Backwater Nexus. Black Dog. Ukoss's arrival

[random_xtras]

Disturbia: *brings the other ladies to the Black Dog*

Black Dog: *busy, noisy, happy!* *also... good smelling*

Mura: *sniffing* Interesting...

Disturbia: *looks around, and then goes and shoves a Sunstreaker away from an otherwise empty table*

Sunstreaker: HEY!

Disturbia: You wanna kiss? *Random grin*

Sunstreaker: *gonna go sit at the bar*

Mura: That didn't seem too nice...

Darkess: *is busy looking around*

Disturbia: Here's nice big chairs. *sits on one, and then snerks as it adjusts*

Mura: *settles down, and blinks as the chair does likewise*

Darkess: *sits down as well, still in her anthro form. Anthro form has eyes.*

Disturbia: *blinks and looks around* Shadess didn't come?

Shadess: *is still on Mura* Rrr!

Disturbia: *laughs* You're a ninja!

Shadess: *tilts head, then beems*

Disturbia: *points to the stage, where a blond man is juggling fire* Dustfinger's doing a show.

Darkess: Awww, maybe we should have brought MageShifter... he'd enjoy that.

Disturbia: I'll go get 'im! *stands and grins* We just left him back in the common room of noms.

Darkess: Okay!

Disturbia: *vanishes... without using her PINpoint*

Mura and Darkess: *don't think that's weird. Dark does something like that herself*

waitress: *walks over to their table* *she is tall, dressed in a pretty blouse and looong sweeping skirt with bright embroidery* *...and she is a xeno queen*

Darkess: *looks over, and goes O.O at the sight of the queen, shrinking back a bit in her seat*

Shadess: *is looking from Darkess to queen, to Darkess. Kinda shinks back too.*

Mura: *blinks calmly*

waitress: *soft, quiet, very human voice* May I take your... *sniff sniff* *cringe* Um. May I take your order?

Darkess: Um, erm...

Mura: Do you have any specials? ^.^

Darkess: -Mura! She's a QUEEN!-

waitress: *trembling very slightly* We have the regular special, which is poutine by the pound. We also have the challenge special, which is the giant steak that's free if you finish it by yourself, and the vegetable version, which is a stuffed pumpkin.

Mura: Ooo, stuffed pumpkin. I'll have one of those. What's poutine? -I think you're making the queen nervous...-

Darkess: *blink* *eeps* Sorry so sorry... *squeak* Steak is steak! I mean good! *sooo flustered!*

waitress: *startles back at the squeak* Do you want the big steak? Or a regular one?

Darkess: Yes!

Mura: One of each. The small one for the one hiding in my mane.

Shadess: *confused by one bond's 'calm' and the other bond's 'OMGQUEEN' awe*

waitress: *still trembling* She... she doesn't need to be af... afraid. I'm... *bursting into tears, so to speak*

dragon: *big blue and red guy comes over from the table near the stage and puts a wing around her* *gently* Breathe deeply, Aaron. They're not going to hurt you. *to the ladies* Sorry. She's skittish.

white guy: *followed the dragon over. He's a funny looking dude. Hairless and white, with blue eyes that look a bit like an organic version of G1 TF optics, and a body covered in jointed chitin. He's shaped a bit like a bipedal wolf with a long, segmented tail* *gives Aaron a concerned look, then turns toward the ladies at the table* *sees Darkess and puts on a grin* Hiiiii. Haven't seen you around here before.

dragon: *elbows him*

white guy: Ack. Hey, Oppy, knock it off.

Mura: Darkess, chill. *grins* My apologies, we've never met an actual queen before.

Darkess: Sorry sorry. *does an almost catlike motion of ear-washing with an arm, minus the washing.*

Shadess: *clambers off of Mura, looks towards Darkess, and then gives Aaron a gentle, friendly headbutt*

Aaron: *meeps softly, and then hesitantly reaches toward Shadess with one of her bigger arms. The gesture is very human*

Oppy: Sorry for all this. I'm Optimus. This is Aaron Ripley, and that's her nephew Sunheart.

Sunheart: *tail curls as the grin returns* Hi.

Shadess: *xeno equivelent of ^.^, and nuzzles the outstretched hand*

Mura: I'm Murasaki'Shinjiru Taelaanaa, and this is Darkess and Shadess*

Darkess: *eyes off of Aaron to look and blink-blink-blink at Sunheart*

Oppy: *helpfully, as Aaron calms and offers pets to Shadess* He's flirting.

Sunheart: *actually now he's really looking like he's blushing*

Darkess: *BLUSH*

Mura: *snerk*

Shadess: *Rrrr-Rrr-Rrrr!*

Oppy: *grin that's mischievous but still manages to be kind* If you repeat your orders, I'll transmit them to the back.

Aaron: *is starting to forget that she was scared as she pets the little xeno*

Mura: The Vegetarian challenge stuffed punken for me, the large steak for Darkess, and the small steak for Shadess.

Darkess: Kinda glad Set decided to not come... *blush*

Oppy: Is that the challenge steak for Darkess? *to Darkess* Your boyfriend?

Darkess: *BLUSH* My grandson...

Mura: Yep!

Oppy: Ohhh. *glances toward the bar and nods in response to the nod of the huge greenish black bot behind it*

Mura: Not that she has a boyfriend. *smirk* We donated our DNA to an agency that did... genetic ... what's the word... Ah, it's like Grandma's fusions. It got her interest, and we volunteered to "check the place out". *if the grandkid's not here to embarrass, the other bond is!*

Darkess: *SO HIDING NOW*

Oppy: *grin returns as he looks back. Crooks a thumb at Sunheart* He's housebroken.

Sunheart: *face in hands and tail curled tight*

Mura: *laughs at that*

Oppy: He's part human, though. *relents and rubs his friend's back*

Sunheart: *mutter hiss. Doesn't sound mean, just embarrassed and grumbly*

Mura: Darkess is part catdragon ^^

Darkess: Mura...

Shadess: *getting that confused look again.*

Oppy: *grin* I thought you felt familiar. Well, Sunny's grandmother was Ellen Ripley the first. Ellen Ripley the second had some siblings that came out in some pretty interesting mixes. One was a white hybrid guy who was human-shaped xeno, with a human mind. He married a lu lady and became Sunny's dad.

Mura: Now that's interesting...

Darkess: I feel familiar? You know my grandma?

Oppy: *more grin* I gave the wishes that Dark's got. I'm Swindle's oldest son.

Darkess: *blinkity blink blink!*

Mura: Huh. ^^

Oppy: Anyway. *more soothing touch for Sunny, since Aaron is busy petting Shadess* The reason I was saying all this is because Sunny is looking for a new home, you just have to trade something. It's the lu way.

Mura: Can he bond? Sunny, how much Xeno are you?

Darkess: *BLUSH, but still says* ...Trade? What constitutes a trade?

Sunny: *quietly, as he peeks hopefully* Usually another guy's the trade, but food and stuff are good too. I don't know if I can bond, but Oppy can head talk with me. So can Silver. And... I don't know how to measure that.

Oppy: I'd say genetically he's about half. Lu genetics are pretty strong.

Darkess: ...Don't have other guys, and I'm not sure about food and stuff. Grandma takes care of that.

Mura: Well, catdragon genetics are pretty strong too. Darkess didn't bond when she hatched, overriding both xeno 'must' and catdragon 'might' ...or so grandma told me. I was the one who bonded her.

Oppy: The xeno "must" bond didn't show up in George and Aaron, but it doesn't mean they can't. *looks at Sunheart*

Sunheart: *frowns back*

Oppy: *grin* Yeah. You could do that.

Mura: But what to trade?

Darkess: *blush* Mura's always trying to help me "expand my hive"

Oppy: *grins and pulls out a communicator* Hi, Dark?

Dark: *makes yawning noises* //Hello... Optimus, am I correct?//

Oppy: Yes, it's me. *slightly more serious* My friend Sunheart would like to follow Darkess home, but he's part lu, so there needs to be a trade.

Dark: //Another xeno?// *pause* //What kind of trade?//

Oppy: *explains Sunheart's pedigree* Usually, it's another guy, but food's good too.

Dark: //Xeno enough... What constitutes "another guy"? I've not had time to do much rehoming due to the war, but there may be someone wanting to move someplace new...//

Oppy: Lu are female dominant. The men are usually... well, think Labrador retriever IQ. So the women have a household of several men that they take care of and who work for them. Sunny's mom's got some of her brothers, a couple uncles, and her sons.

Dark: //Do they have to be... Lu?//

Oppy: Nope. *grins as Aaron offers to pick Shadess up*

Shadess: *is a happy not-burster xeno!*

Oppy: *turns his communicator so that Dark can see the cute*

Dark: //Is that an actual queen??//

Oppy: Only physically. Her mother is the second Ellen Ripley. Clone 8.

Dark: //Interesting. Let me ask around, okay, Optimus?//

Oppy: No problem. Oh, and if you decide to go with food, about fifty pounds of barley would do it.

Sunheart: *is now gently teasing Aaron and offering pets to Shadess himself as he works up courage to talk to Darkess again*

Darkess: *blushes a bit* Um... if you do decide to come with. You should know what I really look like, Sunheart.

Sunheart: *perks and looks over* Okay.

Darkess: *shifts into her full xeno-catdragon form*

Sunheart: *big grin* Wowwwww.

Darkess: *blush*

Aaron: *has hidden her face from Darkess by hiding it on Shadess*

Shadess: *rumble*

Oppy: *to Shadess* Are you purring?

Darkess: *listens* Well, as much as she can purr. ^^

Oppy: *is going to try the ultimate weapon* *BELLEH RUB*

Shadess: *RUMBLE!*

Aaron: *distracted from eep, listens to Shadess and seems to grin with delight*

Darkess: *chuckles*

Archiva: *comes over with two huge platters and a plate on a hover tray* Sorry for the delay. Oppy, we can't delay anymore, or it'll be cold.

Oppy: *his turn to blush* I just thought this would do Aaron good.

Darkess: Sorry? ^^;

Oppy: *confesses* I asked them to wait a little with your lunch.

Darkess: Oh

Oppy: *mentally* -Aaron is very shy. When I saw her reaching out I didn't want to interrupt it.-

Darkess: -Ahhh-

Dark: *trying to get ahold of Oppy again*

Oppy: *eeps and grabs his butt, then takes the communicator out of his pocket as Sunheart sniggers* Hello.

Dark: //Erm, would a Xenodragon work?//

Oppy: Would he mind living in a dorm, being pounced on, and working the same job every day?

Dark: //He's a drone. He'd NEED that.//

Oppy: Does he know how to play?

Dark: //I'm not sure, but he seems a rather happy type. He's a bit on the small side, for a xenodragon. About ten feet at the shoulder.//

Oppy: *soft chuckle* The other guys'll be wearing him. I think he'd work out fine.

Dark: //I'll be right there.//

Oppy: Should I order you lunch? *shows her what the girls have*

Dark: //Eh, if you want. I'm kinda digesting some star energy, but I could do with some material food.//

Oppy: Animal or vegetable? *sniff* Or silibacon?

Dark: //A bit both animal and vegetable.//

Oppy: Scrambled eggs with cheese and potatoes?

Dark: //Sure. ^^//

Oppy: Done. Oh... I should ask. Sunheart's not going to be in trouble for being white, is he?

Dark: //Not in my home, he's not.//

Oppy: Good. See you soon.


moments later


Dark: *soon is at the Black Dog, a purple and white xenodragon following her*

Oppy: *looks over from where he's now sitting between Disturbia and Sunheart. Big grin as he indicates the saved seat, and the pale grey lu woman who is also walking into the pub*

Dark: *comes over* Not hungry, Darkess?

Darkess: *has been ignoring her dinner. BLUSH more*

Mura: *happily munching on hers*

Sunheart: *stops flirting and sinks down in his chair, also blushing*

Disturbia: *has a hand on Aaron, who has been invited to the party and is now shyly hiding behind a bowl of ice cream* Hiii!

lu lady: *chuckles as she arrives, her friendly blue eyes going to Dark before she stoops and offers a hand to the smaller woman* Let me help you up to the table, friend?

Dark: That would be appreciated, thanks. *yawns, then blush at the yawn*

xenodragon: *staying as close to the Dark as possible, but still looking around and 'ooo'-ing at everything*

lu lady: *lifts Dark up carefully and sets her on the table in front of her own seat* There you are. *looks at the xenodragon with an ears and eyes smile before she sits*

Oppy: Here's your place, Dark. *shows a table on the big table which holds a covered plate*

Dark: Thank you, and thank you, Optimus. Is there a place for Ukoss?

Oppy: *starts to speak, but is cut off as the lu lady speaks*

lu lady: I'm Storm and why don't we do this? *offers to pick the little xenodragon up* You want to sit on me?

Ukoss: *looks to Dark, then to Storm* -I would like that.-

Storm: *ear flicks slightly as though his speech tickles, but she hums soft laughter and gently scoops him up. And offers a motherly cuddle*

Ukoss: *a bit surprised. but happily snuggles*

Storm: *nuzzles the top of his head, and then looks at her plate* You probably don't want porridge, hmm?

Ukoss: -What is porridge?-

Storm: *shows him the sage and oregano scented grain in her plate* This is porridge.

Ukoss: -Ugh.- *makes face* -Sorry...-

Storm: *nuzzle* You don't need to be sorry. Look at this. *shows him a savoury steak sitting on the smaller plate next to hers* My sons like their meat too.

Ukoss: -That smells good.- *looks up* -You are to be my Queen?-

Storm: Queen? *glances to Dark to make sure that's the right term*

Dark: Queen. Usually denotes a certain type of Xeno, from my research. But they'll consider anyone they deem their leader as queen. I think.

Storm: *looks at Ukoss again* My other boys call me Mom.

Sunheart: *pipes up quietly* Moms are even more awesome than queens.

Ukoss: -Queen Mom?-

Dark: *snerks* If it helps, one of Darkess' hive calls her Queen Gramma...

Darkess: *HIDE FACE*

Oppy: He just won the burping contest.

Sunheart: *food out his nose*

Mura: *snerks* That so sounds like him!

Storm: *looks at Darkess with humour as she points to Sunheart* His face is yours to wipe now.

Darkess: *blush blush find napkin wipe face*

Sunheart: *slight flail but not much protest. And he's still humming. He laughs like a lu*

Mura: *is so amused*

Storm: *looks at Dark, smiling* Are you happy with the trade?

Dark: If Darkess is, I am. It seemed to have come along at the right time. *nods to Ukoss*

Storm: *side glance at Oppy* I've noticed that things do that when the Guardian Fae are involved.

Oppy: *obliviously stuffing his face with poutine*

Dark: Quite. *finally gets to her meal*

Storm: I'm glad for this opportunity for Sunheart. He's too smart to really fit into my household- keeps going exploring instead of doing his work, and giving me a heart attack when I don't know where he is.

Dark: *chuckles* Well, can't say Darkess would have too much work for him... she and Mura are more of the explorer types themselves.

Storm: So this is very perfect. *cuddles Ukoss and offers him a bit of his steak*

Sunheart: *stops flailing and laughing. And now his tail is sneaking over to touch Darkess's foot*

Darkess: *meep at tail touching her foot, replaces foot with her own tail*

Sunheart: *acting totally innocent as he eats his food but... now he's offering the Darkess tail a tail hug*

Darkess: *gives tail hug back*

Mura: *spurts a bit on pumpkin* *being bonded means not having to need to see what's going on to KNOW what's going on*

Ukoss: *takes the bit of steak* ^^

Aaron: *has been sitting and contemplating Darkess's food. Now she hesitantly cuts a bit of the big steak and offers it to Shadess*

Darkess: *and then goes MEEP as Set sings happily in his bonds' heads "Gramma's got a boyfriend!"*

Shadess: *amused amused amused nibble steak amused!*

Oppy: *brb snorting giggles*

Mura: *laughing out loud*"

Dark: *a bit o.O ...But then she checks on what everyone's doing, and she's snerking herself*

Storm: *looking around the table and wondering what she's missing*

Dark: Ehe... Darkess is bonded to everyone in her small hive. One of the other members who's not here...

Darkess: Grandma!

Dark: ...Said something.

Storm: Ohhhh. About all that flirting?

Oppy: *nearly food outta the noses himself as the snorting giggles return*

Dark: Yes. *snerks* Boys... *shrugs*

Sunheart: *flicks his ears around in the lu version of making wry faces, but then looks at Darkess* *quietly* You're my queen.

Darkess; *blushes. but then smiles at Sunheart*

Storm: *firmly* No more teasing till the meal is over.

Mura: *then snerks lightly as Set sends "Gramma really has a boyfriend?"*

Oppy: -She will soon if she doesn't yet, I think.-

Set: -Oohhh. So... Grampa?-

Oppy: -You're going to have to ask her that, Set. But wait a few days before you do, okay?-

Set: -Okay. No teasing Queen Gramma-

Dark: *then glances under the table* o.O Mageshifter?

Mageshifter: Not here. G'way. Watching fire.

Storm: *hums laughter and peeks down there at the small guy*

MageShifter: *peeks out. And up. And up* O.O

Storm: Why are you down there, friend?

MageShifter: ...So many big peoples.

Storm: There's a table up on this table. Dark's there.

MageShifter: *runs to Dark*

*pauses*

*runs back to plate of tacos. Tries to carry them. Has much difficulty*

Disturbia: *slides her seat back and sticks her head and arms under the table to help with the ginormous plate of tacos* Here.

MageShifter: ...Thanks.

Disturbia: No problemo. *sets his platter across from Dark's plate on the little table*

MageShifter: *sits there, noms taco. With freeking hot sauce*

Oppy: Should I order cake?

MageShifter: Cake? Can I have some to go?

Oppy: *decides to tease a little bit* You're not going to have a bite to celebrate the trade?

MageShifter: ...Was thinking of my bond. He really doesn't care for crowds.

Oppy: *understanding* What else would he like?

MageShifter: He likes veggies. Or grains. Non-meat burritos. I'm a bad influence. *nom*

Oppy: *big grin as he looks toward the bar*

Archiva: *brings over a prettily wrapped take-out box a moment later* One mint frosted zucchini cupcake, and a barley porridge wrap.

MageShifter: *perk* That sounds perfect. ^^

Dark: *is just smiling at MageShifter*

Disturbia: Of course it's perfect. Oppy put in the order. *Random chuckle*

Aaron: *may or may not be attempting to feed a good part of Darkess's steak to Shadess*

Shadess: *nom a Darkess steak!*

Sunheart: ... *sliiiides his chair a little closer to Darkess's*

Darkess: ^^

Sunheart: *offers to share his lunch*

Darkess: *looks at her own lunch* ... *eyeless blink*

Aaron: Meep!

Shadess: *burp*

Mura: *SNERK*

Disturbia: *snigger*

Storm: *looks over from fussing over Ukoss to see if something's wrong*

Darkess: *will now finish her food*

Aaron: *breath of relief! And then looks to see if maybe Shadess would like poutine, from Oppy's plate...*

Shadess: *had never had poutine. Will try it*

poutine: *meat flavoured carbs, with bits of meat in it!*

Shadess: *nom!*

Oppy: *amused. Nudges his plate over with his mind so that Aaron and Shadess can reach it better*

food: *soon all gone all over the table, as is all of the cake except the piece that Sunheart put on Darkess's nose*

Darkess: *would SO be going cross-eyed if she had eyes, and would be licking it off if she had the right tongue for it. Instead, she just looks cute*

Oppy: *took a picture, is now sparkling a copy of said picture into being* *holds it up when it's formed* Wedding picture?

Sunheart: *blush*

Darkess: *BLUSH*

Oppy: *grins and looks at Dark, offering her the photo*

Dark: *takes the photo* We'll see.

Oppy: *nods, and then looks around* I should get home. Thanks for letting me be here today.

Dark: *smiles* Thank you as well.

Oppy: *stands, and then changes to bot mode before vanishing without a sound*

Disturbia: *finishes admiring the take away box she'd been given and looks up* I should go too. I have a hubby and baby to feed this to. :D

MageShifter: *will now bug Dark for a "ride home"*

Disturbia: *gives Dark some goldfish crackers for the kittens, and then she's getting up and vanishing herself in that soundless way that's so strange for a Seeker to do*

Aaron: *excuses herself quietly, and then sets Shadess down and gets up to go*

Shadess: *goes back to her perch on Mura*

Storm: *sternly, to her son as she gets to her feet* You had better not make your new people regret this trade.

Sunheart: o.0; Yes, Mom.

Dark: Don't worry, he'll have a home with us regardless. *ruffles Mageshifter's head* I took this troublemaker in...

MageShifter: *hide face in coat!*

Storm: *hums soft laughter and holds Ukoss close* Thank all of you again for giving him a place where he'll fit.

Darkess: Thank you as well. *little blush*

Storm: *smiles and looks down at Ukoss* Do you want to say goodbye?

Ukoss: -Bye, Thank you for helping me find a new queen.-

Sunheart: *reaches over and gently tweeks Ukoss's nose*

Ukoss: *meeps, and tries to do likewise!*

Sunheart: *leaned close for just that reason. Now he's humming laughter as he sits up again*

Storm: *hums too, and then turns and walks away still carrying the little xenodragon*

Dark: *looks around* ...Should there be a check?

Sunheart: *looks up* We went on Oppy's tab.

Dark: Ahhh.

Sunheart: He does that.

Dark: *chuckles*

Sunheart: *looks around, then to Darkess and the other ladies of her hive, ready to go, or whatever they like. All primed for this new adventure*

Dark: *takes them all to the Dream long enough to pick up Set, then takes them home*


((Co-written with swindle_blitz))