Nexus and a Pocket Reality, The Black Dog and a Mansion, Locket
Dreadnought: *puts down his empty cube, looks around the bar, and then BURPS* o.0
Sparta: *falls off his stool laughing*
Apoleia: ...
Requiem: *face. Palm*
Rhinox: Alright, you four, you've had enough. Go home and go to bed.
brothers: *good natured grumbling and go*
Rhinox: *chuckles and mops bar*
mLumen: *piled on tShowtime and Mama's lap, so cute and innocent*
Rhinox: *stops and leans down to touch the little guy*
mLumen: *Sleepy sound, opens his eyes*
Rhinox: Hey, pint-size. Why don't you take your mom to bed? She looks sleepy.
mLumen: *Streeeeeetch, will move to herd Mama and tShowtime towards home, till he gets picked up, cuddled, and carried the rest of the way by mEclipse*
mWakeJumper: *Helping Tarantulus, will be heading home soon as well*
Rhinox: *quiet chuckle as he looks around the emptying bar, then leans back to limber up his spinal strut before turning his attention to finishing cleanup*
Nemesis: *comes out from counting things in the kitchen, snags her sleeping son and heads upstairs*
tKriti: *is sooo conked out right now... which is why there's a lack of snark from your hat, Rhinox*
Rhinox: *gentle touch for his hat too as he realizes its silence, and then jumps down to work on the lower level of the bar*
Dinoclone: *stumbles inside and runs into Tarantulus' leg*
Tarantulus: *looks, frowns* *will move to gently lift Dinoclone and bring him to Rhinox*
Rhinox: *looks and snorts* He's just kiss drunk. Put him back on the porch where Nightwish can find him.
Dinoclone: *facepalming at himself and muttering with amusement*
Tarantulus: *Snerk* Alright... *Will do so, and on impulse, tie a big, pink ribbon on the kiss-drunk mech*
Nightwish: *blink blinks from where she's lurking under the bench* What is this?
Tarantulus: Just thought you'd appreciate the gesture... *Chuckles and sets Dinoclone where Nightwish can reach him, then heads back in to finish what he and mWakeJumper were working on*
Rhinox: *wondering who the slag ate ALL the energon pellets when he knows darn well that all the bowls weren't even put up on the bar* WakeJumper, did Hormah or Pi come in while I was on my break?
mWakeJumper: Yeah...
Rhinox: Alright, I know where they went, then. *sets to work refilling the bowls*
mWakeJumper: *Chuckles and continues to work*
Rhinox: Where's Dinobot?
mWakeJumper: Borrowing my PINpoint to make sure the derps in his home reality aren't mucking things up... He'll be back in the morning.
Rhinox: You realize it technically is morning? *finishes up with the bowls and then comes back up on top of the bar* Done yet?
mWakeJumper: *As he finishes what he was working on* Yeah.. *looking forward to going and snuggling with his family*
Rhinox: Alright. Tarantulus, you want to throw that pink mech in the dress that's hiding under Archiva's plants out?
Tarantulus: ... *Snerks and goes to do so*
Pink mech in the dress: *Eeeks and scampers*
Rhinox: *mutters about Divacons and looks around to make sure they don't have anymore stowaways*
mWakeJumper: *Snickering*
Rhinox: I think we're good. You two hit your berths.
Tarantulus: *Teasingly* Nag nag nag... *will go check on Showtime and the kids*
mWakeJumper: See ya at home, Rhinox... *heads out*
Rhinox: *chuckles and PINpoints to the living room of the apartment, leaving the bar to settle in silence for several hours*
Later
blocky midnight blue G1 femme: *brushes the guy in the frilly dress off the bench and settles to sit on it*
Frilly mech: *eeps and scampers again*
femme: *sighs and leans against the wall of the bar, but she's watchful even as she rests. Is a big one, on a scale with Road Queen, or some bayformer Chromias. Her optics are hidden behind a mirrored visor*
fDinobot: *Arriving back at the Black Dog in a PINflash. Is in alt-mode as that is how he's used to travelling. Sighs and sidesteps the Divacon before approaching the bar. Will pause and study the femme for a few moments, first with one eye, then with the other*
femme: *lifts visor without otherwise moving and gives him a wry look from tired purple optics* Take a picture, it'd last longer.
fDinobot: *Suspicions confirmed, will transform* Hrrrn.... It has been... Quite some time, Locket....
Locket: *sits up straight and leans to look at him more closely, the lenses in her optics upping their magnification* I know you?
fDinobot: A very long time ago, you did... Much has changed since the day you left Cybertron as a Neutral... *Tone holds no accusations, nor do his optics*
Locket: *starts a little and then reaches a hand to touch his head* You! I didn't think I'd see you again.
fDinobot: *Surprises himself by leaning into the touch ever so slightly* *Quietly* I could say the same of you....
Locket: You don't have the same name, do you? *gently moves her thumb across his crest*
fDinobot: *Small headshake* I now go by Dinobot...
Locket: Dinobot, hrrm? You never did have much imagination. *hand moves down to his back, and her optics are sparkling now as she remembers the young mech that she once trained and fought and got into trouble beside*
fDinobot: *Soft snort* More imagination than those I once counted as comrades...
Locket: *quiet amusement, didn't even hear him* I could pick you up like a doll.
fDinobot: *A bit of a warning growl, though his optics are dancing with amusement and a challenge* If you can catch me...
Locket: *optics brighten as she chuckles* Flirt.
fDinobot: *gets ready to bolt, smirking just a bit*
Locket: *fingers are already on his back... and now they're around him and he's being lifted as she chuckles triumphantly*
fDinobot: *Wasn't expecting that, and his surprise shows clearly on his face*
Locket: *brings her prize close and cuddles him, remembering curling up together for comfort when the two of them were new* *quietly* You ripped Manifold's optic out when he tried flirting with me. But you never flirted yourself.
fDinobot: *just as quietly* I... was a fool in those days...
Locket: *mouth twitches, and then her hands tighten slightly* Do you want me to let you go?
fDinobot: *Gives her a Look* If you do, I shall object...
Locket: *smirks, and then swings to her feet, narrowly missing the pink Divacon, and kicks open the door as Tarantulus unlocks it for the morning* *in she strides, and holds her prize in the air* This is MINE!
Tarantulus: ... *and now he's going to get Rhinox and mWakeJumper*
Nemesis: *blinking from behind the bar, and then she's giving a roar of laughter* I see that!
Ducky: Me too!
Mal: I SEE NOTHING! Except THAT! *cackling*
fDinobot: *Has an insufferably smug grin on his face* Locket is mine, and I will dismantle anyone who says otherwise.
Vi: Whatever, derps. *Will go torment Tarantulus a bit more as the cloaked mech returns*
Rhinox: *pauses in his run to the barroom and looks up at that massive femme, then laughs out loud* I see you up there, Dinobot.
mWakeJumper: ... *Facepalming* Smug aft &*^#%$....
fDinobot: *More smug. I have the girl, Mongrel. Deal with it*
Locket: *and now she's going to plant one on her newly claimed mate, right there in front of the whole crew*
Vi: *Catcalls!*
Mal: EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW SICK! *cackles more*
Spazz: *scooting in and then stopping by her husband to look up* What... oh so that was his problem.
Mal: *ded at that*
Vi: *About falls out of the air at that*
mWakeJumper: *Sighs and moves to get to work*
fDinobot: *Pleasantly dizzy now*
Locket: *going to see if she can make him reboot*
fDinobot: *Trying to give as good as he's getting*
Locket: *perches her skid plate on the nearest table, but gives no other quarter*
Mal: *catcall* Get a room!
fDinobot: *for once, his size is a disadvantage, as he's now rebooting... But darn if he doesn't manage to look smug while doing so*
Vi: *Cackles and zips about*
Locket: *gently rubs her new wordmate's back as he reboots, her chin tucked to her chest as she watches him*
fDinobot: *Soft, pleased sound once he remembers why he rebooted*
Locket: *quietly* Can you hear me?
fDinobot: *Just as quietly* I can...
Locket: *still quiet* Good. Because I have to put you down now.
fDinobot: *going to do his best not to pout* *Softly* Very well...
Locket: *settles him on the table* Make sure I don't fall on you. *shakes the windows as she hits the floor*
Nemesis: What the fragging frozen slag??
fDinobot: *moving to check on his wordmate, worried now* *accidentally manages to faceplant as he comes off the table*
Rhinox: *skids to a halt beside Locket and scans her as best he can as she lays on her face on the floor* She's badly run down, and there's some spark strain from a broken bond of some sort.
fDinobot: *concerned, will gently smooth Locket's helm*
Rhinox: WakeJumper, bring me some of that new batch of mid grade. Tarantulus, help me turn her over.
mWakeJumper: *Goes to get the mid grade*
Tarantulus: *Will help Rhinox carefully turn Locket over, after he's moved fDinobot out of the way*
Rhinox: Do you know if she had a symbiont of any sort, Dinobot? *frowns as he scans the femme's processor*
fDinobot: *Searching his memory files* *small nod* One that would fly overhead and help her sight....
Rhinox: I'm guessing it's been destroyed. *frown* She needs quiet and rest.
fDinobot: *small nod* Where shall I bring her?
Rhinox: I don't know. She won't fit in our apartment. *looks around for WakeJumper*
mWakeJumper: *Back with the mid grade* *heard that* Are there more apartments nearby that she'd be comfortable in?
Rhinox: The only place I know nearby where someone her size would fit is the safe house. *hooks up a drinking tube and starts pumping that fuel into Locket's tank*
Tarantulus: ... *lightbulb moment* Actually... I know someplace that would work...
Rhinox: *looks up and then brightens* That deed.
Tarantulus: *nods and gets it out of a storage compartment*
fDinobot: .... What deed?
Rhinox: He played poker at the LOL paddle table awhile back, and won a deed to a pocket dimension.
mWakeJumper: ... *Amused snerk*
fDinobot: Hnn.... And it would not cause trouble if I were to bring Locket there?
Tarantulus: My family's moving to the reality that Showtime and I come from.... We don't have a use for the deed. *Will offer it to fDinobot, who eyes it for few moments before accepting it*
Rhinox: *grumbles at himself* If I hadn't kept you and Showtime so busy moving things around yesterday your apartment would be empty by now. *frowns up at the deed* Did you go and check the place out?
Tarantulus: It's a castle in what looks like part of England or Ireland... Except for the fact that it's about as big as some of the buildings on Cybertron in my reality...
Rhinox: So it's set on solid ground?
Tarantulus: *Nods* Some sort of bedrock covered with dirt and decomposed plant matter... Sort of like what the ground in Detroit's made of...
Rhinox: How big's the landmass, and did you look inside the building?
Tarantulus: *Gives his best guess. It's a lot of land, and he's been inside the building, as have Showtime and the kids* Tarop-tim and Dahlia thought the echo-y hallways were the coolest thing.... *chuckle*
Rhinox: So it's secure? *looks at Locket as she groans and moves an arm*
fDinobot: *Will move to gently touch Locket's forehead*
Tarantulus: The only way it would be any more secure would be if it didn't have a doorway to the Nexus.
Rhinox: Is it furnished? *watches as Locket switches her optics on and looks wearily at her wordmate*
fDinobot: *Gentle, soothing clicks as he gently smooths Locket's helm*
Tarantulus: Yeah... Human-styled things, and a fully-stocked pantry of energon-based fuel... *Finds that amusing*
Rhinox: Sounds like a good place. Dinobot?
fDinobot: As long as it is secure, and quiet. *More focused on comforting his wordmate*
Tarantulus: *reaching to poke the feathery mech* It's secure, mech.
Rhinox: Let's get her moved. *takes the antigrav units that Mal just brought over* I need more than two of them.
Mal: Yeah yeah, I know already. It's your fault for getting such big ones. *runs off again as fast as her little legs can go, darting around that pink Divacon on her way*
pink Divacon: *Squeal, scoot!*
Vi: *Buzzes the pink derp, will go help Mal carry more disks*
Mal: *PINpoints this time, one disk under each arm*
Vi: *Eventually makes it back with the last two disks*
Rhinox: *busy attaching them after explaining to Locket what's going on and what the plan is*
Locket: *optics flickering as her systems try to shut down to process that good energy they just got and use it for self repair*
fDinobot: *Protective of wordmate*
Rhinox: *activates the disks and tells Mal and Vi to go back to the bar now*
Mal: Sure, whatever. *takes the big toy spider she hung around her neck on that last trip and goes charging at the Divacon while holding the spider overhead*
Vi: *Cackles and goes to record the Divacon's freak-out*
Tarantulus: *Giving the two pests dirty looks as he takes out his PINpoint*
Rhinox: Alright, let's get her moved. Tarantulus, you know the layout.
Tarantulus: *nods and moves to bring Rhinox, Locket, and Dinobot to the 'castle', which is really just a massive mansion. They'll arrive in the main foyer*
Rhinox: *looks around, his brow ridges drawing together* Alright, where's the sleeping area?
Locket: *small sound of discomfort, but she's mostly asleep*
Tarantulus: *Will lead the way up the ornate stairway, and up to the east wing* It's too big for my family, and too quiet.... *shrugs a bit as he moves to open the door to the master suite*
Rhinox: *looks around and whistles softly* This is as big as Nem's whole apartment.
Tarantulus: Like I said, it's too big for my family.... *Nods to the massive bed*
Rhinox: *steers the gently floating femme toward it* What about you, Dinobot? Will you be alright here until Tarantulus' old apartment's open?
fDinobot: *small nod, is currently more concerned with making sure his wordmate is comfortable*
Rhinox: That's a lot of blankets. Pull them back, Tarantulus.
Tarantulus: ... *As he moves to do so* Den and Dennis would have a field day here...
Rhinox: Would they? *gives Locket a gentle upward shove* Here, get her on the berth.
Tarantulus: *does so* Yeah... Either selling the blankets to guys my size or so, or making a fort out of 'em...
Rhinox: *snorts as he scrambles up to check on his patient and collect the antigrav disks. Fixes the blankets again* Alright. She'll need more energy in three or four hours. Call me if anything happens. *straightens up and looks around, then jumps down*
Tarantulus: *Will go and get some of the fuel from the pantry, since he's pretty certain that fDinobot will not leave Locket's side*
Rhinox: *heads out of the room and stops to look through a window that he can see from the top of the stairs. Sees sky*
sky: *is a pretty and soothing lavender color, with clouds in similar and equally soothing shades of blue*
Rhinox: *quirks a brow ridge at that and chuckles slightly, then looks through the railings as he hears Tarantulus coming back* You sure you don't need a hand with the moving?
Tarantulus: We're leaving the berths behind... Why deny someone else comfort?
Rhinox: *slight grin* Someone you trust in the warehouse.
Tarantulus: *soft 'heh', nods*
Rhinox: I'm not sure it's Dinobot's kind of place. *turns to go with the younger mech to deliver the fuel*
Tarantulus: Well, I kind of get the feeling that he'll go with Locket if she asks him to.... *Pauses at the slight growl he just heard, very soft snerk*
fDinobot: *is pulling off the guard dog vibe very well... even if a feathery velociraptor makes for a very odd guard dog...*
Rhinox: It's us, Dinobot. Settle down. *pushes the door open*
fDinobot: *scowwwwwl.... hrmphs and curls up next to Locket again*
Tarantulus: *Will set the fuel where it can be reached easily on the chest at the foot of the bed*
Rhinox: *scrambles up for a last scan of Locket, and then once more jumps down* Alright. Let's get back to work. We'll check the doors and make sure they're secure, Dinobot.
fDinobot: *small nod*
Rhinox: *turns and leads the way out of the room, leaving it to fall into silence*
Tarantulus: *moves to follow Rhinox... After snapping a picture of fDinobot and Locket*
half hour later
Locket: *stirs under the blankets and groans, her head turning from side to side on the pillow*
fDinobot: *Will move so he's not laying on her*
Locket: *shudders and clicks in the code that she used to use with her little pet/symbiont, calling to it*
fDinobot: *Will gently touch her cheek* *Softly* Locket....
Locket: *startles and switches her optics on to look at him blankly*
fDinobot: *Will offer some of the fuel that Tarantulus left*
Locket: *frowns at the unfamiliar smell, but then her optics brighten with memory* Dinobot.
fDinobot: *nods* You were seeking your symbiont....
Locket: *works a hand out from under the unfamiliar coverings and puts it over her optics* She's dead.
fDinobot: *small nod* And the loss of her life is a sadness...
Locket: *flatly* It's the end of my usefulness on the battle field.
fDinobot: *'Hrrrnnnn's softly, considering* There are other battlefields... and many more battles to be fought....
Locket: And they'll be fun. But I'm just a common merc now. No more pinpoint long range accuracy.
fDinobot: *was that a smirk?* I may know of someone who would be willing to assist....
Locket: *quirks a brow plate at him*
fDinobot: But for now, it is more important that you regain your strength.
Locket: Hrrm. *frowns and pulls at her sheets and duvet* What is all this?
fDinobot: *as he inspects the sheets and duvet* Berth coverings... *is glad that Malware and Vituperation are nowhere near the area to give him slag for having a blanket*
Locket: Whose bright idea was that? *fingering the duvet and scowling at it quizzically*
fDinobot: This is a human-style dwelling... Though the scale is not...
Locket: Huh. What's this? *pokes the fuel he's holding*
fDinobot: A form of energon... *Will offer the fuel, which is a softball-sized mass of mashes encased in a crunchy mineral shell* *there's a faint undercurrent of Seekersalt to the scent of the fuel*
Locket: *takes it carefully* So it's a giant energon goodie? *sniff. Boggle at that scent*
fDinobot: *As he moves to see what else Tarantulus brought* It is a solid variant of energon and minerals...
Locket: *chows it down, making pleased sounds at the flavor* Never thought I'd get to eat that stuff. ^_^
fDinobot: *Soft chuckle. Yes, the stoic warrior can chuckle... and it doesn't sound all that unpleasant, either!* From my understanding, there are many variations of solid fuel that use that particular mineral for flavoring....
Locket: And they always told me it was too rare for anybody but bigwigs to afford. *licks her fingers and then eyes him speculatively*
fDinobot: There is a version of Swindle who sells fuel... *Which probably explains why there's Seekersalt in some of the fuels* *considering look for the gummiham*
Locket: *moves to sit up so that she can see what he's looking at down there at the foot of the bed*
fDinobot: *has neatly organized the various fuels according to the scents and flavors. Likely did so while Locket was resting earlier* *has a package of gummiham that he's carefully handling so as not to drop it, as his current configuration isn't as dexterous as his root mode*
Locket: Glitchead, change to root. *impatient to see what he's got there, her tank is actually registering hunger for the first time since Jewel died*
fDinobot: *Will offer her the container first*
Locket: *takes the package and examines it, then rips it open at the place where it says 'tear here'. Soon has slices of lovely green salt flavor ham stuffed in her mouth* Mmmmmm. Slag!
fDinobot: *soft snort, transforms, and moves to reach for a few slices of gummiham*
Locket: *playfully blocks his reach, but then gives him some*
fDinobot: *low growl when he's blocked, gives her an amused Look*
Locket: *looks back challengingly as she downs most of the rest of the ham. Then turns her attention to the platter and starts to move to get it for herself*
fDinobot: *soft hiss, rustles what feathers are visible, will move to bring the platter closer so she doesn't have to reach so far*
Locket: Thanks. *settles back, her optics slightly dim as weariness reasserts itself* *grumbles at that, but then turns her attention to the good things on the platter and proceeds to make half of them disappear. Feeds her wordmate generously in the process*
fDinobot: *will fuss over her as much as she'll allow* *is soon starting to blink a bit more as his systems register good fuel and minerals* *Surprises himself a bit by moving to snuggle close to his wordmate*
Locket: *sets the platter on the night table, then settles back with her head on the pillow and pulls fDinobot close. Gentle hand rubs his back as she snuzzles* Hmmm. The coverings aren't so weird when you're in them with me.
fDinobot: *Soft, contented sound* Indeed... *is apparently more of a cuddler than a talker when he's tipsy*
Locket: *fingers move from his back to his crest, and she smooths it delicately* *snerk* Never thought I'd see you wearing something this pretty.
fDinobot: *leaning into her touch, optics shuttering a bit* Hrrnnn.... It has its purposes.... *not that he can really think of any at the moment....*
Locket: *smirk* Usually bright feathers are for attracting the females. *mock seriousness* I don't share, mech.
fDinobot: *unshuttering one optic to give her a slight smirk in return* Nor do I.
Locket: *hand smooths right down his entire back, right to his feet, and then she lifts him slightly and plants a kiss on him* *here, Dinobot, get drunker*
fDinobot: *is soon clinging to her to keep from spinning off of the bed*
Locket: *has to break the kiss and lay back with her optics blinking erratically* Heh... Feel like I'm at sea with some of old Makeshift's bootleg.
fDinobot: Hnnn..... Makeshift had nothing on Rattrap....*clingsnuggle*
Locket: Wanna bet? Makeshift taught Ironhide a few things. *snuzzles mate* And then the dumbaft blew himself up testing his own mixes.
fDinobot: Rattrap's brews.... *forgot what he was going to say, snuggles against mate*
Locket: *cuddles him close, her hand once more gently smoothing his crest* If I weren't so slagging tired I'd show you how pitiful Rattrap's brews were.
fDinobot: *more soft chuckle* I look forward to that....
Locket: *arms around him as her optics dim* Hmmm, you would.
fDinobot: *quiet, contented... purr. Yes, he's purring.* *softly* Rest...
Locket: Hrrrm... *optics switch off as she drops deeply into recharge cycle*
fDinobot: *soon follows her into recharge, drifting deeper than he's done for quite some time*
((co-written with random_xtras))