Backwater Nexus. Mall. Let's Rock and Ride!

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy approaches the mall with just a little trepidation, smoothing out her dress (bright green with yellow flowers on the skirt -- and it's just over knee length, so a certain little pitcher needn't worry if she's around tonight) and making sure her hair is pulled back neatly in its ponytail. Silver's mention of the Rock N Ride nights at the mall stuck with her even after her return to her own world. So, after a rather annoying day trying to make sure her passport was up-to-date, she's decided it's time to seek out some fun and see what else this Nexus has to offer. "Just hope they accept regular old American dollars," she mumbles, patting her purse by her side as she reaches the front entrance. (Nothing in her vast array of literature suggested they wouldn't, but discretion, valor, etc.)

Comments

[random_xtras]

There are several gates allowing entry to the amusement part area of the mall, all with their line of rave or club dressed young people. Many of these are human, and obviously from outside the Nexus, to judge from their comments on the cool dream they're having. But there are several who are just as obviously not, and these range from tiny folk with gossamer wings, to a tall and stately couple with paw like feet and massive draconian wings with which they've cloaked themselves as their long pointed ears flick around with interest, to a happy dancing Andalite boy who is accompanied by a five foot five inch giant bipedal black and pink Sphinx cat in flowing pants and a T shirt with fairy wing pattern cutouts on the back.

The talk and chatter is suddenly interrupted by a roar of applause and excitement as something suddenly shoots skyward with a thrilling rumble.

"Kingda!" half the crowd is crying. "YEAH!"

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy picks a line at random, struggling not to giggle as the people in front of her chat about what a wild dream this is. Hey, so long as they're enjoying themselves. . . She glances around at some of her fellow partygoers, taking in all the different sorts of people. Wow. Definitely makes musey old me look mundane.

She jumps a little as whatever it is blasts into the sky. "Kingda?" she repeats, baffled.

[random_xtras]

Rhea chuckles, but then looks around as cheers and outright yells of fright come from the crowd around them. "Oh, there's Dreadnought. The music's going to be good tonight."

Uzulee turns and watches as the fifty foot tall, shining black baytech Transformer picks his way delicately through the humans, big feet sliding slowly so that everyone has time to get out of his way. "Sweet. Good music and eye candy. He's a pretty darn cute kid."

Says the woman who doesn't look a day over 21.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy turns and looks too, marveling as the Transformer (and hey, it looks kind of like the ones she's most familiar with!) walks through the crowd. "He's the DJ, I take it?" she says, wondering what sort of mix table a Transformer uses. "Wild."

She glances over at Uzlee. "Have a taste for the metallic?" she says, unable to resist just a little joking around.

[random_xtras]

"Sorry," says Uzulee after a quick switch back to human form, her cheeks pink with a blush. "Hanging around these guys, here in the Nexus, kind of makes me forget that not everyone here's used to being around a triform Beast."

[misslucysleeches]

"It's okay," Lucy assures her. "Just me being a newbie, I'm sure. Triform though, huh?" Makes her think of Optimus with his human, dragon, and robot forms.

[random_xtras]

"Interesting." Uzulee laughs. "You ain't seen nothin' yet, to quote the ancient proverb."

"Entrance fee, meals and treats fee..." Rhea snerks as Ruhamah turns and gives her a stern look while offering the neat glowing green wristbands*

[misslucysleeches]

"Oh, I bet I haven't," Lucy grins back. "Only second visit, after all."

Lucy giggles and shrugs. "If she wants to pay, I won't stop her. Though I hope you at least accept thank yous," she adds to Ruhamah.

[random_xtras]

"The thing with the sucking the heat out of the air." Rhea ducks a returning Uzulee, and then blinks with surprise as she's handed a hotdog. "Buhwhut?"

"Meatplant pizza dog on bannock." Uzulee laughs, then offers Lucy a Styrofoam-like plate with a big slice of lovely smelling pizza stuff on it.

[misslucysleeches]

"Oh. Okay." Lucy makes sure to be out of the way as Uzulee comes rushing up, then chuckles. "Wow, they have just about everything here, don't they?" She takes the plate with a nod. "Thanks."

[random_xtras]

"He was my friend." Rhea smiles, the mischief fading from her face as she looks at memories. "The only one I had other than my parents and an honorary aunt. And Dad had been taken some years before."

She bites her lip and looks toward the stage, her grey eyes shimmering slightly. "Of course it was scary, but it was a fear I'd lived with my whole life."

Ruhamah and Uzulee look at her, but are silent. They know she wouldn't be talking about this if she didn't want to. And they also know what looking at those old old memories costs her.

[misslucysleeches]

"Oh," Lucy says, now feeling awkward all over again. "I'm really sorry to hear that -- about your Dad. And having to live with that sort of fear for so long." She fiddles with the remains of her pizza and plate. "I really hope things are better now, where you're from. Nobody should be allowed to hurt people like that."

[random_xtras]

"Jazz and all their kids are such busybodies." Rhea's grin is wide and very amused. "The multiverse would be a sadder, lonelier place without them."

"How many children does the one you and Charlie visit with have now?" asks Ruhamah without looking up from her drink.

"I have nooooooo clue." Rhea laughs. "And neither do he and Dancer."

"Speaking of snuggle buddies, Thoma's got my dancing shoes." Uzulee suddenly somersaults over Rhea's head and then hurries toward someone standing over by a nearby streetlight.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy can't even imagine having too many kids to keep track of, but maybe that's just because she's an only child. She just nods and chuckles along, figuring she'll get the chance to see for herself about Jazz and the child army as the night goes on.

She can't help a slight jump at the somersault -- wow, is Uzulee acrobatic -- but then giggles again. "I'll have to take care of my own dancing shoes," she says, looking down at her feet. "Good thing I consider myself pretty good at dancing."

[random_xtras]

"You want real music? Not that Bieber slag?"

Another roar, and a laughing victory fist from the blue bot with green eyes.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy cheers along, although she can't say she's heard much of Bieber's stuff. She's sure whatever's coming will be ten times as cool as whatever he can put out, though. After all, it's Transformers playing for them. That automatically makes it seven times as cool.

[random_xtras]

"Bubby loves Turby!" comes a cheerful shout from Rap, which is replied to with a razz from the Seeker that disrupts her dancing for the blue-eyed guy not at all.

"D'awww!" The blue mech laughs, his green eyes twinkling, then grunts and starts to sing backup to the chorus as Dreadnought boots him lightly on the rear with one massive foot.

One of the massive, currently unused, speakers that frame the stage area has acquired a dancer- a blonde young woman in a modest but pretty top, flowing yoga pants, and a Chinese baby carrier that holds a little tiny scrap of a Cybertronian. She's up there twirling with rebellious grace, pole dancing on the thick cable that comes from the top of the speaker.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy bites back a giggle of her own at the scene. Good to know even giant robots with the ability to transform into cars, planes, and who knows what else aren't above giving each other a little grief from time to time. Silly mechs.

She continues dancing for a while, then spots the newcomer on top of the speaker. She can't help but stare at her as she twirls and twirls around the cable. "Whoa." That's -- that seems dangerous. Especially with a little one attached. Granted, said little one appears to be a Transformer and thus is probably tougher than the average baby, but still.

[random_xtras]

Ryan grins at her, then perks and points to the back of the crowd. "There are the other Jazzes. I guess they stopped at the Black Dog first."

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy turns to look, getting on tiptoe to provide a better vantage point. "Aha! They usually come in all together like that?"

[random_xtras]

PJ is pleased by the wink. It makes him grin.

"A lot of the Cybertronians I know use 'mech' for guys, and 'femme' for girls," he explains. "But my grandparents and my 'ka-san use 'girl' and 'boy' a lot too."

He's saying this as though he's not Cybertronian.

[misslucysleeches]

Why Lucy winked in the first place!

"Femme," Lucy repeats, storing in the memory banks. "Okay then, thanks." Always nice to know what words to use. She tilts her head curiously. "Ka-san?"

[random_xtras]

"I wish it was for life." Alicia's grin falters for a moment, but then returns as Susana pats her back. "But I'm gonna enjoy what I get."

"Ack! Scarlet, be careful!" calls the sister in the long drindle dress from where she's still standing by Ryan.

Power Joe and the three near he and Lucy all look toward the speaker in time to see Scarlett gently toss her baby off the speaker and into the hands of a big dark purple bot who's around the usual Transformer size and who looks like the same tech as PJ. The bot kisses the little guy and then tucks him into one hand, from which another pair of tiny hands can be seen waving excitedly.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy isn't quite sure what to say to that for a moment -- it's a little awkward -- but manages to keep her smile in place. "Yeah -- that's the important part," she nods.

"What?" She looks too, and -- yeep! Even if the kid is made of sterner stuff than your average baby, that is a little nervewracking. "Uh -- well -- looks like he enjoyed the flight, at least?" she says, noticing the little hands waving. "Or she -- I can't really tell from over here. . ."

[random_xtras]

Raoul grins cheerfully, then glances at the little girl in the foot gloves, who is now focusing on what Susana and Destiny are doing and trying to emulate them.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy notices too, watching her for a moment. "She's doing pretty well, I think," she comments.

[random_xtras]

Big dark eyes peek at her with shy friendliness. "This small one wonders if you are having fun, Lucy-san."

Kriti grins slightly at that. She's giving off the vibe of the protective older sister type friend mixed with best friend relaxation as she watches little Bunny.

[misslucysleeches]

"Oh yeah -- lots," Lucy says with a bright grin. "Meeting all sorts of interesting people, that's for sure." Everybody gets a smile at that one. "How about you? Are you having a good time?"

[random_xtras]

"Buh?" The baby bot peeks up at her, but then looks higher and growls as a big black bruiser of a Cybertronian steps carefully around the group and heads toward the stage.

"Oh oh," says Raoul, amused. "'Hide's gotta cranky baby that needs singin' to sleep."

"Great, so now it's only gonna be heavy metal love songs." Scarlet wrinkles her nose.

Meanwhile, Dreadnought looks up from talking to Rap as he hears the irate squealing and clicking coming from Ironhide's hand, then snerks and starts playing, 'I am Ironman'.

Ironhide responds with that lifted hand gesture that Scarlet did earlier.

[misslucysleeches]

"Bum," Lucy repeats, just because it's a fun word to say, then looks up. "Don't like that guy?"

She shrugs as Raoul and Scarlet talk about the coming musical numbers. "Well, I guess you can't win 'em all." She can't help but snicker at the choice of "I Am Ironman," though, from Dreadnought. "Is it me, or are all the so-called adults being naughty too?" she asks the little bot in her arms teasingly.

[random_xtras]

"Ruhamah's still up on the stage with Amy and Rae, and Rhea found some more chem geeks. They're over behind one of the other stages playing mad scientist."

That gets a bit of a frown from Raoul, who is standing by Kriti, Bunny, and Kagerou. The others are all dancing again. Actually, Bunny and Kagerou are too, but you know what we mean.

[misslucysleeches]

"Mad scientist? Theoretical mad scientist or actual materials mad scientist?" Lucy asks, raising an eyebrow. She would guess they're just talking, but -- she doesn't want to make any assumptions. I mean, look at all the amazing/slightly crazy stuff she's already seen.

[random_xtras]

"Sure!" The little Brunette is still laughing as she returns Bunny, Kagerou, and Raoul's waves and turns to head away from the stage. "You probably will see some of those guys again, especially if you come here again, or go to the Black Dog. Their base has a lot of commerce with the Nexus." Her smile softens and her voice drops as they leave the glorious roar of Dreadnought's music behind. "And Sabrina has a house here in the Nexus."

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy sticks close to her side to avoid possibly losing her in the crowd. "Well, I figure I'll be dropping by here again -- and I've heard enough about that place to want to check it out," she says with a nod. She blinks a few times as Uzulee continues, though. "A house? You can live here?" For some reason, she'd gotten into her head that the Nexus was just for visiting.

[random_xtras]

Uzulee starts to reply or offer reassurance, but then she looks around as a warm male voice intrudes on them.

"Hey, hey," it says cheerfully, sounding a lot like the late Scatman Crothers. "Looks like somebody needs a hug."

Uzulee looks down then, her face brightening in a grin. "Jazz."

"That's me," responds a two and a half foot tall plushy version of the white Jazz Transformers that had been dancing at Dreadnought's show, flashing Lucy a sweet grin that seems to build trust and put fears to rest at just a glance.

[misslucysleeches]

"Jazz?" Lucy repeats, following Uzulee's gaze down to -- awwww! It's a big (well, relatively) plush Transformer! He doesn't even really need to give her the grin, she's already going so cute! inside her head. "Hi," she says, managing to keep the worst of the 'squee' out of her voice. "I'm Lucy Leech."

[random_xtras]

Jazz grins and does a quick glance around to get his bearings, then points in the direction that Uzulee and Lucy had been going. "We goin' thataway? 'N do you got twenty bucks on ya, Lucy baby?"

[misslucysleeches]

"Last I checked," she says, looking to Uzulee for confirmation. "And yeah, got plenty of cash on me."

[random_xtras]

"Oh yeah!" His bright, happy face brightens further, and he points toward a vending machine non dissimilar in appearance to a drink machine. "G'wan over there."

"Ohhhh." Uzulee's grinning now.

[misslucysleeches]

"All righty." Lucy heads over to the vending machine, wondering if the treat is perhaps a flavor of soda she's never tried before. New food was kind of the theme earlier. . .then again, why would he ask if she had a twenty on her? Surely a soda, even one from the farthest reaches of the multiverse, wouldn't be THAT expensive.

[random_xtras]

"She says you're welcome." Uzulee taps a little display on the machine, which is flashing just that. Then she grins at her chip and slips it into her pocket. "The next installment on the book series written just for me."

[misslucysleeches]

"Oh!" Lucy waves at the display, just in case there's either a hidden camera or some magical stuff that allows her to be seen. She nods as Uzulee pockets the chip. "I see. Hope it's good -- though if it's custom-tailored to you, I guess it kind of has to be."

[random_xtras]

"That's why she chose the form," says the furry little blue woman. "Apparently she's the reason that Jack the Ripper vanished in her original reality."

Jazz pauses in his cheering to go 0.o? at Uzulee at this.

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy will second that O.o, Jazz. "Whoa. . .not that I'm complaining about Jack the Ripper apparently getting what was sorely supposed to come to him. . ."

[random_xtras]

"Whatever you want to give me," says the little girl. "But my mother thinks they're worth more than two dollars." Her bright eyes flick toward the stage as the boys start singing a serious but very boyband version of 'Crazy Train'.

[misslucysleeches]

"All righty then." Lucy gives the one the girl was holding out before another look over, then fishes around in her purse and grabs a ten. "I'm sure a good one like this is worth at least that," she says, passing it over.

She glances toward the stage too and grins. "Well, there's a song I didn't expect to hear covered."

[random_xtras]

The little brunette gives Lucy a surprised and quizzical look, but then perks. "Little Blue Eyes! Great. I want to buy another alternate detector. One of the clones stole the one I bought for Sam's sister-in-law."

Jazz looks up from Larry, his brows quirking with interest. "Do clones count as alts?"

[misslucysleeches]

"Don't ask me -- my world's only just to got to cloning sheep and other animals," Lucy says, watching the transaction curiously to see what an alternate detector looks like. "Alternates in general is still a pretty new concept to me."

[random_xtras]

The little girl grins at her. "They're talking about Fixer and his brothers."

"Fixer is one of the army medics," explains Uzulee. "He's been to Blue Eyes' home to help her grandpa with his arthritis."

[misslucysleeches]

"Oooooh. . .so I'm the only one in the dark," Lucy says with a good-natured smirk. "Figures. That's nice, though, them helping you and yours out."