ximilialog | OPEN | Minimus's Arrival

Entry tags:

OPEN | Minimus's Arrival

CHARACTERS: Minimus Ambus and You
LOCATION: Living area and training area
DATE: Early May, pre-mission
CONTENT: Minimus organizes his room and freshens up on his combat skills
WARNINGS: tbd

Living Quarters

[His room is too barebones for his liking.

Without a proper office, Minimus's new living quarters must function as a place of work and storage for all the paperwork he will inevitably receive. At least, he hopes that he has paperwork. Surely the missions that he will be sent on won't entirely entail fieldwork.

But he mustn't complain. If all of this isn't a dream and he was told the truth, this might all be worth it. Dominus deserves this opportunity.

The door to his quarters is open, where he is checking the paintings on the wall and shaking his head repeatedly before rearranging the artwork.] No, no, no. There's too much empty space. I don't even need this closet! [Works as storage, but robots don't wear clothes. It would be best if he handed it off to someone else or used it to keep larger items, but he needs the space for a desk.

So, to make things quick, an 8-foot-tall robot leans down and lifts the entire piece of furniture like nothing. He angles it to fit through the doorway before noticing someone out in the hall.]

My apologies. Please step out of the way, I do not wish you hurt you.

Training Room

[It's been too long since the end of the war. Since he last saw combat. It's not that he's complaining, no, overseeing the Luna-1 generation brings his great joy in his life, but that career gives him little time to practice. His combat skills have gotten a bit rusty over the years.

It would make sense to practice hand-to-hand combat, considering that he ought to be the first line of defense while the more delicate organic beings stay far at a safe distance. For now, he goes through his warm-ups on a training dummy, practicing his punches. Despite all those years of peace, he finds it easy to remember how to best strike an enemy.

The poor dummy is getting pretty worn down.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Is the shouting what gets Peter's attention first, making him pause even if he doesn't make it a habit to spy on people, open doors or not. He doesn't recognize the voice, which is the thing, so he figures it must be one of the new orbers having some trouble.

It doesn't take a genius to tell that this is another of the cybertronians, and seeing him lift that desk as if it weighs nothing and step out of the room has Peter staring at it in wonderment. Ah, his inner 8 year old child is squeeing. His outer 39 years old man is barely stopping himself from smiling like a fool too. ]

What? Oh sorry, my bad. [ Peter does as requested, stepping to the side so he's no longer in the way but not going away completely. ] Do you need any help? You're new here, I take it.

N- [A pause. He could use some help. Standard procedure dictates that at least two people carry long, heavy material under space OSHA.] Yes. I don't want to damage the walls or furniture. Help me guide this through the frame.

Sure, it's no problem. [ Oh well, if space OSHA dictates that, who is Peter to refuse. Never mind the fact he doesn't even know the OSHA procedures of his own home planet. Peter moves around, so he can reach the side of the desk that's closer to him and move it to avoid hitting the door frame. ]

Just move it a little to the left. Your left, not mine. Easy, easy...there. My name is Peter Quill, by the way. Or you can call me Star-Lord. It's nice to meet you.

[ Cyebetronians usually find his nickname more 'normal' than his human name, so he offers both easily. ]

[Minimus is slow but thorough in following Peter's directions. It takes time, but the cabinet never touches the walls as he steps to the side and barely shakes as he walks.]

Star-Lord? Is that a title, or a secondary name? [Some species have alternate designations that aliens can pronounce. Minimus assumes this is a case of the latter.]

It's a nickname, so yeah, secondary name. I don't own any stars. Not yet, at least. [ Who knows how things will go in the future? His life is truly weird sometimes. He had a planet for a biological dad, after all. ]

And your name is...? [ Peter's hands are still up and holding one side of the cabinet to help Minimus, even if he knows from his interaction with other Cybertronian that they are way stronger than any human. Is the intention of helping what counts, though. ]

Where do you want to put this?

Minimus Ambus. [He steps out of the room and into the hallway.] There should be space in the common area. I moved the furniture in case this happened.

A pleasure, Minimus. I'll shake your hand but it's full of cabinet. [ Peter says with a smile before acknowledging the new information and starting to take steps towards the common area. He figures that Cybertronians maybe have no use for things like cabinets. Or wardrobes. Or toilets. ]

I imagine you already know we have other Cybertronians on board...? That's why we also have Energon in storage if you are hungry. Or is it thirsty?

The term is "low on fuel", Star-Lord. [Time to turn down the hallway and march.] But to answer your question, I met Megatron upon arriving, and he informed me that Drift, too, was aboard. We traveled together for some time, so there should be no difficulty in having the three of work cooperate.

[This is said before Drift punches him.]

Got it, thanks. I'll remember it. [ As much as he likes to make jokes or be sarcastic on occasion, peter does try to be mindful of cultural differences and singularities in the idioms. ]

So you were all together in the...Last light? [ He knows the name of the ship was something like that. ANYWAY. ] But that's good to hear. Having a friendly face on board helps a lot to adjust to the craziness of this place.

The Lost Light. Don't have the name confused. [He's not upset, but the incorrect name has him cringing.] I was second in command during its flight, though that is not relevant when we are not allowed to commandeer this ship.

Lost light, that is it. Sorry, I'll remember it from now on. Does the name come from somewhere meaningful? My ship back home is called the Benatar, in honor of one of the greatest signers who ever existed.

[ Sorry pal, but Peter will say it the right way from now on. ]

Alas no, we aren't, but it could come in handy during missions. You never know. There are other ship captains on the station, including myself, but no one from my team, The Guardians.

[He slows his pace.] Yes.

[The cabinet is set in the corner of the room and adjusted so that its back is completely parallel to the walls and surrounding furniture.]

Drift purchased the ship during the Festival of the Lost Light. It's our day of honoring those that passed away, whether due to the war or otherwise. It felt rather poetic for our journey meant to take us away from Cybertron. [He turns to the rest of the furniture in the room, looking for more places to organize and clean, but something else Peter mentioned has him searching his memory banks on why it sounds so familiar--]

--As in Pat Benatar? [He's uncertain; she's not his usual Earth music artist, but he swears he still has her songs on his old playlists.]

[ Peter watches Minimus make sure the cabinet is arranged properly and tries to hide his amusement when the guy starts studying the rest of the furniture. Someone is very dedicated to perfection, it seems. ]

An important name for an important ship, that's nice. When does the festival take place? A few months ago, here at the station, we celebrated New Year's and Christmas, but those are human holidays. There's no reason why we couldn't celebrate your holidays too if you all wanted.

[ L3 pointed out to him that most of the things they celebrated at the station were human holidays, and Peter agreed that they could use more variety. Time to honor each other's cultures properly. ]

[ Of course, the moment Minimus recognizes the name of the singer, all other concerns leave Peter's head. His eyes widen, and so does the smile on his face. ]

Edited 2022-05-19 14:17 (UTC)

Yes! You know her!?

[ Congratulations Minimus, you just made it to the top of Peter's list of favorite Cybertronians ever. ]

It differs on the human calendar, but any date that is also a solemn time for other species on this ship will do.

[Who didn't fluff their pillows after sitting on this sofa? It's a mess! He sets them up in a line, looking like a catalog piece.]

I do. [He doesn't see Peter's expression.] She was one artist that was recommended to me several centuries ago.

I use the galactic calendar from my universe rather than the earth's one too, since I also have been traveling the galaxy for the last 30 years, but I'm sure we can all settle on a date.

[ There are more than 50 people inside a space station, some of them teenagers. The mess is inevitable, as minimus will discover soon enough. Minimus seems to prefer things to be organized, and Peter is not about to stand there and do nothing. He too starts to clean up a little, picking up magazines from the floor and the like. ]

That's amazing. Who recommended her to you? I have some of her songs on my music player if you want to listen to them.

[Minimus pauses a second. He offers Peter an appreciative nod for his help.]

A friend from Earth recommended her music. I have quite the collection from systems all across my universe, but those from Earth are rather dear to me. [Another sofa done, and it's time to sort the magazines in alphabetical and chronological order.] She used to mock her own tastes, claiming that she was "old" despite her obvious youth.

[His work slows.]

[ He nods back and smiles. It's no problem, really. They really should keep the common area cleaner. ]

Sounds like a very good friend. [ It's sweet that Minimus connected with someone in such a way, more so with a human. Peter knows from experience that sometimes it's hard to make friends when you are from different species. ]

Ey, the good classics are timeless. I think that people nowadays use the terms 'vintage' when they mean 'old but still cool to enjoy'. Did you or her have a favorite song? Perhaps I have it on my Zune. Or we could ask Viv to send us some music the next time there's a supply drop.

[Minimus fights the urge to clarify just how close they were. Verity was a teenage runaway who believed that everyone was not to be trusted, yet she somehow found her home among Ultra Magnus's ship. That was before she left for the Wreckers. The first emotional connection Minimus had since he agreed to Tyrest's terms, gone without warning.

How he misses her.] She used to call me "Uncle".

[One set of magazines are done. Time to move onto the next.]

I enjoy all kind of music. How can I say one single is the epitome of all music when you take into account of genres and themes?

[ Peter would have liked her if he had had the chance to meet Verity, no doubt. He, too, has a complicated past and has found a new family among aliens. They already would have that in common.

The smile he gives Minimus is soft, not mocking, showing that he finds that very cute. ]

That's sweet. We have a saying in my world, about how 'family is what you make it'. My team and I...we also come from very difficult backgrounds, and we're all different species, but we always have each other's backs.

[ And gods, Peter misses them so much, but he can't return home until he figures out what's up with the orbs. Before making sure they will be safe. ]

I suppose that's fair, there are so many choices. And different moods and moments require different movie genders. But some songs also speak to us more than others. Have you ever listened to Redbone's 'Come and get your love?' It was one of my mom's favorites, and mine too.

We Cybertronians rarely have family the way you organics do. I'm one of the fortunate ones to have come into existence with a twin, but we can find a group of people whose company we enjoy enough that we can refer to one another a family.

[It's done. Minimus finds a sofa to sit on and think, watching his hands.]

I suppose the Lost Light could have been one.

[But that is in the past, and their crew is scattered across the planet. There's now a new group of people with whom Minimus has bonded.]

Redbone is a relaxing band. Not the best for focusing on paperwork, but it lifts the mood.

Megatron taught some of us some basic medical information about Cybertronians, in case any of you got injured, and we had to help. He mentioned how you are born, so I'm aware it's very different from humans, but also know about split sparks.

[ Peter sounds very joyful when he tells Minimus this, making it clear that he's paid attention, even though he's not what one would call a star student. This is great! He's going to get a good grade in befriending Cybertronians, something that is both normal to want and possible to achieve. ]

What's your twin's name? Maybe he will arrive here one day too. [ He walks over to the couch and sits on the arm, facing Minimus. Peter knows it's sturdy enough to withstand his weight because he's done this before. ]

It's all right to have more than one group of people close to your hea...your spark. Things can change quickly, people even more so. [ Peter had his real family once, then whatever Yondu, and he had going on, and now he has the Guardians. One doesn't make his love for the others change. ]

You've heard of that one too? I really need to find a way to share all my music from my Zune with you, I think there will be some songs there that you'll love.

...Has he? [He's happy that Megatron can discuss Cybertronian physiology with organics, really. It's a sure sign of progress, but Starlord now knows how Minimus and Dominus came to be. He knows that their bond started from birth, like how organic twins always have someone to exist alongside them.]

Megatron is very knowledgeable in his area of expertise. [Minimus can agree with that part of Starlord's statement.] It sounds like he taught you much.

[But there it is: a question about his brother. No one here knows how famous he is, so there is little unease in his answer:] Dominus.

My brother's name was Dominus. I don't have any expectation that he will arrive here. [He crosses his arms and is oddly focused on the small smears on his wrists.] But I have other mechs with whom I am close.

[And rushing onto the next topic:] Yes, I would be pleased to trade songs from our personal collections.

Yes, he was very patient with all our questions too.

[ Peter had been very excited to get to meet a Cybertronian back then, even if Megatron was nothing like the one he had seen in his cartoons when he was a kid. That was for the better, of course, since the ex-Decepticon is way more nice and calm than Peter imagined. ]

Dominus... [ The man mutters more to make sure he never forgets the name than anything else. The use of a past verb and Minimus's next words leaves little room for the imagination about what might have happened to him. Peter gives him an understanding look. ] I'm sorry. For what is worth, death is not something that would stop someone from joining the crew. A few orbers are dead in their home worlds, and I know this for a fact because some of them came from my universe.

[ So, they never know, Dominus could show up one day. But talking about songs is a much more pleasant subject of conversation, and Peter doesn't want to make Minimus depressed during their first meeting. He is happy to change topics. ]

Then I'll figure out a way for that to happen, promise.

Living Quarters

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