Log Title: A Small Welcome
Characters: Tonka, Solstice, Encore
Location: Cybertron
Date: January 2nd, 2021
TP: None
Summary: A cross-dimensional traveler gets a greeting from Iacon's resident pest.
As logged by Tonka - Saturday, January 2nd, 2021
Solstice is ambling through the Great Dome area, looking about curiously. She's released from Medical now, all tidy and shiny. There's a pause ever tens of meters as she looks at something else, just learning the lay of the land.
Tonka whirs along to just get out of his quarters for something to do, and sees a new face. Of course, his idea of a welcome is rather unique, so making sure she can't see him, he whirrs up from behind her. Once in place, he waits until she stops, and hits his horn while simultaneously playing 'Stars and Stripes Forever' over his tiny speaker. "Hello, greetings, and welcome to Iacon, arena of fun and the best spot this side of Cybertron!"
Solstice pauses to peer off towards the Celestial Spires, smiling a bit. And as there is a tiny horn and small music happening behind her she snaps around and starts to look for the source. High, sideways, before tracking dow, and down again tuntil, "Oh.. Oh hello there. You're tiny."
The radio controlled tractor trailer begins to change, the trailer vanishing as the tractor begins to rise up, the rear section unfolding into a pair of legs, while arms extend from the sides of the cab as the headlights withdraw, leaving a pair of hands in their place. A head extends from the top of the cab roof, leaving Tonka standing at his full 8 inch height.
"That's me. Name's Tonka. Sabotage expert, micro-surgery specialist, and overall pain in the ass if you ask some of my colleagues, but I keep it all in fun." Tonka says with a grin.
Solstice huhs, staring down before slowly dropping into an easy crouch, elbows on knees. Still, she feels weirdly huge looking at the wee Autobot. "Oh.. Hi! I'm Solstice an'.. er.. I just got here. So, no collegues to call me anything really." she extends a hand, fingers closed save for index as way of a handshake.
Tonka grabs the end of the index finger and gives it a shake. "Yeah, I haven't seen you around before. Been on an assignment? I know the feeling, sometimes I'm gone for months gathering intel."
Solstice giggles softly, opticw bright with an honest delight at seeing such a 'bot. "naah. Thinkin' spacebridge accident got me here. Not sure what's been reported to who and where so, kinda keepin' myself onthe down low until I get through all th' command debriefs n all."
Tonka tilts his head slightly. "Spacebridge accident? I'm afraid you've got me there... so like... another dimension or something?"
Solstice shrugs, "Seems t' be the goin' theory. A bit too many differences for it to just be a time hiccup thing."
"Whoaaaaa.... cool!" Tonka says, his optics gleaming with excitement. "So what's the differences you've seen? Just things in different places, or...?"
Solstice hmms and drops onto her aft, sitting on the ground cross legged. "Well. Iacon's laid out a bit different. And in better shape." Wrinkling her nose, "Er, well there are folks here who are dead where I'm from aaand my creation date was December 21, 2029."
Tonka climbs up onto Solstice's knee as if it's something he's used to doing. "So, like you're from the future, but also another dimension. That's... far out."
Solstice settles herself and nods before shrugging, "Ye-eaaah, temporal aaan' a diminsional displacement. Dad'd love to examine how this happened. At least my dad would, not sure if he's th' same here and that's going to be weird. But!" She grins merrily, "Universal constant! Sunstreaker still has an attitude an' knows his way around wax and polish."
Tonka laughs. "Oh yeah. One time I borrowed a black wax pencil, and put 'scuff marks' all over his doors while he recharged. His energon pump nearly exploded when he saw it." Tonka says.
Solstice widens optics before covering her mouth as she giggle-chuckles. "I swapped his wax out with a tin of hand oil once." Giggling, "he did beat me with my own doorwing for that one but -so- worth it."
Solstice adds with a titter, "he smelled like Old Lady human for -days"
Tonka offers up a tiny hand for a high five. "Right on!"
Solstice gently ticks fingertip to the hand.
"I think someone once said, the more things change, the more they stay the same." Tonka says. "Sounds about right."
Solstice nods, "Yeah, I mean, could be worse, could've ended up dead. That'd sucked."
"Yeah. That would have sucked for sure. But, you're not, and we'll be happy to have you." Tonka says with a smile.
Solstice grins, "Thanks. It's been uh.. about 2 and a half days so far. Still -weird-. Have to remind myself that all of this.." slow wave of a hand, "An' everyone I meet isn't my place or my mechs. Like, it's like being built and comin' online all over again but this time with a list of names and maybe personalities and someone elses memories. have t' make new ones."
"Yeah.. I could see that. Like an old Earth TV show, Quantum Leap. You wake up in someone else's life sort of." Tonka says.
Solstice oohs, "yes! Just like that. I mean, that's an -old-, old, old show but it was a fun watch when stuck on wall duty or something."
"Oh yeah. I was on Earth for decades, I really like the culture. Spike has always been a great guy to help me understand it all. Kinda miss it sometimes, but we've got stuff to do here now." Tonka says.
Solstice ohs quizzically, "There's still an Autobot City, right? I mean, that's -home-. It'd be.. weird if it didn't exist here. That an' metro an' all."
"Oh yeah, ol' Metro is there, but these days there's a bit of a skeleton crew there. The 'cons have been more interested in pillaging Cybertron than Earth, but they still keep a lookout just in case." Tonka says.
Solstice's doorwings droop a bit, "Eh.. Guess that makes sense but.. I hope I can get back there. I mean, that's where dad made me an' brought me online. It's. Like home-home. I haven't been on Cybertron much at all."
"So, I gotta ask, who's dad?" Tonka says. "Alpha Trion built me, so I kinda consider him dad."
Solstice rubs at the side of her head and gives a sheepish smile, "Might not should say. Might make'em uncomfortable you know. Don't want t' do that. Be weird I'd think to find out that there's someone floatin' about that kinda really thinks of you as a creator but it wasn't you-you it was /another/ you. If that makes sense?"
"Ah... I get ya." Tonka says. "Yeah, that would be weird, I guess."
Solstice nods slowly, "And me bein' me. I'd forget and like, tackle hug or something. Gotta do the distance myself thing to get used to this palce."
"I figure you'll get into the swing of things pretty quick. It's been quiet, recently, but like they say in old Earth movies, too quiet. Makes you think the 'cons are planning something." Tonka says.
Solstice pfffs, "When are th' cons -not- plannin' something? I mean, I bet they plot even when they're asleep."
"Sure seems like it, doesn't it?" Tonka says. "Well, sounds like that's another commonality. Decepticons are evil skunks."
Solstice nods, "Yeah, they're creepy, backstabbin', meglomaniacal, and vindictive meanies."
"I like to mess with them whenever I get a chance. One time, I managed to sneak inside of Frenzy, and had him dancing the Calypso." Tonka says with a laugh. "Stuff like that."
Solstice giggles, "I'd love t' see a recording of -that-. Those tapes are holy terrors. I do less messin' around and ore defendin' and the occasional smack down here an' there."
"I wish I could smack down, but shooting them in the nose like I did to Starscream once just doesn't cut it. I gotta take a more sneaky approach." Tonka says.
Solstice nods, "I mean, you are -wee-, but that's a great tactical advantage, ya know. Easier to be overlooked. An' 4 ounces of force can overcome thousands of pounds if applied right."
"My philosophy exactly." Tonka says. "They never see me coming, until the roof is coming down on their heads with a few well placed scuttling charges."
Solstice grins merrily, optics bright, "See, exactly! Oooh, scuttling charges.. Can take a lot of things out with those placed juuust right."
"Exactly!" Tonka says. "Or they're about to fire up their base defenses, and suddenly their computer core explodes. Or like I did once, suddenly their own guns are targetting /them/ after I re-wired their targetting system from inside."
Solstice is sitting on the ground at one point or another, closer to the Celestial Spires, with Tonka on her knee. She's got a big grin as she says, "I mean, ship engines are fiddly bits of chaos. A few of those around coolant systems an' you get a nice delayed boom."
"Oh yes. Not to mention reactors. Funny how they react when their containment fields suddenly drop, doesn't it?" Tonka says with a grin.
Encore is apparently out on his rounds, making deliveries. He wanders back towards the distillery just outside town, towing a cart full of empty kegs behind him - he's evidently made a recent delivery to a speakeasy inside the industrial area.
Solstice giggles, "All kinds of theo-retical application of small force-big boom. Knowin' you can do that sort of thing's a logistical -dream- for a tactician."
Tonka looks over towards Encore as he approaches. "Looks like he's made another delivery of finely aged ener-liquors." he says with a grin.
Solstice hmms and follows Tonka's gaze, optics widening as she takes in the form of Encore hauling a load of "Is he pullin' -kegs-?" dreamy tone to her voice.
Encore looks over at the pair and waves cheerfully, still towing along his cart as he gets closer. "A'reet!" he says, cheerfully with his strong Highland twang.
"Yep, kegs, often full of the good stuff." Tonka says. "Heya, what's on tap today?" he says cheerily.
Solstice oooohs at the mention of 'the good stuff'. She waves from where she's sitting cross-legged on the ground, giving a jaunty grin, "Hi!"
Encore pats the kegs "Och I've only go' empties on me." He says cheerfully. "Jes' delivered a keg to one o' the workers' social clubs." He looks at Solstice "You'd be tha' new lass, aye? I'm Encore, pleased t' meet yez!"
"Awwww. Well, might have to come by the bar sometime, though I can only get a drop. You brew 'em strong, Encore, let me tell you!" Tonka says.
Solstice nods her head, "Yeah, I suppose I am.." she rubs at her helm. "Nice t' meet you too.. Are you a sir or just Encore? New faces, I don't know who's rankin' and who isn't here, aaan I don't wanna be /rude/ or break some social protocol or antyhing."
Encore chuckles "I brew 'em strong, I brew 'em weak, jes' gotta tell me what yer wanting." He smirks. "Nah, jes' Encore. I'm nae an officer and nor would I want to be."
"I'll keep that in mind." Tonka says.
Encore gives a cheerful wave as he heads onwards "Cannae stop, more deliveries to make."
Solstice hehs, watching Encore move off, "So, a brewer, wow you all are -fancy. Like pinkies out glitches.." She giggles softly.
"Yep! Sometimes you just gotta blow off some steam." Tonka says. "Well, I figure I'd better go take care of a few things. Good to meet ya!"
Solstice nods, "Nice meetin' you too! I should keep wanderin' and learn the layout so I don't get -lost- again."