mbv, The /Ark/ Base and a Remote Village in the Congo, Reuniting

Dec 27, 2010 23:28



Rose: *snuzzle lovel cuddle, gentle fingers through the hair to make it stand up* XD *this is why falling asleep during TV watching can be dangerous, Jean*

Jean: *sleepy sound, squirms a bit*

Rose: *pretty pretty soft hair... all on end now. Grins and then snuzzles some more before using her husband for a body pillow and laying her head on his shoulder*

Jean: *Settles down and wraps his arms around his wife, dreaming of snuggling with her in a hammock in the Bahamas*

Rose: *sighs and checks on Bitsy where the sparklet's curled happily in a nest in her wheelchair, and then settles to join to join Jean in the nap*

Elsewhere

Wesson: *comes walking into his kitchen with something bulging out the front of his jacket slightly. Has a big grin on his face*

Maria: *Looks up from one of the cookbooks she's borrowing from Melissa* Hey....

Wesson: Hey yourself. *sidles over and reads over her shoulder* What's this?

jacket: *wriggle!*

Maria: One of Melissa Jones' cookbooks... *Raised brow at the wriggly jacket* What've you got there?

Wesson: *sobers a bit* Remember how I mentioned a while back I'd put money down on somethin'?

Maria: Yeah?

Wesson: Well, I almost didn't get it. But then Soundwave told me somthing that made me decide to go ahead.

Maria: ... *Blink blink*

Wesson: *quietly* He made Bitsy for us.

Maria: *surprised expression is a go*

Wesson: *slight sigh, but he can't regret giving the little one to the Havocs* And he won't be able to make anybody else now for awhile.

Maria: Is he okay? *concerned. Yes, Soundwave is a 'Con, but he's part of Johnny's family, and therefore is important to her*

Wesson: Oh yeah. It just takes his spark awhile to heal after he nicks a chip off. *gentle pokes for the bulge in his jacket*

Maria: .... *Both brows up*

Wesson: *grin comes back, though it's shy* Since I can't give you a real baby right now I figured I'd go pick up my kitten instead. *unzips jacket to show a leggy orange Main Coon baby with a white bib*

Maria: Awww! *and now she's moving to gently fuss over the kitten*

Wesson: *chuckles as the kitten tries to kiss her on the nose and then tries to catch hold of her hand with his massive but clumsy-gentle white paws*

Maria: Does he have a name yet?

Wesson: *snerk* On his papers, but they've been calling him 'Johnny cat'.

Maria: ... *Snerk*

Wesson: Yeah... no. We got enough Johns around here.

Maria: *nod*

kitten: *has attained the nice lady's arms. Will now be thunderous*

Maria: *Soft snerk, attention back on the kitten* Sheesh, mini-Steeljaw....

Wesson: *grin widens right out* Kinda why I asked for an orange one. How about Pete?

Maria: *To the kitten* What do you think, Pete work for you?

kitten: ^_^ *sing!*

Maria: *Chuckles and looks to her husband* I think he likes it.

Wesson: I think he likes you. *leans down to kiss her on the cheek*

kitten: *^_^ at him too*

Maria: *moves to snuggle against Wesson*

Wesson: *cuddles* They let the Robertson twins cook tonight, so there's nothin' fit to eat in the mess. But I grabbed some stuff for us along with Pete's things.

Maria: Heh.... What kinda stuff?

Wesson: Half a lamb, some veggies, a few sausages...

Maria: *Chuckle* Kabobs?

Wesson: *big grin* With that sauce?

Maria: I made a batch of it that got frozen a few weeks ago....

Wesson: *gentle squeeze and turns to go get the groceries, sets a kitten bed and some other things just outside the kitchen door, and then brings in the bags*

Pete: *is at one with the purr*

Maria: *Moving to go get the sauce, as well as her knives*

Wesson: *jacket on the table and hands in the sink as he gets ready to do his part*

Maria: *sets the knives down on the counter and gets started heating the sauce back up* *humming as she works*

Pete: *tries to climb up around her shoulders without using his claws. Nearly becomes one with the sauce!*

Maria: *Acks and catches Pete, laughing as she does so* Silly thing....

Wesson: *turned at the sound of a scramble, frowning his concern frown* What happened?

Maria: We nearly had a sauced cat.... *amused*

Wesson: *frown* Maybe you should put him down.

Pete: *tries to go to the shoulders again. Knows where kitties go when peoples is busy!*

Maria: *Will reach to put Pete on Wesson's shoulders, since there's more room on them than on her own shoulders*

Wesson: *deep chuckle as he watches the young cat settle with inborn skill on this new vantage point* ...Yup, I got the right kinda cat.

Pete: *kiss, and then perk ears at the sauce*

Maria: *Chuckles and goes back to making sure the sauce doesn't burn*

Wesson: *turns to making the meat and vegetables into the right size pieces as he chats with his rumbling supervisor*

Mess hall at the Ark

Rachel: *peering inside her bowl and feeling amused at the Twins' attempt at making supper. Ramen and cheese noodles, served out by the bowl* *to Javan, who's sitting at her table* You and Wesson aren't the only black men in the ranks anymore, buddy.

Javan: Hm? *looks up from making a face at his dinner*

Rachel: *slight distracted subject change before she answers* I thought you said it was your turn to cook tonight?

Javan: Thought it was....

Irene: *sane tonight. Also slurping her 'spicy shrimp with lime' noodles*

Rachel: Think harder next time, okay? *passes her cheese noodles to Sandra*

Sandra: *grumps but eats*

Javan: *soft snerk, shakes his head a bit and turns his attention to his pork noodles*

Greg: *yelling in Seamus' face* Me Greg not care if me eat two! Me HUNGRY!

Simon: Me hungry too.... *licking his second container clean*

Rachel: *looks around with a sigh* Oh yeah. We found Smokie.

Javan: *looks up from his noodles* 'S 'e okay?

Rachel: He's protecting a village in the Congo along with Jack's sister. *frowns slightly as she watches Nancy bolt from the room with her hand over her mouth*

Bert: *gets up and heads for the kitchen. Is going to sock Samuel and/or Seamus for making his daughter sick*

rest of Computron: o.0

Greg: YOU, UNCLE BERT NOT HIT HIM SEAMUS!!! YOU MAKE HIM BABIES CRY!!!

Rachel: *soft snerk as she hears her own words coming out at somebody else*

Javan: *soft snort, then double-take* Wait, Jack's gotta sister?

Rachel: *gives him a sideways 'did you just ask that?' look*

Samuel: *Running for his LIFE now, kthx*

Bert: Get out of my way, Greg.

Technobots: *reach a consensus. Cyrus goes after Nancy, and the others choose a different flavor of noodles to trade for her cheese ones*

Pandita: *has arrived to get Endstar*

Autumn: *Once Endstar is with his father, she's going after Nancy as well*

Greg: NO! You not make them little blue babies cry! *belts Bert right in the mug*

Bert: *pwnt*

Rachel: *blink. Face palm. Gets up to go save the strong man from her son*

Smokescreen's village

Dirk: *Stumbling a bit as the group arrives*

Smokescreen: *moving to lead the way to the home of the person whose cell phone he borrowed*

village: *silent except for a very faint buzzing sound that makes Mistglider look around till she spots a box sitting in the middle of the cluster of mud and thatch huts*

Mistglider: *frowns at the box*

Russell: *Scanning the area, slight headtilt as he looks at the box*

Misty: *looks up at Dirk* There's something electronic over there.

Dirk: Yeah... *Frowning*

Misty: It's not a radio... *startles as Smokescreen comes back out of the house*

Dirk: *Arm around Misty's waist*

Russell: *Scanning and looking for a specific spark signature*

Misty: *head jerks up as something large passes overhead with a whisper of wings* 0_0

Smokescreen: *looks up at the same time Russell does, a smile crossing his face*

shadow: *drops to the ground over by the buzzing box, visible to the assembled bots' night vision even in the pitch darkness under the trees. It's a human shape, but with massive bird-like wings on its back. Pauses to check the box, and then turns and walks toward the group. As it comes a ping comes over the common frequency* //#Who's this with you, Papa Tin?#//

Smokescreen: #Allies, Mama Wing....#

Russell: *Quietly* #It's good to see you again, Archiva...#

Mama Wing: *stops short* #I know that voice...#

Russell: #I go by Russell Anderson in this form... But you and I parted when I went by Red Alert...#

Mama Wing: *hands to her mouth as her wings flare with surprise, and then her shoulders start to shake slightly as tears fill her eyes*

Russell: *passing the supplies off to Smokescreen, moves to approach his creche sister* #'Jack is still with us as well...#

Mama Wing: *and now she's crying in earnest, though nearly soundlessly. It's something she hasn't done since she left Cybertron*

Russell: *Soft clicks, moves to put a hand on Mama Wing's shoulder*

Mama Wing: *turns and leans against her brother, and soon his shoulder is wet*

Smokescreen: *moving to direct Dirk and Misty in supply moving, intends to give Mama Wing and Russell some privacy*

Russell: *Softly* [He's holding on... But his days of exploration are over...]

Mama Wing: *sucks in air and moves her head slightly so she can speak* [Holding on? Is it... has it caught up with him, then?]

Russell: *Small nod* *wryly* [If not for his slagging chalk addiction...]

Mama Wing: *and now she lifts her head to look at him with a frown* [Chalk addiction?]

Russell: *names the chemical composition of the chalk* [With his condition, he can't process it as well as the rest of us...]

Mama Wing: *hands to her face again as she makes a soft sad sound and shakes her head* [Oh, Wheeljack...]

Russell: [Perceptor made him an alternative that is easier on him... And he's going to be back on his feet soon enough...] *Soft chuckle* [His wordmate and their offspring are at the Ark with him, so he's happy...]

Mama Wing: *slight gasp* [Word mate? Offspring?]

Russell: *nods* [Ratchet and he built the Dinobots, and she finally said 'yes'....]

Mama Wing: [But what about the sparks?] *slight frown as she tries to understand this*

Russell: #Primus and the Greater Creator gave us a new way of making new lives....#

Mama Wing: *perk* #That makes me... very glad.# *and also crying again*

Russell: *gentle and careful hug*

Mama Wing: *Hugs him back, but then wipes at her eyes with the shoulders of her battered military shirt* #It's starting to rain again. You should come inside.#

Russell: *Small nod, looks over his shoulder to see what Smokescreen, Dirk, and Misty are up to*

Mama Wing: *gentle tug on her brother's sleeve, and then she's leading him through the mud toward the large rectangular building that stands to one side of the village square. This building, unlike the others, is built of concrete blocks, and it has a tin roof. She doesn't even flinch as thunder cuts loose overhead*

Smokescreen: *Waiting to let Mama Wing and Russell in, will hold the door open for them*

Mama Wing: *scrubs her sandals made from old tire on the mat just outside the door and slips inside with a murmur of thanks to her commander, then heads across the bare inside of the building to go grab the sleeping mats rolled up in the far corner for them and their guests to sit on*

Russell: *looking around and studying the room once he's inside*

Smokescreen: *moving to help with the mats once he's shut the door*

room: *has a rough wooden floor that's been polished smooth by industrious use of lava stone. There's a small three legged stool over by the end wall, which has been painted dark so that it can be written on with white clay or other such material. Things are stored in the rafters under the tin roof, and there's a huge spider up in one corner. And that's all that there is*

Mama Wing: *beds spread out, she grabs the stool and sets it down for Smokescreen* *slight grin* #Your chair, headman.#

Smokescreen: *Chuckles* #Thanks, Mama Wing...# *Moves to sit on the stool*

Dirk: *sitting next to Misty, arm around her waist*

Russell: *quietly, once he's seated* #Bess will be staying with her son... Dirk and Misty are here in exchange...#

Mama Wing: *gives him a surprised look from where she's hunkered with a small box in her hands* #I didn't think she would leave us.# *glances at the two newcomers*

Misty: *wary look as she leans against Dirk*

Smokescreen: *Quietly* #Optimus and his family need her.... And Optimus is convinced that Alpha Trion's still alive as well....#

Mama Wing: #Bess always thought so too.# *looks down at the box in her hands* #Does anyone want coffee?#

Misty: *headshake*

Dirk: *also headshakes*

Russell: #No, but thank you.#

Smokescreen: #They gave us a couple warriors, and a way of travel that can't be tracked... As well as a means to get the supplies we need without risking those supplies being stolen en route...#

Mama Wing: *perks* #The same way that you got back here?# *gently shakes the coffee box, and then gets to her feet to go put it back into the tin box in the rafters that she took it out of*

Smokescreen: *Nods* #We've also got a couple of biosand water filters...# *Grinning just so slightly*

Mama Wing: *pauses, hanging from the rafter as she shoots him a look of surprise and then turns her attention toward the pile of new supplies* [That's wonderful!]

Smokescreen: *nods, his grin threatening to split his face*

Russell: [There's also a medkit and food supplies, among other things...] *Will scan Mama Wing to see what repairs she may need*

Mama Wing: *drops from the rafter and goes to look in the packs and boxes, her expression showing that she's gone into catalogue and organize mode. Russell's scans will show the same wear that Bess and Smokescreen carried, though to a very slightly lesser extent*

Russell: *Concerned, will get up and move to offer assistance*

Mama Wing: *gives him a quizzical look as he comes over*

Russell: *Quietly* [I can repair what needs repairing, Archiva...]

Mama Wing: *blinks, and then understands* [I'm still running well, Red Alert.]

Russell: *Gives her a Look*

Mama Wing: *wraps wings around herself and looks sheepish, the expression on her pale human face the same as the one she used to wear as a little sparklet with broken fingers after she knocked the chip stacks down on herself* [Am I that bad?]

Russell: *Quieter* [Humor me, please?]

Mama Wing: [Alright.] *gets a look of concentration as she realizes how long it's been since she wore her root mode, and then she's transformed into the softly gleaming white femme that Russell will remember* [My bed's over there, but I suppose it won't hurt me to be on the floor.]

Russell: *soft chuckle as he moves to help her lay down* [Sometime soon, you should come visit 'Jack... Though I will warn you, you'd be in danger of a snuggle attack from Swoop...] *Said with fondness*

Archiva: *head tilted with interest as she settles on the floor* [Swoop is one of his sparklets?]

Russell: *Nods* [His eldest daughter... Second youngest after the twins... She takes after Sludge in that she doesn't like fighting, but will do so if necessary... Oh, and Sludge may pick you up for cuddles, but he's careful, and well aware of his strength...] *chuckles*

Archiva: [What unusual names.] *then frowns* [Pick me up? And since when do sparklets have to fight?]

Russell: *As he moves to open paneling so he can begin repairing what he can without having to sedate Archiva* [Sludge and his twin, Grimlock, were created when Ratchet and Wheeljack were trapped in a Decepticon fuel dump and needed a way to escape... Ratchet is their mother, because she used modified pieces of her spark code to power them when it became apparent that there was no other power source available... The Dinobots are full-sized representations of dinosaurs... Though their alt-modes are very much human in appearance...]

Archiva: *optics widen* [So they're living Guardian Robots.]

Russell: [That's the closest comparison, yes...] *Soft chuckle* [Remind me in a little while to show you some of the images I have of them...] *Getting a slightly mischievious glimmer in his eyes* [As well as the rest of their creche siblings... My own sparklets included...]

Archiva: *startles and then smiles* [More than one, Red Alert? Who is your bond mate?]

Russell: [Twin femmes... And do you remember that femme from the creche two vorns after our own who became a counselor?] *Small grin*

Archiva: *optics darken slightly as she tries to recall* [Oh. The one who wrapped around Sentinel Prime's leg that day?]

Russell: *Chuckles, remembering the incident clearly* [Yes... She's gotten better at keeping her balance, thankfully...]

Archiva: [I remember she was one of two femmes in that creche, and the other became a singer.] *which is actually all she'd remembered of those sparklets, other than the little thing holding onto the Prime that day*

Russell: *very, VERY brief flash of sadness as he thinks of what Sharpshot's been through* [They're both here on Earth... Sharpshot's also got a bondmate...]

Archiva: [Ah, that was Sharpshot?] *quietly* [But her 'politician' never left Cybertron.]

Russell: *Quietly* [The Greater Creator and Primus brought him back... As well as Arcee's wordmate...]

Archiva: *startled* [That green triple changer?]

Russell: *nods* [They're still recovering from being separated...] *amused medic is amused* [I'm not sure whether to look forward or to dread the day that they're both able to be up to their usual antics...]

Archiva: *quietly* [How did he die? I remember him alive and well as we evacuated. He went onto the Security Director's ship.] *and Kup was yelling at him loudly enough to be heard even above the shelling*

Russell: *Softly* [The escape pod he was in crashed after the Axalon broke up near Jupiter...] *even quieter* [And Kup... crossed the Veil almost a year ago...] *Is hoping that Archiva won't ask what happened to the rest of the crew*

Archiva: *sympathetic sorrow* [Poor Sharpshot. I remember her well because he was her mentor.]

Russell: *Quietly* [Out of the Axalon, there are a total of eight surviving crew members... One of whom is a youngling...]

Archiva: *hand over mouth and optics wide and bright* [...Eight?]

Russell: *Quietly names off the survivors. Once he gets to Sharpshot and Ironfist, he's got to poke himself in the eyes to keep the tears from escaping as he thinks of what they've been through*

Archiva: *crying again in her soundless but very spark felt way*

Russell: *Quiet clicks as he moves to gently pull her up for a hug*

Archiva: *head on his shoulder as she mourns the loss of life*

Russell: *Quietly* [Their fight is over, and they're at peace now...]

Archiva: *sadly* [And we are left behind to fight on without them.]

Russell: *Gently* [They're watching over us from the Well of All Sparks... And they'll live on in our memories and sparks... I've heard it said that a person is not truely dead until every single person whose life they have touched has forgotten them...]

Archiva: *intakes deeply and shakily* [How many living Cybertronians are left now?]

Russell: [Besides the Decepticons still on Cybertron, there are *names the current count, including the sparklets*, most of whom are here on Earth...]

Archiva: *screws up her face behind her hands, her shoulders drooping*

Russell: *Quietly* [Those are just the ones we know about... There may very well be many more in other areas of the galaxies...]

Archiva: *intakes deeply again and tries to nod, but his headcount has staggered her*

Russell: *Softly* [The population is going to be increasing soon... Several femmes are close to their due dates...]

Archiva: *blinks as she remembers this new thing, and then she's laughing through her tears* [He never forgets us.]

Russell: *nods, eyes sparkling a bit as he thinks of how his own girls would more than likely react to meeting Archiva* [Do you remember Nightbird?]

Archiva: *flinch* [I remember seeing her on the news feeds.]

Russell: *Quietly* [She's renounced Megatron as her wordmate... He made the mistake of declaring femmes useless... And now she, along with her seconds and the Stunticons, considers herself a Destron... She's claimed Prowl as her wordmate...] *Chuckles softly* [And he's courting her...]

Archiva: *stares* [Optimus Prime's second in command?]

Russell: *nods, amused* [You'd never believe that he was frightened of her for awhile...]

Archiva: [Red Alert, everyone was afraid of her for awhile.]

Russell: [She's not so scary, truth be told...] *knows he's going to get a Look*

Archiva: *nope, only a surprised and doubtful look*

Russell: [I'm being serious, Archiva... She's very different when she's not in 'work' mode...]

Archiva: [If you say so I have to believe it.] *but she's uncertain*

Russell: *Gentle patpat* [It took a lot of us some time to get used to the idea of working alongside those who used to be our enemies...]

Archiva: *sudden startled look toward the new couple as she hears the femme speak in Conehead Seeker*

Russell: *Soothingly* [Mistglider and Dirge are among our allies... As is the rest of Dirge's trine....] *Chuckles* [Ramjet is courting one of the human NEST personnel... and Thrust is Sidewinder's... I'm not sure if he's trying to court her, but he is mentor to her sparklet...]

Archiva: *blinking* [Who is Sidewinder?]

Russell: [One of Nightbird's seconds... The other is another Seeker femme by the name of Comet... And if the rumors are to be believed, Comet is trying to court Blitzwing...]

Archiva: 0_0 [He's here too?]

Russell: *nods* [Caring for the humans he's adopted as his family.]

Archiva: *startled again* [He has a native family?]

Russell: *nods* [It was one of his family members writing a letter that alerted us to his presence...] *Chuckling, remembering how sternly Usagi warned the Ark base that they'd better not be forcing the Dinobots to do things*

Archiva: [Why are you laughing?]

Russell: [Because, the young human who wrote the letter was quite stern in warning us that we'd better not be forcing anyone to do anything... And she's only about six stellar cycles in age...]

Archiva: *and now she's chuckling too* [Ask Smokescreen about Sally.]

Russell: [Sally?] *Raised brows*

Smokescreen: *looks up from sorting supplies so everyone in the village has an equal amount* [What about her?]

Archiva: [Red Alert wants to know about your faithful war chief.] *soft, shaky laugh*

Smokescreen: *Small, fond smile as he thinks about the little pygmy girl* [She's something else... I've never met such a feisty little girl...]

Russell: ... *Soft chuckle* [More headstrong than Slingshot and Air Raid?]

Smokescreen: *Proud grin* [She could give those two a run for their energon any day of the week.]

Archiva: *slight smile* [Her family was taken by the enemy, she's lost young relatives taken as child slaves and soldiers as well as others who were just shot because of being thought of as less than human. She's thrown traditional roles right out the window and is determined to be a strong warrior and protector.]

Russell: *more soft chuckle* [Congratulations...]

Archiva: *looks toward the kitchen door as it opens a crack and a big brown eye peeks through*

Smokescreen: *Attention going to the door, small smile*

Sally: *steps through, lugging a bucket that sends up an interesting organic smell* *very quietly, but with curious eyes looking at these people with odd features, and at the strange robot lady who sounds like Mama Wing* #I have bush tea.#

Archiva: #Papa Tin, I can't get the bucket right now.#

Sally: *knows that these are friends to her Aunt and Uncle, but the sight of their strange looks has shocked her with amazement for the moment*

Misty: *frowns at the tiny girl in the green T-shirt that goes to her ankles*

Dirk: *small frown as he studies the little human*

Smokescreen: *moving to get up so he can help serve the guests*

Sally: *snaps out of her surprise and scowls at him, her round face creased with ire* #This is my job, Uncle! You're supposed to sit on your chair and look important!#

Misty: 0_0 *cracks up and succumbs to the snorting giggles*

Dirk: *Snickering*

Smokescreen: *Amused* #Alright, alright...# *moves to sit back down*

Russell: *soft chuckle*

Archiva: #Sally, no. Let your uncle help carry the bucket. You'll slop the tea.#

Sally: *scowl deepens, but then she sighs and sets the bucket down*

Smokescreen: *gentle shoulder patpat for Sally as he bends to pick up the bucket*

Sally: *gives him the stink eye and goes to get all the cups, both the tin one and the clay ones*

Smokescreen: *Soft chuckle*

Archiva: *as she settles to lay down again* #The drink has a strange taste, but I like it. It's made from leaves and the underbark of a tree.#

Sally: *has a gourd dipper too, and starts to fill the cups as soon as she's got them passed out. Gives Dirk an almighty scowl as she's filling his*

Dirk: Heeeey... *Why no, he's not amused, not him... Yeah, right*

Sally: *stops, scowl deepening still further* #What is it? Did I do something?#

Smokescreen: #He's just being ornery, Sally....# *Chuckles*

Sally: *gives Dirk a Look, and then gives tea to Misty*

Misty: *blinking in slight wonderment and remembering a runt sparklet that no one wanted*

Sally: *over to Russell and Archiva. Scowl turns to a worried frown* #Aunty, are you hurt?#

Archiva: #No, Sally. My brother is just making sure that I'm alright.#

Sally: *blink blink, eyes wide as she looks at Russell* #Your brother, Aunty?#

Russell: *nods* *As he finishes a weld* #We have another brother in the United States, but he is too ill to travel right now...#

Sally: *and now her eyes are truly wide* #You're from the United States?#

Russell: *Small nod* #That is where I am living for the time being, yes...#

Archiva: #Papa Tin, give her some of those childrens' multivitamins I saw in that box.#

Sally: *quick look to her aunt. She's not sure what her uncle was just told to give to her*

Smokescreen: *Nods and goes to get what was requested* *Surprised sound* #Hey, what're these disk thingies?# *holds up a couple of the silvery-looking disks*

Russell: #Those are suppliments that will help both of you, Papa Tin...#

Archiva: *lifts her head* #Vitamin pills for us?#

Russell: *nods*

Misty: *pulls a face* You'll get your Cybertonum, anyway.

Russell: *Translates*

Archiva: *chuckles and reaches toward Smokescreen* #I was a little worried about that, truth be told.#

Sally: *watching Uncle curiously*

Smokescreen: *offers Archiva one of the disks, even as he moves to chomp on one himself*

Archiva: #Don't forget the vitamins for Sally.# *tastes disk*

Smokescreen: *nods and offers Sally a couple of the multivitamins for children*

Sally: *takes the little pink and purple tablets and frowns at them studiously for several minutes. And then suddenly her face cracks and she is truly a child as she smiles and looks up at him* #They're like little tiny wild cats!#

Smokescreen: *Chuckles*

Sally: *thanks him and goes to sit in the corner with her dress pulled over her knees as she nibbles on them and is surprised by the strange and interesting flavor*

Archiva: *watches her go, and then turns conversation toward the daily life of the village, what it needs, and the mosquito repellent field that the box in the square puts out*

Smokescreen: *Chiming in occasionally, even as he moves to sit on his stool. Will happily talk till it's time for Russell to go home.*

Back in Blacksburg, at John's Fine Japanese Cuisine

Anne: *amazed at finding something sweet that she can eat all she wants of. Is making tamago finger sushi sweetened with stevia vanish at an astonishing rate*

Vato: *is neatly and carefully eating tako with chopsticks. He would be purring with contentment if he could*

Anne: *pauses to remember that she has a drink. Peeks into the steaming little cup* This is rice wine?

Vato: *nods*

Anne: ...Why is it hot?

Vato: That's one of the ways it can be served.

Anne: *takes. Drinks. Squints*

Vato: *Slight headtilt, awaits her opinion*

Anne: *squeaks and eats more tamago, then inhales deeply* It's strong.

sushi chef: *chuckling as he works*

Vato: *soft snicker*

Anne: *then looks at what Vato has on his plate* What's that?

Vato: Tako... Octopus.

Anne: *quizzical look. She doesn't know what that is*

Vato: *Offers her a piece*

Anne: *leans forward and eats it. Thoughtful chewing, and then a grin* It's fish.

Vato: *Nods* It's a type of shellfish, though its shell is inside the soft body...

Anne: Mmmm. *looks up at the menu on the wall and perks* Surf clam. Clams are shellfish too, right?

Vato: *nods*

Anne: *grins* My mom loved fish. *offers him a bite of her last salmon skin roll*

Vato: *Soft chuckle as he accepts the offered bite*

Anne: *grins as she watches him eat the rice and seaweed wrapped grilled salmon skin and cucumber. She's not a big fan of meat foods herself, but enjoys small bits of fish mixed with other things* What do you think?

Vato: It's good. ^_^

Anne: *ducks her head as her grin widens, and then offers him an inarizushi*

Vato: *contented expression*

Anne: ^_^ *carefully picks up a kappa maki made with fermented black rice, and offers that* I really like these.

Vato: *slight headtilt, curious expression*

Anne: *offers it* It's like a pickle, only better. It's not as strong.

Vato: *leans to have a bite*

Anne: *feeds it to him carefully, her eyes twinkling behind her sunglasses*

sushi chef: *likes these guys. Here he comes with a nice whole tempura roll made with fermented red rice*

Anne: *curious look*

Vato: *Attention on the sushi chef* ?

sushi chef: Try it. I think you'll like it. *grins as he slices the tempura dipped shrimp roll there at the table for them*

Anne: The rice is red. Oooo, and it smells good.

Vato: *Approving sounds, thanks the sushi chef*

sushi chef: *bows his head and asks them if they'd like to have anything else*

Anne: *looks to Vato. He's the one who knows things here*

Vato: Some asparagus maki, please.

sushi chef: *grins and goes to make it with the good fermented black rice*

Anne: I love this place. I don't have to worry about sugar, and everything's good for me. *helps herself from Vato's plate*

sushi chef: *calls over* Do you like umboshi?

Anne: *again the look to Vato* What's umboshi?

Vato: Pickled plum

Anne: Is it good?

Vato: It's very tart....

Anne: *thinks about that* Hmmm.

sushi chef: *making their asparagus roll as he waits for their verdict on the umboshi*

Vato: It's a bit strong...

Anne: *nose wrinkle* I think I'd rather skip it.

Vato: *Small nod* *to the sushi chef* No thanks on the umeboshi....

sushi chef: Alright. *smiles and brings over their asparagus roll*

Anne: *thanks him and then tries one* *wrinkles her nose thoughtfully, and then beams and offers the next one to Vato*

Vato: *Chuckles and leans to nibble*

Anne: *watching him with a smile* It was nice of Mrs. Lamont to let us keep the kitten.

Vato: *nod, chuckling a bit*

Anne: I nearly jumped out of my skin when he fell off that stool last night. *eats her last kappa maki and enjoys it*

Vato: *Chuckles more* He was trying to curl up on the stool and sleep...

Anne: *blinks behind her shades, her brows raising* But we were right there on the bed in the living room.

Vato's phone: *rings*

Vato: *Startles and fumbles for his phone*

Anne: *watching with slight surprise*

phone screen: *has the Havoc number on it*

Vato: *Surprised, moves to answer the phone* Falman here....

Rose: //Vato, where are you at right now? Is it anywhere close to someplace you can grab somethin' to eat for my bunch?// *sounds disgruntled*

Vato: ...John's Fine Japanese Cuisine... I thought Javan was cooking?

Rose: *disgusted sound* //No, it's those dang Robertsons making up Maruchan instant ramen. And messin' it up.// *snort*

Vato: ... *Facepalm*

Rose: //What kinda place is that? All kinds of Japanese food, or just sushi?//

Vato: Just sushi...

Rose: //Darn. Is there a sub place anywhere near there?//

Vato: Yeah... *names the place that he passed on his way to the sushi place* And they deliver...

Rose: *interested sound* //Now why didn' I think of Jimmy Johns? So I don't have to bug you. Thanks, Vato.//

Vato: *Chuckles* Don't let Jean order four sandwhiches this time.

Rose: *snort* //Like I can stop him.// *sound of a gentle swat and a yelp in the background. Someone's butt got within reach*

Vato: *Snerk*

Rose: //Anyhow. Talk to you later. Um... Bitsy's sendin' kisses, though I ain't sure she knows who I'm talkin' to.//

Vato: *Chuckles* Alright... Talk to you later.

Rose: //Yeah. Bye.// *chuckles to the sound of clicking and hangs up*

Anne: *making faces at the thought of Jimmy Johns*

Vato: *patpat*

Anne: I don't think I'll ever understand how people can eat things like that.

Vato: *shrugs as he turns his phone back on vibrate* *Quietly* Some people don't understand how predators can eat 'cute' little bunnies and things...

Anne: ...I don't think they're cute, but they don't really look like food to me either. *embarrassed chuckle* I grew up with things in packages.

Vato: *another shrug* I grew up hunting birds....

Anne: *grins* What kind of birds?

Vato: *names the types* *none of which are found on Earth*

Anne: What are they like? *reaches for the last piece of asparagus maki*

Vato: Pretty game-y tasting compared to chicken....

Anne: Is that bad? *chases after a last grain of black rice without taking her eyes from her snuggle partner's face*

Vato: Not really, it's just different... *Chuckles* Gavin laughed himself silly the first time he fed me chicken...

Anne: *brows lift* Why?

Vato: I was used to tougher meat, and not much fat on any of the pieces.... I slept for almost four hours straight after the meal.

Anne: *chuckles* I'll have to try and find meat plant sometime and see what you think of it.

Vato: I've had that before... It's not too bad.

Anne: *surprised* You can get it here?

Vato: It has to be brought in from the Nexus, but it comes in with the shipments...

Anne: *face brightened* Oh, that's great. That's the meat I grew up with.

Vato: The cooks in our group can do some pretty wonderful things with it....

Anne: Have I had it without knowing it?

Vato: You had some of the lasagna that Melissa made on wednesday, right?

Anne: A little bit. *nods* I thought it was beef, so I wasn't too interested. *sheepish grin*

Vato: *soft chuckle*

Anne: So it's a staple?

Vato: *nod* Even Javan uses it and likes it... *chuckle*

Anne: *eyes widen with surprise* I thought he was a carnivore.

Vato: *Chuckle* He thinks it's beyond awesome... though he used more obscene words to describe it...

Anne: *squints one eye shut and chuckles* I guess he's one parent that won't be worrying about his kids' language.

Vato: *more chuckle, nods* So it would seem...

Anne: *grins, then stretches slightly and looks around* I'm full...

Vato: *calls for the bill, tips generously, and then guides Anne out to the SUV for the ride home to their apartment in Lisa's house*

((Written with random_xtras))
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