Nexus. Between The Black Dog and Mall. Daytrip Part 2

[firra]

Continued from Part 1.



Seaspray: *gets them picked up, and then holds them close to her chest as she turns and walks out of the building. You know how the fur on a Persian cat is? Now imagine that in proportion to a forty foot tall woman*

Hod: *vanishes into mega fluff* O__O

Seaspray: *as she exits the building* So how close do you want to be?

Kellen: *completely unaffected by being pulled into feet of fluff, he just pops his head out* Oh I want a good seat! I really want to see this!

Seaspray: *goes to stand right in front of Ironhide*

Ironhide: *poking one finger into his cannon to make sure Haylin's packed properly* *also to see if she'll say something amusing*

Fireflight: *gravely warns the old soldier about Haylin's vituperating ability*

Ironhide: *snorts and pokes more*

Haylin: *playfully from deep inside the cannon* Watch those fingers, mister! I ain't that kinda girl!

Fireflight: *reaches up to steady Haylin's box of food, which is sitting on top of his head, as he turns to look at what his wife is poking him for*

TC: *found a giant spider! Now the legs are sticking out of her mouth*

Fireflight: *squeals "EWWWWWWWW!" just as the cannon goes off and Haylin is launched straight upward*

Haylin: *spirals upwards in a tight ball, knees to her chest and her wings retracted into her back until she hits maximum height, where she explodes into a huge starburst of brilliant black fire*

Kellen: *'Ooooooooooo's and claps in amazement*

Hod: That seems... really unsafe...

bat: *grooming a very teeny area of Seaspray. She's helping!*

Fireflight: *head jerks up, dinner box flies and is caught by TC* *laughs that sweet and innocent laugh and then cheers for Haylin*

Ironhide: Hmmph. Thought she'd go higher.

Seaspray: *snerks at the old grouch*

Haylin: *as the fire clears she unfurls her wings, catching herself and slowly spirals down to land, delicate as a dancer, on the very tip of Fireflight's nosecone* Ah thankyew, ah thankyew~

Seaspray: *laughs* Look at what your daughter's got in her mouth.

Haylin: *looks* ...Did you at least ask his name?

Seaspray: *laughs harder*

TC: *grins around spider legs*

Haylin: *cracks up laughing*

Hod: *hangs on for dear life as Seaspray laughs*

Ironhide: *glances over and perks* Energon spider. Now I'm hungry. *turns and strides back into the Black Dog*

Fireflight: EWWWWWWWWW!

TC: *snerking around her mouthful*

Haylin: There's good eatin' on a bug, Eff. *flies to his head and dangles one of her prawns in his face* Whaddaya think a shrimp is?

Kellen: *nodding sagely* She's right you know.

Hod: *thinks all this is too much for him in general*

Fireflight: *massive shudder* Don't. It's icky.

TC: *sounds of crunching now that she knows it's actually fuel and not just something to freak her husband out with*

Seaspray: *has hunkered down and is offering Kellen and Hod the opportunity of disembarking so that she can take Nemo home and put him to bed*

Haylin: *cackles and gulps down the shrimp, chewing loudly*

Hod: *takes this opportunity very, very gladly and gets down, offering Kellen his hand*

Kellen: *accepts and hops down, chattering cheerfully about what an amazing stunt that was and wasn't it just lovely and isn't this world magical, Hod?*

TC: *BURRRRRRRRRRRRP*

Fireflight: *pauses in mid squeal to start laughing*

Seaspray: *as she straightens up* That was well brought up. Too bad you weren't.

Haylin: *applauds a good burn*

Hod: *this is Hod's frowny face. You may have seen it before!*

Seaspray: *looks down and sees the frown* What's wrong, Hod?

TC: *glances down too from razzing Seaspray and laughing* *yes, she's still crunching* *no, she didn't spray any spider stuff when she razzed*

Hod: *horn crackles in surprise and embarrassment* Nothing! Nothing.

Kellen: Everyone here is so lively!

Seaspray: Okay. *turns her back on the cackling one* See you later, Haylin. You too, 'Flight and TC.

TC: *razz*

Fireflight: That's not nice, TC. Bye, Seaspray. See you later! :D

Haylin: Bye, fluffy! *crams down another prawn*

Hod: *blushing furiously*

Kellen: *distracted by the bar's porch and all the people out on it!*

TC: *BURRRRP!*

Fireflight: *facepalms and takes the box of prawns from his wife*

Haylin: *bops FF's head* Whattaya doin' being embarrassed, Eff?

Fireflight: *in his mild way* Who's embarrassed? I'm exasperated!

Haylin: *sticks out her tongue* Live a little, dude! You're gettin' old lately.

Fireflight: That's not what you said this morning.

Haylin: *dry as bone* You comin' onta me?

Fireflight: *blink blink. Confuzzled!* No. Why?

TC: *laughs herself stumbly at Mom and mate*

Haylin: *sickeningly sweet as she pats his head* I'll tell you when you're older.

Fireflight: *face palm* *just learned the gesture, is gonna over use it!*

TC: Mooom. Weren't we goin' shoppin'? :D

Skywarp: *starts throwing crumpled bits of paper at her sister from the bar roof*

TC: *cheerfully vituperates sister*

Haylin: *forgot all about that* OH! Yeah, totally! *to the dragons* Hey, little dudes!

Hod: *yelps, surprised. His horn sparks*

Kellen: Yes?

Haylin: SHOPPING!

Kellen: Yes!

Skywarp: *paper bombs Hod too. Just to see what happens*

Hod: *accidentally zorches a bit of paper. It flutters to the ground as cinders*

Skywarp: Ooo. *going to try a bigger piece*

Fireflight: We can buy some of the things that the Constructicons want for our house renovations too! ^_^

TC: Borrring!

Haylin: That is super boring. Naw, I wanna show the sparklers something cool. Somethin' fun.

Fireflight: You're not allowed into the fantasy firework shop anymore. Remember?

Haylin: I know, I know... so, somewhere else cool and fun.

Hod: *looks increasingly uncomfortable with their guides*

Kellen: *oh! Sparkly!*

Skywarp: *laughing hysterically* You got kicked outta the House of Boom? LAAAME!!!

Haylin: It was the shopkeep's fault! I was just testing the merchandise!

Skywarp: *falls over laughing*

Fireflight: *watches her, and then looks back to Haylin* You're on probation at the Three Jacks too.

Haylin: Also not my fault. *crosses her arms*

Kellen: Isn't it nice we found people who know so much about this place?

Hod: *stone faced stare*

Fireflight: And the pet store.

Haylin: I JUST WANTED FISH FOOD!

TC: Let's just go to the changie clothes store! We don't even have a first warning there!

Fireflight: *blink blink* Oh right. That's where we were going.

Haylin: Yeah! Clothes. Clothes are good. *to the dragons* Hey, hop on the bots, it's faster.

Kellen: Ok! *awaits a hand*

Hod: *quietly* Kell, this is... these people... they're nuts.

Kellen: Don't worry, love. *pats Hod's arm* I can always set everything on fire.

Hod: *sighs deeply, defeated*

Fireflight: *blink blink* *awed* You're nuts too.

TC: *ded*

Kellen: *shrugs* Well I can.

Meatball: *kinda nearly sideswipe's Haylin's head as he tries to come in for a landing*

Haylin: *reaches out and grabs Meatball before he falls off of FF*

Kellen: May we come up, please?

Fireflight: *distracted by Meatloaf drama*

TC: Sure. *grins at the dragons and offers no hand*

Kellen: *still smiling* May I have a hand to stand on?

TC: *blink blink* *fake innocent grin* You mean you can't fly?

Kellen: *total innocence* Oh, I can, but I have to take my clothes off before I change, and if I did that it would just be easier to stay that way.

TC: I haven't seen what you squishies look like under...

Fireflight: *scoldy voice* TC!

TC: *snigger. Hand down on the ground*

Skywarp: *kicks her on the caboose while she's bent over, then teleports away while cackling*

TC: *vocabulary 101!*

Hod: *sparking unhappily, jerking back when TC gets kicked*

Kellen: *stepping onto the hand like nothing is happening* Thank you, love!

TC: *whiny voice* Mooommm, she kicked me!

Fireflight: *buuutterfly! So distracted!*

Haylin: Well, whadidya do?

TC: Nothing! *picks Kellen up and hugs him like a dolly*

Kellen: *makes a tiny noise of surprise*

bat: *makes a significantly louder noise of surprise and flaps off*

Fireflight: *distracted from butterfly by bat* Hey. *hand out toward the flying creature*

bat: *flutters down and smacks into Hod's face full force*

Hod: MPH-! *stumble*

TC: *stares down with surprise, then looks at the little dragon in her hands* ...Did I do that?

Fireflight: *gentle big hand behind Hod to keep him from falling down* *concerned sounds*

Kellen: Um, maybe. But it's ok. Are you ok, love?

Hod: *horn crackling as he gently extracts the bat* ...Yeah...

TC: *thinks about this, then turns and looks at Haylin to see what she says*

Fireflight: *is meanwhile trying to sooth the bat* I'm really sorry. TC's really young, so she doesn't know a lot yet.

bat: *in a huff! meh!*

Hod: *sighs, smiling a tiny smile, clearly still thinking all of these people are nuts* It's ok, really.

Haylin: *flies over and bonks TC on the side of the head* You're freakin' em out!

TC: *hands fly up* Hey!

Kellen: *perfectly calmly goes flying* Oh dear.

Hod: Kell! *ZORCH*

Fireflight: Whoops! *will catch Kellen. And then gape with surprise at his success*

Haylin: *quickly* ...Not my fault.

TC: *blink blink* *then falls on her butt and starts giggling*

Haylin: Aw, slag...

Kellen: Good catch. *pats the hand*

Hod: C-can I please have him back now?!

Fireflight: *blinks and sets Kellen down, then goes to look at his wife* TC?

TC: *eyes glowing much. Grin very big*

Kellen: *brightly* Hello, love!

Hod: D: *glomp*

Haylin: *groans dramatically* You had to get her didn't you?

TC: *notices husband. Decides she's going to try and get affectionate and offer him some of the energy via kiss!*

Fireflight: *pushes her back* No. We're going shopping, remember?

Haylin: *continues complaining loudly*

Fireflight: *holds his wife's wrists as she tries to glomp him, then squeaks as she's suddenly lifted into the air* What? Oh. Thanks, Seaspray. Is Nemo okay?

Seaspray: Yup. He's sleeping. I decided I wanted more poutine. I'll take this home too. *looks at Haylin, then gives her a gentle flingerflip to see if the complaining will stop*

Hod: *continues glomping* ):

Kellen: *patpat*

Haylin: *cusses! flutters up to FF's head again*

TC: I wanna glomp!

Seaspray: No. *turns and walks off with the flailing Seeker held by the scruff*

Fireflight: o.o

Meatball: *haiiii, nottaMama!*

Haylin: ...That works. *waves* BYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYE Seaspray!

TC: *trails into the distance* Maaaaaamaaaaaa!

Haylin: Byyyyyyyyye!

Fireflight: *rubs his forehead and wibbles, but then looks up* *quietly* Shopping?

Haylin: *throws her hands in the air* SHOPPING!

Fireflight: *carefully goes to one knee and offers his hands to the dragons*

Kellen: Thank you! Come on, love. *proceeds to walk onto the hand, dragging Hod*

Hod: *dragged on*

bat: *crawls from Hod's head to Kellen's*

Kellen: *pets the bat* Hello again!

Fireflight: *as he carefully stands* Isn't she kind of heavy?

Kellen: *cheerfully* I'm actually very big! She's not heavy at all.

Fireflight: Alright. I know Haylin complains every time Meatball sits on her shoulder, and the bat's on your head.

Haylin: *sitting down and scooping up Meatball under his chubby armpits* Do I complain about you? *increasingly mushmouth and cooing* Do I? Do I?

Meatball: *loves you, nottaMama! Kissies?*

white cat: *swoops in low and sits on Haylin's shoulder. PURR*

Haylin: *goes from cooing to frowning in a second* What do you want?

white cat: *happy paws, with claws!* *PURR*

Fireflight: *silent wince as he walks in the direction of the mall*

Haylin: Geeeet offa me! *brushes at the cat with her wings*

Kellen: *enjoying the ride!*

white cat: *HOLDS ON! And purrs*

Meatball: *huh? NottaMama is sad?*

Haylin: *thumb jabs at the cat* Meatball. Kill.

Meatball: *huh? What? Kiss the kitty? Beyuck* Thrrrpt!

Fireflight: *can't help giggling at the sound*

white cat: *distracted by the sound. Hops down to see*

Haylin: Good job, boy. *pats Meatball's head*

Meatball: *wiggles his tongue and then razzes again*

white cat: *love you, Meatball!*

Meatball: Thrrpt! Thrrpt! Thrrrpppt!

Haylin: *pushes Meatball at the cat* Oh he loooooves you! Don't you, boy?

Kellen: Oh this shall be ever so fun! Don't you think?

Hod: *smiles bravely* Uh, yeah.

Meatball: *blows right in the cat's face!*

white cat: *furpoof! GONE!*

Meatball: *contented sigh as kitty flies away*

Fireflight: o.0

Haylin: *laughs uproariously* Good boy!

Fireflight: What did he do, Haylin? *still carefully holding his passengers, and walking, but NOT watching where he's walking*

Haylin: Spat all over the furball's face! *collapses laughing, pulling Meatball onto her chest in a big squishy hug*

Meatball: *happy little sounds and snuggles*

Fireflight: What? Ewww! Ooops! *turns to blink at the Visitor Center* Oh, I'm going the wrong way.

Hod: *yelps, zaps the building*

Kellen: *patpat*

Fireflight: *blinks at the zap, and then turns and walks the right way, this time watching his steps*

Meatball: *starts his little sorta purry thing*

Haylin: *cooing* Who's my stupid fat baby? You are! You are!

Meatball: *eats it up! Loves you, nottaMama!*

Fireflight: Skywarp told me that pets are for boosting your stats or helping you fight. Meatball doesn't fight. Does he boost your stats?

Haylin: Inna pinch I could prolly crush a man's skull with him, I guess. *lifts Meatball up and waves him around* Strength plus one! Nyyoooooom~

Fireflight: o.0 *but then perks* Is happiness a stat?

Haylin: Not in MvW, so... probably not.

Fireflight: *slight frown* Oh. What's he for, then?

Meatball: *nap attack!* *now utterly limp*

Haylin: *fat dragon flops on her, knocking the wind out of her chest* OOF.

Fireflight: *startles, but remembers to hold his passengers!* Haylin?

Haylin: *cough cough cough* I'm fine.

Hod: *crackles, but doesn't zap. Poor dude.*

Kellen: *pats idly, continuing to quietly and excitedly talk about clothes he wants to look at*

Meatball: *snuggles and sleeps, his belly sticking out all around him*

Fireflight: *has stopped walking* Are you sure?

Haylin: *sitting back up, rolling Meatball into her lap* Yyyeaaah.

Fireflight: *sigh of relief and starts walking again. Seems to have forgotten about his question* Oh yeah. You wanted to buy him a collar and an address tag. Or was that TC? Somebody wanted a way for people to know where to mail him back to.

Haylin: Meh. Coulda been anyone. I dunno. *to Meatball* We should get you one with spikes.

Meatball: *snorrrre*

Fireflight: *soft snerk of laughter at the funny sound*

Kellen: *up to Fireflight* So, this shop, does it cater to fellows as large as you?

Fireflight: Probably. But I already have all the armour I need. *dances on one foot to avoid stepping on a fast moving green Andalite woman* Meep!

Aidla: *flips her tail blade at him and keeps going*

Hod: *stumbles slightly but manages to stay upright, frowning*

Kellen: *apparently fine!* Oh, this is so exciting! *clapclap*

Fireflight: Aidla's always in a bad mood. *slightly sad light in his eyes as his faceplate moves*

Hod: *notices the sadface... but is waaaaay too polite to mention it*

Kellen: Maybe she needs a friend? Or a hug? Or a pet?

bat: *chitter*

Fireflight: She has lots of friends, and a cuddly husband and baby. *curious look at the bat, and then meeps again quietly as a golden yellow peregrine falcon with purple markings under her wings swoops in close to his hands and then away, leaving a tiny form only about four inches tall tumbling across his palm in a flutter of dark blue fabric* Oh, catch her!

Kellen: Oh dear!

Hod: *ducks down with a look of panic, gently scooping up the tiny lady in his comparatively huge hands*

Fireflight: Tocelyn, are you alright?

Tocelyn: *gasps for breath, and starts to laugh!*

Hod: *holding the tiny lady as one might hold a baby bird, suddenly more hunched and stiff than before, as though somehow his being big is a problem*

Kellen: *coming over to meet the tiny lady* Hello! My name is Kellen!

Haylin: *leans over Meatball to gaze down* Oh, hey Tossie.

Tocelyn: *waves one hand to let everyone know that she's heard them, but is still too busy trying to catch her breath and laugh at the same time. Black hair is down all around her face, and the net that had been holding it is hanging from one pin*

Fireflight: Did Firebreak grab you? Are you sure you're alright? You landed hard.

Tocelyn: *more laughter as she shakes her head and nods*

Fireflight: *confused by this reply*

Haylin: She's laughin', so she's ok. *this makes perfect sense to her*

Hod: *not moving not moving not moving*

Tocelyn: I told you riding by falcon wasn't frightening, or dangerous!

Fireflight: *eyes nearly white with shock* Not dangerous? You almost bounced when she dropped you!

Haylin: *kicks her legs and laughs uproariously*

Tocelyn: I weigh so little that bouncing doesn't hurt me. *joins her neighbour in laughter*

Fireflight: *tiny whimper "under his breath"*

Haylin: Good job, Tossie! *pumps her fist in the air*

Kellen: Oh my, that was very brave of you!

Tocelyn: *smiles at Kellen, and then reaches up and starts twisting her hair together* Those pins weren't supposed to let go till I told them to... *checks, and then takes the net down and looks at it* Oh, they didn't. The net has torn. *pulls it back over the hair and then pins it on each side with a tiny pin like a drop of light* There, all tidy. *smiles once more as she looks around* Who are your friends, Haylin? I've not met these gentlemen before.

Haylin: Eh, jus' some newbies we found in the 'Dog.

Kellen: My name is Kellen! :D

Fireflight: *rattles slightly as he sucks air into his intakes. Haylin will feel him tremble slightly with concern for their tiny, fearless neighbour* We're taking them clothes shopping at the store with the transforming clothes.

Tocelyn: I am pleased to meet you, Kellen. *perks* Clothes shopping?

Haylin: *pats FF on the head*

Kellen: *nods excitedly* Oh yes! We're actually very big! *puts an arm around Hod's waist*

Hod: *frowns slightly*

Tocelyn: Ahhh! And your reality doesn't provide for people who transform?

Kellen: Oh, in mine we just don't wear clothes. *shrug*

Tocelyn: Ah, but that can be rather unsanitary. *gives her skirt a flip, but then pauses and looks up at Hod* *gently* You may set me on Fireflight's hands.

Kellen: Unsanitary? *blink blink* Not that I'd noticed...

Hod: Oh, r-right, I should put you down. *very gently puts down the tiny lady and backs up a pace*

Kellen: *to Hod* They have clothes where you're from, don't they?

Hod: Uh, yeah. Yes. Not on, like, us. We're mostly, uh... yeah.

Tocelyn: *delicately* Even Transformers can leak a little if they laugh too much.

Fireflight: *BLUSHES SO HARD THAT HIS MASK HEATS UP*

Haylin: *cracks up*

Hod: *dies a little*

Kellen: Hmm. *thinks about this*

Fireflight: *grunts softly as he runs into someone*

Ironhide: *old black bot scowls at the winged youngster* Watch where you're going, kid. *thumps him on the shoulder and walks on as something in the crook of his other arm chirps and chatters happily*

Fireflight: Ooof! *staggers sideways from the thump*

Tocelyn: *tumbles a bit, but is laughing again* Ahh, Ironhide affection!

Meatball: *burps but doesn't wake*

Hod: *puts his arm around Kellen and ducks down to keep them from falling on Tocelyn, his horn crackling*

Haylin: YOU watch it, y'big pile o' scrap! *shakes fist*

Fireflight: Don't teach Mira to swear, Haylin!

Haylin: Well he outta watch where he's goin'! An' if I was teaching her to swear, I'd say something stronger than 'scrap'. Like... *turns towards Ironhide again* Like SLAG! Or GLITCH! Or, you know, somethin' like that.

Ironhide: *lifts his left hand without turning back, curls the fingers slightly* *Haylin just got honoured with being insulted as though she were another Transformer... and also told to get dented*

Haylin: *laughs loudly, returning the gesture*

Fireflight: You should anchor yourself, Tocelyn.

Tocelyn: Oh, but what's the fun of that?

Fireflight: *another faint whimper*

Hod: Um, not if it's a problem, but, uh, I could hang onto you.

Kellen: He's very stable. *leans his head on Hod's shoulder and wraps his tail around Hod's ankle, the hearts in his eyes practically visible*

Tocelyn: Oh, I have an anchor. *sticks a little magnet to Fireflight's hand, then loops the attached cord around her hand* There. Clothing is a fascinating subject. I love to see how different races adapt the same basic forms to suit their personal form.

Hod: *somewhat haggard* I just don't want to have to take my clothes off when I change.

Tocelyn: *gentle tone* Count yourself fortunate. There are some who have many other concerns to address. *looks down* Like how to walk around normally without anyone perhaps looking under a skirt.

Fireflight: *meeps and looks down to see if there's one of those annoying kids who laugh at even well armoured TF skid plates around*

Haylin: Meh! I figure if they're lookin' up my dress it's their problem, not mine.

Hod: I just, I don't want to... *blush*

Fireflight: *funny look for Haylin* You don't wear dresses. Autumn does.

Haylin: An' sometimes I hafta wear her clothes! ...An' I'm wearing a dress right now, dummy!

Fireflight: Dresses don't have pant legs. It transformed.

Tocelyn: *laughing. Might have heard that discussion before*

another big bot: *distracted and heading right for the distracted Fireflight*

Haylin: It's like, half a dress. Sometimes it's a dress. So it's pretty much a dress.

Hod: Um, um, um look out??

other bot: *looks toward the yell, and then swerves around the flyer* Fireflight, you dork.

Fireflight: Buh? *looks around blankly, and then meeps and stops so that he doesn't run into the wall next to the mall entrance*

Tocelyn: *clearing her throat to try and stop laughing* *trying so hard to wear a serious face!*

Fireflight: Uh. We're here.

Continued in Part 3

((Co-written with random_xtras))