#Sentinel Prime in specific is one I think about a lot?

[cloverpatches]

I've been reminded of this whole thing a lot lately and I kind of wanted to bring up my thoughts, just in case maybe it helps someone rethink stuff but

I keep seeing that when people go about redesigning/"redeeming" a character, one thing they often remove is like. symptoms of neurodiversity?

Such as removing a character's trauma related sensory and relation issues entirely, or having them suddenly being more socially aware without anyone actually understanding why they might not have understood a situation in the first place.

Nothing against redesigns n rewrites or trying to write redemption arcs! I just don't think traits of neurodiversity in specific are something to be fixed or treated as something to be removed just because the artist finds them unfitting.

Not every neurodivergent character is going to be pleasant. It doesn't need to be fixed.

[felixdragonheartofficial]

TFA TEAM PRIME HUMAN REDESIGNS FINALLY

FUCK

+headcannons

Optimus: gotta stay focused

looks too old compared to his bot form.

I find it impossible for Optimus to be more than a million years old in this canon. In the least, he's older than 1000 years and since we have mfs that are canonically over 70 million years old(fagatron iykyk) compared to that, he feels like a dude in his early-to-mid-30's being the group parent.

---

-I made him more youthful, gave him curly hair, and tailored his clothing to actually look like his bot form.

-workaholic

-on the cusp of barley being able to hold his liquor

-doesn't own a pair of pajamas until Sari gets some for him

-usually forgets to put them on, but appreciates the gesture

-stays active for like, 3 days until he can't fight off sleep with work brain anymore, and unceremoniously passes out on the couch to sleep for a full 24 hours

-ratchet sighs and puts a blanket over him as per routine

-frequently checks security feed

-elf on the shelf despiser

-early morning talks with jazz and ratchet over coffee (they all wake up at 6 am)

-half thrives on caffeine and a vigorous training protocol

-is a dog person, loves German shepherds to death

David sama, pls forgive me ily very much

Ratchet: to old for this nonsense

doesn't match his body type in the slightest.

Ratchet is really old, he's got a sallow face and a gramp gut, how dare they square him. He's wayyy too angular and peachy looking.

-I gave him his luscious curves back, adding all the equipment id expect a field medic to have because he is a field medic, not a regular doctor. I changed his facial proportions, and also made his face gaunt, for that dead inside PTSD look.

---

-drinks his coffee black with brown sugar, literally drinks it piping hot

-is one of those old people who complains about noise

-confiscates bumblebee and Sari's toy cars, and puts them in a high up cabinet

-neither of them know how to bypass the child safety lock lmao

-casual clothes includes a lot- a l o t of plaid shirts, and 10 pairs of the same blue jeans

-tunes out bulkhead and prowls convos about birdwatching

-big fan of political satire dramas

-Sentinel doesn't approve

-Ratchet doesn't give a rats ass about what he thinks of course

Bumblebee: professional smart-ass

doesn't match his body type/age.

Bumblebees holoform is presented as a 10-12 year old child specifically for the fact that he's short, and the comedic relief. Total ass

I set his human age as 19-20 years old, making him more of a big brother to sari because that og model is disappointingly lackluster

---

-Bumblebee is a scrappy wisecracking punk, like an adhd kid who just got roller skates for Christmas.

-since he doesn't have wheels, I feel like he'd wear skates instead to emulate the feeling

-terrible at watching where he's going cuz he's too busy trying to show off, so ratchet makes him wear all that padding + training wheels

-legit despises the padding and training wheels

-Jealous of Blurr for mastering roller blades lmao.

-his favorite games are choose your fighter and fps

-saw ONE ancient ass assassins creed playthrough and begged ratchet to install hidden tasers in his arm bands (was denied)

-Sari used her key to do it instead

-self appointed "rizzler"

-Optimus has zero idea of what that means and thinks it's code for something dubious

-Ratchet knows what it means and thinks it's silly

-"I' was something of a rizzler myself back in my day, kid"

-bumblebee cringes

-loves summer and swimming

-wants to be the fastest thing in the sea because y'know, it's bumblebee

-is spooked from the beach for awhile cuz he saw sharks in Prowls nature documentary

-there are infact, no sharks in lake Erie

Bulkhead: big guy, bigger heart

doesn't match his body type/aspirations.

Jesus fuck he's so wide?? And his belly migrated to his shoulders?? I'm gonna be honest, I really hate this design. I feel like it contributed to the "brute strength = stupid" take that most in the fandom associates with him.

---

-Bulkhead is a SWEET. CARING. NERD YOU FOOLS. He's like the male version of a tall goth gf-

-a tall-nerdy-farm hand-physics bf, You got me fucked up.

-Its already shown that bulkhead really likes art in Addition to creating it. He hates being only seen as the "muscle" so it wouldn't make sense for him to lean into that.

-bunny slippers that him and sari made together(she provided the buttons)

-the slippers go missing sometimes (basically considered community property unless he's wearing them)

(ratchet and prowl are the main offenders)

-frequent art museum goer

-really likes watching cooking shows, but is too shy to make food himself

-Owns a ton of star maps

-Really wants a treehouse that he, bumblebee and sari can hang out in

-pillowfort enjoyer

-casually reads quantum physics at the beach

Prowl: draft dodger

Doesn't look like him at all.

Prowls holoform being a mustachioed,white, police officer was an actual jumpscare for 7 y/o me, I kid you not

---

- I know this bitch would not wear a helmet (you can't force him to) que windswept hair

-Not as much as starscreams, for obvious reasons but yk

-prowl is like one of those "shoes are a prison for your feet"

-emo hipster

-has a pet cactus named "planty"

-bumblebee heckles him for it

-can and has brought his cactus with him on early evening motorcycle rides

-the helmet is reserved for his cactus, bring your own >:(

-salad consumer

-him and jazz share custody of the cactus

-repeat victim of the cat distribution system

-ratchet has probably spent hours telling him they can't keep any animals at base

-frequent midnight picnics with jazz

-and beachcombing

-and roaming around antique stores cuz jazz wants to know what vinyl records are

-got a mug with an attempted pink chibi cat with big round shiny eyes painted onto it, courtesy of bulkhead trying to find an artsyle

-cherishes this mug to death

-has a shrine dedicated to it

[dinogoofymutated]

So I'm warming up to the idea of Cable now with this new animation style. And now I can't help but imagine a mutant reader seeing him shirtless for the first time 👉🏽👈🏽. Maybe she's helping him treat a wound he cant reach on his back and he's too worn out to rely on his telekinesis for it. Sure she knows that he has a metal arm. Techno-organic viruses were nasty business. But she never imagined she'd get to see the stark contrast of metal and flesh up close. Just a tender moment where she gets to see him at his most vulnerable. Preferably sfw. Sorry if this is too long winded or specific. Really love your writing and enjoy what you share with us regardless if u choose this one or not 🫶🏽

SFW!Cable/GN!Reader OOOOGHHHH when I tell you I have been thinking about this since you sent me the ask!! I've been dying to write this but forced myself to follow a schedule :( I've never really been a Cable girly but this scenario has been in my head non-stop! I just hope this fic does the same to others!!! Speaking of which, I hope this isn't too OOC for him! This also might get a pt 2 with some smooching 😘

Read pt. 2 Here :)

-Ps- Heads up, finals week is coming up for me and I have a lot of essays and work to do. my writing is sadly going to slow down a bit. I don't think I'm going to close requests for now but it's not out of the realm of possibility! TWs: Can't really think of any. Gross depictions of techno-organic shit. As always, Reader written while picturing fem! but no pronouns mentioned. The reader is short in this one, sorry to all my Amazonian friends.

    Prime sentinels were like wasps. Squashing one could be relatively easy with the right tools, but it was difficult to handle multiples at once. It had been a rough day, and your ears were still ringing from the sounds of blaster fire when you got to the safe house. Your hands are shaking from the adrenaline, body exhausted from overusing your mutant powers. Bruises are forming all over you, and despite the pain and soreness, you know you got off easy compared to Cable. 

    He’s got an arm slung around your shoulder, using you as a crutch as you help him limp over to the table- although you’re sure you’re not a very good one, too short for him to properly lean on. His gun clanks on the floor as he sits, grunting as the movement sends shooting pains through his body. You can tell his left arm is aching, the techno-organic virus fighting to beat the telekinetic powers keeping them still. You weren’t the only one who overdid it today, but you also weren’t the one who had to keep a virus from eating you alive.

    Once Cable is settled, the routine starts. You cautiously make a round through the safe house, making sure blinds are drawn and entryways secured. Usually, the task was split between the two of you, being faster and safer than it would be alone- but he would take it over when you were badly hurt. It was only natural that you would do the same. You feel the sting of anxiety and worry in your heart. Cable had saved your ass today. He had done so many times, but normally the fighting wasn’t this extreme. You had been stupid, and he was suffering the consequences. 

    A series of pained grunts lead you back into the kitchen once you’ve finished, and you can tell Cable is pissed just by the tone of them. You’re facing his back when you walk in, noticing the large red stain that spans across the width of his shoulders. You try to hide the worry on your face as you approach him. He has the medkit sprawled out on the counter, sorting through the various items in it.

    “Can’t believe this thing doesn’t have a damn mirror.” He grunts. You hum in response, looking him over before examining the items on the table.

    “What do you need a mirror for?” You ask, voice coming out a little hoarse. You clear your throat, must be from the smoke earlier. Cable sends you a look, tossing his head towards his back. You mouth an “oh” before looking at him, unable to hide your worried expression. You’d seen him stitch his wounds up with his telekinesis before, when the fight was all guns and no powers. An action like that was child’s play for someone of his capabilities. For him to actively avoid it, and the way his arm seemed to be bothering him more than normal… It made you worried. It made you feel guilty. 

    You look down at the suture kit, open on the table from where Cable had unzipped it, and then look back at him, wordlessly asking. He gives you a cautious look for a moment, before it shifts into something much softer. He doesn’t bother nodding, choosing to simply take his shirt off instead.

    You blush a little but quickly get to work, grabbing a pair of gloves and pulling them on. They’re too big for you, meant to fit Cable’s sturdy hands instead of your own smaller ones. You try not to get distracted by the sight of him shirtless as you pick up what you need and get behind him. The air has shifted between the two of you, forming into something a little more intimate. Something that builds itself on words unspoken, truths that neither of you is quite ready to communicate yet.

    His back is broad and beautiful, dotted with scars and bruises. The gash on his shoulders is from a stray blast, starting at the top of his left shoulder and ending at the lower shoulder blade of his right. 

    You’re not sure if you had been ready to see the cut-off between flesh and metal.

    The cords of metal attach to the skin of his shoulder in a way that makes your skin crawl. They sprout from underneath the skin, winding against each other in a way that makes no clear sense to you. The top layers of skin are rough, keloid scarring having formed at the impasse of skin and metal. It's horrific, the way the virus has both eaten and forced its way under the skin. The top of the gash is somewhat deep, the deep inner cording revealed by the wound cutting through the top of his skin has you unable to look away despite the horror that has taken you.

   “I can feel you staring, you know.” Cable’s rumbling voice causes you to snap back to reality.

    “Right. Sorry. I didn’t mean to…” You trail off, not fully able to place the words. He sighs, and you mistake it for annoyance. You quickly get back on track and begin to disinfect the wound. Cable hardly flinches as you do so. You’re overly cautious as you stitch him up, focusing on each stitch being perfectly placed. You know they wouldn’t stay for long. Cable had a habit of tearing his stitches. You hope that maybe you’d be able to keep that from happening this time.

   You place both hands on his shoulder blades when you are done. The nerves have worn off as the pseudo-doctor in you took over. You’re trying to examine the stitches, but find that your attention keeps being drawn back to that stark contrast of his shoulder. If Cable notices, he doesn’t say anything. You glance at the back of his head, trying to gauge what he’s feeling. 

    Your left hand drifts a little. Cable shudders as your thumb gently traces that line of scarring, the metal of his arm feeling extra cold compared to the heat of his skin. You’re waiting for him to say something. To tell you to back off. To grumble and shake you off and avoid speaking to you like he used to when you first started to work together- when he was so determined not to get attached. 

   But he doesn’t say anything. Not at first, anyway. The tenseness of his shoulders slowly gives as the gentle touching morphed into more purposeful touches, working the stiff muscles- what was left of the organic ones, anyway. 

    It’s intimate. It’s quiet. It’s… nice. Part of you wishes it would last a little longer. Part of you wishes he would let you touch him like this more often. 

    Cable stiffens again as the thought crosses your mind, recoiling away from you. He stands suddenly, turning around to face you. His towering stature used to make you nervous out of fear. Now you’re nervous for a completely different reason. Part of you had forgotten about the glimpses he takes into your mind. A flicker of anxiety ignites when you realize how much he might have seen. The two of you just look at each other for a moment, his brown eyes hard compared to the softness from earlier. You hadn’t meant to think so much. You didn’t think he was horrific. It was the virus. What it was doing to him. The energy and effort it takes out of him. That was what scared you.

    Cable was used to the stares. The horror. Most recoiled at the sight of his flesh. It only made sense to him when you did too.

    But Nathan… Nathan wasn’t ready for the depth of your thoughts. The care in your eyes. He wasn’t ready for the depth of his own feelings. The ones that cause such a storm within him. The ones that cause him to be stupid. The ones that make him focus more on saving you than the goal of every mission.

    “Is this… Are we okay?” You ask. He didn’t need to be a telepath to sense the fear that has swelled within you. Most of your emotions were always written on your face. It made things easier for him when he didn’t have to search for your thoughts. That hardness in his eyes softens yet again, and he glances away for a moment. 

    “... Yeah.” Is all he says. His heart feels light when you finally smile at him, even though an underlying nervousness still resides behind that smile. You let out a relieved sigh, and he can’t bear to look at you any longer. Instead, he sits back down. He faces away from you, giving you the space to finish taking care of the wound on his back. 

    You don’t realize how late it is until you’re finished, and the mess on the counter has been cleaned and contained back in the medkit. The two of you sit together as you eat. The food isn’t great- consisting of an MRE that’s not exactly as advanced as the futuristic weapons and technology would lead you to believe. He doesn’t say anything when you lean on his shoulder, or when your breathing evens out, having fallen asleep on his side.

  The aches and pains don’t really bother Nathan as he carries you to bed, but the thoughts of you, your feelings, your thoughts… Those keep him awake longer than any wound would.

[transingthoseformers]

Okay, cause see, now I have QUESTIONS.

Does Cybertron have schools, or high schools? Do they have societal norms? Do they have popular kids, bigoted people? Does homophobia even exist there? Do they think there's Cybertron versions of traditional people that would probably call Mirage or Bumblebee their own version of slurs for having human partners??

And while we're on this topic, does anyone ever question if Cybertron has their own versions of mental health disorders we have on Earth? How do they treat them?? Do they even treat them????? Or is it just non-existent because they're robots? But they have the compacity to feel love and shit like that, but there's no such thing as Depression, Anxiety or BPD over there?

Like what are the societal norms over there? What are the class types over there? Because we all know Mirage was definitely some rich kid but what about Bumblebee?? And Optimus? And my girl Arcee?? Like what were their lives before all of this??

LIKE THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED.

You also have to account for the war and how badly that's fucked everything up

Because

From everything I've seen in various continuities:

There are academies and stuff

Bigoted people do seem to exist on Cybertron, though often in unfamiliar ways

Homophobia does not seem to exist in say IDW, (iicr), can't say much for other continuities but I personally like to think homophobia would be rare to nonexistent on Cybertron

(though, in IDW it seems to be rare to marry and considering idw Sentinel there might be a Thing against other bots having life partners in general. Or sentinel might just be the dick in the room and it's rare rare to hate on others having romantic relationships on Cybertron)

I don't think they'd have existing slurs for organic x mech relationships as it's just That Plain Old Unfamiliar, but I can see mecha getting nasty about it. Especially given how common anti organic sentiments are in various continuities

Cybertronians 200% have mental health conditions, we see it in a decent amount of continuities (whether it's meant to be a ✨character quirk✨ or they actually want to talk about mental health or if it's The Latest Haha Joke; Please Laugh™️ /s)

How they treat them seems to vary across continuity because I think they just... Don't in some continuities, and that never goes down well. At least in IDW we can tell there's a focus in psychology and these guys have at least one competent therapist. But in IDW there are Many Horrors and it's very willing to show us them.

We know in Aligned there was a caste system before the war, which went not well. We see in IDW there's Functionism which dictates social class by altmode. In tfa there's Whatever The Fuck Is Going On with civilian frames v Warframes. The role of Prime is usually a big deal (though it's superseded by Magnus in tfa) (the matrix of leadership is often involved, but not always). Though everything usually goes to shit once the war starts

We don't know enough about Knightverse to fully place Optimus's origins (iicr), but he just seems a lot younger and less big of a deal than some other iterations of him so I have a few ideas what he Wasn't

I can definitely consult tfwiki for more specifics on Knightverse lore

[the-derpy-duck]

The TFA universe is a fucking nightmare and I wish people would actually talk about it. Long rant incoming.

Don’t expect good spelling or grammar I’m sorry

Like the show didn’t even care enough to address how fucked everything was. Like all the little baby robots just don’t have names until they go through the military/boot camp, which doesn’t make a lot of sense as the whole point of basic training/boot camp is taking away one’s identity and individualization aka what a lot of cults and extremist groups will do to get people to go along with whatever they want them to, as it’s a lot easier for group think to occur when there is a group. The whole “small cog in a bigger machine” bullshit speech is literally just that but dressed up to look and sound pretty (propaganda). But half of the names given at the boot camp are insults and that’s really fucked up. And it’s almost implied that the other transformers recognize Bulkhead and Bumblebee’s names as being insulting in nature because when Sari introduces herself to Bumblebee it sort of goes like this:

“My name is Bumblebee” “I’m Sari” “Oh don’t be, I like my name.”

But that would also imply that the show was thinking about acknowledging how messed up its own world is and I don’t really think it is. I think that’s a joke, was meant to be taken as a joke, but could be read into as world building or something.

It’s been a hot second sense I’ve rewatched season three of tfa but from what I remember, Ultra Magnus was sort of a dictator? Like I know that there is some form of election, but the main way anything gets done is through the council of primes and in TFA it is established that “prime” is a military rank, and those who advanced to “prime” have to be approved by the council, which Ultra Magnus is the head of. He doesn’t have full dictation over it (he wanted OP to not be horribly punished) but he does have a sizable amount of control (op was still given a job and got to keep his rank). The election cycles are nonexistent as the only time anyone thinks of trying to replace Ultra Magnus is when he is on his death bed. So is it like the Supreme Court? The people technically elect a leader but the council that would decide on important laws and if they are constitutional is chosen by the leader, not the people, can serve until they die, and can do fuck all and no one will challenge them because they have the final say on the law? For a thing like economics or the Supreme Court it would make sense to have these be not elected officials for the sole purpose of “they wouldn’t be pressured by potentially not being re-elected and so they would be able to do their jobs without worrying if it would please the people.” A lot of things done to fix and adjust the economy will look really bad at first but it ultimately serves to balance everything. But the people in charge of the FED and other economic shit also don’t serve until they die. Long tangent to say, not a lot of democracy in this word.

The only way to gain power in cybertron seems to be to either join the military or do a hyper specific job. Also how long has ultra Magnus been the leader? Was no one ever unhappy with how he lead? Sentinel Prime was but that was seen as a bit of a taboo. Also Sentinel’s Cybertron immediately turning into an Orwellian styled red scare nightmare was a choice. Establishing curfews during a time of potential war where the planet/country/city could easily be targeted for an attack isn’t in itself unreasonable. It’s immediately taken to 11 but the general idea of curfews makes sense. As well as reporting potential spys for the main reason that spy’s had been proven to have infiltrated the prime counsel thing. It goes to fear mongering almost instantly but the general idea isn’t bad.

Im interested to know how Ultra Magnus would have handled the situation because the show just sort of is neutral about him. He’s just there most of the time and tells OP not to try and be a hero. I want to know if he would have done something similar to Sentinel and I want to know if the show would address it. Because the general difference between UM and SP is that UM is better at hiding how much he manipulates power. He’s still a dictator even if he isn’t an antagonist force. He’s not a benevolent dictator because dictators, by definition, cannot be benevolent. If they were truly benevolent then the people would get a choice in the world that they live in.

All this to say, “dictator bad”

ALSO is there no trial system? Wasp just was sent to prison and they didn’t think to look into any of the evidence? Did no one think to maybe investigate the people who would have had the codes or spare keys for the locker things? Do they just send people into solitary confinement without any sort of hearing or evidence or was Wasp just waiting for his court date? Why does Optimus want Bumblebee to apologize to the guy who clearly doesn’t want to speak to him? He literally watched Bumblebee give an apology and a reasonable explanation for his actions. He wasn’t making excuses he was manipulated by a person who he thought was his friend and the main reason why he was able to be so easily manipulated was because the person in power was actively antagonist towards him. He did the right thing. He asked a person, who would have known how to make a report, how to make a report. If shockwave wasn’t the person who was in that roll then Wasp probably wouldn’t have been framed. And even if Bumblebees wasn’t the one who found the things in his locker, Sentinel still would have found them because Shockwave planted them. I’m sorry but asking a person how to make a report so you can go around the person who is acting aggressive towards you and holds a significant position of power over you isn’t the same as purposefully ruining someone’s life. Bumblebee was going off of evidence that was 100% circumstantial, biased, and highly questionable, that doesn’t automatically mean that he was trying to frame Wasp. If he had reported that he overheard a spy communicating with the decepticons and had reasons to believe that it might be Wasp, then I would assume that whoever the fuck would do an investigation and either clear Wasp or just arrest him because due process and fair trials is for babies. In which case, it still wouldn’t be the fault of a person who isn’t in control of anything. Blaming Bumblebee for what happened to Wasp is like blaming doctors for how expensive medical treatment is. He trusted the wrong person and that person used his trust against him. The people in power did not think to do an investigation into any of this. And even if the whole Wasp thing was open and shut why wouldn’t they look further into this? Maybe there was other spy’s? Did anyone think about that? No? It also isn’t Bumblebee’s fault that Shockwave got to the position of Prime. The security system and the people in charge of screenings didn’t pick up on the fact that there was a spy. That is not the fault of a random cadet who trusted someone. Shockwave’s actions and the people who died because of them are the fault of Shockwave. Bumblebee’s fuck up did help him not get caught, but it was also the closet we see to him being caught before he becomes a prime. If the people in the TFA world weren’t so fucking stupid then this wouldn’t of happened because maybe this hyper advanced world would have fucking security cameras. If they can figure out how to bend time and space then I think they can figure out how to install things that would record a conversation.

WAIT- doesn’t Bumblebee use something similar to that to figure out the decepticons plans and relay it back to earth? And they have computers that have screens so why don’t they have cameras installed?

Anyway, Wasp blaming Bumblebee makes sense. It makes sense that he is angry at him and it makes sense that he wouldn’t forgive him. That’s not the issue I have with this the issue is that OP also blames Bumblebee. Which I guess would also make sense as animated Optimus seems to be deeply rooted in the military and is a string supported of Ultra Magnus. It is stated in the first episode that he watches propaganda and repeats the military speech about being one big machine. He lies to save his friend and he sucks for that because his friend abuses his power whenever he gets the chance to and he knows this. Optimus lying for Sentinel is much more  egregious to me than what Bumblebee does because Bumblebee didn’t know that Longarm was a spy. I understand why Optimus would lie for Sentinel, he is a loyal friend and he definitely did blame himself for what happened. That doesn’t change the fact that he KNOWINGLY let a person who he knew to be irresponsible and who got others into dangerous situations into a position of power. I think Ultra Magnus knew that Optimus was lying and like- why are you people like this?

Bumblebee could have been called out for so many different things that he actually did. Like is he a bad friend? Yes. He treats Bulkhead badly, most of there interactions are just him insulting Bulkhead and Bulkhead never insults him back. If they both were insulting each other then I wouldn’t really have an issue but most of the time they are seen together it’s just Bumblebee being an asshole. He’s willing to abandon his team and objective to chase down Blurr, he doesn’t listen when people tell him not to do something and it often leads to problems. There are reasonable things to call Bumblebee out on but the Wasp thing doesn’t make sense. If Optimus wanted to address Bumblebee never taking responsibility for his own actions, then why not do that when a consequence is the result of Bumblebee’s actions in a meaningful way. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn’t know how to make a report so he asked. This is one of the only times that Bumblebee stops to think and consider his options, he could have immediately began spying on Wasp and the other cadets but he didn’t. He wanted to pass it off to the right people who would be able to handle it.

Animated OP frustrates me because I come so close to liking him and then he does something that personally annoys the hell out of me. I get why he would lie for his friend who was manipulative and generally awful towards him but its still just like— you have seen the consequences of his actions. This is no longer just hurting you or him, it has maybe killed a person and he has not changed. Optimus thinks he can change but he has an obligation to not let him hurt anymore people and he just needs to tell the truth. It’s really hard to leave friends behind, I know that. Even when they hurt you and actively make your life worse it is still extremely difficult to let that relationship go. I appreciate how Optimus has issues in that regard. But it’s gotten to a point where Sentinel’s poor judgment and refusal to listen to others puts himself and others in danger. Optimus gave him the opportunity to continue to cause harm to others, and he really wants to sit here and say that Bumblebee was making excuses when he just wasn’t? And he never and would never be called out on this.

One last thing, Ultra Magnus and the rest of the high command clearly don’t give a shit about the cybertronians who were fighting (they were so willing to just kill Arcee for the activation code) in the war and also don’t ever try to investigate any issue further. Potential spy? Eh sure throw him into solitary confinement. One of our top cadets went missing and might have died but no body has been recovered? Well fuck, gotta just say she died and not look into it to make sure there wasn’t any malpractice.

So in conclusion:

The name thing both doesn’t make sense and makes too much sense

Ultra Magnus is kind of a dictator kind of not a dictator

Optimus prime spew’s military bullshit and propaganda and no one cares

Wasp is a dick, didn’t deserve what happened to him

Bumblebee is an asshole, he still didn’t try to ruin a persons life.

No one cares about investigating serious crimes and accusations

[krinsbez]

BattleTech+Transformers, Worldbuilding/Storybuilding, hopefully Collaborative

OK, so the lack of response to Battletech+Pern is worrisome, since it got more votes, but I’m gonna try anyways. Hopefully the fact that I’ve got more material will make the difference.

So, before I get into story details, for purposes of the story, I needed TFs to be able to wreck ‘Mechs. My justification is that they’re the product of vastly more advanced technology that sometimes crosses the line into Clarke-tech. More specifically, while TFs are stronger and more durable than a Mech of comparable size and weight, the difference isn’t that great and most Mechs are bigger than most TFs, and also there are a lot more Mechs thatn TFs. However, TFs are vastly faster and more agile (not having to worry about carrying a squishy organic inside helps), their more efficient energy systems mean they don’t overheat, storage dimensions not only allow for size-changing but also means they can store more ammo and don’t have to worry about said ammo exploding, etc. In addition, TF weapons tend to pack more punch, and also frequently have all sorts of exotic effects (glass gas, null rays, etc. etc.), many TFs have what amounts to superpowers (invisibility, duplication, Combining, etc), loads of them can fly, and of course they can Transform, which enhances their existing their mobility advantage, allows for surprise attacks, and also means they can store more weaponry in their frame since they can transform one weapon into another. In addition to the TFs themselves, they have better HPG and KF-drives (of course, they don’t call their drives that, but for our purposes we’re saying Transformers that’s what they use), and they also have SpaceBridges (this is Battletech, gotta use CamelCase! Which means we’re calling them AutoBots and DeceptiCons).

OK, story stuff. I usually like to imagine the Great War as a stalemate, but here I’m going to say that, mostly because Sentinel Prime was not good at war, by the time Optimus became Prime, the Cons had an overwhelming advantage, and Optimus was eventually forced to go into hiding, allowing the Cons to think the Bots were defeated. This is not the case, and he’s been honing them into a lean, mean Con-fighting machine, but they don't have the numbers to win in a straight-up fight and so are biding their time waiting for the right moment. Meanwhile, the Cons have been rampaging through the galaxy, conquering everything in sight. This has actually been fairly bad for them, as the brutal way they go about things means that their conquests tend to be either too wrecked to be much use (dead worlds don’t produce a lot of Energon) or are hotbeds of insurgency. Or were hotbeds of insurgency and then were wrecked. However,, between their poisonous ideology and the training and tactics Megatron used to achieve those initial overwhelming victories against Sentinel, the Cons have developed a toxic culture where even those who aren’t sadists or bloodthirsty maniacs or sadistic bloodthirsty maniacs are peer-pressured into acting as if they crave constant ultraviolence. And since no one’s been able to give them a good straight-up fight in ages, they inevitably end up fighting each other. Meanwhile, although Megatron is a powerful and skilled warrior, a brilliant tactician, and a charismatic master of demagoguery, he is absolute SCRAP as a leader, who gets his way through bullying and intimidation, so that the higher-ups are constantly intriguing against backstabbing each other. All of this has led to a massive drop in morale and a near-total collapse of discipline.

Which is why the Inner Sphere is a godsend. Megatron can’t take any aliens seriously as threats for ideological reasons, especially ones that are both squishy AND stubby, but Mechs mean that they can give his warriors a good enough fight to maybe whip them back into shape and give him a plausible way of getting rid of some of the particularly troublesome ones. And it’s big and populated enough that the Cons will be able to slaughter to their heart’s content and still have a sizable population of slave labor afterwards. So, for decades, the Cons have been infiltrating the IS, gathering intelligence; mostly about what targets should NOT be wrecked because again, Megatron doesn’t really take humans seriously as a potential threat.

And when the day comes (roundabouts 3065-6, late stage FedCom Civil War), the Cons strike like lightning, attacking every sector at once, crushing all opposition with superior technology and the element of surprise. This no doubt sounds familiar, but unlike the Clans before them, the Cons have no concern about honor or preserving civilian lives. The opposite, in fact. As they assault world after world, they unleash carnage on a scale not seen since the First Succession War, proudly broadcasting their atrocities for all to see.  In addition, while the Clans were restricted to a relatively small wedge of an invasion corridor, the Cons can SpaceBridge themselves anywhere in the Inner Sphere, not to mention the long-hidden spies revealing themselves and wreaking havoc. Megatron is well aware that the Inner Sphere is too big for his forces to maintain a blitzkrieg for very long, even with their numbers enhanced by mass-produced VehiCons and Drones, but he figures on terrifying the locals into submission before things reach that point.

And his plan is working. Until the AutoBots intervene, showing up on world after world to reinforce the beleaguered defenders and turn back DeceptiCon attacks, giving the people of the Inner Sphere some breathing room and showing that the invaders are not invincible. And then Optimus Prime contacts the leaders of every major faction, and offers an alliance…OK, so I am not quite sure where things go from there, but what I envision is not just the ‘Cons being driven from the Inner Sphere and a return to status quo antebellum. I imagine the AutoBots joining the Second Star League and proving to be the secret sauce that makes it work the way it was promised. I’m figuring on Optimus being declared First Lord on a permanent basis and leading the new SLDF on a crusade to liberate all the worlds Megatron has conquered, including Cybertron, ultimately raising the banner of the Star League above Darkmount itself. I admit to not being clear on how to get there, though.

I do have various fragments of ideas for things, but as I am not really familiar with the characters of BT, I don’t quite know how to make them all gel together, and I worry some of my ideas won’t work. Anyways, in no particular order, some of these (I reserve the right to post more).

-The Cons will be converting captured Mech factories into making Drones, the Bots will be sharing tech that enables the creations of…I’m tentatively calling them CyberMechs or AutoMechs, and there will be enough BattleMechs being given Sparks to create at least one team each of BattleCons and MechBots. No idea on details.

-During the period when the ‘Con blitzkrieg seemed unstoppable, Sun-Tzu Liao got…some kind of offer from Swindle, which being something of a weasel and also rather desperate, he agrees to. Not sure of the specifics, but the fact that he technically betrayed humanity is eventually used as a lever to get him to agree to the Prime Lord thing.

-After reluctantly agreeing to call a truce with her brother, and to ally with the AutoBots, Mad Kat, like everyone else allied to the Bots, is given intel on the ‘Con leadership and because she’s Mad Kat, decides to approach Starscream, offering to help him take out Megatron so he can rule the DeceptiCons and she can rule the Inner Sphere. Predictably, this eventually blows up in her face.

-I was initial thinking that Optimus sends a high-ranking ‘Bot to every major faction leader (not sure who gets sent to whom) inviting them to a meeting somewhere to discuss forming an alliance against the Cons, etc. Not sure who gets sent where, or where the meeting should take place. I considered the idea of having the meeting held via telepresence somehow, but I want to have the Steiner-Davions in the same room, and also Vlad Ward and Phelan Kell and etc., cuz I think it would be interesting.

-Thought; both sets of Wolves join the anti-Decepticon coalition, and the feuding between them causes friction. Eventually, Grimlock bullies them into agreeing to settle it via a Trial between Phelan and Vlad. The winning side earns the right to be Clan Wolf, the losers ultimately end up becoming Clan DinoBot. No idea who should win or if this is any way plausible.

-Speaking of Clanners, some of the Homeworld Clans are reluctant to join the fight, even though protecting the Inner Sphere from outside threats is theoretically why the Clans exist. So, Ultra Magnus (I’m thinking something akin to the Transformers Prime version as voiced by Michael Ironside, although I’m imagining him having something like the Magnus Hammer from Transformers Animated) challenges their Khans and saKhans to a Batchall, offering his body for their Scientists to dissect as a prize if they win. If he wins…I’m not sure if they have to just help fight the Con, fully join the Second Star League, or accept Autobot command. Regardless he wins quite handily. Not sure who he has to fight, either.

-At some point, HeadMaster (and TargetMaster, and PowerMaster) tech is invented. If anyone has ideas for who should volunteer for which and be binary-bonded with whom, I’m all ears, though I do have a generic idea. To wit, at this point the ComStar schism has happened but the Wobbies haven’t lost their shit and started doing all the atrocities. I’m imagining that, given their technophilia, a lot of them agree to be binary bonded, and enough AutoBot ideology bleeds through from their partners that it causes a schism within the WoB, with a bunch of them seeing Optimus as a messianic figure and turning on the others, so the whole organization is quietly purged of its most batshit and/or evil elements and ends up on the side of the angels, albeit coming there from a weird angle. Also, means another faction stumping for the Prime Lord plan.

-Note that some of the bigger Bots and Cons will be becoming DropShips. Or at least, they will look like DropShips; they are actually Jump-capable, and possibly also some of the ones that become ASFs. Metroplex and Trypticon will become WarShips; I envision the Ark and Nemesis as also being WarShips. Possibly also the Axalon and DarkSyde.

-I think this is pretty much it that I can remember. Thanks to the guys at Spacebattles who helped me work a lot of this stuff out before they got bored with the idea. Any questions or suggestions anyone and everyone has are welcome, though I can’t promise to use ‘em.

[murahel]

I shall try to articulate my thoughts on Soundwave (ending, at least) after reading the 2005 IDW issues he was in. More specifically, the whole "believer" thing with Optimus Prime.

So, from what I've read, Soundwave doesn't strike me as the most important character of the whole continuity. Like, you've got Megatron changing sides, Shockwave's time-travelling, Starscream becomes Cybertron's ruler (*shocked*). Soundwave's just tryna do his thing with the True Decepticon WayTM, peace and all when there's no one else (of the commanding Decepticons) left.

Then he gets blackmailed by Optimus (damn bro seriously) and has to follow him into battle and then he sees him rise a Titan with just a word. (Also the whole thing where he reads a human's mind and finally sees them as equals? Looked a lot more solemn on Pinterest but I'm glad I still read it myself.)

And from this point, to me, Optimus and Soundwave have the same goal. Soundwave always believed and wanted all Cybertronians to be equals, and now he thinks so of all sentient lifeforms. Like Optimus.

You know the Autobots give me "yeah that'd be neat" vibes when they talk about equality (although I may not have read enough issues about them). They're like that cuz they're good guys, you know? They follow Optimus cuz sure, he's the Prime, he's the Autobot leader, but he's also their friend. Soundwave feels more like a vow.

And I think it's interesting he's the only one with Prime against Sentinel Prime (or whoever that truly was in the end in White Heat), even if I'm sure Sentinel was like "nope nope Arcee nope don't want to die". Sentinel calls Soundwave "a believer" (true believer? It's only been 12h and I'm already forgetting things) and just. He's a Decepticon. They've been at each other's throat for millenias. We're not talking about a goody-two-shoes Autobot who's always been on Optimus' side, or any bot who's not aligned. Soundwave wants the Prime title out the window in his quest of equality, and there he is a believer. A believer in the one true Prime.

And in the end sure, there are lots of bots who bring Optimus to defeat Unicron, Arcee first. Alive and dead ones. But I can't get over the fact that it's the faith of Soundwave that gave him the last boost he needed.

Idk I just think he's neat.

BUT OH MY GOD WHY DOES HE KEEP DYING—

[lord-squiggletits]

Another funny thing about weird Decepticon stans trying to pretend that the Autobots were just as bad as them is that, in IDW1, the Autobots literally did not exist until Orion Pax stormed the Senate and delivered a speech claiming "Autobot" as a new label to mean "autonomous." Whereas all of the colonization during the Golden Age happened during Nova Prime's time a couple million years prior.

And during the war, the Decepticons were literally cyberforming planets they killed and had established something called the Interstellar Constellate at some point. And Megatron said in Chaos Theory that his plan for his Decepticon empire if/when he defeated the Autobots was to rebuild and cyberform planets to create a Decepticon empire where mechanical beings reign supreme.

Like, the BEST ARGUMENT you can make is that since Optimus is a Prime, he technically inherits the problematic nature of the Primacy's history of colonization, but I think that even that argument is pretty thin considering that Optimus was always pro-organic to the point of valuing their lives equally to Cybertronians, which is something that even a lot of Autobots fail to do. Compared to other members of his species, Optimus is literally a radical in terms of his stance that organic life = Cybertronian life, but go off I guess lmao.

You can even see that during the time of Sentinel's Senate, there was an engraving on the wall that said "freedom is the right of all civilized beings", showing that Optimus at some point took that phrase and changed it to underline the fact that freedom is a universal right for ALL beings.

Also, again for IDW1 specifically, a lot of anti-Optimus people clearly don't even know the timeline of events in that story. OP spent a good chunk of the story working against the Senate with things like

Storming the Senate on Megatron's behalf to deliver an angry speech against government corruption

Working with Senator Shockwave undercover to investigate Proteus being suspicious, uncovering a conspiracy to frame the Decepticons for a terrorist attack, and risking his team to prevent it

Going on the run and doing secret operations like saving hotspots from being attacked by Sentinel's forces

(For bonus points, he even saved Drift from dying either by drug overdose or being beaten to death by some thugs and called an emergency transport for him to Ratchet's clinic)

The regime change happens because Sentinel Prime is killed BY MEGATRON who at that point had already become a gladiator criminal underworld. By the time Orion is back in Iacon acting as Zeta's head of security/general/etc, Megatron is already well on the path of corruption and senseless violence doing things like arranging illegal weapon trafficking (shown in Optimus Prime) and forcing Rumble and Frenzy to get frame reformats to fit Megatron's tactical needs (Megatron Origin). Apparently Optimus doesn't deserve to have facts about his backstory and difficult contexts around his decisions be observed by this fandom though lmao.

If you take IDW1 out of context and go "OP worked for the regime!" then yeah of course it looks bad, and yes he did do that. But a lot of people also neglect to mention 1. the anti-government actions he DID take 2. the fact that by the time OP started fighting against Megatron, he had already become super evil and 3. because Megatron was super evil, Orion couldn't just desert Zeta's government and be like, "oh yeah I'll totally be able to talk Megatron out of doing terrorism and violence just on my own" especially since in this continuity they barely fuckin' knew each other before OP became a Prime. There's so much shit around OP being a cop and the ways he did or didn't succeed in trying to change the planet for the better, but none of that is addressed when people just go "oh he's a cop and the Autobots are colonizers" like ????? Stop it.

Stop taking this shit out of context and stop cherrypicking evidence to make one side look good and the other side look bad lmao.

[robby-bobby-tommy]

So I've finished Transformers: Exodus and, for God's sake, I adore this book. It was really interesting and surprisingly thoughtful, cuz it brought up a lot of hard and heavy themes.

And now I really want to share one of my personal favorite moments of all book and discuss its themes.

But, before I begin I am obligated to warn you about spoilers. If you want to read TF:Exodus absolutely don't read my post. Ok? Good. So, once again, brace yourself for a scene analysis! Also, this is all my opinion, I might be wrong.

Now, the scene I talk about is battle between Sentinel Prime and Megatron. I'll let you read it before I continue on what I love about it.

Now, remember me praising this book for bringing up heavy themes? Yeah, this is an apogee of that statement. Like this one scene makes us question so much and makes us wonder who is right. Yet the best part is that it's no one IMO.

So, the first big question, that came to my mind reading this was who should I root for?

Now, from watching TFP and other Transformers media we all expect Decepticons be bad and every Autobot/bot who supports their cause to be automatically a good character. Yet TF:Exodus absolutely changes the narrative. Sentinel Prime isn't in any capacity a good person. He is the one who proposed and made to life the caste system, the one who made millions upon millions bots suffer just because they could transform into certain thing, the one who gave D-16 the reason to became Megatronus. (Let me clarify something. D-16, Megatronus and Megatron are all the same person, yet I'm inclined using this separation for clearance of speech. D-16 is a slave, Megatronus is a gladiator/revolutioner and Megatron is a tyrant/dictator. Though it isn't really true, since Megatron quickly changed his name, but I feel it'll be easier to comprehend what point of character ideology I'm talking about). Thousands of bots were living their long life in the mines, in the pits of polluted cities just because they were born with a specific transformation. He reaped what all this unfortunate, unnamed bots sow. Sentinel Prime is the person who is responsible for deaths and, even more terrible, lifes millions of bots had. Honestly, I don't remember why he decided that caste system was a good idea, but in grand scheme of things it doesn't matter. Let's be frank, SP had time to change the system, yet never did. Why? Because it directly benefited him. Why change something if it makes your life better at the cost of unnamed, distant slaves that you can ignore?

Yet I can't find myself rooting for Megatron. And this is a question, that was brought up by the book and for which I have no answer.

When the reasonable sacrifice becomes unstoppable massacre?

Now, revolution isn't something that usually ends up with no victims. As Megatronus states nothing was changing while him and Orion discussed the problem. The higher class wouldn't do anything if they were asked nicely, which we can clearly see in the books. So to make themselves heard, gladiators decided to do terrorist attacks, which is while understandable, yet directly contradicting to their own ideology (we'll get to it later). But, when is this enough? This question is indirectly asked by Sentinel Prime. Are the deaths of Bumper and Fastback were necessary? Now, I'm not sure that I, at least for now, possess any means on discussing this kind of question. And this is what I like! It isn't just yes or no, good or bad. We want to hate Sentinel Prime and be on Megatronus' side, but it isn't that easy. Because it's not Megatronus anymore. It isn't this idealistic bot, who only wants freedom for himself and his people. No, Megatronus is long gone. And now there's someone new. Megatron. Now, while I can't discuss necessity of deaths of other persons, since I consider myself unprepared for this kind of talks, I can point out the moment when I think revolution became Megatron's secondary mission.

No, I'm not talking about scene where Orion became Prime, though it is really important. I'm talking about the brief moment when he torn out Bumblebee's voice box.

Was it necessary? Probably yes, since Bee was an enemy's spy. Yet what makes it a very important scene is that in this particular moment, Megatron forgets about his own cause. His ideology was about freedom of speech and choice for people like him. So wouldn't it mean that Decepticons should respect a someone's choice becoming an Autobot? But it never happens. I'm not saying that Megatron should've let BB go with praises and a smooch on the forehead. But when the ideology founder doesn't play by his own rules, why would people following him should? And this is why I love this book and this moment. Guys, I'm not saying I've read much and maybe I just have very low standards, yet this is such a good scene! I never thought I'd say it, but the story about space aliens who fight each other, while smoking intergalactic crack is one of the most realistic stuff I've ever seen! Megatron's idea was brilliant yet the execution and envy destroyed everything good. Megatron was right at first, but when he stopped caring for his own people that's when it all went downhill. And this scene just keeps getting better. Call me slowpoke (cuz this is what I am), but writing this made me realize about what delusion OP talked about in TFP and about what SP was talking about in this moment. Megatron is no revolutionary anymore. He is a tyrant. He long forgot about his cause, the only thing he cares about now is getting back at Optimus. His delusions make him think he's doing the right thing for a good cause, yet he never fully understands that he becomes something he has sworn to destroy. Now he is ignoring his people, sending them to endlessly and pointlessly die on the battlefield or by his own hands just for disobeying his orders. Megatron couldn't care less about the caste system he had already wiped out of existence. The envy, the pain and the "betrayal" got to his head, twisting his mind and even driving him crazy. And people tend to find an excuse for their own wrongdoings, so they can feel better about themselves. Megatronus' idea became Megatron's excuse.

And this is so deep and so realistic. I love how Alex Irvine approached Megatronus' fall and Megatron's rise, our necessity for choosing the lesser evil out of two morally questionable ideologies. And giving us the opportunity to decide for ourselves.

I hope you now understand why I adore this scene so much😉

[fuckyeahtransformersfanfic]

MOD'S SPECIAL FAVORITES FRIDAY

I made this blog purely to help spread love for Transformers fanfics specifically. I will start with my special favorites.

💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠💠

The Cop and the Cryptid by ckret (@ckret2)

Prowl: the rational skeptic with a history in crime scene investigation. Mesothulas: the wide-eyed believer who's mastered—or at least dabbled in—every field of science under the sun. Together, they're Iacon's leading paranormal investigators. … With a few twists.

Twist #1: Both are stone cold skeptics, with Mesothulas only playing the believer for their clients—allowing them to become wildly successful as paranormal debunkers. Twist #2: They don't quite disbelieve in everything; they both know more than they'd let on about the Iaconian Spindleback, a local cryptid with an eight-legged alt-mode. Twist #3: They're about to learn that there are more true paranormal things on Cybertron than just the Spindleback.

TaraProwl | IDW1 | T+ | Complete | 100k+ | 11/11

Nor Is He Early by ObliqueVion

A Prime is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to… give or take that one small paracausal nudge.

Or, that time the Matrix got impatient and stole a truck...

Gen | Continuity Soup; Main G1 | M | Ongoing | 250k+ | 103/200

100 chapters of pure, all natural:

✔️ Optimus Prime being iconically wholesome

✔️ Cybertron being an exotic mechanical wonderland

✔️ Mystery, adventure, and intrigue

✔️ Not so much a slow burn as a long fuse

❌ Civil war

The Brave Shall Heed The Call by MlleMusketeer

Defeated and dragged back to the world he called home in chains, Megatron can do no more than endure. A rescue from Cybertron itself is almost impossible; he is forced to face the possibility that the Decepticon cause is lost, and that he will end his days as an Autobot experimental subject.

Optimus's hero's welcome is shortlived. Deemed too radical and ousted from the position of Magnus on a technicality, he struggles to keep those he cares about safe from the Council's manipulations and Sentinel Prime's ambition, a struggle that will cost him more than he believed possible.

General Strika contemplates a future without her leader, and finds it bleak. If the General of Destruction is to pull the Decepticon Cause's skidplate out of the scrappile, she's going to have to do a lot of thinking outside the box.

Ratchet learns the true uses to which his research has been put, and begins to wonder if the Decepticons had the right idea. When the extents to which Optimus has been forced come to light, Ratchet makes the decision that might save them all or damn him further.

MegOP, RatchStrika, SentinelOP, ShockBlurr | TFA | E | Complete | 150k+ | 80/80

TW: Graphic Depections of Violence, Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Abusive Relationship (SentOP)

All the World by PARNEL

An accident reveals the female Autobots' existence three million years too early, and has dire consequences.

(A G1-ish take on Shockblurr, with Blurr and Wheelie inserted into Elita's team on Cybertron.)

ShockBlurr | G1 | E | Ongoing | 80k+ | 15/?

The Rule of Order (and Attraction) by Languidly

Rodimus had successfully dodged this third attempt of Magnus’ to make him review and sign off on a proper maintenance schedule; the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord had lost his captain somewhere between the third storage room and the oil reservoir. But Magnus could persevere. He could persevere until ignoring his good influence became a futility.

RodiMags | IDW1 | G | Complete | 5k | 3/3

Baptism By Fire by EatYourSparkOut (@eatyoursparkout)

When a routine exploratory mission becomes a matter of survival, Getaway has to confront the idea that maybe animosity isn't the only thing he feels towards Rodimus.

Rodimus/Getaway | IDW1 | E | Complete | 20k+ | 7/7

A Calm Rarely Savored by Carmilla DeWinter

Starscream is ordered to seduce Optimus Prime to infect the Autobot leader with a virus. This leads to the discovery that they both don't do attraction in a way others expect. Starscream is intrigued.

StarOP, Minor JazzProwl | G1 | M | 40k | 12/12

TW: Specifics in Story Tags

[transfemstarscream]

i think there’s a spectrum of transformers material regarding chemistry and intimacy between the characters.

one end of the spectrum is material where characters exist to fight, to shoot, and to fight and shoot at each other; there is no depth to these characters’ interactions beyond whether they choose to defeat or be defeated. their personalities may be on display, but not towards each other. if one shoots the other, they’re reacting to what shot them, not who shot them. none of the characters hesitate to shoot at their teammates. death is not personal, but a regularity. you could replace either character with an unrelated character, and it’d have the same depth. there is no chemistry or intimacy between the characters.

the other end of the spectrum is material where the characters are treated as people first; there is much depth in their interactions with each other, which serves to develop them as people. their personalities either flow or clash, giving us an idea of how they feel about each other. reactions to the person causing them pain ranges from anger, dread, misery, and even outright confusion. death is very personal, with some never even moving on throughout the rest of story. who these characters are matters in the context of their interaction; they cannot be swapped out with another. there is chemistry and intimacy between the characters.

the ends of the spectrum may be displayed in different ways throughout the wide range of transformers material to go through, but they often fit the bill. take the majority of the dreamwave comics: these characters do not talk to each other but at each other, almost every page is dedicated to a physical fight between characters, things happen but do not develop, and the characters treat each relationship as interchangeable. there is no genuine intimacy, chemistry, or even hospitality between these characters—not even within the good guys. bayverse is another example, where more time is dedicated to ensure the characters look interesting rather than are interesting. death is impersonal in these. you can argue this impacts even recent beloved installments, even if to a lesser degree (i.e. animated not letting sentinel and optimus truly have a intimate interaction, and one that is also not forgotten by next time).

then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum, which i feel is not as pravalent as many people think despite efforts being made within the franchise to tell enriching stories. this is where the characters are the story; there is much depth, complexity and intimacy between these characters to be explored. take what i think is indisputably the prime example of this: beast wars. characters talk and interact with each other differently depending on who they are, how they feel about each other, and what they know about the other; the conflict is spread out between the characters interacting with each other, from battle plans to new threats to what they discovered from an exploration; things are placed onto the characters, and develop with them into a more complex situation (i.e. primal is mind controlled -> the others are scared, as is primal himself -> tensions arise as the maximals all have different plans to fix this, including primal himself); all the characters have different, varying relationships with each other dependent on specific interactions and circumstances. there is so much chemistry and intimacy on display, not just emotionally but physically as well; characters hold hands, embrace, and even cry over each other. the question is not “what will the story do next?” but “what will the characters do next?”

this is much harder to write, because it requires characters to matter in the stories being told. it requires characters to be specific, not generic. you can replace a lot of characters in the bayverse movies with each other and nothing changes, because the story is not specific to them; you cannot replace dinobot in code of hero, because that is a story specific to dinobot.

the characters are the most important, arguably more important than the story. good characters can save a bad story, but a good story cannot save bad characters because a good story with bad characters simply doesn’t exist. i think that’s why the quality of transformers installations comes down to the characters; specific characters can save a generic story, but a specific story with generic characters doesn’t exist and if it does, it’s not good. the more intimate and complex the characters and their interactions are, the more interesting any piece of material is.

tl;dr transformers is at its best when the characters are interesting, specific and intimate.

[alaffy]

X-Men ’97. Ep. 1x05 (Pt. 2 of 2, Spoilers)

As was mentioned in my last X-Men ’97 post, so much happens during episode 5 that I decided to split the episode into two parts.  This post will deal with the Gala and the aftermath.  There will also be spoilers for a couple of future episodes as well (specifically episodes 8 and 10). 

So, yeah, Gala.  Big party.  And the faint image of The Watcher in the sky.  Well, we’re clearly in for some shit.

We have a nice moment with Gambit and Madelyne, which almost makes you wonder if something is about to happen between those two.  Meanwhile, Val Cooper is not happy to learn that Magneto is going to become leader of Genosha.  Of course, this leads to one of the best lines in the season (Actually, there quite a few in this episode). 

Val Cooper:  Most other nations don’t allow a terrorist to be their leader.

Magneto:  Yet so many allow their leaders to be terrorists. 

At this point, Emma (or Sabastain, can’t remember) steps in and says that an X-Man will co-rule with him.  At which point Rouge enters the Gala, as “Happy Nation” plays…which, good Lord.  Magneto and Rouge start to dance and Gambit leaves the party.  The dancing becomes more intimate (to the point where it seems like people watching started questioning exactly what was the rating of this episode).  At the end, Rouge kisses Magneto and tells him she can’t be his Queen.  Basically, Rouge realized that, while it is nice to be around someone who can physically touch her, that can’t be the only reason to be in a relationship.  And, yeah, she's attracted to Magneto; but she loves Gambit.

At this same time, Madelyne has the same psychic attack that Jean had earlier in the episode.  She goes outside to clear her mind and sees odd balls of green energy in the distance.  Suddenly, she sees Cable running towards her.  He’s trying to stop the Gala and get everyone to run.  However, his computer suddenly starts to pull him out of this time.  But not before Madelyne looks into Cable’s eyes and realizes that he’s Nathan. 

And then all hell breaks loose.  The party is attacked.  It seems that Madelyne is killed in this moment.  Magneto and Rouge are blasted out of the building.  When they come to, they see destruction everywhere and a multiheaded Sentinel (in might be a new version of Mastermold, but I don’t think  it was ever referred to as such) destroying everything and deploying Sentinels.  Rouge and Magneto watch as Banshee is killed (along with the mutant Marrow).  It looks like Rouge and Magneto are next, but Nightcrawler manages to teleport them away, but not before he’s injured.

At first, Rouge is afraid he might be dead, but she can’t touch him to find out.  Fortunately, Nightcrawler transported them to Gambit.  Gambit checks on Nightcrawler.  He’s injured and unconscious, but will be ok.  There’s a lot that aren’t.  We see the dead bodies of Sabastian Shaw, Dazzler, Moira McTaggart (I think that's her, it's not a good angle), and watch as Calisto dies (the pupils, dear God, the pupils) .  Gambit says that the Morlocks are trapped.  Magneto comes up with a plan to rescue the Morlocks.

Also, at some point around this moment we see Val trying to get others to safety and we see something coming towards her, making it appear like she’s about to be killed.  Then we cut away.

Anyway, so we have this action moment where Magneto is fighting the Multiheaded Sentinel, while Gambit and Rouge go for the Morlocks.  Gambit is able to get to the Morlocks and start to lead them to safety.

And then it gets so much worse.  Magneto is thrown back into the giant statue of Xavier.  Because Magneto has a shield, he’s fine.  But the blast that knocked him back also knocks over the statue and kills a large group of Mutants (loving the symbolism in this episode). Of course, all of this death and destruction reminds Magneto of the Holocaust.  And Magneto…takes the train off the monorail and uses like a metal whip against the Prime Sentinel, until it blasts Magneto out of the sky.

It's at this point, where Magneto is on the ground and the Morlocks gather around him.  Rouge and Gambit are off to the side.  Magneto uses his powers to protect Rouge and Gambit in a metal cocoon.  He then tries to use his powers to form a shield around the Morlocks.  But he knows that he won’t be able to protect them for long.  And, in German, he tells Leech not to be afraid, just before the Sentinel’s beam breaks through, seemingly killing all of them. 

Rouge breaks out of the cocoon and, in a rage, tries to attack the Prime Sentinel.  Gambit charges the motorcycle he was riding on and uses it to knock Rouge away from the Sentinel’s beam.  But then the beam targets several other mutants.  Gambit charges the Sentinel in order to draw its attention away from the other mutants and is impaled by a cable that the Sentinel shoots out.  But that was a mistake for the Sentinel as it gives Gambit a way to use his powers to charge and blow up the Sentinel. 

Back at the mansion, the X-Men are watching the news about the attack on Genosha.  Trish is reporting and says how the images you see may be disturbing (A BIT LATE FOR THAT WARNING!!).

We go back to Genosha, where Rouge is cradling Gambit’s body.  She can touch him, but she know longer can feel him.

So, yeah, the fact that they killed of Gambit is a shock.  That being said, the teaser at the end of episode 10 shows this isn’t the end of him.  I’m sure there are a lot of people who know the comics and know what they’re planning, but for those who may not know we’ll just leave it at that.

I’ve also seem some people say that they believe that this show is going to have their own “Endgame” Moment.  That the X-Men time traveling in episode 10 will cause the events of Genosha not to happen.  I have my doubts.  With the exception of Moria McTaggart and Gambit, most of the characters that died have maybe been in an episode or two (maybe three or four with the Morlocks).  The point is, they’re characters we recognize but aren’t main characters.  And, again, that whole teaser at the end of episode 10 could point to a way that some of those characters come back without erasing what happened.

The fact is this is a show, at least the original series, where there were several episodes that dealt with the changing of timelines.  Which is why, in episode 8, when Beast talked about events in time that cannot be changed, it seemed to me that that was the writers way of saying that what happened in Genosha will not be retconned. And it shouldn't be retconned. The show has become more mature, don't just wipe away the bad things.         

 Honestly, I think this was the best episode of the season.  Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the season was amazing.  But this is the episode where anyone who still believed, or worried, that this would be the same kids show from the ‘90s knew that wasn’t going to be the case.  And, realistically, there’s no reason why a younger audience would particularly be interested in watching a continuation of a series (unless, of course, they’ve watched the series themselves), so why not allow the show to grow up?

[whataboutvideogames]

The Best Games I Played in 2023

Games I Played in 2023: (in no particular order)

Tears of the Kingdom (finished)

Baldur’s Gate 3 (so many hours but not finished)

Spider-Man 2 (finished)

Wildfrost

Dredge

Chants of Senaar (finished)

Cocoon

Resident Evil 2: Remake (finished Leon’s story)

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 + Phantom Liberty (finished like 4 different times)

Super Mario Wonder

A Short Hike

Death Stranding

Horizon: Forbidden West: Burning Shores (finished)

Metroid Prime: Remastered (finished)

Blasphemous

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (finished)

Diablo IV (finished campaign)

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Marvel’s Midnight Suns (finished)

Ghostrunner

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Axiom Verge 2

Halo Infinite (multiplayer)

Marvel Snap

Top 10 Games I Played in 2023 (regardless of release date)

Tears of the Kingdom

Baldur’s Gate 3

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 + Phantom Liberty

Chants of Senaar

Spider-Man 2

Resident Evil 2: Remake

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Ghostrunner 

Marvel Snap

Tears of the Kingdom What more is there to say? The most I’ve cared about characters and story in a Zelda game since Twilight Princess, which had a leg up on account of me being 15. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 It feels like this is the game everyone acted like Skyrim was back in the day. How can there possibly be this much game in one game without any of it being garbage? With most of it, in fact, being excellent?

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 & Phantom Liberty The Baldur’s Gate 3 of action-RPGs. How are there this many completely branching story endings? How are there this many fun, viable and completely different builds?

Chants of Senaar The kind of game I want everyone, regardless of gaming experience, to play. Simultaneously, a game that feels like it was designed specifically for me.

Spider-Man 2 They done it again. The narrative may not be as strong as the first game’s surprisingly excellent story, but essentially every other aspect has been refined and improved.

Resident Evil 2: Remake Would earn its spot on this list for the implementation of Mr. X alone. Even more so than the unscripted invincible-baddie encounters in RE7 & 8, the fact that he stalks you through the police station you spend most of the game in enhances the experience, as your familiarity with the surroundings becomes a vital tool in escaping him. 

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Extremely cool example of non-linear storytelling. The balance of letting you freely switch whose stories you’re advancing versus gating certain paths until you’ve advanced to certain points is well handled. Also, unlike seemingly most people, I generally enjoyed the mech-strategy combat portions.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns As someone who would love to love XCOM type games, this is the one that finally did it for me. The card/deck system is neat, but I think what really does it is the freedom of movement and the elimination of a lot of XCOM’s punishing randomness. Plus, a Persona-style slice-of-life dating sim game about Marvel characters feels so obvious in hindsight, I can’t understand why it wasn’t done sooner. Or why it wasn’t successful :(

Ghostrunner Look, I loved Cyberpunk 2077, but this game is waaaay cyberpunkier. I love a game that lets you slow down frenetic action to plan out your next move, and that’s almost the whole game here. The main issue is that the amazing combat is broken up by platforming that is fun at times and maddeningly frustrating at others. Excited to try out the sequel sometime.

Marvel Snap I play this game every ding dong day and I’ve never gotten tired of it. It’s simply the best competitive card game out there. The balance between cool individual card mechanics and the simple central mechanic of winning ⅔ lanes is unbeatable. 

[transingthoseformers]

Truth be told, TFA is like the only show other than BW in which Megop is not my top Optimus ship. Instead I ship Optimus/Sentinel. So much drama! Heartbreak! Possible future reconciliation?

Also I totally see Sentinel as a bratty bottom and love the fact that fandom has written two fics in which Optimus fucks Sentinel's head while it wasn't attached. Good stuff.

Wait two

I've read only one of them, and in that one I think Sent begged for it

I think as far as tfa ships, the one I ship the most is MegaStrikNut? Megatron, Strika, and Lugnut?

The general, her consort, and their Lord, and all three of them care deeply about each other even if Megatron denies this.

Though, I do ship tfa Megop a lot (maybe not the breed of tfa Megop that's popular, though? I'm rather specific when it comes to the ship, but I feel like it can go in cool directions)

Mmmnm but tfa MegaShock, because like c'mon look at tfa Shocky. He's a massive simp, and I admire that in a mech.

OpiSent (is there a ship name for those two? OpiSent is my best bet, but SentiOp is also as you suggested a truly interesting option. You can also say it's prime²) like, all the fire and snark in their relationship and the betrayal and the emotion and just. Fun. So much interesting situations.

[erimeows]

How do you think bots and cons would react to their S/O who works in an animal sanctuary (not the same as a zoo, I hate zoos) full of apex predators such as big cats, like lions, tigers, jaguars and others, or any other type of dangerous animal that can very easily hurt, if not kill said S/O, and yet they have clearly bonded to them and are very protective and loyal of them?

Hey, anon! Gonna go ahead and make this a "TFA Characters Reacting To A Reader Who Works With Animals", just so it can be enjoyed by a lot of different people/so it isn't too specific of a request to write! Hope that's alright. Headcanons below the cut; enjoy; <3

Optimus Prime: Optimus LOVES what you do. He loves organic life, loves earth, loves animals and thinks they’re all very neat. Going to some zoos makes him genuinely sad because he sees some of the animals in too-small enclosures and feels bad for them. He supports your line of work and asks about your day all the time and wants to hear about it. Also, please take him to an aquarium, sea life is his favorite.

Ratchet: Ratchet is pretty neutral at first; he isn’t super for or super against animals, but it is an interesting line of work that you seem to have. He’s especially interested in the medical side of it, how the animals’ anatomies work, etc, so he wants you to tell/teach him all about that.

Prowl: Prowl is a nature kind of mech, so when he learns that you work with animals, he’s even more smitten. Him, Bulkhead, and Bee have probably let animals loose from a zoo at least five times. He wants to recruit you in some of these efforts, but you direct him towards volunteering at shelters, donating supplies for animals at different organizations, and doing dog walking/pet-sitting when he wants and has spare time.

Bulkhead: Bulkhead is scared of a lot of animals, but he loves the little ones, as well as the cute and fuzzy ones, so he likes your line of work. Just as long as he doesn’t think it’ll kill him, it’s fine, lol. Take him to a sanctuary or a (good quality) zoo and he’ll be happier than anything, take him to one of those zoos that doesn’t have big enough enclosures for the animals and he’ll cry on the way home. 

Sentinel Prime: Sentinel is terrified of you at first when he learns that you work with animals. You touch those organic things? Like, willingly? Terrifying. Revolting. Horrible... But then you show him pictures and let him watch you do your job from a safe distance, and while the animals aren’t appealing to him and continue to scare him, he’s very in love with the caring, fearless side of you that comes out when you’re doing your job. He doesn’t want to actually visit your animals or touch them or anything, but he’ll listen to you talk about your day and look at all the videos and pictures of your animals that you show him.

Jazz: Jazz thinks animals are cool! Some are a little scary, but still, he likes them. His favorites are the big cats like tigers, lions, cheetahs, etc., so while he knows better than to touch them or try to do anything like that, he loves hearing about your work and going to different places that have animals with you so he can look at them.

Ultra Magnus: Ultra Magnus won’t touch or go near your job, to be honest, but he uses whatever resources he has to get your place of work some really good supplies just to show that he supports you; food, toys, medical equipment, things for enrichment, funds for newer/better enclosures, beds, etc. 

Megatron: Megatron doesn’t like organics or organic animals. You’re the only organic he really likes, but some of the animals are alright to watch, he figures. He likes organic reptiles a lot; snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, etc. He’ll watch those happily and take the chance to drop you off at work in vehicle mode whenever he can, as well as read up on the animals you work with so he can actually talk about work with you.

Blitzwing: Blitzwing’s different personalities all have different opinions on organic animals. Icy maintains a distance but thinks they’re interesting and doesn’t mind looking at or learning about them, Hothead thinks they’re gross and wild and wants nothing to do with them (except for dogs!), and Random absolutely loves them (especially dogs!). Your career and how much you love it rubs off on them, and if they can find one that Blitzwing can physically fit into, they’ll volunteer at an animal shelter occasionally.

Lugnut: Giant animals! He’s not really experienced with organic animals/species, but he would love to interact with them directly. If that’s not possible, he wants to get them food, toys, and other supplies, and watch them when he can. Maybe Megatron wouldn’t approve, but they are pretty interesting, and he loves you so much that he automatically loves everything you do, too, including your job.

Starscream: Starscream wants you to keep the animals far away! What if they scratch his armor? Get him dirty? Ruin his wings? He wants nothing to do with it, at least not up close. He won’t directly visit your place of work, but he’ll fly over it in vehicle mode and take a glance or two. Do expect him to fall in love with domestic cats and rodents, though- as many complaints as he has about remaining “clean” they’re super cute and he’s actually great at caring for and bonding with them. 

Shockwave: Shockwave is actually quite curious about the science of organic animals. All he knows anatomy wise are things about Cybertronians, nothing about humans or animals on earth, so you have to explain a lot to him. He’s happy to listen to you talk about work, wants to hear you discuss the animals and how they live/function, how you care for them, etc., but he doesn’t want to touch them or really have anything to do with the field work. 

Blackarachnia: Blackarachnia is afraid of a lot of the animals you care for at first because... You know, trauma. She won’t go near any zoos, sanctuaries, vets, etc. that have insect exhibits, but if you take her to one that has big cats, birds, marsupials, domestic animals, or literally anything else, she doesn’t mind being there. She mostly just stays away from your job and supports you from afar, though.

Swindle: Swindle thinks earth animals are very neat; they aren’t robotic, but they’re also not giant, scary, and disgusting like some of the ones on other alien planets. Earth animals are his favorite, actually, so he’s almost as enthusiastic about your job as you are. He wants you to take him to work with you, to tell him all about the different animals, to let him feed and pet them, etc. Even if you don’t allow him to do the latter things, though, that’s fine- though you do have to eventually explain that, no, you can’t keep them as pets or sell and buy them like that if they’re wild/endangered, that’s wrong/often illegal, Swindle. He also starts wearing (fake) animal print. Whoops.

Lockdown: Lockdown isn’t particularly fond of animals. Some of them are gross and some of them aren’t the most friendly creatures, so he’s wary at first, but he’s happy to be around them or watch you do your thing if it makes you happy- he can handle himself just fine, after all. Seeing you bond with the animals secretly makes his spark a little softer than usual, and he definitely sneaks a few pictures of you hard at work because it just showcases a different side of you, but you don’t need to know that, right?

[cybertronian-cupid]

I'm not sure why but I love the idea of tfa Sentinel being in massive denial of being such a bottom. If possible, maybe some sfw and nsfw headcanons of Sentinel with a serious, battle scarred, confident top dom male s/o, who enjoys teasing him (in and out of the bedroom) and is into a lot of Sentinel's own kinks (giving rather than receiving). Love your blog!!!

Turns out him being a masochist really shined through, so keep that in mind folks! The sheer amount of denial this guy has really let the imagination run wild! *CACKLES*💥~Gregoria🏩

............................. ....................... ............................

Sentinel brags any chance he gets about how his S/O is better than any of the other organics on this planet.

Now Sentinel takes a while to fluster, since any compliments or acknowledgments of his skill feed straight to his already overgrown ego, but when he is flustered he runs out of things to say. Shuts right up on the spot.

It’s hilarious, Jazz has called the man to rescue many times when he felt everyone needed a break from Sentinel running his mouth, the bot himself included.

The dry, serious delivery of cutesy or incredibly specific nicknames in private always catches him off guard. They both agree any overly lovey-dovey stuff will be done in private, nicknames included.

He once decided to force his S/O to rest by turning off the lights in his hab, thinking his human won’t be able to finish the paperwork if he gets them both onto his berth. A few sincere whispers about what his boyfriend loves about him turned him into a night light strong enough for S/O to quickly finish their work and then kiss his pouty blushy Prime afterwards. Sentinel still hasn’t gotten over the embarrassment.

Sentinel never asks for attention. He expects that him coming to his S/O means he will get it- after all, he made the advance and is in charge, and has the upper hand over his boyfriend height wise. He is incredibly hard to ignore and shouldn’t be ignored in the first place!

He will fume and complain if he is told to wait when he comes to pick his boyfriend up, and will try pulling the biggest kicked puppy card when he finally gets attention. Acting aloof, like he doesn’t even want it and has better things to do anyway. Half pouting and complaining over “the incompetent management” of his S/O’s workplace is bound to happen if anyone else can be blamed for his delayed affection.

Battle simulations and sparring? He loves doing those with his S/O and will be in a good mood for the rest of the day when he kicks his boyfriend’s ass. His smug grin is downright insufferable, but the kisses are worth hearing him boast about robots being far superior in combat.

His finials tend to rotate back and forth in small set patterns while he rests and he likes having them petted when he’s close to falling asleep. Mass displaced or not, he will be leaning into the touch.

He does prefer doing things with his S/O in his regular height. Being mass displaced dulls some of the finer sensations and makes him just a bit antsy. Not to mention that he can stomach and handle one organic lifeform his size, anything more than that and he will have a trauma flashback.

He finds his holoform disgusting and avoids using it as much as he can. The few times he has to use it he is incredibly uncomfortable and will need some sort of metal accessory to ground him. He can’t handle any teasing in regards to that.

............................. ....................... ............................

Valveplug:

He is furious at how easily his boyfriend shut him up and took charge in the bedroom.

Especially since he knows how to get Sentinel’s valve all hot and dripping before they even start anything. Not spike, valve. The first time it happened Sentinel was mortified and stormed off.

After he blew off some steam and got his ego stroked when he bared his valve for his boyfriend to see, he was still snappy about his S/O getting him so worked up with doing practically nothing.

For a while he keeps insisting on his spike being used, and is pissy even after the multiple overloads he experiences. He’s a stubborn bastard and will rather spend the rest of his defrag cycle self-servicing than letting his boyfriend see what faces he makes when he overloads properly.

So his S/O had to really play up the “I got lucky this time” sketch - Sentinel never mass displaces without a good enough reason and when he ends up bottoming and really letting loose, the guy needs to have the option to say he was tricked. Or that he was doing it just to make his boyfriend feel good about his skills as an organic. Or even that it was all his work anyway.

“What’s the matter, can’t take me on unless I make it easy for you?” is what he said the first time. His S/O had to prove he can get him off when he’s at his usual height, but then again, the man makes Sentinel’s systems nearly go on autopilot.

To say there were many things to unpack before his boyfriend expanded the toys used is an understatement. He wouldn’t even use the established safe word when they first started. But, having both spike and valve stimulated for a couple of days with almost no break and being teased in public does wonders. The squeak when he finally uttered it was so unlike him his S/O almost didn’t recognize it was him.

He likes to claim he’s “forced” to mass displace and will be an absolute brat. He has to be wrestled to the ground and cuffed in a way that makes his protoform ache (THAT took a while to figure out- stasis cuffs tingle, and even then, none are small enough to use mass displaced).

Choking with a tight collar and obstructing any other ventilation points on his frame, combined with high-voltage shocks to his protoform, gets his valve practically overflowing with lubricant. Telling him he’d make a good cumdump and how filthy he is will have his lights flickering and vocalizer strain to keep quiet.

When there’s a whip pressed against his outer node, and/or a rubber baton ready to slam into his valve it’s all big blue eyes from that point on. And he wails.

His chin is bigger than his spike and in a hilarious way apparently connected to the systems that trigger his panels, so rubbing the middle of that knob will get his charge skyrocket.

His exhaust pipe is off limits. And that’s not in the “haha, doesn’t want to be pegged” kind of way, it’s just that he tried it, hated it and doesn’t want to do anything with it.

When he isn’t mass displaced (and he uses the safe word as instructed), that’s when the real fun starts. The thrill and thought of disgust by anyone finding out that an organic is dominating him is intoxicating and humiliating, and he craves the high. He only really puts the control fully into his S/O’s hands when he’s interacting with Optimus and his team however.

Even if he does slip up, or is found out, like hell will anyone take a repair crew member seriously, if they decide to run their mouth about it.

Even so, he’s surprisingly well put together and gets heaps of praise after his S/O sees the recordings of him “being a good boss”. That is, if he does everything well and doesn’t touch himself inappropriately at any point.

If he doesn’t, he’s degraded and punished in ways that he never saw coming, the kind neither of them ever discussed. He’s always left reeling at the creativity his tiny organic comes up with and it sometimes makes him want to act up just to see how much his S/O can make it hurt.

If he ends up with coolant running down his face and his ventilation fans unoperational, he will be sated for weeks. A quick frag here and there sure, but other than that he’ll be much more focused on work and less on making life a living hell for everyone else.

He needs some time with no physical contact after hard sessions, the time when his S/O cleans himself up, puts the toys away and gets them both a drink is usually enough for him to recover. After he’s fueled and cleans himself up as well he practically melts into the aftercare. That’s almost the highlight of it all.

The actual highlight is his S/O cursing at all the damage to his frame that he needs help fixing. Even if it has become a routine after he fussed over his appearance one time, his S/O taking care in making him good as new while looking at the scratches and dents with a stare that could melt steel is something he holds near and dear to his spark. He won’t let anyone know that though.