randomplaces | Dream. Dalake Safe House and Swindle's living room. Council investigation. 3

((continued from here))

((scary stuff warning))

Dalake: -Tahalla...-

Brightnova: The short report we received mentioned the local police have him in custody, and he's not gonna be let off.

Oppy: The JD have him. *looks up* I don't know if you know what that means, though.

Dalake and Brightnova: *neither have an idea what that means*

Dark: *does* ...JD, huh? Good. Death's too good for that... that... *clamps mouth shut before she says something... French*

Roxy: *oblivious kitty wuv wuv wuvs the nice lady*

Oppy: The ones in that reality have a telepath on the force, so the plant owner will probably live through several months of thinking he's being treated just like he treated the dalake. By himself.

Dalake: -That does seem like a fitting punishment.-

Dark: There's gotta be something more, though... *pets kitty*

Oppy: He'll spend the rest of his life in prison. You don't mess with babies with a JD around. Because of the nature of his crime, he'll probably be in solitary, where he can see out of his cell, but no one will be able to interact with him.

Brightnova: All those eggs... did some not survive?

Oppy: *quietly* Fred wasn't alive then.

Dalake: -What does that mean?-

Dark: Optimus here has a tendency to bring things to life, and... *realizes* ...WHAT?

Oppy: *quietly* I brought four back. I'm not sure how, since we usually can't do that. The JD have the bodies right now, but they said that next of kin can come and get them.

Dalake: -It was meant to be, is all...- *shivering with realization*

Dark: *is now hugging Brightnova*

Roxy: *squisheded and loving it*

Oppy: *quietly* I'm sorry I didn't sense something sooner.

Dark: Can't... can't be helped. *is calming down, though. For a moment* ...Myrror. I saw her wake up. Her reaction...

Oppy: *softly* She's been through worse than being used for food. Yeah.

Dark: ...Do you know? I think Myrror barely knows herself.

Oppy: *embarrassed* I can tell things about people sometimes.

Dark: ... *hide in her coat and BLUSH now, Oppy*

Oppy: O_O *vanishes*

Columba: o.O *looks at Swindle*

Swindle: *looks over as well*

Dalake: -Tahalla, what did you do?-

Columba: *quizzical look goes to Dark*

Roxy: *trying to find nice lady in coat*

Dark: -Destruction Spirit, destruction spirit...- *yes, she's a bit embarrassed again around all this Light about what she is. And perhaps a bit self conscious about her and Myrror's rope-games*

Columba: -If it were something perverted, we'd object. And we hang out with Blackout.-

Dark: -I've killed Myrror myself...-

Brightnova: ...In front of the Council, even.

Dalake: -Oh, that, I heard that...-

Dark: *HIDE MORE NOW*

Columba: -If she doesn't care, why should we?-

Dark: *peeks out now* -She doesn't. She let me. Heck, I'd let her, too, but she can't...-

Columba: *gently* Some of our dearest friends have to eat their own dead. And Blackout has destroyed thousands, before she left the Decepticons.

Dalake: -Have to? Cursed?-

Columba: It's a genetic curse. A prion that would cause a deadly plague if their bodies ever decomposed.

Dalake: -I see-

Dark: -Sorry I chased Oppy away...-

Swindle: I think he was more concerned you were embarrassed. He's a bit sensitive... kinda like he sort of has a slight problem with bringing things to life...

Dark: -You sure?-

Oppy: *sneaks in with a huge plate of stir fried dino, and a huge plate of gummy ham* Yeah. He's sure.

Dark: *looks relieved... She then SNIIFFS*

Oppy: *sets the plate of organic nom in front of the organic people* Sukiyaki apatosaur?

Dalake: -Apatosaur?- *isn't familiar with the modern term*

Dark: *says something in their language* *then blinks* That's what I was eating?

Dalake: -They still exist here?-

Brightnova: What's Apatosaur?

Oppy: Not in the dream. But my mom owns a ranch in another reality that raises them and a small carnivore commonly called a dinochicken.

Dalake: -You don't mind if I try?-

Oppy: I brought the food for all of you.

Dalake: *takes a bite, then closes his eyes* -This is good. Different from what I remember.-

Dark: I can't believe I didn't recognize it. *making sure Brightnova gets some too*

Oppy: *offers each of them a small bowl containing something yellow*

Dalake: -What is this?-

Oppy: The Japanese dip their sukiyaki into raw egg.

Dalake: -Interesting...-

Dark: -Sorry... Not really in the mood for... egg.-

Oppy: No problem. *questioning look to see if Dalake and Brightnova want theirs*

Brightnova: *looking a bit put off by the egg at this time.* *also isn't wanting to be rude. Dark's allowed to be.*

Oppy: *egg becomes cooked, and is offered to Velvet and the other cats*

Spot: *sniff sniff? Ooooo*

Velvet: Meowth! *will nom*

Dark: I hope that wasn't much trouble. Just with what happened...

Oppy: *shakes his head, then chuckles* The only one that might be offended is the lady that gave us the eggs. But I think she'd understand.

Columba: *soft chuckle*

Dark: *is still concerned about Myrror. She's guessing she'll have to wait to find out what exactly happened to her.*

Oppy: *shows her as he senses the wondering* *also hands his dad the white sauce to eat with his gummi ham*

Swindle: *faint amusement at the white sauce*

Dark: *Rage. Level. RISING.*

Dalake: *is backing away from calm-looking but ticked off sister*

Brightnova: *knows that look. Backs away too*

Oppy: *calmly reaches over and gently lifts Roxy to put her near Dark's face*

Roxy: *itty bitty nose kisses Dark's*

Dark: *Rage levels still high, but she doesn't feel like she's gonna explode* Need... To... Kill... Something...

Oppy: *looks at Columba and Swindle* Can you guys handle the rest of the meeting?

Columba: *looks up from her food and nods*

Swindle: We can, yes...

Oppy: *gives Roxy to Swindle, and then holds out his hand to Dark* Come with me.

Dark: *capping her rage for now, and takes Oppy's hand. Or finger. Whatever she can grab.*

Oppy: *takes her away*

Columba: *looks to the council members* He's taken her to the rat pits.

Swindle: Oh, good, we're needing some rat.

Brightnova: Rat pits?

Columba: *nods* It's a venue in the Backwater nexus where people who want to hunt, or who like to fight, or who need to kill go to do so. The owners breed rats of various sizes, and most of them are safe for even humans to eat.

Brightnova: Ahhhh. *nods* That will do Dark good.

Dalake: -The last time she reached that intensity, she called down a meteor... of course, it WAS time for it, she just didn't want to choose...-

Columba: *listens* I think she's fighting an auroch first, Dad.

Swindle: Really?

Columba: Oppy says she was too mad for anything that didn't fight back.

Brightnova: That sounds like her...

Columba: *quietly* The auroches at the pits have been bred to kill.

Dalake: -That is not a problem. If she is killed, it may defuse her. If not, she'll work her rage out.-

Columba: *concerned sympathy for the angry destruction dragon* *but then she looks at the guests* Do you have any other questions?

Brightnova: I think we've heard enough.

Dalake: -And the Dalake here need healing to their spirits. I came to help with that.-

Swindle: Then we should let you get back to your work.

Columba: Velvet, are you telling the guests to eat, or to give you the food?

Velvet: Meowth! (Both!)

Swindle: *Laughs* ...After you finish your meal?

Columba: *also laughing softly as she looks to Brightnova and Dalake* She loves to share meat meals.

Brightnova: Well, she is a little carnivore.

Columba: Also very bossy. *teasing grin for the meowth*

Velvet: Me meow me ow ow th!

Columba: *loving look for the little animal, even as she sets Roxy down beside her*

Roxy: *Velvet! Love you, Velvet! Missed you!*

Velvet: *licks Roxy lovingly*

Roxy: *bittysing!* ^3^

Dalake: -I can see why Dark likes them.-

Columba: *soft chuckle* Four cats actually live here, but Blizzard likes to stay with Farsight, Swindle and Zoe's youngest non-baby son.

Brightnova: Cats can be rather loyal.

Columba: *indicates the leopard chimera who has flopped down under the coffee table* Where she comes from, the cats raise the children.

Dalake: -Interesting.-

Columba: *nods* *then smiles as Velvet lets it be known that it is time to share and eat*

Dalake: *gives a bit of the meat to the little carnivore*

Velvet: *NOMS*

Columba and Swindle: *settle down to eat and feed guests*

((Co-written with

swindle_blitz))