Me, Myself, and I

For a group that Optimus claimed to be hiding, the Prime certainly enjoyed dumping random bots on their doorstep.

Kade gazed speculatively at the new mech, there was no Decepticon symbol present, but he couldn’t see an Autobot one either, he looked a little like Chase.

Cybertronians. Optimus. Did he mean Optimus Prime.....? Names and figures he's heard of but knew only a little about, honestly.

"Ah....no. He did not. And I am not a Cybertronian. I am a Metal Cardbot."

He explains slowly, making sure his tone is friendly and calm.

He carefully 'shakes hands' with Kade holding one of his digits and moving his hand up and down a few times.

"It's a bit of a long story but.....I and my kind come from the planet Machina, which was destroyed in a large explosion. Many of us Cardbots escaped the destruction and were sent across the cosmos....with many of us landing here on Earth. And now we are doing our best to make lives here, and have made friends with humans along the way...."

He starts, actively deciding how many details to share all at once so as not to overwhelm Kade. Though, if the guy had already his own dealings with alien robots from space, he could probably handle it all....probably.

Kade rocked his chair back on two legs and planted his feet on the desk, patently bored. His continuing education video droned on and on about elementary safety checks which, while important, wasn’t something that a seasoned fire fighter like himself particularly needed a refresher on. Especially when he and Heatwave spent a week every school year drilling the exact same information into the heads of excitable elementary school children. At least their presentation had way more entertainment value….

“Sheesh, this guy could give Mayor Luskey a run for his money, how long is this video?” Kade had just started to reach for the computer mouse when a loud honk from outside startled him. Picking himself and his chair up off the floor, the fire fighter stalked to the window and leaned out to see an ambulance parked in the driveway below.

When Ezra sets the bowl of soup near Rob he smiles and picks up the bowl. "I am but a Cybertronian medic in a human avatar Ezra. I do not have the capability to make such a intricate device like this. Though I did have a hands on experience with working on transformation cogs when I was younger." he notes.

Doc Greene shook his head as he brought his own sandwich and bowl of soup to the table. “Working with the very device that allows one to transform sounds… nerve wracking, quite honestly, though I imagine you must have gained an extraordinary amount of knowledge in the process.”

The scientist dipped the corner of his grilled cheese into his soup bowl and took a bite, swallowing the combo with a quiet hum of satisfaction before turning his focus to Robustus’s question. “It’s called soup. Usually it’s a vegetable, or combination of vegetables, that have been liquified, but some varieties add noodles, pieces of meat, or chopped up pieces of the veggies themselves… or all three, to add a bit of texture to it. This particular soup is tomato, though, botanically speaking, the tomato is actually considered a fruit, but in culinary circles it’s called a vegetable because of it’s savory nature—“

The flight from Manhattan to the sleepy coastal town of Griffon Rock was just shy of an hour. Just enough time to get situated, enjoy a beverage, and land. She hadn't originally planned on heading there for the holidays, but with her brother coming home from deployment as a surprise for his boyfriend, she had to be there. How long had it been since she'd seen Colt? Well certainly not since he'd met and fallen in love with Hunter. Talk about a crazy whirlwind romance! She was happy for the Gunny, and excited to finally meet up with him and his new beaux.

Tossing her pink carry-on into the back of the Tesla, she was soon en-route to the quaint downtown area to check in to the little bed and breakfast. A cozy little spot that made New York feel millions of miles away. No hustle and bustle, no constant horns honking or sirens wailing. She could get used to this. She spent the afternoon exploring, enjoying the sights and shops, and even had a bite to eat at the pizzeria. It was all going great, until the car was out of charge. She hadn't seen a single EV charging station the entire time - wondering why in the world the rental company would offer that type of vehicle in an incompatible market?

The vehicle slowed, then crawled, then stopped. Battery was dead as a door nail. Raking her manicured hand down her face, the blonde sighed as she climbed out of the vehicle - frowning that she was only about 2 miles away from the inn. Pulling put her phone to call for assistance, she hadn't noticed that it too had died.

"Well now, fer tha love of..."

The wind was picking up - a winter storm looming off the coast threatened to kick in. Stuck outside in a winter weather advisory certainly was the last thing she had on her bingo card for today. She'd passed a firestation just a few blocks back, maybe they could at least help her charge her phone?

Why had she worn heels? She could navigate the runway with ease in her sky high Christian Louboutins, but not exactly sidewalks. She stuck out like a sore thumb at best. And by the time she finally approached the station, her petite feet were screaming.

So now what? Did she just go inside? Did she look in the garage? Did they have an office? How did this all work? With the clouds building and threatening snow, she decided it best to just walk into the open garage and hope for the best.

Kade closed his eyes and ran a finger down the menu, eventually stopping on a dish called The Cajun Combo Platter.

“ ‘A delectable variety of New Orleans’ finest cuisine right at your fingertips.’ Ooo, perfect, this’ll be really easy to share.”

Kade rocked his chair back on two legs and planted his feet on the desk, patently bored. His continuing education video droned on and on about elementary safety checks which, while important, wasn’t something that a seasoned fire fighter like himself particularly needed a refresher on. Especially when he and Heatwave spent a week every school year drilling the exact same information into the heads of excitable elementary school children. At least their presentation had way more entertainment value….

“Sheesh, this guy could give Mayor Luskey a run for his money, how long is this video?” Kade had just started to reach for the computer mouse when a loud honk from outside startled him. Picking himself and his chair up off the floor, the fire fighter stalked to the window and leaned out to see an ambulance parked in the driveway below.

Doc Greene met them at the door with a chuckle. “A rather simplistic description of the process, but I suppose it’s accurate in it’s own way.” He held out a hand to Robustus. “Ezra Greene, but my friends call me ‘Doc.’”

He turns his attention to Doc Greene and accepts the other man's hand. His grip is carefully measured and his flesh feels warm as it should. Physical holomatter technology has come a long way since it was first made that was for sure.

“Not surprising. Kade’s focus is perpetually on filling his stomach. Please, come in.” He lapsed into a thoughtful silence as he led the medic toward the kitchen. Kade was already there, helping himself to a stack of grilled cheese sandwiches, a big bowl of tomato soup, and pickles.

“I believe I can manage that quite simply, any other specifications?”

Kade finally managed to join the conversation with a huge swallow. “… Yeah, it’d have to be heat resistant. I’m planning on containing a burning candle with it to show what happens when you deprive a fire of oxygen, I don’t want the thing shattering….”

"What he said plus an easy way to access the enclosure. Make it fool proof and possibly shatter proof just in case. No need to expose any children to glass shards if we can help it." Rob notes with a smile.

Setting a sandwich and two pickles on a plate, the scientist brought them to the table before going to the stove and carefully ladling out a bowl of soup. “Fascinating. I constructed a hologram projector for Blades so he could attend an off-island event disguised as a human, I had no idea you bots already possessed the ability to produce such lifelike avatars.”

For a group that Optimus claimed to be hiding, the Prime certainly enjoyed dumping random bots on their doorstep.

Kade gazed speculatively at the new mech, there was no Decepticon symbol present, but he couldn’t see an Autobot one either, he looked a little like Chase.

Cybertronians. Optimus. Did he mean Optimus Prime.....? Names and figures he's heard of but knew only a little about, honestly.

"Ah....no. He did not. And I am not a Cybertronian. I am a Metal Cardbot."

He explains slowly, making sure his tone is friendly and calm.

... Well, he was going to eat it, if it weren’t for a strange smell that came from it. His faceplate contorted in a way that it seemed like his nasal ridge scrunched.

"Serves ye right for being nosy."

.....

Kade rocked his chair back on two legs and planted his feet on the desk, patently bored. His continuing education video droned on and on about elementary safety checks which, while important, wasn’t something that a seasoned fire fighter like himself particularly needed a refresher on. Especially when he and Heatwave spent a week every school year drilling the exact same information into the heads of excitable elementary school children. At least their presentation had way more entertainment value….

“Sheesh, this guy could give Mayor Luskey a run for his money, how long is this video?” Kade had just started to reach for the computer mouse when a loud honk from outside startled him. Picking himself and his chair up off the floor, the fire fighter stalked to the window and leaned out to see an ambulance parked in the driveway below.

Doc Greene met them at the door with a chuckle. “A rather simplistic description of the process, but I suppose it’s accurate in it’s own way.” He held out a hand to Robustus. “Ezra Greene, but my friends call me ‘Doc.’”

He turns his attention to Doc Greene and accepts the other man's hand. His grip is carefully measured and his flesh feels warm as it should. Physical holomatter technology has come a long way since it was first made that was for sure.

“Not surprising. Kade’s focus is perpetually on filling his stomach. Please, come in.” He lapsed into a thoughtful silence as he led the medic toward the kitchen. Kade was already there, helping himself to a stack of grilled cheese sandwiches, a big bowl of tomato soup, and pickles.

“I believe I can manage that quite simply, any other specifications?”

Kade finally managed to join the conversation with a huge swallow. “… Yeah, it’d have to be heat resistant. I’m planning on containing a burning candle with it to show what happens when you deprive a fire of oxygen, I don’t want the thing shattering….”

“Fine, I might have gone overboard with the whole being in charge thing, but you didn’t have to fill my helmet with water!”

He hung his still dripping head gear on it’s peg and started stripping off his turnout gear. “Could’ve at least warmed it up a little… stuff’s like ice…”

"Yeah, well yer hot head needed a lil coolin' off. Ya know kid, if ya was in mah squadron actin' too big fer yer britches, Ah woulda had ya runnin' til ya purge."

The Gunny may have been a little irritable as well. He was accustomed to fighting wars, not fires.

"And if that damn Mrs. Neederlander calls 'bout her cat bein' up in tha same tree again, Ah'm gonna blast it down so help me Primus," he grumbles as he heads towards the bay doors to engage his cy-gar. This job didn't exactly allow him to constantly puff like a chimney - thus the extra grump.

Kade draped his coat on the laundry drying rack and snagged a towel from a stack on the dryer itself.

“Believe me, I know how annoying it is to rescue that cat, we do it about three times a week, but if you go around taking pot shots at him, you’ll get shipped off this island so fast your head’ll spin.”

Shaking out the towel, the fire fighter began rubbing down his hair. “As long as Heatwave has something to keep him occupied, he’ll be okay. Last time I checked in with him, he was making a list of furniture for the nursery.” Letting the towel fall around his neck, Kade looked up at the Gunny and finger combed his hair.

"Yeah... fer both of our sakes," he snorts before bringing the cy-gar back to his intake - releasing a chain of rings to the heavens.

"Ah wouldn't complain 'bout bein' shipped off, but at tha same time, Ah couldn't leave Heatwave behind. That, and Ah ain't never been dishonorably discharged from nothin' in mah life. Ain't about ta start now."

Leaning his tired frame against the bay door, he sighs as he can hear the echoes of human children playing in the street. Truth be told, the idea of fatherhood terrified the slag out of him. For starters, he'd been a bad aft kid. Smart mouthed punk who found his way through climbing the ranks. Heatwave was the epitome of the perfect cocreator. He was patient and kind. Kup on the otherhand was a slave to his vices, brash, and had the fuse of a hairpin trigger.

“Fine, I might have gone overboard with the whole being in charge thing, but you didn’t have to fill my helmet with water!”

He hung his still dripping head gear on it’s peg and started stripping off his turnout gear. “Could’ve at least warmed it up a little… stuff’s like ice…”

"Yeah, well yer hot head needed a lil coolin' off. Ya know kid, if ya was in mah squadron actin' too big fer yer britches, Ah woulda had ya runnin' til ya purge."

The Gunny may have been a little irritable as well. He was accustomed to fighting wars, not fires.

"And if that damn Mrs. Neederlander calls 'bout her cat bein' up in tha same tree again, Ah'm gonna blast it down so help me Primus," he grumbles as he heads towards the bay doors to engage his cy-gar. This job didn't exactly allow him to constantly puff like a chimney - thus the extra grump.

Kade draped his coat on the laundry drying rack and snagged a towel from a stack on the dryer itself.

“Believe me, I know how annoying it is to rescue that cat, we do it about three times a week, but if you go around taking pot shots at him, you’ll get shipped off this island so fast your head’ll spin.”

Shaking out the towel, the fire fighter began rubbing down his hair. “As long as Heatwave has something to keep him occupied, he’ll be okay. Last time I checked in with him, he was making a list of furniture for the nursery.” Letting the towel fall around his neck, Kade looked up at the Gunny and finger combed his hair.

The flight from Manhattan to the sleepy coastal town of Griffon Rock was just shy of an hour. Just enough time to get situated, enjoy a beverage, and land. She hadn't originally planned on heading there for the holidays, but with her brother coming home from deployment as a surprise for his boyfriend, she had to be there. How long had it been since she'd seen Colt? Well certainly not since he'd met and fallen in love with Hunter. Talk about a crazy whirlwind romance! She was happy for the Gunny, and excited to finally meet up with him and his new beaux.

Tossing her pink carry-on into the back of the Tesla, she was soon en-route to the quaint downtown area to check in to the little bed and breakfast. A cozy little spot that made New York feel millions of miles away. No hustle and bustle, no constant horns honking or sirens wailing. She could get used to this. She spent the afternoon exploring, enjoying the sights and shops, and even had a bite to eat at the pizzeria. It was all going great, until the car was out of charge. She hadn't seen a single EV charging station the entire time - wondering why in the world the rental company would offer that type of vehicle in an incompatible market?

The vehicle slowed, then crawled, then stopped. Battery was dead as a door nail. Raking her manicured hand down her face, the blonde sighed as she climbed out of the vehicle - frowning that she was only about 2 miles away from the inn. Pulling put her phone to call for assistance, she hadn't noticed that it too had died.

"Well now, fer tha love of..."

The wind was picking up - a winter storm looming off the coast threatened to kick in. Stuck outside in a winter weather advisory certainly was the last thing she had on her bingo card for today. She'd passed a firestation just a few blocks back, maybe they could at least help her charge her phone?

Why had she worn heels? She could navigate the runway with ease in her sky high Christian Louboutins, but not exactly sidewalks. She stuck out like a sore thumb at best. And by the time she finally approached the station, her petite feet were screaming.

So now what? Did she just go inside? Did she look in the garage? Did they have an office? How did this all work? With the clouds building and threatening snow, she decided it best to just walk into the open garage and hope for the best.

The question was deferred by the noisy arrival of Jerry’s tow truck. Kade hopped up to assist and managed to keep the accident prone man from injuring himself during the offloading process.

“Thanks, appreciate it.”

Jerry nodded and gave a parting salute as he took off for his next call.

Returning his attention to Tess, Kade watched her retrieve a suitcase from the trunk of her car. “Not a problem at all, restroom’s just a short elevator ride away… Here, let me take that for you.” The fire fighter extended a hand for the suitcase and offered his opposite arm to Tess as he led her the short distance to the elevator.

Upstairs, Kade brought Tess to the correct door and told her about pushing in the locking mechanism to get it to turn so the door would actually lock.

“There’s always a trick involved with these things… Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.” He gave the back of her hand a swift little kiss and handed her the suitcase.

With Kade hoisting her luggage, she took his arm appreciatively as he lead the way to the elevator and then to the restroom. With her suitcase tucked inside the small room, she gave an appreciative nod after blushing slightly at the kiss to her hand.

"Will do Sir Squeaky," she responds before closing the door to freshen up.

Of course she takes forever. There was straightening and recurling the ends of her golden tresses. There was washing her face and applying a fresh evening look for makeup, and then there was the challenge of choosing what to wear. Something laid back and comfortable, but also stylish enough for a date. A date? Was this a date? No... it was a simple dinner with Hunter's co-worker.

She decided on a pair of distressed jeggings, a pair of comfy boots with leg warmers, a sweater, and a scarf to tie the look together. She tied her hair half up with a bow, and took a quick glance in the mirror before pulling on a peacoat. Good enough.

Packing her suitcase once more, it wasn't long before she was re-emerging through the elevator door.

Going through the side door, he went to his truck and brushed the layer of new fallen snow off its windshield, mirrors, and roof. Hopping into the vehicle, he started the engine and turned the heater on so the interior would be comfortably warm once they were ready to leave.

Expecting Tess to already be there looking for him, Kade hurried back into the garage, but was relieved to find that she was still upstairs. Finally, he heard the elevator hum to life and was honestly surprised when Tess stepped out.

“Wow, wasn’t expecting an entire wardrobe change. You look great!” He offered her an arm. “Ready, beautiful. Got the truck all warmed up and everything.”

The drive to the coast wasn’t terribly long, Griffin Rock wasn’t that big. Once they pulled into the parking lot, Zydeco music could be heard pouring from speakers hidden on the pillared porch of a bayou style manor house. Kade opened Tess’s door for her and offered his arm to approached the maitre d stand.

“Welcome! Party of two? Would you prefer sitting inside or out on our covered porch? There’s a big heater out there so y’all won’t freeze, plus it has a super view of the ocean!”

Looping her arm with the one offered, she smiles at being called beautiful - holding her head just a little bit higher. "Ain't so bad yerself, handsome," she states with a wink as she climbs into the passenger seat of the truck.

The whole drive, her baby blues are pressed against the window. Griffon Rock was so quaint. Charming. Much like the man in the driver's seat. The charm of the coastal town drew small similarities to the little southern town she grew up in. Except it was hot there. And full of cicadas. And sweat.

Does Griffon Rock have Dollar General??

All of those inner thoughts are dashed once her door is opened and Kade is offering her his arm once more. Trying her best not to dance to the music and make a fool out of herself, she strolls beside the firefighter through the doors of the manor. Immediately her thoughts are on beignets. She could make an entire supper out of dessert.

Big back...

"Ah think it would be easier ta talk outside, but it's completely up to ya. Ah'm happy either way!"

Once they're seated at whichever table, Tessa opts to sit in the seat beside Kade rather than across from him. It's a silly quirk, but she likes being closer to her companions. It keeps her from having to raise her southern drawl that tends to get magnified at higher volumes.

Setting one menu to the side, she shares the other with her date.

Kade considered the choices for a brief moment. “Outdoors please.” It was cold outside, but the porch was covered and with softly humming heaters built into the support beams, the temperature was pleasant.