Backwater Nexus. The Question Square. Dealing with Inner Turmoil [Open Post]

[lumina_mechnics]

((Continued from here. ))

A portal opened and a dark-colored G1!styled femme walked through, arms folded and optics looking down towards the ground in thought. The femmbot's peaceful appearance changes in an instance as she notices the change in scenery and crouches down into a ready stance, fans coming out and opening to their "rising dawn" positions.

She turns and looks over the decidedly non-Cybertronian place with its white-tiled floors and scattered couches with wary blue optics. Their careful gaze continues until they spot the small sign on top of the A-frame across the way and read the words "Ask a Question."

She narrows her optics at it, considering it thoroughly before standing up straighter, retracting her fans, and placing them back into subspace.

She looks around again with a less critical optic and thinks a moment before she poses the desired question. "Suppose you've figured out that the course of action you wanted to take was wrong. And that someone else was right. How would you move on?"

Comments

[dens_extra_pups]

"Try and find the lesson in your original course of action, contemplate the other paths that are available to you, and choose an alternative that holds your interest for more than a few clicks. Or find the nearest bar and drink 'til a good idea comes." This from the... very colorful femme sprawling on a bench nearby.

[lumina_mechnics]

At the sound of the other female robot's voice, the dark-colored femme starts and then snaps her gaze on the other female, freezing in place with her hand towards subspace as the dark-colored femme realizes that this other female bot is not Elita One or one of her--what the dark-colored femme calls--'goons'. Or at least none that the dark-colored femme has seen. The dark-colored femme would think she would remember a femme that colorful and spikey.

Hmm, let's see what lesson did she learn from her original course of action? Oh yes, that she has a ton of patience when executing plans of revenge.

The dark-colored femme raises an optic ridge when she registers that the other female bot had said "an alterative that holds your interest for more than a few clicks". It made her wonder if the other female robot was referring to somebot like Moonracer or somebot. She would think of Fireflight as a better candidate for that suggestion, but she hasn't really kept tabs on all of Optimus Prime's mechs and their personalities since they woke up on Earth and started to increase their numbers there.

The dark-colored femme finally relaxes--somewhat. She stops crouching so much at least.

"That's part of the problem. My original course of action is all I've been thinking about for years. Nothing else really has my interest." The dark-colored pauses as she considers the last suggestion. "And as for bars, with the War, there's not really any bars around anymore."

[dens_extra_pups]

The patchwork femme snorts and grins. "Then it's a good thing ya wandered inta the Nexus. There's a really good fuel dump here called the Black Dog. Owner's Destron, 'n mixes stuff that c'n throw my brother fer a loop."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme continues to stand with her hand reaching back into subspace. It might be clear that the dark-colored femme does not relax easily, especially since she does not feel like she is on Cybertron anymore.

"'Into the Nexus'? What is this, some kind of subdivision?" Despite thinking she is off planet, she finds the use of the term "wandered into" as an odd way of saying she landed up on another world.

"And what is a 'Destron'?" It was a subgroup she had never heard of.

[dens_extra_pups]

The patchwork femme chuckles. "Dunno if ya got any entertainment files where you're from, but the whole 'multiple realities' thing? Yeah. It's real. The Backwater's an interdimensional hub. Perceptor or any other science nerd could prolly explain it better than I can. Science really isn't my thing."

She sits up a bit more and stretches, revealing even more patches of paint, some very intricately detailed, some very plain-looking, and a couple of spots with glyphs. No two areas of her frame match exactly, though a few are similarly colored.

"As for Destrons... 'S what some realities had before Decepticons. Military types, police types... that sorta thing."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-femme does not appear visibly shaken, having already assumed that she was no longer on Cybertron, but she does appear to contemplate this fact--and then stops acknowledging it.

"They were not called Destrons in my reality," the dark-colored femme says as a matter-of-fact.

[dens_extra_pups]

The patchwork femme nods, a slight smirk coming to her face. "Not all realities go the same way, genius. 'S why I said 'some'."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme acknowledged that much. It is why the dark-colored femme said "in my reality." The dark-colored femme arches an optic ridge at the intelligence of this other female robot.

"So the bar is Neutral then?"

[dens_extra_pups]

"Yup. No fighting, unless you wanna get thrown out on yer aft. Nemesis'll toss ya out, if her bouncers don't first."

[lumina_mechnics]

"Does she only sell high-grade? Or does she have other fuel options?" the dark-femme thought to ask.

[dens_extra_pups]

"High-grade, mid-grade, sparklet-grade, and then there's the solid fuels made with energon. There're even cookies." The patchwork femme replies, a small grin coming to her face. "If ya get any cinnaSeekers, don't bring 'em back with you unless you get a whole box, 'cause otherwise you'll hafta share."

[lumina_mechnics]

Possibly, but the dark-colored femme is not really around people these days. Well, people she is not trying to exact revenge on, anyway. So she would not really have to share.

But that is assuming she even knows what a 'cookie' or 'cinnaSeeker' is.

Despite this lack of knowledge, she keeps her expression fairly neutral as she asks, "This 'Nemesis' sounds like she has quite the variety. How do I get to this establishment?"

[dens_extra_pups]

The patchwork femme sits up a bit straighter, then points. "It's past the question square, and the sign's pretty obvious. Nem won't accept live animals, sentients, or those giant-aft stone rings as currency, but anything else is fair game."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme looks in the pointed direction and contemplates if she wants to ask this patchworked femme any other questions. The dark-colored femme decides that the other femme is more than capable of providing information and settles for giving the other femme a nod and telling her, "Thank you."

[dens_extra_pups]

"Welcome. Have fun. 'N if you see a big, ugly, blue lug, tell him he needs ta git his aft home." The patchwork femme advises, chuckling and leaning back on the bench.

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme nods in acknowledgement after a moment. "If I see him, I will." And she turns and makes her way to the bar until she runs into the purple mech with his red and blue sparkling.

[random_xtras]

"I broke all ties with the one who'd been leading me on the former course of action, and turned to following the right course," says a voice of quiet gravel from where a tired looking pale purple guy is dancing a tiny bot of red and blue.

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme turns and looks at him and the bot he is holding critically, appearing as if she's wondering what the slag he's holding. Apparently, they do not get anything close to sparklets where she's from.

Despite the pointed look at him and the bot in his arms, the reaction he gets is not nearly as tense as the response she gave to the femme she met early, despite also appearing wary and reaching back in preparation for potentially needing one of her fans.

"I am the one who led me on my former course," the femme scoffs. "It'd be kinda hard to cut ties with myself, mech.

"And as for the 'right' course . . . That's part of what I am unsure of."

[random_xtras]

"I did it," says the tall mech quietly. "Though you're right. It was hard."

He hesitates then, plainly thinking and considering his words before he speaks again. As he does so, he pats the back of the tiny bot, who has started to wriggle and squeak.

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme raises an optic ridge at him. The mech just said that he too was the one who led him on his path. It is not really apparent where she thinks she landed up or how she thinks she got there--other than being wary of it, but since she is here, she seems to humor it and the strange ways of the people she meets. "How did you cut ties with yourself?"

[random_xtras]

His gaze comes back up to her from the little one, who is still wriggling. "First, by choosing to walk a different path. But I was still who I was, and few believed me. Then I was..." He pauses and frowns, but then continues. "Forceably reformatted by the Unmaker, only to later become aware of Primus and choose to follow him rather than the one who had tried to make me into his tool."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme frowns in thought as she mulls over his words. Choosing a different path? She thinks she's already chosen to do that. It's the path itself she is not sure of. His description of the "Unmaker" makes her think of the tales of Unicron used to keep newsparks from wondering far from Cybertron's metallic surface. Or was that the "evil" race that supposedly enslaved all of Cybertronian kind, the Quintessons? No, it was probably Unicron. In any case, she dismisses his mention of the "Unmaker" as unimportant to her. The mention of Primus, however . . .

She intakes quickly and thinks back to a time when someone close to her would discuss him with her, back when she had more of a belief in Primus . . .

[random_xtras]

"Shhh, Optimus," murmur's the mech's voice, the gravel in it softening further as he speaks once more to the tiny bot, though with his face partly turned to the dark lady to show that he's still ready to speak to her. "You'll feel better soon."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme does not appear to have heard him as she debates with herself about the subject of Primus, considering what he used to mean to the mech she loved and why she is thinking about Primus now. She also remembers about how that brat also supposedly believed in Primus like not very many did these days . . . Maybe . . .

The dark-colored femme resumes her frown as she begins to debate about what she should do.

While she is doing this, she also finally seems to register the mech saying something either to or about her reality's Leader of the Autobots. "Optimus?"

[random_xtras]

The purple mech's dark crimson optics are gently quizzical as he turns his attention back to the femme. "Yes. Do you know about other realities?"

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme pauses for a moment, and then says, "Only that this place is a crossroads for them." The rest is only conjecture on her part.

[random_xtras]

The mech nods. "They can be very different, though containing versions of the same beings." A gentle big hand rubs the tiny bot's back. "This is the Optimus of my reality. She's female."

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme raises an optic ridge and moves to get a better look at the bitty Optimus' face--without invading the mech's space.

[random_xtras]

The mech turns the tiny one slightly, which makes her screw that tiny, masked, face up in weary protest as she wriggles some more.

[lumina_mechnics]

A brief glance appears to be more than enough for the dark-colored femme--and true enough, she's had enough experience that she knows how to make her scans quick, concise, and accurate in order to get all of the information she needs--so she soon returns to her original position.

She appears to be thinking again, and it may not be apparent that she is actually thinking more on the thread of thought prompted by the mention of Primus than of the alternate femme Optimus in front of her. Did she have to get help from that brat back in her home reality?

She felt he needed to be part of it somehow. It was just a matter of figuring out what she wanted to do about it.

She also looks like she may considering how she can use this unexpected trip to change things around.

Hope you're not disturbed by long silences, mech.

[random_xtras]

He doesn't seem to be, as he's turned his attention back to Optimus and is now singing to her in a soft rumble. She doesn't show much appreciation for his efforts, though they're pleasant enough. Instead she flails a bit and squeaks angrily.

[lumina_mechnics]

The dark-colored femme appears to have finally made a decision and looks behind her to see if the way she came in is still there. It is, and she looks at it as thoughtfully, absently keeping some of her sensors on the mech and the young female Optimus in his arms.

[random_xtras]

"Galvatron," calls a small organic guy, from where he's paused nearby. "Have you tried wrapping her in a warmed blanket?"

"Have I... no." The purple mech looks interested. "Do you think it would help, Al?"

"It helped with one of the babies Jaime was taking care of." Al shrugs, then waves. "I have to get this delivered. See you later."

"Yes. See you," says Galvatron absently as he glances around to see if the Visitor Centre is open.

[lumina_mechnics]

The mention of the mech's name doesn't get any kind of reaction out of the dark-colored femme and neither does the appearance of the small organic guy. She does glance at the portal some more, as if trying to determine if it is going to remain, before she turns and starts to make her way to the bar mentioned previously.