Autobot Interim: Salvage Run

[Holi]

OOC: Crossposted from the Salvage in the City Something's Off in Repair thread.

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Don't worry, Kup; Holi will get this mess with you and Wheelie sorted out however he can! …Or he'll try his best, at least.

For now, though, he's on his way out with the orange Minibot. A strange white and blue bot passes them at the top of the ramp with hardly a glance – the Mirage that Emirate Xaaron mentioned on the radio, Holi guesses, since the elder is not far behind and with the dragonette in tow.

"Oh! Of course, Emirate Xaaron, sir," he says of the Emirate's request regarding Tiny, taking the leash to a doubtful look from the little creature. She doesn't seem very happy about being left with the Micromaster; Holi gives her a very genuinely apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I think he's busy, but I promise I'll take good care of you," he tells her. "This is Wheelie, by the way," and he gestures to his friend before moving to lead the way down the ramp. Tiny makes a discontented noise and pulls against the leash, wanting to follow Xaaron instead. "We'll wait for him outside, I promise!" Holi coaxes her, trying to tug her along without pulling too hard.

Clearly, Emirate Xaaron has made himself a steadfast little friend.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie regards the dragonette curiously. He's not seen too many creatures that didn't want to eat him before, but this one seems basically harmless. It's a fascinating concept.

He bends just a little, so he can be at eye height with the creature and speaks in a soothing tone. "C'mon little guy, you've go to go, this way not that, fast and not slow. You'll be back with the gold guy in the blink of an eye, but get out there, come this way, you've got to try. Trust Wheelie and Holi, they're really quite great. You'll be safe, I promise, you won't end up late!"

[Holi]

It is with great reluctance that Tiny gives in to the two small bots' persistence. They're going the wrong way, but at least they're being nice enough about it. Holi, for one, is much happier that Tiny isn't struggling so much. He'd never forgive himself if she got hurt under his watch. She seems rather intrigued by the odd lilt of Wheelie's voice. Oh, good, an advantage!

"I think she likes how you talk," Holi murmurs to his friend. He hears, faintly, Perceptor calling caution after them. They might not leave for longer yet, though; Holi isn't sure about taking Tiny along for scavenging. He promised her they'd wait for Emirate Xaaron, but the Micromaster was so busy negotiating with the dragonette that if Xaaron had followed them out, he missed him somewhere. And he wasn't sure she'd enjoy being toted along on the hunt for parts and scrap. Although if he knew she liked munching on batteries, he'd certainly try to find a few for her!

Well, this is a predicament. Sort of. Take Tiny along, or wait? Holi frowns to himself, just slightly, in consternation as he strolls along slowly enough to let Tiny follow at her own pace.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie has successfully tamed the wild beast! Three cheers for Wheelie, wild boy of Quintessa!

"Wheelie says let's blow this place, go out and win our own race! Might be good, if Tiny came too! He could sniff out things hidden from me and from you."

[Holi]

Three cheers for Wheelie, indeed!

"You think so?" Holi turns from Wheelie to give Tiny a curious look, wide blue visor to wide blue eyes. She peers back at him. She remembers this one dragging her by the neck before. He'd sounded much more upset then, though. "Do you mind coming along?" Holi asks the dragonette, doing his best to be polite and cheery. He remembers dragging her on board Omega Supreme before and how very unhappy she was with him about it, too. He's hoping she can forgive him. It was an emergency, after all!

Someone tell Holi that Tiny doesn't speak Cybertronian. Or Micronese. And possibly not any other language he might dredge up from his files. She does decide to lightly headbutt his leg, though; he'll take that as a good thing.

"I guess that's a yes, then," he murmurs and happily rubs a hand under her chin. Tiny makes a contented little sound at him, between a croon and a whistle, so obviously she didn't mind the attention. Now, which one of them would carry her? Driving would be faster, certainly. Holi stands and looks again at Wheelie. "I can probably fit her inside, if you don't want to carry her," he says.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie nods. "You go ahead and take her this track, and maybe, just maybe, I'll take her when we go back."

Neither looks to have the greatest amount of space inside them--and just why did he have space inside, as though something could sit there?--but Wheelie's passenger compartment is especially small, even by minibot size.

[Mirage]

Mirage hails Holi and Wheelie as he comes down the ramp from the garage. “Hold on a moment, if you would.”

It doesn’t take him but a minute to catch up with the smaller bots. When he does, he says “Holi and Wheelie, yes? I am Mirage. Kup has asked me to accompany you on your adventures. That is of course, is you have no objections?”

Because it would be rude not to ask them. After all, they might actually say no.

[Holi]

Both Holi and Tiny look up – almost simultaneously, in fact – at the new arrival.

"Oh! Hello, Mirage, sir!" chirps the Micromaster with his usual sunny grin. Tiny looks rather pleased to see the spy, too, although with her muzzle on, she can't do much more than look and sniff. She's getting hungry, people! Feed the poor thing!

Kup asked Mirage to go along? Well, that was nice of him.

"I don't mind," says Holi. Once again, he looks to his orange friend. "What do you think, Wheelie?" It's just natural for him to ask others' input, even though Mirage had already put in his inquiry. Is it obvious yet that Holi is accustomed to working on some sort of team?

[Wheelie]

Wheelie on the other hand, is used to working alone. Despite all of that, he's grateful for the company. To have people around him after so many years of isolation is a true blessing.

"Well, why not? If there's more, it's merry! So long as none of them are big and scary."

[Mirage]

Mirage can’t help but smile at the smaller bots’ enthusiasm, though Wheelie’s rhyming speech does cause him to quirk up a browridge. Peculiar. He his not so impressed with Tiny; Mirage still isn’t certain if the dragon considers him feast or friend. And there is of course the fact that Mirage still doesn’t know what, exactly, a dragon is.

Kneeling down, so as not to loom over her, Mirage slowly extends his left hand towards Tiny's muzzled snout, palm down and fingers cupped slightly, allowing the dragon to snuffle at him as she seemed want to do. It was the same non-threatening gesture he had used with the cyber-hounds, whenever his handler acquired a new one. Hopefully, this will allow the dragon to satisfy her curiosity about the newcomer. Assuming Tiny doesn’t react aggressively, he’ll skritch her under the chin as he address Holi and Wheelie.

“Well then, if all that’s settled, might I inquire about our destination?”

Escape had been a slim chance at best; though had the youths declined his offer, Mirage would have felt obligated to keep an eye on them anyway. After all, he said he would. And Mirage doesn’t break his word lightly. It is, after all, all that is left him.

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OOC: I’m assuming since Holi has “control” of Tiny, that Holi’s player should decide on the dragonette’s reactions. Hopefully, Tiny won’t decide Mirage’s fingers would make a good snack!

[Holi]

"Okay then!" Holi declares with a grin for Wheelie. No-one on this team is scary, that's for sure. Mirage is definitely the biggest, though. And speaking of the taller Autobot, he had a question for the Micromaster. "…Destination?" Holi blinks. He hadn't really thought quite that far ahead just yet. He isn't even sure of where to start looking, except 'anywhere in the city that isn't around here'. Everything immediately local to their converted not-quite-a-base has already been scoured for supplies.

While he thinks on that, Tiny exults in all the attention she's getting. She's still rather hungry, but Mirage gives lovely skritches, so she'll forgive his criminal lack of snacks. This time.

Careful, Autobots, or she might wind up a spoiled little princess.

"Well…" begins Holi, the hand holding Tiny's leash cupping one elbow while he taps his chin thoughtfully with the index finger of the other hand, "we need to find a place that has… uh… things we could use." He usually covers search and rescue, not salvage. He's trying, though! "Machinery… computers, too, Wedge wanted computer parts. So we have to find a place like that first." Unfortunately, Holi has no idea how the locals lay out their cities. He can only begin to guess where a place that fits the criteria would be situated, or even how it looks. Maybe they'll get lucky and find a shopping district. Storefronts are always easy to decipher. Humans sell computers in stores; maybe the people of this world do, too. Or did.

Alright then! They'll try to find a shopping district for starters! Holi nods in satisfaction with his little plan, though the gesture is mostly to himself, then offers Tiny's leash to Mirage.

"Could you please hold this for a moment?" he asks. He can't very well transform while he has the leash. It would get caught in a seam under his door!

[Wheelie]

"Leave the looking to Wheelie, there is no doubt, he's good at finding what's out and about! Parts and pieces and leftover fuel, all found hiding from Quintesson drool! Scavenge and salvage, just to survive, Wheelie did good enough to keep him alive!"

Impressed with his quick wit of words, Wheelie took a little bow, before transforming.

[Mirage]

Holi and Wheelie's good humor must be rather infectious, because, wonder of wonders, Mirage is still smiling. He reaches out in response to the Micromaster's polite request, taking Tiny's leash.

The dragonette headbutts his leg, looking, no doubt for more attention- or maybe snacks. Patting her lightly on the head he murmurs, "A salvage run then? That should allow me to get a better feel for the place." He glances down at Tiny, "And perhaps we can find you something to nibble on while we're out as well."

[Holi]

It's a very good thing Wheelie's on the team; he really sounds like he knows his stuff. Holi follows the Minibot's example and transforms. No, Mirage, your optics do not deceive you. That really is a half-size-too-small car.

"Mirage, sir," Holi says as he opens a rear passenger door to admit Tiny, "please help her in. I'll be carrying her along." That's the obvious part. He'll be asking later for someone to take her leash and help her out, too. She'll probably have to situate herself stretched between front and back seats, come to think. Oh, this will be awkward. Let's hope she doesn't mind riding in a vehicle with an enclosed passenger compartment; she's only been in Long Haul's bed up 'til now. And she doesn't seem inclined to hop in all on her own, although she's having a grand time sniffing about the door and its neighbouring rear tire.

Yes, Tiny, that is the smell of humans on Holi's upholstery. It's faint by now and probably won't linger much longer, so enjoy it as much as you can. Just please don't claw up anything.

Provided Mirage gets the dragonette into the police car without incident, and here's hoping he does, this odd little salvage party can be on the move as soon as he joins the smaller Autobots in vehicle mode.

[Wheelie]

Wheelie finds the vehicle forms that some of the others take absolutely fascinating. There's quite the variety of them, even a few that share some similarities to his own, but most of them are quite strange. Too angular, lacking in the curved lines that a proper vehicle should.

"Are we ready? Can we go? One, two, three and roll?"