Nexus and rVerse, Tarantulus and Showtime's Apartment and Dinobot Island, Christmas Party
yOp: *knocks on the door, a dorky red hat on his head and his mate and son standing beside him and grinning*
Tarop-tim: *looks up from the brightly-colored puzzle he was given* Oppy! Columba! :D
Showtime: *looks up from the datapad and bookfile she was reading, smiling a bit* Tarantulus went to make sure the base on Dinobot Island's insulated enough... And I think Elita-One wanted to talk to him....
Dahlia: *starting to smile, but then sees the stranger standing there by her uncle and her expression turns to a wary look*
yOp: *gentle grin for his niece, and then sets down a big box* I wanted to talk to him about something, so I guess I'll go find him. Will you be okay here, Columba?
Columba: Of course. *chuckles at her mate, her expression soft as she gently tugs the newcomer closer to her*
yOp: *kisses mate and vanishes*
Columba: *steers the newcomer inside and then goes to offer Showtime a hug* It's good to see you again.
Showtime: *hugs Columba* Likewise... How have things been?
Tarop-tim: *moves to pounce-snuggle Dahlia*
Dahlia: *braces shoulders against brother and frowns at that stranger*
Columba: *soft chuckle* Well... you know Optimus' problem with bringing things to life?
Showtime: ... *attention going to the youngster* You mean....
Columba: *softly* He finally made one for us. *reaches a hand toward her son, who looks tall compared to her tininess* Pipes, come say hello to your Aunty Showtime.
Pipes: *perks and turns his attention to the little blue femme* Hi. *yes, that's a grin behind his mask*
Showtime: Hello. *smile for the youngster*
Tarop-tim: *Curious headtilt* *Who is that other person in relation to Mama and Aunty?*
Pipes: We brought a lot of gifts. *bashful* I made some myself in the kitchen. *has a sweet deep voice that already suggests a hint of gentle gruffness*
Dahlia: *eyes the box*
Tarop-tim: *looks to Aunty and Dahlia. This is okay?*
Columba: *smiles at Tarop-tim and comes to hug him* Have you been good? *reaches out and pulls Dahlia close too*
Dahlia: *without hesitation* Yes.
Showtime: *moves to give Pipes a hug, chuckling softly*
Pipes: *hugs his aunt* I made a Christmas cake, because Dad said he hoped to have a party here with you.
Showtime: Well, once Tarantulus and Oppy return, we can start the festivities... ^_^
Columba: Though it might be alright to have some slices of cake after we put all the presents under the tree. *glances to Showtime to be sure this is alright*
Showtime: *nods*
Columba: *smiles as Pipes leaps over to the box and starts passing packages to his cousins for them to put under the Christmas tree*
Elsewhere
yOp: *steps out of no where and appears in front of the local Ratchet*
Ratchet: *Startled cuss, stumbles back a few steps*
Tarantulus: *looks over from where he's inspecting part of the Dinobot Island base* *Small smile* Hey, Oppy...
Ratchet: *Stinkeyes yOp* You should think about wearing a bell or something... *Grumble*
yOp: But that would kind of defeat my purpose. *slight smile*
Tarantulus: *Chuckling*
Ratchet: *snort, moves to see what Bulkhead's doing*
yOp: *looks at Tarantulus* I was wondering. In a lot of realities with our tech Ratchet becomes nearly like a mentor to Optimus. You never had a chance to have that happen... but Ratchets make great grandpas....
Tarantulus: Tarop-tim would like that, I think.... *looks around, still a bit floored by the gift Elita and her team has given him*
yOp: *also looks around* *quietly* So you'll be leaving the Nexus soon?
Tarantulus: I'm still going to be working for Nemesis... But I don't want Tarop-tim to grow up without knowing his home reality....
yOp: Ahh. I see. *looks over at Elita as she joins Bulkhead and Ratchet. Wants to see how that femme feels about the old mech*
Elita: *amused grin at Ratchet's grousing about yOp, is glad that the old medic is still around, and part of her team. He's been her mentor and her friend since the first day of her command*
yOp: *quiet chuckle* I'd like to invite Elita and Ratchet to the party that's starting at your place, Tarantulus.
Tarantulus: *nod, chuckling softly* *and then he's startling as Desinex pokes him in the back to get him to move out of the way so she and Prowl can bring in some furniture*
yOp: The rest of the crew could visit the Black Dog, if they wanted. There's a DnD show soon.
Tarantulus: *Chuckle* I think they'd like that...
yOp: *grins* Great. I'll make sure Bumblebee has enough money to buy himself some souvenirs. *finds the young bot to do so*
Tarantulus: *Chuckles and goes to speak to Elita and Ratchet*
Back at the apartment in the warehouse
Pipes: *passing out slices of cinna Christmas cake with big fat gummi raisins in it*
Tarop-tim: *wide, curious optics*
Dahlia: *finger in the white icing on her slice* ...
Showtime: *Gently patpats her son's shoulder, since that's the highest she can reach, even on tip-toes*
Pipes: *optics twinkle in a grin as he offers her her slice of cake*
Showtime: *Thanks him and moves to have a bite of her slice of cake*
Tarop-tim: *poking at the gummi raisins curiously, will have a taste*
Dahlia: *tasted her iced finger* ...o.0!
Tarop-tim: *pleased grin as he tastes the good fuel*
Dahlia: Thank you. *eat!*
Tarop-tim: *Does like big sister and thanks Pipes and Columba*
Columba: You're welcome. *smiles and then looks toward the door as she senses bots arriving*
Showtime: *Soft chuckle, moves to go get some of the fizzy energon Tarantulus bought, since he's given her a headcount for guests*
Tarantulus: *Opening the door for the guests* Don't worry, there's no mistletoe... *chuckles at his own joke*
yOp: *chuckles and then sparkles a piece over Showtimes's head as he comes in*
Tarantulus: *Saw what you did, yOp... and he finds it amusing* *chuckles and moves to kiss Showtime on the cheek before helping her with the fizzy energon*
Dahlia: *sits up and gives Ratchet that wary look as she spots him*
Elita: *Soft snerk, attention going to the youngbots. Then she's blinking a bit when she realizes that the two mechs are new*
Ratchet: *curious about Dahlia, Pipes, and Tarop-tim*
yOp: Elita, you've met Dahlia. This is Showtime and Tarantulus' son Tarop-tim. And this is my and Columba's son, Pipes. Guys, this is Elita Prime, Ratchet, and Drifter.
Drifter: *is that white face that's peeking over Ratchet's shoulder... But there is no wariness in his optics, only a child's curiosity* Hi! :3
Elita: *nod, smiling as Tarop-tim's attention goes to her*
Pipes: Hi. *optics twinkle as he cuts more slices of cake and offers them around, starting with Elita*
Elita: Thank you... *waits for Ratchet's reaction to the cake*
Ratchet: *Surprised expression is a go*
Drifter: Oooo, what's this? *Curious*
Tarop-tim: Good fuel. :3
Dahlia: Yeah, it's really good. *wary look relaxing a bit*
Tarantulus: *chuckles and passes fizzy energon around*
yOp: *looks around and then laughs softly as he realizes that ALL the presents went under the tree. Goes and gets the box of crackers and starts passing them around* These presents are for now.
Showtime: *Curious sound as she examines the cracker in her hands*
Tarop-tim: *Headtilt, moves to bring his cracker up to his mouth to give it a curious taste-test*
Ratchet: ... *Raised brow look as he turns his over and scans it*
Tarantulus: *Chuckles*
Pipes: *gentle hand between Tarop-tim's cracker and mouth* No, you don't eat it. Pull on the ends really hard, till it comes apart.
Drifter: *watches this curiously, his own cracker held in one hand*
Tarop-tim: *Blink blink* Oooh... *Will give that a try, startling when the cracker makes a loud popping sound*
Showtime: *Doorwings up!*
yOp: *quickly catches the handful of things that fell out of the cracker and offers them to the youngbot* *grin* Look at that, you got the lamb for the Nativity set.
Tarop-tim: *Clickstorm as he examines the plastic lamb and everything else that was in his cracker, including the toy car, the candies, and the hat*
Dahlia: I know what 'Nativity' means. That's one of the little toy sets that show how the Greatest Creator wrote Himself into the program.
Showtime: *Soft chuckle* That's right....
Pipes: Open yours now, Dahlia. *grins behind his mask*
Dahlia: *blinks, and then turns and carefully holds hers over the coffee table before giving the ends a yank* *excited clicks as she keeps the contents from rolling onto the floor* My candy is shaped like marbles! And I have a Nativity piece too. *picks up the little Mary, and the tiny toy turbofox and examines them, clicking softly and thoughtfully*
Tarop-tim: *Curious about what sister has, will bring his goodies and the lamb over to the coffee table*
Tarantulus: *Chuckles as he watches the youngbots interact*
Ratchet: *Soft snerk, can see that Dahlia is related to yOp somehow... Not that he wants to try and figure it out at the moment...*
Elita: Pipes, why don't you and Drifter go next?
Pipes: *looks up from watching his cousins* You go ahead, Drifter. Want me to help you down from Uncle Ratchet's back?
Ratchet: ... *A bit surprised to be called 'Uncle Ratchet'*
Drifter: Sure. *Carefully holds his cracker and reaches for Pipes*
Showtime: *Soft chuckle at the baffled look on Ratchet's face*
Columba: *also smiling at Ratchet's confusion, even as she moves to gently hug the old mech's arm*
Pipes: *once he's got Drifter he hunkers down with the smaller youngster on his knee and his hands out to catch falling loot* Alright. I'm ready.
Dahlia: *watching them curiously, waiting to see what Drifter has*
Drifter: 'Kay! *Will pull on the ends of his cracker, laughing and trying to help catch falling loot after the cracker comes apart*
Tarop-tim: *More clickstorm*
Pipes: You got a shepherd! What's your toy? *holds his hands closer for Drifter to poke through and to put what he'd caught into*
Drifter: *Big grin* A plane! And star-shaped, squishy candies... *headtilt as he examines the candies*
Pipes: Heyyyy. Strawbaby gummi berries! Nice.
Dahlia: *offers him one of her yummy bearings in exchange for one of his gummi berries, that thoughtful look on her face calling Optimus strongly to mind even as a slight wariness in her optics calls up someone else*
Drifter: *Will glady trade with her, and also with Tarop-tim, chuckling a bit when the younger mech thanks him*
Pipes: Tarop-tim, yours are called gummibots. *still has his cracker forgotten on the coffee table beside him*
Tarop-tim: *Small nod, headtilt* You've got yours to open too, Pipes...
Pipes: Oh right. *picks it up and then reaches around Drifter* Hold out your hands, okay, buddy?
Drifter: *nodnod, holds his hands out to catch Pipes' loot*
Pipes: *yanks his cracker, flinching and chuckling at the sharp crack, and then leans over Drifter's shoulder to see what he got* Energon bricks! And... the other shepherd and a corvette. Great! *picks up one of the lego-like candies to hold out in offer of trade to Tarop-tim or Dahlia*
Tarop-tim: *offers one of his candies in exchange*
yOp: *chuckling as he turns to Ratchet* Aren't you going to open yours?
Ratchet: *soft snort, moves to pull the ends of his cracker apart*
Showtime: *doorwings flick a bit at the crack*
yOp: *big grin* You got the baby.
Ratchet: *Soft snort as he picks up his clear silicon and glitter drops, as well as a little teddy bear. And then he's chuckling as Tarop-tim and Drifter both offer him pieces of their candies*
Dahlia: *also offering to trade, though that wary look is back in her optics*
Ratchet: *Gentle clicks as he offers Dahlia one of the silicon and glitter drops*
Dahlia: *gravely makes the exchange, and then frowns as she looks at his baby figure and then at her own figure*
yOp: *startles as his cracker comes apart with a bit more bang than crack* ...I'm going to have to have a talk with Disturbia...
Columba: *laughing after her initial eeek*
Tarantulus: *Soothing backrub for Showtime after she startles*
yOp: *grinning at his loot now* I have the donkey, and a doll. *and pretty little iridescent candies, of which he will try to feed one to his mate*
Columba: *eats and purrs softly*
Tarop-tim: *Will offer you one of his candies, yOp*
yOp: *grins and trades* I love strawbabies.
Columba: What did you get, Elita?
Elita: Let me see... *Will pull apart the ends of her cracker, optics flashing when she gets a whiff of Seekersalt, which is coming from the little sticks. There's also one of the wise men, and a rubber ducky*
Columba: Ohhhh, drumstick bones. Nice.
Elita: *Laughs as Ratchet offers her one of his silicon and glitter drops in exchange for a drumstick bone*
yOp: *teasing grin at the old medic, and then a quizzical look to Showtime and his own lady*
Columba: *shakes her head at him and then looks at Showtime* Should we open them at the same time?
yOp: *holds out his hands to catch her goodies*
Showtime: Sure... *Chuckles as Tarantulus does likewise*
Columba: One... two...
Ratchet: THREE!
Columba: *startles and pops her cracker*
Showtime: *ditto*
Ratchet: *chuckles*
yOp: *grinning and shaking his head at the old bot*
Columba: I have a wise man! And... *turns her toy over* Ohhhh, it's a magnetic jewel. Optimus, you rigged the distribution.
yOp: *steals one of her silly putty balls and grins more widely, but doesn't comment*
Tarantulus: *Snerks*
Showtime: Ooo, silicon chips! *will poke one at her mate's mouth*
yOp: *trading candies around, and gaining a nice mixed handful*
Pipes: What toys did you get, Aunty Show?
Showtime: *holds up the Joseph, lip components twitching a bit as she also holds up the sparkly ornament that was in her cracker*
Columba: *tilts head to look up at her tall mate*
yOp: *busy grinning at his candy and then looking expectantly at his brother*
Ratchet: *Chuckles* I'm surprised Elita didn't get one of those...
Tarantulus: *Pulling his cracker now*
yOp: She likes her duck. *grins at Elita and then leans over to catch Tarantulus' loot* *and pretend to make off with it*
Tarantulus: *Reacts by slapping something onto yOp's head*
yOp: o.0? *turns back, bringing Tarantulus' prizes where he can get them again*
Columba: *soft laughter at sight of her mate's new mistletoe hat*
Tarantulus: *Chuckles and reaches for his loot*
Showtime: *Snickering at the sight of the mistletoe hat*
Tarop-tim: *headtilt, puzzled expression is a go*
Pipes: Uncle Tarantulus, Mom kisses Dad all the time anyway.
yOp: *cough. BLUSH*
Tarantulus: *Laughs himself silly, nearly dropping his choccy flavored gummies, his wise man, and his miniature jet*
Pipes: *looking around with his head tilted slightly as he tries to figure out what was humorous in what he said*
Dahlia: *in the meantime has sidled up to Ratchet and is now holding her Nativity figure near his*
Ratchet: *soft chuckle, will move to set his Nativity figure on the coffee table, which gets Drifter's attention*
Drifter: *Headtilt, moves to put his Nativity figure next to Ratchet's* Huh... Doesn't look like it'll fit...
Dahlia: *goes to look at every one else's figures*
Pipes: *distracted* Fit?
Drifter: *nods and points to the base of his figure and to the base of Ratchet's figure* They're like puzzle pieces....
Pipes: *blinks and looks at his* Ohhh, hey...
yOp: *grins as the secret of his gift is discovered*
Showtime: I think this one, and Ratchet's, are the ones that go with yours, Dahlia... *Will offer the Joseph*
Dahlia: *pauses* Hey... *sets hers down* Yeah. *carefully tries to connect the pieces*
Showtime: *Gentle back patpat, accompanied by encouraging clicks*
Tarop-tim: *Looking at his piece and comparing it to the other pieces, before his expression brightens and he and Drifter are putting their pieces together*
Dahlia: *grins her Opish grin as she gets the three little figures connected. Looks up at the older bots happily and then looks at the boys*
Pipes: *offers his figure*
Drifter: *Moves his and Tarop-tim's figures over with a grin*
yOp: *down on his knees and working with the sparklets. Quiet clicks*
Columba: *grins at them after giving her figure, then looks up at Ratchet*
Tarop-tim: *Clicks to Dad as the older mech also gives his figure*
Elita: *Bringing her figure to the coffee table as well*
Ratchet: *Soft chuckle as he watches Tarantulus and Tarop-tim interacting*
Pipes: *sets the last figure in place and then starts slightly as the completed set starts to talk softly*
Tarop-tim: *Wide optics, clickstorm*
Drifter: Whooooah... cool! :-D
Dahlia: It's telling the story! I read that story!
Showtime: *Soft chuckle, glances at yOp*
yOp: *chuckling, his arms around his son and niece* Yes. That's the Christmas story.
Tarop-tim: *headtilts as he listens to the story, optics showing his curiosity and wonder*
Pipes: ...If He was coming to fix things, why wasn't anybody waiting for Him?
yOp: I guess they thought He was taking too long and He'd forgotten to come.
Dahlia: *snort*
Tarantulus: *Softly* He came when he was supposed to, and not a moment before...
Dahlia: Dumb guys. Sluffing off at their posts.
Showtime: Well, hardly anyone was expecting Him to come in the form of a baby, Dahlia....
Dahlia: Oh... right. But still. They should've been ready for any..mmmph.
Pipes: *hand over cousin's mouth* I wanna hear.
Ratchet: *Very soft snort at that... or maybe because he just got elbowed by Elita*
Elita: *Didn't elbow Ratchet, you can't prove it*
Pipes: *wondering once the story is over. Reaches to touch the nearest little figure and starts again as the set starts to play a soft, tinkling melody*
Tarop-tim: *very quiet clickstorm*
Drifter: *very quiet clicks, thinks Sari would like this sort of thing*
yOp: *grinning at the youngsters' wonderment* Is it time to cook dinner?
Ratchet: *Attention on yOp, raised brow look*
Tarantulus: *Gives his brother an amused Look* Dork...
yOp: Do you want early Christmas dinner or not? *grin*
Tarantulus: *Gives yOp a friendly and gentle shove* You're still a dork... *Chuckle*
yOp: *pulls another big box out of subspace and heads for the counter at the far end of the living room* I didn't know if you had any cooking stuff, so I brought my own.
Pipes: *distracted from pretty music. Gets to his feet* I'll make botnog to go with our cake.
Showtime: *moving to help with the cooking*
Elita: *Curious, moves to see just what's going on*
Tarantulus: *offering Ratchet a chair to sit in and getting an amused look in exchange*
yOp: *pulls out his cooking stuff. Then sets a box of drumsticks on the counter. Follows this with a big block of gummi turkey*
gummi turkey: *smells good*
Pipes: *happily mixing powders to make the perfect pepperminty botnog*
yOp: Showtime, do you want to mix up the mashes?
Showtime: Sure... *moving to get a bowl to do so*
yOp: *looks around and then brings a great big block of fine spongy stuff and a big bowl to Ratchet* Will you tear up the blitzbread for the dressing?
Ratchet: Alright... *Will start doing that then*
Pipes: *peeks over once his dad is back at the counter* Smaller pieces.
Ratchet: *Good-natured grumbles*
yOp: *hands Elita a big bottle* Shake that up?
Elita: Okay... *Will proceed to do so, curious about what's going on*
yOp: *gets out the bag of cranbabies and sets them on the counter, then sets to work hollowing out the center of the gummi turkey. Gives bites to anybody in reach who will open their mouth*
Tarop-tim: *Is one of the people in reach with his mouth open*
Drifter: *Is also in reach!*
yOp: *feeds the younglings, and his own youngling, then grins and gives some to Dahlia. Offers to Showtime and Elita*
Columba: *is busy making the presents fit better under the tree*
Elita: *Curious* And what's this?
Showtime: *Leans to nab some of the offered food*
yOp: It's gummi turkey. It tastes like an energon and mineral version of the human food called turkey.
Dahlia: It's good.
Elita: *surprised expression is a go as she tastes what she was given*
yOp: *grins and gets back to work. Makes the rest of the parts he removes into slices for sammiches and sets them aside*
Showtime: *Plays some Christmas music*
yOp: How's the dressing coming, Ratchet?
Ratchet: *snuck a few pieces of blitzbread, but has most of it torn into small pieces* Does this look okay?
yOp: *looks and grins* Yup. Now pour what Elita has on it and mix it around till the blitzbread's absorbed it all.
Elita: *Works with Ratchet to get the blitzbread and the bottle's contents mixed properly*
stuff in the bottle: *gummi turkey juice and sagely type flavorings. Smells very good*
Dahlia: *interested in the smell and comes to watch*
Tarop-tim: *Curious sniffing of the air, moves to see where the good smells are coming from*
Dahlia: *arm around brother's shoulders as she murmurs to him that she likes the smell of this gummi turkey juice*
Showtime: *Soft sound as she realizes there's no botter*
yOp: *looks around* What's wrong, Showtime?
Showtime: Did you bring any botter with you?
yOp: Oh. Yes. *reaches into box and gets out the jar* Here.
Showtime: *Doorwings up as she smiles* Thanks. *Will set to work mixing a small amount of the botter into the mashes*
Dahlia: *sniff sniff!*
yOp: *comes and looks at the dressing* Nice. *takes and fills the block of gummi turkey with it*
Tarantulus: *has finished hanging stockings, though he's not sure why Den and Dennis insisted that his family needed said decorations*
Pipes: *sees them and perks* Great! Now the Christmas elves have somewhere for goodies.
Dahlia: Buh? *distracted from nommy smells*
Tarop-tim: *Headtilt* Christmas elves? *Curious*
Pipes: Yeah. The ones like the one that comes to the Nexus every year. One came to talk to Grandpa in the Dream a little while ago.
Tarantulus: Huh... Maybe that's why Den and Dennis insisted on giving us these...
Pipes: *happy grin* They can come to the Nexus. Dad says so.
yOp: *busy basting his turkey*
Columba: *comes over and takes a long tube shaped piece of orange stuff out of the box, then starts slicing it*
Elita: What's that? *a bit puzzled*
Columba: Sweet botato. *grins* Oppy's going to candy it for dessert.
Elita: ... Botato?
Columba: It's what you call mashes when they're formed in a mold.
Elita: ...Okay then... *This is all very new to her, despite her having had cooked food before*
Showtime: *Soft chuckle, and then she's being kissed by Tarantulus when he realizes that she's still got the mistletoe above her head that yOp put there*
Dahlia: *finger on the dab of dressing Ratchet's wearing. NOM*
Ratchet: *bewildered look, until he realizes that he managed to get a bit of dressing on himself, then he's shaking his head and chuckling*
Pipes: *brings the oldbot a glass of botnog*
Ratchet: *Curious, thanks Pipes, will have a taste of what he's been given*
botnog: *smooth and pepperminty! Also has been spiked by a wise youngster*
yOp: *starts telling a story as the food warms*
Columba: *settles down to listen after setting the table*
rest of the evening: *pleasantly full of good food and good company*
((Co-written with random_xtras))