mbv and the Nexus, NEST HQ and the Black Dog, Alternates
Raoul: Hey, Beau, you wanna go shoppin'? *standing by the boards that've been nailed over the broken patio window in the gym. Nearby the sparklet hoard is sleeping to the soft tune of Brawn's snores*
Beau: *looks up from his homework* Wh're 't?
Raoul: The Nexus. We can get some poutine're somethin' and grab some energon cookies for these guys.
Beau: ... *raised brow as he saves what he's working on and shuts his laptop off* Nexus?
Raoul: *grin* Yup.
Beau: We ain't gonna get int' trouble f'r goin', 'r we?
Raoul: Tracks lets me go, so long as I'm not alone. And I'm not gonna pull anything stupid. We're only goin' to the Black Dog.
Beau: Alrahght... jes' 's long 's we ain't gonna get int' trouble... *packs his laptop away in its carrying bag*
Raoul: *finds paper and writes a note, then puts it into Autumn's hand*
Autumn: *snuggles closer to Brawn*
Raoul: *d'awws under his breath, then straightens and fiddles with his big wrist watch* Okay, get hold'a my shirt or somethin'.
Beau: *grabs the hem of Raoul's shirt, not really sure what to expect*
Raoul: *presses the button that will bring them underneath the bench on the porch of the Transformer bar in the Nexus*
Beau: ... *boggling*
Raoul: *peeks out and looks up* Hey, Ratchet. Don't step on us, alright?
hsvRatchet: *soft snerk as Cragbuster launches into a bout of rapid clicking and energetic wiggling*
Beau: ... *looking quite brain-broken now, though he is trying to see the source of the clicks*
Raoul: *steps out from under the bench and moves away. And then goes wide-eyed as he spots the white femme and the little bot she's holding* You got a kid??
hsvRatchet: *nods, putting his arm around his mate's waist* I do... This is Clarion, and our son, Cragbuster.
Cragbuster: oooo! *Gleewiggles, waving his arms at the humans*
Raoul: *laughing* Sweet! Our Ratchet's gonna be a mama again.
hsvRatchet: *rumbly chuckle* Did Wheeljack build her another drone?
Raoul: *shakes his head, his grin widening* She's got one in the oven.
hsvRatchet: *raised brow ridge*
Beau: ... *giving Raoul a Look, isn't sure he should be saying that sort of thing*
Raoul: Sarah 'n Simon are all excited. Greg wants a dog instead.
hsvRatchet: *quiet snerk* And the sisters?
Raoul: They're excited too. *doesn't mention the worry the older sister shares with Jack*
hsvRatchet: *small nod* Are you and your friend here to eat?
Raoul: *glances at Beau and grins* That ain't my friend, man. That's my uncle.
Beau: *makes a face, earning a snort from Ratchet*
Cragbuster: *Clicking up a storm, wants to see the humans up close, since they look different from Uncle Sam, Aunty 'Kaela, Uncle Will, Uncle Bobby, and all the other humans he's met!*
Raoul: *clicks back to the little guy, telling him he's a friend and that he needs to chill a bit*
hsvRatchet: *and there's his rumbling chuckle again* Cragbuster is usually this energetic...
Cragbuster: *Clicking and squeaking, wants to play!*
Raoul: *laughs* *clicks that he has to go*
Cragbuster: *Pout*
Beau: ...
Raoul: *pulls a penny out of his pocket and flips it up toward the little guy*
hsvRatchet: *amused glimmer in his optics as he gives Raoul a Look*
Cragbuster: Ooooo!!! *catches the penny, NOM*
Beau: ... *Raised brow*
Raoul: *grins up at Ratchet* What? One can't hurt him!
hsvRatchet: I know... *chuckle*
Cragbuster: *Happy clicks, love you Raoul!*
Raoul: *clicks back and then waves and turns toward the door* Was nice meetin' you, Mrs. Ratchet. See ya, Cragbuster!
Beau: *polite nod, and then he's following Raoul*
Raoul: *in he goes, right between the feet of a grey-black behemoth with a folded rotor on each shoulder*
Beau: *slightly wary look, hurries after Raoul*
Requiem: *too busy scoping the place to worry about humans*
Raoul: *making a beeline for the bar*
Beau: *looking around, and feeling brain-broken again*
Scruffy-looking teen sitting at a table near the bar: *eating and trying to pretend he's not surrounded by giant robots*
Beau: ... *hurries to the bar* Raoul? C'ld y'u do me a favor?
Raoul: *stops at the base of the bar by the ladder* What is it?
Beau: *nods to the table where the other teen is sitting* C'ld y'u look th're 'n tell me whethah 'r not Ah'm seein' wh't Ah th'nk Ah'm seein'?
Raoul: *looks* Oh cool! You have an alt!
Beau: ... So Ah ain't hallucinatin' th't th're's 'notha me sittin' 't th't table?
Raoul: That's another you. *heading that way now*
Beau: *Acks and moves to follow*
hsvBeau: *glances over when he sees Raoul and mvBeau approaching* ... Wh't?
Raoul: Hi. I'm Raoul, 'n this turkey's Beau. You mind if we sit with you?
hsvBeau: ... *one shoulder shrug* Go 'head... 'T's a free country... *frowning a bit as he gets a good look at the other teen who bears his name*
Raoul: *plunks into a chair* Uh... you know you're not in a country right now, right?
hsvBeau: ... *another shrug* Don' realleh mattah... Ah ain't gonna fahnd mah sistah 'ere eithah, prolleh...
mvBeau: ... *moving to sit in another chair, frowning slightly*
Raoul: Your Denver's missing?
hsvBeau: *frowning* 'Ow d' y'u know mah sistah's name?
Raoul: This is a nexus between realities. *nods to his companion* 'N he's you.
mvBeau: Er... Hi?
hsvBeau: ... *attention going back to his meal with a mutter of "Ah must be goin' nuts..."*
Raoul: And his sister. *thumb toward mvBeau* Is goin' out with my guardian.
hsvBeau: ... *soft snerk* She ain't run 'im off?
Raoul: Major Mac ain't scary.
hsvBeau: ... *gives mvBeau a look* Y'ur sis's military?
mvBeau: She's a Marine. 'N most gahs get intimidated bah a ladeh who c'n out-shoot 'em wit' a Colt .45.
hsvBeau: ... *snerks*
Raoul: *grinning and giving his order to the massive cyclopean drone that's stooped down to take it*
mvBeau: *hesitant at first, before he's ordering as well*
Raoul: Get what you want. Major Mac gave me some money.
mvBeau: *gives Raoul a Look* Ah am.
Raoul: *unruffled by the look* You ever had poutine?
mvBeau: Nope...
hsvBeau: *answering at the same time* Nope.
mvBeau: ... *giving his alt a "WTF" look and getting one in return*
Raoul: *snerks and orders enough for everybody*
mvBeau: *still eyeing his alt and getting eyed in return*
Raoul: *looks at them* You know, I've read about my alts. But I've never seen one.
mvBeau: *attention going to Raoul* Oh? Wh't're th'y lahk?
Raoul: Bunch'a a stinkin' pain in the afts. *laughs*
hsvBeau: *raised brow, working on making his cheeseburger vanish, kthx*
Bet: *sets a massive platter of poutine in the middle of the table*
mvBeau: ... *brows up*
Raoul: *rubbing his hands together and then quickly bowing his head before he grabs a fork*
mvBeau: *quiet murmur, before he also reaches for a fork*
Raoul: *makes the mother of all cheese strings, his grin widening*
hsvBeau: *eyeing the poutine for a moment, before he's murmuring the same thing his alternate did, and grabbing a fork*
Raoul: Mmmm. Heart disease in a dish. *very happy*
mvBeau: *SNERK, stabs at a fry with his fork* We 'afta see 'f Mrs. Jones'll make th's s'metahm....
Raoul: ...Man, I can make this sometime. If somebody shows me how ta do gravy.
mvBeau and hsvBeau: *Giving Raoul an "Are you SERIOUS?" look*
Raoul: *frowns at them* What?
mvBeau: Wh'n we get back, Ah'm teachin' y'u 'ow t' make whaht gravy.
Raoul: ...What? Gravy ain't white.
hsvBeau: Th' easiest kahnd t' make 's.
Raoul: *doubtful* But this stuff ain't. *eats a huge bite of poutine*
mvBeau: 'T'll give y'u th' basics t' makin' good gravy fr'm scratch. *nomming poutine*
Raoul: *cheerful again* Whatever. *reaches for the pepper shaker* So anyway, otherBeau. Your sister's missin'?
hsvBeau: 'F she ain't, th'n Ah hitchhahked all th' way t' California f'r nothin'.
Raoul: California? *quirks a bit of a frown and stuffs his face again, the puffs his cheeks and blows air through the mouthful*
hsvBeau: *nod* Th'ts wh're 'er last postcard came fr'm...
Raoul: So you got an address?
hsvBeau: ... Not anehmoah, Ah don'... Pa disowned me, jes' lahk 'e did t' Denver.
Raoul: I meant for her. And at least you don't gotta #$#@#@$@ big shiner.
mvBeau: 'EY! *sulk*
hsvBeau: *headshake* Last Ah knew, she w's neah Tranquiliteh, California.
Raoul: *frowns and gets up* I'll be right back.
mvBeau: ... *sharing another look with his alternate, before they're both attacking the poutine and making it vanish*
Raoul: *out to where Ratchet's sitting* Hey, man. You guys know a lady named Denver MacKenzie?
hsvRatchet: *nods* She is Ultra Magnus' younger sister.
Raoul: *blinks* ...You mean she's a Transformer?
hsvRatchet: She is now... She was a human who was LOL'd at one point... And due to a wish, she is Cybertronian for good.
Raoul: *points his PINpoint at Ratchet, and then compares with what he just read off the other Beau* Yeah... well her kid brother's lookin' for her. Their dad just threw him out.
hsvRatchet: ... *frowning* That could be a problem...
Raoul: He's in there eating with the guy from my reality.
Clarion: *curls around Cragbuster a bit and hides*
hsvRatchet: *nods* I saw him come in... The problem is that the Denver from our reality is currently providing aid in a sibling reality to our own....
Cragbuster: *Clicking and patpatting Mama*
Raoul: *frown* A whatnow?
hsvRatchet: A sibling reality... It is a reality that shares similarities to one's own reality, including tech and on occasion, history. The Autobots of my home reality have ties to two realities similar to our own.
Raoul: 0.o That doesn't screw up the time lines?
hsvRatchet: Not as far as anyone has been able to tell.
Raoul: Huh. *shrug* But man... you're an Autobot. You gotta help this guy.
Clarion: *hugs Cragbuster, leans on Ratchet, and watches in silence*
hsvRatchet: *quiet rumbles, before a red-haired human flickers into existance near his feet*
Raoul: *gives the holoform a stink eye* What's that for?
Ratchet-Holo: To put the young man at ease. I'm not quite sure how much he may know about the Autobots and Decepticons of my home reality.
Raoul: ...I dunno, man. Isn't that kinda bein' sneaky?
Ratchet-Holo: *quirked brow* I'd rather not have Denver coming after me for sending her brother into a panic attack.
Raoul: *more frown, then looks up* You mean like the one your lady looks like she's havin'?
Clarion: *hiding face on Ratchet and taking very deep breaths*
hsvRatchet: *quietly rumbling and gently rubbing Clarion's back while his holoform frowns*
Raoul: *hesitating* She gonna be okay?
hsvRatchet: *moving to offer Clarion his wrist*
Ratchet-Holo: *small nod* The sooner we can return home, the better, I believe.
Raoul: *frowns but turns to go inside, once more walking under Requiem*
Ratchet-Holo: *Following*
Requiem: *glances down and snerks this time, but then resumes his botwatching*
Ratchet-Holo: *ignores Requiem*
mvBeau: *Fighting with hsvBeau over a couple of fries and cheese curds*
Raoul: *pauses and looks at the platter* 0.o You guys better not start fartin'. Or I'm goin' home alone.
mvBeau: *fending off a fork* Ah ain't th' tahp t' do th't.
Raoul: *looks around and orders more*
Ratchet-Holo: *approaches the table* Excuse me, I'm looking for Beau MacKenzie?
hsvBeau: *Frowning at the stranger*
mvBeau: *Blink blink* Which 'un?
Raoul: ...Uh... we got two, Ratchet.
Ratchet-holo: The one whose sister is not a Marine.
hsvBeau: *still frowning* Th't'd be me.... Whah?
Ratchet-Holo: *slight pause for a few moments* Denver left a message for you... You are to meet her at the Tranquility bus terminal tomorrow morning. She will pick you up there.
hsvBeau: ... *small ghost of a smile as he nods* Alrahght th'n...
Raoul: *gets the new thing of poutine and plunks down to eat*
mvBeau: *Focuses on eating what he ordered, which turns out to be a cheeseburger with fries*
Raoul: 0.o You still got room for that??
mvBeau: *nods, has a mouthfull of burger at the moment*
Raoul: *blink. Blink* Whoa.
mvBeau: *Finishes what he's got in his mouth before he speaks* Ah run track 'n cross countreh... 'F Ah di'n't eat 'nough, Ah'd be in trouble...
Raoul: I useta run a lot. Wonder if that's why I'm so runty. *looks at Ratchet's holoform*
Ratchet-Holo: *looking around as someone unseen giggles*
Raoul: *looks around himself* ...Open com?
Ratchet-Holo: No... Free spark... *looks under a table* Mira, I see you there.
Mira: *Giggles*
Raoul: What's a free spark?
Ratchet-Holo: The Cybertronian equivalent of a ghost.
Mira: *nodnod, waves to Raoul*
Raoul: Oh. The opposite'a our zombie.
Ratchet-Holo: *silent for a few moments while he looks up the word "zombie", small nod* I suppose so...
Mira: *attention going to the door as a Sideswipe of the same tech as hsvRatchet, along with a Sunstreaker, and a Showtime, enters the bar. In their arms are three sparklets, who are clicking and chirping to someone outside* :D
Ratchet-Holo: *Raised brow, snerks*
Raoul: It's this Seeker guy named Nullfire. His spark went out, but he won't stop goin'. *frowns and eats as he watches the big bots with the three little ones*
hsvSideswipe: *has an arm around a grey-colored femme of different tech*
Columba: *clicking to the sparklet her mate's holding*
Sideburn: *Happy wiggles and clicks*
Ratchet-Holo: ... That's... *remembering the Brawn he met here* That's something I have encountered once before... Though the being in question was a free spark by the name of Brawn...
Raoul: ...Brawn? *frowning up at him, has forgotten Mira and the newcomers with the sparklets. The Brawn he knows is his friend, and he doesn't like to think of him droned.*
Ratchet-Holo: *nods* He was brought back to life with the help of an Allspark shard. Given that the person I heard about him from is a female alternate of myself whose human name is Rachel Rutegar I suspect it may be your own reality.
Raoul: *cracks up*
Ratchet-Holo: ... Yes, I am aware that she is going to be having a baby.
Raoul: *goes sober then* That means Bert's the guy you were talkin' about.
mvBeau: *looks over from protecting his fries from his alternate*
Ratchet-Holo: How is he doing? Your Red Alert and Perceptor were very worried about him... *has an "I know something funny" look in his eyes*
Raoul: He's one'a the creche guardians. The other one's Miss Thompson... I mean Bumblebee.
Ratchet-Holo: *small nod* And how is Red Alert doing? He had quite the encounter here...
Raoul: Busy chasin' his girlfriend around and yellin' when they get interrupted. *slight smirk, though he's still troubled by what he's learned about Brawn*
Ratchet-Holo: *brows up* He has a girlfriend now? Well, that may or may not work in his favor should he ever return here...
Raoul: Yeah. A femme named Showtime. *frown* 'N Perceptor's married.
Ratchet-Holo: ... *has to sit down now, because he's laughing*
Raoul: *frowns at him* What's so funny?
Ratchet-Holo: *points to the family that Mira is loving upon* Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Columba, Showtime, if you would come over here for a moment?
Raoul: *watching them, his glance flicking to the Beau from his reality*
mvBeau: *eyes wide*
hsvSunstreaker: *stinkeyeing Ratchet-holo, but will crouch down, Hot Shot clicking away happily in his arms* What?
hsvShowtime: *Blink blink, crouches down as well, X-Brawn clicking a greeting to Raoul* Yes, Ratchet?
Raoul: *absently clicks to the sparklets as he looks back to Ratchet's holoform and waits for the medic to explain why he's called these guys over*
hsvSideswipe: *totally gonna ignore you for now, Ratchet. Is more interested in meeting his niece and introducing her to his mate*
Ratchet-Holo: Raoul, this is Sunstreaker, and his mate, Showtime.
Raoul: 0.o The Sunstreaker I know's married ta Skywarp.
hsvSunstreaker: ... *makes a face, and gets nudged by his mate's foot*
hsvShowtime: *small, friendly smile* Back home, our Skywarp is bonded to a femme named Nightwish...
Raoul: ...So your Skywarp's a guy?
hsvShowtime: *nods* He's one of the Seekers...
Raoul: Well yeah, ours is a Seeker too. She's Thundercracker 'n Starscream's sister.
hsvShowtime: *blink blink, discusses something with her mate* Is your Starscream an Autobot?
Raoul: Yeah. He's right up there with Optimus Prime 'n Doc Ruteger.
hsvShowtime: *small chuckle* Denver's met him... I think she was more amused at your Prowl's reaction to her though.
Raoul: Prowl? What'd they do? *hasn't met Petra yet*
hsvSunstreaker: Stared at her like he'd never heard of alternates before. *smirk*
Raoul: Well, maybe he didn't. Not everybody's come here before. Or can stay awake when Professor Percia's tryin' ta teach 'em stuff.
Ratchet-Holo: *taking X-Brawn and bouncing the sparklet on his lap, to the little mech's delight*
hsvShowtime: *small nod* That's understandable... *gives Sunstreaker a Look* Be nice.
Raoul: Whose sparklets? *clicks to X-Brawn*
hsvShowtime: Sunstreaker's and mine... Mira is their older sister...
X-Brawn: *Clicks and gives a little wave*
Raoul: *pauses* The Sunstreaker where I come from has triplets 'n an older kid too. *looks from X-Brawn to Mira*
Mira: *loving upon Columba gently*
Columba: *talking softly to the little freespark, her manner calm and affectionate despite her concern for the young one*
hsvSunstreaker: ... Huh...
hsvShowtime: *looks to Ratchet-Holo* So why did you need us to come over?
Ratchet-Holo: *nods to Raoul* Ask him about your alternate from his reality.
Raoul: *looks from Ratchet's holoform to the blue femme, remembering Ratchet's laughter and wondering what kind of reaction this will get. Absently decides to be just a bit contrary* She's the counselor.
hsvShowtime: *blinking a bit, and then her doorwings are going UP as Ratchet comms her* ... O_O
Raoul: ...What?
hsvSunstreaker: *snickering after his mate shares what Ratchet told her** Oh maaaan, we HAVE to tell Red that... If only to see him freak out.
Raoul: *stink eyes Ratchet's holoform*
Ratchet-Holo: *Sees the stinkeye, raises it one amused look*
Columba: *going 0.o at the energon and mineral poutine Bet just set on the table by she and her family*
Sideburn: *Clicks and points at the poutine, wants a taste!*
Columba: *cautiously picking up one of the fibrous strips, her optics widening as she watches the gummi cheese string*
hsvSideswipe: Heeey! Cool! *reaching for one of the fibrous strips and cracking up at the gummi cheese string. Then he's offering a bit of it to Sideburn, who launches into another fit of gleeful clicking and chirruping*
Columba: *tasting, and then offering some to Hot Shot*
Raoul: Anyway. *frowning*
Hot Shot: *Wigglemonster!*
Ratchet-Holo: *quietly* Denver insisted upon explaining things to her human sibling herself...
Raoul: *shoots a glance at said sibling* Yeah. That sounds like Major Mac.
hsvBeau: *trying to steal fries from his alternate and getting his hand stabbed with a fork for it*
Raoul: *snerks and eats more of his poutine, then looks up at the sparklets* You guys got a lotta kids?
Ratchet-Holo: *chuckles* Currently, counting the younglings, there are about twenty youngsters on base, though there is one more on the way for one of the bonded pairs.
Raoul: *runs over all the kids in his head* We got about eleven kids. And forty adults.
Ratchet-Holo: *chuckles* I'd imagine that things are interesting where you're from...
Raoul: *quietly* Considerin' this bunch'a human scientists got hold'a some've us 'n.... *thins his lips and shoves his poutine over to the Beaus*
Ratchet-Holo: ... *raised brow*
Raoul: We're all livin' in this temporary army base right now. Nobody can work, 'n it's too cold ta go outside very much.
Ratchet-Holo: *frowning* What's the date in your reality of origin?
Raoul: *frowns too* March 9, 2010. Why?
Ratchet-Holo: The temperature for your hemisphere should be starting to warm up enough to go outside....
Raoul: Yeah, I know. But it's gettin' colder.
Ratchet-Holo: *frowning more* Then perhaps something is amiss...
Raoul: Perhaps? *snort* Man, you bet your tin plated @#$#$#@ somethin's amiss. *realizes what he said and puts a hand to his mouth as he glances at the sparklets*
Ratchet-Holo: They've heard worse from their aunt.
Raoul: Yeah, but Tracks'd ground me good if he heard me sayin' that.
Ratchet-Holo: *quick glance around. Small, mischievious grin as he sees that Sunstreaker and Showtime are currently preoccupied with enjoying the poutine that Bet brought over* *Quietly* When in doubt, blame one of the twins.
Raoul: *gives him a Look* And then Major Mac'd be on my aft too.
Ratchet-Holo: *grin vanishes in an instant, nods* I suppose Miss MacKenzie's alternates are as likely to be nicknamed "Flashpoint" as she herself is...
Raoul: I dunno about any nickname. I just know she 'n Tracks both expect a lot outta their kids.
Ratchet-Holo: ... *Raised brow, misses the surprised silence that is now coming from Sunstreaker's table, courtesy of both brothers and Showtime*
Raoul: *slight scowl* Now what?
hsvSunstreaker: ... Since when has a Tracks been interested in anyone but himself? *ignoring the Look he's getting from Showtime now*
Raoul: *scowl deepens and darkens instantly* You watch your mouth.
Columba: *looks up at the sharp tone* 0.o
hsvShowtime: *snarks at her mate over their bond, before apologizing to Raoul*
Raoul: *very clearly boiling inside*
mvBeau: *stretching* *a bit loudly* Oy, Raoul, th'nk Greg'd be up t' few rounds'a sparrin' wh'n we get back?
Raoul: *ignores the blond boy* *to Sunstreaker as he moves to get up* Tracks has given up more than you're worth. Show a little respect.
hsvShowtime: *making her mate sit back down, and arguing with him about this situation over their bond. Is clearly winning, if Sunstreaker's expression is anything to go by*
Raoul: You ready ta go, Beau?
mvBeau: Myup... *getting up and telling his alternate to stay safe, is getting snorted at for that*
Raoul: *clicks to the sparklets, then glances at Ratchet* See you 'round, Doc.
Ratchet-Holo: *nods, seriousness in his eyes*
triplets: *Clicking and waving*
Mira: Bye-bye! *waves*
Raoul: *turns and jogs toward the bar to pay for his and the Beaus' meals, and to get a couple boxes of small cookies*
mvBeau: *following, with the intention of carrying the boxes of cookies*
*cookies gotten, the boys return home*
((co-written with random_xtras))