#(Besides Thundercracker getting a dog)

[youngerfrankenstein]

Now that I’ve seen four different Transformers cartoons I thought it might be fun to rank the mainstays.

It’s been an interesting (and frustrating) experience! I’ll probably watch CyberVerse at some point, and possibly 2015’s Robots in Disguise, so I might update at some future point.

As for the ranking of the shows themselves

#Transformers #Maccadam #TFA #TFP #TFES #Frare watches the silly robot show #G1 #I also have ultimately decided I don’t have any real interest in the IDW comics #(Besides Thundercracker getting a dog) #But the Skybound ones look interesting? #In the “interesting scenes and concepts with a bunch of pointless shock value shit” #Like Invincible now that I think of it #Which makes sense #Anyway feel free to ask questions I’m very lonely #Long post

[transingthoseformers]

Finished most of my idea outline for my mini-ES!Dratchet fic. I am getting more excited for.

Ratchet leaves after Glit–known conscientious objector, youngling, and Pacifist–Glit is taken into custody and treated the same. He cannot stay after that. Maimings, arresting non-combatants, using locks. Ratchet goes for a drive and doesn't return.

I am referencing to my favorite Ratchet adventures: driving first to his friend Stitches, a human he meets in one of the short stories who is a former army surgeon who helps Ratchet preform surgery on a human woman caught in a car crash and who he befriends and eventually offers a prosthetic to, place because he can't think straight and talking to him; meeting the rogue and pissed off Grit; finding Deadlock who'd disappeared during the Earth Campaign rough and bleeding after saving a human boy and his pet dog who immediately went to get the Ambulance at Stitches place; them going on their decade long jaunt around the world including Japan which Deadlock deeply enjoyed.

Ratchet is not aware of the possibility of kindling. It was deeply hidden. Deadlock is aware and formally one of Soundwave's personal agents he knew of Soundwave and Ravage's child Glit. Soundwave and Ravage are an established couple and Ravage was friends with Megatron who was also Soundwave's lover and friend at least until he left.

Ratchet is relearning anatomy, doing deep dives to find suppressed and removed coding and quickly being forced to learn on the job with his own bearing.

Deadlock makes the decision to call in a favor from Onslaught who fucked off with his Combaticons to safety of another country. He doesn't tell Ratchet why until they find Soundwave and the Cassettes licking their wounds. With them is Glit, who it turns out is much younger than Ratchet suspected. Soundwave gives Ratchet all the information he has as does Ravage, who is one of the oldest Cybertronians alive. Onslaught offers old literature and plays referencing it.

Ratchet agrees to train Glit in exchange. Ravage and Soundwave are willing to trust him and Glit wants to learn more than they can offer. He agrees.

Deadlock and he settle down for a bit, Ratchet feeling broody with a sparklet on his heart and Glit to mentor. When they hear about the release program for some Decepticons and how they are being regulated to certain strict areas they head close to their to make sure they are taken care of. They end up meeting Decepticons like the Scavengers, Reflector, Sky-Byte and his ridiculous trio, Astrotrain and Blitzwing who are starving, and Blip.

They wind up moving between the areas both official and unofficial where Decepticons settle. They also run into others, like Thundercracker who has eloped with a human woman and a dog, Skywarp and Nova Storm who hiss but reluctantly let him repair them, and the Constructicons who are hiding out in a construction company who are fully aware of their identities and are paying them while the Constructicons support smaller Decepticons who've attached themselves to them.

There is time skips and finally Hot Rod is born after seven years and 170 days after Ratchet kindles. All this time what triggers them to return is the incident with the tower and Ratchet getting a call from Optimus saying he needs him. Optimus never once reached out respecting Ratchet’s decision. The Junxies, freshly so, head off to rejoin them. Deadlock still goes by Deadlock except around Ratchet who calls him Drift.

They reunite and are introduced to sparklings, Terrans, and Ratchet says he has some news too and breaks the news about his husband and child to MegOPLita.

Damnnnn, makes sense that eould be Ratty's final straw

It had to be such an experience for the others, Ratchet leaving.

I like to think this is one of those things they don't talk about, besides maybe long nights after difficult missions or while a little bit overcharged.

owo? Kindling? an intriguing detail to add here...

Oh I've thought about that! (The modifying code to prevent getting sparked up bit)

Don't worry to hard about the word vomit i wrote that idea in (unless unless?)

The combaticons living in another country in hiding? Interesting

Damn is learning Glit's true age gonna make Ratty even more pissed at GHOST because not only did they treat Glit like shit but he's a kid; they had the audacity to treat a kid like that.

there are gonna be so many cool ratchet moments omgggg

Ratchet over here collecting decepticons like a twelve year old named Red would collect pokemon

So THAT'S where Thundercracker went!

Awww yes the Constructicons being hidden by some humans!!

Oooo yes yes, Oppy finally caving to bring Ratty back!

Of course, another child!

#maccadam #transformers #transformers earthspark #whole lotta guys #earthspark ratchet #earthspark deadlock #Deadlock #ratchet #tagging those two as that because hopeee #ratchetlock #RavWave #iicr that is the ship name #Thundercracker x Marissa #megoplita

[dramamelon]

The more I think about it, working off the previous thoughts on possible Earthspark Thundercracker, the more I think I'd really appreciate a lady Thundercracker from Earthspark. I mean, need a traditional Damsel in Distress? There you go! Sweet, gentle-natured, doesn't want to fight anymore, just write and be with her dog? I'm good with that. (Just don't mess with the dog or human friends because she definitely survived a massive war. 😂)

Besides, we've gotten lady Skywarp twice now. And our trope-ish Damsel will most definitely not be Elita-1 or Arcee or Dot or one of the kids, if one happens.

(Yes, yes, this time it's my brain attempting to make a Romantic Hero out of Megatron. 👀🥵💦💦💦 Am I shipping again? Yes. Yes, I am.)

Still, though, I just want Thundercracker and Buster, however we can get them.

#earthspark #thundercracker #more wandering thoughts

[kagebros]

Home (A Marissacracker Fic)

Summary: Thundercracker’s been stranded on Earth for quite a bit now with Marissa. But it turns out he doesn’t exactly mind that. Especially when it’s with her and Buster. Warnings: N/A Word Count: 2066

Location: Keystone, Colorado

“Who’s a good girl? Who’s a good girl? You are!” Thundercracker’s voice sang in the barn. Buster gave a hearty bark back to him and licked at his servos. “Oh, you’ve gotten to be such a big girl, haven’t you,” he said, rubbing her belly with a digit. The barn door creaked open as Marissa came in with her hands full, carrying two full gas cans. Buster got up from the ground and bound towards Marissa with a cheerful bark.

“Looks like you two’ve been hanging out again,” Marissa teased. She drew near Thundercracker to set the gas cans down, carefully maneuvering around Buster’s every attempt to get in between her legs and give her what Buster considered a hug. “Buster, lemme set these down first then you can give me a hug!” It was a routine the two were used to. It had been three years after all since Thundercracker and Marissa had first met. Now the two had settled into a routine Thundercracker and Marissa enjoyed. Most days he was left alone, Marissa off at work and Thundercracker being left to watch Buster. Not that he didn’t enjoy it, he loved Buster with all his spark and would do anything for his dog (Marissa had told him a year into him being here that Buster was his and hers, his time spent with Buster and, specifically her trust, in Thundercracker being enough for her to let him say that Buster was his dog too.) When Marissa set down the gas cans in front of Thundercracker, his frame huddled to accommodate the small space of the barn (it was enough for him to stand up fully but then it would feel even more cramped with the roof less than a metre above his helm), he reached out for the gas cans. Buster took no time in forcing herself between Marissa’s legs as she stood and Marissa let out a laugh as Buster hugged her. 

“Thank you for getting this for me again,” Thundercracker said, picking up one of the gas cans and beginning to drink from the nozzle. It was a necessity at this point. Thundercracker had no way of getting energon without overexerting himself and putting himself in danger, knowing what was happening out there. The government was hunting down Decepticons. And as much as Thundercracker was an ex-Decepticon, they wouldn’t know that. Gasoline had an acrid taste but it was something he quickly grew used to since he needed it to survive and avoid rusting. It sucked to be stuck on a planet that wanted to kill him but he didn’t mind it as much with Marissa and Buster by his side. Marissa was understanding and kind, she didn’t seem to hold any malice or hatred towards him despite hearing all the awful events that went down because of the Decepticons. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Thundercracker didn’t kill her the moment they first met. Or because Marissa didn’t run off screaming and trying to call the authorities to come and get him killed. She ran but. She came back. 

During the time they spent together, Thundercracker learned a few things about her. She was 29 years of age, soon to be 30 this year, coming from a family in Scotland, far from where Colorado was. Working as a manager at a hospital, she oversaw various operations and decisions that led to people’s lives being saved. When she wasn’t at work, she would spend as much time with Thundercracker as possible. She was curious about him after all and she genuinely enjoyed spending time with him. There were nights where Marissa would show Thundercracker movies, trying to get him familiar with Earth culture. Thundercracker was immediately hooked as he grew more and more interested with things such as cinematography, director’s decisions on how a scene should be played out, dialogue and setting. Marissa would often fall asleep to the movies, huddled up against Buster, who was also asleep as she’d fall asleep on Marissa as soon as they were both comfortable, a warm blanket over her as she would lean against Thundercracker’s leg. It was nights like those where his optics would dart over to her and watch her fondly before going back to the movie. One night he’d set his servos down to provide Marissa with some extra comfort and when she reached out and hugged one of his digits close, his spark jumped. He’d never felt this way with anyone before. It was a conflicting feeling. Being attracted to a human when he was a Cybertronian. He wasn’t disgusted but he felt that it was wrong. Looks like years of being part of the Decepticons who had dismissed anything organic as inferior or useless were still affecting him. 

“You alright?” Marissa’s voice called out, snapping Thundercracker back to reality. Thundercracker stopped trying to drink from the empty gas can, having finished it while he was thinking and blinked, looking down at her. 

“Sorry,” he said. “Distracted. Was thinking about something.”

“Something you need to talk about?” she then asked. Thundercracker shook his head. 

“I’m just grateful that you’ve been doing this for me for so long, I know it’s a bit inconvenient and I’d honestly go try to look for the energon if I could but… well, you know what they’d do to me if they found me.” Thundercracker neglected to add that he also didn’t want to leave Marissa or Buster at all. He’d have to admit that he’d grown very attached to them over the years of living in her barn. He just only hoped that Marissa felt the same.

“Well, I’m not too keen on them taking you to Cheyenne Mountain anytime,” Marissa replied. “Besides, I’m too used to having you here now,” she then said. “It’d be weird to not have you here. Buster especially would miss you,” she said, patting Buster’s head. “Have you been paying attention to the news lately? It looks like they’re hunting your buddies down.”

“I’ve noticed,” Thundercracker sighed. “I almost was tempted to stop watching altogether. It’s too depressing for me to watch.” Marissa laughed.

“I completely feel you on that, TC,” Marissa chuckled. “They said that the Autobots were safe from all this but I’m not too sure on that,” she said. 

“You think they’re hunting the Autobots down too?”

“Just a hunch, I just haven’t… seen much news of them, y’know?”

“Hmm,” Thundercracker hummed in thought. “The Autobots are just as trapped here as the Decepticons.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad they haven’t found you yet. I know there’s this whole ‘Call a Transformer in to report them’ they started wanting us to do a year ago but I’ve never had a need to report you at all,” Marissa said. 

“I hope that need never comes, if I’m being honest,” Thundercracker huffed. “Again, thank you for your hospitality.”

“We’re friends, TC, you can stay here as long as you want, I know Buster would love that,” she said. “I mean, me too as well,” Marissa then added quietly, looking away for a moment in embarrassment. “Anyway, you been up to anything today?” Marissa then asked, changing the topic. 

“I’ve been working more on my screenplay,” Thundercracker replied. “It’s about a Seeker, who’s out there looking for love in the vast emptiness of space,” he gestured with his servo.

“Oh?” Marissa said, propping her head up. “And what’s this Seeker’s name?”

“Her name is Cadet. A Seeker that defected from the Decepticons early in the war to find herself. And she’s a Cityspeaker.”

“A Cityspeaker? What’s that?”

“Well, a Cityspeaker is a rare type of Cybertronian. If I remember correctly they’re the type of outlier that can actually communicate with our cities. The cities back on Cybertron really were giant Cybertronians as well. But they mainly slumbered. It’s said that the Cityspeakers could wake them up and they’d ally with the speakers. I’ve never seen a Seeker be a Cityspeaker. I was told they only come from Caminus but it’d be nice to see the representation I guess,” Thundercracker said. 

“Is Caminus different from Cybertron?”

“Yeah, I can’t tell you too much about Caminus though, I’ve never really. Been there,” Thundercracker confessed. “I’ve been to a lot of places on Cybertron though! Although at this point a lot of the cities are destroyed.”

“What happened to the cities?”

“The Titans?” Thundercracker then clarified. “I. I’m not too sure,” he said. “I just know that. We… destroyed our planet. I think we killed some of the Titans. Some of the cities… they’re in ruins.” He looked away with some guilt. He then felt a hand placed on his pede and he looked down to see Marissa. 

“Hey, listen,” she said. “I know you feel guilty for what happened to your home… but is it really your fault? It’s war, you were just following orders.”

“Yeah, well… I should have defected earlier,” Thundercracker then sighed, drawing himself closer in.

“Why’d you stay?”

“My… family,” he said, the human term slightly unfamiliar. “On our planet though, we’d call it a trine, at least in Seeker terms.” Thundercracker frowned. “I stayed for my family, because I wanted to protect them and be there when they needed it. I mean. We bonded for a reason.”

“Can you tell me about them?” Marissa then asked, trying to bring him some comfort. 

“Well, there’s Starscream and there’s Skywarp. Starscream’s a little bit older than the two of us since Skywarp and I met him only after leaving the academy. He was already a senator at the time.”

“Academy?” Thundercracker nodded. 

“Skywarp and I grew up in an academy. Both of us are outliers, and on Cybertron, outliers were kinda considered outcasts, they didn’t like people like us. But Shockwave, Shockwave saw greatness in us, a lot of us outliers actually. They were like. Our dad, I think that’s the word. Anyway, at some point Shockwave had us live with Starscream, he’d expressed interest in us as not only body doubles but for our powers. Eventually, he started seeing us as family and we got a lot closer than someone would with body doubles,” Thundercracker said fondly. “He’s like Skywarp and I’s big brother,” he translated. “Starscream,” he then laughed. “Can be the most annoying jerk, he always wants to be right and thinks he’s the best looking, always obsessed with his image. But he never belittled us or made fun of us, it was just with other people. I think if someone messed with us, Starscream would be the one to really take care of it and make sure that person never messed with us again. And then there’s Skywarp. She. Well, she’s on the more serious side. They always wanted to be the best and she had a bit of a temper,” Thundercracker said, switching between they and she pronouns for Skywarp. “They’re stubborn too, but stubborn in the best way. She never let us get ourselves down. I guess. I was the dreamer of the trine,” he said, scratching at his helm. He then sighed and dropped his helm. “I hope they don’t hate me for what I did.”

“What did you do?” Marissa asked. 

“I defected, I betrayed them,” Thundercracker said. “Instead of going back to Cybertron with them, I. I left them.”

“Thundercracker,” Marissa then called out. “I don’t think they’d hate you,” she said. “They’re probably hurting though because you are their family. And from what it seems like they miss you and hope you’re alright more than anything. I can hear how much love you have for both of them.”

“Yeah, well… I can’t go back to them anytime now, especially with what’s going on out there.”

“It’ll be over sooner or later,” Marissa assured. “And I’ll do anything and everything to try and help you, Thundercracker,” she said. Thundercracker blinked and looked down towards her this time. She was looking away in embarrassment and if Thundercracker’s optics didn’t betray them, her cheeks were dusted pink. “Anyway,” she said, clearing her throat. “I think it’s Buster’s feeding time, huh?” she said. Buster let out an excited bark, her butt wiggling from how much her tail was wagging as she followed Marissa out of the barn. He couldn’t help but cover his face in embarrassment as the energon rushed to his cheeks. 

#marissacracker #thundercracker #Marissa Faireborn #maccadam #transformers #this is originally from my bayverse rewrite fic but i wanted to post this separately ^^ #i really like marissacracker i think they're cute #i guess this is AU? lol #but yeah in my bayverse i throw in a buncha references from other continuities #kagebros.writing

[thesarcasticknightblr]

Left Behind

A/N: This takes place during chapter 36 of Small Fry. It is written from Wheeljack’s point of view and it’s the story you guys have been asking for for a while now. You wanted to know what was happening on the other side of the portal, well here ya go!

Excerpt from Small Fry

Wheeljack’s POV

2491 words

“I have to go through now.” Wheeljack could feel his entire frame buzzing. It was a strange mixture of the energy coming off the machine in the center of the garage and the euphoria of their plan actually working.

This was actually working.

“The machine is steady and seems to be working fine.” He let his gaze drift over each person in the room. Aubrey had one arm wrapped around Wes while Wes’ servo rested on top of Taylor’s helm. Peter had chosen to stick next to Aj’s side. Bear laid on top of her feet. He had pouted when Sunstreaker disappeared through the portal and now the furry creature took comfort in Aj. “Hurry through though. It is programmed to turn off after being left inactive for five minutes.”

He stepped up to the portal, eager to experience this sort of travel for himself, and shot one last glance at the space around him. The garage had been his lab of sorts while he was here, but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel sad he was leaving it. Wheeljack was ready to be back in his own surroundings and couldn’t wait to give Aj, Peter, and the others a tour of how a proper lab should look. If Ratchet would even let him, that is.

Wheeljack retracted his mask so his friends could see his grin, “See you soon!”

The last thing he saw was Peter returning his smile and the twins waving at him before he stepped through the portal. Light blinded his optics and a flash of warmth washed over him briefly. Both occurrences were brief and his next few steps were now on grass rather than concrete.

Wheeljack quickly restarted his optics to try and regain his vision and was met with the watchful gaze of Autobots and Decepticons alike. The garage had been replaced with Oregon greenery, tall trees surrounding the small clearing they were in with a thick fog beginning to roll in.

“Oh wow, it really did work!” He chirped and let his mask click back into place.

“I’m going to ignore the surprise in your tone.” Ratchet grumbled.

The medic stood closest to the glowing portal and was knelt on one knee. He couldn’t see it, but Wheeljack would bet all his energon reserves that the mech was prepared and had his scanners ready for the next portal travelers.

Wheeljack glanced back over the group to see not everyone was here. Near the back Optimus stood beside Megatron. At first glance it seemed casual, but he could now see the tenseness in both mech’s frames. Prime had one arm slightly raised in a position where he could bring his weapon forth in only a human second. Megatron on the other hand, though tense, only stared at the portal in anticipation.

Near them were the seeker trine and they took a similar stance with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker standing close enough to attack if needed. Thundercracker had his arms crossed over his chassis while Skywarp lazily leaned on him and Starscream glared at Megatron.

Soundwave, Barricade, and Grimlock were nowhere to be seen.

“We’re pretty sure Grimlock went to find the other dinobots.” Jazz answered the question that sat in Wheeljack’s processors. “And Soundy went to ‘is kids.”

“Barricade?”

“Left.” Jazz shrugged, “Only these mechs wanted to stick around an’ make sure our pals came through alright.”

Ratchet pinged him over the comms and it brought Wheeljack’s attention into focus. He turned back to the portal, “Right. Bear should be the next through. Any moment now.”

As if on cue, there was a bright flash of purple bringing Wheeljack’s attention back to the portal where Bear ran out. The puppy seemed disorientated, falling over his own pedes briefly, and had to pause to shake himself wildly. After that though, he barked and immediately made his way to where Sunstreaker stood.

“Bear’s scans are normal.” Ratchet announced.

Sunstreaker made a clicking noise of disapproval at Bear who chose to curl up next to his pede and lick the mech’s yellow armor. He clicked again at the dog, “Go to Bee. Go.”

Bear licked the frontliner one more time before bouncing over to Bumblebee who bent over and picked up the dog with a grin.

Wheeljack smiled behind his mask in relief. Bear being normal boded well for the others who had yet to come through. He quickly checked his internal chronometer to keep track of the time between each passage when he realized that time hadn’t changed. “Wait-”

“Did you see your chronometer?” Bluestreak guessed by what he assumed was the shocked look on his faceplates, “Yeah, it’s like no time passed and we never left! Optimus said he found out when he commed Ironhide to find out what was happening and Ironhide had no idea what Prime was going on about.”

Wheeljack hummed and tried to wrap his processors around this new information. It was a puzzling phenomenon. Time not having moved at all was evidence that they hadn’t just traveled through the barriers of the multiverse, but rather through time itself. Were the two correlated? Could one pick to travel through one or the other rather than both at the same time? Preceptor would be so excited to go over this new data with him.

It was endlessly unusual.

A flash of red and a scream of pain was all it took to make Wheeljack’s mood plummet.

Wes had come through, as planned, but he had collapsed to the grass with denta clenched in pain. His skin was pale and there was a sheen shine of sweat across his brow.

“It— God, it hurts!” Wes cried and a scream slipped through his lips, “I’m on fire.” Ratchet had scanned him quickly and transformed while simultaneously activating his holoform. Wes was clawing at his legs, “Ratchet! What is happening!? I can’t— God, I can’t— Argh!”

Ratchet shook his holoform’s head, “It’s your nerves. They’re malfunctioning from the level L1 and down. We have to get you to the hospital now. They can put you under and control the pain but—”

The medic’s words hung in the air. Sharp and panicked. Ratchet didn’t need to continue because everyone already knew. There was a collective fear that the group in the field shared.

“The kids— The kids come through next!” Wes barked, “You gotta— you gotta stop them.” He clenched his teeth again in pain and Wes’ optics fluttered as if he was going to pass out from the pain. “Wheeljack…”

Starscream spoke up, “You can’t make alterations on this side and there is no way to go through the portal again. It isn’t set for a location or time. Someone traveling through could end up anywhere.”

The scientist’s tone was bored, but there was a strain there he tried to hide. Optics shot to Wheeljack, but he couldn’t argue against Starscream’s words. The mech was right. Wheeljack had never felt this useless before as he stared at the swirling portal in dread.

“Stop fighting it, let your body pass out.” Ratchet snapped. Wes’ body was shaking in pain and exhaustion, but the male refused to let his optics close.

A flash of green and Wheeljack’s chassis ached.

The small twins stepped through while holding each other’s servos, but they remained standing. Wheeljack scanned them as thoroughly as he could and vented air in relief at the normal scans he got. There was a small abnormal value each twin had, but it didn’t seem to need immediate attention. Taylor and Tyler were grinning as their optics danced over each mech.

“Their scans are normal.” He announced quickly and passed them on to Ratchet.

“Oh, thank God.” Wes breathed in relief before blacking out. His head slumped back against Ratchet’s arms.

The comment had caught the twins’ attention and anxiety filled their optics when they stared at their father. Tyler looked confused while Taylor looked more fearful. The young femme had always been more sensitive. She was always quicker to notice when something was amiss.

“Is daddy ok?” Taylor asked quickly.

“He’s fine, youngling. How do you feel?” Ratchet lied to them. It was then that Wheeljack noticed the twins were starting to waver. He froze in fear at the sight of their shoulders relaxing and their optics fluttering. “Bluestreak, grab them.”

Bluestreak didn’t hesitate to scoop them up as they slipped into stasis. Before anyone could question or panic, the medic dismissed his holoform and transformed to his bipedal mode, “They’re fine. Their systems were stressed, and it pushed them into exhaustion, but they are healthy.”

Ratchet knelt down to keep one servo over Wes’ body. The human couldn’t be moved due to his injury, even Wheeljack knew that. The twins were fine though. The twins were fine. He didn’t understand this, by all means it made no sense, but Wheeljack couldn’t help but find comfort in the fact that they were safe. Was it random? Was it by age? The confusion made him uncomfortable and it wasn’t over yet.

A flash of pink, and a confused Peter stumbled into the field.

Everyone watched as the boy stared back at the portal. He seemed to pay the mechs around him no attention whatsoever. His optics bounced from his empty servo to the portal and back. He shook his helm, “Aj?”

“He’s healthy.” Ratchet announced after a scan. “Peter, you’re going to start feeling tired—”

“Aj? Where is—?” Peter turned around to face the mechs.

“What do you mean ‘where is Aj?’” Sideswipe snapped in panic.

Jazz stepped forward and knelt down, “Pete, what’s happenin’?”

“We were going to go through together.” He answered and walked toward the mech only to stumble over his own feet, his optics growing heavy, “We— we, we were holding hands.”

Prowl stepped around Jazz to catch Peter before the boy collapsed to the ground. Jazz was frozen in his spot, frame tense. Wheeljack had never fully understood the human expression of ‘having the air sucked out of their lungs’ since he didn’t require oxygen like they did, but right at this moment it became very clear what they meant. Hearing Peter’s words had felt like a dinobots plowing into him.

Wheeljack found himself moving before he fully understood his action. He leaped toward the swirling portal. He had to get to Aj and Aubrey. Something was wrong and they were stuck, and it was his fault.

It was his fault.

“Wheeljack!” Ratchet called out.

He was only a step away when someone tackled him to the ground, hard. Wheeljack tore at the arms and tried to free himself. Jazz’s voice was right by his helm as he held on tighter, “You can’t go back through. I want to as well, Jack, but it won’t take you back to where we need.”

“It might! We don’t actually know that!” Wheeljack argued and fought harder. “Let me go!”

“I can’t do that, Jackie.” Jazz replied, pain evident in his own voice.

The portal flashed again, Wheeljack didn’t even have time to look over at the color, but he watched as Aubrey fell through and onto her knees. Tears were streaming from her optics and she looked absolutely devastated. Wheeljack stopped fighting in shock as a silence settled over the field.

“Where is she?” Sunstreaker was the one to finally break the spell, “Where the frag is she!?”

Aubrey’s optics landed on Wes, confusion washing over her small features, but Wheeljack could see a decision made in her blue optics. She snapped her attention over to him and ran over, “You have to fix the portal! You have to fix it! She can’t— Aj is stuck on the other side!”

More movement, a yellow and red blur. Wheeljack blinked in shock as he watched Optimus wrap his arms around a kicking and cursing Sideswipe, stopping him from nearing the portal. Sunstreaker was still moving though and Wheeljack knew Prime couldn’t stop both twins. His shock grew when he watched Megatron tackle Sunstreaker to the ground. The Decepticon pinned the ex-gladiator to the ground while Sunstreaker screamed expletives at him.

“Wheeljack please!” Aubrey screamed. She didn’t seem to be tiring like the children had or in extreme pain like Wes had been.

Wheeljack fought against Jazz harder, the saboteur only doubling his efforts in keeping him down. His chronometer was counting down. The portal had been inactive for too long. It was going to disappear soon and that would leave him with very little options.

“Jazz you have to let me go! I have to go through!” Wheeljack cried in Cybertronian. Jazz was cursing himself in Cybertronian, hating his actions, but refusing to let the engineer go. Wheeljack had never felt desperation like this before. His servo reached out and clawed at the Earth in a pathetic attempt to get closer but to no avail.

Aubrey had fallen to the ground, not due to exhaustion but due to desolation. The small human sobbed loudly; her arms wrapped around her frame. The beeping of his chronometer only grew quicker, a final warning, and then he watched as the portal faded away. No one in the field spoke. Even the twins had stopped cursing to stare at the space where the portal used to be. In fact, the only sound that could be heard was Aubrey’s wailing cries.

Jazz’s arms went slack, he rolled over to bury his faceplate into the earth. His servo punched the ground once, hard, and he didn’t move again. Wheeljack slowly stood up and his hand drifted to his spark. There was an ache there at his failure. Aj’s bond was still there, but it was hollow. She was too far away to make an impact.

Optimus spoke up, but Wheeljack didn’t hear a word. He had left her. He had left his friend behind. Aj had been all alone when she first came to meet them. She had let them in. She had trusted them, trusted him, and what had that cost her? She was now alone in an empty garage. Wheeljack owed Aj his life and this is how he repaid her. His wrecker brethren would be ashamed of him. Pit, he was ashamed of himself.

Wheeljack had left Aj behind.

#transformers #g1 #bayverse #its a little of both #Wheeljack #Ratchet #Optimus Prime #Megatron #Sunstreaker #Sideswipe #Thundercracker #Skywarp #Starscream #Bluestreak #Bumblebee #Jazz #Bear #Taylor Williams #Tyler Williams #Peter Williams #Aubrey #Wes #mentions of Aj

[jeannettegray]

Who are your other favorites besides starscream? And why starscream?

It can be difficult to accept because he is so outragiously overdramatic, but... often, Starscream is actually the Sensible One.

No, really.

Let’s take G1, for example. In the very first episode, Starscream states that you should test your weapons before using them in the field. While that particular instance does end up backfiring, let’s be clear, it’s only because of insane bad luck. It’s actually 100% accurate to say that you should test your weapons before bringing them to war.

Prime? Starscream was running an extremely successful campaign while Megatron was away. By focusing on the collection of resources rather than open warfare, he was gradually starving his enemies. There is every indication that he very well could have won the War for good if he had been allowed to continue like that for a decade or so (which is nothing compared to the 4 million years Megs had been leading).

IDW? Most of the time, Starscream’s arguments can be summarized as “dickish yet accurate.” He cuts through the bullshit excuses of both sides with laser-focused accuracy. For example, he pulls a brilliant Call The Old Man Out on Megatron on Earth, correctly pointing out that whatever ideals the Decepticons held at the beginning of the war were abandoned a long time ago, that the faction now fights just for the sake of fighting, and that it’s stupid. My personal favourite moment is when he wins the War by getting people to vote for him, something that had never occurred to Genius Strategist Megatron.

tl;dr: I like Starscream because, a lot of the time, he can be counted on to voice my own objections to any given issue.

My other favourites are Prowl and Wheeljack. Also Thundercracker, but specifically the IDW version of TC, the one who becomes a good guy so he can adopt a dog and be a terrible fanfiction writer.

[shikai-the-storyteller]

Cyberverse watch! Episodes 1-10

EPISODE 1

Bee you are ADORABLE

The cartoons always seem to start off in the middle of a desert huh

Lmao this is mean but imagine if bee missed the ju-- OH NO I WAS JUST KIDDING BEE

BUMBLEBEE IM SO SORRY I WAS JUST KIDDING, I SHOULDN”T HAVE MADE THAT JOKE

Gosh I’m so glad Windblade seems like one of the main three, like, she’s one of the main people in the intro and everything

Oh man we’re getting right into the bakstory huh

THERE”S TINY PERCY

“We couldn’t be sure if it’d actually work” Windblade says as she jumps through it without any concern or sense of self-preservation

AW SHE HUGGED BEE Windblade is so cute

IS THAT...SKYWARP

It’s so hard to tell the seekers apart

AW MAN I LOVE WINDBLADE’S SWORD And I love that her wings are retractable that’s so cool

STINGER that’s a new ability for ol’ Bee

OH THAT”S THUNDERCRACKER alrighty, sorry bud, I always think you should be green for some reason

JEEZ LOUISE WINDBLADE THAT CORTICAL PSYCHIC PATCH

I wonder if Windblade is still a Cityspeaker in this show :O

oh ANNNND THAT”S THE END OF THAT EPISODE man I forgot they were only 11 minutes. Alright, what the heck, let’s do some more

EPISODE 2

Alright I’m pretty sure that pretty purple seeker isn’t Skywarp but  idk what her name is yet

Aw grumpy Bee is cute

HER FANS JUST FLEW OFF???? WE’RE JUST PLAYING FAST AND LOOSE WITH THESE DESIGNS HUH I gotta say I’m a fan

“I’m going to create a distraction while you--” *camera zooms out to show Bee’s wandered off* I LOVE THEM

Yeah Windblade may not be a Cityspeaker in this series but she’s definitely a babysitter lmao, poor gal

OH SHE IS A CITYSPEAKER THAT”S AWESOME I wasn’t sure if they’d keep that part of her backstory :’) I’m so glad

Awww they hugged again :’)))) Windblade and Bee’s friendship is so cute!!

AAWW AND AGAIN!!! GOSH I LOVE THEM “We were friends once” “We still are” WEEPS!!!!

EPISODE 3

Windblade: BUMBLEBEE STOP DRIVING SO BADLY IM TRYING TO MONOLOGUE

Windblade: I’m going to plug into your brain with this cortical psychic patch and access your memories Bumblebee: I don’t believe this woman’s ever gone to medical school

Lmao way to sum things up Bee

TRIFORCE CUBE ALLSPARK

I wonder if the Allspark swallowed up / locked away his memories AH and as soon as I started typing that some weird glowing stuff started happening lmao

Ah and there’s Starscream, the dork

Man had Saling not warned me about Peter Cullen not voicing Optimus I would’ve been totally caught off-guard by that. Man, I hope Mr. Cullen is doing ok

I DON”T KNOW WHY BUT MEGATRON SAYING “AHAHA OPTIMUS PRIME” MADE ME LAUGH SO HARD

STARSCREAM TOOK OFF HIS WINGS AND THREW THEM WTF

LMAO SHE JUST TRIPPED HIM OFF A LEDGE #Get rekt Starscream

SCARY LADY WHO THE HECK IS THAT

SOUNDWAVE

MY BOY!!! IT”S HIM THERE HE IS!!! I JUST GASPED

SOUNDWAVE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! YOU”RE DOING SO GOOD

OH MAN AND HE CAN TALK???? SOUNDWAVE BABY BOY!!!!!

OUCH poor Optimus

Optimus: Good thing I was a pitcher in my middle school’s football league *chucks Allspark through the space bridge*

EPISODE 4

That Allspark looks so much like a dice....I wonder what would happen if they rolled a nat 20 on it lmao

GRIMLOCK??????

WHEELJACK?????

lmao wheeljack looks like such a dork I love him

OH MY GOSH IS THAT CHROMIA??? SCREW THESE GUYS, THERE”S MY GIRL!!!!

Lmao I love that Windblade’s essentially “Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories”-ing Bee’s memories

Optimus: Meet back here in 20 astrocycles Grimlock: Sure thing! *whispers to bee* What the heck is an astrocycle Bee: *Shrugs*

Bee: I don’t know, but this place is the pits I LOVE HIM?????

It’s so weird hearing “intellectual” Grimlock lmaooo

Bee: *grumbles* Optimus would’ve thought that was a funny joke YOU ARE PRECIOUS

Optimus: Bee, watch your footing, the ground is starting to shake Bee: Thank you for that wonderful observation, Captain Obvious

Those bugs are making such cute sounds as they attack them that’s so cute

Aw Optimus, you’re such a good guy, what a sweetheart

Dang, they have a lot of autobots on that ship

UH THEY SHOULD LEAVE AT LEAST ONE PERSON AWAKE

EPISODE 5

Aw man the snow and mountain background in this episode look so pretty

WHY IS BEE HOLDING A GOAT SO CUTE

Bee: They were very kind. They took me in as one of their own WHY! ARE! YOU! SO! PRECIOUS!!!!!

Windblade: You want a what? What is a food processor? THEY”RE SO CUTE!!! GOSH I LOVE THEM 

oh man the backgrounds on this show are absolutely beautiful

Man, you know what it’s so frickin cool that Windblade’s essentially the main character of the show (plus Bee, but mostly her) :’)

“I thought they left all the useless bots on Cybertron” “Clearly not, if you’re here” OH SNAP

Bee’s just sitting on the ship watching bad human TV while Windblade’s off risking her life lmao, I love him

Slipstream is such a moron, why would you throw a flier off a CLIFF

SHE”S A FLIER

I love how Windblade says “Ugh, I was attacked” as if it’s just an inconvenience and not a huge deal

EPISODE 6

OHHH IS THIS GLADIATOR MEGATRON

YEAHHHH IT IS

AHHHHHH BEE HIGH-FIVED SHOCKWAVE, THAT”S SO CUTE I was wondering what the context was behind that

OH MAN THERE’S ARCEE AND RATCHET

AHHH AND THERE”S SOUNDWAVE They’re all standing beside him!

MEGATRON JUST SAID “TIL ALL ARE ONE” IM CRACKING UP

Optimus: I do not intend to start a fight Bee: What if he doesn’t listen? Optimus: He will listen to me 8′((((( and so it begins </3

Lmao also:  Optimus: I don’t intend to start a fight Optimus two seconds later: *chucks a bot*

OH MAN SHOCKWAVE LOOKS SO INTIMIDATING I LOVE THAT

“The file clerk is here to air his grievances” OHH it’s interesting to see what sort of backstory they’re giving Optimus in this universe

Megatron: You are wasting your time Optimus: It is never a waste of time to speak to an old friend I AM CLUTCHING MY CHEST,  YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME RN

GOSH THIS IS THE MOST DRAMATIC BREAKUP EVER THIS IS KILLING ME IM SO SAD

That one lady Decepticon: *grabs onto Bee and flips him over her head* Me: *CONFLICTED HEART EYE EMOJI????*

SOUNDWAVE!!! IM LOVE YOU!!!! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!

GOSH I AM RENDERED INCAPABLE OF COHERENT THOUGHT OR SPEECH WHEN HE COMES ONSCREEN

Bee: Megatron may have torn out my voicebox, but he can’t keep me from talking. I love to talk! Talk talk talk talk.... Windblade: *laughs* Shut up! *weeps into my hands* This friendship is so wholesome

EPISODE 7

AW Decepticon ships have pong on their ships that’s adorable

What is the deal with this cube...is it a person....

AW IS THIS THEIR FIRST MEETING, THAT”S SO ADORABLE, gosh, what a dorky way for Windblade and Bee to meet

IT”S A SPORT OH MY GOSHHHH that’s amazing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any sort of Cybertronian sports, that’s so cool! I always wondered what kind of sports / games they’d be into

lmao Starscream is so unimpressed with Windblade for liking the game

Ahh Windblade’s taller than him! That’s so cool!

LMAO Bee: You seem different. You’re not like other jets

GOSH THIS EPISODE IS LITERALLY MEAN GIRLS BUT WITH GIANT ROBOTS THIS IS HILARIOUS

Lmao yeah Starsream, because no one’s going to notice the cube is suddenly red instead of blue

AW NEITHER OF THEM REMEMBER HOW TO PLAY CUBE that’s adorable

EPISODE 8

Ugh, there really aren’t any good places to watch episode 8 so I’m watching it all broken up

YO VELOCITRON EXISTS IN THIS UNIVERSE NICEEEE It’s so cool seeing the colony planets!!

YO VELOCITRON LOOKS SO C

OH MY GOSH THERE’S HOT ROD!!!! I LOVE HIM OH MY GOSH BLURR IS HERE TOO!!!!

HOT ROD!!!! RODDY!!! YOU SOUND SO CUTE I LOVE YOU!!!!

Wait wtf is that evil wheeljack??? WHO IS THAT oh wait Plague of Rust??? that doesn’t sound great

“HOT DOG”

I really like Bee’s voice ahhhh he got such a great voice actor

Hot Rod and Blurr’s banter is so fun, that’s really great, and Bee’s like an excitable little kid!!! I love him!!!!

Blurr you stupid twunk, you gotta get out of there THAT RUST IS SPREADING SO FAST

OH NO HIS WHEEL GOT SOME RUST ON IT

OH SHOOT THEY’RE REALLY GONNA KILL BLURR HUH

DANG DUDE WELL OK THEN

EPISODE 9

Nicccce good friends sparring

WHO IS THIS CREEPY MULTIPLE EYED GIRL oh her name is Shadow Striker

*MEANINGFUL SILENCE AT THE WAY THEY STRUNG OPTIMUS UP*

“Ugh, I don’t even like being alone in the room with him” “I don’t like being left alone with you!” LMAO

Bee is so cute, he’s trying to psych himself up

LMAO THE GUARDS ARE TALKING ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCES AND THEIR BOSS that’s so cute what losers

AW MAN I thought Bumblebee was gonna hug Optimus that would’ve been cute

There’s so many seekers in this series!

Man I wasn’t sure what I’d think of Cyberverse but I’m really enjoying myself! It’s such a cute heartwarming show!

...I say, right as Shadow Striker attempts to do a murder / suicide thing with Bumblebee

“What’s your problem with me?!” I MEAN YOU DID BLOW HER UP BUMBLEBEE, CAN YOU BLAME HER FOR BEING MAD

EPISODE 10

Epic space battle! 

BEE YOU DON”T HAVE A SPACE-FARING ALT MODE WHAT ARE YOU DOING

MACCADAMS

THAT”S...DEFINITELY NOT HOW I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRONOUNCED

RIP buff Rung theory, you will be sorely missed

RATCHET!!! GOSH HE DOES SOUND LIKE A WEIRD NEW YORKER that’s an interesting take on his voice! I wonder how they decided on that

SOUNDWAVE!!! SOUNDWAVE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I WOULD DIE FOR YOU!!! AND HE EVEN HAS BACKUP DANCERS!!! Of course the crowd is going wild for him

AW MEGATRON AND OPTIMUS *whispers* datenight

WHEELJACK AND SHOCKWAVE AW THAT”S SO CUTE They’re both dorky science nerds / proud papas to the shocklets and OH MY GOSH DID SHOCKWAVE JUST LAUGH THAT”S SO CUTE

Gosh I love seeing the bots talking about sports that’s adorable

MACCADAM IS TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE goshhh. I still see buff Rung but actually getting to meet Maccadam is pretty neat

DEADLOCK AHHH aw he’s so timid!! I love him :’) 

CHROMIA!!! I LOVE HER!!! And aww she’s making the same argument she does in the comic

OH NO DEADLOCK POOR GUY what a sweetheart, he’s just out here doing his best 

YOOOO MACCADAM THAT”S SICK AS HELL, IM SCREAMING

THIS DUDE DEFINITELY TAKES AFTER HIS PAPA RUNG

I need to draw Mac and Rung together, I NEED to see them hanging out

“To friendship” AW THAT”S SO PRECIOUS GOSHHHH

I CAN”T WAIT TO SEE MORE OF THIS SHOW I LOVE IT

#i talk #primordial robot hell #I'm watching Transformers #cyberverse spoiler #Idk if I need to tag for that #MAN I WENT FROM ''hmm this show seems nice'' to ''THIS IS THE CUTEST THING EVER'' #I'm watching Cyberverse

[verbumincarcerem]

Fealty

Fealty

Parts: I., II., III., IV.

V.

Be careful. The words rattled around Starscream's head, more glaringly obnoxious than a drunk Knockout and Breakdown cavorting all around the Keep. Be careful. Be careful. Just what had that blasted woman meant when she'd told his ward to be careful? Be careful of what? It was driving him mad. The idea of a very real unknown intending harm to his ward was driving him insane. And the only thing she did for the rest of the day was stroll around the palace, making small talk with the other lords and ladies, all with that infuriating smile on her face. All without a single damned care in the world.

Starscream almost welcomed the break they took to go back to the stables. Until he realized she intended to take them riding. His ward, on the back of a wild animal. Being flung to the ground and breaking her neck because of a wild animal.

His hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her from entering the stables, before he realized what he was doing. "I must insist that you postpone this." Both of her dark brows lifted as she looked at him in confusion. "Whatever for?" "It isn't safe." "Isn't—" Lady Westfire broke off with a laugh. "Listen, Sir Knight, I have been around horses all my life, and these are my father's. I've known them since they were foals." She tipped her head to the sky which was just beginning to dim towards orange. "Besides, we couldn't ask for finer weather. Now let's go before it gets dark." She made to pull away. Starscream tightened his grip. "We're going back." Lady Westfire turned to him in outrage. "We most certainly are not." Starscream wanted to shake her, wanted to drag her back to the palace kicking and screaming. But the bond wouldn't let him, wouldn't allow him to do anything that would harm her, including strengthening his grip any further. "I have absolutely no qualms about throwing you over my shoulders, so decide. Do you want to walk back with some dignity, my lady," he sneered, eyes gleaming, "or do you want to be a sack of potatoes?" "Neither, you ignorant, selfish boar!" Then, quicker than he would have ever expected, the lady, his ward, had the hand he'd gripped her with trapped in place between her hand and her wrist. With a single step forward, she brought his trapped arm down and curled. Sharp pain traveled all the way up his arm, and he instinctively dropped to one knee to try to escape the pain. It followed, and he released her before she could break his arm or wrist. By the time Starscream realized what had happened, she had already marched inside the stables. Fiery damn! What kind of a lady knew how to break out of a wrist lock!? His long legs carried him quickly inside. Stray bits of straw and horse dung littered the floor, which the stable boy, Todo, was attempting to rake up. The boy looked up as the Blade approached and nodded over his shoulder. "She's over there." Starscream tore around the stable corner, ready for round two. Ready to just scoop her up by the middle and be done with it. But the sight of her already atop her dapple gray mare, snapping on a rider's hat, her dress bunched up around her calves--her very shapely calves--drew him up short. When he found his voice again, he screeched, "You don't ride side-saddle!?" "No, Sir Starscream." Her tone was chilly like she was speaking to a child she was deeply disappointed with. "That's not safe." She took the reins and nudged the horse into a brisk walk out the stables, leaving Starscream scrambling for the last waiting horse, a palomino mare. Todo whistled. "Wow. She's mad." "No one asked you, boy," snapped Starscream before taking off after her. The ride was utterly miserable, not the least of which because he had never been much for riding. Lady Westfire didn't say a single word to him, nor he to her. His mare seemed more inclined toward roaming and smelling the flowers (or eating them) along the path than Lady Westfire's mare, which kept at whatever pace the lady set, as business-like as her mistress. Whenever Starscream managed to get his horse to catch up to Lady Westfire's pace, she pointedly ignored him. The horses seemed to pick up on the tense atmosphere. His kept throwing her head back and neighing shrilly while his ward's horse kept leading her away from him. They took a few laps around the roads surrounding the palace. Even though the sun was setting, it was so humid that not even the riding breeze cooled Starscream enough to keep him from sweating under his clothes, and there weren’t many trees to provide shade this close to the palace walls. The horses showed signs of fatigue, too, their coats shining with sweat. After the fourth lap, Starscream had had enough. But before he could call out to or reach his ward, she snapped her reigns, and her horse plunged into a full gallop, curving off the path. And Starscream felt his heart stop when he saw her target: a flat, grassy field with three bales of hay lined in a row. "You bleeding idiot!" He kicked the sides of his horse, which reared up before deciding that, yes, she would run. But at that point, it was too late. He would never catch up to Lady Westfire. All it would take for this whole thing to go wrong would be for the horse to stumble or refuse to jump over that hay, and his ward would go flying. He'd be free, but the price was too much to pay. He'd go mad, a Blade who'd let his ward die. Of her own stupidity, no less. But Lady Westfire's horse didn't stumble or fall. Didn't hesitate to jump over the nearest bale of hay in her path, horse and rider soaring through the air as one, the setting sun making both appear like firebirds in the sky. Lady Westfire crowed in exultation as the wind picked up her hair that had fallen out of its braid—where was her hat? The evening sun turned her dark hair orange and golden, the strands streaming behind her like liquid fire. The horse landed with little trouble, well used to the exercise. Lady Westfire was laughing, reaching over to pat the horse's neck as the two swung back around, trotting towards him. Starscream didn't know when his horse had stopped. He was too busy remembering how to breathe. "Ready to go in?" asked Lady Westfire when she was alongside him, blue eyes shining with mirth. She laughed to herself again and made for the stables, not waiting for his response. Just like that, all his annoyance and frustration with her snapped back into him, his panic utterly forgotten. Starscream gnashed his teeth, grumbled insults that she was too far away and amused with herself to hear. Insufferable chit. Crazed lunatic. A damned minor noble who was far too full of herself. Who was an utter pain in his ass. Who he'd gladly strangle if the magic would let him. And gods help him, it was only the second day. Fiery damn!

Skywarp took his place that night.

Thundercracker escorted him and a few other Blades to a local pub a few miles from the palace. Starscream knew it was Thundercracker's way to introduce him to the more veteran King's Blades, but the realization that he was the odd man out—the only private Blade—soured his mood further and made him deeply broody and antisocial. All they wanted to talk about was his blasted ward. How they were getting along. What she was like. If she was unattached to both suitor and fiancé, which he couldn't fathom why anyone would care to know. She was insufferable and would probably become an eccentric spinster, and he told them so. It was maddening. He felt like they were all laughing at him, asking such trite questions about some nobody noble when they served real power. Starscream hated being laughed at, and he hated talking about his ward even more. He'd snuffed Cliffjumper for gods' sakes and saved the king by doing so! Did anyone else know or care about that but him!? 

Even when the conversation turned towards the war, Starscream remained recalcitrant. What did the war matter to him anymore? He would never see combat, would never save the king’s life again. He would never be rewarded or recognized for any of his efforts. His life and service had become meaningless. Soon enough, Thundercracker and the others left him alone to nurse his drink. His mind foggy with ale, he nearly fell into bed with a local whore who was fairly pretty in the dim light. Until she laughed. Then, her whole face lit up, became something shining, radiant. Like a firebird. Starscream practically tripped down the stairs getting away from her, his stomach finally souring to match his mood, but whether it was from lingering rage, disgust, or the alcohol, he didn't know and didn't care. But he never lost his drink. Never veered close to hangover sickness. Eventually, he made his slow, weaving way back to the palace. Frustrated that he couldn't get well and properly drunk. Frustrated that he didn't find any decent girl to sleep with. Thundercracker was crocked about that being the best pub in town. Everything from the ale to the whores were complete disappointments. Maybe he would have better luck the next… Night. Tonight. The king's gala was tonight. Where he'd have to guard his ward while she danced and socialized until the wee hours of the morning. Just standing there, more obedient than a dog, as useless as a cat lazing about the house, with no particular purpose. Fiery, flaming damn.

Melody stared at the dress June had brought her, marveling at the detail. "I've never worn a dress by you before, so this may not be true," she told June, "but I believe you've outdone yourself."

The woman beamed. Pride in her work shone in her dark eyes despite the circumstances. "Do you really like it?" "I love it. It's beautiful." Melody rose a hand to her temple, massaging the headache that was blooming there. "And I hate that I love it." The dress hanging from the wardrobe was a deep royal purple, though light enough to never be mistaken for blue. With no straps or sleeves, sheer or otherwise, the bodice was tight and cinched at the waist with the sweetheart neckline that was in vogue this season. A vine of silver flowers made up the only garnish on the dress, but it was enough. Melody told herself they weren't comprised of diamonds and pearls but rather some convincing imitations. They teased a diagonal trail from the right side of the bodice, across her chest, and down the left side of her abdomen, before stopping at the layered skirt. This beautiful skirt. Four layers with the shortest on top, the other three drifting down one after the other, evenly spaced apart, until the final layer just barely brushed the floor. Elegant, modern, sensual. The dress was utterly gorgeous, a dream of silk organza and the right amount of ruffles. One of the finest things she'd ever beheld, and all she wanted to do was rip it to shreds and burn the remains. Instead, Melody let June slip it over her corset and stood in silence as the woman quickly laced the back. She didn't know whether to be amused or irritated when June presented her with silver shoes and jewelry to match. Irritated not at June, but at Megatron. But if this was her new role now, if it was useful to pretend to be the king's latest doll to hold his attention, then she would play it. For now. "There, now, let me see—oh, it looks even better than I thought it would!" June clapped her hands, delighted. Melody smiled wryly. "I told you, you've outdone yourself." June examined her, from sparkly shoes to her dark hair pinned up in loose ringlets. "You look beautiful, but—" Melody waited for the damning verdict, the same one she was thinking. June plucked the top layer of organza and smoothed it between her fingers with a hesitant regret. "Wearing this is going to send a message, to everyone." "Only royalty may wear the royal colors," replied Lady Westfire with a solemn dignity, "and though nobility I may be, I am not royalty." "Yet the king wished for you to wear it." June rubbed her forehead. "I have a feeling the court games are about to get vicious."

"If they want to include me, they'll have to pay me a visit at my estate. They can help me with my gardening." June grinned. "I would pay big, big money to see Lady Katherine elbows deep in the dirt." "You and me both.” Melody’s smile fell into a sigh. “I wish you could come tonight. You're doing wonders for my nerves." June waved a hand. "Alas, I'm but a humble seamstress, too lowborn for frivolous activities like dancing." "I hope you don't truly believe that. That you're lowborn, I mean." June shrugged. "Not much I can do to change it. I've got Jack to think about. But I'm happy to help you when I can." June curtsied to her, not for any kind of show or out of consideration for rank, but out of genuine regard. "My lady." Hands clasped in front of her, Melody crossed toward the parlor, skirt swishing with her steps. "And I take it my message was well-received?" June spotted Melody's self-satisfied smile and poked her in the side. "You know it was, you terrible thing." It was that same smile that greeted Starscream's impatient form pacing inside the parlor.

"Finally! How long does it take to—" Starscream stopped mid-snap, his train of thought completely breaking apart. Lady Westfire threw a smirk at the seamstress. "See, your work even rendered him speechless. Well done." The seamstress' dark eyes darted to Starscream's sneering face, her smile uncertain. "I'm flattered." Starscream marched forward, lips curling. "Seeing as you're finally presentable, lady,"—his glare turned from his ward to the seamstress—"we no longer need you here. Take your leave." As if she meant to infuriate him more, the lady shot the seamstress an apologetic look, took the seamstress' arm, and patted it while escorting her to the door herself. "If anyone asks tonight, I'll be sure to tell them I'm wearing a June Darby original." "You're too kind." "Nonsense. Besides, nothing wrong with earning a little extra income." The women continued to exchange goodbyes at the door, and Starscream felt that if he gritted his teeth any harder they would shatter. "Are you quite finished?" "Yes, yes," Lady Westfire said, shutting the door at last. She examined herself in the hall mirror, checking to make sure her hair and jewelry was in place. "You're so bossy. Don't tell me you're secretly eager to arrive just so you can dance." The Blade didn't dignify that with a response. He merely studied her, preoccupied at the mirror, his eyes sweeping her from head to toe, taking in the dress, how it transformed her figure from something unremarkable to…

Perhaps you’d feel better about your fate if you took a good look at your ward.

Alright, so maybe Knockout had been onto something when he'd implied Lady Westfire was attractive. That was an annoying realization. But then again, anyone would look at least mildly fetching in a dress like that, even Breakdown. But she hardly looked like this all the time, and any illusion of beauty was shattered the second she opened her mouth, which was, it seemed to Starscream, every moment he was close to achieving some peace. Even her smile infuriated him. Therefore, it wasn't the woman who was attractive but the garments that clothed her. Easy enough distinction. Knockout was a fool who thought too much with his other brain. "You look nice," she said simply, turning towards him at last. Starscream, wearing the single dress garments he owned which she'd seen over the past few days, glowered thunderously. "Before we go, I wanted to address what happened yesterday evening." Primus help him. "What about it?" "You tried to stop me from riding a horse," she said bluntly, "and I want to know why." "It was…" Fiery damn, he would not say it. "Was it something to do with the magic?" She searched him. "Starscream, I need to know." "You don't need to know anything," he snapped. "Not about the magic or about me." Her eyes turned to shards of ice, all trace of a smile gone. Starscream expected to feel proud of himself. Instead, his hand rose to make sure his saber was still strapped to his waist. "Is that so? Very well, then. I'll try something else. If someone attacked me, you would be forced to protect me, whether you really wanted to or not, yes?" "Astute of you." "Even if that someone was, say, another Blade or even the king?" Starscream huffed through his nose. "Yes, the ward's safety comes first, always. Even if my innards were spilling onto the ground, I'd have to try to save you from getting so much as a papercut. Happy?" "But that's only if you see the threat in front of you, isn't it? The magic doesn't react to supposed threats or suspicions?" She raised a brow. "And it won't allow you to do anything that could hurt me yourself." "Obviously." Damn… She had already figured this much out in just two days? No. She'd talked to Thundercracker, too, hadn't she? Bleeding traitor. "Then let me make one thing perfectly clear." Lady Westfire stepped right into his personal space. Though easily a foot shorter than him, she held him in place with nothing but a cool look as she said, "I will allow you to protect me from people you know are trying to hurt me. But don't you ever try to stop me from living my life the way I choose again, just because you're afraid I might get hurt. I will not become a prisoner in my own body. Do you understand?" The sharp fierceness in her eyes, the steel behind every word stabbed right in the heart of him, and some small part of Starscream raised its head curiously at its coming. The rest of him had him looming over her, leaning his head down to hiss in her face, "Oh, yes, I understand perfectly. Go ahead and do your worst, see if I give a single flaming damn." Only the ticking clock above the mantle interrupted their glaring contest. Lady Westfire finally stepped back, slightly relieved though her tone was still frosty. "Good. Now that's dealt with, ready to make our grand entrance?" "I'm ready to get this over with," he grumbled, extending his arm. Then immediately retracted it. His ward was a lady, but he wasn't her escort for the evening. He was her damned guard dog, and he was supposed to let her live her perfect little life. Lady Westfire either ignored him or pretended not to notice as she swept forward. The vengeful part of Starscream hoped she would trip on her skirts and either embarrass herself beyond compare or rip the blasted dress and call the whole thing off. But she didn't. Merely glided along, not even bothering to lift the skirt up even slightly for easier maneuverability. She didn't seem to need it, her back enviably straight and her eyes facing forward, not watching her steps in the slightest. Starscream took up his usual post to her right just behind her and tried to school his features into anything that wasn't sheer boredom, simmering fury, or total misery. There would be at least some important people at the gala to impress.

The ballroom was opulent as far as ballrooms go. Gleaming marble floors, lavish decorations, crystal chandeliers. All of it was lost on Starscream who couldn't give less of a damn that purple verbenas were used in the bouquets instead of hydrangeas, and wasn't that so in this year? After Lady Westfire had been announced to the court—Blades were not announced unless they were of particular renown, and he was reminded again that he was no one—Starscream followed her down the steps into the grand ballroom. Not seeming to care who else was left to be announced, King Megatron rose from his throne, resplendent and imposing in a silver combat dress uniform and a dark purple cape. The mingling crowd swiftly parted and retreated to the edges as he made slow, deliberate steps to the center of the ballroom. Starscream surveyed the gathered nobles with a surreptitious eye, anticipating any threats to Lady Westfire. He would kick himself for continuing to do so, but he didn't really have much choice. His mind was so occupied with fighting off the itch on his skin, the paranoia, that it took him far too long to realize. Purple, silver. Unicron's balls, she was wearing the king's colors. And the only people in attendance wearing purple and silver were King Megatron and his ward. Even Princess Airachnid, still seated upon a smaller throne to the left of Megatron's, was excluded, favoring black and pink in place of silver. And by the whispers behind fans and gloved hands and meaningful nods, everyone else had noticed, too. Starscream had never taken much care to learn about women's fashions. The most important thing about women's clothing was how to take them off. But it didn't require a trained eye to realize the difference in quality between Lady Westfire's dress and the other noble ladies', of which most now appeared hopelessly dated. The king raised his hand, palm up, the intensity of his gaze focused solely—unquestionably—upon Lady Westfire. Eyes as round as the full moon, Starscream gaped as his ward crossed toward the king to begin the first dance, wearing a dress fit for a princess—no...  A dress fit for a queen. An idea, small and rough, the barest skeleton of a plan, formed in Starscream's mind. If Megatron wanted her this badly, then did that mean he wanted her to be…? Not an eccentric spinster after all but queen. And if Lady Westfire became queen, then that would mean he would be… A Queen's Blade. Only one bare step away from the throne. And Megatron would assign her other Blades, surely, like he assigned himself. Which meant Starscream could do what the other King's Blades did. Go on adventures, fight wars, achieve untold glory. Yes. Yes, it was perfect! He wouldn't grow old and fat and slow in the country, a forgotten page in the history books. He would be somebody great, remembered for centuries! The page would announce him at the damn door! If Megatron was as big of a fool about her as Knockout, well, Starscream would just keep that opinion to himself. All he had to do was get the king to marry her before he realized just how troublesome she was. His ward didn't seem to host especially warm feelings towards his king, though. A minor issue. She was wearing the dress willingly after all, was seconds away from dancing with him. This must merely be her version of playing hard to get. And perhaps, now that he looked at her intriguing image in said dress, it wouldn't take much effort on his part to convince Megatron to act. From the edge of the crowd, Starscream's shrewd gaze found the king's face, his regal attention honed upon Lady Westfire curtsying near his feet. Blessed, impulsive fool. No, it wouldn't take much effort on Starscream's part at all.

#otp: keeping score #otp: one true kink #some of that anyway #blade au #fealty

[smstransformers]

Dealing with the death of his twin was one thing, but dealing with three seekers, ex killers, ex assholes, /ex Decepticons/, was chaos with a capital C. ___________________________________ One of them had a fucking dog. Sideswipe rolled his shoulders, head heavy on his neck as the foreign swear rolled over in his processor. It felt fight for the situation. ‘Frag’ just wasn’t quite capturing his aggravation right now. “A dog,” Sideswipe deadpanned, and three pairs of identical red optics blinked at him, “A human, organic dog.” There was a was a beat of silence, where Sideswipe breathed calmly despite the turmoil knotting itself in his spark, before one of them spoke up. “Her name is Buster,” Thundercracker offered weakly, and Sideswipe could have rolled over and deactivated on the spot. ________________________________________ •One Day Earlier• “No.” Prowl shuffled the datapad in front him, optics bored as he stared back at Sideswipe, “I’m afraid you don't have much of a choice in the matter. Besides, Ratchet said that this’ll be beneficial for you.” “Ratchet isn’t a therapist,” Sideswipe sneered. “Well, neither Rung or Froid are here to offer their services, so-” “So,” Sideswipe interrupted, denta grinding in irritation, “Hand them off to someone else.” “No one else is fit to handle them, I’m afraid.” “Ironhide, Jazz, Wheeljack, Arcee-” “All busy with their own Decepticons, or, busy with rebuilding Cybertron,” Prowl said fairly, but the tone was enough to set Sideswipe off again. Black digits rubbed irritably over his spark casing, and he fixed another glare on the Praxian. His spark was hurting again. He wanted to go home. /Alone/. Not with three seekers he certainly wasn’t fit to handle. Was this their idea of a suicide watch? Or some sort of sick replacement they thought suitable of Sunstreaker? Both options bristled his E.M field. Sideswipe opened his mouth to protest again, but Prowl held up a hand, and narrowed icy blue optics at him. “Enough. Accept your responsibility, and don't complain. What's done is done, and I suggest you be ready when they’re… delivered.” Sideswipe huffed, “They’re mechs Prowl, not a bunch of spare repair bolts getting dropped off in a box.” Prowl raised an optical ridge, and Sideswipe fled the room without another word. He had an insecticon runt at home that had probably already torn up all his belongings by now. ______________________________________ Prowl had kept firm on his promise, for once, and the three seekers were already in his apartment when he arrived home. Ironhide was with them, as grumpy as Sideswipe was about his ‘privacy’ being invaded. He left with a short good luck, stomping out the door while the purple one, Sky something, snickered. The other two just stared at him, faces bland and bored, and Sideswipe had been awkward on his feet, shuffling back and forth, lost for words, until he spotted the tiny, brown and definitely not metal thing, in the blue ones arm. And all pit broke loose. ____________________________ “She's friendly, I swear!” “Then get her to stop barking,” Sideswipe hissed, doing his best to calm a squealing Bob down, claws scratching a flaking mess all over his floor as he jostled this way and that. Sideswipe had grabbed his scruff bar in an attempt to stop him from knocking everything over, but so far the attempt had done nothing to stop an expensive vase from shattering, and to his sparks aching, an old portrait. The purple one was laughing, while Starscream watched on in disdain, picking absently at his long claws. Thundercracker stood awkwardly, stroking the brown beast with one finger while it barked and growled. He laughed nervously, and shushed her once more. “You wouldn't happen to have any asparagus, would you?” Sideswipe blinked, and his grip on Bob loosened, “What?” _______________________________________ As it turned out, spending a long, long time on Earth didn't do anything to aid Sideswipe’s knowledge of organic animals, and it took locking Bob away in his berth room before Buster calmed, and now her tail wagged merily as she darted around Sideswipe’s feet, still barking, but not quite at the deep, aggressive level as before. Sideswipe didn't know what to think of it. Or how in the world the blue idiot had gotten it on Cybertron without the thing dying. Didn't organics need air? Thundercracker scooped her up, frowning as Sideswipe tried to keep his ventilations under control. Not another stupid fragging spark attack. His spark itched and ached, and he ignored the urge to scratch at his casing. Blue optics narrowed, automatically drawn to the tiny white shards on the floor, and none of them, to his irritation, seemed to wither in any kind of guilt. Sideswipe didn't dare look at the ruined painting on the floor. “Well,” Starscream prompted, “Are you going to clean it up, or what?” Sideswipe’s digits twitched, and he turned, “Don't step on the shards.” His spark twisted, hearing the disgruntled murmurs behind him and the scraping of oversized wings on the wall, and he only let out the ragged breath his ventilations had been holding in until he was locked away in the privacy of his own berthroom. Bob whined, launching at him, tiny hands grasping at each other as he did his best to worm his way under the red mechs arm. He clucked a sad tune, antennae twitching as he glanced around the room. Sideswipe shook his head, and Bob churred a low note, before letting out a harrowed howl. Buster joined in soon after, and Sideswipe couldn't help but stare up at the dark sky with muted audials. “How could you leave me here with his? Slagger.” … “... Miss you.” Both animals cried long into the night, and Sideswipe didn't bother to answer the irritated pings from Starscream. Whatever it was, they could figure it out themselves. It wasn't like they couldn't figure out how to use the energon dispenser, or the washracks. As long as they didn't use Sunstreaker's waxes, Sideswipe didn't care what they did. And maybe luck would be with him and they’d figure out how to open the large window in the lounge area.

[vosnianprincess]

“She can talk, TC! She talked to me, I swear!” 

Estella peered over the top of the book she’d been reading, recognizing Skywarp’s voice through the thick glass of her prison and feeling the ground rattle slightly as he approached. 

The young black and purple painted seeker flung himself against the glass dome, pounding against it and pointing down at her. A second figure; a taller, broader seeker with thick blue plating appeared beside him. She realized that he must be Thundercracker...Starscream’s older brother... His stare unnerved her, and she found herself trying to shrink from his gaze. 

“Don’t be silly, Warp,” Thundercracker intoned warily, “It’s an animal. Animals don’t have the intelligence to communicate, not even with each other.” 

Skywarp shook his helm insistently, “She did talk to me! She speaks our language! C’mon, girl, say something! Pleeeaaase?”

The elder seeker cocked his helm, trying to get a better look at her, “Well...at least this one is not as ugly as most of the horrible things he keeps in his zoo...Did he tell you where he found it?”

Skywarp, still trying to coax Estella into performing for his brother, shook his helm, “Star told me not to come in here. I don’t think he wanted anyone to see her. Wherever he got her from, they speak Cybertronian there!” He whined, his wings waggling in frustration, “Hey...maybe she wants to play! Don’t animals like to play fetch, TC?” The young seeker was already reaching for the door panel. 

“Warp, no! It’s probably got all kinds of diseases!” TC tried to push him away from the door. 

“ = I AM NOT A DOG! =” Estella yelled indignantly, hurling her book against the glass in anger.

Thundercracker started at the reply from the creature. It was true...Whatever it was...it could speak their language. “...What in the name of Primus...That...That’s not possible...How does this organic animal know how to speak like us? How...” He pressed against the glass, “...What is this creature...?”

Estella glared before hiding once more beneath her mound of cushions, “ = Why don’t you ask your brother? =”

#Estella #Warp #TC #ic status

[thuanwrites]

Passion of the Liger - Ch 10 - Ginessa

Ginessa and Paddles followed Mavis into the house. It was dimly lit by candles scattered around here and there. The candle flames were still and the living room had a calm and tranquil aura. “Take a seat, dearie,” said Mavis, “I’ll fetch you a cup of tea. I was just bringing it to boil before you arrived.” Ginessa took a seat on a soft velvety couch and Paddles lay on the floor near her feet. He seemed more relaxed now they were inside. While she waited, Ginessa examined the living room. There were some paintings on the walls, but in the dim light, it was quite hard to make out what they were. One seemed to be a portrait of a lady, and another was a landscape; rolling hills and a tree in the foreground. She couldn’t make out what the third painting was. Mavis re-entered the room, carrying two dark cups. The cups had no handles and were made of polished wood. “There you go,” said Mavis, “Be careful, it’s rather hot.” Ginessa carefully took the cup off the old woman and immediately felt warmer holding it. The aroma was unusual, but pleasant. She took a sip. “Wow,” said Ginessa, “What is this?” “Corn tea,” said Mavis, “How do you like it?” “It’s really nice,” said Ginessa, taking another sip. She had never had corn tea before. She liked trying different foods and drinks. Mavis took a seat next to her on the couch; Ginessa was so impressed how well the blind lady was able to get around. They sat in silence for a while. Eventually, the old lady spoke. “You have a very good energy about you,” said Mavis. “Oh?” said Ginessa, “What do you mean?” “Being blind,” said Mavis, “I have to rely on my other senses a lot more. I’ve come to learn that people have different energies. Sitting near you, I feel calm and relaxed.” “Maybe it’s the tea,” chuckled Ginessa amicably. Mavis smiled. “It’s always a joy to meet one such as yourself. Hold still a moment, I want to feel what you look like.” Mavis put her cup of tea on a small table nearby and then reached her fingers up Ginessa’s face. Both hands started up at Ginessa’s forehead and traced their way lightly down past her eyes, nose, mouth and chin. The old lady’s hands felt warm and somehow Ginessa felt very relaxed afterwards. The old lady was about to say something when suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder from outside, and moments later, heavy rain began pouring down outside. Ginessa thought of poor Anton, running around outside in the rain. Suddenly Paddles sat up, and started barking. Ginessa turned to look at where Paddles was looking; it was the window at the front of the house, next to the front door. It was too dark to see outside, but Ginessa could somehow sense that something was wrong. Lightning flashed outside. It illuminated everything outside for a split second. And Ginessa saw the silhouette of someone standing in front of the window! Even though the lightning had flashed for the briefest of moments, there was no mistaking who had been standing there. It was Maruska. She was standing outside the front door now. Ginessa turned to Mavis. She had to get this little old lady out of harm’s way. “Mrs C.,” said Ginessa, “I can see someone I know outside your front door. I have something really important I need to discuss with her in private. Would you be able to leave us alone for just a few moments?” “Why of course, dearie,” said Mavis, “I shall retire to my room. It’s about time I headed to bed anyway. Just make yourself at home. You can offer your friend a cup of warm tea if you like.” Mavis picked up her cup of tea and disappeared down the corridor. Ginessa calmly waited on the couch, sipping her warm corn tea. Paddles was growling defensively at the front door. OUt the corner of her eye, Ginessa could see the handle of the front door slowly turn. The door silently opened and a figure stepped inside the house, and closed the door quietly behind them. Ginessa continued to sip her tea, and didn’t look up. Woof! Woof! barked Paddles. “Shh!” said Ginessa, “Stay.” Paddles obediently lowered his bottom to the ground and sat. Instead of barking, he now whimpered occasionally, as if begging to be given the order to attack. “So,” said the intruder, who was of course Maruska. “Any last words before you get turned to stone?” “None that I want to say to you,” said Ginessa, still drinking her tea. “My, you certainly are calm,” said Maruska. She reached into her robes and pulled out the deadly glowing orb. “Do you not realise what this thing does?” “I was afraid before,” said Ginessa, “Because I was worried something would happen to Anton. But he is not here, so there is nothing for me to be afraid of.” “Oh, that is where you are wrong,” said Maruska, “He will suffer greatly from what I will do to you. And so will you actually. Flesh turning to stone is excruciating, I am led to believe. And once it happens to you, that’s it. No one will be able to rescue you. An eternity spent as a stone statue. Unable to move. Unable to talk. Unable to hug and love your dear, sweet Anton ever again. How does that sound?” Ginessa drained the rest of her cup and put it on the small table beside her. “Corn tea is quite nice. Have you ever tried it? I can pour you a cup if you want.” Maruska smirked, “I must admit, your calmness impresses me.” “I care not for the admiration of fools,” said Ginessa. Maruska snarled, “You think I am a fool? In my place, you would do the same.” “No, in your place, I would have just walked away from Anton and continued with my life,” said Ginessa. “I can’t do that,” said Maruska. Ginessa now stood up from the couch and turned to face Maruska. “What are you doing?” said Maruska. “If I’m going to become a stone statue, I at least want to have a cool pose.” *** Mavis was lying down on her bed, just about to drift off to sleep. She was feeling so cosy and warm. It was perfect sleeping conditions. The heavy rain outside, wind howling at the windows, the occasional thundercrack. And an extremely loud pop sound. Mavis opened her eyes. An extremely loud pop sound? What was that? It sounded like it had come from the living room. She quickly got up out of bed and went to investigate. As soon as she opened her bedroom door and went into the corridor, she immediately began coughing and spluttering uncontrollably. There was a smokey smell in the air; she could feel dusty particles as she breathed. Was it ash? Why would there be ash inside her house? She gradually made her way into the living room. Woof! Woof! It was Ginessa’s dog barking at something. “Oh, get away from me you dumb mutt!” It was a woman’s voice. Mavis had never heard this voice before. It was not one of the villagers. Suddenly, Mavis heard the dog whimper and stop barking suddenly. “Ginessa?” said Mavis, and she coughed once again from breathing the ashy substance that was still floating around. There was no reply. Mavis heard the stranger leave through the front door, without saying another word. “Are you okay, Ginessa?” said the old lady. She was walking slowly through the room, with her hands held out in front of her, feeling through the air. At times like this, she really hated being blind. Where was Ginessa? Was she okay? And then, Mavis’ hands touched something. Something hard and cold. Cold like stone. It was shaped like a person. before long, Mavis had realised it was a stone statue. What was a stone statue doing in her living room? It was very strange. And where was Ginessa? Suddenly a scary thought entered Mavis’ head. “It couldn’t be,” she said to herself. But just to make sure, she fumbled her hands onto the statue’s torso, up the neck and placed her fingers on the face. And then she froze. She recognised this face immediately. She had only felt it a few moments ago. But how could this be? What did it mean? The old woman had no idea, but there was one thing she knew for sure. The face of this statue was the face of Ginessa DiManlen.

#passion #writing #passionoftheliger #ch10 #chapter 10 #petrification #stone #ginessa #maruska

[keaalu]

Drug Dealing

Although she appreciates the determination certain people have to cure her illness, Forceps wishes it didn’t leave her feeling like Starscream’s science project.

Reminder: Sepp has a type of motor imperfecta, or improper formation of motor control pathways. Symptom-wise it’s like Parkinson’s; origin-wise it’s more like a prion disease, which is why it’s so hard to find a cure for. But then some machines have a dogged tendency to treat definitions like “incurable” as a personal challenge.   

------------------------

Hardline hadn’t even been gone for a whole breem when the door to Forceps’ home clicked and admitted a familiar set of red wings.

Forceps set her journal down on the table, and watched her uninvited guest approach. “How long have you been lurking out there, waiting for Hack to leave?”

Starscream shrugged, in an artfully casual way, and tucked his wings in a little more neatly. “I do not lurk, thank you, doctor. Just a fortuitous coincidence.”

Her expression flattened. “Of course it was.”

“I find it very hurtful that you don’t believe me.” Not looking remotely upset, he fetched something out of his subspace. “But… I know the big lug doesn’t like me giving you these, so.” He dropped a small, surprisingly-heavy silver disc into her palm. “Convenient timing, really.”

She knew exactly what it was without having to devote many fractions of a second to studying it. “I don’t like you giving me these, particularly.”

Now the jet did look hurt, lips pulling into a little pout of displeasure. “Well any time you want me to stop researching a cure, just say so.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” She smiled, sadly, and patted the seat beside her. “And I do appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

Starscream settled primly on the edge of the couch. “There’s a ‘but’ coming.”

Forceps looked away. “You always get my hopes up that this time, it’ll be the final time we need to do it.”

But it never is. And I’m weary of the constant disappointment.

He remained silent for a few seconds. “It’s still improving, though?” he prompted. “The patches last longer each time?” He sounded… strangely deflated. As if wondering if she’d been lying, to save his feelings.

“Yes. Every time, it lasts a little longer. But it always wears off, eventually, and I can never predict when that’ll be. Then I have to trust that I’ll be able to get it to reinstall.” She glanced sidelong at him. “I can’t trust myself with someone else’s life while there’s too many variables for me to be able to predict anything with any accuracy. Until then, I can’t go back to work.”

He sat and digested her words, quietly. “And what’s the part you’re carefully leaving out, because apparently we’ve stopped being honest with each other?”

“When it wears off, and my tremor comes back, it…” She swallowed the rest of the sentence, and revised it a little; “It’s disappointing.”

It crushes me, all over again.

She drew a sigh of cool air through her core. “I’m not sure how many more times I want to go through this cycle, when there’s still no end in sight.”

“You never struck me as the sort to let slag like this beat you.” He nudged her a little with his wing. “It’s important we keep at it. Eventually it will be the last time.”

“Yes, doctor.” She glared at him, good-naturedly. “You’ll never get a job as a counsellor.”

Starscream tried very hard but couldn’t quite hide his smirk. “I want another full scan at some point, to see how this one takes.” He wagged a finger. “The more data we have, the more likely we’ll isolate the last few fragments of code that are causing the last of the problems.”

“You know they say it’s incurable for a reason.”

He blew a dismissive raspberry through pursed lips. “Don’t give me that. The fact nobody has bothered to put time and money into research doesn’t make it-”

“-it’s a rare disease! It stands to reason researchers would spend their limited budget on the things they can actually cure.”

Starscream elevated his voice and spoke over her; “If you had been a noble during the Golden Age, it wouldn’t be a rare, incurable disease. Some obsequious little sycophant would have crawled up to you, accepted your money, and found a cure. The fact altruism never had a big budget doesn’t make a thing impossible.”

They stared each other out for a second or two.

“And this is why I’m not a noble. Can’t stand that… self-serving… pitslag.” Her friend made an effort to look scandalised at her language; Forceps gave him a shove. “Not to mention, I’d be dead from something else. Quite possibly, at your hand.”

He wouldn’t look away. “It was war.”

“And I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

He quirked a brow.

She flapped a hand. “Well. You know what I mean.”

“I know you're trying to change the subject.”

“Perhaps. I can't say I particularly enjoy talking about my illness.”

“We'll never cure it if we pretend it doesn't exist, either.” He gave her a chastising finger-wag. “You can’t tell me you’re happy as a teacher, dealing with a gaggle of irresponsible youths that barely listen to a word you vocalise.”

Forceps remained silent for long enough that neither needed to hear her answer, but she spoke anyway; “Somebody has to teach them. They might be the ones that end up looking after us, when we get rusted and incapable.”

This time, Starscream's snort of horror was genuine.

She smiled, and elbowed him. “Besides. One of them is your niece, remember?”

“Like I said. Irresponsible youths. The idea of Footloose looking after me? Is frankly terrifying.” He offered a small glare. “I’m not sure what you hope to achieve by indulging her. She’s never going to have the brains to make it as a surgeon.”

“Maybe not – but she could be a pretty good paramedic, if she’s serious and she puts her mind to it. She’s enthusiastic, she’s fast, and she’s good at finding people.”

The silence stretched out a little too long for comfort.

Forceps corrected herself, quietly; “Most people. Sorry.”

Starscream made one of those uninterpretable little noises that could have meant anything, from frustration to sorrow to pain. “And what happens when she gets bored, and goes off to find something else to do?” he challenged, trying (but mostly failing) to divert attention from his friend’s faux pas. “Don’t forget I lived with her sire for far too many millennia; a mech with a shorter attention span would be hard to find. This is why we have to find you a cure.” He stabbed a finger in her direction, to emphasise the point. “So when Footloose decides she’s bored, and is going to be a cartographer instead, for… maybe a fraction of a vorn… you won’t feel like you’ve wasted quite so much of your life-”

“Scarlet?” She waited for him to go quiet. “I appreciate your determination, but I can’t be the science project you need to keep you from thinking about Skywarp.”

He stared at her for several more seconds, lips open but no words emerging, before folding his arms protectively across his chassis and directing his glare at the floor, instead. “I should appreciate having a little peace and quiet, at last. It was hard enough to do energon research in the first place, without someone eating all your supplies.”

She set her fingers against his shoulder, and felt his hand come up to cover them for the fleetingest instant before dropping back to his lap. In spite of his defensive manner, he felt strangely flat. No longer the terror of the skies – just a sad, lost mech, trying to figure out how to mourn the loss of the family he’d chosen.

“It’s quiet, without him,” he accepted, at length. He studied his palms. “I haven’t been as productive as I would have liked.”

“Have you spoken to Pan?”

“Thundercracker’s psychiatrist?” Another snort, and the flash of a little glare in her direction. “I don’t need to be diagnosed. I just need to know where he is.”

And that, Forceps recognised, silently, was the core of it.

Her disease was a puzzle, but it was something he could at least work at. Measure, improve, test and retest… even make some headway, even if it was only ever fractional.

Skywarp’s disappearance began and ended at the Rift. There was nothing to measure, nothing to quantify, nothing to tell them whether they were on the right track or even going the right way.

Just endless digging, with nothing to show for it.

Thundercracker had quietly moved into accepting the loss of their brother, apparently adopting his two deputies as surrogate trine, but Starscream lingered doggedly somewhere between denial and depression – not to mention, denial of his depression. (The idea he might be struggling to cope was apparently something he refused to even contemplate.)

It did seem particularly unkind that after somehow surviving an eternity on the frontlines of war, such a simple, avoidable mistake was what would finally break them.

“I just want to find him, Sepp. Finally get some closure. Try to move on. Is that really so much to ask?” He covered his face with both palms and blew out a sigh. “We should be able to grieve! Figure out how to let him go, and move on, and we can’t even do that. Not while there’s still that chance…”

“It’s been six vorns already,” Forceps reminded, gently. “There’s got to come a point-”

“I know! I know.” He sounded exasperated, but mostly at himself. “He’s buried himself so deep in the bedrock, we’ll be digging for an eternity. Pit – we could dig up half the planet, and still not be any the wiser as to where he went. The idea we’re going to find even a scrap of paint is a sparkling’s optimism.” He finally offered a tired smile, optics a dim maroon. “But the last time I stopped looking for someone, it might have changed the course of a war. And not for the better. So forgive me for not wanting to throw down my shovel just yet.”

“Well please don’t throw it in my direction when you do decide to stop. Even before I got ill, I wasn’t particularly spry when it came to dodging projectiles.”

He snorted a sour laugh and gave her a little thump. “I gave up on Skyfire, but I’m not giving up on Warp.” He puffed himself up, subtly, wings raised and jaw set in a look of steely determination. “Or you. So you better get used to it.”

She pursed her lips and glanced away, in an effort to hide the subtle embarrassed flush in her golden optics. “You just miss having a personal physician to put you back together after you blow up your lab, you winged nuisance.”

Thankfully he took it in the spirit it was intended. “You’re confusing me with Wheeljack.” He wafted a hand, airily. “That Autobot is insane. The only scientist I know who finds it entertaining to blow up his own lab, while he’s in it.”

“Really? The only scientist? Because that’s not how I heard it happened, when I last spoke to Thundercracker.”

Starscream’s optics visibly widened before his arms tightened back across his chassis, and his voice descended into a poisonous hiss; “Traitor.”

Forceps found a laugh, and leaned against him; she felt him lean back, subtly.

“This disease took away my life,” she said, softly. “Small consolation, maybe, but… mall consolation, maybe, but...Thank you for helping me try to get it back.”

#starscream #forceps #transformers #blue au #short story