bunch.
Snake Eyes: *silent shoulder shake of laughter at the surprise in Fire Robo's voice*
Drift: *chuckle* That's okay, Fire.
Fire Robo: *comes walking back, a pair of big Musa Hua Moa bananas in one hand* *goes to one knee by Drift and sets one of the fruits down while he peels the other. Then offers the opened one to Drift* Here.
Drift: Thanks... *having a taste of the large fruit* *and there is no fruit very shortly. Drift is one mech who likes sweet flavors*
Fire Robo: *smiles, reminded of how the human boys ate at MRR headquartes* You ate that fast.
Drift: *sheepish grin* Well, it's good....
Snake Eyes: *tosses Drift something small and green*
Drift: *catches the item, curious* What's this?
Fire Robo: *looks at it* Oh, it's another kind of fruit. Like the grapefruit.
Drift: *sniff sniff* *bite* *Fire Robo, the face he pulled with the grapefruit isn't NEARLY as funny as the face he's pulling now*
Fire Robo: *surprised head tilt, then looks at Snake Eyes just in time to see the man crack up and vanish*
Drift: *slight flail at the sour and slightly bitter flavor of the fruit* .>.<.
Fire Robo: *grabs the other Musa Hua Moa banana and peels it quickly, then catches Drift's hand and shoves it into it*
Four: *worried helm smoothing as she fusses silently*
Drift: *quick to bite into the banana in his hand* *distress fades from his expression as he chews the sweeter fruit*
Fire Robo: That was mean. *frowns and looks toward where Snake Eyes had been standing*
Drift: *finishes what he's got in his mouth before answering* It kind of tasted like the jell-o bomb Tunnel Rat threw at Heavy Duty and me one time... *thoughtful expression is a go*
Fire Robo: *pause* That sparkly stuff they talked about?
Drift: *nod* It was sparkly after the glitter bomb... *chuckle*
Fire Robo: It still wasn't nice to trick you like that.
Drift: *considering* I wonder what he was trying to teach me about this time?
Fire Robo: *looks at him* What do you mean?
Drift: *will explain about past lessons and how he's been taught those lessons*
Fire Robo: *listens intently, then moves his head thoughtfully* So you think this was a lesson too?
Drift: Knowing Snake Eyes, it was... *thinking about what the lesson could be* The green jell-o tastes sort of like this... *slight headtilt* And I didn't know it was the same sort of flavor until I tried it....
Fire Robo: *listening, but then pauses and turns his head as he catches a sound somewhere behind him*
Drift: *startles and tries to sit up. Remembers that sound!*
Four: *puts her hands on his shoulders and holds him down*
Fire Robo: *turns back* Drift-kun, don't get up. *sees his face* What is it?
Drift: *expression serious* There's a portal like the one I came through when I arrived here. I can hear it. *alerting High Tech, since he doesn't want anyone to walk through the portal on accident and risk getting stranded*
High Tech: *voice from an overhead speaker* //I see it. There's a freezing wind coming through and wilting the bird of paradise over there.//
Drift: *frowning muchly and wishing he wasn't out of commission, since he has a hunch about where the portal leads*
Fire Robo: I'm going to go look.
Drift: No... I think I know where that portal goes... *is going to get up carefully*
Fire Robo: *turns back as Four once more tries to push Drift down* You're hurt. You can't get up.
High Tech: No. Let him get up, Fire. That's his reality.
Fire Robo: *alarmed expression, but tells Four to let go of Drift*
Drift: *carefully gets to his feet* *quietly* If it's not, I'll use my teleporter and come right back here. *will snag a few of the red bananas as he takes slow steps towards the portal*
fine snow: *swirly through the portal, but the blizzard is mild enough for Drift to see the cloud of steam rising from the hot spring well, and the dark humps of the mammoths standing near it. It looks exactly as it did when he left it*
Drift: *checking the coordinates, since he's not sure this is the right reality* *raised brow ridges as he gets confirmation that he's back in the reality he started in... and right back where he left* *looks over his shoulder* *doesn't want to leave Fire Robo and the Aider Robos behind*
Robos: *watching him*
Roger: Hey! There you are, Drift! Where did you go?
Drift: *to the Robos, turning slightly so he can hold his hand out to them* Come with me... I don't want to leave you behind...
Fire Robo: *steps forward* Hurry, ladies.
snow: *gives out under Drift's foot and pitches him through the portal, which closes*
Drift: *stumbles and lands on his skidplate with a sharp curse as pain radiates through his frame* *upset that the portal closed*
Roger: *runs toward the bot, Anna at his heels. Pulls up short as he reaches Drift* ...You're white.
Drift: *cycling air, is visibly upset*
Roger: *puts a hand on the young mech's face* Drift, talk to us. What happened? You were gone for hours.
Drift: *quietly* That.... that can't be right.... I was gone for days....
Roger: *head tilts in his hood* No... *turns and cups his hands around his mouth, bellowing for Lindsey, who responds quickly, and then gently lifts Drift up on her tusks* *climbs up on the young mammoth's neck, pulling Anna up with him* *shouts down* Take it easy, we'll have you where it's warm soon.
Drift: *quiet hitch of his intakes that could be due to pain or due to grief*
Margaret: *gently squeezes Drift's nose with the end of hers as he's carried past her, her soft subsonics can be felt in the air*
Drift: *very soft clicks. Is grieving the fact that the portal closed before he could bring Fire Robo and the Aider Robos through*
Lindsey: *brings him down into the well and lays him gently on the warm, damp ground by the spring, then beeps his nose and goes to stand over by his pod shuttle after offloading her human family members*
Roger: *throwing back his hood and pulling off his snow mask, his face creased with concern as he waves off the questions of the others* Drift?
Anna: *gentle touch for Drift's cheek*
Drift: *quietly* I left them behind... I didn't mean to....
Roger: Who, Drift? Who did you leave? And what did you mean, you were gone for days?
Drift: Fire Robo and the ladies... I was in a different reality....
Roger: *exchanges a glance with Anna, then turns back to the young Cybertronian* But... how?
Drift: *quietly* There was a portal...
Roger: *surprised* ...A door?
Drift: *small nod*
Roger: *quiet 'huh'* And... another reality. *glances over at the pod shuttle* You couldn't reach that with your ship.
Drift: No... *sharp rush of air, and a slight intake hitch*
Anna: *arms around him* Shhhhh. Maybe it will open again.
Eddie: *quick movement, and she's crouched on his chest and laying the soft felt bundle of her new daughter where he can feel the baby's warm weight and wiggles*
Drift: *quiet clicks*
Eddie: *softly, her green eyes looking into his* It's probably for a reason. Don't despair, okay?
Drift: *shaky intakes, small nod*
Robbie: Yeah, a reason like maybe saying good bye. *slight frown*
Drift: *quietly* Good bye?
Roger: *quietly* It's time for us to move on. And... well, if you were gone for days, maybe it's time for you to move on, too.
Drift: Oh... *small nod, will move to carefully get to his feet after gently moving Eddie and the baby, hiding the wince that movement brings*
Eddie: *sitting on his arm, and holding her little daughter* *looks up at him, her mobile face creased sadly* I wish you fit in a saddle bag.
Drift: *slight quirk of a grin* Yeah... *knows that he could if he weren't damaged*
Eddie: *leans against him in a one-armed hug, then looks down at the baby* ...Her name is Traveller.
Drift: *nod* That's a good name... *and now he remembers the plush bunny he stowed in subspace. Will get it out and offer it to Eddie*
Eddie: *brows lift as she leans away from him slightly to get her free arm to the front so that she can take the small soft thing* What is it?
Drift: It's something I found in the other reality...
Eddie: *fingers feeling the softness* What's it for?
Drift: I was told it's something nice to hold...
Eddie: *instinctively tucks it by her newborn, who makes small squeaky conversations to this appealing thing* *smiles as she watches little Traveller's reaction*
Drift: *small smile as he watches Traveller. Silently prays that she'll grow up healthy and strong like the rest of her family*
Eddie: *and then she pauses and sniffs* ...What is that?
Drift: *blinks and checks the air before he's realizing that the sweet smell is coming from the bananas* Oh... I forgot I grabbed those...
Eddie: *studies the small red objects as she gently holds the bunny where Traveller can snuggle it* ...Some kind of root?
Drift: *small headshake* Fruit... They're called bananas... *gently sets Eddie and Traveller down, will try and carefully peel one of the sweet fruits*
Clarksons: *watching with interest. Little Roger has his finger in his mouth*
Drift: *manages to get the fruit peeled, will offer it to whoever's closest*
little Roger: *opens mouth and noms off a bite of that!* *nom nom nom nom, eyes getting bigger and bigger!*
Anna: *looking at her grandson, brows quirked and mouth twitching in a grin*
Drift: *offers the banana to one of the adults*
Roger: *quirks his brows and has a bite, but then takes it and gives a bite to Annie and Robbie too* This is good.
John: *smiling as he watches Drift* It's too bad you can't have some.
Drift: *quietly* Actually.... I can... I was modified while I was in the other reality...
Eddie: *looks up quickly* More than just your colour, huh?
Drift: *nods* *will peel a second banana and have a bite*
Annie: *sucks in her breath, and then turns and runs to get her portion of the day's seeds and greens. Holds it up to Drift, her grey eyes sparkling*
other Clarksons: *grinning at the chance to share a family meal with this young stranger that they've come to care for*
Drift: *small smile once he's finished his bite of banana, will move to sit down so Annie doesn't have to reach as far... and to make his legs quit sending pain signals for a little while*
Anna: *sets little Roger on his leg, and then goes to get the rest of the meal and pass it out before settling on the ground next to the Cybertronian* Do you want some meat, too? *looks at his size*
little Roger: *head bowed. Knows how to start a meal!*
Drift: *considers, before shaking his head. He's not familiar with meat, having mainly tried snack foods, fruit, bugs, and jello since getting his modification* No, but thank you....
Anna: Alright. *smiles and glances at her husband, then bows her own head*
Roger: *quietly asks God to bless the food, and thanks Him for helping Drift to be able to eat more foods. Also thanks Him for bringing Drift back to them, and asks quietly that the young bot will be safe and find a home that he fits into* *it's very clear that the thought of Drift moving on saddens him and the others*
Drift: *will duck his head as well, like he's seen the Clarksons, and the JOEs do at meal times*
Roger: *quietly* Amen.
Annie: *amens, and then she's insisting she's only going to eat meat, because Drift needs all her veggies*
Eddie: *shakes her head and chuckles as John gives up on the argument*
Drift: *soft chuckle as he listens to the argument* *will have a taste of the greens, and then the Clarksons will get to see the face he pulls when trying something new for the first time*
Annie: *startled laughter, her hands to her face and her eyes dancing*
Robbie: *unconsciously mirrors the expression*
little Roger: *nomming and doesn't notice*
Anna: Drift? Are you alright?
Drift: *nods and finishes the bite he's chewing before he answers* Yeah.... *another bite, another funny face, though he does like what he's tasting*
Anna: *can't help it. She laughs too now. Then has a bite of the strongly carroty and grease flavored food*
Roger: I wonder how banana would taste heated up?
John: It's got such a small flavor.
Drift: *considering look as he eats and continues to pull funny faces* I only got to try bananas earlier today...
Eddie: Really? *looks up from letting Traveller lick a bit of banana off her finger*
Drift: *nod* Fire Robo and the Aider Robos brought me to the conservatory, and they found bananas...
Eddie: What does 'conservatory' mean? *eats a bit of food poked into her mouth by her husband*
Drift: *will explain what he saw of the conservatory* It's got a lot of plants, and has lots of sunlight coming in from above... Where I was staying was underground, so the room's inside....
Clarksons: *quick discussion to be sure they understand all the terms he's used, and then amazed expressions*
Roger: *slow headshake* I knew about buildings, but I never realized people would make saddle bags underground, or that they'd grow plants in them.
Drift: It was a nice room.... *slight shift of position*
little Roger: *looks up, his expression chipmunk-like because of his mouthful of food*
Eddie: *alert to any cue* Drift, is something wrong?
Drift: It's nothing a bit of rest won't take care of.
Roger: *looks up sharply* You're sick?
John and Anna: *expressions of concern*
Drift: It's just a small crack in part of my frame. I'll be fine in a few days.
Anna: *picks little Roger up, frowning and shaking her head* You better lay down.
Eddie: Roger, how can we leave him when he's hurt?
Drift: *soothingly* I'll be alright. I'll be able to reach the station by the morning after.
Roger: *frowning, a hand going out to touch the young Cybertronian* Are you sure? *so wishes he could bring Drift with them, and it shows clearly*
John: Do you think we could risk staying another day or two?
Eddie: *quietly* We've already been here over a week.
Drift: *nods* I'll be alright. I want to see what direction the station sends me in next... *small grin*
Roger: Alright. *quietly, with a slight grin* It's hard to let you go.
Drift: *sincerely* I hope our paths cross again in the future.
Eddie: *hand on his leg* If God wants it to happen, it will. He's already taken you on a pretty strange journey.
Drift: *small nod* It's one I needed to go on.
Roger: *quiet sigh* *then chuckles slightly* You really look like a drift now.
Drift: *soft chuckle as he nods again* Yeah.... And since I seem to drift from place to place....
Roger: *brows up* I hadn't thought of that.
Drift: *more chuckle, is sad to see the Clarksons go, but knows they need to in order to not stress the area around the hot spring, and to open this area up for any other families that might be coming through*
Eddie: *softly, as she looks at her daughter* At least we'll always have a memory of you.
Drift: *soft clicks*
Anna: *crisply, in her mother voice* People, eat your food before it gets cold. What did I heat it up for?
John: *snerk!*
Drift: *laughs*
little Roger: *om nom nom!*
Later
Drift: *moving slowly and carefully as he does final checks. He saw the Clarksons off after they helped him move his shuttle onto the snow, and now it's time for him to leave as well. As he finishes final checks and get into the small craft, he notices that the blizzard is getting thicker*
wind: *howling and covering all trace of Margaret, Lindsey, and the calf's ever having been near the well in the snow*
Drift: *feels a bit sad that he can't go with the Clarksons, but knows it's time to move on... Is soon taking off and watching as Gordon's Planet gets farther and farther away*
last banana: *fills the tiny cabin with its scent*
Drift: *small smile as he remembers the music he has, the snacks he's stored, and that he knows how to put himself into stasis now. Will set the shuttle's autopilot on a course for the station, have a snack, and listen to some music before he goes to sleep*
((Co-written with random_xtras))