Is this what humans call magic?

[still_learning]

Who: Jetstorm, OPEN
Where: In da city
When: NAOW-ish?
What: Meet n greet
Warnings: Cute. So much cute. And possibly lots of confusion. For Jetstorm.

[There's not much more disorienting than following your sensei back to the ship and suddenly, those aren't trees you're passing by, but tall structures - buildings, to be sure. They look almost Cybertronian in nature, but he can't remember Cybertron looking this worse for the wear the last time he saw it. No way it was. They'd been in the process of rebuilding it, years into the process of rebuilding it. Highways had been clean, buildings stood tall and pristine, and that group of craters and mess was not in the middle of the road, no they were not.]

[He's not going crazy. He's sure of it. But those were not there a moment ago. For that matter, things that had been there are now gone. The trees, the bushes, the dirt under his feet, Master Drift, Slipstream...]

[Wait, that's accurate, right? His teacher and partner? Jetstorm looks all around him in a growing panic.]

Master Drift? Slipstream?!

[Yeah, nope, they're definitely not around. And if this is some kind of training, it's the most realistic simulation he's seen to date. When did their exercises get so sophisticated?]

Comments

bangs fists on table MINIBOTS MINIBOTS

[planate]

[pipes had been wandering around, as he was wont to do. struggling to find something to do, not really caring where he was going. he'd found another pixel deer to take to mayday, currently screwing around with its alt mode cube.

luckily, the city being nearly empty and dead meant that echoing was a thing. he couldn't make out the words and took a few minutes to actually start in the right direction, but eventually got to the point where he could understand "drift" and "slipstream."]

Hey, pal! [he calls. he should be more careful with the people showing up but lol.] I haven't seen Drift around. He's probably off somewhere meditating about ...something. Yeah.

[smooth.]

I NO RITE I WISH I COULD FIND A SLIPSTREAM D:

[still_learning]

[Oh, what is this? The bot looks Cybertronian, in a way, and he can't deny that's an Autobot emblem right square on his chest. But something about him just doesn't look right, like he's seeing a whole new design of a bot. He can't quite put his finger on it, but it looks off.]

[It's not a look of a bot he doesn't think he can trust though, at least he's not getting that immediate impression. And he knows Master Drift. Always a plus. Maybe his luck is changing!]

Master Drift is here? But I do not understand. Why would he not respond? [He takes a look around himself and... just doesn't know where to start.]

What is this place?

one day....

[planate]

Master Drift?

[oh god has pipes suddenly stumbled into a whole world of stuff about drift he doesn't want to know??]

It could be the comms, there's not very good reception here yet.

[he leans down slightly. it's not often he sees little dudes smaller than him. jetstorm is kind of adorable.]

Cybertron. We haven't figured out exactly where on Cybertron though. [he snorts lightly.] I'd guess Kaon though, seeing as it's a total slaghole.

maybe...

[still_learning]

[That makes more sense. Cybertron is still being reformed for all he knows, but it's not all back together again. And yet...]

Cybertron? I was just on Earth, following the Master back to our ship. I do not understand how this could have happened. Is this a simulation?

[He remembers something calling him, maybe, but the memory is hazy, like he might have been glitching at the time.]

[planate]

Yeah I don't... really get it either. Which isn't much help. Sorry. Not a quantum scientist.

[he's very casual about it. honestly, this isn't all that weird compared to some of the bullshit that went down during the war.]

What's your name? I never knew anyone who called Drift 'master'.

[or took drift seriously in general.]

[still_learning]

Ah. [Well, they're both at a loss on that one, then.]

I am Jetstorm. Master Drift is my sensei. He took me in, and I learn and train under him. What is your designation?

[planate]

Pipes.

[well, he's never set this little guy before so he can only assume different universes.]

There's a Drift here but he's probably not the one you're looking for. Y'know, so many Cybertronians, double names are bound to happen! Ahah. Ha.

[still_learning]

[He has a point.]

[droop]

I suppose there may be. Are we, the three of us, the only ones here?

[planate]

Hey, it's okay.

[he sees that droop and kneels down, putting his hand on jetstorm's shoulder carefully.] Someone else you know might be here.

And, ah. No. There's others. I don't think there's anyone openly hostile, even the Decepticons, but I'd be careful regardless.

[redshitlord]

[Yeah well, this guy probably isn't the one the little guy wanted to see. Given the last thing he remembers was Drift being a big jerk and bothering them all before just taking off.]

[That, and he's still incredibly unsure of how to handle the situation with Grimlock. So, once more, Sideswipe is out and about and kicking rocks into windows. Petty vandalism on broken buildings.]

[Sorry, little guy. You'll have to get his attention.]

[still_learning]

[Oh! Hey! A familiar face! Who happens to be making holes in buildings that already have holes in them.]

[He'll let that one slide for now. Right now he needs his bearings, and Sideswipe is the one thing around here that he trusts. He hurries to catch up to him, damn little legs.]

Sideswipe!

[redshitlord]

Huh?

[At first, he looks around, and up. Because everyone he's met so far were either taller than he is, or the same size. It doesn't immediately occur to him to look down.]

[But when he does, his optics go a little wide.]

Whoa, hey! Aren't you one of Drift's little... guys? Kids? ... shoulder pads?

[still_learning]

[Yeah, he's used to that.]

I am my Master's pupil, yes. I know you... from Earth. You have been caught in this as well, I see.

[redshitlord]

Right, right. Are you just... here? By yourself?

[still_learning]

I am. I found someone else, who was very kind to me, but I did not recognize him. He is called Pipes. Do you know of him?

[redshitlord]

Uhh, nope. Not ringing any bells. Grimlock's here too though. And Jazz. Buuut that's about it from Team Us.

[still_learning]

[Huh. But no Slipstream. And potentially no Master Drift. Right.]

I see. He was walking around here, like you are, though I do not know why.

[Really, why would anyone want to be here? It's terrible here.]

finally gets to this

[imatruck]

[Grimlock did what he did best: smashing junk. It didn't hurt anyone since it was already destroyed, right?

Anyhow, he's coming in from the air in one of his classic cannonballs, body slamming a big pile of scrap metal into more scrap metal. Watch out for shrapnel, Jetstorm.

Rising from the junkpile, Grimlock sees the little minibot and comes running over.]

Hey, you're that little guy hangin' around uh...Drift, right right hehe.

[Grim he just said Drift.]

omg OWO

[still_learning]

[He's busy wandering the place now that he's seen most of it, staring at... all of the broken everything when he hears that smashing nearby. Sounds like something's coming down over there! Here, just let him peek around this corn-... Oh, no, that's definitely coming down, but not because it's too weak to hold itself up anymore.]

[blink]

[That might've been a small earthquake under his feet if he hadn't seen the cause of it come rushing up to greet him. Still, he's glad for another familiar face. Have tinysmile]

Yes. I am Jetstorm. And you are Grimlock. I know you. [He peers around at the... well, he can't really tell what Grim was working on and what was already broken and busted.] Are you working on renovating this area?

[imatruck]

Yeah, Jetstorm! I knew that!

[When the dust clears, he shakes off the remaining dirt like a dog playing in mud. He crouches down to Jetstorm's level smiling.]

Does renovating mean smashin' stuff?? Cause then I LOVE renovatin'!

[still_learning]

[He'll have to lift an arm to shield himself, but he doesn't mind.]

In a way. It is making things like new again, but sometimes one must destroy to make new.

[imatruck]

Uh...

[Give him a minute.]

In that case, I made a whole lotta new little stuff!

my god he smiles more at Grimlock than anyone

[still_learning]

[He looks around, looks at Grimlock. And headtilt!]

I think you did. At least it could be used for... a walkway, instead of a road, in case there are others like us who do not have wheels or wings to get around.

grimlock has that affect on people

[imatruck]

[Hey, you're actually pretty helpful little bot.]

Hey...I didn't think of that! Why I'm helping people with this wreckin' stuff!

THIS IS AWESOME

[still_learning]

[He does that sometimes.]

This is true! Perhaps I can help as well. I believe I can start to form the sidewalk if you would like to keep making the materials.

[hey small things, right?]