silkling

[silkling]

≫ ─────────── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ─────────── ≪

Rest easy, brightspark

Your work is done

Come now, brightspark

Your peace is won

You've given much

For that,

I grieve

But it time now,

My dear

To leave

You need not be strong enough

To carry the world

Not anymore

Your burden passes on

As those you've left behind

Greet a new dawn

I am sorry, brightspark

For what my blessing brought you

I am sorry, brightspark

That you cannot see your promise through

But it is time, my brightspark

To move on

Rest easy, dear brightspark

Your work is done

Come now, little brightspark

The war is won

≫ ─────────── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ─────────── ≪

#a god's lament #silkling writes #a poem this time! #specifically a poem spoken by primus #idk man #i just t=thought this would be fun #a silly little thing #do with it what you will #primus #is he talking to optimus or rodimus! that's up to you #optimus prime #rodimus prime #transformers #macadam

[silkling]

Not to be that person, but you've been quiet and haven't posted anything here or ao3 for some time now, is everything alright?

Hi! Don't worry, you're not being "that person"! I'm sorry to have worried you! I've just been really busy with university! This semester has been especially busy for me! But the good news is that I am working on some updates! "Of Finding Family" is my current project, and I'm struggling with how to make the thing I want to happen actually happen. But! I have the outline of the rest of the story mapped out, it's just figuring out the fiddly bits of how to get from point A to point B, so to speak. After "Of Finding Family", I'm hoping that the inspiration from that will carry me to "Watermarked by Your Ancestry"! I hit a major roadblock with that project just after I last updated and have been struggling since, but my hope is that the success of finishing "Of Finding Family" will give me the boost I need to get over that particular hurdle.

As for Tumblr....yeah. I stopped posting my fics here because they never get much engagement. Now don't get me wrong, I don't write just for the engagement of the audience, but that interaction with readers is what motivates me to actually post, y'know? Sure, I daydream the ideas and write them for fun mostly for myself, but when I post them it's a lot of work to take it from messy daydream brain-vomited onto a page, to the actual finished product. And the interaction and feedback from my audience is what makes me want to put in that extra effort. I get a lot more of that on Ao3 (And I promise, even if I don't respond to most comments out of me just straight up overthinking myself into stress, every single one makes me super happy)

To that effect, I've honestly been considering just. Shifting the focus of my Tumblr. Maybe using it to post general TF thoughts, headcanons, blot bunnies, theories, fic updates....that sort of thing. But idk. Just a thing for me to consider.

Also, more good news I've joined this year's Reverse Mini Bang, and if this year is anything like last year's Big Bang, I'll probably overshoot the minimun word requirement again. So, that's one more big(ish) project you can look forward to! (Even if the posting period is a bit of a ways off)

All in all, I have a handful of projects planned! I will do my best to update "Of Finding Family" soon, but I can't promise anything. At the very least, I'll have a lot more free time as summer hits, so at least there's that.

And finally...I want to say thank you. Real life's been keeping me busy, but I felt like I had to respond to your message. It's honestly super touching to know that people like me and what I do enough to notice that I disappeared for a little. So...thank you. :D

#silkling rambles #silkling ask response

[silkling]

Hey. Psspsspss.

New chapter of “Of Finding Family and Coming Home” is up. It’s a big one! The much awaited reunion has occurred! (Well one of them anyway.)

Anyway. Here it is! Enjoy!

#silkling fics #of moments in life au #tfp dreadwing #tfrb blades #tf hot spot #macadam #transformers

[silkling]

Thinking of signing up for the reverse mini-bang this year. Should be fun! I enjoyed the Big Bang last year so it could be worth it. And this year I have more free time too… hmmm. Decisions, decisions. Ah well. I’ll make up my mind eventually.

#silkling rambles #will delete this later #just wanted to put this out there

[silkling]

Guess what y’all!

New part of “Of Moments in Life” is out!

And this is the big moment I’ve been fighting with for ages! Hope y’all like it! Please let me know what you think!

#of moments in life au #silkling fics #tfp dreadwing #tfrb blades #protectobots

[silkling]

Real question folks.

We all know Optimus’s motto right? Right?

“Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.”

Yeah, that one. You know the one.

But. Like. Issue.

Animals are sentient. Animals like dogs, cats, wild animals, they all have sentience. So like, what do we think the Autobots think about that? How do they feel about the fact that humans (and probably every other species in the galaxy) regularly domesticate, tame, and use other sentient creatures for their own gain? For things like. Entertainment, agriculture, pet-keeping. All that stuff.

Do you think they’re bothered by it? Do yo7 think they look at humans, with our pet dogs, and think

“Wow, this situation is kinda fucked up.”

I mean. Personally , I don’t think they take much issue with it. (Especially cause like there’s instances of them in canon not giving a shit. Buster in IDW. Fluffy Ears in Earthspark. Etc.) I think they understand the difference between sentient and sapient. Like. Humans are sapient. Cybertronians are sapient. Animals are….not? At at least not really. If you want to classify animals as sapient I think you can make that argument but even then you have to agree that their sapience is severely limited compared to like. Human sapience.

So. I don’t know. Do you think the bots get wigged out but human pet ownership, I guess. Because I know what Optimus’s motto is. I know what he says. But like. Do you think maybe he means sapient where he says sentient? Cause I think that makes more sense.

Cause like. He’s advocating for total freedom, right? Equality under law, ability to self determine your own life and destiny. But. Uh. That wouldn’t really work for animals? They’re sentient, yah, but they operate on an instinct level. Not an intellect level. Not that they don’t deserve protections and shit. That’s not the point. The point is like. Do you think Optimus (and the other Bots I guess) differentiate between sentience and sapience when they apply their beliefs. Because if not then they’d have to also be advocating for total animal freedom.

I do not know where I am going with this. But. Do you all see my point???? Please tell me you do. This has been niggling at my brain for years and I just. I cannot stop thinking about it. I don’t know why.

Sentience is not sapience. But the Autobots fight for the freedom of “sentient beings”. This is driving me insane. Do you think they care about a difference? Or do they see humans as monsters for our dominion over animals? Someone help I’m thinking too much about something that doesn’t even matter.

#silkling rambles #transformers #maccadam #also #for those who do not know the difference #sentient is the ability to think and perceive and feel emotions #sapient is the capacity for intelligence and complex problem solving and learning #a big part of sapience is also like. self-awareness. awareness of yourself in the world and your relation to thr world and people around yo #it’s kinda more complicated but that’s the simple version. #so like. a cat is sentient because it can think and feel. it can even learn a little. #but it lacks the higher self-awareness that’s necessary for true sapience #I am rambling again. #someone needs to stop me #why am I fixating on this on 9 pm a Thursday night #I do not know #I just. I just wanted to let my brain vomit out. this has been ratttling and sloshing in my head for years #anyway. thoughts. let me know yours #or don’t #I’m going to shut up now

[silkling]

Rodimus stared at his alternate, bewildered and confused. The other him seemed to be barely holding himself together, his spoiler quivering as he clung to Megatron with a desperation that was…confusing.

And concerning.

“Seriously.” He said, shifting as if he couldn’t decide what to do. “What happened to me?”

Drift, the other Drift, the one with the much more detailed and crawling face paint, just looked away. He was still shying back from Ratchet, and Rodimus saw his Drift step forward and kneel beside his conjunx, field full of concern.

“What happened to both of you?” His Drift asked, voice gentle with care.

“You know what happened to me.” The other Drift said. His voice cracked, shaking in a way Rodimus never thought he’d hear in the familiar tones of his Amica.

“I died.” Ratchet said softly. “But what happened to you? What about the others? Who helped you?”

The other Drift finally looked up. His optics made something in Rodimus’s spark freeze as if struck by cold. They seemed so….dead. Lifeless. Full of nothing but grief and loneliness and despair.

“What others? Everyone else is dead or they left.” The alternate said, his voice shaking.

What?

What?

That-

That couldn’t be.

“Drift.” He didn’t care that his voice took a higher pitch. “Drift.” The alternate swords mech finally looked at him with his dead, dull optics, and Rodimus almost wished he hadn’t. He pressed on. “What happened to me?”

The alternate version of his Amica stared, then finally spoke.

“Megatron died.” The words stole his vents, but the mech wasn’t done.

“Megatron died, and no one stayed.”

Okay, I can't stop thinking about it.

What if Rodimus and Drift from Lost Light's bad ending end up in another dimension, on a ship with their duplicates?

Just…hypothetically. You know..

#mtmte #lost light #rodimus #megatron #transformers #drift #ratchet #ficlet #I was inspired ans this was the result #op pls lemme know if you want me to remove this #i just wanted to contribute because this was heartcrushingly beautiful #maccadam

[silkling]

It’s here!!! The big art chapter! Please hall, go check out the fic! @candychameleon’s absolutely incredible art is in this chapter. Remember this preview?

Well, it’s from this chapter! Go check it out, it’s absolutely incredible. It makes me absolutely feral it’s so good.

#silkling fics #earthspark nightshade #bob the insecticon #transformers big bang 2023 #tfbb2023 #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

It’s finally here! The chapter with the first art made by my incredible artist partner, @candychameleon! Please check out the fic and the art y’all, it looks so good!

#silkling fics #earthspark nightshade #tfbb2023 #transformers big bang 2023 #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

The next chapter is up! Hope y’all like it!

#silkling fics #earthspark nightshade #transformers big bang #tfbb2023 #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

It’s here, y’all! My fic for the @tf-bigbang has been posted! The prologue is up right now, and I’ll upload the first chapter today. I’ll be posting the rest of the fic over the next two days! I hope you enjoy it!

#silkling fics #earthspark nightshade #tf big bang #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

TF Big Bang 2023 Preview

Hello once again! As you folks know, I’m taking part in this years @tf-bigbang! My incredible artist for this monster of a project is the lovely @candychameleon. 💖💜 (They created some of the most awesome work for this fic, I swear y’all it’s perfect!)

I’m super excited to share this fic with everyone come the 22nd! It’s going to be a continuity soup, looming-potential-apocalypse AU set on Cybertron with Nightshade as the main character! It’s been a lot of fun writing it and working with my partner for this, so I hope everyone else is as excited as I am!

And without further ado, the preview of my fic, tentatively titled Wayward, is here!

Time passed too quickly, or at least they felt like it did, because it wasn’t long before they had to abandon their cozy nook and go meet the High Priest. But, perhaps the librarian would let them check out the datapads so they could read them later in their room? He was usually fine with it. They padded to the front, and when the minibot looked up they held up the pads with a hopeful grin. He snorted, nodding and waving them on. They beamed and gave a shallow bow, then tucked the pads into their subspace and hurried out of the library and to the front yard. They saw the High Priest standing there, along with what appeared to be a contingent of Elite Guard, including the Magnus himself.

Nightshade frowned as they approached the older mecha, looking hesitant. “Sir? May I ask what you need of me?”

“You’re going to finally be useful, aberration.” The High Priest said coldly.

“What do you mean?”

“Cybertron is dying,” he said bluntly. “Our Creator is either displeased with us, or He has been poisoned. But either way, the problems began when you emerged. We are going to rectify the ailment that your creation caused our planet.”

That did not sound good. Nightshade didn’t understand what the mech was talking about.

“I do not follow.” they said carefully.

“We are going to sacrifice you to the core. You will be taken out of Iacon, and your frame dropped for the Creator to take back.”

Art by @candychameleon

#silkling fics #tf big bang #continuity soup #earthspark nightshade #alternate universe #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

Hey ya’ll! I know it’s been a while! But I have something exciting to announce!

I am writing a fic for this years Big Bang!

I won’t give anything away, but I’ll really looking forward to sharing it with all of you! So keep an eye out for updates and news in the coming weeks. You can find out more about what I’m working on when the BB’s preview period drops, and then you’ll be able to read the thing next month when all the fics drop!

I hope y’all are excited, cause this is going to be my biggest project yet!

#silkling rambles #big bang #writing #transformers #maccadam

[silkling]

Terrestrial

So this is purely self-indulgent. I wanted to write a Combiner Terrans AU so I did.

Also, the Terrans' combined form uses far/faer pronouns. I figure if any character is going to use neopronouns, it's going to be the alien robot whose made up up five other alien robots of varying genders.

More info on this AU at the end.

———————————————————————————————————

Awareness crashed into existence with all the force of a cannon blast. Vents slammed open, and optics flashed wide. A gasp escaped from a new vocalizer, and the massive frame swayed as if dizzy.

They…no, he? She? No, no….none of those were right. But what was? Knowledge bloomed, from deep in their–faer–spark. Yes. That was right. Fae were not he, or she, or even they. Fae were fae. Fae had no knowledge as to why such was the case, but it was. It was simply right. Fae felt it to the very depths of faer spark. And faer name…yes, fae knew that too. 

But…what were fae? The answer came quickly, instinctively. It was an answer fae knew in the depths of their code. Fae were a bot. A Terran. No…no, fae we’re not one Terran. Fae were five. Or…were fae five Terrans? Fae felt like fae were one. Fae were faeselves. But if fae prodded deeper into faer spark and processor, they sensed the edges of five other sparks. Were fae…made up of other bots? 

Fae shifted their pedes, optics wide as they looked around in confusion. The confusion quickly mixed with surprise. Fae were so big! There were green things– no, trees–all around, but fae towered above them all! Beyond the trees, was an expanse of forest that looked endless. Fae were in a clearing.  A very big one. There was a large lake at the edge of the clearing. But where were fae? And why were fae here?

Knowledge, in the form of memories, tickled at faer mind. Mom had brought faer here. Alongside faer brother and sister. And faer Dad!  Fae’d come with other bots. Bigger bots? But…that wasn’t right. Faer memories said the bigger bots–Megatron and Optimus–didn’t tower over the trees. So how could they be bigger if fae did tower above everything else? 

Did…did these knowledge-memories come from the five bots that made fae? That…seemed right. At least, fae thought it did.  But then, that just made fae wonder again how they could be made up of other bots, and how and why fae had come into being. Fae were their own bot, fae knew that much. Even if fae were made up of five others, fae were not them. Fae were fae.

Fae were started from faer internal musing when fae felt something touch faer knee. Fae looked down, and brightened when fae saw Megatron. Yes! Fae knew this bot! Fae knelt, and Megatron backed up quickly to make sure fae didn’t accidentally squash his pedes under faer knee. Probably a good idea. Faer body still felt strange to fae. But good!

“Hello!” Fae greeted, then jerked and squeaked in alarm at how loud faer voice was.

They looked to Megatron quickly, hoping fae hadn’t hurt his audials, and that’s when fae saw Mom on his shoulder. “Oh! Mom!” Fae chirped.

“Uh.” Mom was looking up at fae, clearly surprised. “Hey, kiddo.” She said. “You…think I’m your mom?”

Fae blinked, then hunched in on faeself. “Yes? You take care of me. I always call you Mom. You said I was family?” Fae frowned. “Or…you said the bots that make me are family? Do…do I not count?” 

Fae…couldn’t fault Mom, if that was the case. Mom obviously hadn’t expected or known about fae. Even fae hasn’t known about faeself!

Mom shook her head quickly, then relaxed and smiled up at fae. “No, no. I’m just surprised. You’re…your own bot, right? Not a combination of my other kids?”

Fae smiled shyly. “Yes.” Fae agreed. “I am me, and I am one.” Fae lifted faer shoulders, feeling a swell of pride. Fae liked faeself, even if fae were new!

“So you are.” Mom agreed, smiling up at fae. “So, do you have a name, kiddo?”

Fae beamed down at her, armor flaring with a sense of warm, buzzing happiness. “Yes! I am Terrestrion! I am fae/faer!” Fae chirped.

“Terrestrion.” Mom mused, then smiled and leaned forward. “Hey, baby. Wanna give me a hug?”

Fae beamed brighter, and offered her faer servo. She climbed on, and fae brought her to faer face where she leaned in and embraced fae as best she could. Fae churred softly in contentment, faer face squishing into a happy, squinty smile. Mom chuckled, smiling back.

“Welcome to the family, Terrestrion.” She said warmly. 

“Thank you!” Fae chirped.

There was a cough by faer knees, where they were still kneeling, and fae blinking before making sure Mom was stable in one servo, and fae offered the other to Megatron. He stepped into it, and fae lifted him up to beam. 

“Hello! I am Terrestrion! I am fae/faer!” Fae introduced themselves. Fae knew Megatron, but Megatron did not know fae. 

“Yes.” He smiled faintly. “I am aware.” He hummed. “You are very articulate, for a combiner. Especially for your first time combining.” He observed.

“Oh!” Was that was fae was? A combiner? That made sense, but fae didn’t know hat a combiner was. Fae didn’t think the five bots who made faer knew either.  “Is that what I am? What’s a combiner?”

“A combiner is a bot who is made of five or more other bots, each of whom are the combiner’s components and transform into one part of the combiner’s frame. When combined, the components share their sparks, and their consciousnesses fade to allow the spark and consciousness of the combiner to form.” Megatron explained. “We just observed you combining for the first time. Your components are five young Terrans.”

Fae nodded, taking that all in. “Oh, yes, I know! I feel them! Their minds are quiet, but I know they made me!” Fae tilted faer helm. “Make me?” Fae mused. Fae knew the names of faer components too. It was like it was written into faer code, right where faer own name was.

Fae paused as something Megatron has said slid through his processors, and fae latched onto it was an eager desire to learn more. Fae wanted to know everything! “You were surprised I’m articulate?”

Megatron blinked, looking surprised again, before he chuckled in faint embarrassment. “Indeed. I have known a few combiners. The more stable ones were fully capable of speech and complex thought, but never on their first few combination attempts. I was surprised you are so stable so immediately. It is rather unusual, in my experience.”

Fae blinked, then frowned. Oh. “Is that…bad?”

“No, young one.” Megatron assured fae gently. “If anything, it is very good. It means the social bonds between your components are strong enough that you onlined without any conflicts in your own coding or core processor. It’s always good when a combiner is as stable as you.”

Fae blinked, then beamed brightly, only to pause as Megatron lifted a servo to his audial. Fae watched them talk, idly tilting faer helm to very carefully bump their nose to Mom in a gesture of affection as fae watched. After a moment, Megatron nodded and lowered his servo. 

“Optimus is returning with Alex and the children.” He said.

Oh? Oh! Yes! Fae hadn’t noticed earlier, but faer siblings and Dad weren’t here, even though fae knew they’d all come here together!

“Oh! Where were they?” Fae asked eagerly.

“The kids forgot their snacks.” Mom said, sounding amused as she leaned against faer cheek, seeming content to let faer have faer affection. “So Optimus took them to the nearest store to get more. It’s a bit out of the way, since we’re in the middle of nowhere. Alex went with them to keep the kids out of trouble.”

Oh, yes. That made sense. And now fae remembered, too. Faer siblings had been so excited to go out on the weekend camping trip, to a place where faer commoners could run and play freely without fear of being seen, and then when they’d gotten here faer siblings had realized that they’d left their snacks at home. They still had food for their meals, but no snacks for in between. 

Fae looked up as fae heard footsteps, and then Optimus, Dad, and faer siblings were stepping out of the tree line. Dad and Robby and Mo were holding bags, but all four of them froze when they saw the scene. 

“Hello!” Fae said brightly. “I am Terrestrion! I am fae/faer!”

Optimus spat static, staring at faer with wide optics. “Combiner.” He finally gasped out.

“Yes.” Megatron agreed, clearly amused. 

He gestured to faer, and fae set him down on the ground, though Mom seemed content to stay where she was. 

“Optimus, Alex, children.” Megatron said. “Meet the combined form of the Terrans.”

That seemed enough to jolt Dad from his stupor, because he was quick to squeal in delight and dart over to faer. He climbed onto the servo Megatron had vacated, and fae lifted him up to smile at him. 

“Hello Dad!” Fae chirped, absolutely thrilled to see that he was happy to meet faer. 

“Dad!” He gasped, then turned to Mom. “Oh, Dottie! They’re-“ he cut himself off, then shook himself and corrected himself before he continued. “Faer really another Terran kid? Ours?” 

Fae blinked, then beamed even brighter when they realized how easily Dad had accepted and self corrected. Fae knew faer pronouns were, perhaps, rather non-traditional, but they felt so very right for faer. 

“Fae sure are.” Mom smiled at Dad and leaned in to steal a kiss from him. The act of affection made faer squeak in delight. “Though this Terran baby is a whole lot bigger than the others. We’ll manage, though.” She smiled up at faer, and fae grinned back.

“We will.” Dad agreed. He smiled warmly, then leaned in to cuddle against faer face and give faer his best approximation if a hug. “I’m so very pleased to meet you, Terrestrion.” He said cheerfully. “But why don’t you put us down? I think your brother and sister want to say hello as well.” 

“Oh!” Fae gasped, then nodded eagerly and lowered faer parents down. 

They stepped off faer servos, and Robby and Mo wasted no time in clambering onto faer servos instead. Fae lifted them again, smiling as faer siblings all but vibrated with glee. In fact…fae would  feel their excitement, bubbling alongside faer own. But how? A nudge from faer memories, and fae realized how. The cybersleeves! Yes, fae were  connected to their siblings! 

“Hello!” Fae greeted. 

“Hi!” Mo gasped, her eyes wide and shining. “You’re really a combiner? Made up of our siblings?”

Fae nodded. “Yes! The Terrans are my components.” Fae paused. “That makes me Terran too, I think.”

 

“Yeah it does.” Robby grinned. “And it makes you our sibling just as much as the others.”

Fae chirped happily, overwhelmed with the sheer joy of their acceptance. They laughed, holding their cybersleeves to their chests.

“Oh, all those happy feels are you?” Mo giggled, grin in up at faer through her laughter. 

Joy was infectious, it seemed.  Especially when fae were directly connected to faer siblings. 

“Yes!” Fae beamed. “There is much to be happy about! I am new, and I exist! The world is so exciting, and there is so much to learn! I have a family, and Mom and Dad care for me, and you are my brother and sister and you love me!” Fae announced, all but vibrating with the force of their glee and excitement. 

Robby was laughing, patting faer servo with one hand. “You’re right! That is a lot of to happy about!” He laughed again. “But oh man, you’re so bright!”

Fae blinked. “Bright?” Fae looked down at faeselves. “Are my biolights dialed up too much?”

Mo gave a squeal of laughter, her hands clapped over her mouth as she sat in faer servo.

“No.” Robby grinned. “Not, like, physically bright. Just…you. Your personality. Your feels. All the other stuff. You’re bright.”

“It’s nice.” Mo chimed in, giggles fading as her grin brightened. “Bright feels are always good, even if they’re intense enough that it feels like I might explode.”

“Please don’t explode.” Fae said somberly. “I love you too much.”

“Aww.” Mo giggled, rocking forward so she could throw her arms against faer face and hug faer cheek. “Not literally. It’s just a lot. You have a lot of really big feels, but it makes sense! You’re a really big bot!”

“Oh.” Fae blinked, then relaxed and smiled again. “That’s good!”

“Very.” Mo nodded seriously, and then she laughed and popped to her feet. “So! Let’s play!”

“Play?” Fae blinked again.

“Play what? Faer too big to play our normal games.” Robby pointed out.

“I could…be less big? I could split again.” Fae offered, though fae wasn’t eager to. Fae’d only just come into being! They wanted to exist for as long as they could!

“You don’t need to.” Mo assured. “I know a way we can all play!” She pointed to the lake at the edge of the clearing.

Oh, yes. Fae had forgotten about that. But when Mom and Dad and all of the group had arrived here, Mom had decided to make camp here. Because water activities were fun for camping trips. But fae didn’t understand what that had to do with the conundrum at hand. At servo? Hm. 

“Oh!” Well, it seemed Robby understood, even if fae didn’t. “Yeah, good idea Mo!” He turned to faer. “Hey, Terrestrion, can you put us down? We’ll be right back.” 

Fae nodded, then lowered their servos. Faer siblings slipped off, then hurried to the truck Mom had driven here in. Fae watched as they rooted around the trunk, then grabbed something and scurried around the back. Fae blinked, confused as fae tilted faer helm.

A moment later, Robby and Mo slipped out from behind the truck wearing their swim suits. 

“Come on, Terrestrion!” Mo called out, racing over. “You can still play with us by the lake!” 

Fae didn’t see how, but fae would humor her and see what she had in mind. Fae crawled over to the lake, seeing no point in standing just to walk a short distance, then sat on the edge as Robby and Mo caught up. Behind them, Mom and Dad and Megatron and Optimus followed. 

The adults had been talking quietly, but fae hadn’t been paying attention. It wasn’t faer business, but fae supposed they were wanting to stay close to Robby and Mo and faeself to keep an eye–optic?–on everything. 

“Alright!” Mo crowed. “Now you pick us up, and we can use your hands as a diving board!”

Oh! Yes, now fae understood! 

“Not too high!” Mom’s voice was sharp as she cut in. “Terrestrion, honey,  I don’t want you standing up if you’re going to play like that, okay? It’ll be too high of a jump otherwise.” 

Mo and Robby complained, but fae blinked and nodded. “Okay Mom!” Fae wouldn’t do anything to hurt faer siblings!

“And be careful, okay?” Mom said gently. “Your brother and sister are a lot smaller than you.”

Fae went still, face shifting into something more serious. “I would never hurt my family, Mom. I will protect them. All of them. Always. My job is to be like a guardian.”

She blinked rapidly, then softened. “Good.” She said softly. “But how about you let us adults protect you as well, alright kiddo?”

Fae smiled shyly. “Okay, Mom. And when I’m stronger, I can protect everyone.”

Mom nodded, then turned back to the other adults, and fae took that as faer cue to look back to faer siblings. They lowered their servos, letting Robby and Mo climb on, and then lofted them above the depths of the lake. 

The two humans jumped, and they all continued to play that way. For some time, Robby and Mo were content to just keep jumping off their biggest sibling, but eventually the game changed. Fae began to splash at them, making small waves that sent the humans tumbling and laughing. Fae were careful, optics sharp as they kept a close watch over faer siblings. Fae were ready to pull them out the second it look like they needed it. 

As time wore on, fae continued to play with faer siblings, and the adults went on to set up camp properly. Fae found faeselves lost in thought. It was understandable that Mom would be worried. But fae also knew that fae would snuff faer own spark before willingly hurting any of faer family. 

Fae didn’t realize that they’d lagged in the game until fae felt Robby touch faer servo.

“Terrestrion? You okay?”

Fae blinked, opening faer mouth to reply before fae paused. “I am well. I am merely….” Fae paused, searching. “Tired.” Fae realized. 

“That is no surprise.” Megatron said from behind faer. “You have been combined for several hours. Most new combiners cannot hold their form for this long.”

Hours? But it hadn’t felt like that! But then when fae looked around, fae realized that the sky had changed significantly. It really had been hours. 

“Oh.” Fae frowned. “But…I do not want to go.” Fae said softly, suddenly nervous.

“It won’t be forever, baby.” Mom said gently, walking over. 

Fae turned to her, then crouched until faer chin was pressed to the ground so she could press a hand to faer cheek. 

“We’re still out here for a few more days. You can combine again as much as you want while we’re here. And when we get home…” she paused.

“It’ll be harder for you to combine.” Dad said as he walked up to faer as well. “We’ll have to make sure you only ever combine somewhere where there’s no one around. Finding the time and space for that will be difficult. But we will manage it, I promise you.” He smiled and leaned into Mom. “We’ll make it work. You’re family now. We’ll take care of you.”

Fae swallowed, spark thrumming with nerves. “Promise?” Fae whispered.

“We promise.” Mom said gently, meeting faer gaze evenly.

“Okay.” 

Fae smiled shakily, still nervous, and a Robby and Mo sidled up next to Mom and Dad to shoot fae a reassuring smile. It would be okay. Faer family would take care of faer. Megatron and Optimus were standing close by, and fae could feel the gentle reassurance in their fields. All would be well. 

Fae released a slow vent, then closed faer optics. Fae had to figure out how to decombine. Fae delved into their processor, following the strings that connected faer to faer components. In the spot where the strings met, there was a nook. Fae looked it over, tugging at it. This was how they were supposed to decombine. But how? Fae didn’t know what to do.

Fae felt a prickle along their coding, like an instinct urging faer on. Fae was supposed to lean into the nook? No…no, fae was supposed to tuck in. Curl faer consciousness into it and tuck tight. 

Okay. That was doable. Fae relaxed, gathering faeselves close and tight, then tucked in and let faeselves drop into the nook.

Awareness faded, and a single conscious split five ways. Nestled into the sparks and processors of faer components, Terrestrion slipped into a peaceful rest.

———————————————————————————————————

So, as mentioned in the beginning, Terrestrion uses neoronouns. There's a reason for this. I figured that, since fair made up of five bots who all use different pronouns, it'd make the most sense. He/him wouldn't fir because of Twitch, Hashtag, and Nightshade. She/her wouldn't work because of Thrash, Jawbreaker, and Nightshade. They/them might have been good, but I still felt like even that wouldn't work for all the others (sans Nightshade). So I needed something different. Then far/faer was suggested to me and I feel like it fit! So that's that.

ALSO! This is important. This is marked 1/2 chapters. I am planning a second chapter, but I don't know when I'll be able to post it. But just know that this work is functionally complete. Chapter 2 is just going to be these same events from Dot's POV. So this fic is self contained, basically. Chapter 2 won't add any new story, just new insight, and also some tidbits into what Terrestrion wasn't aware of or paying attention to.

Also also, for anyone curious: I picture Nightshade and Hashtag as the legs, Jawbreaker as the torso, and Twitch and Thrash as the arms.

So I think that's all I wanted to say. Let me know what y'all thought!

Until next time, folks!

#Combiner Terrans AU #earthspark twitch #earthspark thrash #earthspark hashtag #earthspark jawbreaker #earthspark nightshade #earthspark Terrans #dorothy malto #alex malto #megatron #earthspark megatron #optimus prime #earthspark optimus #transformers combiners #transformers gestalts #The Terrans combined form is a sweetheart #existence is very exciting when you’re all of 5 minutes old #Dorothy already loves her new giant child #Alex is thrilled to have a combiner for a child #this is from the combiner’s POV #The Maltos are a Good Family #fluff #this is all soft and sappy fluff #not beta'd #transformers #transformers earthspark #maccadam

[silkling]

So I wanna jump on this cause your little ramble dredged up memories. I remember when I first watched Prime, Miko frustrated me. But that was because I was the quiet, introverted child who related more to Raf than any of the other human characters. Jack came off as too much of a know it all who cared too much about what others thought of him, but Miko cared too little. At least, that’s what kid me thought. As an adult, my perceptions have changed a little.

But to start off, I think you’re absolutely right. Miko and Jack only become a problem when they’re compared to each other. However, I think there’s a reason so many fans tend to hate Miko more than they hate Jack. So let’s over analyze and deconstruct their characters a little, shall we? Bare in mind I haven’t fully rewatched Prime in a while, but I still think my point is valid.

So. Miko. The first time we meet her, she’s drawing Arcee, and she follows Jack when he and Arcee leave the school. Presumably because she wants to ask him about his bike, or because she wants to find out more about him and “it”. Instead, she stumbles across the Autobot secret. I think this for some fans planted the seeds. Her actions can be interpreted as nosy and not minding her own business, and not respecting the privacy of others. Personally I don’t see it that way, because I genuinely don’t think she was following Jack to be rude. I think she just thought the “bike” was cool and wanted to ask him about it. But after this interaction, her behavior doesn’t really get any more respectful. She’s constantly asking questions that make the Bots uncomfortable, tends to push for answers when they don’t want to give it, is very quick to be judgmental about issues related to the Bots or Cons or war, or even issues related to Cybertron itself, she has a blatant disregard for the rules, she’s very often going against what the Bots ask of her, and she repeatedly puts herself in danger, even when it mean pulling Jack and Raf along and putting them in danger too. All of this culminates in a character who, for many, is too nosy, too rude, too loud, too inconsiderate, and reckless to an extreme.

However, all these things happen alongside the other humans. Miko only seems nosy because the other humans don’t want to probe, so she has to be the audience’s mouthpiece to pry important information out of the Bots. She’s just the one to do this the most, which is why it seems particularly egregious. She’s also a pre-teen girl, so of course she’s going to be asking questions about everything. She adores Bulkhead and the Bots, and just wants to learn more about them. When the “nosy” behavior isn’t being compared to the boys, then it’s not actually that bad. It just comes across as curious rather than insensitive or rude. And yes, sometimes she does say something judgmental, but again it only seems bad when Jack or Raf are there and they’re not making comments. If she’s saying like that when she’s with the Bots and the boys aren’t there, it sounds less harsh. It’s also understandable. She’s a human child trying to understand aspects of a culture and war that originated on an entirely different planet. Her comments may be a little tactless, but when not compared to Jack they aren’t mean or cruel or anything else like that. The final thing that people get annoyed about is her disregard for rules, orders, and safety, even when it puts the boys at risk. And I think that’s semi-valid. When she follows the Bots and the kids get stuck in the Shadow Zone, it’s made very clear she should have stayed behind. However, the boys did not have to follow her. She did not grab them and drag them along. She ran through to get cool pictures because she admires Bulkhead and the Bots and thought it would be a run of the mill mission. The boys chose to follow her. They did not have to. She did not put them in danger, even if she put herself in danger and made them feel pressured to follow. They did not have to give into that pressure. But people will point to this episode as an example of her stupidity and recklessness. Yet, in the episode with Hardshell, where she snuck out and endangered no one but perself, her behavior is no longer as bad. Yes, it is still reckless, but she is criticized less for this act of rebellion because she did not endanger others. Once again, her actions only make her dislikes when it involves the other two. When she’s exhibiting the same behavior without them there, no one seems to find the same faults.

Now Jack. Jack is…somewhat boring. And I think that’s by design. He’s supposed to be the human character that the audience can most put themselves in his place. He’s respectful, mostly calm, fairly mature, and just…a typical introverted teenage boy. I.e., what most of the target audience likely are. When we first meet him, he’s working his job at the burger place, and when he gets off work he stops to admire Arcee. He gets on her to temporarily fulfill a fantasy, as I think many boys his age would do, and then Arcee is spotted by Cons. She takes off with Jack in tow because she knows the Cons would assume he’s her ally. Eventually, her desperate escape leads her and Bee to stumble across Raf. That’s how the boys join the team. In all the interactions we see, he’s quiet, respectful of the Bots, doesn’t press for answers when they’re uncomfortable, and (almost) always willing to obey their rules for him by staying in the base when they go out. The only time we see him break rules is when someone he cares about is in danger (his mom, Arcee, one of the other kids). He does sneak out with Smokescreen in that one episode, but he generally speaking he does not follow the Bots on missions unless someone is in danger, or he’s told/invited to come along. Or instances where he’s on an outing with Arcee and she has to detour on a mission midway through the outing. That too. But to Miko haters, when she’s compared to a character who just…doesn’t cause problems for the Bots, she’s seen as the problem child instead. However, it is also because of Miko that some people hate Jack instead. Miko, for all her faults, is at least entertaining. She makes you feel things. Even if that thing is anger. Jack is a lot less entertaining by comparison, because his personality isn’t as loud.

However, just like Miko, this is only when he’s put next to her. On his own, he’s perfectly entertaining. The episode where he and Arcee meet Airaqunid is one I still remember very fondly. It’s a genuinely chilling episode, and he’s one of the best parts of it. Another episode where Jack just shines is the one where his mom his captured. And people still talk about the episode where he was in the mines with Megatron. That singular interaction was really good. Again, without Miko there to “dull him out”, he’s shown to have an actual, genuine personality. He’s loyal, brave, also reckless, and extremely intelligent. When he’s allowed to act on his own without Miko there, his character becomes one of the best parts of the episodes he stars in because we see genuine growth and development from “typical teenage boy” to “smart, brave, kind, loyal, and one of the better TF teenage boys”.

Miko and Jack, on their own, are individually great. Without the other there to highlight their faults, each of them are genuinely good characters. It’s only when they’re made to be in an episode together that they make each others worst traits all the more apparent. When Miko is with Jack, she comes across as rude, selfish, and immature. Likewise, and Jack is with Miko, he seems stuffy, boring, and like way too much of a know it all and a stickler. Quite honestly, I like them both. They’re both good characters. On their own. But when they’re together, it’s really hard not to hate one of them. Who you hate just depends on who you relate to the most.

So yeah. That was my deep dive into a pair of characters that probably wasn’t necessary but I made anyway. These are just my takes and impressions. Also, if I got any facts or episode details wrong, just let me know. Like I said, it’s been a while since I rewatched the full series.

Until next time, folks!

Fully of the belief that Miko is only seen as an annoying character because of the dynamic between her and Jack.

Miko in isolation isn’t an annoying character. She’s reckless, and unwise, and has to be bailed out of trouble every five seconds, but this isn’t really an issue for any of the bots because as far as they’re concerned, this is Normal Human Behaviour™. They are constantly having to work with and around humans or bail them out of trouble.

Bulkhead adores Miko. He is exasperated by her like a parent is of their toddler, sure, but I wouldn’t say he is annoyed by her in any way. Her interaction with wheeljack is another example. When she exists with the bots by herself, she doesn’t come across as burdensome. She’s just limited, as every human is, by the curse of being small.

It’s only through her interactions with Jack, and his continuous challenging and calling out on her behaviour, that Miko becomes an annoying character. Frankly, it’s the tension between them which annoys the audience. We can only watch the same cyclical bickering between children before it gets old.

I have noticed that there actually are a lot of people who do like Miko, and find Jack super annoying instead. It seems like people pick one or the other depending on how you interpret which one is causing the tension. When I watched tfp as a kid, I loved Miko and hated Jack. Like, hated hated him. Because I saw Miko as a fun punk rock kid and Jack as the one needlessly calling her out. Upon rewatching tfp as an adult (who works with kids a lot) I related far more to Jack, and so the situation flipped; I saw Miko’s actions as more frustrating to watch.

The writers did eventually try to fix this, with the one heart-to-heart scene between Miko and Jack. But it was kind of rushed, and didn’t leave any lasting change to their dynamic. They went right back to arguing.

Tldr: Miko and Jack are annoying together. Fans usually pick one of em as the cause to be annoyed at but honestly, they are both fine on their own. Children bickering is annoying even in a fictional cartoon lmao

#silkling rambles #I overthought this #but also Jack does get in trouble just like Miko #he just doesn’t do it as often or as egregiously so it doesn’t seem as bad #I just think Miko is fun #the fact that she’s genuinely I’m afraid of the murder robots who would happily squish her is hilarious #miko is small dog syndrome in a human and you can’t convince me otherwise #maccadam #transformers #media analysis #sort of

[silkling]

Silk, is it okay with you if I print the Watermarked ancestry into a booklet

Don't worry, I won't be using it for commercial use. I just want to hold a phisical copy of it.

Oh yes! Absolutely!

Honestly, if anyone wanted to turn any if my fics into a physical booklet I’d be thrilled!

(Also, for those wanting the next chapter, I promise it’s coming! My college classes started up after I posted the last one, and I had to schedule some emergency dentist appointments, so stuff has been a bit chaotic in my life. But I’ve finally adjusted to the new routine, so I can really get down and start working on Watermarked again!)

#silkling ask response

[silkling]

Reblog if you write fic and people can inbox you random-ass questions about your stories, itemized number lists be damned.