Nexus. Mall and 'Frag It'. Bugs!
guy at the 'Land Shrimp' shop: It's called a combat crab. *looking at the twenty pound block of claws, shell, and muscle that's crouching in a fortified pen to one side of his store*
Rat: Coooooooool.
guy: They're supposed to be good eating, but nobody's been brave enough to kill it and find out.
Rat: Oh, I so bet my kid could take dat on an' win.
guy: *shocked and doubtful look* I doubt it.
Rattrap: *grins wickedly* If she cin kill it, do I get it free?
guy: How old is she? *frowning deeply*
Rattrap: Thirty-two.
guy: Transformer?
Rattrap: Schadenfreude. *nope, still can't get that right*
guy: *more frown* What's that?
Rattrap: I'll let yanno when I figger out myself. *lets out a bellow that could put Boxcutter to shame* HRAFNI!
Hrafni: *slips out of the shadow of the counter, eyes wide and ears perked* Ja, Vader?
guy: 0_o!
Rattrap: *points to the combat crab with a grin* Think you cin take it?
Hrafni: *looks at it, walks over and looks more closely* Ja. I can.
guy: Wait up, she's just a little kid!
Rattrap: *grabs the back of the guy's shirt* She said she cin take it, bub. Relax.
Hrafni: *looks back at Rattrap* You vant me to kill it now, Vader?
Rattrap: Go fer it. We get ta take it home if y'cin.
Hrafni: *before the store guy can protest she's in the pen and has leaped onto the crab's back. There is a waving of claws and a crack.... And then Hrafni is holding the dead crab's face in her hands*
guy: 0_0
Rattrap: So, we get it free, right? *grins*
guy: *numbly, as he nods* That's five hundred dollars' worth of meat.
Rattrap: *lets out a low whistle* Dem's good eats, huh? Hrafni, be a doll an' take dat home would'ya? An' don' let th' runt get at it, it's fer th' whole ship ta share.
Hrafni: Yes, Vader! Do you vant me to cook it? Or should I make sashimi?
Rattrap: *taps his lips, then shrugs* Dere's a lotta meat dere. Make a whole bunch'a stuff, if y'cin. Dat way people cin get a variety, or pick 'n choose. Jus' make sure a bit's cooked fer Star.
Hrafni: Yes, Vader! *happy ear twitchings as she ducks into a shadow with her prize*
guy: They charge thirty bucks for soup made from boiling the shell.
Rattrap: *perks up* Really? I'll tell Hrafni ta whip some up den.
guy: *squirm* You can let go of me now.
Rattrap: ...Why so I cin! *lets go and brushes him off*
guy: *still slightly stunned* Will that be everything for you today?
Rattrap: Yup! Just that and what's in my cart. *points to a shopping cart filled with about $500 worth of bugs and things*
guy: You guys really like land shrimp. *starts ringing the cart contents through the till, carefully packaging the frozen stuff away from the dried and the live*
Rattrap: Hrafni only eats insects, and the rest of us are omnivores, so we're cool wit' it. *shrugs, then grabs a dried scorpion and crunches into it* 'Sides, th' crunch's good fer my dentals.
guy: *grins* Hey, they're better for the environment and for you than beef and all that junk. Have you ever thought about raising some bugs?
Rattrap: Uh... yanno, dat might not be a bad idea. Gonna be in space a lot, so not many chances ta refuel an' restock. *taps his chin, tail swishing thoughtfully* An' I did want dat lobsta' tank...
guy: Crayfish are easy to raise! I have a book right over here about that. *goes to the book rack*
Rattrap: *snerks* Was jus' gonna say, wouln't ya lose business if we grew our own, but CLEARLY y'got otha' ways t'make up fer it.
guy: We're spreading the idea that bugs are good food. The more people who raise them the better! *holds up book as he comes back*
Rattrap: Oooh, dey're like bitty lobstas! *snatches the book and starts leafing through it* You got all th' stuff fer 'em too, I take it?
guy: Not all of it. But the pet store on level four does.
Rattrap: Sweeeet. So if I take dis book up ta dem, I'd be all set?
guy: Just don't tell Aria you're going to eat the crayfish you want to put in the tank. Oh, and we have those here. *nods toward the right tank*
Rattrap: *snerks* Yeah, don' think th' pet shop'd be too thrilled 'bout dat.
guy: And don't try eating her crickets. She feeds them fish food. *sticks his tongue out, and then has a few of the fried crickets in the plate on the counter*
Rattrap: Fish food? *tilts his head* Does it make 'em taste funny?
guy: You better believe it does. *more yuck face even as he eats*
Rattrap: Ehn... *steals a couple cricketts himself* Any otha' lil' buggies dat I cin take home an' keep?
guy: Well, crickets are easy to raise, if you've got the food for them. Mealworms are really easy, you just need a jar of bran. If you could get sago palms sago grubs would be easy, but the palms are hard to get.
headSpazz: -Rhinox already has mealworms and crickets, Rat.-
guy: There are these alien shrimp; those swimmers in that tank, there. Plain fish food pellets are all they need besides a well filtered tank with a lot of room to move around.
Rattrap: Heh? *tilts his head slightly, then turns back to the guy* We got th' worms an' crickets already, as it turns out. But dem scrimpies look good. Cin ya eat the rock thingies?
guy: *going and getting a sample of cooked, frozen, and thawed rose shrimp for Rat to taste* Which rock thingies?
Rattrap: *points to the clams* Dem! Dem movin' ones!
guy: *blinks* Oh yeah. You can eat freshwater clams. You just have to get them to clean their guts first.
Rattrap: Cool! *presses his face to the glass, watching the shrimp and clams move around*
guy: You wanna taste the shrimp? *offers the container he just took out of the microwave*
Rattrap: Oooh, yus! *waggles his fingers and snatches a shrimp, nomming down*
rose shrimp: *delicate shrimpy texture... and a sweetish flavor*
Rattrap: ....So how much're dese again?
guy: A half a pound of frozen and cooked go for five dollars. A half pound of live goes for a buck fifty.
Rattrap: Could dey go in th' same tank as th' crayfish?
guy: Uh, no. The crayfish would eat them.
Rattrap: Nuts. Okay, gonna need two tanks den.
guy: That's why you need all the rocks and stuff in the crayfish tank, too. So they can hide from each other. Or you could just go the compartment method for the crayfish. But that needs extra equipment. It's more efficient, though.
Rattrap: Hmm... could prolly put the shrimp in th' rec room. Dey're sorta pretty an' fun ta watch. Compartment crayfish in th' kitchen...
headSpazz: -Or the garden area, with the other livestock.-
Rattrap: Yeah, dat too.
guy: Hmm? *looks at him quizzically*
Rattrap: *smiles as though he didn't say anything* So dese compartment tanks... pet shop got dem too?
guy: *frowns just a bit, but then shakes his head* They have the big tanks, but you have to send for the compartment units to put in them. There are addresses in the back of the book.
headSpazz: -Shallow tank'd be better... And the compartment things right over a bed with the clams in it. And that would all fit in Rhinox's weed set up.-
Rattrap: Ah, okies. We cin get all dat t'rough th' book den. An' save some cash, heh! Think we betta' hold off on buyin' the crayfish until we got the tank set up, dough, right?
guy: *nods* Yeah, they'd die otherwise.
Rattrap: Well, it sounds like Rhinox's got somethin' set up already, but I din't even know he was woikin' on dese projects. 'Course, I don' even know what Wake's woikin' on down in th' engine room half the time...
guy: Engine room? Oh yeah, you mentioned you lived on a.... *pauses and his eyes go wide behind his glasses* Is your ship in the Nexus right now?
Rattrap: Well, it was. I don' gotta pilot yet, so we ain't gotten very far, 'less Spazz decided to pull a prank on me.
guy: ...Is it a starship?
Rattrap: No, it's a sailin' ship. *eye roll*
headSpazz: -I can totally pilot the ship.-
guy: *quiet disbelief* It's not that Klingon Warbird over by the sign, is it?
Rattrap: What, by th' Sign? *blinks* I thought it was by th' Sanctuary! Spazz, you been movin' it on me?
guy: *confused, wondering who Rat's talking to*
headSpazz: -The sign's not that far from the Sanctuary, you dork. And more people know about it than they do about the Sanctuary.-
Rattrap: Ooh.... yeah, okay. *nods at the guy* Th' ship by th' sign is mine, yeah. Ain't she cute?
guy: *forgets his confusion to give a slight flail. He can't find his voice*
Rattrap: *blinkblink* You okay, buddy?
guy: *moreflail* How did you get a Klingon Warbird!?!
Rattrap: I... bought it?
guy: *has to go lean on the counter*
headSpazz: *laughing in the back of Rattrap's mind*
Rattrap: *eye rolls, then pats the guy on the shoulder* Y'jus' gotta know th' right people.
guy: *mournful* And I thought I was cool just because I have an apartment in a Nexus between realities....
Rattrap: Well, s'like I always say... Dere's always a bigga' gun. *shrugs*
guy: *sighs* Do you want to buy that book?
Rattrap: No, I'm jus' gonna walk off wit' it.
guy: *frowns at him* I didn't know if you wanted it, or if you had it all already stored in your robot brain, or if you wanted to get it another time.
Rattrap: I cain't even rememba' what my own kid is. Think I need th' book. *sets it on top of his pile*
guy: *rings it in too* That'll be five hundred and eighteen dollars.
Rattrap: Uh... cin you convert dat t'credit?
guy: *translates the price to Cybertronian of Rattrap's era credit, thus showing what a true nerd he really is*
Rattrap: *is both relieved and impressed, because he'd never get it on his own. He even throws in a tip for the kid*
guy: *grins* You have a good evening.
Rattrap: Sure thing, kid. Maybe next time I'll take ya onna tour a' my ship. *grins and winks*
guy: *grins a little wider* We've got more non-earth based bugs coming in sometime late next week. Come check them out.
Rattrap: It's a date den. *blows him a kiss and grins as he walks out with his purchases*
headSpazz: -Dork.-
Rattrap: -What? No harm in flirtin', is dere? 'Sides, it'd be funny ta watch 'is head explode with glee.-
headSpazz: -Thrrpt. Spazz says supper's ready.-
Rattrap: FOOD! *'points home, taking his things with him*
In the Frag It's kitchen
Rhinox: *presiding over a table that holds four dishes that range from a nice light soup, to chilled crab meat on ice. Salad and rice are on the side*
Spazz: *sitting on the counter and looking at Nightwish*
Nightwish: *sprawled on the big chair in the corner of the kitchen, wearing a croptop and loincloth not unlike the ones she wears as Black Agnes. One arm is over her eyes, and her belly-still showing no trace of baby bump- is sticking out*
Rattrap: *quickly stuffs everything in the walk-in freezer for now, then jumps into his seat*
Starcaller: *looks at the meal with trepidation, wondering if he can get out of eating bug guts*
Spazz: *goes and sorts the new food into the storage places they should be in*
Rhinox: Star, it's just meat. See? *shows him a bit of the stuff that's sitting all nicely cooked beside the butter sauce*
Hrafni: *packs in Dinobaby, who is covered with dustbunnies*
Starcaller: But I know where it's from! *whines, biting down on his lip*
Rattrap: Hey, if he don' wanna eat it, don' make 'im. More fer me, dat way!
Rhinox: *ignores Rat. Patiently to his son* What about the crab don't you like?
Dinobaby: *is set down in Rattrap's lap, and promptly slugs him one*
Starcaller: It's gross and gooey! You know they don't have real guts? It's just all gloop inside of a shell. Gloop, Dad.
Rattrap: *hits back with a snarl*
Rhinox: Actually, they have clearly defined guts. Do you want to see this crab's liver? Rattrap, stop that.
Starcaller: NoIdon'twantoseeitsliverthat'sGROSS! *flail*
Rattrap: *half-way through wrestling Dinobaby to the floor* He started it!
Rhinox: And I'll finish it. *sigh* Go ahead and eat salad and rice, Star.
Starcaller: *cheers and gets himself a big, heaping plate of rice and salad*
Rattrap: But! But he slugged me!
Rhinox: And how old is he, mentally? *frowns as he gets himself crab with butter to go with his salad and rice*
Nightwish: *shifts, belly flexing*
Rattrap: ....Well, he's gotta learn dat I don' take crap from babies!
Dinobaby: *looks at Rattrap with the big eyes*
Rattrap: *stares at those eyes* Primusfragit.
Dinobaby: *big grin* We play later, Vermin.
Rattrap: 'Kay. *gives the chibi a snuggly hug, then climbs back onto his chair, getting a plate ready for him and Dinobaby*
Hrafni: *looks up from bowing her head, now helps herself to crab from the ice*
Dinobaby: *happy chibi!*
Rattrap: *nearly loses a finger or five, trying to eat around the chibi*
Starcaller: *floats over the table, eating quietly*
Nightwish: *gets up and comes over by Rattrap to fill a plate for herself of the cooked crab with sauce and some rice*
Rattrap: Oh, dat reminds me.... *pulls out one of the alien shrimp from the shop* Here, babe, try this, would'ya?
Nightwish: *gives it a stink eye* Why?
Rattrap: Because it's good, an' you'll like it. It's cooked!
Nightwish: *curls her nose in a sneer, but takes the shrimp and puts it in her mouth*
Dinobaby: *is going to try and feed the belly*
Rattrap: *grabs Dinobaby's hand and directs it upwards* No no, kiddo. You feed th' baby t'rough Wish.
Dinobaby: *scowly, but offers Nightwish the bite of crab*
Nightwish: *stink eyes Rattrap but eats it and gives the chibi a slight grin of thanks. Then turns back toward the big chair without saying anything about the shrimp*
Rattrap: ...... *whispers to Dinobaby* I think she's mad at me.
Dinobaby: *whispers back, his breath piney fresh* Is!
Rattrap: What'd I do dis time?
Dinobaby: I don't know. *shrugs and grabs more crab*
Rattrap: How'm I s'pposed ta make it up ta her if I dunno what I done?
Dinobaby: *thinks on this as he noms a fistful of crab* Love on her?
Rattrap: Last time I tried dat when she was mad, she t'rew me 'gainst a wall! *steals a bit of crab from Dinobaby*
Dinobaby: *chomps at his hand* Stupid stinky. You bot 'n she's human!
Rattrap: Well, NOW I am, yeah! *baps him on the head*
Dinobaby: *bites him* Means you're safe now, stupid Vermin.
Rattrap: Oh, right. *pushes away from the table and wrestles Dinobaby to the ground*
Dinobaby: *growls and whomps Rattrap on the face as he wriggles. Is grinning and scowling at the same time*
Rattrap: *rawrs and rolls under the table with him, giving the chibi's belly a tickle*
Dinobaby: *squeal, flail, growl, bite, laugh*
Hrafni: *watching with perked ears as she eats*
Rattrap: *pins Dinobaby down, yelping a bit at the bites, then growls and leans down, blowing raspberries against the chibi's tummy*
Dinobaby: *squeal! Wriggle, giggle, flail, knee in the side of the head*
Rattrap: GAH! Brat, you'll pay fer dat!
Dinobaby: *just incoherently smacks him on the other side of the head*
Rattrap: Ooof! Why you lil'-! *almost knocks the table over as he pounces*
Rhinox: *kicks them both out from under the table*
Dinobaby: *catching his breath* >:\
Rattrap: 'EY! *rubs his side* Dat hurt!
Rhinox: You'll live. *eating again*
Nightwish: *snort*
Rattrap: *pouts, then picks himself up off the floor and stalks out of the kitchen... Then runs back in, grabs his plate, and stomps off again*
Dinobaby: *starts to cry, and slugs Hrafni for trying to comfort him*
Rhinox: *lays on the floor and lets the chibi beat him up*
Starcaller: *snorts into his rice* He is such a child.
Rhinox: He's serious when he needs to be. *grunts as he gets his nose bitten*
Starcaller: And you're letting a baby beat on you because he's throwing a temper tantrum.
Rhinox: *amiable shrug, then winces as Dinobaby gets distracted and tries to feed him some food off the floor*
Starcaller: You're just enabling him, you know. Encouraging his bad behavior. What would you do if I started acting like that?
Rhinox: Sit on you.
Starcaller: So it's okay if he does it?
Rhinox: Star, you're not Rattrap. *sits up, catching Dinobaby and snugging the wriggling and growling chibi close* You're yourself. If you started acting like him I'd deal with it. But I've been dealing with him for several hundred stellar cycles, and you can see how far I've gotten with it.
Starcaller: *makes a small noise of disgust* He's supposed to be our captain and a Prime. The least he could do is conduct himself with dignity instead of throwing a fit just because he doesn't get his way. It reflects badly on himself, and on the people who gave him his title.
Rhinox: Anyone who knows Rattrap's battle record sees him how he should be seen. Anyone else.... *gets up and sits at the table again* Surprise is always a good tactic.
Nightwish: *finishes her supper and goes Rat-hunting*
Starcaller: *pouts* There's a difference between being a good soldier, and being a good leader.
Rattrap: *in the rec room, his empty plate left discarded on a couch. He's playing DDR with the volume up as loud as it goes, and stomping away on the metal dance pad*
Nightwish: *chucks plate on floor and lays on couch, arm over eyes*
Rattrap: *sings along as he dances, his body twisting and turning in time to the music, feet never missing a beat* Do ya like ta dream? Ho, I like ta dream, momma. Do ya like ta scream? Hey, I like ta scream, baby. Do ya like ta scream? Oh, den scream it out! Dream a dream! Lova', take me in yer dream, take me anywhere ya please, baby yer makin' me scream. Ooh la da de, la da da, y'gotta dream a lil' dream.
Nightwish: *settles a bit, sprawls a little more. Rubs her stomach, which doesn't know if it wants to keep supper or not, and then drops into a doze*
Rattrap: *ignores her until his song ends, and only glances at her while his score is totaled up. He's too worked up and restless to snuggle*
Nightwish: *sleepy frown during the absence of music, but doesn't take her arm away from her eyes. She'll settle down again when the next song starts*
((Co-written with slaggin_preds))
Rat: Coooooooool.
guy: They're supposed to be good eating, but nobody's been brave enough to kill it and find out.
Rat: Oh, I so bet my kid could take dat on an' win.
guy: *shocked and doubtful look* I doubt it.
Rattrap: *grins wickedly* If she cin kill it, do I get it free?
guy: How old is she? *frowning deeply*
Rattrap: Thirty-two.
guy: Transformer?
Rattrap: Schadenfreude. *nope, still can't get that right*
guy: *more frown* What's that?
Rattrap: I'll let yanno when I figger out myself. *lets out a bellow that could put Boxcutter to shame* HRAFNI!
Hrafni: *slips out of the shadow of the counter, eyes wide and ears perked* Ja, Vader?
guy: 0_o!
Rattrap: *points to the combat crab with a grin* Think you cin take it?
Hrafni: *looks at it, walks over and looks more closely* Ja. I can.
guy: Wait up, she's just a little kid!
Rattrap: *grabs the back of the guy's shirt* She said she cin take it, bub. Relax.
Hrafni: *looks back at Rattrap* You vant me to kill it now, Vader?
Rattrap: Go fer it. We get ta take it home if y'cin.
Hrafni: *before the store guy can protest she's in the pen and has leaped onto the crab's back. There is a waving of claws and a crack.... And then Hrafni is holding the dead crab's face in her hands*
guy: 0_0
Rattrap: So, we get it free, right? *grins*
guy: *numbly, as he nods* That's five hundred dollars' worth of meat.
Rattrap: *lets out a low whistle* Dem's good eats, huh? Hrafni, be a doll an' take dat home would'ya? An' don' let th' runt get at it, it's fer th' whole ship ta share.
Hrafni: Yes, Vader! Do you vant me to cook it? Or should I make sashimi?
Rattrap: *taps his lips, then shrugs* Dere's a lotta meat dere. Make a whole bunch'a stuff, if y'cin. Dat way people cin get a variety, or pick 'n choose. Jus' make sure a bit's cooked fer Star.
Hrafni: Yes, Vader! *happy ear twitchings as she ducks into a shadow with her prize*
guy: They charge thirty bucks for soup made from boiling the shell.
Rattrap: *perks up* Really? I'll tell Hrafni ta whip some up den.
guy: *squirm* You can let go of me now.
Rattrap: ...Why so I cin! *lets go and brushes him off*
guy: *still slightly stunned* Will that be everything for you today?
Rattrap: Yup! Just that and what's in my cart. *points to a shopping cart filled with about $500 worth of bugs and things*
guy: You guys really like land shrimp. *starts ringing the cart contents through the till, carefully packaging the frozen stuff away from the dried and the live*
Rattrap: Hrafni only eats insects, and the rest of us are omnivores, so we're cool wit' it. *shrugs, then grabs a dried scorpion and crunches into it* 'Sides, th' crunch's good fer my dentals.
guy: *grins* Hey, they're better for the environment and for you than beef and all that junk. Have you ever thought about raising some bugs?
Rattrap: Uh... yanno, dat might not be a bad idea. Gonna be in space a lot, so not many chances ta refuel an' restock. *taps his chin, tail swishing thoughtfully* An' I did want dat lobsta' tank...
guy: Crayfish are easy to raise! I have a book right over here about that. *goes to the book rack*
Rattrap: *snerks* Was jus' gonna say, wouln't ya lose business if we grew our own, but CLEARLY y'got otha' ways t'make up fer it.
guy: We're spreading the idea that bugs are good food. The more people who raise them the better! *holds up book as he comes back*
Rattrap: Oooh, dey're like bitty lobstas! *snatches the book and starts leafing through it* You got all th' stuff fer 'em too, I take it?
guy: Not all of it. But the pet store on level four does.
Rattrap: Sweeeet. So if I take dis book up ta dem, I'd be all set?
guy: Just don't tell Aria you're going to eat the crayfish you want to put in the tank. Oh, and we have those here. *nods toward the right tank*
Rattrap: *snerks* Yeah, don' think th' pet shop'd be too thrilled 'bout dat.
guy: And don't try eating her crickets. She feeds them fish food. *sticks his tongue out, and then has a few of the fried crickets in the plate on the counter*
Rattrap: Fish food? *tilts his head* Does it make 'em taste funny?
guy: You better believe it does. *more yuck face even as he eats*
Rattrap: Ehn... *steals a couple cricketts himself* Any otha' lil' buggies dat I cin take home an' keep?
guy: Well, crickets are easy to raise, if you've got the food for them. Mealworms are really easy, you just need a jar of bran. If you could get sago palms sago grubs would be easy, but the palms are hard to get.
headSpazz: -Rhinox already has mealworms and crickets, Rat.-
guy: There are these alien shrimp; those swimmers in that tank, there. Plain fish food pellets are all they need besides a well filtered tank with a lot of room to move around.
Rattrap: Heh? *tilts his head slightly, then turns back to the guy* We got th' worms an' crickets already, as it turns out. But dem scrimpies look good. Cin ya eat the rock thingies?
guy: *going and getting a sample of cooked, frozen, and thawed rose shrimp for Rat to taste* Which rock thingies?
Rattrap: *points to the clams* Dem! Dem movin' ones!
guy: *blinks* Oh yeah. You can eat freshwater clams. You just have to get them to clean their guts first.
Rattrap: Cool! *presses his face to the glass, watching the shrimp and clams move around*
guy: You wanna taste the shrimp? *offers the container he just took out of the microwave*
Rattrap: Oooh, yus! *waggles his fingers and snatches a shrimp, nomming down*
rose shrimp: *delicate shrimpy texture... and a sweetish flavor*
Rattrap: ....So how much're dese again?
guy: A half a pound of frozen and cooked go for five dollars. A half pound of live goes for a buck fifty.
Rattrap: Could dey go in th' same tank as th' crayfish?
guy: Uh, no. The crayfish would eat them.
Rattrap: Nuts. Okay, gonna need two tanks den.
guy: That's why you need all the rocks and stuff in the crayfish tank, too. So they can hide from each other. Or you could just go the compartment method for the crayfish. But that needs extra equipment. It's more efficient, though.
Rattrap: Hmm... could prolly put the shrimp in th' rec room. Dey're sorta pretty an' fun ta watch. Compartment crayfish in th' kitchen...
headSpazz: -Or the garden area, with the other livestock.-
Rattrap: Yeah, dat too.
guy: Hmm? *looks at him quizzically*
Rattrap: *smiles as though he didn't say anything* So dese compartment tanks... pet shop got dem too?
guy: *frowns just a bit, but then shakes his head* They have the big tanks, but you have to send for the compartment units to put in them. There are addresses in the back of the book.
headSpazz: -Shallow tank'd be better... And the compartment things right over a bed with the clams in it. And that would all fit in Rhinox's weed set up.-
Rattrap: Ah, okies. We cin get all dat t'rough th' book den. An' save some cash, heh! Think we betta' hold off on buyin' the crayfish until we got the tank set up, dough, right?
guy: *nods* Yeah, they'd die otherwise.
Rattrap: Well, it sounds like Rhinox's got somethin' set up already, but I din't even know he was woikin' on dese projects. 'Course, I don' even know what Wake's woikin' on down in th' engine room half the time...
guy: Engine room? Oh yeah, you mentioned you lived on a.... *pauses and his eyes go wide behind his glasses* Is your ship in the Nexus right now?
Rattrap: Well, it was. I don' gotta pilot yet, so we ain't gotten very far, 'less Spazz decided to pull a prank on me.
guy: ...Is it a starship?
Rattrap: No, it's a sailin' ship. *eye roll*
headSpazz: -I can totally pilot the ship.-
guy: *quiet disbelief* It's not that Klingon Warbird over by the sign, is it?
Rattrap: What, by th' Sign? *blinks* I thought it was by th' Sanctuary! Spazz, you been movin' it on me?
guy: *confused, wondering who Rat's talking to*
headSpazz: -The sign's not that far from the Sanctuary, you dork. And more people know about it than they do about the Sanctuary.-
Rattrap: Ooh.... yeah, okay. *nods at the guy* Th' ship by th' sign is mine, yeah. Ain't she cute?
guy: *forgets his confusion to give a slight flail. He can't find his voice*
Rattrap: *blinkblink* You okay, buddy?
guy: *moreflail* How did you get a Klingon Warbird!?!
Rattrap: I... bought it?
guy: *has to go lean on the counter*
headSpazz: *laughing in the back of Rattrap's mind*
Rattrap: *eye rolls, then pats the guy on the shoulder* Y'jus' gotta know th' right people.
guy: *mournful* And I thought I was cool just because I have an apartment in a Nexus between realities....
Rattrap: Well, s'like I always say... Dere's always a bigga' gun. *shrugs*
guy: *sighs* Do you want to buy that book?
Rattrap: No, I'm jus' gonna walk off wit' it.
guy: *frowns at him* I didn't know if you wanted it, or if you had it all already stored in your robot brain, or if you wanted to get it another time.
Rattrap: I cain't even rememba' what my own kid is. Think I need th' book. *sets it on top of his pile*
guy: *rings it in too* That'll be five hundred and eighteen dollars.
Rattrap: Uh... cin you convert dat t'credit?
guy: *translates the price to Cybertronian of Rattrap's era credit, thus showing what a true nerd he really is*
Rattrap: *is both relieved and impressed, because he'd never get it on his own. He even throws in a tip for the kid*
guy: *grins* You have a good evening.
Rattrap: Sure thing, kid. Maybe next time I'll take ya onna tour a' my ship. *grins and winks*
guy: *grins a little wider* We've got more non-earth based bugs coming in sometime late next week. Come check them out.
Rattrap: It's a date den. *blows him a kiss and grins as he walks out with his purchases*
headSpazz: -Dork.-
Rattrap: -What? No harm in flirtin', is dere? 'Sides, it'd be funny ta watch 'is head explode with glee.-
headSpazz: -Thrrpt. Spazz says supper's ready.-
Rattrap: FOOD! *'points home, taking his things with him*
In the Frag It's kitchen
Rhinox: *presiding over a table that holds four dishes that range from a nice light soup, to chilled crab meat on ice. Salad and rice are on the side*
Spazz: *sitting on the counter and looking at Nightwish*
Nightwish: *sprawled on the big chair in the corner of the kitchen, wearing a croptop and loincloth not unlike the ones she wears as Black Agnes. One arm is over her eyes, and her belly-still showing no trace of baby bump- is sticking out*
Rattrap: *quickly stuffs everything in the walk-in freezer for now, then jumps into his seat*
Starcaller: *looks at the meal with trepidation, wondering if he can get out of eating bug guts*
Spazz: *goes and sorts the new food into the storage places they should be in*
Rhinox: Star, it's just meat. See? *shows him a bit of the stuff that's sitting all nicely cooked beside the butter sauce*
Hrafni: *packs in Dinobaby, who is covered with dustbunnies*
Starcaller: But I know where it's from! *whines, biting down on his lip*
Rattrap: Hey, if he don' wanna eat it, don' make 'im. More fer me, dat way!
Rhinox: *ignores Rat. Patiently to his son* What about the crab don't you like?
Dinobaby: *is set down in Rattrap's lap, and promptly slugs him one*
Starcaller: It's gross and gooey! You know they don't have real guts? It's just all gloop inside of a shell. Gloop, Dad.
Rattrap: *hits back with a snarl*
Rhinox: Actually, they have clearly defined guts. Do you want to see this crab's liver? Rattrap, stop that.
Starcaller: NoIdon'twantoseeitsliverthat'sGROSS! *flail*
Rattrap: *half-way through wrestling Dinobaby to the floor* He started it!
Rhinox: And I'll finish it. *sigh* Go ahead and eat salad and rice, Star.
Starcaller: *cheers and gets himself a big, heaping plate of rice and salad*
Rattrap: But! But he slugged me!
Rhinox: And how old is he, mentally? *frowns as he gets himself crab with butter to go with his salad and rice*
Nightwish: *shifts, belly flexing*
Rattrap: ....Well, he's gotta learn dat I don' take crap from babies!
Dinobaby: *looks at Rattrap with the big eyes*
Rattrap: *stares at those eyes* Primusfragit.
Dinobaby: *big grin* We play later, Vermin.
Rattrap: 'Kay. *gives the chibi a snuggly hug, then climbs back onto his chair, getting a plate ready for him and Dinobaby*
Hrafni: *looks up from bowing her head, now helps herself to crab from the ice*
Dinobaby: *happy chibi!*
Rattrap: *nearly loses a finger or five, trying to eat around the chibi*
Starcaller: *floats over the table, eating quietly*
Nightwish: *gets up and comes over by Rattrap to fill a plate for herself of the cooked crab with sauce and some rice*
Rattrap: Oh, dat reminds me.... *pulls out one of the alien shrimp from the shop* Here, babe, try this, would'ya?
Nightwish: *gives it a stink eye* Why?
Rattrap: Because it's good, an' you'll like it. It's cooked!
Nightwish: *curls her nose in a sneer, but takes the shrimp and puts it in her mouth*
Dinobaby: *is going to try and feed the belly*
Rattrap: *grabs Dinobaby's hand and directs it upwards* No no, kiddo. You feed th' baby t'rough Wish.
Dinobaby: *scowly, but offers Nightwish the bite of crab*
Nightwish: *stink eyes Rattrap but eats it and gives the chibi a slight grin of thanks. Then turns back toward the big chair without saying anything about the shrimp*
Rattrap: ...... *whispers to Dinobaby* I think she's mad at me.
Dinobaby: *whispers back, his breath piney fresh* Is!
Rattrap: What'd I do dis time?
Dinobaby: I don't know. *shrugs and grabs more crab*
Rattrap: How'm I s'pposed ta make it up ta her if I dunno what I done?
Dinobaby: *thinks on this as he noms a fistful of crab* Love on her?
Rattrap: Last time I tried dat when she was mad, she t'rew me 'gainst a wall! *steals a bit of crab from Dinobaby*
Dinobaby: *chomps at his hand* Stupid stinky. You bot 'n she's human!
Rattrap: Well, NOW I am, yeah! *baps him on the head*
Dinobaby: *bites him* Means you're safe now, stupid Vermin.
Rattrap: Oh, right. *pushes away from the table and wrestles Dinobaby to the ground*
Dinobaby: *growls and whomps Rattrap on the face as he wriggles. Is grinning and scowling at the same time*
Rattrap: *rawrs and rolls under the table with him, giving the chibi's belly a tickle*
Dinobaby: *squeal, flail, growl, bite, laugh*
Hrafni: *watching with perked ears as she eats*
Rattrap: *pins Dinobaby down, yelping a bit at the bites, then growls and leans down, blowing raspberries against the chibi's tummy*
Dinobaby: *squeal! Wriggle, giggle, flail, knee in the side of the head*
Rattrap: GAH! Brat, you'll pay fer dat!
Dinobaby: *just incoherently smacks him on the other side of the head*
Rattrap: Ooof! Why you lil'-! *almost knocks the table over as he pounces*
Rhinox: *kicks them both out from under the table*
Dinobaby: *catching his breath* >:\
Rattrap: 'EY! *rubs his side* Dat hurt!
Rhinox: You'll live. *eating again*
Nightwish: *snort*
Rattrap: *pouts, then picks himself up off the floor and stalks out of the kitchen... Then runs back in, grabs his plate, and stomps off again*
Dinobaby: *starts to cry, and slugs Hrafni for trying to comfort him*
Rhinox: *lays on the floor and lets the chibi beat him up*
Starcaller: *snorts into his rice* He is such a child.
Rhinox: He's serious when he needs to be. *grunts as he gets his nose bitten*
Starcaller: And you're letting a baby beat on you because he's throwing a temper tantrum.
Rhinox: *amiable shrug, then winces as Dinobaby gets distracted and tries to feed him some food off the floor*
Starcaller: You're just enabling him, you know. Encouraging his bad behavior. What would you do if I started acting like that?
Rhinox: Sit on you.
Starcaller: So it's okay if he does it?
Rhinox: Star, you're not Rattrap. *sits up, catching Dinobaby and snugging the wriggling and growling chibi close* You're yourself. If you started acting like him I'd deal with it. But I've been dealing with him for several hundred stellar cycles, and you can see how far I've gotten with it.
Starcaller: *makes a small noise of disgust* He's supposed to be our captain and a Prime. The least he could do is conduct himself with dignity instead of throwing a fit just because he doesn't get his way. It reflects badly on himself, and on the people who gave him his title.
Rhinox: Anyone who knows Rattrap's battle record sees him how he should be seen. Anyone else.... *gets up and sits at the table again* Surprise is always a good tactic.
Nightwish: *finishes her supper and goes Rat-hunting*
Starcaller: *pouts* There's a difference between being a good soldier, and being a good leader.
Rattrap: *in the rec room, his empty plate left discarded on a couch. He's playing DDR with the volume up as loud as it goes, and stomping away on the metal dance pad*
Nightwish: *chucks plate on floor and lays on couch, arm over eyes*
Rattrap: *sings along as he dances, his body twisting and turning in time to the music, feet never missing a beat* Do ya like ta dream? Ho, I like ta dream, momma. Do ya like ta scream? Hey, I like ta scream, baby. Do ya like ta scream? Oh, den scream it out! Dream a dream! Lova', take me in yer dream, take me anywhere ya please, baby yer makin' me scream. Ooh la da de, la da da, y'gotta dream a lil' dream.
Nightwish: *settles a bit, sprawls a little more. Rubs her stomach, which doesn't know if it wants to keep supper or not, and then drops into a doze*
Rattrap: *ignores her until his song ends, and only glances at her while his score is totaled up. He's too worked up and restless to snuggle*
Nightwish: *sleepy frown during the absence of music, but doesn't take her arm away from her eyes. She'll settle down again when the next song starts*
((Co-written with slaggin_preds))