mbv, The /Ark/ and a Village in the Congo, Smoke And Sass Part 1
Blitzwing: *looks over at where Wayne is sitting in one of the niches in the atrium, playing with his larger Battle Betty figure* ...You're surrounded by beautiful femmes, and you're playing with a doll instead.
Wayne: Battle Betty's the only one who loves me.
Blitzwing: ... *scans the figure* Whiplash, it's not alive.
Wayne: *SULK*
Blitzwing: *frowns at him and the way he's hugging the little figure* ...Have you had your processor looked at lately?
Wayne: Yup.
Blitzwing: Then why are you treating that thing like it's alive?
Wayne: Er.... *will get back to you on that*
Blitzwing: *sticks out one big scarred hand* Let me see it.
Wayne: *Big eyes, holds the figure even closer to his chest*
Blitzwing: *frowns down at him*
Wayne: *Reluctant to let go of his figure*
Blitzwing: *scowl deepens, and then he transforms into a rugged looking grey-haired human and moves to take the figure*
Wayne: *So surprised that he drops Battle Betty*
Blitzwing: *catches it and then frowns at it* ... Slag it's ugly.
Wayne: *regaining his wits, moves to try and snatch the figure back*
Blitzwing: *free hand on his chest as he continues to scowlingly study the figure*
Wayne: *Protesting this muchly!!!*
Sabrina: *Looks up from her book and frowns at Blitzwing* It's not like he's hurting anyone by having that, so why not let him have it back?
Blitzwing: *gruff and stern* Who says it isn't hurting him?
Sabrina: It's not hurting what little is there.
Wayne: Yeah! *Wait for it..* HEY! *Scowls at Sabrina*
Blitzwing: *eyes the Seeker, and then snorts and shoves the figure at him* You're pitiful.
Wayne: *Going to vacate the area now, kthx*
Sabrina: *Headshake* It keeps him quiet and off of everyone's nerves.... *small frown as she studies Blitzwing*
Blitzwing: If his brother and the coneheads can get real girls, then so can he. *head turns as he thinks he just caught sight of blond hair and a cammo baseball hat*
Comet: *being mobbed by Seeklets and laughing about it*
Bert: *goes stomping out of the atrium to bring one certain Seeklet in disgrace to his mentor*
Blitzwing: *heads over toward Comet, a grin on his face*
Ember: *happy Seeklet, squeals and crawls over to Blitzwing, before making with the cute and holding his arms up*
Comet: Hey! Come back here! *laughing as Hotspot kissies her*
Blitzwing: *quick glance around for Autumn even as he stoops and starts to reach for Ember*
Autumn: *baby dancing with Endstar and Firebreak* *nods to Blitzwing*
Ember: *Happy clickstorm with several pops and squeaks thrown in for good measure*
Blitzwing: *will scoop the little guy up, and then snag that other cute little sparklet there. He's not sure who she is, but she's grinning at him*
Oriana: *cuddles Ember and the nice grown up. Purrr*
Ember: *Happy little Seeklet* *SnuggaOriana!*
Soli: *looks up from eating a flower... and sees almost everybody else is picked up!* *YELL!*
Blitzwing: *takes a step back with surprise* What the sl... slipstream?
Autumn: No, Soli... *Relaxes as Sabrina moves to pick up her baby sister*
Sabrina: Shhh, shhh... It's okay... *Will click soothingly*
Soli: *reach for big sissy. Thrrrpts and pouts*
Song: *yawns at Soli and then considers whose back she'd like to ride on*
Sabrina: *is going to baby dance now, kthx*
Autumn: *Clicks to Firebreak and Endstar*
Firebreak and Endstar: *heads on Aunty's shoulders as one chews her fist and the other sings*
Blitzwing: *sidling over to see if he can't acquire a Song too, and then grins at Comet when he succeeds. That grin is distinctive...*
Comet: *blink blink, and then she's blushing as she realizes who the grey-haired man is* *Small, shy smile*
Blitzwing: *grin widens as he shoots Comet a wink*
Comet: *more blush, cuddles Hotspot as the Seeklet giggles*
Blitzwing: *looks at the sparklets in his arms* So what're these ones called?
Comet: *Still blushing* The male is Ember... The female is Oriana... Ember is one of Skywarp and Sunstreaker's, and Oriana is Joe and Bea Convoy's daughter....
Blitzwing: ...The sl... eep kind of names are those last ones?
Firebreak: *sleepy but helpful* Slag.
Blitzwing: *didn't snerk. Nope*
Autumn: *Also didn't snerk* Joe Convoy's what we call the alternate of Patrick who came from another reality and can't go back... Bea is one of my alternates from a second different reality....
Blitzwing: .... *squints one eye shut* Whatnow?
Comet: *Explains about alternate realities as she baby dances with Hotspot*
Blitzwing: ...So we have two Primes.
Autumn: *nods* Yeah...
Blitzwing: ...And that Optimus bonded a Bumblebee. ... *doesn't know whether to be amused or brain broken*
Comet: *nod, chuckling a bit*
Blitzwing: *studies Oriana and is studied in return* Well... their sprocket seems to have turned out alright.
Ember: *Clicks and snuggles Oriana*
Blitzwing: And Ember here seems to agree. *smiles at the little mechling and then cuddles both him and Oriana, his grin softening from the teasing roguery he'd been showing to Comet* How many more are there?
Comet: Well, there's the Dinobots, Flashpoint and Tracks' three sons, Flashpoint and Beau's cousin, Naomi, Sundog, and Slipstream... And those are just the ones who are strong enough to be in the creche.... Starpounder and Sideswipe have two sons, and Powerglide and Moonracer have a son of their own... And so do Firestar and Inferno...
Blitzwing: *frowns, concerned* What's wrong with those sprogs?
Song: Sprog. *chuckles as she snuggles*
Comet: They're too young. Organic babies aren't as stong as sparklets when they're that new...
Blitzwing: *face clears* Gotcha. Little humans?
Comet: Nope... *chuckle* Starpounder's a Dragon Elf, Powerglide and Moonracer's little son, Misha, is a Schattenfee, and Firestar and Inferno's little son is half Lu...
Blitzwing: I think somebody told me about Starpounder. *slight frown* She from our reality? And what's a Schattenfee and a Lu?
Comet: She is.... Have you met Sunshine yet?
Blitzwing: *sideways glance* I've heard the name, but this crappy old harddrive doesn't seem to have recorded anything else.
Comet: *small nod, describes Sunshine, and then describes Misha*
Blitzwing: o.0 Organics with onboard weapons capability?
Comet: *nod* It's pretty cool, actually... *grin* Sometime, ask Sunshine for a demo....
Blitzwing: If I run into her. *thinks he better, so he knows what he's dealing with in these new allies*
Comet: *another nod, and then she's describing George*
Blitzwing: *blink blink* So just a little helpless white fluffball?
Comet: For now... I have no idea whether he'll continue to be helpless as he gets older....
Blitzwing: *one brow twitches* No data on that race?
Comet: If it exists, I haven't seen it....
Blitzwing: Hrrrm. *doesn't like that. Makes a note to investigate* Any other races on base?
Comet: *nod* There's a couple of Mrrpt-Nyaah...
Ember: Kitty... *sleepy yawn and snuggle*
Blitzwing: *glances at Ember, and then gives Comet his one eye squinted shut look* Mrrpt-Nyaah? That sounds like something Steeljaw would say.
Comet: They're organics who can change shape... Apparently, one was born here, in human form, and the other was born on their homeworld, in the usual form of their people... I've never seen their normal form, but apparently, it's like a giant, bipedal sphynx cat.
Blitzwing: More organic Transformers. What the sl... *warning look at the Seeklets* What's a sphynx cat?
Comet: *Databursts an image of the cat in question*
Blitzwing: 0_0 Euch.
Comet: *Snerk*
Autumn: Some people think they're cute.... *chuckle*
Blitzwing: Yeah, well, some people think Pekingese are cute, and they're the first organic I've ever felt like stomping on sight. *scowls at a memory*
Autumn: I'll give you that... *more chuckle* Anyways, Vato and Gavin are soldiers, under Major Trach's command.
Blitzwing: And Major Trach's one of the NEST people? *dark eyes go from Autumn to Comet, and flick to Sabrina*
Autumn: *nods*
Comet: She's part of Starscream's flock, because Skywarp counts her as a sister, and so do Rainbird and Stormsong.
Blitzwing: *surprised 'huh'* That must be some human, if they like her.
Comet: She sparrs with Skywarp regularly... *has been told that she's not allowed to tell people about Denver, as it's not her right to do so*
Blitzwing: ...Who's she with again?
Autumn: Tracks. His human alias is John Trach.
Blitzwing: .... You're slagging me.
Firebreak: Slaggin'!
Ember: Slaggin'!
Song: Slaggit! :D
Hotspot: Slag! X3
Blitzwing: o.0 *ducking head and looking at Autumn*
Destiny: *is that sleepy protest to the increase in noise*
Autumn: *sigh*
Ryan: *peeking over the edge of the niche he and Destiny are sleeping in* Well... at least Soli didn't say it.
Soli: Swaggin' PIT!
Ryan: ...You're dead, sir.
Sabrina: *Would facepalm, currently has arms full of little sister*
Blitzwing: *moves to pass off the babies he was holding, and then get outta Dodge. Has no intention of being around when Elita One hears that*
Emilia: .... *was in the doorway when Soli spoke up* Don't even think about going anywhere, Blitzwing.
Blitzwing: .>_<. //Was nice knowing you, Comet.//
Comet: //Actually... I've heard Air Raid say worse around Soli...//
Emilia: Mind telling me what was so surprising that you felt the need to curse?
Blitzwing: //...Really?// *stands tall and meets Emilia's eyes* Actually, my exact words were... //You're slagging me.//
Comet: //Yeah... Just watch Elita...//
Emilia: *Small frown* I see... *Heads out, shouting for Alicia*
Blitzwing: *blinks* I'll never understand Autobots.
Soli: Fwaggin' swag! ##$@@!#$ you, swagger! XD
Autumn: ...
Sabrina: *shocked* Okay, Ali didn't teach her that....
Blitzwing: Well I sure didn't.
Ryan: *lifts his head and looks at Soli, wondering if the sparklet is going to be sent home from the creche in disgrace for her continued language*
Autumn: *Sternly, to Soli* Sparklets who say those words don't get cookies, Soli.
Soli: *stops cussing and SCOWLS*
Autumn: *has stared down Megatron without blinking. Is not intimidated by sparklet scowls*
Destiny: *more sleepy protest at the noise, before she's curling up and settling back down to continue her nap*
Soli: *takes that deep breath in preparation of a yell*
Oriana: *hands over her ears*
Firebreak: *cheerful baby jeer at her temperamental creche sister*
Blitzwing: *startles and steps aside as something invisible brushes past him and makes his circuits jangle slightly* What...?
Soli: *no yell, instead clickstorms at brother!*
Comet: *would be bristling if she were in root mode*
Ember: *Clickstorm* Justice! :D
Blitzwing: *tense and protective as he looks around* Bumblebee, there's something here.
Autumn: *nods, is back to baby dancing* Soli's older brother is a free spark... He visits regularly.
Blitzwing: *blinks* Optimus and Elita One lost a sparklet?
Autumn: Soli and her brother are from a different reality.
Oriana and Song: *snuggling with Ryan and Destiny and thinking of sleep*
Blitzwing: ...You guys do that a lot.
Autumn: It takes some getting used to.... *shrug* When Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and I first arrived, we walked out of the reality and into a Nexus.
Blitzwing: ...Huh.
Comet: Sometime soon, we'll take you to the Black Dog, and you can see for yourself what she means...
Blitzwing: *looks at her, clearly not sure he wants to go*
Firebreak: Aunty, want. *points to the snuggle pile in the niche*
Autumn: The Black Dog's a fuel dump... A very good one, in fact... *moves to bring Firebreak and Endstar to the forming snuggle pile*
Blitzwing: Hrrm. I've been to Autobot fuel dumps before.
Comet: The Black Dog's run by a Decepticon named Nemesis.
Endstar: *interrupts his song with a happy chuckle as he reaches tiny hands to pat Destiny's face*
Destiny: *Sleepy clicks in response to the face patting*
Endstar: *gentle kissies!*
Blitzwing: *brow quirk* Nemesis?
Comet: *proceeds to describe the femme, as well as those who work under her command*
Hotspot: *Has made his escape... only to join his siblings in the snuggle pile*
Blitzwing: *shakes his head, and then frowns as he realizes that all the sparklets but Soli have abandoned ship* Hey...
Sabrina: *Baby dancing with little sister*
Comet: *Soft chuckle* Well, almost all of them are in one spot now....
Blitzwing: *contemplates trying to help himself from the pile, but then looks at Comet* Do you want to come and meet mine?
Comet: *Surprised* You have a sparklet? *Curious as well*
Blitzwing: *quietly* She's human. She won't be out of school for a little while yet, but we can go to my house and have tea with Granny while we wait for her to get home.
Comet: *Small smile* I'd like to meet your family...
Blitzwing: *there's that grin that made the femmes always notice the gruff old soldier* Let's go, then.
Comet: *reaches for Blitzwing's hand, a slight blush coming to her face*
Blitzwing: *grin softens a bit, and then he nods to the other femmes and brings Comet to the little mountain village in Japan*
Elsewhere
Patrick: *ears are STILL ringing from the dressing down Emilia gave him*
Tea: *looks up from where she's working on a laptop... in HIS office*
Patrick: How is Blaster?
Tea: *chuckle and a mischievous grin* Feeling no pain.
Patrick: ... *soft chuckle* Alright....
Tea: So what's the plan, bossman?
Patrick: We can only dig so long each day before the Dinobots, Hoist, Grapple, Warpath, Flareup, and Sunray need to be home....
Tea: *nods* And that's after all those engineering cats get the river looped around the spot. How long you figure it's gonna take?
Patrick: *Quietly* I don't know... I'm not as well-read regarding engineering as some of the other Autobots...
Tea: *also quiet* You know 'Aid was courtin' Beachy?
Patrick: ... *Soft groan*
Tea: *sober nod* And she was courtin' back.
Patrick: *Pinches the bridge of his nose*
Tea: That's probably why the Hopesong went down.
Patrick: More than likely... *sigh* The crew roster showed Blades as the pilot.....
Tea: Yeah. *types more and nods to her screen* I got all that right here, 'n the people I saw get into the other shuttles 'n the escape pods.
Patrick: You saw? *a bit confused now*
Tea: *blinks at him* Ship's computer, hello?
Patrick: Ah...
Tea: *frowns at him* You okay, bossman?
Patrick: I just... I should have anticipated that there'd be trouble at the site...
Tea: *snort* How so? Mr. Keller never saw anythin'. He said he built that dyke himself so that nobody else would know 'Breaker was there.
Patrick: We assumed there wouldn't be any trouble other than getting Trailbreaker out of the mud.... and Raoul got hurt because we didn't anticipate potential hostilities.
Tea: Like I say, there wasn't any basis to think that there should be trouble.
Patrick: Still... I was responsible for the safety of the children....
Tea: *shakes her head slightly* If Raoul hadn't been there Colonel Franklin wouldn't be getting his ears chewed off over the phone by Gran'ma right now.
Patrick: *headondesk* I'm next, I just know it...
Tea: She's bawling him out for not being more careful of himself. Tracks explained things to her.
Patrick: I can just imagine what she's got in store for me....
Tea: *picks up her cell phone* Hello, Mrs. Lamont. This is Patrick's beautiful secretary. :D
Patrick: *Wincing as Hattie starts scolding profusely*
Tea: *listening, deadpan* You realize his lady's already yelled at him, and he's still in for it from the Doc?
Hattie: //'T's MAH turn rahght now.//
Tea: Ma'am, the poor guy's already draggin' his aft.
Hattie: //'S still mah turn.//
Tea: *quietly* Why, so you can get some temper out?
Hattie: //...// *Grumbles and grouses about cheeky people*
Tea: *light snerk* Lady, I just talked him into not hating himself, and I really don't wanna haveta do it all over again.
Hattie: *hmph* //'M still mad 'bout th' situation...//
Tea: You tell me how anybody could'a known a simple trip to go dig somebody up would attract gunhappy yahoos.
Hattie: *Quiet for a few moments before she's sighing*
Tea: Yeah. *slight grin* But if you wanna make somebody happy why don't you go down ta the med ward and give Trailbreaker a visit?
Hattie: *Would be giving you a raised eyebrow Look if she were in the same room with you, Tea* //'N who 's Trailbreaker?//
Tea: The guy we went ta dig up! *chuckle*
Hattie: //Ah see...// *Sounds as though she's seriously considering going down to the med ward*
Tea: He can eat cookies.
Hattie: //...Which tahp'a cookies?//
Tea: Any kind! And he's never had any of 'em! XD
Hattie: *soft 'heh'* //Alrahgt th'n...// *hangs up with a soft click*
Patrick: ... *amusedly* Quit trying to play matchmaker.
Tea: *wide green eyes of innocence*
Patrick: *giving you a Look now, Tea... Which would probably be more effective if he didn't have that amused glimmer in his eyes* *and if he wasn't smiling*
Tea: *very familiar chuckle, and then she's blinking at her phone as it rings again* ...Congo? You know anybody from the Congo, Chief?
Patrick: ... No.... *Confused* Who would be calling from there?
Tea: Hmm, this is still synced to your number, too. *presses button and puts phone to ear* Tea Grant, may I help you?
male voice: //Er...#This is the Ark base, right?#//
Tea: 0_0 #Yeeaah... Who's asking?#
male voice: *Sounding relieved* //#Name's Smokescreen... When I heard about that documentary thing about the Ark base, I figured I'd better report...#//
Tea: *shouts out loud as her grin seems ready to split her face* [Smokie, you son of a glitch! What the slag are you doing in the Congo!?]
Patrick: *Boggling*
Smokescreen: //... [Who the slag are you?]//
Tea: [This is Bl... Blaster's mate, Tea!]
Smokescreen: //...[Holy slag... Blaster got hitched?!]//
Tea: *laughs* [We've ben hitched since before we left Cybertron, mech!]
Smokescreen: //...[Slaaaag.... I would've won that bet!] *laughing now*//
Tea: *chortling, but then sobers* [But seriously, mech. The Congo?]
Smokescreen: //[It's where our escape pod landed...]//
Tea: *quick scan of memory* [You wound up in there with two civilian femmes.]
Smokescreen: //[Yup... Archiva and Beta....]//
Tea: *and now she's boggling* [Wait. Beta?]
Patrick: .... *sounding a bit shocked* Beta's alive?
Smokescreen: //[Yeah. Do you wanna talk to her?]//
Tea: [She's with you?]
Smokescreen: //[Yeah... Archiva stayed behind to protect the village though.]//
Tea: *frown* [Protect the village?]
Smokescreen: //[Yeah... The villagers call her Mama Wing...] *chuckles* [And I'm Papa Tin...]//
Tea: [Papa Tin? What the slag kinda handle's that?]
Smokescreen: //[I can't transform, 'cause my cog's busted to slag and back... So they know I'm made of metal...]//
Tea: *frown of concern* [Where're you at now, mech? The Chief'll send somebody to come get you.]
Smokescreen: //[Can someone come out here to do the fix instead?]//
Tea: *frown deepens* [What for? Don't you wanna come home?]
Smokescreen: //[I'm already close to home...And I don't wanna leave them for too long...]//
Tea: *looks up to Patrick, wondering if he heard this*
Patrick: *Frowning muchly* *Quietly* Maybe Merlin and Kia could go... If he considers the village his home... *still in a bit of shock over learning one of his mentors is still alive and well*
Tea: But he wouldn't be gone that long if we PINpointed him, 'n we got better equipment here.
Patrick: Explain that to him?
Tea: *back to the phone* [Smokie, it won't take very long to get you here and back, and we got better equipment here.]
Smokescreen: //[...But the USA is clear across the ocean...]//
Tea: [And we've got instant teleportation!]
Smokescreen: //[... You're slagging kidding, right?]//
Tea: [I'm as serious as Red with a hangover.]
Smokescreen: //*SNERK* *then serious* [Prove it...]//
Tea: [Give me your coordinates, tinhead.]
Smokescreen: *transmits the coordinates over the phone*
Tea: *looks up and recites them to Patrick*
Patrick: *plugging them into his PINpoint* I'll be back soon.
Tea: I'll hold down the fort, Bossman. :D *hangs up the phone*
Patrick: *nods and PINpoints to the coordinates*
Small village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
slender, elderly black woman: *startles as Patrick appears, her chair flying backward as she rises from the table and hefts a machine gun*
Patrick: *startles and puts his hands up to show he's unarmed*
Smokescreen: *frowning at the borrowed cell phone and scanning it, doesn't notice what the woman sharing the seating area is doing*
woman: #Identify yourself!#
Patrick: *As Smokescreen looks up* #Patrick Oberson of the Ark base.#
Smokescreen: #Oh slag me sideways...# *Turning in his seat to see who is speaking*
woman: #And who is Patrick Oberson?# *frowning sternly*
Patrick: *Quieter, recognizing the woman's voice* #My human alias... My true designation was once Orion Pax.#
woman: *eyes widen as the gun lowers* [Optimus.]
Patrick: *small smile* [It's been far too long, Beta...]
Smokescreen: *Boggling now*
Beta: *chucks the gun on the table and then hurries around to give her son a bear hug* [You're alive! You're ALIVE!] *crying and laughing*
Patrick: *laughing and hugging his mother*
Beta: *squishes him but good, and then pauses to look up at him, her dark eyes searching his face* *softly* [Alpha Trion?]
Patrick: *small headshake* [Nobody's seen or heard from him...] *Quieter* [But if Smokescreen can show up in an unexpected place after a long period of silence, then I'm not giving up hope.]
Beta: *sighs and looks over at the one-legged mech* [We reported as quickly as we could.]
Patrick: *gentle shoulder patpat* [If Alpha Trion is alive and somewhere on this planet, we will find him.] *looks to Smokescreen, surprised that the mech didn't get up and come over as well*
Beta: *lets go of her son and turns to pull Smokescreen's chair out for him* #Let me help you, Papa Tin.#
Smokescreen: *a bit sheepish now that he knows who the white man is* #Thanks, Bess...# *Making his way to his feet carefully*
Beta: *looks at Patrick as she holds out a hand in case Smokescreen needs it* #They call me Bess here. I wouldn't let them give me any titles.#
Patrick: *small nod* #Alright...# *moving to offer assistance to Smokescreen when he realizes that the mech has a peg leg* #How long have you been here?#
Bess: #Since we landed, five years ago.#
Smokescreen: #The landing was kinda rough, but Archiva did pretty good, all things considered...#
Patrick: *Another nod* *Quietly* #I can get you to a medic and back here within a couple hours, Smokescreen...#
Bess: *lifts her brows slightly* #The same way you just came here?#
Patrick: *nods*
Smokescreen: *Considering look* #I dunno.... seems kinda risky....#
Bess: #Is there risk, Optimus?#
Patrick: #Some people get a bit dizzy when they travel by PINpoint, but that's about the only risk.#
Bess: *pats Smokescreen on the arm* #We'll be back to the village and to Mama Wing soon. Stop worrying.#
Smokescreen: *Small frown before he sighs quietly* #Alright...#
Patrick: *Putting a call in to Merlin and Kia, as well as Russell. Is using his cell phone since the distance and signal interferance make comm calls impossible* *To Bess* #Are you in need of any repairs?#
Bess: *small chuckle* #Oh probably. But I'm still running.# *reaches to grab her gun*
Patrick: *another nod, relays this information to the medics* #Red Alert will be coming with us when I bring you back here, since he and Wheeljack are two of Archiva's crechemates...#
Bess: #They're both there at the base, then?# *slight grin* #Wheeljack is still going.#
Patrick: *nods as he hangs up*
Smokescreen: #...I can't remember who I made the bet with, but they owe me money.# *Chuckle*
Patrick: *Resisting the urge to facepalm* *Quietly, to Bess* #Wheeljack is still with us, by the grace of the Greater Creator and Primus...#
Bess: *gentle slap for Smokescreen's head even as she grins* #Has Ratchet come to her senses yet?#
Patrick: *soft chuckle* #They're word-mates.... and have five sparklets, with one on the way.#
Smokescreen: *Boggling*
Bess: *eyes widen, and then she's chuckling softly before something occurs to her to make her frown* #Wait... how did they get sparklets?#
Patrick: *chuckle* #That is Primus and his Creator's doing...#
Bess: #Will you explain?#
Smokescreen: #Can we discuss this once we're at the Ark?#
Bess: *remembers herself* #Yes. That's a good idea. We shouldn't be gone any longer than we must.#
Patrick: *nods and offers his arm to Bess, while reaching to touch Smokescreen's foot with his own* #Brace yourselves...#
Bess: *takes his arm and does as advised, making sure that the safety on her gun is on first*
Smokescreen: *holding onto Bess' shirt and braces himself*
Patrick: *Brings the group to the med ward of the Ark*
Rachel: *slight grin from where she's perched on the nearest table* [Smokie, you glitch, you owe me money.]
Smokescreen: *Nearly takes a topple due to startling so badly*
Bess: *catches him* [I told you that would catch up with you.]
Russell: *checking supplies and making sure his field kit has everything needed for general repairs*
Patrick: *To Rachel* How's Jack doing?
Rachel: *big grin* He woke up. Demanded a bite of Javan's sammich. Tried sitting up. But then ate some of Merlin's blue plaster instead before going to sleep. And it is sleep.
Patrick: *And now he looks as though a great weight's been lifted from his shoulders* That's good.... *and then he's databursting Bess and Smokescreen language packs* *Because guess who forgot to do that earlier*
Smokescreen: *Installing the language pack* *Attention on Rachel* Just what the slag did you say?
Rachel: *snerks and repeats herself, her eyes twinkling. Then* And if my unborn daughter comes out cursing you'll owe me more than five hundred credits.
Bess: *chuckle*
Smokescreen: ....
Patrick: *Snickering a bit* You mean like Sven did?
Russell: *Sharp Look for Patrick* Sven came out and owned Merlin with one hit. I do not want to have a repeat of that incident.
Smokescreen: ....Who the... Who is Merlin? *Recognizes Russell's voice*
Rachel: That would be Perceptor. And Sven is Slag. Don't forget what Snarl did to him, Russ.
Russell: ... What did Sandra do to Perceptor?
Rachel: Only knocked him over and squished him a little bit. That was right after Rinny hauled you off.
Russell: ... I miss all the fun things...
Smokescreen: ... Who are Slag and Snarl?
Rachel: My youngest son, and second youngest daughter not counting this one. *pats herself on the chest as she hops down and moves to steer Smokescreen onto the table* Let's have a look at you.
Bess: *blinks at that gesture, and then looks questioningly at Patrick*
Patrick: *Explains as well as he's able to about how femmesparks can bud and create new life*
Russell: *Correcting him when needed, even as he continues to prep for the trip to the Congo*
Smokescreen: *eventually makes it onto the table*
Rachel: Okay, let's get you back in working order... Oh, and I have a dog now, Chief. *sigh*
Patrick: Huh? *Looks to Rachel* How did you get a real dog?
Rachel: *dryly as she opens Smokescreen's chest* Remember that girl at the school who died in the traffic accident?
Patrick: *Wince* She had a dog?
Rachel: *sigh* She had a wolf dog.
Patrick: One of those certified ones?
Rachel: Yup. Looks like one of the ones from the White Wolf place. But I think Jodie got him from someone else, because when I looked at the owner's list on the website she wasn't on it.
Patrick: Hmm... *small frown* Have Sven and Greg seen him?
Rachel: They're not back from Texas yet. However, Jack did see him.
Patrick: Do you need me to check on the kids then?
Rachel: *blinks at him* Jake says they're still having fun, after a short break where they made like a snuggle pile after lunch.
Patrick: Alright...
Rachel: *shakes her head and turns back to her work* Calm down, Chief. We're ready for any shenanigans now.
((Written with random_xtras)) ((Continued here))