#can't wait for Megatron's explanation

[transingthoseformers]

Thinking about the different forms of hilarity that could come from Meg’s unfortunate acquirement Tarn body pillow being one-side versus double sided. Double sided means that’s there’s a lewd and non-lawd side, but it also means he has to put work into hiding that sucker if he had mecha in his quarters (plus it means occasionally he gets an eye full of what some bot has a assuming Tarn’s dripping Spike and valve look like when he accidentally flips it over.)

BUT ONESIDED PROVIDES A WHOLE DIFFERENT DILEMMA.

Imagine. You are whatever berth partner Megatron has brought in, Starscream, Soundwave, or perhaps through some magnificent chain of events: Optimus Prime. You both are getting charged up, playing around. You get to the berth, you go to grab a pillow to prop up Meg’s hips because 1) You’re considerate or 2) (if you’re Starscream) you’re making a jab at his age. You grab the nearest thing nearby as you both pop your panels, one hand on his array, a large memory foam pillow. You pull it towards you but something catches your eye.

You flip it over. And there, laid out in a scene of slightly muddled sheets, with energon goodies spilled out beside him, essentially rose petals, and a come hither look in his eyes is Tarn. His likeness printed onto the other side of this pillow in stunning quality. You look at the pillow—you look at Megatron.

Megatron demands to know what’s taking you so long and pushes himself up to look at you.

He sees the pillow.

He sees you holding the pillow.

He sees that you are seeing what’s on the pillow.

You make optic contact.

You are absolutely right and I do think it should be Optimus

Because it would be so so awkward for Optimus

[brandwhorestarscream]

Tfa bots afraid of sparklings au

Megaop, and even though he received a class/lecture on the subject Optimus still takes notes throughout the pregnancy

Sentinel's look makes the situation even better.

Optimus approaches the whole babymaking thing with rigid tact and intent to do everything by the book... all the way up until the time comes for him to lose his virginity the decepticon warlord, and his suddenly awakened sex drive kicks into high gear. He's on Megatron all night long, for several nights in a row. He just can't get enough! And when he turns up carrying, Optimus is equal parts excited and terrified. His eagerness suddenly does a 180 and he's almost afraid to touch his partner now, nervous he might hurt the delicate newspark he's carrying! Megatron rolls his optics and assures him that it would take a lot to harm this baby: Primus, his last one survived him being blown up and having his body parts scattered about that organic planet and harvested by the parasitic scavengers. It likely would've continued developing had the creepy piece of slag not infused it's own genetic material with the growing protoform, mutating it beyond recognition.

That sends Optimus reeling, because wait, what?! But Megatron offers no further explanation. Just says that, "There's little you could do to threaten them, little Prime. Worry not."

I do think you're right about Optimus taking notes tho. There's very little information on the subject right now, and even Ratchet said each carrying cycle is different, just like every carrier is different. So he wants to be prepared, map everything out and take notes so he can familiarize himself with forming patterns, and also to track their baby's progress. He keeps their baby book with laser precision, has dates and times for everything, down to the second. Cute things like the first kick, and the first time their presence could be felt in Megatron's spark. Less cute things too, like when his mate has the worst of his nausea spells and how his emotional fluxes come and go, and even how often the baby needs transfluid donations 🤭 which is quite often, given that the size difference between the parents is so great.

All in all, he's very excited to be a sire, and weirding out Sentinel is just a bonus XD probably clocks the old windbag right in the face if he dares say anything bad about his mate while he's carrying

[transformersconfessions]

I think tf one is a lot worse than the fandom is willing to admit and it makes me feel disappointed that people can't criticise it without being attacked .

I don't think it's a bad movie to introduce new people to the fandom or that it's the worst piece of media Hasbro has released. But it has many weak points that few talk about and the rest are blinded by the fact that we're getting new Transformers content.

Aside from the graphics (which is one of its redeeming qualities), it lacks depth in world-building. (Everything happens in Iacon (not counting the surface). What's 50 cycles in this continuity? How are transformers born that makes it so easy for Sentinel to take their cogs?? There's more examples, but these are the ones at the top of my head).

The characters are hardly fleshed out. Especially for Orion, it's weird that we don't really get a good explanation as to why he's the way he is or how his motivations came to be. And why is he so different to everyone else?? Surely not everyone is just happy to play along with the system?? We never got to know why Bee was in the sublevel 50 or how long he was down there. Elita could've been a much more appealing character if she was allowed to break from the angry and strong woman persona for longer than a few seconds. I have less complaints with D-16, but that's still a few things that bother me about his character. (This is more about personal taste, but I think the name "Megatron" has a lot less impact when Dee was more of a fanboy of Megatronus rather than someone who respected and aimed to be more like the old Prime. Imagine you kill the president and become the leader of an army and the first thing you do is change your name to one inspired by your celebrity crush. How can I take you seriously???)

The pacing was not the worst, but it could've been better. Thing after thing after thing— basically no breaks for you to process everything that happened. More quiet moments, pauses and suspense would've been nice.

The villain trope for Sentinel was a bit too cartoony for my taste. Evil guy whose motivation is power but is also a pathetic coward who bends his will to those stronger than him, and is defeated by the hero after his evil monologue exposing all his crimes gets recorded and forecasted for the whole world to see.

Not exactly what I would call an engaging and intimidating villain.

And speaking of Sentinel, how did he defeat the thirteen Primes that are supposed to be strong and almighty?? Sure, he was aided by the Quintessons, but surely it would've taken more than that?? It's like a case of telling instead of showing except they're showing without telling you how any of that is possible.

The movie was full of conveniences, too. Orion being known by the guards in the Hall of Records yet he was never arrested by them. They literally know how he looks and what his designation is??? Elita happens to be in the right place at the right time. What a coincidence. Bee knows a way out of sublevel 50 yet only could go out after all this time when Orion and Dee arrived? Why not. Gotta wait for the mc's. Bee has a recording from Alpha Trion that we have no idea how it even got there in the first place?? Alpha Trion somehow survived but not the rest of his siblings? The Royal Guard decides to help Orion because Elita is "scary"? That was one of my least favourite scenes because they could've come up with a much better reasoning. How remarkably good all these cogless bots happen to be at fighting? I'll take Orion's agility for his escapades. I'll take the strength for the long hours of work in a harsh environment with heavy compartment to carry. But you're telling me they actually know real combat moves when there's no reason for them to?? Unless Cybertronians come programmed with it (or their borrowed cogs provide them with those skills), I'm not buying it.

This and many more things could be said if we weren't afraid of admitting this film wasn't perfect. I really liked it because of the concept and the new ideas it brought with it, but that's why I'm sad the fandom doesn't do more than just settle for what we have.

I won't claim all my criticism is objective or that it's all correct (I haven't rewatched it recently to assure that I remember all the details), but that's why I invite to be more open to different opinions (even if they're negative), so we can expand on this idea the movie offers.

(I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors. I wrote this in a rush and I have no time to edit it)

*

[mychlapci]

Another big issue Starscream faced that researchers had to solve was his sleep health. They were quick to notice Starscream had trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep, his paranoia constantly keeping him up.

The few times they noted he'd finally crash he would struggle almost as if he was having nightmares, before screeching and flailing awake.

Starscream was so used to noise; creaky pipes, constant chatter from customers, speakers blasting creepy music, Megatron's roaring, moans and whimpers and screams from the other unfortunate trapped freaks and victims.

When there was silence Starscream just couldn't sleep he was just too overstimulated. His mind crafting horrifying scenarios back to back of him getting eaten in his sleep, getting crushed to death, choking, or another freak dragging him out of his too small enclosure and finishing him off.

The only times he ever got anything resembling the rest was either getting his head smashed in or his body decided to crash.

Tranquilizers would help but they wanted Starscream's body to heal so they set to work trying to make him as comfortable as possible.

They started with decorating his tank to make him as comfortable as possible.

This is where the DNA test came in; they wanted to figure out what ecosystem that would put his body and mind at ease.

They also noted he would just start shivering at random, with his aforementioned abnormal Energon levels they concluded he can't regulate his body temperature.

The result of his ecosystem was a mash up; to keep his body temperature regulated and to keep him calm as possible.

Less coarse sand so when his slithers his scales don't get irritated (plus good for digging)

Various crevices for hiding in.

An array of aquatic plants to help with his breathing and to munch on so he can keep his teeth clean.

A type of coral he can rub his wings on in case he gets a itch.

Two different kinds of rock; ones for keeping his claws sharpen and trimmed, and the second for itching.

And a type of artificial bedding they use to help sparklings regulate their body temperature.

Now if the last sentence feels very outta left field I do have a explanation.

See I think healthy mers are very good at regulating their body temperature. There's no issue with them since their either in groups or their environment has made them flexible to adaptation of temperature. Hybrids have even better control and there's rarely any problems.

Chronic Body temperature problems were more common in pet mers but those cases were far and few between, there wasn't any resolution that was scientific backed that could help them.

The only times scientists Have had to worry about a adult mer's body temperature is when

1. They are currently sick

2. Pregnant

3. Having to transport them from one location to another

All these aliments are temporary so they tried out a adult bedding hoping Starscream's body will bounce back.

It did not at all.

Starscream hated the adult bedding; some parts cause his skin to break into hives or agitate his spikes. It was genuinely a unpleasant experience for him.

They realized Starscream was far FAR worse off then they realized.

They did more test results and realized his body was on par with sickly sparklings; just completely unprepared for the changes.

They figured it would be worth a shot.

Since facilities can expect to have dozens of sparklings they had plenty of this bedding to spare.

It was less rough, and had a smell that calmed down even the most fussiest of sparklings (something to remind them of a carrier) Despite its softer almost cutesy appearance it was incredibly durable.

They put it in Star's tank and waited to see what happened.

Starscream was reluctant at first; while some additions of his tank helped him he wasn't sure what this patch of light purple was supposed to do even if it smell good and called to him like a siren

Eventually he made his way over too it, carefully touching it praying it wasn't poisonous.

Rubbing it between his claws sheer warm and comforting smell eventually won him over.

He finally used it one night his body fed up with sleep depravation but too paranoid to actually achieve.

He settled in cautiously as if any second it could have been ripped away from him.

He soaked in the heat, his body aches that he was so accustomed too actually started to settle down. Back wings fluttering curiosity turned enjoyment.

Unfamiliar warm feelings slowly dug their way into his mind as he soaked up the heat.

Reassure

Safety.

Care.

He was not used to such experiences. Not even when he was small enough to fit in both servos of a land mech.

Optics feeling heavy his gaze becomes hazy as the dozen or so alive fish still swim around and above him. No filth clouds the water, his gills take in deep breaths of freshness and crisp air.

He watches them as he drifts off to slumber, silence no longer a sadistic presence but one of safety force.

The researchers have a party when he starts to sleep proper.

His night terrors start to dissolve. He loves taking naps now to the point it can be a tad too much, it does clash with his socializing time.

Other mers look at him confused as to why he has sparkling bedding, there are some nasty rumors and cruel jokes about it. Fortunately he doesn't hear any of this far too happy with his prized rest.

It takes some time before he slowly weens himself off of it.

Freak show/Sick Eel Starscream Anon.

Awww Starscream getting a comfortable kiddie bed for the first time in his life... it's comforting though. For the first time in his life, he has someplace soft and warm to sleep in, and in spite of always being taught to not show weakness, Starscream can't help but revel in his new living conditions... He finally drops his guard, sleeping well without worrying that one of the larger mers will drag him out and use him as a punching bag

[just-someone-online]

Nightbird in Earthspark

I just wanna see the funny ninja again. Minor spoilers for season two of Earthspark.

Thirty years ago, the Decepticons stole an experimental ninja robot in the hopes of using it against the Autobots and their allies. Much like the original G1 version, she gets damaged in battle (We'll say Optimus was the one to shoot her instead of Starscream, feeling that he had no other way of stopping her) and abandoned by the Decepticons. G.H.O.S.T claimed that if she was repaired, then the Decepticons might try and take her again, so they shut her up in storage. And there she stays for the rest of the war.

Cut to a few months after the final battle against Mandroid. The Autobots have begun the slow process of clearing out G.H.O.S.T's HQ and turning it into their own. They come across Nightbird and decide to give her back to Dr. Fujiyama, so she's loaded into Prime's trailer for him to deliver her. But on the way, he gets called by the other Autobots and the Terrans. An Embershard has been found, and they're pinned down by the Decepticons. So Prime takes a detour to help out, with Nightbird still in his trailer.

Skipping over the battle a bit, Prime's trailer is eventually opened so he can use its cannon, but that also exposes Nightbird. During the chaos, the shard is flung into the trailer, its casing shatters, and it gets lodged in Nightbird's plating. At some point in the fight, it began raining, and when it comes into contact with the shard and Nightbird, it brings the ninja to life as a Terran protoform.

Nightbird awakens, and she sees the Autobots, Decepticons, and Terrans staring at her, confused. She suddenly remembers the battle thirty years ago. Optimus shooting her, Megatron abandoning her, G.H.O.S.T locking her up. Thankfully, she wasn't disarmed when she was put in storage, and she throws a smoke bomb and escapes in the commotion. With Nightbird and the shard gone, the bots all take their leave.

Nightbird remains hidden for several weeks after that. The Maltobots can't feel her through their bond, and the Autobots can't find any trace of her on their scanners. It isn't until Nightshade and Twitch are out getting cave water that they find the ninja, half dazed as she runs out of energy. Of course, they get her some cave water, speedrun through an explanation of the last thirty years, and try to convince her to come home with them. Nightbird is hesitant, as she doesn't want to associate with anyone allied with the Autobots, but she does tentatively follow them back home.

She lets Nightshade run diagnostics on her to see if it's safe to remove her Embershard, and once it's out, she mostly just hangs around the bunker. After all, it's not like she has anywhere else to go. The Malto's help her adjust to being alive and sentient, and sometimes suggest alt mode ideas to her (She's largely ambivalent to getting one but there has been a motorcycle or two that's caught her eye.)

Things are tense between her and the Autobots. She tolerates Bumblebee since the Malto's consider him family, but when the others come knocking, she'll usually retreat into the woods for a few hours. If Optimus or Megatron in particular try approaching her, then she vanishes for a few days. She may not have actually been alive during the war, but it's still hard to forget the way she was cast aside and left to gather dust.

I'm not completely sure how she interacts with each Malto individually, nor do I know what she does in season two proper. So that'll just have to wait for another day.

[cybertroniannugget]

Pangea and mt Vesuvius

Not what I originally intended to post here, as I'm writing some spice at the moment but THIS is what my mind was occupied with all freaking day... The whole desaster takes place somewhere in the first movie or between 1 and two. Some details are changed up Which I did on purpose. I know all the movies from start to finish because the hyperfixations are hyperfixating real hard right now.

This is just a random story of how I get idk let's say teleported into the bayverse movies and how I'd probably handle that.

While I sprinkled in a bit more confidence than I actually got, I think it's an accurate representation of what kind of person I am: always cracking jokes, overthinking EVERYTHING, random useless knowledge that turns out to be somewhat useful.

About this fic: sfw, implied romance with OP, trans ftm character, no reader just Alex, confused Autobots they still need to learn so much about earth and everything, I also don't know okay?

This is just me struggling while simping hard for Optimus.

But we still ain't know what fucked up big M's navigation system when he crashed. Infact, why are all of our navigation systems useless here?! ", Jazz adressed, arms crossed over his chassis. "We all be getting lost all the time.

"I think I know why"

Oh please, why did I speak up just now...

All optics and eyes were fixed on me as I said that, making me immediately regret opening my mouth in the first place but here we are now.

"What? Maybe your systems think you're on Pangea.", I said, taking in the same position as Jazz by crossing my arms over my chest.

Optimus leaned closer, one servo on the railing, blue optics studying me thoroughly as to look for any signs of lie in my attitude.

"Pangea? May you elaborate?"

Hearing this deep voice so full of interest made me feel things honestly.

"The supercontinent. Wait, Imma show you."

I take out my phone, careful not to reveal the background, because I couldn't find the time to change it yet.

"Here, this is earth today. You see everything, Europe, Asia, South and North America, Autralia, Greenland and all the islands in the oceans."

"And this is Pangea, it broke apart into the continents as we know them today about 200 million years ago. This is probably what Megatron had in mind. See? When you look at a map of earth today you might think, if you turn south America around and snug it up to north America, they fit like a puzzle. It's because they were together as part of the supercontinent. Or push it up to Africa, same thing. Just squish it all together"

"That human is incredibly well educated.", Ratchet chimed in.

"That human has a name and thank you."

"But why did that happen? It makes no sense.", Ironhide complained, lifting one servo as to show his frustration in what I just said.

"If I may...", I look at Lennox, awaiting some kind of approval to continue. He nods and so I proceed with my explanation.

"Well, I don't know how to explain it scientifically, but I'll try to make it understandable."

Optimus nods, listening carefully. How do these highly educated space robots not know about that? But who am I to judge, they aren't from here so I can't expect them to know everything about earth.

"I think it probably started because of something called mantle convection. That means the heat from earth's interior rises up to the hardened crust. That caused it to break open, creating a volcanic rift zone. The cracks went further, the tectonic plates drifted apart. The rifts filled with water over time and while the plates drifted farther away, the oceans were formed. Or something like that I don't know but today we've got 6 continents."

Always undermining everything I say, great job on trying to act confident...

"And Greenland, I don't discriminate.", I added as some people eyed me.

"But I don't know if Pangea is what your systems used as the base to calculate. There were other tectonic combinations even before that, but it's a wild guess I'd say. I am certain it was one of them."

As I was explaining, Optimus' gaze changed to a warmer tone and I could feel my pulse rise to my ears. He was just so beautiful, and seeing him for the first time in person made my heart flutter uncontrollably. I wish I could tell him how I feel,

But this is real. No scenarios, no daydreaming or fanfiction. It was as real as it could get. Damn it, I wanted to shift here, not get teleported or whatever caused me to end up here with all of them. I hope we can atleast become friends. No need to get my hopes up though.

"Alexander?"

The baritone voice of the Prime pulled me out of my thoughts about him.

"Hm?"

"What kind of heat were you talking about?"

"Oh that. Well, starting at earth's core, it's liquid magma. It's really hot, like 5.200 Celsius hot. 9.000 something Fahrenheit for the Americans here..."

This was met with laughter and I continued with my lesson or whatever you might wanna call it I don't care, I'm struggling here okay?

"The further you go up, the 'cooler' it gets.", I say, underlining the word cooler with my hands in a joking matter.

"They probably got fancy scientific names but don't ask me which. Anyways shit's really hot. And it's what shoots up from volcanoes.", I finish as I look into a round of confused optics and a few tilted helms.

"Volcanoes? When tectonic plates crush against each other, or built up pressure is released, no?"

They all look at eachother, chuckling coming from my fellow humans around me.

"Okay here, that's mt vesuvius, big ass volcano."

"Sometimes these mfs shoot lava from this hole up there, pretty fascinating and scary at the same time.. It looks like this.", I add as they look at the pictures, not knowing whether to be amazed or afraid.

"The glowing stuff you see here is the lava. When it's still underneath the crust it's called magma."

"Are there many on earth?"

"Yup, don't get too close."

Optimus' optics widen at that statement of mine

"Don't worry bossbot, not on this island. The closest from here is next to Madagascar, Africa. Unless you decide to swim a few rounds up there there's no need to get worried."

The Prime relaxes, shoulders dropping while optics still focused on me.

Why is he looking at me like that? I mean I ain't complaining but if he continues like that Imma internally combust.

"You explain everything so well Alexander."

"Please, call me Alex. Alexander seems so long."

The Prime nods understandingly. "Very well then, Alex."

Oh god make it stop. I love you so much Optimus please...!

"His heart rate just shot up exponentially.", Ratchet mentioned and it was right then and there that I wanted to vanish, dissappear, sink into the ground, never to be seen again.

"Haha yeah, chronic Tachycardia, no need to worry."

That was a lie. Yes, my pulse is through the roof right now, but I've got no heart disease.

As I was met with confusion from every bot except Ratchet I explained before any questions could be asked.

"It's a general term to describe an elevated heartrate. You know, the thing in a human's chest that pumps blood through our body."

"Blood?"

"Oh come on. Okay, well then I can explain that to you guys later. And answer any questions you have as it seems no one else here cares about your education on earth and it's inhabitants.", I say grumpily, looking at Lennox, who raised his hands in defeat.

"I can see us becoming friends Alex.", Jazz laughed.

"Looking forward to it!", I said, pointing fingerguns at the silver bot, which is met with more laughter.

"Okay, class is over, what are we gonna do now?", Ironhide asks into the round of bots and humans.

I just shrug, looking at Optimus, who was still looking at me. But when I looked at him, he quickly looked away to Ironhide.

Cutie~

"Alex seems to know so much, why not ask her?."

That statement of a bystanding soldier was met with a glare from Optimus.

"Alex is a he, you better make sure to remember that!"

They went to protest, but Optimus wouldn't let them. "Unless you wish to get what humans call fired."

Oh shit he's really mad...

"I will make sure of that if you continue your unreasonable behavior."

As he said that I could swear I saw the soldier shrink right then and there infront of my own two eyes.

He looks at everyone. "This counts for everyone here. You will respect Alex."

Oh god, he's standing up for me I can't please marry me Optimus, like right now!

"Okay, lessons aside.", Epps put a hand on my shoulder, smiling. "You were great by the way. I think we can use that for good."

He looked between everyone, a stern expression replacing the warm smile, hand leaving my shoulder. "As much as of a crucial hint this is, we can't know for sure what's exactly causing the malfunction. Better dig people."

True honestly, but HOW is anyone supposed to figure it out without cutting someone open? Megs maybe...?!

"Something's on your mind again, I can see that.", Bumblebee said with snippets over the radio.

"What, me?! It's nothing."

"Nothing?!", Jazz protested. "You just gave us the best clue we could ask for. I'm no Optimus Prime but I can say that I wanna hear ya out my man."

He looks up at Optimus, who was looking at me again after listening to his lieutenant.

"I must say, that you have given us great insight on your mental capabilities Alex."

He leans closer and it took everything of the mental capabilities he just mentioned to not kiss him right here right now.

"Well uh, it's just some kind of impulsive thought. You know, the ones you can't really control...",I said nervously, one hand behind my neck, avoiding everyone's gaze.

But he didn't budge, only blinking once while awaiting an answer.

"Okay, you're not budging I see. Fine."

Taking a deep breath and regretting every life choice I had made up until that point, I went on. "Look, I don't know anything about Cybertronian culture and how things are handled. Especially this right here. Us humans, we always wanna know what exactly caused certain events. For example death here. So we came up with analyzing the body of the dead by cutting them open and stuff, it's called autopsy. Maybe, just maybe we could find something. I know Megatron ain't dead but he's in some sort of... Stasis? Someone could check his navigation system and maybe find the cause for the disruption."

I lower my shoulders, trying to be as small as I possibly could infront of Optimus, who's gaze I couldn't quite interpret.

"On Cybertron, there is quite a similar practise."

"So you're saying it's worth a shot, Prime?", Ironhide asks, unsure of what to think of the situation. "But he's not dead, as Alexander pointed out correctly.", Ratchet added.

Optimus turned around to face his Autobots.

"This may be our only chance. We must take it. For the sake of both worlds. This war has been going on for so long, we cannot let this hold us down. And now it seems there is a way to find out why this is happening. We will fix it, together."

Now it was on Lennox to speak up again.

"So we gon' dissect Megatron? I'm all in honestly. That fucker did enough damage."

My eyes widen at that. "They're not gonna kill him!" Unsure of the righteousness of what I just said I looked at Optimus, who nodded.

"See? They're just gonna take out the navigation system and leave."

"Ooh, big M is gonna be SO mad when he finds out."

"He won't.", Optimus retorted with an absolute certainty in his voice.

"Alright then, it's settled. Prepare people and gather as much information as possible for this mission and await any orders from Big O!"

And with that final order of Lennox the soldiers scattered around, leaving immediately.

Okay great, I'm gonna go be useless again wohoo.

"Alex?"

I look toward the sound of the voice I already grew to cherish. "I know, I know. I ain't accompanying you. I'd die if I did, already know that."

The Prime nods.

"I am glad you understand."

I love you so much I wish I could tell you...

As he remained standing there I grew nervous, fidgeting with the strings of my hoodie.

"Is there something you need?"

"Wha- me? No! Just... go be a hero.

You know you're good at it."

I clear my throat, pretty sure Optimus could hear my pulse. "But remember to take a break sometimes. I always see you up and about."

Did I overstep? I knew it. Chance blown. Goodbye earth. No romance.

"I highly appreciate your concern Alex."

He's always saying my name help. Is he just being polite or what does this mean?!

"There is this human saying. What was it again? I grab it with my heart...?"

Please he's so cute I can't~

"I'll take it to heart was it probably. It means to honor someone's wishes as you see them important."

He tilts his helm in question. "The person or the wish?"

That is when I think all the 5 liters of blood inside my body went up to my face.

Keep calm, stay cool Alex. Don't embarrass yourself.

"It's up to the person saying that."

Whatever higher power there is, please help me!

"You deem my wellbeing as important and so do I"

Phew, that was close...

"Can it be both?"

WHAT

"Eh, sure. There's always room for interpretation."

I guess...?

What has my life come to? They probably think I'm a know it all person. I gotta keep my damn mouth shut from now on.

"Very well then Alex, I look forward to working with you."

I only nod, trying not to get lost in those beautiful blue optics.

"I'm sure it's gonna be great Optimus!"

Unless I unsubscribe from life because a Deception squishes me...

[lifetimeshipper]

The Beauty and the Predacon

Chapter 22

~~~~~~~~~~

Optimus looks up to see Bumblebee extending out a servo to him, he takes his servo and Bumblebee pulls him up onto the ship. The rest of the Autobots and the Decepticons look on in shock, they can't believe that Megatron is actually dead.

"I will avenge you, master!" Starscream shouts as he gets ready to jump down and attack Bumblebee and Optimus.

Shockwave grabs his shoulder and pulls him back, "Starscream, don't be a fool!" He says as Starscream pushes him away, still attempting to go down and attack the two 'Bots.

"Curse you and your logic!" Starscream shouts as Shockwave picks him up, he turns to run out the door with the drones following them.

Optimus and Bumblebee climb up to where the others are, and they surround Bumblebee, "Bumblebee..." Ratchet begins in amazement.

"Your voice," Arcee finishes for him.

Bumblebee looks at them in confusion, "My voice? What are you g-? My voice!" Bumblebee interrupts himself in shock as he comes to the realization. He removes his mouth covering for the first time in many years as happiness fills his spark. "Ratchet, I have my pipes back!" He says with joy as he hugs Ratchet.

Ratchet winces a bit as pain shoots through his body from the beating he got from Shockwave, but he manages to let out a small laugh at Bumblebee's joyfulness as he responds. "Yes. Yes, we noticed."

Bumblebee pulls back and looks down at his servos, " The cyber matter."

"It is the only possible explanation," Ratchet says with a smile.

"It would seem the old field medic made good after all," Optimus adds before turning around and getting on the comm. "Optimus Prime to all units, Megatron is no more." Cheering can be heard from the others before Optimus continues, "Wreckers, a job well done securing the bridge."

:: It wasn't us, sir. :: Magnus responds. :: The credit belongs to the humans. ::

Optimus and Ratchet look down at the Omega Lock below them. "The Omega Lock is under our control. I propose we put it to good use," says Ratchet.

"Agreed, old friend," Optimus says before getting on the comm again. "Ultra Magnus, set course for Cybertron."

Bumblebee gets onto his comm, "Hey, Raf, if you can tear yourself away from your laptop for two seconds, get yourself up here so we can get to Cybertron already."

Bumblebee could hear Fowler asking. :: Wait, who's that? ::

Followed by Raf. :: 'Bee? ::

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Autobots Space Bridge over to Cybertron as the remaining Decepticons make their way to the escape pods to get off the ship before they get captured by the Autobots.

As they get closer to Cybertron, Ratchet brings up the project he was working on with Shockwave. "Optimus, I... was never able to learn Shockwave's side of the cyber matter equation. This may be all we'll ever have, and Cybertron is a much larger planet than Earth."

"Then we must launch the cyber matter at Cybertron's very core."

"Into the heart of Primus himself?"

They fly the ship over to the Well of AllSparks and Wheeljack comms Optimus. :: Commander, we've arrived... at the Well of AllSparks. ::

Once the Omega Lock is positioned over the well, Ratchet presses a button to activate the Omega Lock, and the cyber matter is shot into the well. When the cyber matter finishes, they all watch as the planet lights up with life, a light blue glow coming up from every crack and corner of the planet.

"Ah, such luster."

The Autobots and the humans all look over at Knock Out as he crosses his arms and looks over at them. After seeing their expressions, he uncrosses his arms, "What? I'm joining the winning team," he says before Miko knocks him out.

They continue looking out at the planet, the humans enjoying the beautiful sight while the Autobots feel happy to see their planet alive once more, until Predaking suddenly flies into their view with a screech. He stops and hovers there for a moment as he looks at them, at Arcee.

"The Predacon," Ultra Magnus says as they watch him.

Predaking. Arcee calls out through the bond.

Arcee. Go with your team and human friends, spend time with them. We will meet up again later.

Arcee nods and Predaking flies off. Arcee didn't notice the others were staring at her until Ratchet spoke up, "What did he say?"

Arcee looks over at her team and smiles, "He told me to go with you guys and spend time with you, and we will meet up later."

"I believe this would be a good start to an alliance with the Predacon," says Optimus. The others aren't too sure if they like the idea, but they're willing to give it a try for Arcee's sake.

They return to their base on Earth to drop off the kids and get fixed up. Arcee spent as much time as she could with Jack, catching up with what's been going on in her absence. Afterward, Optimus gives a little speech, "Though our homeworld is once again capable of supporting life, we have much rebuilding to do. Alas, we will miss our home away from home, and the family we've made here." They look over at the humans who are standing by listening.

"If 'Cons are still out there, won't Earth be on their radar?" Raf asks with worry.

"Raf," Bumblebee begins speaking, and Raf looks over at him. "If you ever need me, need us for any reason, we're just a Space Bridge away," he finishes with a reassuring smile.

"Besides, we'll be in good hands with you, Jack, and Miko continuing to serve unit E," Fowler tells him, "In a semi-official capacity."

"Whoa! We are agents!?" Miko asks with excitement.

June butts in, "Consultants." She looks back at Fowler, then looks at them again, "Until you're of age." Both she and Fowler smile at them.

"I trust that unit E doesn't have any rules forbidding the enlistment of rusty old Autobot consultants," Ratchet says as he walks over to them.

"Ratchet? You of all -" Arcee begins speaking in surprise until Ratchet interrupts her.

"Yip, yip, yip. I know where I am needed."

The Autobots begin gathering what they're gonna take home with them and they say their goodbyes. It really breaks their sparks to say goodbye to their partners that they have been with for so long, the kids feeling just as heartbroken. Miko even starts crying and Bulkhead tries to comfort her.

When Arcee looks at Jack she curses the Decepticons for taking away her chance to spend some more time with her partner before it was time to go home, the only good thing that came out of it was that she met Predaking and got closer to him.

"It's been quite a ride," Jack says after a moment of silence.

Arcee smiles at him, "I just wish we had more time to catch up. I feel bad that -"

"It's okay, Arcee, don't beat yourself up about it." He pauses for a second before asking, "Does he make you happy?"

Arcee smiles, "Yes, he makes me very happy, and I love him a lot."

"As long as he makes you happy, I'm happy for you," he says with a smile before frowning again.

Arcee frowns too as she glances down at the floor, "Keep in touch, Jack." Jack just looks at her, saying nothing. Arcee looks up at him with a small smile, "Don't make me hunt you down." Jack frowns even more at the reminder of their first meeting and first time working together, they came a long way since then. Arcee turns to walk off and Jack watches her with a heavy heart.

Ultra Magnus, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen walk up to Fowler and June. Fowler salutes them and they salute back before walking off to join the others. A Space Bridge is opened up, and Optimus walks over to Ratchet. He looks down at him for a second before speaking, "Until we meet again, old friend." He puts out his servo for a handshake and Ratchet takes it, they shake servos before Optimus parts from him.

The Autobots walk into the Space Bridge to head to their homeworld, with Optimus being the last one. Ratchet walks over to the humans as they all watch Optimus walk over to the Space Bridge. He stops to turn and look at them one last time. The humans all smile at him, and Jack gives him a small nod. Optimus nods back before turning around to walk through the Space Bridge. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1

Next Chapter

[ivycorp]

TF BigBang 2023 Reveal:

'Inferno's Egg-cellent Plan'

Do you like sexy?

Do you like stupid?

Do you like sexy AND stupid?

Look no further, as this fall you will have a chance to experience the story of Inferno's amazing plan with regards to his dearest Queen!

And yes.

It will involve eggs.

I have been extremely priviliged to work with @swervesbar / @windshieldtiddies during this year's TF Big Bang (CHECK OUT ITS ART NOW!!!! SFW / NSFW ) and I can't wait to share our work with you all!!!

The preview is under read-more ;)

Megatron leant back into the touch, arms heavy on the edge of the pool, as the claws of his loyal soldier glided across his shoulders, gradually moving to the front. Through his relaxation, he found himself hoping the ant would get bolder, slipping under the surface, pressing into the sensitive wires, making him arch, granting access as he would have moved up, letting the shorter mech reach the interface array which would open up- He tensed up, staring up at the ceiling.  Again with the fantasies. He must have gone mad when he wasn't paying attention - it was the only explanation. Inferno stilled his motions, sensing the shift in the frame below his claws. He allowed himself a last lingering press into the neck cabling, before he slid the servos off the shoulders in front of him, announcing: "I am done, Royalty." He received a hum in return, as Megatron focused on bringing himself back to his body. Watching this reluctance to move, the red Predacon leaned forward, wanting to offer assistance. Yet upon the movement his leader lurched forward; slipping on the bottom of the tub, he ended up frantically grasping at whatever could slow his fall. To his dismay, as he felt his digits close around the ducky that adorned the pool edge, he braced himself for impact and cringed at the humiliation at getting bested by his own bath. The pain of bashing his face into the edge never came, as a red arm shot out to grab his shoulder, with a shout of "My Queen!" stopping the descent. The action turned Megatron's body sideways, and with one servo's digits curled around the ducky, the other half-raised in an attempt to break the fall, he locked optics with the loyal ant holding him up and briefly wondered if he looked as ridiculous as he felt. If he had to guess, he would have assumed he had been pulled into a cheap holovid, where he would be swept off his feet with a kiss, fireworks in the background going off, cheesy music playing the entire time. "Royalty, are you alright? Do you require assistance?" Inferno asked, pulling him up into a less perilous position. Megatron coughed into his hand, waving away the vision of being carried off into the sunset in a bad video montage, as he dismissed the ant away. The soldier nodded, mumbling about being open to provide the service again if necessary, as he walked through the door.  The Predacon leader stood in the middle of the tub, alone once again.  Moving his shoulders, he could feel the stray tension was gone; the massage worked well. 'A shame he really didn't offer to interface.' Looking down at himself, he frowned at his still very active - and now very disappointed - array, and scolded aloud: "There is something deeply wrong with you."

[soundwavereporting]

It's ROUND TWO of Cybertron's Worst Bosses!

In the last poll, we examined the many bosses in the Megatron: Origin miniseries! Sentinel Prime came out on top, shocking this pollmaker.

This poll is inclusive of IDW Phase 2 up to the start of the Dark Cybertron crossover (Megatron is not yet an Autobot, Shockwave is still alive, the Lost Light is still out in space).

So...

Propaganda and explanations below the cut:

These choices are vaguely in order of how much managing they do. I don't necessarily agree that all the characters included in this poll should be in this poll, but wanted to give people the option of voting for say, Slug if they were absolutely convinced he was a horrible boss. Also, Orion Pax/Optimus Prime is NOT on this poll, because he keeps insisting he's not a leader anymore. He will be in the next one.

Starscream: kills a guy to get elected BUT he's the first leader of cybertron to actually be elected.

Bumblebee: on the strugglebus. thinks putting bombs in people's heads is a good idea.

Metalhawk: made the mistake of trusting Starscream. publically implies bumblebee had the lost light crew killed

Megatron: do i even need to go here?

Shockwave: everything is His Fault, actually. kills his henchmen in order to test his ores.

Soundwave: cannibalism happens when he's in charge. none of the decepticons except the cassettes listen to him.

Ratbat: literally no one likes him. i am not sure how or why he got put in charge--possibly because no one likes him, so no one would care when he got killed

Prowl: also thinks putting bombs in people's heads is a good idea. prowl-controlled-by-decepticons is indistinguishable from regular prowl. his direct reports seem to think he's great.

Needlenose: trying his best but he keeps getting overshadowed by other, more popular legacy characters. can't decide if he wants to fight or not.

Turmoil: murdered a bunch of organics. also trying his best, also getting overshadowed by popular legacy characters

Slug: angry i guess

Ironhide: can't wait for the future in which everyone is dead, but cybertron has colonized the galaxy

[redfoxdude07]

Okay, to be honest, my original plan was to be short and sweet in the tags, but it sorta grew out of control as the idea went on.

The killing of fascist is perfectly fine actually, and I fully endorse it. The problem is the way the movie portrays the execution of the execution. He's ripped in half in front of a crowd who just moments ago saw Sentinel as their savior.

The crowd is scared and confused because their entire world just changed permanently, and D-16, who's known about this for a day longer than everyone else, immediately declares himself leader. He declared that there would be no more false prophets and then began shooting haphazardly because his blood started flowing when he killed Sentinel.

The movie criticizes the way D-16 killed Sentinel instead of declaring that killing is bad.

(I'm not sure where I heard this, so take this next part with a grain of salt)

Optimus is literally America. He was supposed to represent America since G1 and meant to parallel the Cold War. The fight over energy and the embracement of freedom is blatant American coding.

Logically, freedom in America includes the right to a fair trial. The police are not SUPPOSED to be the judge, jury, and executioner (even though they are most of the time unfortunately).

Optimus is willing to kill if necessary. He's done it so many times that it's ridiculous, but if death can be avoided, he will avoid it.

Taking that into account, Optimus more than likely meant "wait to kill him until we all agree to kill him."

D-16, in his rage, didn't catch the hint that Orion was giving. "Can't build the future on blood" (or something like that) is what he says to D-16 to convince him not to kill Sentinel.

Why would this convince him? Because he's meant to interpret that as "don't have the first truly free thing we do be killing someone," but he took that as "don't kill ever," instead.

Bee isn't wrong for killing because the movie portrays him as a comic relief, and also, he's crazy from isolation, so any morals he has aren't exactly perfect pillars of superiority. Elita killed people, Orion killed people, and Alpha Trion killed people, but they are allowed to go on because it's self-defense. Bee is different because he's not meant to be serious. He's meant to get you to laugh first, ask questions never because he's fucking Bumblebee Transformers voiced by Toad from Super Mario Bros. (Bad excuse, I know, I just think Bee is just here so the toys sell good).

To put it in one continuous explanation:

Orion thinks about the long-term consequences of killing Sentinel, knowing that more than likely doing so will only lead to more distrust in leaders to the average individual. If D-16 became leader, he wouldn't be peaceful because the truth about Sentinel snapped something in his brain that made him go murder crazy instead of sleeping and planning his next course of action like Orion wanted to do. Killing Sentinel is good when everyone is on the same page, randomly walking up to the leader of a country, and kicking in his teeth is going to cause controversy, and depending on the type of indoctrination the people were given, they'll get violent or something. While that might be the only option in some scenarios, it wasn't here. They had a choice to spare Sentinel and explain everything to the people with him behind bars and prepared to go to the electric chair. Orion jumped in the way because he didn't think D-16 would actually go through with it. He still trusted his friend to do what he viewed as the right thing, and in the end, that only makes D-16 go over the point of no return, seeing Orion as a sympathizer instead of a person worried for the stability of the future government they'll build.

The movie is about how people become so stuck in their hatred of politics that they push everyone that could help them reach their goals away because they don't 100% agree with everything they do. Megatron is someone who fell down the alt-right pipeline because he got so disassociated with the government that he looped around and joined the murder cult that did the same shit as the last guy. They say they're different from the last guy, but in the end, they'll both fucking kill you when they don't like you anymore. Starscream and Sentinel are basically the same person when you boil them down, it's just Sentinel was successful. Orion is someone who stuck to their morals first. He planned his goals out before going into it. He's meant to show how to properly overthrow fascist. You do so by planning and thinking about the publics opinions. If you want to sway the public to your side, you don't just kill someone and then explain yourself, no, you explain, then you kill if everyone thinks that's the best course of action. If they all agree it's the best course, then you know you actually did your job right, because if you failed to properly convince the common person, someone like the old guy will swoop in and take over and set everything back to the way it was before your revolution, the polar opposite of what you want to happen in a formerly fascist society.

This isn't a fascist sympathy movie. It's a tutorial on how to not fuck up your revolution against a fascist and send yourself back to ground zero.

Transformers One said nooo don't fight for your freedom!!! That's only something bad mean people do!!!! Real heroes jump in front of fascists to take a bullet for them!!!

[Image description start. The meme comic of people in a meeting, with the boss sliding his hands onto the table and demanding of three employees, "Quick! We have to update Megatron and Optimus Prime's shared backstory for 2024! But the original conceit is... Problematic, how should we fix it?"

The first employee suggests, " make Megatron rich too! "

The second suggests, "make Optimus Prime a slave too! "

The third employee, leaning on an elbow with a sardonic expression, says, "Don't condemn slave rebellions maybe."

The boss glares at this employee with an exaggerated expression of rage. The employee stares back in silence with the same expression as before.

The last panel shows this employee being thrown out the window of the office building.

Image description end.]

And then the slavery apologism propaganda worked.

[brandwhorestarscream]

Cybermorph!AU autobots are a mess. Arcee's on patrol, Bulkhead is translating for Bumblebee who's trying to explain OP had an atack of combat fatigue and and is treating the humans like sparklings fresh from the well to Fowler's superiors. Ratchet's indisposed in then medbay runing a deep scan of his own internals. Ratchet's yelling FRAG in the middle of poor Bee's explanation because Ratchet's found traces/scars of meneosurgery deep in his own code and his Amica is in a breakdown that looks like it could be botched or healing meneosurgery damage.

Poor Ratchet knows his processor's been messed with probably so he wouldn't check to see if OP was messed with so he's mad, worried and paranoid. It's a good thing Arcee was a teacher and Bulkhead was a construction worker before the war. Bee is a baby of the last generation who is basically Optimus's son. He's got a sinking feeling thd Senate's behind it too. What with Bulkhead and Arcee mentioning the missing Optimus Prime incident from right after the Matrix got passed on. Ratchet's got no memory of it hapening.

Raf, Jack, Miko, June and Fowler are all just trying to get the Bossbot to use his words.

Optimus is disassociated out of grief and trauma. He's half in the Realm of the Primes trying to process. He's regained his memories and his capacity to feel parental connections by discovering he was turned into a weapon to kill his children.

Megatron and the Deceptacon hive are strangely suspiciously quiet. Almost like they're waiting for someone or something.

It's a really, really terrible situation all around. The bots have never been without Optimus like this. They've never seen him so hurt, so broken, looking at them like he doesn't know them, hissing at them like he's feral and trying to protect the humans from them

Ratchet finding out that he himself was tampered with is such good horror. He has no idea what was taken out, what was blocked. What he's supposed to be remembering, but isn't. Which of his memories are falsified? How much of his past isn't real? When did it even happen?!

That's the truly insidious thing about mnemosurgery: if a job is cleanly done the victim won't even know they've been put under the knife. The work done on him seems minor: there's no major scarring, and all the pieces of his processor are still there. But what about poor Optimus? He's never actually seen the mech's processor. He's a medic, a physician, not a brain surgeon. He tries to think back, if the Prime has ever had to have any sort of surgery involving anything in his helm during the war. Trying to figure out if there may be medical records somewhere he could access, to find the damage. The answer is, unfortunately, no, so he's stuck shooting in the dark

None of them can imagine the scale of what's going on in his head. None of them think it's possible that he was once such an integral part of the main cybermorph hive. It doesn't even cross their minds, and to be fair, why would it? It's so far outside the scope of what they think is possible. They think this is a trauma response from losing a child, right? They assume it's a normal cybertronian sparkling he had once, not that he's the father of thousands and has killed countless numbers of them.

That means that absolutely none of them are prepared for him to suddenly disappear >:) the humans have been left behind, unharmed, but their Prime is nowhere in sight. They can't reach him on the comms. They can't track his life signal. Where the hell has he gone?!

To surrender himself to the Nemesis, of course 😌

[homeybadger]

This You?

Pairing(s): Ratchet x ex-Decepticon!reader (platonic), Tony Stark x ex-Decepticon!reader (platonic)

Warnings: violence, reader uses weapons, injuries/blood, reader is a bit agressive

Notes: I'm so sorry if I completely butcher these characters/world. Italics are the reader's thoughts, and *** is a time skip. The reader is a Pretender, a bot that can look like a human

One could argue that you had never looked more like a true Decepticon than this very moment.

The red glow of your eyes reflected off the metallic surface of your outstretched weapon as you stalked forward. Instinctually your face twisted itself into a sneer as the human before you desperately crawled backwards, scrambling over shards of broken glass in a fruitless attempt to reach non-existent safety.

"Not so pleasant, now is it?"

The words left your mouth in all but a feral growl as you effortlessly slammed him against the side of an upturned vehicle. The human's fearful cry of pain fell of deaf ears as you grabbed his hair and yanked forward. You drug him by the scalp for a few steps, eager to make your friend's attacker suffer, and in one swift motion you angled him to properly aim your weapon directly in his face.

"Apparently, this is the only language you actually understand."

Before you had the chance to fire, to exact revenge for your fallen friend, a familiar groan broke your concentration. Your gaze instinctually shot towards the quiet noise, eyes widening as the figure moved.

Thank the Allspark, he's alive!

The human, still captured in your grasp, shoved against your arm- wiping thin trails of his blood against your form. You simply watched him blabber garbled and desperate pleads, righteous fury and pure relief warring in your gut.

How dare they do something like this? To him, of all bots?

The downed form in the distance twitched, and you sighed. From the reflection of the human's tears, you briefly noticed the glow of your eyes switch from red to blue.

"I'll let you live, for now. You come back and I'll finish the job."

Although the threat came out weaker than you intended, the human nodded rapidly in agreement. Carelessly, you dropped him to the ground- waiting long enough to ensure the man was actually leaving before rushing towards the fallen bot.

As you sprinted towards him, he finally noticed your existence. Weakly, the Autobot attempted to drag himself away, eyes narrowing in a suspicious glare. You skid to a halt, raising your arms in an attempt to display your intentions.

I can't waste any time. He needs help, fast.

"What... do you... want from me?"

His words came out in-between harsh coughs that jostled his severely damaged form. Your eyes tracked a stream of Energon leaking slowly from the corner of his mouth, its path down his green paint disrupted by the gaping hole in his side. You fought the urge to glance at your shoulder, to remind yourself of the allegiance you left behind you. Instead, you took another few steps forward.

"I'm just here to help Ratchet. You know me, remember?"

Groaning, Ratchet hauled himself up into a sitting position, shooting you a harsh glare as you moved closer to assist. You could practically hear Starscream's insults taunting you, calling you useless among other things.

"We can't be out in the open like this. We're both being hunted now."

Ratchet paused his movements and you took the opportunity to transform into a hopefully more recognizable form. The same form you'd donned when Megatron revealed your prior allegiance to the Autobots. The same form who'd looked into Ratchet's eyes as Optimus shunned you from the Autobot base, despite your attempted explanations.

While Starscream called it primitive, you found it incredibly useful to pass as a human on this planet.

Ratchet's eyes instantly widened in recognition, before another cough wracked through his body. This time, however, he allowed you to stable him before he could slump forward.

You noticed how his brows furrowed in concern at your now tinier form supporting the weight of his significantly larger one.

"I'm still just as strong Ratchet, don't worry. Now, let's get you out of here."

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

You'd been absentmindedly pushing bits of a meal around your plate when a stranger slid into your secluded booth at the diner. You both were quiet for a moment as you studied him- styled goatee and casual suit sticking out like a sore thumb. You sighed, passively rolling your eyes in annoyance.

"Listen, bud. I've had quite the night, so if you're looking to bother someone please move on."

The figure across from you chuckled, tugging his shades off to reveal bright brown eyes. They were gleaming in either amusement or a threat, or an awkward combination of the two.

"This you?"

His phone slid across the tabletop, stopping when it's edge bumped your knuckles. On screen was a recording of your previous work, utilizing your vehicle form to attack Ratchet's assaulters from above.

"How did you-"

"Look, I'm just wanting to know how you got one of my suits."

[mgarmagedon]

I feel that Sideswipe and Strongarm bicker a lot lot but rather make up quickly but were there times when they didn't talk to each other for days because they where so hurt by the other ?

You know... there wasn't big amount of such a situations, because they're usually making up quickly.

But the only time when there didn't talk to each other for more than a week was kinda Strongarm's fault.

It happend few weeks after they arrived on Earth, even before they met Drift!

Strongarm wanted to know more about Sides, because in police data base hadn't much information about him... so she asked Bee if he knew few information about this red tampon. Obviously he told her that he knew his parents, because they are his ex besti and boyfriend - KO and Smoke.

Ofc after she found out about this from him, she immediately started fangirling, because his parents was fighting on Earth, on both sides of battlefield.

She ran at Sides and start screaming at him, something like:

"OH MY PRIMUS! Sideswipe!!! Why didn't you ever told me about your dads?! They both helped in rebuilding Cybertron in a fully peaceful society!!! One is genius doctor, who left Megatron side and became autobot and second could or still can become Prime!!! A P-R-I-M-E!!! I'm so jealous! Your parents must be so cool! Now tell me everything about them!"

And he was like:

"No...? I mean if you want bother somobody with your war vets obsession, go to Bee and talk to him. He was there, he's like old as hell and probably will say something you wanna hear about them, unlikely me."

Then she said:

"Sides, how could you say something like this about your parents?! They are like heroes for our nation! They can't be THAT bad, I mean my father was Ultra Magnus. He was extremely strict and demanding, but he still helped me to became what I wanted to be! What have your parents did that you don't even wanna talk about? Ground you for a week, because you were twerking publicly??? Just say something about them Sides, pls, pls, pls!!!"

Of course Sideswipe, after she has said to him, he was a BIT angry on Strongarm. So he screamed at her:

"GROUND FOR A WEEK?! I FUCKING WISH!!! I would be so good damn happy, if they ever did that! But they didn't care about me to even punish me for anything. They only cared about the golden child, smarter, stronger and better behaved Sunstreaker. After all "why couldn't you be like your twin brother? You are just doing nothing evey single day!", that was the last thing my father Smokescreen said to me, before I ran from my home after the incident... Now, I'll better go... Russell is probably waiting for me to take him from school"

Sides got in his car and drove off. Strongarm was so shocked after what she heard, but she thought: "He ran from his only, because his fathers doesn't cared about him and always wanted more from him??? That's the most ridiculous explanation I ever heard! My parents was the same and I would never say a bad word about them!"

So because od this little situation, they didn't talk for a week. Ofc Strongarm said sorry to Sides, after Bee made her aware, that Sideswipe is very sensitive young man and not everyone is like Strongarm. Bee mainly did that, because he was so tired of that how they were behaving at this time and how hard it was to go with some of them on a mission.

So she apologized to him, so it made them a little closer and even Strongarm kissed red tampon 7w7

[novafire-is-thinking]

Behind the Playlist - Transformers: Prime Edition (Part 19 of 22: Soundwave)

Link to the other posts in my Behind the Playlist series

✧ ✧ ✧

A superior playlist for one of the truest Decepticons to ever traverse the stars. I made sure that most of my song choices lined up with defining aspects of his character without needing words. The songs that do have lyrics provide further structure and glimpses into specific parts of his story that stand out to me.

Intended overarching themes and/or qualities: The Silent Strategist, Loyalty, Power Behind the Throne

My personal favorite(s) from this playlist: Cathedral, Firestarter, Loyal, Night Vision, Masters of Time, The One to Survive, Secrets In Your Head, Erase the Memory, Alone, Firebird, Bounce, Valor, Spartan, and Ottumn

✧ ✧ ✧

Full song list and explanations under the cut:

Cathedral by Volta

I love how the music here seems to capture Soundwave’s wordless taunting conveyed in the way he conducted himself (body language, fighting style, etc.)

Soundwave by Valerio Reali

Soundwave superior.

W.A.V.E. (Bonus Track) by Emil Rottmayer

Megatron’s right-hand ‘wave. The true second-in-command.

Firestarter (Doug Weir Remix) by Manafest

“I've never been the one to blaze a path / But I've never been the type that just gets walked all over / I don't normally overreact / But I just can't sit here waiting / For someone to initiate it / I won't sit back and watch it waste away”

Once a member of Cybertron’s high council, Soundwave saw the deteriorating state of Cybertronian society and was moved by the suffering of the lower castes. No one else was taking effective action to relieve the suffering of Cybertron’s people, and he refused to sit around waiting for them to do so. His vehement resignation from the high council was a major wake up call.

“I wanna be a fire starter / You can help me if you wanna / We can spread and make the whole world light up / Light up, light up”

I like to think of this as the essence of what Soundwave would have said to Megatron when he recognized the latter’s revolutionary potential.

“Do the right thing and don't look back / They can judge me, but they won't ever suffocate me / I can see through the truth and all the lies / You can tell me it's not worth fighting / But I've seen it, I believe it / I won't stand by and watch it waste away”

Soundwave is nothing if not resilient. He’d been part of the rebellion against the Quintessons and witnessed Cybertron’s Golden Age. When things started devolving during The Age of Rust, he saw through the empty talk of the other members of The Council. Soundwave did what they were too afraid to do by living like those in the lower castes in order to ignite change.

Loyal by ODESZA

Semper fidelis

(Latin: ‘always faithful / loyal’)

Ultraviolet by Aevi

Soundwave made purple bio lights cool before Dark Energon.

Electricity - Original mix by DOWN

Soundwave and Laserbeak were the only two bots in TFP with the ability to disable opponents via direct electric shock. First, I wonder how much more energon that used up per shock. Also, why didn’t Soundwave use it on Wheeljack during their tussle over the resonance blaster? Because having Soundwave stand over Wheeljack with the sound weapon in hand was much cooler, of course.

Night Vision by Lindsey Stirling

You know the scene in Triage where Soundwave arrived to retrieve an injured Laserbeak at night as a terrified Ratchet hid? This song makes me think of that scene.

Masters of Time by Iván Torrent

I think this song matches Soundwave’s air of mystery and pure effectiveness as the sharpest* bot under Megatron’s command.

*physically and mentally

Break The Silence by The FifthGuys

He broke his silence once in the entirety of TFP. And it was awesome.

Carry On by The Score, AWOLNATION

“When it's cold in this wild, wild world / Everyone's trying to dig your grave / I carry on / When you're told you don't the fit the mold / Now everybody's got a say / I carry on / When the madness all around us starts to take it's toll / I carry on / It's a long, dark, winding road we're on / Oh, I carry on”

@onewingedsparrow introduced this one to me a while back. I think it’s a great fit for Soundwave because I can interpret it as expressing the apathy he displayed in TFP. By the time we met him in the show, he was far from the passionate defender of the oppressed portrayed in The Covenant of Primus. It’s reasonable to assume that, as a way to survive the pain of war, Soundwave became indifferent and carried on by holding too tightly to his blind trust in Megatron and his methods.

The One to Survive by Hidden Citizens, Josh Bruce Williams

“I'm a winner / I'm a fighter / Here to stay / And you're gonna remember my name / No nothing can stand in my way / This what I live for / This is my game

Even if the sky is falling / Even if the waters rise / Even if the world is ending / I will make it out alive / I will be the one to survive”

“Survivalist” is a term that comes to mind when I think of Soundwave and his predominant mindset. He stayed away from direct confrontation most of the time, but it was extremely difficult to take him out of a fight once he did get involved. His gift for calculated risk enabled him to survive to the end of the war, even outliving Megatron (until his resurrection, of course).

Resonance by Scott Buckley

A nod to the Resonance Blaster.

Secrets In Your Head by UNSECRET, Jillian Edwards

I can only imagine the weight of all the secrets and memories Soundwave carried within his mind. I’ve played with angsty headcanons related to why he might have held onto memories so tightly, but I’ll wait to share those another time.

Erase the Memory by Sparkee

Erasing particular memories of his may have been something Soundwave was able to do, but chose not to for multiple reasons. One of which was the fact that his memories—both the good and the bad—were vital to his survival and the survival of the Decepticon cause.

Alone by Altrøx

After losing all but one minicon/cassette companion, his closest* friend, and the cause he’d dedicated his life to, I’m sure Soundwave’s loneliness and despair were nearly crushing at some point during his stay in the Shadowzone. He had no one else but Laserbeak and a terrorcon for company. I do wonder if he managed to kill terrorcon Skyquake though…

*I have doubts about their closeness, but it’s at least a personal headcanon.

Firebird by Phil Rey, Felicia Farerre

My first impression of this song led me to associate it with a younger Soundwave when he was an up-and-coming gladiator in the pits: Guarded, a quick learner, swift, and shouldering an unusual background compared to that of the typical gladiator. Also, as I’ve said before, Soundwave dances when he fights, and this instrumental captures that beautifully.

Bounce by Altrøx

I associate this one here with Soundwave’s latter years in the pits after he’d gained more experience. Of course, this led him to eventually meet Megatron as an equal in the match that would open the door for them to join forces as revolutionaries. Both being popular gladiators, they each would have had many loyal followers and fans, most of whom probably joined together to form the early Decepticon movement.

Violent Purple by meganeko

Violent Purple? Violent Violet? Either one applies to Soundwave.

Valor by Alpine Universe

valor: (n.) strength of mind or spirit that enables an individual to encounter danger with firmness; personal bravery

Spartan by Altrøx

Yes, I’m aware that Spartan soldiers were different from gladiators. However, while Soundwave and most of the other early Decepticons started out as gladiators, they had to learn to be more like a disciplined Spartan military force during the war. More accustomed to being pitted against one another as individuals, they eventually became brothers-in-arms in a way similar to the specially trained soldiers of Sparta. So, vaguely: Gladiatorial skills & ruthlessness + Spartan mindset & discipline = Earliest Decepticon forces. At least, I like to think so. History-to-fiction info dump aside, this song gives me Soundwave vibes.

Ottumn by Tales of the Forgotten, Bill Hemstepat, Dylan C. Jones

Like Megatron and other top gladiators, Soundwave would have honed his skills in the Pits of Kaon. This sharp instrumental track makes me think of the city of Kaon.

Rule Number Five by In Uchronia

Vibes.

TRAILBLAZING by Vo Williams

Similar to Firestarter, this song captures the original intention and passion that Soundwave would have had when he first began seeking a way to bring lasting change to Cybertron’s deeply corrupt system.

The Game Has Changed by Daft Punk

Soundwave is nothing if not a game changer. If he’d sided with the Autobots, they would have won in no time. Also, I can’t help but notice that with a color change or two, Soundwave would fit right in if he were dropped into the world of Tron.

Cymatics by Nigel Stanford

If you have not watched the music video and behind-the-scenes experiment videos for this, PLEASE do. It is the most Soundwave thing ever.

✧ ✧ ✧

Notes:

This post series is in alphabetical order. Next up are Starscream and Ultra Magnus.

As I add more songs to the playlist, I’ll update this post.

[mycarhasasecret]

hi! Freeze trigger hypnosis anon here I really loved the scenarios you made! I would like to ask if you could do some freeze trigger scenarios with the TFP decepticons too (let's say with Starscream, Knockout, Breakdown and Dreadwing) ((I hope I am not pestering you, I just really like your scenarios))

Thank you! (part 1 here)

Starscream

He gets irritated when you don't respond to him, and immediately goes to check and see what has you so occupied. He's confused and distressed, poking and prodding at you to get you to respond to any kind of external stimuli. He mutters to himself, and says the word while he's trying to figure out what to do next. He shrieks when he hears you speak again, and immediately begins questioning you.

Knockout

He quirks an optic ridge, and circles your for a moment while he tries to figure out what's going on. "Hellooooo..." He prompts. You give no response. He doesn't really know what to do at this point, but he knows you can't stay like this forever, so he decides to shrug and wait it out. If it persists for longer than 24 hours, then he will be concerned. Megatron says the word while he berates Starscream. He's so loud you hear it from the other side of the Nemesis, and are unfrozen. Knockout won't ask, but you should probably tell him.

Breakdown

He inspects you up close, then inspects you from far away. He lifts you up, and turns you this way and that. When you don't respond to anything he says or does, he begins to panic. He will get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing he does! He's utterly convinced that someone else has done this to you, perhaps as a way to get to him. In his ranting and raving, he says the word, and you immediately unfreeze and begin trying to get him to calm down.

Dreadwing

-Dreadwing suspects foul play, but doesn't jump to conclusions. He carries you around with him while he's on the Nemesis, and leaves you with the vehicons while he's away fulfilling his bot-crushing obligations. The vehicons are screwing around when one of them says the word, and you immediately unfreeze. After he returns, Dreadwing is surprised, but glad that you're okay. You will have to give a very thorough explanation about what's going on. He asks a lot of questions.

[tfwriting]

Sayonara :: Ratchet x Depressed! Human! Dead! Reader Rating: T Summary: It was the week before the festival. And you witnessed Ratchet hanging out with other people. He then confess his love and you end your life. Words: 4217

Ratchet's POV

It's already Sunday. I've been getting increasingly anxious about Optimus's upcoming visit. I keep telling myself there's no reason to be nervous, but it doesn't help much. I wonder if he'll act any different when it's just the two of us? Meanwhile, he's been texting me a lot.

We sent each other one after exchanging numbers to double-check, but it turned into conversation. He's almost a different personality on the phone, using tons of emoji and cute language. He also really likes complaining about things, but I kind of saw that one coming. But putting Optimus aside...

I haven't heard a thing from (Y/n) since she left club early the other day. It's not like we text each other all the time or anything... But I've been worried about her in the back of my mind. Between what (Y/n) said, and what Megatron said...

Is it really okay for me to put (Y/n)''s feelings aside when she might need me?"

I decide to visit (Y/n) before Optimus comes over. Rather than asking, I simply tell her "I'm coming over", much like we've done in the past. Once I reach (Y/n)'s house, I knock on the door before entering it myself. Again, we used to play so often that we've made it a habit of simply entering each other's houses like we were family. The house is quiet. (Y/n) isn't anywhere on the first floor, so I assume she's up in her room. It's already strange of her not to run down and greet me. I head up to her bedroom, where I finally find her.

"(Y/n)?" I said.

"Hi Ratchet~" She said.

I sit down in her room. Sayori forces a smile, but it's easy to tell that she's different. There's a minute of silence between us.

"You haven't come over like this in a long time, have you?" She asked.

"Ah... I guess you're right. It has been a long time. Not much has really changed, has it?" I asked.

(Y/n)'s room is as messy as it's always been. I also recognize the same stuffed animals and wall decorations that she's had for years now.

"Ehehe~ If you came over more often, it wouldn't be such a mess." She said.

"That's because I end up cleaning it for you..." I said.

"How come you suddenly wanted to come over today? Aren't you supposed to see Optimus today?"

"Yeah, but...Wait, how did you know that?" I asked

(Y/n) had already left by the time we decided that last meeting.

"Megatron told me. It's only natural for him to keep me informed about the festival preparations, right?" (Y/n) said.

Ah, that's true... But what about you? Aren't you going to be helping Megatron today?" I asked.

"Of course! But I'm just helping him online. We didn't plan to meet up or anything." (Y/n) said.

"Ah, so it's just me and Optimus, then..." I said.

"Yep~" (Y/n) responded.

There's more silence between us. (Y/n) stares in a random direction. Everything about her behavior is really uncharacteristic. I finally get to the point.

"I just...wanted to see how you were doing." I said.

"After you left on Friday. When something's wrong, you can't hide it from me! I know you too well." I added.

"So..." I started. (Y/n) smiles, shaking her head.

"That's no good, Ratchet."

"Eh?" I questioned

"Why can't it just be like it's always been? This is all my fault. If I didn't get so weak and accidentally express my feelings... If I didn't make that stupid mistake... Then you wouldn't have been worried about me at all. You wouldn't have come here. You wouldn't have even been thinking about me right now. But this...is just my punishment, isn't it? I'm getting punished for being so selfish. I think that's why the world decided to have you come over today. It just wants to torture me. Ehehe~" (Y/n) said.

"(Y/n)!" I grab (Y/n) by the shoulders.

"What on Earth are you saying?! Are you listening to yourself right now? I know something happened to you. There's no other explanation for you to be like this. So tell me, already...! Until I know, I won't be able to stop thinking about it!" I said.

"Ah..."

"Ahaha..." (Y/n) gives me an empty smile.

"You really put me in a trap, Ratchet. But... You're wrong. Nothing happened to me. I've always been like this. You're just seeing it for the first time." She said.

"Seeing what? What are you talking about, (Y/n)?"

"Ehehe~ You're really just going to make me say it, aren't you, Ratchet? I guess I have no choice this time. The thing is... I've had really bad depression my whole life. Did you know that? Why do you think I'm late to school every day? Because most days, I can't even find a reason to get out of bed. What reason is there to do anything when I fully know how worthless I am? Why go to school? Why eat? Why make friends? Why make other people put their energy and caring to waste by having them spend it on me? That's what it feels like. And that's why I just want to make everyone happy... Without anyone worrying about me." (Y/n) said.

"..." I'm in shock. I can't even figure out how to respond. How is it possible that (Y/n) kept this from me the entire time that I've known her? Did she really want so badly for me to just not think about her?

"...Why, (Y/n)?"

"Eh...?"

"Why is it that you've never told me about this? It almost feels like I've been betrayed as your close friend. Because if I knew, I would have done everything I could to support you! Even if there's only so much that I could do... I would have tried a little bit harder to make every day a little better for you. That's why I'm your friend! All you had to do was tell me!" I said.

"You don't understand at all, Ratchet. Why do you think I didn't tell you? Because if I told you, then you would have to waste effort caring about me instead of doing important things. I don't want to be cared about. It's bittersweet, when people try to care about me. It feels nice sometimes. But it also feels like a bat being swung against my head. Ahaha~ That's why I wanted so badly for you to make friends with everyone else.. Helping everyone be happy together is the best thing for me. But then, I discovered something else, too. Seeing you make friends and get closer with everyone in the club... It feels like a spear going through my heart. So, that's why. That's why I decided the world just wants to torture me. Every path leads to nothing but hurt. Ahaha~" she said.

"You're right that I don't understand... I don't understand your feelings at all, (Y/n). But I don't need to understand. Whatever it takes for me to help you stop hurting... That's what I'll do." I said.

"No, Ratchet. There's nothing. Nothing at all. The only thing that could have helped is if everything could be like it always was. But I was selfish.I finally showed you what a horrible person I am." Tears streak down (Y/n)'s face.

"I made you join the literature club because I was selfish. And I was punished by my heart hurting in a way that I couldn't understand. And now you came here and I made you hurt, too. I'm just weak and selfish. That's all I am. And that's why I'm going to accept these punishments. Because I deserve every last one...!" Without thinking, I once again grab (Y/n)'s shoulders. This time, I pull her into a tight embrace.

"A-Ah-- Ratchet..."

"(Y/n). I don't care if you feel selfish. I'm really happy that you convinced me to join the club. Seeing you every day makes it worthwhile enough. If I make friends with everyone else, then that's just a bonus. But please never underestimate how much I care about you. I wouldn't have it any other way." I said.

"Ratchet..." (Y/n) isn't hugging me back. Despite my arms being wrapped around her, (Y/n)'s arms remain at her sides. She starts sobbing next to my ear.

"No... Don't do this...to me... Please don't do this... Ratchet... I..." (Y/n) barely manages to speak between her sobs. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing. But all I want is for her to know that I care.

"If you have it in you to call yourself selfish, then you have to let me be selfish too. No matter what it takes, I'll figure out what needs to change. I'll make these feelings go away. And if there's anything that you need me to do... Then you'd better tell me. I'll get mad if you don't." I said.

"...don't know... I don't know... I don't know." Gently, (Y/n) finally puts her arms around me in return.

"I don't know anything. It's all really scary... I don't understand any of my feelings, Ratchet... The only time I'm not feeling nothing is when I'm feeling pain. But... Your hugs are so warm...And that's really scary, too." (Y/n) lets me go. As she does so, I let her go as well.

"The festival is tomorrow." I reminded her.

"Yeah..." She said.

"It's going to be fun, right?" I ask.

"Yeah." She said.

"How would you like for me to spend it all with you?" I offer.

"U-Um... Ah--" (Y/n) starts.

"It's what I want. I promise." I reassure her.

"I..."

"I think that would be nice, then..." (Y/n) said.

"Yeah." (Y/n) wipes her eyes. If I could spend the whole day here, I would.

"Of all days, this has to be the one where I have other plans... Maybe I should cancel--" I started.

"No, don't--! Please don't... If you did that...then I really wouldn't forgive you." She begs.

"But... It's almost time for Optimus to meet me at my house... At the very least, do you want to come along and help out? It would be fun." To my surprise, (Y/n) shakes her head.

"I'm sorry. I don't know if that would be very good for me today. You understand, right?" She asked me.

"Ah... It's...kind of hard for me to fully understand. But I'm trying my hardest." I admit.

"It's okay. Don't worry too much about it. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She said.

"...Alright. I look forward to it." I said.

I say goodbye to (Y/n) and exit her house. On the way home, I find myself still feeling uneasy. But it's hard for me to keep thinking about it when Optimus is about to come over, too... I think (Y/n) is right. I shouldn't be worrying too much, and we're definitely going to have a great time tomorrow. I should just focus on what's ahead of me!

===

"Thanks for all the help and everything... I'll see you tomorrow." Optimus said.

"Wait, Optimus." I called.

"Eh?" Optimus stops.

"What you said before...about not always having this chance. It doesn't have to be that way at all! I had fun today. You showed me how fun baking can be, like you wanted. But aside from that... You can come over anytime, okay? I think that if possible, I'd like to spend more time like this. If you want to read manga, or go out somewhere--" I started.

"Um-- Do you...really mean that?" Optimus looks at me tensely, like he's trying to hide his expression.

"Yeah. I want to spend more time with you." I confessed.

"Ratchet... I thought you only cared about getting this done... Uu... I'm sorry I had to leave so early today. I really didn't want to! I would really...stay here longer if I could. I feel the same way as you, so..." Optimus suddenly gets closer to me.

"Wait, Optimus" Standing inches from me, Optimus looks up at me. I feel his digits gently clutch at the sides of my shirt, as if holding onto me. His rose-colored cheeks and matching optics fill my vision, along with his slightly-parted dermas. What is happening...? My helm starts to go dizzy as I feel his soft breaths against me.

"I've felt it... For a while now...--!!" Optimus suddenly jumps back."

"(Y/n)?!"

"Eh?!"

"Ah... H-Hi, Ratchet..."

"(Y/n)--! Just now, we weren't--" I stutter.

"Ehehe~ It's okay, Ratchet. I just stopped by to say hi~"

"A-Ah... Well... Y-You should have come a little earlier! I'm already on my way out, so..." Optimus said.

"Aw, really? That's too bad..." (Y/n) said.

"Yeah, well... I'll still see you at the festival tomorrow, so it's fine. Just don't eat any cupcakes before then! Anyway, later!" Clearly flustered, Optimus hurries off, and (Y/n) waves goodbye.

"(Y/n)-- I thought you didn't want to come over today!" I said.

l "Ahaha, well... I tried staying in my room... But my imagination was being really mean to me... So I had to come here and see it for myself." She said.

"See what? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You know... How much fun you were having with Optimus. And how close you got to him. It makes me...really happy... That you've made such good friends. That's all that matters to me." Tears start to fall down (Y/n)'s face. "That's all that matters to me--! Why am I feeling this way, Ratchet? I'm supposed to be happy for you. Why does it feel like my heart is splitting in half? It hurts so much... Everything hurts so much... This would be so much better if I could just disappear!" She cries out.

"(Y/n), don't say that!"

"It's true, Ratchet! If I wasn't here, then you wouldn't have to waste your sympathy on me! You wouldn't have to put up with me being selfish! Megatron was right... I should just..." She starts

"Megatron...? Megatron was right about what?"

"..."

"(Y/n)... What I said before is true. I'm not going to let this continue. Caring about you like this isn't the burden your mind is making it out to be. It's something that makes me happy. It's something that I wouldn't trade for anything else. So, even if it takes an entire lifetime... I'm going to be by your side until you don't feel any more pain." I said.

"B-But..." (Y/n) looks away. I put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"I'm scared, Ratchet... I'm really scared..." She said.

"What are you scared of, (Y/n)?"

"I'm scared that... That I might like you more than you like me..."

"(Y/n)...?"

"It's true, isn't it? I was weak and started to like you too much...I did this to myself. Ratchet... I like you so much that I want to die! That's how I feel! And...and..." She started.

"That's enough, (Y/n)... I don't want you to hurt anymore." I slide my hand down (Y/n)'s arm and squeeze her hand in my own.

"Do you remember how I said I always know what's best for you? Do you still believe me?" Wordlessly, (Y/n) nods.

"Even if you don't understand all of your own feelings...I know what you need the most right now. And that's what I'm going to give to you." I said.

"(Y/n)..."

"I love you."

"Eh--?"

"Those are my true feelings. So...there's no way you could like me more than I like you. I should have realized it sooner. But spending time with everyone at the club... Making new friends... And having fun with you every day... It helped me realize that you are truly the most important person to me. That's why I'll accept any of your burdens. As long as we continue like this every day... With you by my side... Then I know we'll both be happy." I said.

"Ratchet..." Suddenly, (Y/n) wraps her arms tightly around me.

"Ratchet... Is this...really okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." I hold (Y/n) in my arms and pull her closer.

"You'll never have to let go of me again." I said.

"I love you, Ratchet... I want to be with you forever." She said.

"Me too." I said.

"..." I feel (Y/n)'s grip around me weaken a little bit.

"What is this...?"

"(Y/n)...?"

"I'm supposed to be happy right now...I always thought this would be the happiest moment for me. But why...? Even now... Why won't the rainclouds go away? They're not going away at all, Ratchet..."

"It's okay, (Y/n)...It might take some time for things to get better again. But no matter how long it takes, I'll be there every step of the way. That's all that matters right now."

"O-Okay...I...trust you..." She said.

(Y/n) and I slowly release each other.

"So... I guess that makes the festival tomorrow...our first date, huh?"

"Ehehe... What are you saying? I don't want to think about those things, you know? I want everything to be the same as it always has been. Even if we really are...a couple. I don't know if I could handle anything more right now... It's really new and scary to me." (Y/n) said.

"I understand. We'll go at whatever pace suits you best." I said.

"Hey, Ratchet..." (Y/n) gazes at me once again, smiling sadly.

"Even if I get really, really sad... This is the best thing for me...right?"

"Eh...?" I don't really understand what (Y/n) means by that.

"Are you saying that this is making you feel sad, (Y/n)?"

"I-I don't know... I don't understand what I'm feeling. It felt like a bunch of thorns when you told me you love me... But that's why I want to trust you. You know what's best for me..."

"...Yeah. I do. That's my promise." I said.

I say that, but in reality, I've never felt more uncertain when it comes to (Y/n). I know that I love her, and she loves me. But I'm having as much trouble understanding (Y/n)'s feelings as she is. Even though I can comfort her... I keep wondering if I should be doing something more, or something different. I know these thoughts will continue to plague me until things are back to the way they were. Is that what (Y/n) meant by not wanting anything to change? I don't know. But I know that I'll give it everything I've got. (Y/n) is the most important person to me. And I'll do whatever it takes to have a happy future with her.

===

It's the day of the festival. Of all days, I expected this to be the one where I'd be walking to school with (Y/n). But (Y/n) isn't answering her phone. I considered going to her house to wake her up, but decided that's a little too much. Meanwhile, the preparations for the event should be nearly complete. I managed to carry all the cupcakes myself by carefully stacking two trays. Optimus is already texting up a storm, but I can't respond, thanks to my hands being full. Funnily enough, I probably feel the same way as Starscream about the event. I'm more excited for it to be over so I can spend time with (Y/n) and Optimus at the festival. But knowing Megatron, I'm sure the event will be great, too.

"Ratchet! You're the first one here. Thanks for being early!" Megatron said.

"That's funny, I thought at least Starscream would be here by now." I said.

Megatron is placing little booklets on each of the desks in the classroom. They must be the ones he prepared that has all the poems we're performing. In the end, I found a random poem online that I thought Megatron would like, and submitted it. So, that's the one I'll be performing.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring (Y/n) with you."

"Yeah, she overslept again... That dummy. You'd think that on days this important, she'd try a little harder..." I say that, but I suddenly remember what (Y/n) told me yesterday... And I suddenly feel awful, knowing it's not nearly that simple for her. I only said it because it's the way I'm used to thinking. But... Maybe I should have gone to wake her up after all?

"Ahaha. You should take a little responsibility for her, Ratchet! I mean, especially after your exchange with her yesterday... You kind of left her hanging this morning, you know?" Megatron said.

"Exchange...? Megatron-- You know about that??"

"Of course I do. I'm the club president, after all.

"But--!" I stammer, embarrassed. Did (Y/n) really tell him about it that quickly? That we're...a couple now? I didn't really plan on bringing it up with anyone yet...

"Jeez... You don't know the full story at all, so..." Megatron said.

"Don't worry. I probably know a lot more than you think."

"Eh...?" Megatron is being as friendly as usual, but for some reason I felt a chill down my spine after hearing that.

"Hey, do you want to check out the pamphlets? They came out really nice!"

"Yeah, sure." I grab one of the pamphlets laid out on the desks.

"Oh yeah, they really did. Something like this will definitely help people take the club more seriously."

"Yeah, I thought so too!" I flip through the pages. Each member's poem is neatly printed on its own page, giving it an almost professional feel. I recognize Optimus's and Starscream's poems from the ones they performed during our practice.

"What's this...?" I flip to (Y/n)'s poem. It's different from the one she practiced. It's one that I haven't read before... "Ah--" What is this...? Reading the poem, I get a pit in my stomach.

"Ratchet? What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing..." This poem feels completely different from everything else (Y/n)'s written. But more than that...

"I-I changed my mind! I'm going to go get Sayori, so... Ah--" I said.

"Well, alright! Try not to take too long, okay?" quickly leave the classroom.

"Don't strain yourself~" Megatron calls that out after me. I quicken my pace. What was I thinking? I should have tried a little bit harder for (Y/n). It's not a big deal to at least wait for her, or help her wake up. Even the simple gesture of walking her to school makes her really happy. Besides...I told her yesterday that things will be the same as they always have been. That's all she needs, and what I want to give her."

I reach (Y/n)'s house and knock on the door. I don't expect an answer, since she's not picking up her phone, either. Like yesterday, I open the door and let myself in.

"(Y/n)?" She really is a heavy sleeper... I swallow. I can't believe I ended up doing this after all. Waking her up in her own house... That really is something that a boyfriend would do, isn't it? In any case... It just feels right. Outside (Y/n)'s room, I knock on her door.

"Sayori? Wake up, dummy..." There's no response. I really didn't want to have to enter her room like this... Isn't it kind of a breach of privacy? But she really leaves me no choice. I gently open the door.

".......(Y/n)--"

"..."

What the hell...? What the hell??

Is this a nightmare? It...has to be. This isn't real. There's no way this can be real. Y/n) wouldn't do this. Everything was normal up until a few days ago. That's why I can't believe what my eyes are showing me...! I suppress the urge to vomit. Just yesterday...I told (Y/n) I would be there for her. I told her I know what's best, and that everything will be okay.

Then why...? Why would she do this...? How could I be so helpless? What did I do wrong?

Confessing to her... I shouldn't have confessed to her. That's not what (Y/n) needed at all. She even told me how painful it is for others to care about her. Then why did I confess to her, and make her feel even worse? Why did I do that to her when she needed me the most? Why was I so selfish? This is my fault--! My swarming thoughts keep telling me everything I could have done to prevent this. If I just spent more time with her. Walked her to school. And remained friends with her, like it always has been...Then I could have prevented this. I know I could have prevented this!

Screw the Literature Club. Screw the festival. I just...lost my best friend. Someone I grew up with. She's gone forever now. Nothing I do can bring her back. This isn't some fanfiction where the author can write a new ending and try something different. I had only one chance, and I wasn't careful enough. And now I'll carry this guilt with me until I die. Nothing in my life is worth more than hers... But I still couldn't do what she needed from me. And now... I can never take it back.

Never. Never. Never. Never. Never...