randomplaces | Welcome to the Backwater

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Welcome to the Backwater

Picture a paved square, faced by the backs of various brownstones and ringed with couches of various sizes. One of the buildings is marked 'Visitor Centre', and beyond it seems to be a park of some sort. The paving of the square is white, and broken up into large square blocks that are so neatly set that there are no edges to trip over. Some blocks are missing, so that trees can grow out of these spaces. The square has a light scattering of couches spread around it, and these couches vary from something people from a no frills reality would think of as for dolls, to a massive white thing that's bigger than a mobile home. Between the square and the green space of the park is a road paved with common pavement made from old rubber tires, and there are trees growing wild all around that park. In the distance, over the trees, can be seen something that looks like a larger version of Mad King Ludwig's castle, and some sort of cliffs.

There are people in the square, many look human, and many don't. They mingle with mostly easy going equanimity, asking questions and answering them, chatting, getting oriented by reading books and pamphlets, or just selling sandwiches. Up in the sky, which looks fairly normal, float four islands that look something likes the ones off that movie with the blue cat things, and a flock of five houseairships, one of which is round. The Visitor Centre is an A frame with two windows and a door on the front, and a sign along the top that says, "Ask a question."

Welcome, newcomer, to the Backwater Nexus.

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Caldera gives Vik a serious look from those big green eyes, and then corrects with gentle baby dignity as she cups Antsy in her hands. "No. Ama not say I Caldera need pratise with wordsss. I Caldera say me need more pratise with puzzle." A bit of a smile that looks surprisingly wry for someone so obviously young. "I Caldera feral, ssso hard a remmbeber to talk 'steadda dino talk." Then she looks up at her mother.

Nightwish gives her a grave smile of approval, those molten eyes soft with affection for her little one, then turns back to Vik. "As she said, Caldera has a great deal of instinct from the alt mode that she was born with, so it isn't always easy for her to remember that she is Cybertronian and not a velociraptor. But your offer was very kind." Then she glances over her shoulder as a fresh wash of good smells floats toward them.

Vik smiles and nods, "Ah, I get it now, no problemo!"

She turns to look into Caldera's green eyes, "Miss Caldera, you keep up that practicing. That's the best thing to do." she grins widely, "Just do Momma proud, a'right?"

Vik looks upwards at Nightwish with a hopeful expression, "I'd love for little Caldera to keep Antsy for herself, if she wants him, and of course if it's alright with you."

About that time, some compelling aromas of food wafts across her nose. Once again, her grumbling, empty stomach reacts by growling like an angry cat. O.O

Vik's eyes pop in amazement, slightly embarrased by her noisy gut. She shakes her head and rubs her complaining belly.

"Man... is there coffee someplace? Maybe something to eat? I'm flat starving, no breakfast this morning before I landed in the Backwater..." she couldn't say more. She was trying to find upright, since the world was suddenly spinning.

The dizzy spell was overlapped by a wave of mild confusion. She knew what was going on, especially when the shakes began, followed by sweat beading on her face. Mild nausea was also making her feel awful.

"Oh dear. Okie, my blood sugar's crashing 'coz I haven't eaten anything today. Is there anything super sweet to eat, like immediatly?" She felt swoony, "...uh yeah- I feel faint... oh crud.."

Vik grabbed her cane handle with both hands and forced her back against the back of the couch, and planted both feet hard against the ground trying to ensure she doesn't somehow fall from the wash of vertigo and dizziness spinning her senses.

"...good grief-good grief-oy vey..." Vik clamped her eyes shut, then regretted it; dizziness worsened with her eyes shut.

"Oh, not cool, not cool!" Vik forced her eyes to focus on a tall tree not far away. She doggedly fixed her gaze upon it's unmoving trunk until the wave of vertigo subsided slightly.

"Oh wow, sorry. Can't tell when my glucose will crash this way. It's always quick to catch me when I've not eaten recently."

For the time being, the dizzy spell was subsiding, but the other symptoms weren't. Vik hated when her diabetes made a real butthole of itself like this.

Edited (Forgot some details. Edited.) 2019-09-15 20:38 (UTC)

Caldera squees quietly with concern as Nightwish gestures to someone behind Vik, in the direction of the park.

"H...h...here." A green hand as big as a pickup truck comes past the side of the couch that Vik is sitting on, offering a box from which comes the smell of freshly cooked sourdough bread doughnuts full of raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

The dizzy spell was returning like ocean waves, and about as nauseating. Vik was also well into a real bellringer of a headache.

Despite that, Vik glanced to where her nose directed her. She grabbed clumsily, as her eyesight was going blurry, everything whited-out, and sounds didn't sound right.

She shoved food to her mouth and bit. The sweetness and flavors of raisins and cinnamon greeted her. She wanted to eat faster, but knew better.

All she could hear was a dim, distant rushing sound. She could barely hear muffled voices that seemed distant, not near as they should.

She knew it must be Nightwish, maybe little Caldera. She hated that! Vik absolutely didn't want to worry her little friend.

Her vision slowly cleared a bit as she ate, followed by her mind clearing little by little. But that headache... that was gonna be sticking around.

It was then that a gob of green became a little more defined in her periferal vision. She reached out to touch the curious green object, but was very baffled at her senses.

She tried to shake off her confusion. Only one other time had her sugar-drop left her this way. She knew her glucose was mighty low.

She tried to find her voice, but couldn't quite hear herself to know if it was there.

She wasn't sure they understood her, but she attempted to tell Nightwish she couldn't see and hear well from her condition. Vik hoped her very impressive and sleek friend could make sense of her.

Most of all, Vik was sick at heart, angry at herself that she'd likely caused Caldera too much worry, or worse, traumatized her.

Vik knew human children could be hurt that way, but she wasn't sure whether Caldera would be or not.

Vik tried to say 'very thirsty', but had no clue if that's what her voice and lips produced.

"Easy," a gruff male voice said soothingly as something cylindrical was poked at her hand. "See if you can drink this, ma'am. It'll help balance your blood sugar, and it'll take care of that headache."

"Nineveh, Mouse, calm down," came Nightwish's calm voice in the background. "You're going to upset the woman. Caldera, use your words to ask the people to step away. Don't try to bite them. Thank you, Nova."

"She's worried she's scared Caldera," says another, lighter, female voice.

Some of Vik's hearing was trying to unfuddle, vision was still fuzzy, but not as bad as before. At least the dizzy-go-round had slowed some.

She hears a deep voice asking her to drink something as its pushed into her hand.

She grasps it, muttering a shakey and sincere 'thank you'.

Vik tried not to swig it all in one go, but was crazy thirsty, and the stuff tasted good! She forced herself to just swallow a little then pause, swallow some more, keeping things slow and steady.

In a matter of moments, her main symptoms all but disappeared, the hard headache was banging a bunch less too.

"Man, what *is* this stuff, smells good'n medicinal, but downright tasty!"

She tries to chuckle, but a ninja cough catches her by surprise. This time she drinks quickly to divert the cough, but secretly loved the opportunity to swig it.

She looks up into a face that seemed vaguely familiar, in an old, forgotten dream of a dream way. "Your face.. but how do I know you...?" She cocks her head sideways, "I know I'm muddled, but I think I've seen your face before, crazy as that sounds."

Vik smiles at him, "Well now, that was a little adventure. Thank you for this," she lifts the drink towards him in an appreciative toast. "To your life and health."

She looks down into the nearly empty cyclinder and chuckles softly, "Heh, I'd like your recipe," she respectfuly taps a symbol on his arm with her fingernail, "but I recognise Medical most anywhere, so that makes this proprietary i bet." She grins a cockeyed, rueful grin at him. "Thank you."

"I'm Vicki, just call me Vik," she giggles, "And please, i don't do 'ma'am'." She offers to shake his hand.

Shapes around her remained mildly out of focus, but were becoming clearer, "Bunches of thanks to all of you." she says to everyone nearby.

But one she did not see. Her fear jolted her. Her face changed to one of pained anxiety, "Oh no! Caldera, where's... how's Caldera?" She strains to see her.

Edited (Fixin stuff) 2019-09-18 22:24 (UTC)

"Easy!" The doctor's voice takes on a bit of an exasperated growl as he puts out a hand admonishingly. "She's over there, working crowd control with her friends. If you'll settle down, I can answer your other questions."

Vik's eyes pop then wince, as she looks downward, "Gotcha chief, yessir." She whispers a sheepish "sorry..."

Peripheral movement catches her eye. They look like Caldera. With that, she relaxes, and silently thanks God for His mercy.

Edited (Redo) 2019-09-19 19:49 (UTC)

"She understands you," says that light female voice, and a tiny brunette woman with grey green eyes that seem to glow very slightly looks over the back of the couch at her, and then up at the doctor.

"And don't call me 'Chief'. I get enough of that from all the bootlickers at Iacon Central." He grumbles like a far off thunderstorm, but then grumps in reply to a snerk from the young woman and looks back to Vik. "My name's Ratchet. And you probably have seen my face, since it's been on TV in a lot of realities. Though in the ones where it was on some TV show they got my commander wrong. And I don't know what's in the medicine, because Aoife made it to be what you needed." A large white finger taps the young woman gently on the head. "That's Aoife."

"Hi." Green peeks out of the grey in her eyes like sunshine from clouds.

"Does vant anymore doughnut?" asks another female voice, this one deep, but sounding young. And coming from overhead.

Lots of info zinging in from literally several angles all at once for Vik.

Though the drink and food had knocked out 99% of her symptoms, still, this was a dizzying experience.

She looks up at the one offering goodies and simply says, "please? And thank you so much." smiling widely at her.

She glances between Ratchet and Aoife, not quite sure how to proceed. Her southern manners were a triffle conflicted.

She looks at Ratchet and softly says, "Thank you. Now it makes perfect sense why you were familiar. Yep, you're in tv shows where i come from too. You remind me of my folks, my dad specifically. He was a DI, civilian aviation combat trainer during World War II. Stationed near Pearl; Hickam Field. He was shot up on the 7th.. like many were."

She pauses to look at her lap a moment, "That and other hats he wore. He was a hard working man." She looks back up at him, "You impress me as having his brand of guts."

Vik cocks a soft grin at Ratchet, "You talk just like him, dangit. Pleased to meet you. Maybe I'll have the chance to get acquainted with the *real* Ratchet this go'round, instead of the fictional one."

She shakes her head slowly, "sorry 'bout the 'chief' thing. It was poorly worded. He woulda snapped me on that too."

Vik looks over to Aoife.

"I'm pleased to meet you Aoife. Thanks so much for your drink! It really put a kaibosh on one of my worst glucose crashes. I truly thank you.

Vik looks up and gratefully receives another yummy doughnut from above, then looks at everyone all around.

"Well, if i don't step on toes, or rumple feathers someway, I'd really like to get to know all of you..."

She hesitated a bit, "I- I'm not used to being... Not too many give a durn 'bout me where i came from. Thank you all for... you know... caring enough to help."

She sighs. "I dont know how to thank you all. I don't think I'm used to so much kindness all at once."

Vik looks at Ratchet, then Aoife. She didn't know who to ask, so she asked both of them; "would it be possible... maybe, if i could stay here? In the Backwater someplace? I.. i don't get around too good. But maybe i can contribute back to the community some way? Cook maybe? Teach people to cook if they don't know how, or wanna learn? I dunno, i do a little art, make some things from scratch. Micro garden a little too, as i can. If its alright, that is."

She ducks her head a little. Waiting for the bad news, because that's usually how it goes. Why should things change now? Life back in her reality was.. she pops the doughnut in her mouth and nibbles it slowly.

Edited 2019-09-21 04:14 (UTC)

Aoife exchanges glances with Ratchet, and then the bot sits back as the small organic woman looks back down at Vik.

"Well, this is a town. Despite where it is, it's a lot like other small towns. There are a lot of empty houses, if you don't mind a McMansion that time forgot... things tend to just wash up here. And Ratchet's not actually our local Ratchet. He and his wife and daughter are just visiting for breakfast and some shopping. He wouldn't be against seeing you around, but he doesn't know when he'll be back after today." A quick glance toward Caldera as the baby glances at her and then a nod. "And Caldera says that Antsy wants to stay and take care of you. That's why he's sitting on your leg."

Vik blinks at Aoife, a little bewildered. She'd never considered there could be any other answer than 'no' to her remaining in the Backwater. It took a moment to absorb the fact she hadn't been rejected off hand, as life typically dealt out.

"I... wait, I can stay here? With all of you?" Her mind exploded in every direction with all the possibilities, lovely future experiences and the intense hope that gave her.

She stammered, stumbling over several sentences trying to express themselves all at once. She clamped her mouth suddenly, closed her eyes and held up a finger to reign in her racing thoughts. She sighed and resolved to start over, and to make sense this time.

"Aoife, are you saying i might stay here? Really?!" Then what Aoife said about Ratchet clinked into place in her head. "Wait... Ratchet is a different Ratchet than.. what did you say, your 'local' Ratchet? You mean he has twins, or there's more Ratchets?"

Vik's hand had clutched Antsy to her heart. It was an instinctive thing; many times he had been close this way when she was dealing with things, both good and bad. Thank the Lord, this time he was comforting her through some very good things.

The goofiest of cockeyed grins spread across her face, replacing her previous befuddlement.

"The Backwater's a fairly free country." Aoife grins, absently accepting something from someone Vik won't be able to see, and then carefully spreading a black Shetland shawl over the woman for a little extra comfort and warmth. "Though it won't let some people stay, the fact that it brought you here through a portal is a pretty good indicator that you're allowed to be here. And what I said about Ratchet... Well, this is a nexus between realities. Theoretically, anyone, from any place, time, or possibility can come here. Alternates often form lasting friendships, and refer to each other as alter siblings. Like that." She nods to where two Optimuses of Ratchet's tech are conversing together quietly and earnestly, the lights of a fire for roasting sausages glancing off their metal skins. But if Vik looks again, she'll see that one of those twins is slenderer and clearly female despite lacking anything like breasts, lipstick, or eyelashes. The other Optimus is a youthful looking giant with proud wings on his back, and a serious and compassionate face.

Wowwed and collating all of Aoife's words, Vik looks over to the indicated twins. The possibilities boggled her mind.

She snugged the lovely shawl close, thanking Aoife for it, then realized she hadn't the right undergear on for a public outing.

Her eyes popped and she tugged the shawl across her front, feeling very much exposed. Well, this place *had* yanked her from her home before she'd fully dressed for the day. She laughed nervously and hoped she didn't look the way she felt.

Vik cleared her throat and attempted to regain her aplomb. "The Backwater certainly seems to be far more than what meets the eye." she shakes her head slowly, still sorting all the details, "Thanks for explaining Aoife. Man, did i ever fall down the assumption-rabbithole."

Vik gives Ratchet a serious look, "Ratchet, please forgive me for interrupting your family outing, and for misunderstanding who you are. I hadn't a clue you weren't who i thought. I assumed you lived here."

About then, the aroma of roasting sausages reached her nose. She wished she had room, but she was still full from all the doughnut goodies and Aoife's drink.

Edited 2019-09-27 21:29 (UTC)

"You don't need to worry about that," the gruff old bot says soothingly, the finger that had touched Aoife's head now gently touching Vik's. "My wife's over there talking to her alternate, anyway." He nods toward that lady Optimus. "And if you find your way to the Black Dog you'll probably find me there about once a week, because I usually come for Ratchet Poker Night." Then his eyes flick to Aoife as the young woman makes a quiet comment.

Aoife has just noticed a cloud of little blue and red twinkles around Vik. "Oooops."

Vik, you might find yourself hungry now, and wearing a comfortable zip front sport bra.

Vik warmly grins at Ratchet, and pats his hand companionably.

"Thanks for being understanding. Hah, even at this age, i can still be a little wet behind the ears..."

She realizes her expression might puzzle more than edify. "Meanin', I'm out of my element here, for the time being. I'm hoping by the time we catch each other again, that I'm better about knowin' my way around the Backwater."

Vik chuckles, "The Black Dog, eh? Gotcha! Ratchet, i know nothing 'bout poker except its a good card game. Maybe i can watch you guys on Ratchet Poker Night sometime? Maybe learn how to play it that way."

Vik sees a flitter of colorful sparkly things as she's speaking to Ratchet, but didn't actually pay it much mind until Aoife's words sunk in. Followed by the sensation of things being ...better contained, which surely caught her attention. Her eyes bug.

"Oh!" Vik's head snaps downward at her chest, realizing she isn't indecent anymore. She looks back up slowly, then leans conspiratorily close to Aoife.

She whispers, "That's a neat trick! Ya *gotta* teach me that one sometime, Aoife." then grins at her.

Vik's stomach chose then to add emphasis to Aoife's words, "Yep, you're right! I'm feeling a gnawing fer sure. That sausage aroma's been killing me for a while now! Any chance of maybe having one or two?"

Vik remembers when she used to make gobs of sausage hoagies for friends coming over. She doesn't care if she can't make a hoagie this time. As Aoife said, she was now mighty hungry!

Edited (Edited) 2019-09-29 01:44 (UTC)

"Actually, watching them might just be a good way to learn how to cheat," says Aoife absently, her free arm coming up and disclosing the adorable knitted sleeping doll baby that she's holding as she turns toward the conversing Optimuses. "Oppy! Are you granting wishes blind again!???"

"What? No," comes a male voice. "God said yes to both of those."

The big Optimus with the wings turns toward Aoife, his mouth curving into an amused grin, and the movement bringing a human looking guy on his shoulder into Vik's line of sight. "He checked."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry, little Oppy." Aoife turns back to Vik.

Yeah, she just called the biggest Optimus over there "little".

Vik chuckles and shakes her head.

"Cheating in poker is a finely tuned artform, I've been told. It's just theory for me, fun to watch though." she mentions quietly watching for a telltale reaction from those present.

She grins, amused that so much of a person's inner character can present itself during many types of games.

She waves at the Optimus pair, thinking the smaller guy sitting on the biggest one's shoulder looked like he might be a mischievous, fun person. She hoped she could get to know them all.

"That's a cute doll, Aoife." Vik says, absently fiddling with Antsy's anteater nose, enjoying the softness of the little bean-filled stuffie.

Aoife cocks an eye at Ratchet's big cheesy grin, then snorts softly and turns back to Vik, her expression going gentle. "This is my friend Mabyn's daughter, Lowena. I'm babysitting her today. Would you like to hold her while I go get you some sausage and milk?"

Vik goes all gooshy as she had with Caldera earlier, fascinated and cuted out.

"Sure i would!" she says as softly as excitement would allow her, as she didn't want to wake the cutie. She gently cuddled little Lowena, softly tucking Antsy in along with the wee one.

Vik glanced up at that cheesy Ratchet-grin, and Aoife's reaction. She chuckled to herself, 'thought so' she thinks to herself and grins.

Vik smiles and whispers, "Thanks Aoife."

Edited (Avatar) 2019-10-06 01:10 (UTC)

Lowena feels as soft as bamboo yarn can feel. She also feels very warm and alive, while still having that squishy plumpness that a knitted dolly always does. When Vik takes her she moves slightly, her expression changes a little, and then she snuggles and goes right on sleeping.

Aoife grins again, and then hops off the back of the couch and jogs toward the fire, passing right under the female Optimus as that lady heads in Ratchet's direction.

And here is Nightwish, sitting and stooping down to be a good height for talking.

"We must go," she says softly. "It's time for me to bring Caldera and the other girls to school. Perhaps we'll see one another another day."

Over behind her, and behind Ratchet, Caldera is standing between two other little Cybertronian girls of a more classic construction. They're both about a foot or so taller than her, and one is a soft buff-coloured child with quiet and smiling blue eyes, while the other is golden and has the watchful attitude of a seasoned Marine on dangerous duty.

Vik looks into the little one's sleeping face. "Perfection. Lowena, you are every bit an angel. I hope you stay an angel." she says almost too softly to be heard, snugging her blankie a bit better around her.

Hearing the familiar voice of Nightwish, she looks up and nods to her, understanding.

"Nightwish, it was great to meet you and Caldera, i hope we get that chance again too."

Vik smiles at Caldera and her companions, waving gently, so as not to jostle Lowena.

"Take good care Nightwish, and thanks again for all you did. God bless you."

"We come nearly every morning, since the Prime's daughter wants to attend the school here." Nightwish nods in return, then turns her head to watch as two of the little girls wave back and the golden one frowns watchfully. "And I was only doing my job." She turns back to give a quick small quirk of a smile, and then raises gracefully to her feet without using her hands and walks away.

"Hem," says Ratchet softly, his gruff old voice now holding a trace of awkwardness and pride. "Vik, this is my wife. Optimus Magna."

The lady Optimus looks tired from this close, but she's got a friendly and kindly smile for the lady on the couch, and she's leaning slightly against Ratchet as he puts an arm around her waist.

Vik notes the frowny one's gaze. "Wow" she mouths silently. "That is one serious soldier, right there." she says softly to no one in particular.

She smiles back at Nightwish as she rises without effort. Vik shakes her head in wry appreciation. 'You guys make it look so easy.' she thinks inwardly, wishing it could still be that easy with her own joints and bone structure.

Just then, Ratchet introduces his wife. Vik looks up at her and smiles widely, "I'm happy to meet you Optimus Magna!"

She looks at Ratchet, "You didn't tell me she's so pretty, Ratchet!" Vik notices she looks kinda weary though, and wishes she could help some way.

"I hear you're visiting the Backwater on a family trip today. I hope its been a good one so far."

"It's been good so far," says Optimus, her optics glinting with wry humour. "The kid's only run off. Nothing's exploded."

For a moment Ratchet looks like he's bitten a lemon, but then his expression clears. "Nightwish says she just joined their group and is going to school."

"Oh. Good. We won't have to pay for property damage there," blurts Optimus, then blinks and looks at Vik, her cheeks pinking as she wonders if those sentiments are going to set the human mother off. "She's a science and medical unit, and she can't always judge whether it's a good idea to explore something or not."

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