emojibot | ic contact

"Yes, they-- ah... how long have you been here and not had any...?" Admittedly he had only recently even learned about how the Terrans were created by the Emberstone a couple of hours before even arriving, but he's picked up a good amount from Hashtag in the meantime. It worries him, and he's clearly about to try and reach other to her before he aborts the movement midway, leaving his arm out awkwardly before it drops back down. He should've checked in with her earlier and made sure she knew. "How are you feeling? You're not low on energy?"

Twitch pauses, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought. She hadn't really thought about her energy levels, she had been so worried about everything else that it hadn't been a consideration, but now that he mentioned it...

"I think I'm okay, I'm not all zombie yet or anything, but I don't know how much longer it'll be." She might as well be honest, it wasn't going to help anybody if she tried to skirt the truth. They were heading for drinks anyways.

There is absolutely no way in any universe to mistake the expression that smacks into Optimus's face as anything other than vaguely horrified concern. He tries to keep his emotions like that under wraps around the Terrans to avoid making them uncomfortable, but he can't help this one slipping through!

"You mustn't wait until you are zombie before seeking out fuel. The healthiest systems are maintained by regular intakes at the correct levels!" He parrots, having had the lecture from his own medics many, many times. Any hypocrisy doesn't escape him, but he at least puts on a slight accent to try and dampen the impression she's getting a lecture. "Let's make sure it's at least every other day from now on, as you certainly don't want to get overcharged either."

Twitch wasn't really looking at Optimus' face, which was probably for the best in this situation. If anything, she was avoiding looking at him with a little bit of embarrassment.

It didn't really get any better as he chastised. Even if he was really trying not to make it come off as a lecture, she sure felt the impact of it that way all the same.

She bowed her head, full on pouting; if there had been any rocks in the hallway where they were walking, she would be kicking them. "I didn't mean to...I really did forget..." she grumbles.

Her pout is incredibly impressive, only barely being matched by the likes of a very young Bumblebee far in the past.

"I believe you," he says after a moment. "Sometimes when I have a lot of work I forget to fuel, too. Elita gives me the same talk."

He falls quiet as he walks along next to her, puzzling over what to say to soften it.

"I'm not-- angry or disappointed with you, Twitch. I wouldn't be. I just want to make sure you and your siblings are doing as well as you can while we're here. We can get some of the water and a soda while we're in Mac's."

There was a bit a sigh, but Twitch did loosen up a little.

She finally looked up at Optimus and gave him a little smile. She still felt a bit guilty about not taking care of herself properly, but if she does better in the future then maybe it would be okay. She wasn't a zombie yet at least! That was a good thing she decided. And she wasn't going to let it get that far! Especially now that she knew that there was water available.

"Okay! I'm okay, really, but I think water and soda will be good!" She said, perking up significantly.

"One for energy and one for fun!" he says delightedly, happy that she's even got the choice. "I hope you'll like Maccadam's, the current owner has done a lot to make it accessible to everyone at all times."

Which is to say, if it was still the dive bar he knew it as, he wouldn't be taking her so readily.

Her 'wings' flit up a little with interest. The tension of the moment seems to have passed as she turns to fly backwards as she asks her to Optimus excitedly.

"Who is the owner now?" She asks, as if she is going to understand the answer or it will mean anything to her even if she does know who the person is. Curiosity is a funny thing like that.

They've not spent much time around each other - here or back home - so they couldn't be entirely familiar with the other's tics, but it's near impossible to miss how relief very clearly floods Optimus's frame when she cheers up again. His antennae perk up and a ridiculous grin crosses his face.

"A human named Mikaela. I haven't spoken with her much, but she was the one who informed me of the accessibility for both organics and Cybertronians. Isn't it lovely to see our species integrated in such a way?" Oh, he could have stars in his optics. "There is a lift for the smaller patrons, if you want to use it instead of flying up."

He stops suddenly, in the hall, bringing up his computer arm. Map loaded.

"Ah! Just around this corner, too."

"That's so thoughtful!" she said excitedly, after a bit. Though she supposed it made sense with the variety of characters that had made it to the R2. It was very convenient that she that had something to help her and her siblings in their weird middle ground.

She rushed forward as soon as he told her it was just around the corner and flitted into what was the first open room and very clearly the room they had been just discussing.

"Whoa!!!" she gasped, looking around. What a fun place! Of course there was a way for her to get up with hands and feet but it would be a dreary day if she got anywhere without flying.

"Isn't it just?"

He follows behind her, letting her go in and take it all in. It's very mundane to Optimus - moreso that he comes by every few days to get some fuel that's not just out the dispenser - but he lets himself enjoy it a bit more than he might usually through Twitch's own excitement. It is very nice to spend time with her in this way.

"There are holomenus around for you to put an order in," He plucks one from a table. "Ah! Look, they're playing Alien Hunt on the screens again!"

She might be too busy looking around to notice him point to the screens lining the walls with a cheerful looking blue Autobot jet and green Autobot UFO. Optimus likes this episode!

Her attention is all over the place. How has she never been here before?

She just barely notices as he points out the screens and is distracted by the show that is playing for a moment before she remembers why they are there.

She finds the menus Optimus had entered and scrolled through. Boy, there sure were a lot of options. But she manages to find exactly what she's looking for, the orange soda (or something like that) that she was so desperate to try. And then, because she was a good child, she ordered the all important water as well.

"What are you getting?" she asks curiously, flying up to look over Optimus' shoulder.

"Hmmm..." He tilts the pad so she can see what he's flicking through. Near the bottom of the menu, where the soda options are. "You have me in the mood for something carbonated!"

Seems there's a lot of options for both energon and human drinks, too. There is indeed orange soda!

"Look, here. Why don't we get a couple of different flavours, so you can have more if you like it?"

A slight indulgence, but he thinks she's due something nice.

She puts a hand on his shoulder and leans in.

"I can have all that?" she asks, her rotors whirring and lifting her a little higher in excitement. "I want to try everything!" She pushes back so she can throw her hands in the air. If anything it seems this has been enough to completely distract her from her incessant curiosity about the nightmare fuel.

"You'll have plenty of time to work your way through the menu..." Optimus hums, still unsure if he should imply that this will be a long term thing. Perhaps it will be good to know if anything else other than the cave water can act as sustenance for them. Optimus isn't extremely worried about it running out, but he feels better when he has back ups of back ups.

He taps in one of each for the available energon sodas and one cave water. Beep beep boop.

"Anything else? Look, some of this is from Earth!" He points at a section for the organic food. "Let's not risk trying any of that, though. I don't think the medibay would be too impressed if I brought you in for unsupervised burger taste testing."

Twitch doesn't take what Optimus says about having plenty of time beyond face value. She is too entranced by the expansive menu to really care too much about anything else. She wants to try so many things, but a small bot of her size will likely barely be able to handle just the one or two drinks.

She start small for now. Maybe if she's feeling adventurous she'll come back and try a bunch more with Hashtag. Maybe there can be a competition, a game made out of it.

"How do they get things here from Earth?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"You know," he says with a hum as he watches the Vehicons start to gather their order. "I actually don't have any idea how. Perhaps the owner will shed some light."

Optimus puts his hands on his hips and spins on his heel delightedly. Twitch might like this next part.

"Now for part two! You get to pick wherever you want to sit. Next to one of the screens? Near a busy part of the aisle? In a seat that's within view of the kitchen? So many choices!"

Optimus sure was making this interesting! She scanned the room. This felt important somehow. Like she had to make the right choice.

That seat was too close to the door, that corner was too crowded, that table was too small for Optimus.

Flipping into drone mode she flew up closer to the ceiling to get a better assessment of the situation. Scanning the room she zipped over and shifted back into root mode on top of a table and waved Optimus over. Plenty of room, not too crowded or noisy but they could still watch the room for anything interesting. It was perfect!

He patiently stands and waits for her to make her selection, spark swelling with pride as he sees her start to clearly assess the situation for the best seat rather than picking one at random. Optimus hadn't quite expected her to put this much thought into it, and if he let himself express emotions properly, he might have shed a single tear of delight.

That's fine, though, he can just vocalise that to her. He strides over and slips into one of the seats immediately, beaming.

"Very well chosen! I was looking at a booth on the other side, but I think this one is far more sensible. Perfect distance from the counter to the door," He doesn't need to outright say her methods were good if he clearly approves of the results. "Would you like to take a picture?"

Twitch all but beams with pride and takes a seat. She had known the decision was important and she felt giddy at having chosen so well.

"Thank you!" She chirped, settling down just in time for the vehicons to bring their drinks.

She perked up again at the mention of a picture and nodded eagerly. She moved her way over to cozy up to Optimus' shoulder smiling for the picture. "We should send it to Megatron and Hashtag!" And later, when they finally made it back home again, she could show it to the rest of their family.

"Already sent!" he says cheerfully, and Twitch will likely pick up the ping on her comm as the message comes through. "And just in time, too, here comes the order."

A vehicon server has everything they put through spread out beautifully on a platter, a lovely rainbow of soda and energon and cave water, a proper little lay out for one hyperactive Terran. It'll be far too much for her in one go, but Optimus fully intends to take the soda back to her room for her. He, perhaps foolishly, trusts that she'll be sensible about it. There isn't so much there that she'd be hurt ingesting it all in one go, anyway! Sometimes things can be nice and harmless.

Whoops. Looks like he forgot to put in his own order... he's probably got something in his subspace. Optimus draws what he has out without really thinking or looking at it.

"That orange one looks interesting... I now understand with perfect clarity why it fascinated you so." He says idly, taking a little sip of the energon.

[OH GOD]

It is with the sheer willpower of a Commander who led the Autobots through a four million year long devastating war that Optimus does not immediately spit the Nightmare Fuel back out and make a huge fool of himself. He has some Prime nobility expectations, after all, and he curls a hand in front of his mouth as he wheezes slightly. From just a tiny amount! Where on Cybertron did she find this?

His windshield wipers go off a few times. A little bit of smoke floats out his smokestacks. It's fine. Twitch is probably too busy looking at the soda to notice.

Twitch's eyes widen as the display is set down in front of her.

"Oooo! I think I'm going to try this one first! No this one! Actually, this one!" she says quickly without a pause for thought in between. "I bet I can drink all of them--"

She turned to Optimus after grabbing the orange drink she had wanted so badly and frowned.

"Optimus? Are you okay?"

ic contact

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/3

no subject

no subject

no subject