I Found a Fox!

Log Title: I Found a Fox!

Characters: Chro, Skitter, Soundblaster

Date: November 14, 2021

Summary: Soundblaster finds a new friend.

As logged by Soundblaster - Sunday, November 14, 2021, 9:05 PM

Remote Desert Region[]

This remote northern desert is part of the Ring of Steel that circles Cybertron's northern pole. Cold winds drift silicate sand, clogging intakes and making it difficult for all but the most rugged Cybertronians to pass.

The Remote Desert region around Alyon has had some.. reorganization of the sand dunes. Some spread out in new ripples while others.. seem to have formed into a series of rings around slightly depressed pits. Global reports of planetary quakes put that this is the region that seemed to shake the hardest, along with some passing mention of odd energies. Towards the southerly edge of the region where the thicker silicate starts to break up into flatter lands, the ground itself is cracked from the plates beneath cracking from the buildup of pressure.

Soundblaster has intercepted some interesting transmissions from his new base recently, and although curiosity killed the cybercat, satisfaction brought him back. Soundblaster flies on using his hovercraft mode (take THAT, Soundwave! Useful altmode!) and transforms, landing just outside the region of reported 'weird energies' and pulling out a hand sensor to see what he can scan on his own. << Chro, eject, >> he orders in his staticky voice. << Operation: Reconnaissance! >>

Soundblaster's chest pops open and he ejects a tape, which transforms in midair into a cyber-raven. << Koww! >> the raven caws and glides over the area, its crimson optics sweeping the dunes.

It has been a few days since the rumbling happened and the sparse native 'life' is settling back into routines. Inset into one of the concentric dunes is a lump. Inside that lump of higher density is something else. There's a shake and shimmy and sand slides away from a small hole and out pops a head. A wide mouthed yawn as audials flick and shake, large, wide set audials on a small vulpine. Blinking optics open, it peers upwards at the sky, head tilting one way, then the other before a low yip-tik-tik call is emited.

<< Koww! >> repeats Chro, spotting the vulpine. It sends a signal back to Soundblaster, and then swoops around in a circle over the calling creature. << Koww! >> it screams back, optics blazing.

"What do we have here?" Soundblaster asks, in a voice like something from an old radio show. He approaches the small turbofox and kneels to look at it. "And what are you, little fox?" he asks, his voice soothing with subharmonic frequencies designed to calm brainwaves. "Are you sapient?"

Skitter tilts its head back and forth before letting out a warning trill-squack at the raven closing in. It further moves out of the sand hole, shaking itself out before gaping mouth, exposing small teeth along with a growl. Then.. something.. someone else looms and the fox squaals, flattening itself into the sand, tail curling around and lashing. Mismatched optics peer up at Soundblaster, growl-squeaking softly while those ludicrously sized audials pan forwards and back. There's a yip, then a slow turn of its head, and a slow blink beofre.. a tiny nod.

Soundblaster's optics glow brightly, and he glances at Chro.

Chro caws something vulgar - it's obvious in his tone.

"Now, now," Soundblaster says soothingly. "Let's not be rude. The little thing seems scared. Are you out here on your own, little one? Do you have a name? I'm Soundblaster," he says, trying to inject warmth into his radio-static voice. "This is Chro. Don't listen to anything he says. He's a big softy under those metal feathers."

Chro makes another, even ruder, sound.

Skitter gives a full frame, what there is of the small thing, shake before darting to its feet. The crow is given another look, another flash of teeth along with a threatening growl-kck-kck-kck. A sidesways skitter, dancing atop the sand as it spins around and back, darting to circle Soundblasters feet and twiat between them. It comes to a stop, peering upwards, one aidial flopped back, the other forward. A cough-hnnk sound comes from it before the tiniest of vocalizations, "I -awake-! Words! Things! Look! Sand!" dancing atop the sand again, "Know words now! Sand! Sky!.." skidding to a stop, quivering to sniff at Soundblaster before flattening, "Biiiiig... Sss... Ssssooowwwwnd.. k..k..b..blaster?"

"Yes! Yes!" Soundblaster replies, sounding genuinely happy. He reaches out to the little thing but stops before touching it. "May I?" he asks, large hand hovering over the tiny creature. "I can teach you more words. I'm a communicator! Do you have a home?" He looks around. "These dunes can be dangerous for a little thing like you. Would you like to come home with me?"

Chro squawks in protest.

Skitter's audials flatten back and it peers around before sitting, tail looping across its front. The ravn is given yet another tooth-bared expression as hackles rise then flatten. A mournful yip-whine and a shake of it.. her head. "Home.. here home.. Here.. Was.. home.. changed. Home - changed. Burned. Shaked. Sand drowned. No air, all squish. Dark, hurt. Words come, still hurt.. sleeeeep. Hungry." Tilting her wee head, blinking mismatched optics before shifting to sniff at the hand reaching out. Plating ruffles, sticking out then slicking back down, "Hooome? Is.. hooome?" Twitch of plating again and a low, soft whimper-whine, agitated. "Words.. colors.. needwanthomeyoupleasehomesafehomepleasebegooood?!"

Soundblaster nods. His face is masked, but his words are carefully warm. "Of course. Yes. Here." He opens a small panel at his waist and extracts a handful of ener-goodies. "Will this help? I have lots more at home. My home. Which could be your home, too."

Chro squawks loudly, and Soundblaster glances at him. "These is PLENTY of room," he insists. "Especially for one as small and cute as this!" he says, turning back to the fox.

Skitter trill-barks, looking at the treats then back at the masked mech. Tail swish-lashes behind her, plates fanning out to fluff then back. A softer yip as she hops to snag a treat, devouring it before perking and looking at the rest. A twist back on herself ast Chro squacks and her hackles raise.

"Share? Share home?" at Chro, "Share warm-home?" Blink, a shake of her head and rubbing of snout with a forepawl, ears flicking back and forth wildly. "Worrds.. Share worrds? Share.. Sssooowndk..Soooouwwwndblasster? With.. Skitter?"

Soundblaster gives Chro a LOOK, and it's as if something unsaid passes between them.

Chro finally speaks: "We will share our home with you, little Skitter. We will protect you from the elements, and treat you like..." Chro looks at Soundblaster a moment before finishing, "family."

Soundblaster turns back to Skitter, warmth in his voice. "How would that sound?" He offers another treat, but isn't pushy about it, allowing Skitter to take her time.

Skitter squeals, a happy sound and darts back and forth before racing around Soundblasters feet again. She skids, snatching a treat before skittering around again, trill-squealing again. Sudden stop and a hop, as the fox attempts to scale Soundblaster! "Home! My home! Share home! have my home! Warm-food, home!"

If she's any good at reading biped body language, Skitter can sense that Soundblaster seems thrilled by Skitter's reaction.

"Is this why we came out here?" squawks Chro, looking right, left, up, left, right quickly.

A tinge of annoyance creeps into Soundblaster's staticky voice. "Sweep the area. Record any odd readings, and report any enemy activity."

"Who is our enemy?" Chro asks neutrally.

"Everyone," replies Soundblaster, and offers Skitter another treat.

Skitter settles on-across Soundblasters shoulder if left unimpeded. The additional treat is accepted and the fox makes a burble-squeak, softer than the merry squeals. The body laungauge seems to settle her more and more, tail looping to rest on his other shoulder. Tiny voice, "Errryone? Emeny?" Ears snap forward and there's a sniff of air.. "Two-feets here.. other day.. when ground ate things, rumbled.. Keep coming back.. loud noises.. worrrds."

Soundblaster nods cautiously, careful not to dislodge his shoulder-fox. "Yes. Those two-feet are dangerous, but Chro and Soundblaster will protect you."

Chro looks like he has opinions about being volunteered for baby-fox-protecting duties, but for now keeps them to himself.

"Do you remember what words they used?" Soundblaster asks gently. "I gather words are new for you, so it's OK if you don't remember. But if you listen to others' words, they sometimes can be of use to us."

Skitter blinks, settling there on Soundblasters shoulder, perched easily. Her tail fluffs up then slicks back down again as she shakes her head, "Remember.. shaking, words, heard them but... did not.. understand.. worrrds yet. Was -scaaared-. Then sounds, lots of sounds, new sounds, do not know worrd for sound yet, will learn?" Ears popping forward, "-All- two feet daaan..dann.. emeny?" Fierce tiny bark, "Wil protekt!"

"Good, good," Soundblaster practically purrs, offering Skitter another treat. He stands in the desert, near one of the recent disturbances, with a large crow watching from nearby. "You must be careful - some of them will act nice, but they are only trying to deceive you! Chro and Soundblaster are the only ones who can keep you safe and warm. And we appreciate your protection," he says kindly. He hazards a gentle skritch - one that might cost him a finger if he tried it with Chro.

Skitter takes the treat, rumble-grumbling happily as she eats it. The words are listend to and an affirmitive yip given. Then the finger. Which is stared at. Ears flatten and she tenses, shaking nervously. "Nooo hurrrt?" Blink.. "No.. hurt? What do.. Why do Do again?'

"No hurt," Soundblaster promises warmly, and if Skitter doesn't move, he attempts to give her a gently skritch behind one large ear.

Chro takes off at last, doing a broad sensor sweep and scanning as well for others - Autobot, Decepticon, or neutral. << We should get going if you're just going to stand around, >> Chro radios Soundblaster. << You can play cute with your new pet at home, >> he adds drolly.

Skitter flops the ear being skritched behind and makes a rumbly sort of prrt sound. "Will protekt Ssooouwwwndblasssterrrr? Is.. Can be home-safehome?" Settling with head resting on forepaws, tail swooped around to his outher shoulder posessivly, giving Chro a mismatched optic stare. Perhaps a peek of smug.

"Yes," Soundblaster replies warmly. "Homesafehome. I'm going to transform now. Can you transform? Do you have another mode? Don't be scared - it's just a way for me to give us a ride quickly and safely back to homesafehome."

Chro mutters to Soundblaster, "And make a comfy little foxnest, I'm sure."

Soundblaster glances over at Chro. "Yes. That's a good idea, indeed," he says, intentionally ignoring the sarcasm.

Skitter side-optics Chro, big audials flicking. There's a pause as systems cycle up, thoughts clicking together with newly onlined sequences. "Can.. Can tr..can! Want to see?!" Perking up happily.

"Oh, yes!" Soundblaster replies enthusiastically, pausing his own transformation. "Let's see what happens!"

Chro mutters to Soundblaster, "Something equally cute and useless, I'm sure."

Skitter's audials flick forward and back as she stands, balancing as Soundblaster moved, tail lashing. There's a blink of those mismatched optics, a flashing of teeth at Chro, "Not useless." And transforms.

The Silicavulpix transforms, folding in and on itself until a smol datatape remains

Soundblaster watches as Skitter transforms, and he then catches the datatape. "Not useless," he says to Chro, in agreement with Skitter. Chro chirps in annoyance and leaps up. She flies right at Soundblaster and Skitter, transforming at the last moment into his own new datatape mode. Soundblaster opens his chest for Chro to dock but keeps Skitter in his hand. "My turn," he says, and transforms into hovermode, dropping Skitter on the seat. "Homesafehome we go!" he announces, sealing the hatch, and heading south.