#the TFP Ratchet expert

[novafire-is-thinking]

Joining a fandom late/during a dry spell is a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, things are pretty chill and there isn’t much of a hurry to consume the newest show or comic.

On the other hand, the chance of establishing oneself as the expert on certain characters is slim to none.

[thatturtleleon]

TFP and Love Languages HCs

note: these are platonic unless stated otherwise!

starting with the humans, i think Raf's is physical affection

throughout the show we see him holding Jacks hand in a few scenes, especially when he's worried (i cant remember specific scenes but ill edit once i do remember)

we also see him hugging others and sitting on Ratchets shoulder

Jack is words of encouragement, i think this slowly develops over the show more but we see him comforting Raf in that one scene on the decepticon ship

i also think he gets it from Optimus (in which ill describe in a bit)

Miko is quality time (also physical affection maybe? we see her hug some of the others and she seems like the type of person who doesnt gaf about personal space that much lol)

but she loves doing things with the bots, especially Bulkhead of course

and shes always wanting to go on missions with the others, part of this is probably her love for getting the adrenaline rush of it all and also alien robots fighting each other, but i also think part of it is her wanting to hangout and see her favorite people in action if that makes sense

i havent thought of any for June and Fowler but if anyone has an idea pls do share !!

Optimus is definitely words of encouragement

pretty self explanatory, hes the ultimate motivational speech expert

Ratchet was hard but i believe his is acts of service

he puts others needs above his own

:(

and although its technically his job/specialty, i think treating the others wounds and worrying about their health in general is his way of saying "i care about you, so let me do this" yk?

Bulkheads is physical affection

he hugged Wheeljack when they reunited and always is patting others on the backs

i jst think hes a big hugger <3

Arcee is words of encouragement

she gave Miko encouragement and advice when Bulkhead was injured

same when Raf was injured, she talked with Bee to try and calm him down

Bumblebee was also a little tricky for me

for him i wanna say physical affection

hes constantly reaching out and holding Raf, and hugged Ratchet when he got his voice back

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

A drabble of Tfp Prime switching place with his Tfa counterpart over a bridge mishap?

Optimus had experienced his fair share of odd situations throughout his life. That was only natural when you were the leader of the autobots and had lived as long as he had. He had battled space monsters, shapeshifters, old gods, undead.

But he had to admit that interdimensional travel was a first for him.

At least he could feel at ease knowing that he had landed among friends, even if they were a tad different from the versions he knew.

"You're so tall!" the human girl, Sari, exclaimed with awe, eyes shining as she craned her neck to look at him. With her pigtails and excited personality she reminded Optimus a lot of Miko.

The Bumblebee of this dimension did not appear as impressed. He crossed his arms with a humpf and glared at Optimus with critical optics. "Well, he's probably super slow, slower than a snail!"

"I bet he's super strong too..." Other Bulkhead murmured, decidedly more impressed. He stared at Optimus' arms dreamily.

"He's got a strong spiritual presence, that's for sure," the two-wheeler designated Prowl commented. His optics focused on Optimus chestplates, leaning in closer. "And there's something else. It almost feels like-"

"Would people get out of my medbay!?" Ratchet, who appeared to be just as high strung as the one in his own dimension, interrupted. He waved around a datapad like Wheeljack with one of his swords. "We don't know what kind of viruses his world have and if we're susceptible to them! We could have a potential pandemic on our servos!"

"Viruses!?" Bumblebee stomped his pede and pointed an accusing digit at Optimus. "You guys see? This bot is nothing but trouble! I say we send him back to wherever he came from as soon as possible and get our own Optimus back!"

Bulkhead piped up. "That might be more difficult than you think, Bumblebee. You see, he portal that brought him here was due to a space bridge malfunction that quite frankly had a one in 3 billion chance of happening and even if we were to find a way to replicate this we'd also have to find a way to get his dimension do the same thing on their end."

Optimus cocked his head, intrigued. "Do you know a lot about space bridge technology, Bulkhead?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess I know some things," he responded, meekly. He fidgeted with his servos, not quite daring to look Optimus in the optics.

Ratchet interjected. "Don't sell yourself short now," he chided, giving Bulkhead a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Bulkhead here is the foremost expert of space bridge technology. Ain't no bot that knows more about the stuff than he does."

Hearing this, Optimus smiled. "That's incredible! While the Bulkhead I know is a brilliant mech in his own right he does not possess such expertise in space bridges. How brilliant!"

At this, Bulkhead finally managed to meet Optimus' optics. There was a faint blush on his faceplates. "Really? I'm not really all that- Uh, I mean, what's your Bulkhead like?"

Optimus' smile grew fonder. "He's one of the bravest mechs I've ever had the honor of knowing. The only thing that can compare to his immense strength is his kindness." Gazing down at the young bot in front of him, he placed his servo on the his shoulder. "The two of you are appear very much alike, in that regard."

Bulkhead's blush grew in intensity, his optics becoming round like saucers, flickering from Optimus' face to where his servo was on his shoulder back to his face. "Oh geez, I don't know what to, oh stars-"

"What about Bumblebee?" Sari suddenly asked, clambering on top of some barrels to be seen. "When you first appeared you said you had a Bumblebee in your universe as well, right?"

Bumblebee, this universe's version, crossed his arms again. "Whatever kind of person he is, he can't be faster, or more handsome, than me!" He paused. "But yeah, what about him?"

Optimus laughed. "There's no way I can praise him enough. Bumblebee is a true hero, through and through, and he's saved my life more times than I can count."

At this, Bumblebee visibly preened. "Oh yeah? Sounds kinda like me then. You know, I've also saved our Optimus' life a couple of times already." He jabbed a thumb at his chest. "Some call me a hero too."

"I don't doubt it," Optimus replied and somehow Bumblebee managed to puff out his chest even more.

"Yeah, well, why don't you tell me some more about my other dimensional counterpart and my- I mean his, heroic deeds? Just so we can compare notes."

Ratched sighed loudly and dragged a palm down his face. "Great, just what we need, Bumblebee getting yet another ego boost."

Prowl leaned in closer to the medic. "At least he's not openly hostile towards our visitor anymore." The corner of his mouth twitched. "He got so mad when this Optimus asked him if he wasn't too young to be an autobot when they first met."

Ratchet couldn't help but snort. "That alone made all of this worth it. Sigh, I just hope our Optimus is alright."

---------In another dimension---------

"What do you mean I'm the leader of the autobots? Ultra Magnus is right there! What even is a Matrix? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M THE CHOSEN OF GOD?????"

[in1-nutshell]

Hey so how about a little more old Predacon buddy with The transformers animated team possibly them just interacting with them a bit more

We are here for more Buddy interactions with Team Prime, and here is where we will get them!

Hope you enjoy!

Bot Buddy the Old Predacon with Team Prime: Slice of Life

SFW, Platonic, Cybertronain reader

TFA/TFP

When Buddy crashed back down in a familiar alley, they knew they were back in one of the dimensions they visited before.

Specifically, the universe where everything was tiny, and they nearly chewed out a knock off Prime for disrespecting Optimus.

Lucky for Buddy, they remembered the route back to the Plant and began walking.

They took in the scenery around them, noticing some buildings under reconstruction and new trash bots around the streets. Needed to be careful as to not step on them like last time.

As they approached the Plant Buddy decided to surprise the bots. They would wait on the side of the building where there weren’t many windows and surprise the first bot or human that came outside.

As they waited, they heard some angry voices bouncing around. They couldn’t hear what exactly was being said, but it wasn’t pretty.

They heard some angry footsteps coming towards the door.

Forgetting all about the surprise, Buddy went towards the front door to see what the commotion was all about.

Sari stomping towards the front garage door when a massive pede stops her.

The pede lowers down the giant body until the helm was touching the ground.

Buddy’s worried optics look at Sari.

“What’s going on in there?”--Buddy

Sari stared in shock.

“Buddy?”--Sari

Buddy squints before smiling.

“Sari? Is that you, kiddo? My, my I haven’t been gone that long, have I?”--Buddy

“BUDDY!”--Sari

Sari leaps and hugs Buddy snout.

Buddy just chuckles appreciating the hug.

“Sari? Sari where—Buddy!”--Bumblebee

Bumblebee races over to hug the older Predacon.

The rest of the team hears this and runs over to greet their interdimensional friend.

“My friends, its been too long. And look at you Sari!”--Buddy

Buddy carefully patting Sari’s hair with their digit.

“Your almost as old as some of the kids in my dimension. How log has it been since I’ve been here?”--Buddy

“Its been less than  year.”--Ratchet

“… Now I’m no expert in organic lifeform, but I know that humans do not age this fast.”--Buddy

“Oh! About that…”--Sari

Buddy raises an optic now sitting up a bit straighter.

“About what?”--Buddy

Sari deploys her jetpack and flies up to Buddy’s optic level.

Her eyes shining blue.

“It turns out I’m a techno organic. Surprise!”--Sari

“…”--Buddy

“Buddy?”--Prowl

THUD!

“BY THE ALLSPARK!”--Optimus

“BUDDY?!”—Sari

“RATCHET GET THE CAR BATERY!”--Bumblebee

“BRING LIKE A DOZEN BATTERIES!”—Bulkhead

After Buddy recovered from the near cardiac arrest, Buddy got to know more about what happened during their time outside this universe.

Buddy is much more concerned with the team’s wellbeing.

As well as Sari’s flying skills.

The girl could hover well, but full flight was something different.

“Why don’t you teach me?”--Sari

“Me?”--Buddy

“I mean you can fly! You can totally teach me!”--Sari

“Well… I don’t see why not. All right then, I’ll teach you.”--Buddy

Sari does a little air fist pump.

“Oh and Optimus can come too.”--Sari

Buddy looked over at the Prime.

“Why?”--Buddy

“He’s got wings too!”--Bulkhead

Bulkhead pats Prime’s back and out shoots out two large wings.

“Bulkhead!”--Optimus

Optimus tries to get them back in.

Buddy just stares blankly at the Prime.

“You should have seen the first time he was trying to fly, Buddy! He nose dived into the river, crashed into that building… oh! And nearly flew straight into Omega Supreme!”--Bumblebee

“…”--Buddy

“Buddy?”--Sari

THUD!

“BUDDY!”—Sari and Bumblebee

“NOT AGAIN!”—Ratchet

Once again after getting out of cardiac arrest, Buddy agrees to help the two learn how to fly.

Which was more difficult that either could have imagined.

With Sari…

“Sari, you have to start little by little. You don’t need to go full throttle—SWEET PRIMUS SLOW DOWN!”--Buddy

Buddy catching Sari mid air before she crashes into a billboard.

With Optimus…

Buddy flying near full speed trying to reach the mech fly out of the city ascending at a rapid pace.

“PRIME! YOU NEED TO DESCEND! TRY LOOSENING UP—NOT FULLY LOOSE!”--Buddy

Buddy dives down to catch the exhausted Prime.

“How… How did I do?”--Optimus

Buddy huffs as they slowly descend.

“…You need some extra practice Optimus. That’s all. No one gets this on the first try.”--Buddy

“Really? What about you?”--Optimus

“Prime I was modified to be like this, of course I got it on the first try. But that doesn’t mean everyone I taught ho to fly got it n the first try. Some of them are true rulers of the sky and they had bumps in the road. Don’t count yourself out yet Prime.”--Buddy

“…Thanks…”--Optimus

“You’re welcome Optimus. Now let’s take a break before trying again okay? We’ll go up when you're ready.”--Buddy

A couple days later the portal arrived just like the times before.

It was time to leave.

Buddy made sure to hug everyone goodbye before they left back home.

“Goodbye my friends!”--Buddy

“Bye Buddy!”—Team Prime

Buddy walks into the portal and appears near the main room.

“Hey Buddy!”--Raf

“Hello Raf.”--Buddy

“Dimension hoping again?”--Raf

Buddy nods.

Raf pats down next to him.

“I’ve got the dino movie on the monitor, you want to watch it with me?”--Raf

Buddy is already curling up next to Raf.

“You know me too well Raf.”--Buddy

[ofskysanddragonsandstars]

Just another TFA X TFP crossover idea - part 3

Ok, in my last post I said I would cover sparkling Optimus, but I couldn't resist adding Knockout. He is taking over this show! I've come to the realization that this mech has slowly become the reason peace after war is complicated, and we don't see a lot of that trope in any media. Which is why I have to decided to write it! (Why have I done this to myself? Please help, this is such a hard trope)

Part 1| Part 2

Knockout's clinic was not glamorous by any means, which frustrated the flamboyant mech. But it got the job done (even if it reminds him of the clinic he ran before the war, when the caste system dictated the tools he could have). Mostly, patients are construction prone injuries. Bulkhead does what he can to limit the damage, but vehicons are...a bit slow. Actually, Bulkhead feels so bad that he personally takes them to the clinic, which...is not always the best since Knockout's partner was Bulkhead's biggest rival. There is a lot of tension. But they try to get along for the vehicons' sake. They don't become friends, but they at least come to an understanding. With Ratchet remaining on Earth, at least somebot has a medical profession. If Bulkhead can come to appreciate a former decepticon, hey, the other autobots can too.

Which is why when Ratchet returns, it is easy to decide to work with Knockout (and if that means he can slowly retire, who is to judge? Ratchet earned it). So, a former decepticon and a famous autobot doctor are working together. It is a symbol of the first official decepticon-autobot unity. And that is dangerous to other mechs who still only see decepticons as evil. While the clinic is the first official decpeticon-autobot unity, in the background, there are other instances of decepticons and autobots working together. Construction and sharing energon are others. Afterall, the Great War was about the equal sharing of resources.

Here is where sparkling Optimus joins.

Part of a clinic is to do check ups on sparklings. And since Optimus's sacrifice, the Well has been glittering with sparks, either finally joining the Allspark or a spark leaving the Well as new life. To say the least, Knockout does regular drives to the Well to pick up any new sparkling. He is not the only one on sparkling duty, but sometimes the speed racer needs to stretch his wheels. He picks up a sparkling that doesn't seem any different from the rest, so he takes them back to the clinic to run regular diagnostics. Until he runs the spark signature test, just to see if the sparkling will need extra armor around the spark chamber later in life. His equipment goes haywire, causing Ratchet to enter. It goes something like this:

"What happened?" questioned Ratchet.

Knockout grumbled. "I was just running a spark signature test. Don't know why it went off." He increased the terminal chart for better visibility. "Based on the charts, this sparkling is strong."

"Let me see," Ratchet huffed, shooing the red racer out of the way. With expert optics, he starts to scan the numbers, only to freeze.

"Doctor?"

Ratchet does not respond.

"Ratchet!" Knockout tries again, succeeding in getting the older bot's attention. His optics are blown wide, and his mouth hangs open.

"You cannot copy spark signatures," he mutters, his attention shifting to the little red and blue sparkling, who was still chewing on the tips of his servos. And Ratchet is correct. Spark signatures are unique to each individual bot. So that can only mean one thing, even if Knockout refuses to believe it.

He turns to fully face the sparkling, but keeping Ratchet in his periphery. "You know this sparkling?"

Ratchet nods.

"Who?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he makes his way in front of the examination table, staring at the sparkling. If the room wasn't so quiet, Knockout might have missed what he said. And it shocked him enough to jump.

"Optimus?"

"That's Optimus Prime?" he shouts. But his loud tone makes the sparkling duck his head with a little whimper. Instantly, remorse fills Knockout. But the former deceased autobot leader - the Prime that Knockout personally witnessed enter the Well - is apparently seated on his examination table as a new spark. How is the former decepticon supposed to act? Bow? Beg forgiveness?

"Hush," Ratchet scolds. He reaches a servo to the sparkling - Optimus Prime - and says, "Easy, it will be alright, Optimus."

The sparkling's blue optics seem to bore into Ratchet - who does not seem to mind - only to suddenly shake his helm.

"No?" Ratchet asks.

The sparkling releases clicks that only a sparkling can, and tucks his servos under his legs.

Ratchet signs. "Alright."

Apparently, the Prime and medic have a silent language, muses Knockout. Perhaps that's what happens after stitching up the Prime for a millennia of war will do. It makes Knockout think back to his time as the decepticon medic aboard the Nemesis. Would such an understanding ever occur between himself and Megatron had the decepticons remained a faction? If Starscream was more focused on the cause rather than his own glory? Knockout will never know.

Ratchet pulls him out of his thoughts. "This cannot be public knowledge."

"You don't want the autobots to know that their illustrious leader lives?" asks Knockout.

Ratchet shakes his head. "The Allspark returned Optimus as a sparkling. And after four millennia of war, Optimus, out of every bot, has earned the opportunity for peace the most. Announcing that Optimus is alive will only cause the autobots to demand him as their leader." Ratchet turns back to the sparkling. "And Orion Pax never wanted that burden."

The sparkling tilts his helm, seeming to understand what his old medic was saying.

"You know him best, Doctor." Knockout rubs his servos together. "So, what do we call him?"

It is rare to see Ratchet smile, but for this he does as he utters the name.

"Pax." 

[transingthoseformers]

Before we bounce over to Pharma and the bitty let's check in on the DJD and their former "sparkeater."

Poor Rewind is geting leave because as next of kin he's got a lot of medical decisions to make for Domi. And the spark bond is keeping him calmer. Ratchet and Wheeljack are at least able to get him back to not looking like a sparkeater and deal wiyh the physical damage while they wait for a processor expert to show up. Chromedome is both able to assist Dominus in regaining cognitive function and be pissy at his Ex-whatever-he-and-Prowl-are. Pharma enjoys haveing someone with shared history to bitch over Prowl with. Prowl gives the combination a 0 out of 10 yelp stars.

Tarn, asuming Megatron didn't completely slag him for being too dangerous to live after sliping the leash, is un-masked, striped of his name, spayed, and de-voiceboxed as well as demoted to low ranked bodyguard under Lugnut's comand. Megatron manages to twist things round so Damnus is grateful to still be permitted to serve his Lord after such a colossal frag up. IDW Megatron is a the second most SOB Megatron right after TFP.

Megatron is geting so much shade from Starscream over the DJD jumping the sharkticon and geting completely lost in the sauce. What he didn't expect was the judgment he's getting from Soundwave. "Soundwave: concured with Starscream. DJD: terrible idea. Megatron: rejected advice of Starscream and Soundwave.

Megatron strips the DJD of their names sends them on assignments with the fear of himself in their sparks. Helix who didn't cover himself in shame is given a lateral shift to be the new warden of Grindcore under his OG name. Tessarus is sent to be a guard at same. Vos ends up demoted into the science division, as a scientist/lab assistant under Shockwave. Kaon had a suspiciously Soundwave shaped plausibly deniable accident. While the List remains and DJD officially exists as a unit on paper the jobs remain unfilled.

Makes sense Rewind's in the know on a lot of this, so far so good with Dominus's repairs

Also yes on domey v Prowl Because fuck Prowl in this au

Iii. Shit, Megatron was not kind with Damus. But that tracks for idw Megatron with how he'd treat an offense so triggering for him.

You know you fucked up on something when Starscream and Soundwave agree against you.

A lot of their reassignments make sense, as well as Amp's "disappearance" with how connected he was to the Pet / Dominus

... interesting that the List is still active and on paper the DJD is still a thing. Hmm.

[witchofthesouls]

For the TFP!kids being other + being turned into sparklings AU, how enraged would be the bots when they realise the cons are in custody of their sparklings? The Nemesis is about to flood with energon soon, cause there's no way they won't launch an assault to get then back (besides the fact that if they don't get them back June will do it herself, and that spells endless torture and horror beyond imagination for all parties involved)

Also, I think that one of the few reasons bots and cons would willingly work together without being at each other throats would be if the kids were kidnapped by MECH

Would Raf ever shift to his root mode? Chunkiest dragon pup turns into the chunkiest sparkling ever

June would be the only one that could coax Raf to shift into his root-mode. Yep, he’s a chunky, orange and yellow sparkling. Very round. More like newspark with his limited mobility and milky optics, but it will happen very rarely. Like count in a single hand, that few times.

Raf absolutely hates being in his root-mode at this point. He can barely move, his senses shift differently that’s frightens his limited view. It’s far easier for him to cope in his alt-mode.

Eventually when his optics fully clear to a bright red, he’ll be far more tolerant to switch to his two-legged form to toddle around.

Ratchet definitely taken pictures of the confused newspark before the wailing sets in.

The little Predacon distrusts the medic for bit. Raf remembers the coding-stall to keep from switching into his alt-mode. It takes a godly amount of granite and basalt to get him back in his lap. Not even the heedy call of heated plating and expert digits scratching his back could tempt him.

It’s a bit hilarious how jealous Ratchet would get that Raf would waddle his way to Optimus for his cuddles afterwards.

If the kids were taken by Decepticons, June would be able to tolerate it. Provided the trio is well-cared for and no experimentation is involved. Health checks, sure. But anything else deeply invasive to the pursuit of Knowledge and Progress. Ohhhh, the Things she would do. She will make rain E N E R G O N…

Humanity may have forgotten its roots, but Earth and its inhabitants are full of hunger.

Mudmen, affectionately coined for humans for their extreme adaptability, had held their own with and against Others, waging their own cycles of war and peace. After all, humans are both prey and predator as well.

Across the world, they are many tales of animal brides and grooms and unintended human spouses and children stolen away. There’s a unique quirk in humanity; magic takes well to their bodies and genes…

Should Airachnid ever, ever let her temptation override her self-preservation to target a nearby Jack… she’ll live just long enough to regret it.

June lived in a far darker time of sapient beings devouring other sapient beings. She won’t be moved by the spider’s tears or her regret. Not at all. Airachnid had simply failed to consider that far larger predators can and will eat her.

Her Insecticons could pose an issue with their sheer numbers, but June had far more experience hunting more gruesome beings. For all of their brute strength and superior sense, they hadn’t learned to truly fear what lurks in the dark, sunless depths of the sea, nor the pitiless shadows of the land. The nightmares that croon from the darkest pits of their hearts.

Soundwave will get a glimpse of what truly is beneath June’s civil mask from the whispering remains of Jack’s dreams upon waking up, and will personally gift-wrap Airachnid to June’s immense maw should the spider try something stupid.

There are reasons why the sparklings would have set guardians among Decepticon High Command. Raf may be with Predaking, but no one is stupid enough to go toe-to-toe with a protective Predacon. Especially since Predaking keeps Raf very close to him.

Should any of the kids fall under MECH’s terrible hands, June would already be on top of it. The Foundation behind Jasper Hospital would lend its own massive resources to the cause for the children’s Other heritage and MECH’s purpose of “technological advancement.”. For there are Rules in place. Treaties and Conventions from unspeakable horrors. And MECH has broken them. 

They will track by any means necessary. Any. There’s nowhere on Earth Silas/Leland/MECH could hide and won’t be found.

It will be a Hunt, especially if the Esquivels get involved (-scales set aflame and a massive wingspan that blocked out the sun-) for Mr. Esquivel is definitely not human…

[hi-im-writting]

Can you do a tfp headcanon of the bots and cons reaction to their cybertronian friend (reader) (who was a shy scientist that studied organic organisms and disappeared before the war because s/he went solo to an organic planet filled with spiders to perform an experiment on him/herself) crash landed on Earth in a pod and came out as a sassy techno-organic spider and said to them grinning "Like my new look?"?

Is...is this a reference to tfa Arachnid?? I've never watched it but I feel like this is. Anyway...

When you went missing, the team was really worried

They tried getting a hold of you but never got an answer back

After a while they just kinda accepted the fact that you were gone :(

I mean you are/were apart of team prime and a talented scientist so it was a big loss. Not only to the Autobot cause but personal as well

When they got a signal of a cybertronian space pod of unknown origin, they were spectacle but hopeful!

Now when you came out of the pod with a organic cybertronian fused frame the bots were taken back. Bulk and Bee didn't recognize you at first. Heck! Prime, Ratchet, and Arcee barely recognized you!

So when you came out of the pod and said "Like my new look?" It clicked for all of them

Very few bots knew of your experiment, but only prime knew of it out of the five. He didn't commend it and Optimus was kinda disappointed that you went with your plan

The rest of the bots were happy that you were ok, but gosh what happened?!

Arcee, too, was very upset that you did what you did and scolded you for it

Bee was also disappointed and a little hurt that you didn't really tell anyone, let alone him, where you were going nor what you were doing

The medical expert wanted to make sure you were ok! Also a bit salty that you just vanished

Bulkhead was nervous and also disappointed and hurt. He thought you all were pretty good friends and that you could tell him anything

(They were all a little indifferent about your new look)

[melishade]

Z-King: Hey in the human kids Trio AU do you think Eren would be jealous around Jack after hearing some the things Jack did including being trusted with the Key to Vector Sigma and heard from Miko and Ralf that Ratchet said Jack was a lot like Optimus?

TFP Kids Part 1

TFP Kids Part 2

Hm...I think it would be a mixed reaction. Because Eren was already aware of Jack, Miko, and Raf before they arrived to the AOP world in this timeline. Optimus told Eren about Earth and them in one of the Oneshot chapters on Ao3. Megatron alludes to them during the coup when he and Eren are having that fight. Megatron calls them a threat, and he believes it. Hell, Jack had the chance to kill him in the mine but chose not to.

But I think that Eren would be jealous of all three kids for different reasons. Not because Jack got entrusted the key to Vector Sigma, Miko killing an Insecticon by herself, or Raf giving Decepticon tech experts the run around.

No, he'd be jealous of them, because they are living the freest lives possible! Jack, Miko, and Raf are from a world where titans don't exist. There's no Marley or Eldia. They live in a place where food is not only in abundance, but even in excess. Miko wasn't even born in the US. She's from another continent. On top of that, they get to know someone as amazing as Optimus and even help end a war. But he gets to know them and he thinks they're amazing. It's just hard to be jealous of someone like them, but compared to the island, he thinks that they live in a paradise.

As the 104th and the kids are bonding, Eren kind of does bring it up as a pass in thought, saying that they must be living a life so grand and amazing. And then, to Eren's surprise, they all start busting out laughing.

"Look, buddy, we love our home!" Miko cackled, "But it's not all it's cracked up to be!"

"But there are no titans, no one threatening to destroy you because of who you are-,"

"Even when there is no massive threats to our home like titans, or even Megatron, humanity is it's own worst enemy," Jack explained, "Racism, sexism, climate change, nuclear warfare."

"Defunding of the arts, censorship in media, right-wing ass hats-!"

"Miko, take a breath," Jack interrupted her, earning a scowl from the human Wrecker.

"The displacement of thousand upon thousands of people due to the overall greed of capitalism," Rafael continued, "People are either forced out of their homes or have no choice but to flee, and a select few people have billions of dollars that they don't need."

"After my dad left us, me and my mom were living paycheck to paycheck for a time," Jack explained, "I had to learn to grow up and be responsible so she didn't have to worry about me. I even got a job because I didn't want to ask her for stuff and bother her with things when she already has enough to deal with."

"It's shit like this that kinda makes you think to just let the Decepticons destroy us," Miko proclaimed as she took a sip of her wine, "It's not like humans were making Earth better anyway!"

"We...we had no idea," Armin spoke.

"It's fine," Jack said, "We all just have our own set of problems. Just because one place has more, doesn't mean that they have it all together. Hell, we thought the Autobots were amazing when we first met them, but we met them when they were at war. An advanced civilization like them was at war. No one place is perfect. We're always fighting about something."

Eren has to privately re-examine his own assumptions about them and about Earth after that.

[sonicasura]

TF/M+R: Wrecker's Little Girl

A set of headcanons involving Wheeljack adopting Kanya from Mario + Rabbids from this post here. Enjoy!

Kanya

Species: Rabbid, Spark Hunter variety

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Occupation: Inventor/Wrecker

A Rabbid who literally crashed into Wheeljack's life after the events of Last Spark Hunter. He took her in and nursed her back to health. Kanya is still arrogant, manic and a bit mean but mellows into a nicer individual thanks to Wheeljack. She only shows kindness to those who she likes. Has therapy companions in the form of a dud Bob-omb named Bub and a Chain Chomp known as Nippy. (Wheeljack still doesn't know how she got em but let's them stay.)

-Daddy's little feral princess. Kanya is often spoiled by the Autobot with her own workshop, testing ground and all sorts of stuff like plushies. Even has a homemade star shaped stim toy she can bite when nervous.

- Often fights in a mech suit but her main weapon is a remote control yo-yo called the Ring O' Bomber. This item rolls around an explosive that becomes active once detached the string and has a 10 meter radius to move alongside a 10 second timer before detonating. A new bomb regrows in 10 seconds after detachment.

-Loves terrorizing calm leader types and grumps. Doesn't get much jollies with skittish people though since they're too easy to spook. TFP Ratchet is terrified of Kanya and she vows to break TFP Optimus Prime's calm persona. Ultra Magnus was a fun challenge.

-Absolutely kidnapped Breakdown from MECH just because she wants to know his beef with 'uncle Bulkhead'. He'd endured the most awkward tea party until Wheeljack had to let the Decepticon go after realizing what Kanya did. Breakdown will take that than vivisection from the MECH documents said Rabbid stole. (Prime only.)

-Don't put any fingers in Kanya's biting range. Many Cybertronians nearly lost a servo for doing so, Autobots and Decepticons. A much bigger menace to the latter since they don't learn. (G1)

Wheeljack

Species: Cybertronian, Autobot faction

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Occupation: Inventor/Demolition Expert/Wrecker

Kanya's foster father who cared for her since she crashed into his life. A fun loving inventor that tries to steer his Rabbid daughter to use her chaotic skills for something better than world domination. (He managed to get her to become neutral!) Be careful when visiting his workshop though. Wheeljack's inventions still have a tendency to explode! Even moreso with his daughter now around.

-Likes to spoil Kanya whenever he can. The Autobot figures some positive reinforcement will help with her mental issues. Especially after hearing about the Rabbid's origins. It works since she didn't bite him on the second week of recovery.

- Need to explain an invention or plan? Wheeljack usually lets Kanya go over it with the group and adds commentary when needed. It makes her happy so why not?

-Spray bottle. He always carry one as Kanya has a habit of 'overloading'. A nice spritz snaps her outta an episode and he can care for her accordingly. Only Wheeljack is allowed to handle Kanya during this period. He has made it an established rule for everyone's safety.

-'Get out of jail free card.' There have been MANY times he had to rescue someone solicited to his daughter's "tea parties". Autobots, Decepticons, etc. He casually warned Team Prime about it. They didn't believe him until Wheeljack gave footage of Breakdown's party. (Prime)

-Only person who can pick up Kanya without getting bitten. He always gives someone warning to watch their servos around his Rabbid daughter. Do they listen? NO. Wheeljack just pats a smug Kanya on the head afterwards. (G1)

That's it for now! Until next time folks, transform and roll out!

[elendiliel]

'Til All Are One

Sorry this one took so long. Life has been even more chaotic than usual. Hopefully I'll get round to the next one much sooner.

(Possible inspiration credits to @justawannabearchaeologist's "TFP Wheeljack in TFA" series here on Tumblr, and definite ones to @blueskyscribeupdates' fic With a Side of Rust; both are highly recommended.)

---

“You doing OK, kid?” Wheeljack replied to his own question before Glitch could. “Actually, don’t answer that. Something tells me you’re not.”

“What would that be?” The field-tech opened her optics (she had been trying, and failing, to meditate) and glanced down at her servos. And the magnets that had extended themselves from her wrists, and were still imitating an Earth crustacean’s claws until she consciously stopped and retracted them. “Oh. That.” Awk-ward. She was normally in full control of her mods, outside combat, at least.

“It’s all right. We’re all worried about Doc and Optimus.” Ratchet, Team Prime’s senior medic, had been captured by the Decepticons; Optimus Prime, the Autobots’ leader, was at that moment following an improvised drone to – they hoped – the ‘Cons’ mobile base and his Amica. “And I know you and Ratchet are pretty close.”

“Medic solidarity can be inconvenient,” Glitch agreed. Actually, she was close to two Ratchets – her mentor back in her home universe, and her senior colleague and friend in that one, both of whom had taught her to be more open about her thoughts and feelings. “As can some of the ways my processor’s wired differently. I’m scared more often than I should be, and it’s always hard to stop. Mindfulness and meditation are supposed to help, but either they’re not cutting the mustard this time or I’m not good enough. Probably both.” She’d been trying to calm down almost since Prime left, but her processor was still full of worst-case scenarios and it and her upper backstrut still felt as though they’d been electrified. And if she’d lost control of her mods, she was even more agitated than she’d realised.

“You need to look for a different solution, then.” That was Wheeljack the engineer talking – and possibly Wheeljack the Wrecker. The demolitions expert could be both at once, though Glitch had seen more and more of his inner scientist as they got to know each other. “D’you feel calm enough to try finishing those projects we’ve been working on? Maybe a distraction will help.”

“It’s worth a shot.” Glitch unfolded herself from her meditation pose and followed Wheeljack to their shared worktable. He was right; throwing herself into work did often help, and their projects might give the ‘bots another advantage in the near future. And we need as many of those as we can get.

***

“Do I look like hired help to you, Autobot?” No, Knock Out looked like a petulant newbuild as he objected to being asked to fetch a quantum cybermeasure by Ratchet. Someone hadn’t worked with another medic or scientist for quite some time. Ratchet almost sighed as Shockwave (another loner, but one who at least remembered lab etiquette) weighed in. He missed working with Rafael, Glitch and even Wheeljack, and it had been less than a day since his capture. (Or so he thought. Between unconsciousness, the cortical psychic patch and sheer boredom as – most likely – Shockwave was repaired after a battle, with Ultra Magnus and Glitch by the looks of things, it was hard to be sure.) Rafael would have scampered off to get the piece of equipment before Ratchet had finished the sentence, Glitch would have summoned it without looking up from her own work – or damaging anything – and Wheeljack would have handed it over with a sharp-sounding but clearly friendly comment. Despite himself, Ratchet had come to respect and even care about the reckless Wrecker, and thought the sentiment might be returned. But instead of any of his usual colleagues, he was stuck with an arrogant Aston Martin and an apparently emotionless tank. Oh well. He’d dealt with worse.

At least Shockwave knew what he was talking about. Discussing cybermatter and its relationship to Synth-En, Ratchet might as well have been back in Iacon before the war, or even in Hangar E on a calm day (or one of Glitch’s Bad Days, when she stayed behind to help him rather than risk becoming a liability in the field). Up until Knock Out let something very significant slip.

“And to think that had we not let you destroy the beasts, none of this would be possible.” Let you? Ratchet already knew that the Decepticons had learned that Synth-En and CNA could combine to form cybermatter from Wheeljack’s destruction of Shockwave’s cloning laboratory. But that had been part of a “regular” operation – or so it had seemed at the time. Glitch was right. It was a setup. She said it was all too convenient. They used us to do their dirty work, and Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus could have died as a result. But why destroy an asset they spent so much time and effort, and so many lives, creating? It doesn’t make sense – unless…

Knock Out clearly realised his mistake immediately, and tried to reverse, inexpertly aided by Shockwave steering Ratchet back to the matter in hand. But the damage was done. Walls don’t fix themselves when you back off after hitting them, Ratchet caught himself thinking. It sounded like something Glitch would say. I’d much rather have her here than those two. They might be far better scientists, but she’s a better colleague.

Knock Out was still in a foul mood when, some time later, Shockwave asked him for another CNA sample, and the sports car complied with poor grace, complaining about how “it wasn’t all that long ago I used to run this lab.” And doesn’t it show, Ratchet thought. Knock Out had run that lab all right – with one under-trained assistant, and a tendency to sneak off and enter illegal human races. (And that was after he and Breakdown had been recalled from their apparent extended leave of absence.) No wonder he was being so stroppy over sharing it with Ratchet and Shockwave. And his bad temper, combined with the CNA sample he had just knocked over such that the storage compartment hatch was wedged open, had given Ratchet a germ of a plan.

No time like the present. While the other medic’s backplate was turned, he made his way over to the cabinet and started trying to pull the sample free. He hadn’t got far when Knock Out turned towards him, but managed to distract him by asking for an isoprope, which kept the mech occupied for the circuit-shorting seconds it took to retrieve the canister. Ratchet was so relieved to have got away with his subterfuge that he actually thanked Knock Out for the unnecessary tool. The look of pleased surprise on the sports car’s face as he acknowledged the commonplace courtesy, and the few seconds it took him to register it, was unsettling to say the least. Medics often dispensed with such formalities, but did no one thank Knock Out for his work?

“I’m sorry about Breakdown.” The words slipped out before Ratchet could stop them, and he hastened to clarify his statement. “I can’t say I cared for the mech, but I know he meant a lot to you, and what it’s like to lose someone like that.”

Knock Out’s face was a picture, or rather a rapid succession of pictures, as he parsed Ratchet’s words. He eventually settled on something resigned and accepting, hiding the pain Ratchet knew he felt. “That little two-wheeler told you, didn’t she.”

“Glitch did, yes. You may have noticed she doesn’t have much in the way of filters, and you weren’t really her patient, so patient confidentiality didn’t apply. She told us everything, rather than keep it locked up in her spark, or let anyone’s imagination fill in the gaps. And she isn’t holding a grudge. I don’t think she can.” Ratchet would have said his junior colleague didn’t have a vengeful strut in her frame, but he’d heard her talk about her Shockwave and knew that wasn’t true. She couldn’t hate Knock Out, though. She understood him too well. And if she didn’t hate him for invading her mind and trying to kill her, nor could Ratchet. However much he might dislike the idea of anyone harming the gentle young femme.

Knock Out was spared having to respond by Shockwave reminding them both to stay on task. His complaints were probably cosmetic by that point – as was Ratchet’s apparent total focus on his work. While the Synth-En project was fascinating, he was also planning his best way out of there.

***

“Autobot base, do you read? Can anyone hear me?” Half a dozen of Glitch’s tools clattered to the floor as she jumped to her peds. She had thrown herself even more deeply into her work since Prime had reported Chip’s destruction. But Ratchet’s voice over the comm was all the distraction she needed.

“Loud and clear, old friend!” Prime’s joy as he replied to his Amica was shared by everyone back at base – until Ratchet reported that Megatron had reconstructed the Omega Lock, the device that could cyberform any planet. It could restore that universe’s devastated Cybertron, or extinguish all life on Earth. No prizes for guessing which King ‘Con would do first, even before Ratchet confirmed it.

There was blaster fire in the background of the transmission; Ratchet had to keep moving, but Glitch managed to tap his internal comms long enough to say a few words. “We’re coming for you, Doc-‘Bot. Don’t do anything I would do in the meantime.”

“I think that ship has already taken off.” Even Glitch could hear the amusement in his voice.

“How so?”

“Blew up a centrifuge by dropping an isoprope into it, escaped in vehicular mode, talked Predaking into going after Megatron rather than finishing me off. Maybe I’ve been around you too long.”

“Or you’ve always been like that. Either way, I intend for you to be around me a bit longer. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to tool up. See you on the other side.”

“’Til we meet again.” How did Ratchet know that one? Hamilton hadn’t even come out yet in that timeframe. Perhaps he’d raided her music collection.

The line went dead, and Glitch turned her attention to preparing for the battle ahead. Packing her tools, scrupulously maintained as always, back into her repair kit. Fitting her EMP generator, modified with Ratchet’s and Wheeljack’s help to act as a stun-gun for ‘bots of that reality and finished just in time, to her right arm. (Another modification; previously, it had only been worn on her left arm, hooked into the same circuits her shield used, a design flaw she’d finally corrected.) Adding one or two new gadgets to her arsenal. That stasisless night and day hadn’t been wasted.

Around her, the other ‘bots readied their own weapons and tools. Glitch took particular note of an energy bow Smokescreen had chosen, which reminded her of the one her universe’s Rodimus Prime had designed for himself. Smokescreen had always reminded her a bit of a young Rodimus. She just hoped he survived to grow up and become as good a leader. And that, to that end, he actually knew how to use that bow.

At last, everyone was prepared. Glitch hardly heard Prime’s motivational speech (some things never changed) as she stepped into the groundbridge alongside Bumblebee, the team’s only other shield user. They all knew the stakes. If they failed, Earth would fall. So they would not fail. They could not.

But success wasn’t going to be easy; that much was obvious the moment they arrived on top of the warship and almost immediately met with determined, if depleted, resistance. Bumblebee beeped a familiar statement as he and Glitch took their logical places at the front of the formation.

“’Til all are one,” she agreed.

[thatturtleleon]

Raf (TFP) Headcanons

Quick note: This is a collab with my lovely moot @lonely-paracosmos!

Onto the headcanons:

Transmasc Raf !!

He felt vry isolated until he met Miko and Jack, who were ofc super accepting

Same with the other bots

"You're a boy? Cool!"

They don't mind one bit, hell, they're literally TRANSformers

Aro/ace spec (lowkey both of us projecting) and gay (didn't realize it until later on though, probably during his highschool or college years)

Collects sci-fi comic books! Bonus points if they're about aliens!

One of his favorite movies of all times is Cars

Stims by flapping his hands :)

He'll sit with Bee and ramble about whatever comic book he's reading, Bee loves it because the pages are too tiny for him to read

Has ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) and is extremely selective with food

Autistic (basically canon ngl)

His special interests are technology and cars!

^^ and adding onto that, Raf loves to learn about cybertronian technology, stories, the language, etc.

He asks all the bots all sorts of questions, Ratchet was a little annoyed at first (when he first met Raf) but he grew to appreciate Raf's curiosity of their culture and tech

Loves to chew on shit randomly

Had a meltdown when they moved bases, the stress and change were too much (feel u Raf)

Miko made little keychains that matched everyones guardians (motorcycle keychain for Jack, yellow and black sports car for Raf, etc.)

Raf always has it with him, even when Bee has to leave at the end of the show :(

They (including all the humans too) check in with each other over video calls very often, chatting away about their lives and such

Raf makes sure to check in with Ratchet too, and Ratchet appreciates that

Definitely becomes an expert computer scientist and works with Agent Fowler a lot

He keeps in touch with Jack and Miko through his job too, personally I hc that Miko becomes a pilot of somesort and Jack has a job similar to Agent Fowlers

Still waiting for his damn snowball from Optimus to this day.

[sunset-synthetica]

Soo what stuff are ya gonna change plotwise in tf apotheosis aka the tfp s2-3 re-write. like whats elita gonna be like for this au alongside jazz n kup?

I'm not sure if I'm ever gonna actually publish a full rewrite as I'm busy as fuck and my past attempts at multi chapter fics have NOT gone well, but tldr I wanna go with the space pirates concept the writers had originally planned out. The overarching themes would be a focus on how team Prime has gotten used to humans and adapted some cultural norms that Cybertronians view as unusual, and how the death of Cybertron impacted everyone (not just the Autobots). They've lost their home, and everyone would adapt differently to that, from trying to replicate it, to adapting a different cultural identity to cope with the loss.

I'd also wanna explore some of the characters more in-depth and either expand on or change their arcs a bit, particularly making Optimus' stance on Megatron and the war change more drastically, expand on Ratchet's feelings towards his position as a medic and his relationship with Raf, and of course give Arcee the revenge she should have gotten.

As for the new characters I'd introduce: Elita-1 is the captain of the pirate ship, the Azimuth. Her and Optimus disagreed about the fate of Cybertron. She left with some other Autobots to try and set up a base on another planet, but overtime converted their ship into a sort of traveling haven, welcoming anyone who found themself in their situation- lost and with nowhere to go. She's effectively removed herself from the conflict, and does her best to welcome anyone, former fried or foe, on the ship. Although there had been some security issues at first, her and her chain of command didn't give up.

She does her best to rid herself of the hardened shell the war had forced her into, but still struggles with it. She may come off as a bit too radical or easy to anger to some, but both stem from a genuine fear for her people and a deep passion for what they've all managed to build.

Azimuth itself has the particular quirk of always being changed. Occasionally, someone comes up with the idea of creating a map, but it never gets anywhere, as the layout never stays the same. Whether repairing existing structures or adding new walls, modules or even external parts of the ship, making an accurate map is impossible.

Jazz is the ship's chief communications officer, always by the radio. When she's not talking to pilots of the ships they occasionally encounter, or trying to catch a broadcast from a nearby planet, she likes to station herself by a common area and play or sing music. Although she's very liberal with the tools at her disposal, often blocking one of the side channels so she can play music or act as a self-appointed DJ (not that people don't feed into it) she is incredibly aware of her responsibilities, and knows when to sober up.

Kup doesn't really have a specific role on the ship. He occasionally helps maintain the weapons on-board, but spends most od his time relaxing or talking to others about his life in both wars (the civil, most recent and the war with Quintessons). He tends to get more than a bit heated at times, but is generally regarded as an expert on the topic, and a kind soul under a rough exterior.

[weenwrites]

TFP Wheeljack and Ratchet W/ An S/O ( Poly )

Pairing - Romantic Category - Headcanons Trigger Warnings - None

With a reckless explosives expert and a grumpy old doctor, there’s never a dull moment with the two in your life. You and Ratchet are either pulled into Wheeljack’s combustive shenanigans, or you and Wheeljack are attempting to evade Ratchet’s wrath, yet he still loves the two of you the same.

Well normally your time is spent either at the base with Ratchet, enjoying one another’s company or chatting together about anything, or at times with Wheeljack in the Jackhammer, going on extremely dangerous adventures like blowing up energon mines. Of course Wheeljack is more careful with you because Ratchet had a stern chat with him regarding your safety. During the rare chance that Ratchet can leave the base and spend time with you and Wheeljack, it’s a surefire recipe for a memorable experience with your two partners.

PDA? Wheeljack is shameless about it, he’ll go smooching you or Ratchet literally whenever and wherever as long as he isn’t busy with something like fighting. Ultra Magnus had to give him a lecture about PDA multiple times, and it didn’t change a thing. Ratchet is more reserved and keeps all the kissing, hand-holding, cuddling, etc. in private, thank you very much.

Dates between the three of you often consist of flying around in the Jackhammer— Ratchet tags along to ensure the two of you will be alright, and to try and keep you both out of trouble— or chill casual dates doing whatever as long as the three of you are spending time together.

Wheeljack definitely has a wide array of nicknames for you depending on if you’re short or tall, big or small, etc.. He could call you beanstalk or short-stack, cupcake or muffin, you get the point he has so many nicknames for you depending on your physical appearance. But regardless of what you look like, he’ll still call you doll or sweetspark, you share the nickname sunshine with Ratchet. Speaking of the doctor, Ratchet on the other hand just sticks with calling you by your name, so it’s mainly Wheeljack who’s flustering the heck out of the two of you with affectionate nicknames.

If you’re ever self-conscious of how you look, whether it be you’re big or small, have any skin conditions, etc., or just generally think you don’t look nice, the two of them will assure you that you’re perfect and absolutely wonderful the way you are. On Cybertron, Cybertronians aren’t picked on or ridiculed for their looks and they’re rather accepting of bots all shapes and sizes, the same will go for humans.

[earthstellar]

I made the above Psychological First Aid infographic based on some of the training resources I used during my own PFA certification process, mostly as a training tool for others doing similar courses, but also to use in some more Transformers analysis of medic characters LMAO 

You can see some of my PFA sources, including the source for the above, in this post where I discuss Ratchet’s good PFA practices in TFP. 

Click to enlarge the PFA information sheet! :)

At the moment, I’d like to talk some more about Transformers psychology and mental health-- This time, using Rung as an example! 

Cybertronian Psychology: What We Know From Canon 

We know that Psychology is an established field of practice on Cybertron, with several different mental health specialities being noted in various TF continuities. 

Froid and Rung are the best known, while Blot and Bombshell are Psychologists in the SG universe, among others. 

But first, it’s important to note that Rung is a Psychiatrist, not a Psychologist! 

Here’s a helpful resource for you to learn the difference, which I have summarised for you below: 

Psychiatry: The study of mental health problems and related diagnostic processes, management of mental illnesses, and prevention of mental illness. 

Psychology: The study of people, all aspects of behaviour, and the underlying sources of behaviour (thoughts, feelings, etc.).

Rung is a medical doctor, at least by human standards, as Psychiatrists are clinicians trained in mental health as a speciality. By Cybertronian standards, we have seen that mental health specialists on Cybertron tend to be mostly if not entirely separate from the general medical staff, which may be a matter of organising healthcare services by category based on a specific Cybertronian system of medical provision. 

As Rung isn’t ever referred to as a medic in the same sense as First Aid or Ratchet are, it hints that there are some key differences in how various medical staff may be trained, treated, or perceived based on speciality. 

This division of certain care services may have been influenced further by the war, demanding that hospitalists/clinicians be deployed as field medics, while mental health care teams may have been positioned at bases or in more defended areas to allow for post-acute injury assessment, follow up, and so on. 

This allows for emergency mental health support teams, such as disaster response, acute or emergent mental health care, and so on-- While also leaving mental health experts on hand at bases or other areas to ensure such care is available and accessible as much as possible. 

We see that Ratchet does hint at referring cases to Rung, or receiving referrals for patients from Rung, so we know there is a multi-agency healthcare approach-- At least, on board the Lost Light. 

What Does Rung Do? 

We see him carry out the following work, here and there: 

-Therapy and Support Sessions

We don’t know what various methods of therapy may exist, although from what we see in MTMTE, he seems to provide initial assessments, follow-up sessions, individually tailored therapy, and general mental health services. 

-Psychological First Aid 

Addressing and following up with patients who have experienced immediate trauma.

-Mental Health Intervention 

Taking on acute cases or referred cases to step in and assess + provide appropriate mental health care. 

-Provision of Referrals to Med Bay (Additional Care Services) 

In many healthcare systems, direct referral is referring a patient over to a specific named clinician, where a general referral is passing the patient to a service or hospital department etc. to determine who will see them and when.

In the context of the Lost Light, Rung seems to be able to assess a patient and determine they are at risk; At that point, he has a direct line to the CMO (Ratchet), which we see evidence of at least twice on panel. 

Two things can then happen: 

General Referral: Ratchet can then assign the patient to another medic to make an appointment and follow up. This is a non-emergent option, meaning if a patient is deemed at risk or in acute need of further care, a direct referral is preferred. 

Direct Referral: If the patient requires more specialist care, Ratchet may be named to take the patient in as “acute priority” for himself, meaning that he will pick up the case as he is the most experienced clinician available in their Med Bay. He will then see the patient as immediately as possible to address any concern(s). 

If another clinician is named (First Aid, Velocity, etc.), then they will have the “acute priority” patient and carry out the same process from there. 

Risk Assessment Process

The methods used for identifying patients at risk can be complex, and it seems that in Cybertronian psychology, there are some similarities in assessment processes compared to real world risk assessment. 

Here is a guide on good practice for assessing risk, provided by the Royal College of Psychiatrists. 

The above document gives a good idea of what “red flags” or concerns may be of note, and how to potentially handle a patient who may present a risk. 

This process may vary for Cybertronians, but possibly not by very much, as a lot of risk assessment is designed to be somewhat general as each patient must be assessed individually whenever possible-- There is no universal assessment process, as factors may vary significantly from patient to patient/situation to situation/etc. 

However, due to the differences in the physical aspects of the Cybertronian mind, there will inevitably be some serious deviations from real world practice. 

Many of these have extremely frightening possibilities; For example, note the panel below: 

With humans, many mental health concerns may have chemical imbalance or other organic/physical element as a significant or secondary contributing/compounding factor.

But with Cybertronians, their minds are essentially computers. 

Far fewer chemicals involved, compared to the number of mechanical components that may also present similar mental health concerns if any of those components should be damaged or working improperly. 

So, in a way, that difference is a similarity! 

Even so, the physical differences in relation to the mind are still significant to note: 

In the panel above, Rung is discussing a patient that has been deemed to be at risk by Froid, who has elected to employ extreme methods of “treatment”, seemingly in an attempt to resolve the mental health concern. 

Personality adjustment, in this sense, is to essentially re-write someone’s personality. It’s not an effort to see if further support may help change or improve someone’s wellbeing. It’s literally saying “your personality is bad, and it’s very hard to fix, so we’re going to give you a new personality.” YIKES. 

In human beings, addressing personality concerns is an extremely complex and lengthy process. Our brains form physical pathways, and physical and psychological factors are both heavily involved in personality development, resultant behaviour patterns, and so on. 

With Cybertronians, you can get a mneumosurgeon to step in (likely via referral, as there seems to be an established care pathway for this process) and just... Clean out the mind. Literally. 

This is alarming for a lot of reasons, but primarily because of this key point: 

Cybertronian mental health services do not seem to require patient consent, only the consent of a lead physician or healthcare professional. 

We see time and time again that it is not the patients being directly asked questions about their care or treatment methods, but rather, whoever is deemed to be “in charge” is asked instead. 

Patient Care: Ratchet vs Rung 

Even Ratchet pushes it a little sometimes, when he occasionally pushes back now and then whenever a patient chooses a care option that he has not recommended or approved of himself, even when that patient is well informed and has stated their wishes repeatedly. 

(Yes, even if a decision isn’t the best clinically speaking, a patient still has the right to determine how they would like to proceed with any medical care-- Or even to proceed without any further medical care.)

Of course, patient consent as we understand it is based on real world, human medicine. We don’t know what Cybertronian patient rights laws or practices might be in place. 

For example of a real patient consent framework, you can find a good outline of informed consent according to the Council of Europe’s Convention for Human Rights right here, as published by the European Commission. 

In context, Ratchet’s push back is sometimes understandable, such as when a care option chosen by a patient may be potentially seriously dangerous for the patient or for others. 

But it’s still worth noting, as such push back (especially with Ratchet’s usual grumpiness and his status as CMO lending him significant authority in matters of patient care) can sometimes cause a patient to question themselves, leading to them giving consent for a procedure they didn’t really want for example, or leaving a patient confused or unwilling to engage as much with medical staff in the future, in a way that can lead to unwanted or unintended outcomes of care. 

It seems as though the war has compounded serious problems with patient consent in Cybertronian medicine; Problems which were already established as being par for the course prior to the war. 

There are several reasons for this, including political influences on medical best practice guidelines before the war even started, which resulted in all sorts of horrific medical practices and procedures being carried out. This includes, of course, empurata. 

My father was an Army Medic who was part of MEDIVAC/CASEVAC, and... Let’s just say that providing care while under active fire is wildly complex and difficult for all involved, and the triage process is the framework for pretty much everything after a certain point. 

In conditions of war, patient consent gets complicated, too. Typical care frameworks are likely unable to be applied or are not applicable in such situations, the battlefield/wartime specific frameworks for patient care that do exist may not be applicable in all scenarios-- Medical ethics and patient care in the context of war is extremely complex. 

Rung, from what we see in canon, seems to have retained a very firm and possibly somewhat uniquely kind and patient-focused set of personal professional ethics. He doesn’t seem as weighed down by the war and any necessary deviations in practice standards or procedures, in contrast to Ratchet, who we know deals with at least some degree of trauma around perceived failures to provide adequate or successful care under the conditions of war. 

We don’t know about all of what he did during the war, but we do know that he was unsatisfied with the way things were prior to the war, and we know that he did not give in to poor standards of practice even when other leading professionals in his field capitulated to political pressure, social pressure, and constantly slipping care standards. 

Ratchet has also maintained strong professional ethics and upholds excellent practice; We know he was also upholding personal professional standards far above those expected of him during the pre-war period. 

However, his patient care can be a little more questionable here and there, with his grumpiness sometimes causing him to forget that not everyone will respond well or tolerate the more gruff approach that he developed out of necessity for himself and others during the war. 

(And we all know how his advice to Drift went down pre-war... Not the smoothest, although he is seemingly not trained in providing emotional support for certain at-risk patients such as Drift was at that time, lending to my theory that specialisation works differently in Cybertronian medicine. Which would explain a lot. I will make another post about pre-war Drift and Ratchet’s interaction, later, to cover it in-depth!) 

This is not to compare them too directly, as their situations and experiences vary significantly, and of course, we can’t compare Ratchet to Primus Himself...! 

But Ratchet and Rung are great examples of using patient focused practice and standards to disregard common/legal but harmful protocols in favour of actually preventing harm and actively addressing healthcare concerns, particularly for those most in need. 

Rung and Maintaining Duty of Care 

He takes on significantly at risk or “dangerous” patients, such as Whirl, and continues to maintain ethical and professional standards even when under duress or at risk of harm for specifically doing the morally and ethically right thing. 

He even names Duty of Care as his reasoning for maintaining patient confidentiality, even when the patient himself is threatening him for doing just that. 

This is a good document provided by the Australian National Mental Health Consumer and Carer Forum, which outlines some key Duty of Care basics. 

It’s almost time for me to get ready for my actual job at a clinic lmao, so I’ll leave this post as-is for now. 

As always, sorry for the length, but I hope this is interesting to someone! :) 

If you read all of this, thank you!!! <3 

[primergon]

KINDA ANGSTY SCENARIO REQUEST: how would the tfp bots or cons (or both if you can) be at raising their child after loosing their human conjux, how would the loss affect them and the way they take care of the kid(s)? (sorry for any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language)

A/N: Thank you for sending this in Anon! Don't worry about your english, it's really good ! I'm going to the Autobots for your ask and if a lot of people enjoy this then I'll make a part two with the Decepticons! I hope that's alright <3

1. Whether it was under the influence of the matrix or not, Optimus had always wanted a sparkling. There were stories of how the matrix encourages its bearer to create life, a survival instinct crafted by the old gods to ensure that the Cybertronian race persevered. Yet even when he was still an archivist, Orion had always wanted to raise a bitlet. Therefore, even if he grieves over the loss of his conjunx, he was still the doting father. Even if Optimus was constantly torn between his responsibilities as both a leader and a father, he always seemed to make time for both. He would teach them the alphabet and read them bedtime stories, and Optimus was an expert in balancing discipline and encouragement since he used to take young soldiers under his wing. There was a familiar ache against his spark when he realizes the baby had inherited their carrier's optic colour. Whenever the sparkling cries at night, he would scoop them up in his arms gently. Cooing and rocking the little bitlet until they fall asleep. Whenever things get too difficult for Optimus, he would always look up to wonder if his conjunx is watching them. It warms his spark to know that his little sparkling will grow up just to be like their carrier. It gives him all the more reason to win this war.

2. Your death change Bumblebee. Even after the war ended and he had his voice back, it was as if the light inside him had dimmed. He turned quiet and mostly kept to himself. If it wasn't for the little sparkling you both had together, Bumblebee wouldn't have healed properly. He pushed himself to continue for your bitlet's sake, always striving to be the best father. He often seeks Optimus for advice, and when he wasn't there, Arcee and Bulkhead were more than happy to help out. Even Ultra Magnus is open to giving the Scout advice. The war sometimes makes people forget just how young Bumblebee was. He was old enough to have children of course, but he was way too young to be widowed. And so he and his sparkling learned from one another, and parenthood was a different kind of challenge for him. But the moment the baby wraps their little hand around his finger, Bumblebee knew that all the sleepless nights were worth it. He just wished you were here to see the little sparkling fall asleep against his arm.

3. Bulkhead didn't hide his grief. He would openly talk about you to his sparkling, trying to hold back tears as he remembered all the good memories you shared. He was an excellent father, even if he sometimes doubts it. Wheeljack would often remind him that he's doing amazing, even offering to babysit the bitlet while Bulkhead gets some rest. The wrecker often gets angry at the world for being unfair, for taking you away from him, from your baby. Going as far as to punch holes into the metal walls of the base. Yet, the gentle giant made sure his sparkling would never see that side of him. Always affectionate and attentive to the bitlet that reminds him so much of you. Miko would let the bitlet sit on her lap, playing with her while Bulkhead watches nearby. He often visits your grave with the baby, talking to you as if you were there to listen - and Bulkhead knows, somewhere up there, you were listening.

4. Angry. Arcee was upset, frustrated and so very angry. The world keeps on taking and taking from her. It broke her heart to know that her bitlet would grow up in such a cruel world. Yet, the moment she looks into their eyes and sees a reflection of you in them, Arcee made a promise to make sure that no hurt will ever come to her sparkling. It's funny how she used to tease June for being a helicopter mom because Arcee is no different. She's protective, sometimes too protective of the baby. Always worrying every five minutes even after Ratchet had ordered her to get some sleep. She doesn't trust anyone outside of team Prime with her child, and even if they wanted to hold the baby she would have to be close to keep watch. Jack would often watch over them, entertaining the gibberish coming out of their mouth. It warms her spark to know that even under all that loss, she still has love left inside of her. And she swore to give it all to the sparkling in her arms. Not a day goes by without her thinking of you.

5. Even if it wasn't his fault, Ratchet couldn't stop blaming himself for it. The memory of your death playing over and over again in his processor. It made him feel unworthy of the baby in his arms. He doesn't show his grief, but underneath that exterior, Ratchet was crushed. There was a multitude of emotions overwhelming him, sadness, regret, worry, anger, pain - so much pain. The hurt only goes away when the baby laughs. That gave him the push to pull himself together. Ratchet is naturally idealistic, he sets high standards for himself to cope with your absence. He became preoccupied with taking care of the baby, and if he wasn't, he was reading on how to become the ' best father.' Optimus has to constantly remind him that we cannot create the perfect parent out of a test tube. Every mistake made Ratchet feel ashamed, yet he accepted the fact that parenthood was all about learning. He wasn't religious, but Primus does the old mech feel blessed to have the baby in his arms.

6.Smokescreen still couldn't fully accept your death, stuck within this loop of bargaining and denial. It pained everyone around him to see Smokescreen so torn. The only thing that kept him grounded was the Sparkling. He loves how they remind him to stay cheerful, giving him hope even when he can barely smile. He remains optimistic for your baby's sake, knowing he still has so much to learn about being a sire. Smokescreen wasn't a perfect parent, mistakes naturally occur, but what makes him a great parent is that he tries to be better. He was maturing into a better person because of his child, achieving the best version of himself through fatherhood. Eventually, he knows he should move on from the grief, but just because Smokescreen decided to accept your death for the sake of your child doesn't mean he forgot about you. He knows that you'll always be in his spark. He wonders if you're proud of him.

7.Being a father was not something Wheeljack had predicted for himself. He had always seen himself as a lone mech, never grounded to one place. It was just heartbreaking to see that when he finally decided to build a home with you, the universe had other plans. Wheeljack guarded his emotions and kept to himself because he doesn't want to get hurt, so your death made him withdrew even more. He was angry at himself. Yet when he held the sparkling in his arms, Wheeljack realized that they needed him more than ever. He doubts he'll make a good father, but Team Prime was more than willing to help him. Bulkhead gave him a lot of pointers on how to care for the baby, even Ultra Magnus had offered some advice. Fatherhood helped him heal and at the same time, it made him realize that he still has a home. As reckless as Wheeljack was he's protective towards his baby. He only begins to cut himself some slack when Arcee compared him to Ultra Magnus. Wheeljack knew children were different from assembling ships. There was no manual. He struggled a lot, but through time and a lot of patience, he was happy to see that his sparkling grew into a mini version of himself. They remind him so much of you and Wheeljack wished you were there to see him now.

8.Ultra Magnus lives a life of fighting. Even before the war, he was already part of the military. As the leader of the Wreckers and the Autobot's second in command, Ultra Magnus has to make sure he has nothing to lose. He cannot afford any kind of liability that would hold him back. Therefore, when he lost you, he couldn't help but beat himself up for it. He feels responsible for putting you in such a dangerous position, even if your death had nothing to do with him. A common misconception is that Ultra Magnus doesn't feel, but in reality, he feels too much to the point where your death pushed him into drinking. Ultra Magnus has a hard time allowing himself grief, so once he does, he loses control for the first time in his life. The main reason he sobered up was that he knew he had a child to look after. He was attentive and observant, always providing for the sparkling whenever it cries or gets hungry. Yet, a baby is nowhere near one of his subordinates. Even if he's aware of this, he sometimes still finds himself stuck in difficult situations. The commander has a hard time asking for help, but thankfully those around him were more than willing to help out. Ultra Magnus was a strict parent. He often grows too protective of his child. The thought of losing someone after you was unbearable. However, with a little reminder here and there, Ultra Magnus had managed to raise a wonderful child. Ultra Magnus would often take a look at the holo-picture of you he keeps in his subspace and feel proud. He was happy to see that his child took after their carrier.

A/N : I hope this was what you wanted Anon <3