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

[still_learning]

[Hey, he's not that young, though try him on the strong stuff and he'll be under the table in one.]

[pout!] I am not so young, perhaps, [headtilt] though... Master Drift would never permit us anything more than standard energon. He never took stronger than that himself. It is not becoming of a warrior to make fool of himself through energon, he taught us.

[He lifts an arm and looks around at his waist. He can barely see the ends of his nunchucks sticking out there.]

They are likely tarnished. I will need to clean them later.

[planate]

Well, I mean if you wanna get completely tanked with a group of people there I'm sure as hell not gonna stop you. Stuck in a place like this, we gotta have fun some time!

[like, all the time. there's nothing to do.]

I'm sure there's something to clean them with in the medibay, if it's bothering you. I'm starting to think being caked in mud is the new fashion statement, though.

[still_learning]

[Get... tanked? Buh?]

I suppose I would like to have fun. Commander Russell tried to show us what that was like. It is like a combat simulator, like this, is it not?

I have a cloth in my subspace to maintain my weapon, but I appreciate your help.

[planate]

It's more, like. Relaxing. You know what that is, right? I don't need to get a dictionary to prove it's a real word.

[jetstorm you are too tiny and adorable to be like ultra magnus.]

[still_learning]

[He nods. He knows. He's just not down with your lingo like all the other cool bots.]

I understand relaxing. I have done this before, but maybe not as you have.

[planate]

Awesome! Good. Fantastic.

I think you'll fit in here just fine.

[still_learning]

[tinysmile]

It is a good start, at least.

[He peers around himself, looking at all of the mess and the... egh.] Is whatever did this still around?

[planate]

I--uh.

[he looks around.]

No. I don't think so... it looks like the city residents either all left or...

[trails off. or died.]

[still_learning]

[He kinda figures that might be the case. He just didn't want to say it aloud.]

Then perhaps we should go where the others are.

[planate]

Yeah! That. Good idea. Let's. Do That. C'mon.

[he'll just go to lead jetstorm back to the populated part of the city lalala]

I don't know what to do now but they must make more cute

[still_learning]

[nodnod]

[Populated areas sound good. He'll follow along like the lost little Minicon he is, equal parts curious about and horrified by the world he's in now.]

I GOT IDEAS

[planate]

[he'll lead, just occasionally pointing things out, not always something interesting or useful but something pipes thinks is cool. eventually, they reach the bar, and he turns to jetstorm.]

I can show you where the regular stuff is. Now is a good time as any for a break.

OMG TELL *SITS*

[still_learning]

[Well, it's a big place, at least. But everything is big to him. He's more interested in who all's actually here and how they're going to survive in a place like this. Looks like whatever hit it hit the whole world.]

I would be grateful. [He's seen one such... similar? establishment. Back on Cybertron. His Cybertron. But this is... Okay, he'll deal.]

SIMS MODE /spam clicks 'gossip'

[planate]

[pipes hops over the counter because he is a SICK NINJA and roots around, popping up after a few minutes.]

Here. [he pushes a cube forward.] D'you mind if I ask what your uni-- uhhh, last memories are? Before here?

oh no now I need to play this game again SOMEONE MAKE A JETSTORM MOD

[still_learning]

[He's a little surprised to see Pipes just jump behind the counter like that, but okay, who else is gonna serve them in this place?]

I am afraid I have no credits with which to pay for this.

[He hops up on one of the stools and stands on it - stands! - to accept that cube from him.]

I was on Earth with Master Drift and Slipstream. We had just completed a mission helping Bumblebee and his team sort out a conflict with the bounty hunter, Fracture, and his Minicons. We parted ways to return to our ship, and then I was here. I... have a vague memory of something calling to me, but I do not know if it has anything to do with what has happened to me, how I ended up here.

[He peers up at Pipes over that cube, holding it loosely between his hands.]

What do you remember before you came here? I have not seen a design like yours before. [yeah, well, about that]

if only, id actually reinstall it

[planate]

Hey, it's on the house! There's no currency here. Y'know, cause everyone... left.

[or died.]

I see... I think we were in deep space somewhere on the Lost Light.

[he won't elaborate because it makes him sad to think about. GUESS WHO'S ALSO DEAD IN HIS CANON?? TTTTTTHIS GUY

an opportunity for changing the subject, however. pipes flexes like the heinous nerd he is.] Could be any reason! Cybertronian frames are all over the place now. You ever seen Fort Max? Guy's huge!

yeah, same here. I'm so lazyfais

[still_learning]

[That makes him feel a bit less guilty about drinking it then. He'll pop the corner and take a sip and listen. He likes a good story, for sure!]

I have not. Is he bigger than Master Drift? [really look who ur talkin to life with him is a constant case of whiplash]

plus windows 8

[planate]

[that makes him laugh.]

I don't even know if he'd be able to fit into this bar! He's mahoosive!

fff yeah, I haven't tried it on that one yet

[still_learning]

[Oh, okay, have a little smile, even if he doesn't know what 'mahoosive' means. He can guess, given the context.]

That is quite large, indeed. Is he here, somewhere? I hope he can still get enough energon.

spoilers: ITS AWFUL

[planate]

[YEAHHH HE GOT A SMILE HES THE WINNER]

I don't think he is, but I'm fairly sure he usually does.

[he taps his fingers against the glass.]

So, uh. What's the Drift you know like?

ffff good thing I still have a machine with 7

[still_learning]

[They're not that rare from him! Just... for now.]

[sipsip]

Master Drift is a great sensei and a powerful warrior. He is wise, and he has been teaching us all that he knows about self defense and peace of mind. They are difficult lessons, but we do our best.

STUCK WITH 8 SOB

[planate]

Huh. Is he into all that spirituality stuff as well?

[if jetstorm ever finds Other Drift, that might get a bit awkward.]

aaaaaaagh nooooooes

[still_learning]

He does talk about the spirit of the warrior sometimes.

[He's so not somewhat looking forward to this if only to see and be sure that this isn't the Master he knows.]

10 soon tho

[planate]

...Yeah, pretty different from the one I know. I don't think even he takes himself that seriously.

[he taps his chin.]

People keep showing up, though. Maybe he will. That would be fun to see.

RITE?

[still_learning]

[So definitely not the one he knows, then. It feels.. really weird to think like that, even though double names aren't that unheard of.]

I hope he will. And Slipstream, too. They will be so worried when they know I am gone and they cannot find me.

[He pushes the cube from one hand to the other with a finger, listless, worrying himself and it's pretty clear to him now this isn't really a simulator of any kind. He just doesn't have any other way to explain it.]

What happens to those who are not here? Do they even realize that we are gone?