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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Lowena frowns with quiet interest as the hand she puts up to push away the pooty sound at her tummy gets a pooty sound too, then regards the dolls with a little smile as she listens to the nice lady. Her attention is diverted as Ratchet makes a throat clearing sound.

"Would you like to meet the young ladies that gave the little cakes?" he asks Vik, his mouth twitching as Lowena gives him her intent and interested frown even as she fishes through her blanket for something.

Vik notes that Lowena isn't enjoying the raspberries. That was puzzling. Most babies would be laughing hysterically by now and begging for more. At least most would in Vik's reality.

She smiles gently, and apologizes to Lowena for the raspberries. "Forgive me little Lowena, i thought you'd like them, since they sound silly and tickle. I won't do that again." Vik smiles sheepishly.

She hears Ratchet and looks up. "Oh, I sure would Ratchet, please?"

Lowena makes a little smile and shakes her head, then pulls a wooden doll bottle with handles out of her blanket and holds the pointy end to Vik's face, her expression going intent.

And Ratchet grins, hugs his wife with one arm, and waits till the doll baby is finished.

Vik blinks for a sec, then grins happily. It had been so many years, she was a tad shocked she'd forgotten this game. She pantomimes sucking the baby bottle, making nom-nom sounds.

"Yuum-yum! Thank you, that was nummy!" and very gently snugs the little dollbaby. "Do you think Antsy and Lynxie would like a sip maybe?"

Vik holds up Antsy and Lynxie for Lowena to see, and giggles at herself. She can't believe she'd forgotten this little game.

Lowena nods and carefully feeds both small dolls, then pats them gently before patting Vik and putting the bottle to her own mouth and giving every indication that she's having a very enjoyable drink. As she drinks her embroidered eyes turn up toward Ratchet.

"As I was saying," says the old medic gruffly, pointing high up and behind Vik's couch. "This is Mouse."

Mouse... is huge. A humanoid behemoth of sandy coloured metal with massive tank treads along the sides of her arms and legs, and a titanic cannon poking up from behind each shoulder. Yet despite her size and her obvious combat build, and the fact that Vick probably can't see her face from that distance and angle, her looming as she sits there behind the couch is unmistakably benign.

Vik is patted and grins a goofy grin at Lowena, gently cuddling her a bit.

Vik then looks in the direction Ratchet indicated and felt that same awe she did when meeting Nightwish earlier. She grins up at this huge person, liking her very much already.

She gently waves upwards with one free arm, "Hiya Mouse, it's nice to meet you! And thank you for the goodies!"

Vik loves the Cybertronians. They're so much more impressive and amazing in person, than on a show. Vik admires them, each one seems to have their own uniqueness, their own specialties.

And why should this seem unusual? Every living soul is exactly the same; each has that one thing that sets them apart and makes them who they are, and thus special.

Vik sighs. She is amazed and delighted in meeting each one.

Edited (Editing) 2019-10-31 22:43 (UTC)

"Guten tag," says that deep to the point of almost rumbling, but still soft alto voice that Vik heard earlier. "But goodies vher not made by Mousie. Mousie make cookies. Nineveh ist zhe doughnut maker."

One massive arm goes back behind her and gently pulls a woman into Vik's line of sight. Nineveh is much shorter than Mouse, only about forty foot tall. She is hugging her knees to her chest and making every sign of trying to hide, but it's very easy to see that she's an organic person. Covered in soft, slightly bluish kelly green fur, her body squishes out in the ways that only a very curvy woman squishes. Despite the way she's sitting, her bright yellow ruffle top dress somehow manages to keep her from any embarrassment by having a skirt that appears to be solid underneath. Massive black boots similar to army boots and a braided bracelet bigger around than Vik is complete her outfit. Her face is partly hidden by bouncy curls the same colour as her fur.

Mouse gently hugs Nineveh to her side. "Zhis ist Nineveh, mien newest Schwester."

Nineveh makes a soft sound of distress and hides her face against her knees.

Ratchet makes a soft cluck of concern and sympathy.

Vik is surprised to see a person being lifted around into view.. someone who looks absolutely terrified.

She wished she could comfort her, since she used to be incredibly afraid of people when she was much younger. Vik didn't know if she was afraid of being lifted, or what exactly. But Nineveh looked just like she felt way back then, when people terrified her so.

She smiles at Nineveh, and greets her, "Hello Nineveh, guten tag. It is very nice to meet you and Mouse. Danke for the doughnuts! You both make wonderful goodies!" Vik smiles happily.

She scrunches up her memory fishing for a dusty, old one, tries to say things with the right accentuation, "Guten tag mien freunden... freundens? Oh my, I'm sorry, i botched it. My German-speaking days are so out of practice, I've forgotten too much."

Vik halfway remembers the word 'schwester', its so familiar! She pokes through her oldest memories, then remembers her dad's words; "How does it sound, kiddo? That'll always help you remember what the word means." That's what dad taught her, and it usually helped her learn languages when she was small.

Vik smiles nervously, hoping she has it right, "Schwester is sister, right?" It bugs her that she's gotten so rusty.

Vik noticed Nineveh's clothing when Mouse lifted her nearby. That skirt intrigued her! How many times such a skirt would've saved her from some horribly embarrasing displays over the years.

"I like your dress and skirt design Nineveh, i really do! Looks very comforting and comfortable."

Vik is trying to push away the awkward memory of falling up a wall at church when she was 13, landing with her caboose exposed like the subject of a junior high biology class dissection.

Then there was that time she had not felt that her skirt was stuck in the waistband of her underwear as she was coming from the bathroom at the same church... but everyone else noticed.

Vik smiles, at least she could smile about it now. Back then, she simply hid. Kinda like poor Nineveh seemed to be doing.

Edited (Editing) 2019-11-15 12:21 (UTC)

"Ja, zhat ist Schwester," says Mouse, her massive hand gently rubbing her sister's arm encouragingly. "Nineveh talk now?"

Nineveh scrunches smaller, then forces herself to lift her head and suck in a deep breath then speaks in a voice nearly too soft to hear. "T...th... thank you. I'm gl...ad you like them. I..."

Panic hits, and she hides again with a soft mutter of apology.

"Maybe you'd better bring her home, Mouse," suggests Ratchet softly.

Mouse shifts slightly, obviously turning her head. "Ist rude to vrun away, Doktor."

"You're not running away," the old red and white says with tender gentleness. "You're taking care of your sister. I think Miss Vik's episode scared her pretty badly. She could use some quiet time." Beside her husband, Optima is nodding, her face creased into a frown of concern.

Vik feels awful. She was worried about Caldera, when all along it was poor Nineveh that her blood sugar drop effected the most!

"I am terribly sorry Nineveh, *please* forgive me? I'm diabetic you see, my blood sugar went very low earlier. Without yours and Mouse's goodies and Aoife's drink, i might've ended up in a diabetic coma. You helped me greatly, you *all* have, and i *deeply* appreciate it. Saying thank you just isn't thanks enough."

Vik tucks her head in shame, hoping not to hurt or offend anyone else.

"Nineveh, I'm so sorry i frightened and overwhelmed you, i really am."

She understands how Nineveh feels, at least she believes she does. She's felt that way countless times, and its killing her that Nineveh is suffering so on account of her.

It's times like this that Vik wishes she weren't disabled, diabetic, or any of her other health problems.

Yet, despite kicking herself, she knows God has His plan. Somehow, He always works something important into situations like this.

He works out beautiful things even in weak people.

Vik sighs. She has to conceed that all weaknesses are the stage for God's limitless strength.

But she still feels extra awful for hurting Nineveh, possibly other people.

She shrinks inward and hugs herself a little, as though feeling cold. But it's her wishing she could just fall through a crack in the floor, mortified that yet again...

((Note to self: I made a mistake. Nineveh is actually TWENTY SIX foot tall. Smaller than I thought.))

Nineveh shrinks smaller at being spoken to, then forces herself to lift her head and push her hair back. This reveals a pair of storm grey eyes that are wide with panic attack. "N... no. I... I get frightened any... anyway." She squeezes her eyes shut, then brushes impatiently at her face with a shaking hand as two dark streaks appear in the fur of her cheeks. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

And then here's Aoife, a slice of bread with sausage sliced on it in one hand, and the container that had held the medicine in the other. Dark grey eyes with specks of green laughter in them give Vik a gently stern look.

"Stop that," she says softly as she comes to perch her bum by Vik on the couch.

Vik looks up at Nineveh, she nods to her slowly, "Thank you my friend, i am better."

She shifts to cuddle Lowena as gently as possible, trying to sort out her thoughts.

Old memories are intruding and overlapping the present forcibly. She shakes her head, eyes shut, wishing her memories would just vanish, and leave her alone.

Vik feels someone sit down beside her. From her peripherals, she notes that it is Aoife. Vik hears her words, then confused by them, tries to sort out what she's doing that needs to stop.

She looks up at Aoife, confused, a panic attack at the edges of her awareness. Vik nods and bleakly assents that she must stop. Though she's not sure what that means, as she tries to control the runaway feelings, memories and other confusion.

She tries to focus strongly on Aoife's green flecked eyes, trying to pin down something tangible in the here and now to push back at the panic attack with. "I'm sorry Aoife, i.. I'll try, thank you."

Edited (Typos) 2019-12-10 03:49 (UTC)

"I mean the kicking yourself," says the small woman gently, as she sets some things aside and leaves them floating in mid-air. "Do you want a hug?"

Vik blinks, still sorting all the words, both past and present, they're all jumbling together.

She's trying to keep a grip on the present, while the old images, smells, thoughts and memories wash in and out like tidewaters. But she thinks she grasped the moment correctly, she *thinks* she understood Aoife.

She nods a little and offers a hug. Vik hates it when a panic attack intrudes, like all the other health problems and issues she tries to stay afloat amidst.

She tries to slow and pace her rapid breathing, her heart racing away, and softly whispers "don'wanna be this way, i'm sorry".

Edited 2019-12-12 06:27 (UTC)

Aoife's hug is firm and comforting, and seems to come with a feeling of understanding and a faint hint of sadness related to her own emotional issues. It also comes with a chuckle as Lowena squeaks approvingly about being squished.

"You don't need to be sorry," Aoife says softly.

Vik's eyes seem almost glazed as she accepts the hug. She's beginning to feel less inundated. Sometimes the panic attacks are mild, sometimes not.

She wishes she could help Nineveh feel better. Its an awful thing to feel lost on an ocean of panic storms, emotions trying to drown you.

"Thanks Aoife, thanks for understanding." Vik muses that people who aren't harsh or uncaring are getting rare. It's nice to realize they're not altogether extinct here.

Suddenly an itty bitty squeak startles her. She looks down at Lowena and is slayed all over again by her cuteness.

"Well, nothing wrong with a squishy hug, is there little one?" she says and chuckles softly.

She looks up at Aoife and snickers. Its amazing how comfort and reassurance can come in small packages too.

Edited 2019-12-17 04:36 (UTC)

Aoife laughs out loud as Lowena flails gleefully before snuggling, her tiny face showing an unmistakable big grin.

Then the small brunette looks up from the dollbaby and lets go of Vik except for a hand resting gently on her shoulder. Softly, she answers Vik's thoughts. "I'm paying forward what was given me when I first came here. You have some handicaps, but I..." She looks down, her cheeks darkening with old shame. "I was a nine year old murderer with a bomb in my head." A deep breath makes her shoulders move, and she looks up again, her softly glowing eyes grey now. "But people here took me in. They saved my life, and gave me a new life. This may be a Backwater where the flotsam and jetsam wash up, but it's also a place of new chances. And God is here, just like He is in the real world."

Vik watches Aoife's face with gentle eyes, listening to all she says, then smiles softly.

"You have it in one word; God. This is His Backwater. Whoever washes up here surely came by His plan."

She smiles with joy into Aoife's face, "He's good at making things new, swapping beauty for ashes, making us all new creatures in Christ Jesus. He's the owner of new chances."

Vik looks at her arthritic hands, no longer slender, deft and delicate as they were decades ago. She smiles warmly, "You know, even flotsam and jetsam is treasure in His hands, and has a purpose in His plan."

She looks up at Aoife and pats her hand gently, "Let it go sweety. You have dark places in your past, same as i do, same as everyone. He led you through it, not away from or around it, and that made you grow. You're now stronger. Whatever He has in mind for you, i think its obvious you're in the midst of it, you're doing it."

Edited (Edited) 2019-12-19 06:11 (UTC)

The glow in Aoife's eyes intensifies slightly as Vik speaks, though it stays soft enough to be more a guess than a certain fact. But the grey seems to fade like clouds, and the green once more shows like sunshine after a storm, softened by knowledge as the small brunette nods.

"I know," she says quietly. "I know. And it... might be a little easier for me to tell when I'm doing His will than it is for humans, because this?" She holds up a hand and soft grey-green twinkles the colour of her eyes swirl in a tiny tornado over the palm. "...Only works if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. If it's not His will, I can't do it."

"Dat," notes Lowena, pointing to the mug of milk and the bread and sausage that are floating in empty air.

((Lowena said, "That".))

Vik's eyes glitter with happiness, nodding at Aoife, acknowledging that all she's saying makes perfect sense to her.

Then Vik's eyes dart down to little Lowena, who has just said, "Dat."

She chuckles softly and gently smoothes Lowena's hair. Vik's eyes dart to what the little dollbaby is pointing at. Vik looks back up at Aoife, grinning ear to ear.

She gently points to the grey-green glittery tornado swirling above Aoife's hand and says, "Dat. Dat right there."

Vik's not always good at expressing herself. But whether Lowena meant to or not, she sorta underscored the point she'd been trying to make.

"One verse of Scripture stays with me, no matter where i go, who i meet, or what all is happening, the one about all good things come from our Father in Heaven. So.."

She nods to the swirly tornado, indicating all that Aoife can do by that, and points to the floating food nearby, "..to me, all these are some of the many good things that the Lord grants us, His blessings. The talents He places in our care to manage until He returns to reward His faithful servants. We just gotta remember not to bury the talents He grants us. It seems to me that you're doing very well by turning five talents into ten, Aoife. Dat."

Her eyes drop to her lap, "I.. i don't always say things well enough for others to understand what I'm getting at, but i hope you understand."

Vik looks up sheepishly, offering an understanding and sisterly hug.

Aoife gently returns the hug, then scoops Lowena up as the doll baby hops to her while she straightens up. "I guess Lowena thinks it's time to trade baby for food.'

She looks down at the doll as the little one nods and quietly repeats her single little baby word, then looks back to Vik as the food floats over to where the older woman can reach it.

"I have a family now," she says, nodding. "Something I never dreamt of before I came here. You see that dizzy redhead over there spinning in place? The one in bright pink and purple."

The girl in question is a tall, lanky, but big boned early teen, her orange hair standing up in all directions as she twirls. A black-haired girl who looks like a cross between a purple naga and a flower is watching her silently, her arms folded on the arm of a soft brown couch.

Vik giggles at Lowena's antics and reactions and reaches for the delicious smelling food, bringing it to her lap. "Thank you both, I'm gonna enjoy this!"

She listens intently, and looks in the direction Aoife indicated, tilting her head a little.

"Oh, okie, i see them!" She smiles and waves gently to them both, sausage in one hand. "How colorful! They're your family?" She begins eating the yummies and trying hard not to eat as ravenously as she felt.

To herself, she thinks, 'woah, this is some awesome sausage! The milk tastes rich too.' She's struggling against the urge to gulp the milk down, same as her childhood self wanted to gulp good milk quickly.

Vik's attention is momentarily lost in the sausagey deliciosness. It's way better than any sausage she's had before. She forces her attention back to Aoife and her family, eyes still wide from enjoying the yumms she's munching on.

She's torn between slowing down to savor things properly, and munching quickly from a huge case of hungries.

"That's two of them," says Aoife, snorking softly as the redhead falls over. "I adopted four daughters and a son before I was married. My husband brought more kids into the mix."

She glances toward Vik. "There's goose liver in the sausage, and beef heart, as well as cow hock and mutton head. I hope you don't mind the crust off the bread. The lady's had so many complaints from people who couldn't bite through it that she just takes it off her trencher slices now."

Then she looks back to the girls as a soft purple twi-lek about ten years old comes running up and jumps on the redhead, getting a very cat-like yowl in response. "Violet, if you get Deidre too excited she won't be able to sit still in school."

Vik chuckles softly as she watches Aoife's kids having fun. "Kids are kids are kids, no matter where, or who they are." She tries not to cackle at the feline like yowl.

"Oh?" Her eyes widen appreciatively as Aoife describes the sausage's meat selections. "That's a great mix right there. And all meats i like!"

Vik chomps and almost makes a hungry cat growl. Almost, she did just remember her manners in time.

The bread was extra yummy... sourdough! Vik plowed in enjoying the sausage juices that had soaked their flavors in. Her eyes popped then slowly closed while she savored unrepentantly. She smiled as she washed down the last of her great meal with some of that gorgeous milk. *such a goofy satisfied grin*

She gets so caught up watching the fun and play that Aoife's girls are having that the upcoming belch almost catches her 100% unguarded.

She stifles and hides it as softly and quickly as possible, eyes popping in the effort. She slightly ducked hoping no one noticed!

She looked at Aoife, "Oooh my... oooh that was extra delicious! Thank you so much Aoife! I was ravenous!"

Edited (Fixed typos and assorted oopsies. x.x) 2020-02-01 03:54 (UTC)

Aoife's laughing. Then she shakes her head a little, grinning. "You're welcome. And don't worry. Not many people here care about burps."

A deep base note rumbles out across the area about then, causing Deidre and Violet to fall down laughing.

"See?" Aoife lifts her eyebrows, then settles back and looks serious. "You're welcome to stay in the Backwater, but before you decide, I need to let you know that some people here shoot their friends for fun, others don't wear very much clothing. The thunder is usually some Transformer with an air pocket, and there are spooks that go bump in the night."

"Dat," comes the little comment from her arms.

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