Nexus, Black Dog, Relationships
Tarantulus: *Sitting in one of the booths in the Black Dog with Showtime. Is reading a datapad while he listens to the goings-on around him and makes silent bets with himself about which of the patrons in the next booth is going to wind up conking out first from one too many rounds of Nemesis' homebrew*
oBlackarachnia: *comes sauntering into the Black Dog, her metallic body gleaming softly in the lights as her crimson optics scan the interior of the building* Come on, Tarantulus, don't be shy. You wanted a drink, right? *glances over her shoulder as she speaks, her smirk fading to a slightly kinder look*
Tarantulus: *looks up from his datapad*
Showtime: *doorwings perked with curiosity*
oTarantulus: *is a tall mech, who looks just like Optimus but for being purple and green with a pale green face and having some sort of insectoid alt kibble. Ruby optics look uncertainly at the world around him as he absently flips a weapon like a pair of mandibles around in one hand*
oBlackarachnia: *herds him inside with quiet chiding and unhateful mocking*
Tarantulus: *slight helm tip, studying the other mech*
oTarantulus: *moves with the confidence of a soldier, but there's something uncertain in his expression and in the way he looks to the femme at his side as they're shown to seats by Aleph*
Showtime: *Really wants to get up and go back to work, but she was told by Nemesis to keep Tarantulus company, so she stays put*
Tarantulus: *moving to try and get Aleph's attention*
Aleph: *sees him and comes over, then awaits his wishes*
Tarantulus: *getting one of the credit chits he's been saving* Take this over to the bots you just seated.
Aleph: Yes, Tarantulus. *turns and brings it*
oBlackarachnia: .... Now why would someone want to give us credit? *looks around the drone and then blinks all four optics with surprise*
oTarantulus: *looking too, a frown on his face*
Tarantulus: This round's on me. *Acks as he's made to sit back down by Showtime*
oBlackarachnia: *as the drone goes away* ...And who might you be, handsome?
Tarantulus: *Giving Showtime a slight Look for knocking him back down, but then his attention is going to oBlackarachnia* My designation is Tarantulus.
oTarantulus: *brow ridges lift as his optics widen*
oBlackarachnia: Is it, now? *tilts her head slightly* Mind if we join you?
Tarantulus: There's room in the booth.
Showtime: And you're not supposed to be getting up. *A bit sternly* I'll tell Nem if you try again. *has her blindfold on today, so it may not be immediately clear how she knew he was getting up*
oBlackarachnia: *slides out of the booth, her hand behind her where most wouldn't see it. Is using that hand to gesture to her Tarantulus, who takes it and comes with her as she goes over to the other booth*
Tarantulus: *small scowl at Showtime, but only because his pride is a bit wounded at being made to sit by a femme who's smaller than him*
oBlackarachnia: *once she's got her companion seated and drinks ordered, she's leaning an elbow on the table and studying the masked mech. Up this close it is clear that while she's got a spider alt mode, she is also fully bot*
Showtime: *seems quite oblivious to her companion's scowl. Instead, chooses to turn her attention to the others who have joined them*
Tarantulus: *shifts position slightly, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable at being studied*
oBlackarachnia: *slight smirk* Alright. Now I'm curious. What's your story?
oTarantulus: *looks at her, and then returns his uncertain gaze to the masked one*
Tarantulus: *silent for many moments before he speaks* *Quietly* I was left behind.
oBlackarachnia: Well, that's a dramatic start, but it doesn't tell me much. *squeezing her Tarantulus' hand under the table*
Showtime: *In a tone she's never used with anyone before* Maybe that's because that's all he's comfortable telling right now.
Tarantulus: *giving Showtime a shocked look*
oBlackarachnia: *also looks at Showtime, her expression amused* And who are you, sister?
Showtime: His friend.
oBlackarachnia: *looks back to Tarantulus* *more quietly* Left behind by who?
Tarantulus: Elita and Sentinel...
oBlackarachnia: *doesn't try to hide the gentle and reassuring touch that she gives to her own Tarantulus* Were you alive?
Tarantulus: Still am...
Showtime: *'wings down at the angle that means "I am not pleased with this situation"*
oBlackarachnia: *looks up at the mech by her side, then pats him gently again as she turns back to the masked one* Tarantulus wasn't. *smirk of amusement at herself* And I lived five thousand stellar cycles thinking he'd left me behind.
Tarantulus: ....
oTarantulus: ...Maybe we shouldn't be talking about things like this right now. *sounds Optimus, but flatter*
Showtime: *agrees with the other Tarantulus*
Tarantulus: *Quietly* Five thousand stellar cycles... that's five times as long as I've been a Decepticon...
oBlackarachnia: What can I say? I'm stupid sometimes.
Tarantulus: *going to try again to get up, is thwarted by Showtime putting her legs in his lap*
Showtime: *Giving her Tarantulus a stern Look*
oBlackarachnia: *watches this* Don't leave on our account. You were here first.
Showtime: He's not supposed to be getting up till Nem says he can.
oBlackarachnia: *stands herself* It was nice talking to you.
Mira: *And now, oTarantulus, you have a baby free spark latching onto you*
Tarantulus: *acks as Oppy decides he needs hugs too*
Showtime: *Doorwings up!* Oh, the kids are here
oTarantulus: *soft sound of surprise* What? Who?
oBlackarachnia: *protective scowl as she looks around and tries to get a lock on the newcomers*
Showtime: They're free sparks... *attention going to the side of the booth as her ghost counterpart appears*
Mira: *Snugglesnugglesnuggle, lovebomb!*
oTarantulus: ...I think I've felt you before. But I don't remember when. *because his time as a free spark is lost to him, as is a good chunk of his first life*
Mira: -Uncle Ratchet brought us to meet you...- *A bit sad that this Tarantulus doesn't remember her*
gShowtime: Easy, we're friendlies...
Tarantulus: *Squirming as Oppy tickles him*
gShowtime: Oppy, be nice... *not that she's trying to hide her amusement*
oBlackarachnia: ...So he wasn't all alone, then? *still standing, but has forgotten leaving*
gShowtime: *headshake* Mira and Oppy visited him, as did the Allspark ferrymech who mentored me.
oBlackarachnia: *quietly* Good.
oTarantulus: *just sitting still and paying attention to the little free spark femme's thoughts and feelings, his optics curious and his mouth turned up in a slight smile*
Mira: *Loving upon oTarantulus, and is soon joined by Oppy*
oTarantulus: *optics widen* You're me?
oBlackarachnia: What?
Tarantulus: *Attention on his counterpart* Hm?
Oppy: -Different you.-
oTarantulus: But you feel... new. *and now he's thinking of a little white femme with big pale green wings*
Tarantulus: *Quietly* Someone got revenge... *trying again to get up and is again thwarted by Showtime*
oTarantulus: *looks at the masked Tarantulus* Revenge?
oBlackarachnia: *sharply* Just hold still.
Tarantulus: *slight flinch*
oTarantulus: Who wanted revenge?
Mira: *quietly, and a bit sadly* -The guy with the ginormous chin...- *Is sad because that mech clearly needs hugs, but she's been told not to go hug him*
oTarantulus: ...Ginormous?
Mira: *shares an image of the mech in question*
oTarantulus: *startles* But that's Sentinel. He's part of the crew who brought Megatron in.
gShowtime: In your reality, yes.
oBlackarachnia: So things are that different, huh?
Showtime: Welcome to the Nexus.
Tarantulus: *scowling slightly* Sentinel.... The one Mira and Oppy are talking about... Is not a good mech... In most realities like the ones we hail from, it was Optimus, not Sentinel, who brought Megatron to justice.
oTarantulus: *thinks about this, his expression a familiar sober frown* In our reality Optimus died five thousand stellar cycles ago after he went back to get his friend Elita-One out of a dangerous situation. Neither of them came out of the hole, and a rescue ship came and picked up the friend that Optimus had gotten out. Sentinel was the bot. He served time for breaking the law, but was eventually released and assigned to a broken down space bridge repair ship under the command of Bumblebee Prime.
Tarantulus: ...
Oppy and Mira: *Lovebomb oTarantulus!*
oBlackarachnia: *has slipped back into the booth and has a hand on oTarantulus' arm, her four optics holding traces of masked concern and love*
Tarantulus: *quietly* From what I heard from Swindle and some of the other information traders... after Elita-One and Sentinel returned from the organic world... Elita-One publicly severed all ties with Sentinel, humiliating him in front of the entire Council... Ultra Magnus sought her out before she left the council building and asked her to be the captain of a space bridge repair ship...
oTarantulus: *frowning slightly but intently as he listens*
oBlackarachnia: *focused on the other mech now*
Tarantulus: *even quieter* When I found out she had renounced Sentinel... I couldn't find it in me to stay angry with her... *reaching to rub at his optics under his mask*
oTarantulus: ...Where is she now? *has no idea that his mate used to be that femme*
Tarantulus: I don't know where exactly.... Probably somewhere in the same star system that my escape pod reached before Showtime and I left it...
oTarantulus: Sentinel's crew was based on Earth, before they went back to Cybertron after they got Megatron.
Tarantulus: ... Earth? *confused*
Showtime: The planet that the humans call home.
gShowtime: *nods, is a bit transparent right now because she's listening to something Primus is telling her*
oTarantulus: *offers the star coordinates to the Earth that he knows and lives on*
Tarantulus: ...The coordinates for the star system Showtime and I crashed in are similar enough.... *Trying to get up again!*
oTarantulus: Are you trying to escape from us? *puzzled by the attempts to get up*
Showtime: *sending a message to Nemesis: Tarantulus won't quit trying to get up*
Oppy: -He wants to see his 'Lita and thank her in person!-
Mira: *Gigglefit*
oTarantulus: Oh. *frowns* Wouldn't it be better to wait till you're undamaged before you try doing that?
Nemesis: *shoots her bouncer a LOOK right across the bar*
Tarantulus: *Will be good and stay put!* *Hunkers down a bit, before blinking at oTarantulus* Huh?
oTarantulus: Before you thank your friend.
Tarantulus: *optics wide behind his mask*
oTarantulus: Mira told me.
Mira: -Did not! Oppy did!-
oTarantulus: Oh. Sorry.
Tarantulus: *silent. Is wondering why the thought of seeing Elita again isn't making his pump race the way it used to all those stellar cycles ago, and if there's something wrong with him*
oTarantulus: *quietly, to his drink* I wish I could talk to the Elita I knew again.
Tarantulus: ...
oBlackarachnia: Elita One's as dead as Optimus. *eats an energon pellet from the bowl on the table*
Mira: *Going to give hugs to the lady too!*
oBlackarachnia: >_o I wonder if this is how things feel for Myrrh.
Mira: *Snugglesnugglesnuggle*
Showtime: *doorwings up* Who's Myrrh?
oTarantulus: Our daughter. *lips thin slightly and a determined light comes into his optics as he says the word*
Showtime: Ah. *Doorwings up in a gesture of ^_^*
oTarantulus and oBlackarachnia: *both give the blue femme a surprised look. They're used to being told that 'daughter' is an organic term*
Mira: *quietly* -Aunty works here... She meets lotsa organic peoples.-
oBlackarachnia: I wasn't organic. Only techno organic, when she was born.
Showtime: *confused now*
oBlackarachnia: *sees her confusion* *quietly* I'd been infected with mutant spider DNA. Thankfully, that's been cleansed now, and I'm one hundred percent bot.
Tarantulus: ... *processor shutting down due to shock*
oTarantulus: *frowns at him with concern, then looks at his mate*
oBlackarachnia: .... Something I said?
Showtime: *attention on her companion* Tarantulus? *Concerned, trying to get him to respond*
oTarantulus: *to the little ones* What's wrong with him? Do you know?
Mira: *going to see if hugs will fix this*
Oppy: -Dunno...-
oTarantulus: *starting to fidget nervously*
oBlackarachnia: *hand on his arm to reassure him as she frowns and watches his alternate*
Mira: *back to oBlackarachnia* -Hugs didn't work...- *sad about this*
Showtime: Nemesis! Tarantulus locked up and I can't get him to snap out of it! *Sounds quite scared now*
Nemesis: *walks over and belts Tarantulus one upside the head*
oBlackarachnia: *going to kick her aft for that!*
oTarantulus: *on his feet, weapon in hand*
Tarantulus: *sputters, giving himself a good shake* ... I locked up again, didn't I?
Showtime: *Belts him one as good as she can, before getting up, orders to stay put forgotten*
Mira: *Surprised*
Nemesis: *smirking at oBlackarachnia from behind the AV field* Stand down. And yeah, you did.
Oppy: -...Aunty clobbered him...- *sounds surprised*
Tarantulus: *Soft groan, puts his head on the table* I deserved the smack Show gave me then?
gShowtime: *Going after her alternate to calm the blindfolded femme down*
Nemesis: Dunno. You say something stupid before you did it? *drops oBlackarachnia back into the booth, not even glancing down as she's hissed at*
Tarantulus: ... *going over his files* I don't think so....
Oppy: *Quietly, to oTarantulus* -Aunty was scared.-
oTarantulus: *cautiously* Blackarachnia had just mentioned.... Oh. You're afraid of.... Spiders?
Tarantulus: *looks at his counterpart, and it's a mark of how much being around Decepticons has changed him* If I were, I wouldn't have killed every last slagging one in that cave and kept the outer parts and head of one of them. *optics are narrow behind his mask*
oTarantulus: *just frowns at him then, the expression slightly quizzical as he wonders what the other bot's glitch is. But he's 'Con (Predacon, but still 'Con) enough to know that that's not a question likely to be answered*
Oppy: -Tell him 'bout Aunty being scared.-
oTarantulus: *glances to the side and down* Do you think that's smart??
Oppy: -Yup. Needs to know why Aunty clobbered him...-
Mira: *quietly giggling as she pounces Oppy and oTarantulus* -Aunty LIKES him!!!-
oTarantulus: 0_o. Showtime's afraid because she likes you.
oBlackarachnia: .... *looks at him sideways*
Tarantulus: ... *head up* What?!
oTarantulus: *slowly* That's why she hit you....
Tarantulus: ... *looking brain-broken again, glances to Nemesis, hoping for clarification*
Nemesis: *starts laughing and walks away*
Tarantulus: *To Nemesis* You knew?!
Nemesis: *tosses back over her shoulder* Everyone knows.
Tarantulus: ....
Mira: *more gigglefit*
oTarantulus: >_>
oBlackarachnia: *sniggering into her drink*
Tarantulus: *Facepalming with a groan* *mutter* So that's why he gave me that to give to her... Sneaky slagger...
Oppy: -Big Oppy's nice though!-
oTarantulus: Big... Oppy?
Mira: *shares an image of the being in question* -He's Aunt-Mama's friend and Swindle's friend and the other-you's friend too!-
oTarantulus: *blink blinks as he looks at the image*
Oppy: -He's Cloudtrader's friend too!- *snugglesnugglesnuggle since Mama is trying to calm Aunty down*
oTarantulus: ...Who's Cloudtrader?
Oppy: -Starscream's innocence. He's nice to snuggle with.- *Giving the impression of :3*
Tarantulus: *a bit oblivious to the conversation* Slaggit... I never meant to fall for her...
oBlackarachnia: *amused* Suck it up, big boy.
Tarantulus: *Startles, doesn't realize he spoke out loud*
oBlackarachnia: *smirks at him*
Tarantulus: ... *groans and facepalms*
oBlackarachnia: What's the problem? You already spoken for?
Tarantulus: *from behind his hand* No...
oBlackarachnia: Then chin up and quit whining already. *drink*
Tarantulus: ...
oBlackarachnia: *lifts a brow ridge*
Tarantulus: *quietly* She tolerates me... Knowing full well that I'm a Decepticon... I don't... I don't want to scare her away....
oTarantulus: No. She likes you.
Mira: *Gone to get Aunt-Mama, brb*
Oppy: -Likes him lots...-
Tarantulus: She's an Autobot... She deserves better...
oTarantulus: *to Oppy* Why don't you tell him?
oBlackarachnia: *frown* Being an Autobot doesn't make anyone special.
Oppy: -He's stubborn... Won't listen...-
Tarantulus: What does she need with someone as beat-up and broken as I am? *as he says this, he's moving to completely remove his mask, revealing just how much of a mess of injuries and scars he really is* *He also reveals that despite the Decepticon badge on his chest, his optics are just as blue as they were the day he came off the assembly line*
Oppy: -see?-
oBlackarachnia: *quirks a brow ridge* You have a mouth, and arms, right?
Tarantulus: *slight scowl for what he percieves as a stupid question*
oBlackarachnia: *leans against her mate and smirks as he responds by wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the helmet*
Blackout: *pauses on the way by, picks Tarantulus out of the booth, and gives him a kiss on the head*
oTarantulus and oBlackarachnia: 0.o
Tarantulus: *Surprised sound*
Oppy: *now he's giggling*
Blackout: *smiles at Tarantulus in the way she reserves for the young ones she likes* How's your back?
Tarantulus: Better than it was....
Blackout: Sensitive?
Tarantulus: *very small, almost unnoticable nod* *knows it's no use pointing out that Nemesis ordered him to stay put*
Blackout: Alright. *gently rubs his head instead of his back as she rumbles at him*
Nemesis: //The slag are you doing playing with Blackout? Shouldn't you be kissing Show's aft and apologizing?//
Tarantulus: //I would, if I knew where the slag she went, boss.//
Nemesis: //You know how to track, yes?// *pings Showtime's comm*
Showtime: //Yes, Nemesis?// *Sounding a lot calmer than she was earlier*
Nemesis: //Where'd you go?//
Showtime: //Warehouse...// *Which means she's likely got her blindfold off, since the warehouse is quieter than the Black Dog*
Nemesis: //You wanna see the dork without his mask, better hurry up.//
Showtime: //...I'll be there shortly.//
Nemesis: //Alright. Hustle.//
Showtime: *is back in the bar area not even twenty seconds later, looking around and trying to fight off the feelings of sensory overload*
Blackout: *just setting Tarantulus down and turning toward the bar*
Showtime: *Taking a hesitant step towards Tarantulus, before things start to become too overwhelming and the whole room seems to spin sickeningly*
oBlackarachnia: *watching the blue femme*
Tarantulus: *about to move to sit back down when he spots Showtime. Orders to stay put are quickly forgotten as he hurries to catch her before she topples*
Showtime: *shuttering her optics and shaking as she's held* T-Tarantulus... R-room's spinning...
Tarantulus: *Soothing sounds, moves to carefully help her to the booth, will drape part of his cloak over her to help drown out some of the sounds from around them, as well as some of the air currents*
Showtime: *Even with Tarantulus' help, she's stumbling a bit, and once she and Tarantulus are sitting again, she's hiding against her friend*
Tarantulus: *Protective Decepticon is protective of what he's beginning to consider as his!*
oBlackarachnia: *hiding her smirk against her mate's arm*
oTarantulus: *focused on her. Is rumbling very softly*
Oppy: *going over to where Mama is, as is Mira*
Nemesis: *watching her minions from the corner of her sensors*
Pooka: *following the other kids*
Tarantulus: *talking quietly to Showtime, has taken his cloak off entirely to wrap it around the femme*
Showtime: *trying to fight the urge to shut down from sensory overload*
Tarantulus: *Continues to talk quietly to her*
oTarantulus: *quietly* Hold her like this. *turns oBlackarachnia so she's facing him, and then wraps her in his arms*
oBlackarachnia: *thinks she's bonded to a dork. Likes this*
Tarantulus: *Raised brow ridge, but gives it a try anyways*
Showtime: *cycling air and shaking a bit. The shaking is lessening though*
oTarantulus: *shows his alt how you rub somebody's back comfortingly. Of course, he learned it from his mate back when he first came back online, and she's never really needed comforting. But to judge from her soft purring she's not complaining now*
Tarantulus: *looking at his counterpart like the mech's gone insane, but will also give this a try, being mindful of Showtime's doorwings*
Showtime: *Very slight flinch, relaxes a bit when Tarantulus moves his cloak so it's covering her doorwings a bit better before he resumes rubbing her back*
oTarantulus: *now adds a very very slight rocking motion* *see this, other Tarantulus? Do this too*
Tarantulus: *moving to imitate what his counterpart is doing* *doesn't seem to notice the very soft rumble of his engine*
Showtime: *cycling air and just listening to the rumble*
oTarantulus: *slight nod, and then kisses oBlackarachnia on the helmet*
Tarantulus: *Doesn't even realize he's moving to do the same thing till Showtime lifts her head and their lip components touch*
oTarantulus: *approving nod. Yes, that calms better, even*
oBlackarachnia: XXD
Tarantulus: *breaking the kiss when things start to spin*
Showtime: *Clinging to Tarantulus tightly*
oBlackarachnia: I witnessed that. *smirk*
oTarantulus: *blinks, then nods* Me too.
Tarantulus: *Blink blink* Huh?
oBlackarachnia: *smirk*
Tarantulus: ... *confused, looks for Nemesis or Blackout, hoping for an explanation*
Showtime: *still clinging to Tarantulus, optics shuttered tightly*
Nemesis: *glances over to check on them and frowns* //What's wrong now?//
Tarantulus: *Sounding just a bit out of it* //They said something about witnessing... No idea what they're talking about...//
Nemesis: //What did you do?//
Tarantulus: //Um... Kissed Showtime...//
Nemesis: *snerks and shows him databursts of various Decepticon mate claiming customs, ranging from walking into a crowded room, pointing, and yelling 'MINE' to being caught smooching at your post and being informed that your compatriot who caught you knows what you're up to*
Tarantulus: //...// *and for some strange reason, he decides to finish what he started... Is going to kiss Showtime again!*
Showtime: *Doorwings up as she's kissed, but she offers no resistance*
gShowtime: *To Nemesis* Will your warehouse be safe for the week it'll take them to wake up? *Amused ferrymech is amused*
Nemesis: *polishing cans* Should be. Don't tell lugnut there, but it pretty well was before he came.
gShowtime: *Chuckles as there's a flash of light from the booth*
Nemesis: *sighs and tells the drones to go pick them up and bring them to Tarantulus' berth*
Aleph and Bet: *go to do so*
oBlackarachnia: *laughing much*
gShowtime: *very soft chuckle* At least they were sober...
Nemesis: *looks at her sideways, wondering what she means*
gShowtime: I saw an Air Raid and a femme calling herself Flashpoint go off and get bonded while they were both cratered.
Nemesis: Ah. Thought you were talking about that femme Optimus that's Magnus, and her old Ratchet. *resumes polishing*
gShowtime: *more chuckles* I could've mentioned them...
Nemesis: *now that she thinks about it* ...Yeah, it is kinda weird for a 'Con to tie the knot while he's sober.
gShowtime: *one shoulder up in a shrug* It's not the first time such a thing has happened.
Nemesis: I was too. But Ducky's a 'Bot.
oTarantulus and Blackarachnia: *paying their tab and getting up to go home*
gShowtime: *moves to approach them*
oBlackarachnia: *looks up as she feels the slight static of the free spark's presence*
gShowtime: *gently* Thank you for helping him...
oBlackarachnia: *smirks* No idea what you're talking about. *expression softens slightly as she glances up at her mate*
oTarantulus: *putting his arms around his lady from behind* *replies only with a grave shrug*
gShowtime: *soft chuckle as she moves aside to let the couple pass* Stay safe.
oBlackarachnia: Well of course, haven't you heard? The war's over. *smirks and leads her mate out of the bar*
gShowtime: *very quietly* If only it were everywhere... *going to get Mira and Oppy, intends to head home*
((co-written with random_xtras))