all i want to be is someone who gets to see

[tigermillionaire]

Who: Steven Universe and YOU.
Where: Various places.
When: June 16th and onward.
What: Steven Universe has been left in LA while his assorted moms save the universe or something. He brought a lion.
Warnings: TOO CUTE TO LIVE.

[FIRST DAY: ALPHA FORCE TOWER]

He's already said his goodbyes. A few times, in fact. In between the crying and the pleading. He'd initially insisted that it was no big deal and that he was a big kid who could handle himself just fine, but being actually faced with the Gems just vanishing for who knows how long...well, Steven had always been an emotional kid.

His tears have dried by now, and he is finally certain that he's been left to his own devices. The Gems had to talk to some of the Alpha Force before leaving, but Steven had scarcely participated, feeling uncomfortable and wary of the whole thing. His natural sense of curiousity and wonder at being in a new place could only do so much in the face of such a totally drastic change in circumstances.

He wanders around the tower, prodding at things that he probably shouldn't, and generally moping in all the expected ways. His tummy hurts, and it's not because he's hungry.

[ON THE TOWN: AND ON A LION!]

As expected, Lion deigns to show himself a day or so after Steven arrives, and he immediately takes the opportunity to frolic with all his might. Staying still is making Steven feel nervous and worried, and so he decides what he really need to do is give himself a tour of the city. You know, without really telling anyone. He never had to in Beach City, so why should he here?

Especially when he is literally riding around a massive pink lion bareback.

He can be found in various parts of the city with a ukulele strapped to his back, and some kind of map he has probably picked up from a gas station. Unfortunately he has no idea how to read it, and despite spending quite a bit of time discussing it with Lion, his mount appears to have few answers for the boy.

[AUTOBOT CENTRAL: THE SMALLEST HUMAN EVER]

It doesn't take long for someone to let the fact slip that CONDOR is also hosting a selection of giant robots, and once Steven knows about it, it is impossible to stop him. It takes some doing to beg and nag the information out of people, but eventually someone caves and escorts him there, if only to make him stop asking.

Steven sneaks into the massive botcave, looking positively astonished, even before he sees any aliens. He stands somewhere near the entrance, gawking shamelessly.

"Whoaaa..."

Comments

[Autobot Central]

[ultramatum]

Magnus had been working in one of the side rooms from the main space, but hearing something that was certainly not one of his teammates brought him out to investigate. Seeing a human he didn't recognized caused him to take a slow indrawn breath of irritation, steeling himself for another unproductive conversation. The fact that CONDOR still hadn't done anything about their request to screen visitors was starting to get extremely annoying. He would probably have to send them another request that something be done. This was getting unacceptable.

"You there. What do you think you are doing here?" He crossed the room slowly, expression bordering somewhere suspicion and concern as he noticed the size of their unexpected guest.

[tigermillionaire]

Ultra Magnus is at least three times Steven's height, and though it's his whole purpose for being there, it catches him off guard. He jumps a little when the robot enters, but by the time they are actually speaking, his jaw has simply fallen open and there are stars in his eyes.

"You're...a robot..." Steven whispers in long, slow breaths.

[ultramatum]

"That is not entirely accurate, we are Cybertronian."

Magnus had no problem ignoring Steven's awestruck demeanor. As Optimus Prime's Second in Command he had plenty of rookie Autobots address him with a similar manner in the past.

He got down on one knee to engage Steven more directly. He still wanted answers.
"I will ask again, what is your purpose for entering this facility?"

[AUTOBOT CENTRAL]

[positiveenergy]

Drift had been out driving around the perimeter of the base, getting a better scope of the area, and he’s still in his alt. mode when he heads back towards the botcave. He almost misses Steven entirely on his way in, but manages to catch sight of him by the front entrance and moves to pull up beside him.

“Oh, hello! Are you, umm…are you looking for something?”

Ever since they’d moved here, humans sure have been showing up a lot. Drift actually finds himself looking forward to the visits, unlike some of his teammates, and he sounds cheerful as he speaks. If anything, it was nice to finally talk openly with a few humans, and not have to worry about hiding behind an avatar.

[tigermillionaire]

Steven just gapes when the car pulls up to him and starts talking, shuffling forward and pressing his face right to the window like he's trying to see inside.

"Whoa. Are you a car? I've never met a car. Not one that said hello, anyway!"

[positiveenergy]

Whoever he is, he’s sure excitable. Drift finds himself taking a liking to this human already, even if he doesn’t seem to know much about personal space.

“Yeah, I guess I am a car, but not like the one’s you’re used to! Not even including the talking. Back up a bit and I can show you.”

ON THE TOWN

[pullingamiko]

Miko has seen enough weird stuff here to have gotten somewhat more selective about what she pays attention to (somewhat, not very), but this definitely seems worth paying attention to.

She half-jogs up to Steven and Lion, a delighted grin spread across her face. "Dude, is that a lion? How d'you even find a pink lion?"

[tigermillionaire]

Steven notices her and positively beams at the attention, leaning back against Lion's mane like he's trying to look extra cool. Lion, as usual, has no particular reaction to new people.

"Oh, I just ran into him while doing some really important superhero stuff. Destined to be together and that kind of thing. It's pretty awesome."

[pullingamiko]

"Important superhero stuff, huh?" She looks pretty incredulous, but it's the kind of amused, good-natured incredulity of someone who isn't quite sure she actually believes what she's hearing, but doesn't see any real need to question it. "Mind if I ask what kind, or is that confidential?"

on the town/lion

[hellacold]

Jon is walking Ghost, in that Jon is walking next to Ghost, who more or less goes where he wants. Where he wants to go is currently, towards the magical lion, who he sniffs curiously. Jon follows along behind him, giving Steven and Lion a faint, apologetic smile.

[tigermillionaire]

Lion stared at Ghost blankly for a few moments of he gets sniffed, and then very lackadaisically raises a massive paw to bap at the dog's face. This is enough to get Steven's attention.

"Oh my gosh, that is a big dog!" he gasps, practically climbing up onto Lion's head to get a better look.

[hellacold]

Ghost backs away, faintly offended. Jon raises his eyebrows.

"That's a big cat."

alpha force tower!

[neonmonstrosity]

Chris is... possibly not actually supposed to be in the tower. He's not actually sure what the rules on this kind of thing are, but no one had objected to him being here so far once he had explained what he was doing and they verified that he wasn't lying about being a Trailblazer so. Whatever.

He's trying to find Maxxie by way of finding Tommy's room because they need to have a Talk about House Things, but he has no idea where exactly that is so he's kind of just wandering about aimlessly in the hopes he'll find it when he stumbles across a sad child. Chris starts to just walk on by but goddammit sad children are just the saddest things in the world so he turns around and walks over to Steven.

"What's wrong?" Chris sticks his hands in his pockets, looking down at this small human, "you, uh... Are you lost or something?"

[tigermillionaire]

Steven straightens up, taking his hands off of some kind of display piece like he's suddenly not sure if he's allowed to be touching it. He looks at Chris and tucks his hands behind his back.

"I'm Steven! Steven Universe. I'm...I'm staying here now." He pauses, and then squints. "...Are you one of the Alpha Force?"

[neonmonstrosity]

"Nah, I'm just looking for a mate." He squints right back at Steven. He looks way too young to be on Alpha Force but honestly you never know with heroes these days, "are you?"

i couldn't decide so you get them both (on the toooowwwn)

[traumatizing]

It's amazing how weird stuff only seems to happen to Terry when he's out grocery shopping.

Thankfully this time he hasn't actually gotten started when he's distracted by a child riding a lion around town, which would admittedly not be as worth his time if, on closer inspection, that didn't seem to be the kid who was dropped off at Alpha Force tower the other day. Isn't he a bit young and new to LA to be wandering around on his own. Well not quite on his own, but Terry's doubtful that a pink lion counts as a responsible chaperone. (Granted, it might not actually be a lion or it could be sapient, but let's take one strange occurrence at a time here.)

Okay, fine. Okay. Terry jogs on over towards Steven and Lion and gives them a small wave. He's just gonna make sure someone knows he's out and then leave. Simple. "Steven Universe, right?"

[tigermillionaire]

"Aw, Liiion...come on," Steven is scolding as Terry approaches, with Lion apparently having decided to flop down onto a warm bit of sidewalk and have an impromptu nap. Steven is kind of put out by the fact that they are pausing in their tour, but he quickly becomes distracted by the approaching man.

"I sure am! And you would be?" he asks cheerfully. Wow! So many people are talking to him today. It's great.

ALPHA TOWER!!

[sunmedallion]

After a while, there's a hand on his shoulder, and Celestia looming benevolently and radiantly behind him.

"Steven," she says, smiling gently, her masses of pastel rainbow hair undulating gently despite the fact that they are indoors and there is no breeze to speak of. "How are you settling in?"

[tigermillionaire]

Steven had spoken to her briefly before, when the Gems were dropping him off, and he more or less seems to be moping in a similar matter. The child is drooping like a sad houseplant, no matter how amazing Celestia's hair is. (He thinks it is pretty amazing.)

"I'm okaaaay," he sighs, in the resigned kind of way a child does when they know they need to be responsible but doesn't want to.

ALPHA TOWER

[dragonswag]

Lina is not, in theory, opposed to kids. They can be all right, sometimes. Honestly, she doesn't have to deal with them too much, particularly not lately, so she doesn't have any particular feelings about kids one way or another -- except that she is emphatically not a babysitter.

Lina respects the Gems (as much as she respects anyone, really, but those guys know their stuff, she'll give 'em that, and given the choice she'd rather work with them than a lot of other heroes), but come on, really? Since when is it Alpha Force's job to watch after wayward kids? It's definitely not Lina's job, that's for sure, and she's been pretty vocal about it. Whether or not Celestia's actually been listening is another matter entirely, though.

Who let this kid wander around the tower unsupervised, anyway? Lina finds him poking around the lounge when she strolls in for a snack, and her eyes narrow a little as she casts a doubtful look at Steven. "Hey," she says shortly, hands on hips. Unfortunately, despite being ten years his senior she isn't a whole lot taller, and she doesn't cut a very imposing figure, all told. "Kid. Don't you have somewhere to be? Someone to be babysat by? I thought Celestia would have you busy making coloring book friendship collages by now."

[tigermillionaire]

Steven is kneeling on the arm of a chair when she approaches, using it as ledge to hang off of as he...tries to look under the couch? It isn't totally clear what he's trying to accomplish. When Lina surprises him, though, he flops right off onto the floor.

"Not yet, but I could be into that!" he says, kind of alarmed but also pretty sincere when it comes to coloring book friendship collages.

AUTOBUTT CENTRAL

[worstprime]

This is indeed, actually the smallest human Rodimus has seen yet. So small in fact, that he almost didn't notice him, although really that's more a testament to how little attention he was paying and how accustomed to these...impromtu visits the locals have been making to their "secret" base. Something does seem a bit different about this one...

"Hey. Hey what're you? What's your deal?" Rodimus is starting to really skip the formalities at this point.

[tigermillionaire]

Steven spins around to face him, obviously excited to see another robot, and spreads his arms gloriously.

"I'm a Steven!" he proclaims, and starts laughing like that's a hilarious joke.

in town

[metalivore]

...It's him. It is that kid. And he's riding a pink lion. What is this kid's deal.

Gajeel has no idea, but he intends to find out. Which is why he's been following Steven for the past few blocks, probably completely inconspicuous with his hands shoved into his pockets, his mouth twisted into a scowl, and his face completely undisguised except for a pair of sunglasses.

Of course, on the other hand, he's kind of depending on the fact that Steven has never seen him out of costume. So, unless the kid does manage to recognize him, as far as he knows he's just being followed by some angry-looking guy with a dozen facial piercings and sunglasses. Not at all suspicious or threatening.

just give up, Gajeel.

[tigermillionaire]

Steven has started playing his ukelele at this point, and is leaning back against Lion's mane as the beast walks along the street at a leisurely place.

"Touring Los Angeles city, riding my big pink kitty," he sings, strumming along some rough chords, obviously improving the words as he goes. "Na na na na na."