A sudden upheaval, an unexpected change, chaos and destruction and tragedy.
From one perspective, at least.
â
When Sentinel Primeâs younger son, Rodimus Prime, is stolen from the palace by a great and powerful dragon, Sentinel makes the decision to elevate over a thousand citizens of Iacon into an order of knights and sends them on a quest: bring him his son, safe and unharmed, and the head of the beast whole stole him away in the first place. To whichever knight succeeds in this endeavor, Sentinel Prime promises a boon.
Ratchet did not expect to be picked as one of these so-called âknightsâ. Nor did he expect that, when finally confronted with the dragon in question, that he would be reunited with someone he never thought he'd see again.
â
Read it on AO3 or here below â
NOTES:
welcome to another mossmobile original. donât think too hard about how everything works this is a lot more vibes-based than anything. i just wanted to write a fun dratchrod fantasy au. unfortunately no real dratchrod until chapter 2 đ but i hope you enjoy a whole lot of ratchet being the crankiest motherfucker alive for this first chapter :)
â â â
The Primal Palace, usually a picture of magnificence and religious might, was still stained with soot and ash even as it welcomed in a swarm of mechs. Gouges and fire damage littered much of the structure, but it was the high tower that had once held the younger prince that had suffered the most, the roof slashed off and fallen somewhere far below, little more than rubble now. One could still see the clawmarks on what remained of the high walls if they squinted.
Perhaps it was in poor tasteâconsidering the events that caused all this damage and destructionâbut Ratchet couldnât help but think that the Primal Palaceâs appearance finally matched its rotten ruler. Ugly and worn, a perversion of something that had once been holy. Yes, this palace surely fit Sentinel Prime more than a building of glittering gold and white ever had.
Ratchet was certainly not the only mech who wanted nothing to do with this farce the Primacy had cooked up, but he had little choice in the matter. When one received an order from the Prime himself, it wasnât exactly like they had the option of saying no.
Indeed, when Ratchet had tried to get out of his summons, when heâd tried to file for an exemption based on his status as a medic, heâd been politely informed that since he wasnât working at an officially recognized hospital, he legally did not count as a medic and thusly wouldnât be exempt. When heâd sent in a reply to his rejectionâone that contained perhaps a few more swear words than strictly necessaryâhis response had been a pair of enforcers at the door of his clinic, commanding him to appear before the Prime, as required, or be jailed and have his place of work shut down.
So not only did they want Ratchet to go on a wild goose chase that was likely to get him and who knew how many other poor souls killed, they also wanted to shut down his clinic?
Truth be told, if it had just been Ratchet who worked there, he mightâve taken the jail time. As it was, heâd chosen compliance instead, handing off his duties to the young First Aidâwho had avoided this draft mostly by virtue of his being in a gestalt and having an enforcer in it.
So Ratchet had gone to the still-smoldering heart of Iacon, preparing himself for no small amount of utter bullshit.
Heâd been tagged upon his arrival, a ring of golden metal welded around his arm with Sentinelâs Prime insignia pressed into it. A glorified brand, really. Ratchet wasnât positive it wouldnât simply snap off the first time any of them had to transform. And the welding job was one of the worst Ratchet had ever seenâit itched like hell against his plating. Made him feel like more of a Primacy dog than heâd felt as Sentinelâs slagging CMO.
All of them that had been summonedâa broad range of characters, hundreds of them, probably at least a thousandâwere gathered in the stadium below the palace itself. The area, Ratchet knew, was from a gorier era of Iaconâs history. It had once been a gladiatorial arena, bigger even than the largest in Kaon, but those times had come to a close and Iacon had supposedly entered a more civilized age.
Shoved in with a thousand or so other mechs, being gawked at by an even larger crowd filling the tall stands, Ratchet couldnât help but think that this was little more than a return to bloodsport.
High above them all, bedecked in glittering blue and a much brighter gold than the band around Ratchetâs arm, was His Holiness himself, Sentinel Prime. The mech needed only to raise a handâmade all the more visible by the high screens that had been erected to show off His Gaudiness in high definitionâbefore the mass of people below him (beneath him) went silent.
âMy dearest people, my beloved citizens of Iacon,â Sentinel began, his voice broadcast all across the arena and likely to the city at large beyond. âI am sure you are all aware by now of the tragedy that has struck my House. Of the beast that beset my home and terrorized my city! And I am bereaved to inform you that this monster was not content with simple destruction. It committed a grave crime against me, against the Primacy itself!
âI am here now to inform you that the rumors you have been hearing these past few weeks are true: my youngest sonâHis Highness, Rodimus Primeâwas stolen away from us by this great beast.â
The crowd erupted into loud murmuring. Ratchet himself felt his frown deepen by the barest amount. Rodimus Prime was not nearly as beloved or even well-known as his elder brother, but he was still the son of the Prime. To hear heâd been taken was no small thing. And, for all that Ratchet despised the kidâs sire, Rodimus Prime was just thatâa kid.
Heâd known already, of course. Pharma had called him up just barely after the whole affair concluded and hadnât been able to stop himself from gossiping, it seemed. For all the bad blood between them, it had been nice of his old partner to give Ratchet some measure of warning before this whole clusterfuck.
Speaking loud over the sound of the crowd below, Sentinel continued on, âI am as shocked and dismayed as the rest of you, I promise, and I will stop at nothing to see my son returned. To that endâŠâ
Here, the Prime paused to turn his gaze down to the many mechs standing in the arena itself. A whole host of sacrifices to their Primeâs mad plan.
âI have gathered as many⊠suitable mechanisms as my people could find. You all who now bear my mark, whom I have named my knights, you will go forth and slay the beast that stole my son.â
And there it was.
Knights. Utter slag, if you asked Ratchet. Neither Iacon nor any of its Primes had employed knights since antiquity. Back then such a title had meant something, but here and now? It was simply a way for Sentinel to make them all feel a bit better about this little hunt they were being sent on.
That was all they were to be, a pack of turbohounds sent to flush their Primeâs prey from the undergrowth. Ratchet severely doubted any of their odds of killing a predacon on their own, and he didnât have high hopes that there would be many âknightsâ that would have any interest in teaming up to give themselves better chances. Mostly becauseâŠ
âAnd, to whichever knight returns me my son and brings me the head of the dragon that stole him away from me,â Sentinel continued, an indulgent smile on his face, âI will award the highest honor I can give and grant them a boonâwhatever they may wish from their Prime will be given to the best of my ability.â
That caught the attention of many of the newly-named knights and much of the crowd beyond. A boon from the prime was no small thing, but in promising it to a perceived single mech would only incite competition. And competition would only make it harder for all of them to succeed against a foe as insurmountable as an entire dragon.
Ratchet thought the most likely outcome would be that, after the vast majority of knights had tried and failed to kill the beast, Sentinel would finally send in the military to deal with it. By then it might even be somewhat weakened. Or, perhaps, it would be even stronger after the buffet it would be served by Sentinelâs command.
Whatever the outcome, Ratchet could only foresee a lot of bloodshed in the coming days.
âGo forth now with your Primeâs blessing, my knights. May Primus guide your path in your coming trials. Iacon prays for your success!â
If Ratchet couldâve, he probably wouldâve bolted around then. Snuck off somewhere to pry the band off his arm and go back to his jobâthe place that actually needed him. But Sentinel wasnât going to just throw them straight into the dragonâs jaws, no. He was going to make a spectacle of it, first.
A damn parade, with just over a thousand mechanisms marching through the streets of Iacon like the worldâs least organized army. Ratchet kept seeing people stumble in the shuffling crowdâmore than that, he saw some people occasionally purposefully shoving or tripping those around them. Ratchet was forced to keep his head held high as he and the rest of these knights were herded to the edge of the city, citizens gawking at them all with mixed awe and anxiety. Ratchet doubted any of the âknightsâ inspired much confidence.
At the cityâs exit, they were met with the greatest kindness Sentinel could offer his sacrifices: each of them were given a puny kit of limited gear and solid energon rations. Ratchet was handed a sword, patted on the shoulder, and all but kicked out the gates.
From thereâŠ
Primus. From there, the newly-minted knights began to slowly scatter. Some large groups formed around one mech or another, but Ratchet paid them no mind. He had no real plans, other than to get the hell away from this mess as fast as he could. Perhaps if he stayed away for a time, picked up work in another polity, he could wait this whole event out and return to Iacon in disgrace or whateverâ
âRatchet? Ratchet, is that you?â
The voice that called out to him was⊠familiar was the wrong word, perhaps, but Ratchet could swear that there was something about itâŠ
He turned to find a huge blue and red bot approaching him, hand outstretched as if to take his shoulder. âIt is,â the hauler said. Their face was covered by a silver mask the same color as their faceplate, but their delight was clear in the brightening of their optics and the forward cant of their tall finials. âRatchet! I havenât seen you in vorns!â
Ratchet gave another long look over the mechanism. He thought heâd remember someone like this, but for all that they were, again, almost familiar, he just couldnât match either face or voice to anything in his memory banksâŠ
âDo I know you?â He asked. The hauler drooped slightly at that.
âAh⊠you wouldnât remember, I suppose. It has been a while, and back then I looked⊠well.â The hauler shook themself slightly and held out a hand. âMy name is Orion Pax. You once saved my life.â
Ratchet took the hand and gave it a firm shake. âIâve done that a lot, go figure. Happy to see whatever I did stuck, at least. Sorry I canât remember you.â
âItâs no trouble at all, Doctor. I didnât think Iâd find you in the middle of this,â here, Orion Pax gestured to the various knights still milling about the entrance of the city. âIâd think a hospital ward would be more your speed.â
Ratchet huffed at the reminder. âApparently you canât get a medic exemption if you run a small-time clinic.â
Orion Pax winced. âMy condolences. Iâm sure you arenât the only one dragged into this affair against their willââ
âPax!â
Ratchet glanced away to see who was shouting and Orionâs gaze followed a moment later. Two mechs were swiftly making their way overâa black and white mech with a bright blue visor and friendly grin, and a similarly colored Praxian with a prominent red chevron and a thunderous expression, their doorwings held high.
âThere you are!â The visored mech was saying, coming to stand beside Orion Pax. âThought you could give us the slip, didâja?â
âMy apologies,â Orion Pax said, dipping his head in what mightâve been embarrassment. âIt was not my intention to leave you behind.â
âWhoâs the ambulance?â Visor asked.
âRatchet of Vaporex,â Doorwings responded before Ratchet could even bother with introductions. âYou used to serve as Sentinel Primeâs Chief of Medical.â
âThat was a long time ago,â Ratchet grumbled. He gave the Praxian a once-over, raising a brow. âI thought enforcers were exempt from the draft.â
âI volunteered,â Doorwings said, voice dry as anything.
âRatchet, these two are Jazz and Prowl, two good friends of mine.â Orion Pax gestured to each mechanism as he said their name. Jazz gave a sleazy smile and a two-fingered salute. Prowl gave an almost imperceptible nod. âThe both of them volunteered after I was called upon by His Holiness.â
Ratchet hadnât even been aware that Sentinel had been taking volunteers. If that was the case, why had there been a draft at all? Why couldnât all of the knights be crazy religious zealots whoâd happily throw their lives away fighting a mythical predacon?
âHow kind of them to follow you to your death,â Ratchet said with no small amount of sarcasm.
Orion Pax leaned back slightly at the venomous edge to Ratchetâs voice. âYou truly think it a futile endeavor?â
âI think that most of these bots are going to try and pick a fight with a predacon without any backup and get blasted back to nuts and bolts,â Ratchet grumbled. âAnd I think the ones that donât do that will get dismantled as well, just with some pals at their side in their final moments.â
âWell, who said we have to get all up in its face? Iâm sure not everyoneâll want to actually fight the dragon,â Jazz pointed out.
âYouâre right,â Ratchet gave the mech a wry smile, ânot everyone will fight the dragon. I, for one, am thinking of holing up in Rodion again until this all blows over and I can go home.â
âWhat?â Orion Pax blurted. âButâwhat of Rodimus? That is, er, His Highness, the prince?â
âIâm sure Sentinel will eventually get tired of his âknightsâ dying and send in the army. He doesnât need me for that.â
âI would rather not wait and see myâmy prince potentially lose his life because Sentinel Prime felt like dawdling,â Orion Pax said. Ratchet found himself somewhat surprised by the vehemence with which Orion spoke Sentinelâs name. Sure, Ratchet fucking hated the Prime, but he was aware that wasnât a particularly popular opinion to have. For Orion Paxâsomeone who had until now seemed both quite deferential and piousâto possibly share that opinion was⊠unexpected.
âYouâre really gonna go dragon hunting, then?â Ratchet asked, looking between the trio.
âOur current plan prioritizes the rescue of the prince over the killing of the predacon,â Prowl said. âJazz is fairly confident that, presuming we can find the dragonâs lair, he can infiltrate it and extract the prince. By my calculations, we have an over 50% chance of success.â
âSo a coin flip?â Ratchet asked. âWhat wonderful odds!â
âIt is better than what most of these so-called knights have,â Prowl tilted his head down slightly as he spoke so that his frown seemed even deeper than before. âHaving some kind of distraction for the dragon would significantly raise our potential success rate, but I could not ask such a thing of Orion Pax.â
âA distraction?â Ratchet asked, an incredulous tone to his voice. âSo, what, someone acts as bait while your guy nabs the prince?â
âYou donât need to ask, Prowl,â Orion said. âI would gladly do anything to ensure the princeâs safe rescue.â
âIf a distraction is what you guys need, maybe I could help out.â
Another newcomer, joy. This one was another huge mech, even taller than Orion Pax, dark teal and gray with bright orange to contrast it.
âNameâs Roller,â the new mech said with a smirk. âIf you lot have a real plan, I want in.â
âWhatâs in it for you?â Jazz asked, tilting his helm. His casual grin had widened slightly so that his fangs were just a tad more prominent.
âUh, not dying, mostly? Also getting to go back to Iacon at some point.â
âI guess I wouldnât turn down an extra servo or two,â Jazz mused, his expression returning to its previous half-smirk. âWhat do ya say, Docââwanna help out?â
Ratchet grimaced, a firm denial already on his glossaâ
âPlease, Ratchet,â Orion asked, his optics all sad and soft in a way that just reminded Ratchet of something⊠âA medic could make the difference between life and death for any of us. Itâs also possible that the prince himself may be injured and in need of more than just a protector when we get to him.â
âItâd sure suck if we got to the baby Prime and he bled out on the way home,â Jazz pointed out. His words elicited a flinch from Orion.
Ratchet⊠Ugh, Ratchet was too much of a bleeding spark for this.
âFine. Fine!â Why was he agreeing to this? This was going to be the worst couple of weeks of his lifeâand probably the last. âBut do not expect me to square up against any predacons.â
âIâll factor that in,â Prowl said, his lips quirking into the slightest smile.
âGreat!â Roller said with a bright look on his faceplate. âI brought extra energon if anyone wants some.â
-
Ratchet had journeyed between Cybertronâs many polities in the past, but heâd never attempted to brave the wilds before. For good reason; he was one mech and often traveled alone or with other civiliansâand for all the time it could shave off his trip, Ratchet had no interest in dealing with the various mechanimals that wandered the wastes or stalked the woods.
Orion Pax cared a lot about travel time. He argued that every moment they wasted was another moment the prince could be dying. He did not care for the winding roads that skirted around the wilder territories of Cybertron and instead blazed his own trail straight through the tall crystalline forests leading up to the Manganese Mountainsâthe last known location of their dreaded dragon.
Orion actually had a fair bit more intel than any other knight likely had. Rather, Prowl did. The Praxian had done his research, getting as much footage as he could of the dragonâs heading as it flew away from Iacon and then keeping his audial to the ground for any sightings of it after leaving the bounds of the city. It was thanks to him that they even knew where the hell they were heading.
Roller and Ratchet were not the only mechs Orion attempted to recruit, but he had dwindling success after the two of them. Most of the other knights Orion approached were far more interested in the prize than the wellbeing of the prince and thus didnât want to risk having to split or lose said prize. In the end, it was just the five of them trundling on through the woods.
Though, perhaps not as alone as theyâd thought.
Their first night on the road, Orion called a stop to their travels. âWe are all driven by a sense of urgency, I know,â the truck had said, âbut it would do us no good to exhaust ourselves. Let us make camp for the night so we have the energy to keep on going tomorrow.â
They got their good nightâs recharge. But when day two rolled around and they bunkered down for the night, they were quite unceremoniously interrupted by a group of mechsânot too large in number, though well larger than their own crew, perhaps fifteen or so strongâcame down upon them, weapons drawn.
âYou lot have intel, right?â Their ringleader spoke, a haughty grin on his face. âTell us what youâve got before we blow your brain modules to bits.â
âThere is no need for violence,â Orion had tried to soothe, holding up placating hands. âWeâll gladly share with you all we know so we might save the prince togetherââ
âYeah, yeah, I donât care about the little primeling,â Ringleader said with a scoff. âI care about the prize. And having people like you get to it first makes it harder for people like us to get what we deserve.â
âOh, Iâll give you something you deserveââ Jazz had grumbled under his breath, only audible to Ratchet by their close proximity.
âOur band does not seek any prize for saving the prince,â Orion Pax went on. âWe would be more than happy to let youââ
âYeah, see, I just donât believe that!â And then the Ringleader had let out a sharp whistle and his fellow knights had lunged like a pack of rabid, hungry cyberhounds.
If there was one upside to Ratchet sticking with this motley crew, it was certainly that they could fight.
Jazz was a mean little sneak, ducking in and out of view to deliver devastating blows that his enemies could never see coming. Roller and Orion Pax, both being much larger than average frames, were forces of nature against their foes, able to easily dispatch mechs without even having to pull weapons. And ProwlâŠ
Well, Prowl was mostly hanging back, out of sight. But every now and again, a loud bang would sound out and a mech would drop. Prowl was evidently more than happy to snipe whoever he could when possible.
Now Ratchet was no real fighter, but that certainly wasnât to say he was helpless. Indeed, he had no qualms with lunging for the ringleader of this crew and wrestling him to the ground at his first chance. It was right around then, though, that a different kind of shot rang out overhead. Not the sound of Prowlâs gun, but the boom of a cannon.
Ratchetâs head whipped up, searching for his companions to ensure none of them had been hitâ
And in doing so, gave the stupid knight heâd taken down the opening to flip them around so that Ratchet was the one pinned to the dirt. He growled and tried to shove his attacker away. The mech above him grinned and opened his mouthâlikely to taunt Ratchet or some such slagâbut whatever heâd wanted to say never came out.
Because another resounding boom came and suddenly the ringleaderâs head was a smoldering heap of nothing and his frame was slumping on top of Ratchet. The medic was finally able to shove him off now that he was a corpse and he rose up to find⊠well, to find a bunch of panicked and fleeing figures.
And suddenly, it was five once more. Or rather six. Because slowly approaching their group was a new mech with a smoking cannon mounted on one arm. Done up in nothing more than dull grays, theyâd look almost like a walking corpse if not for those burning red optics. Ratchet was also quick to notice that there was no golden band about their arm. This wasnât one of Sentinelâs knights.
âIs it true?â The newcomer asked. âThat you donât care to claim Sentinel Primeâs boon for the victor?â
âHeard that, did you?â Prowl said, gun trained firmly on the figure.
Ratchet couldnât help a soft snort. âWhy do you care? Would you even qualify?â
âWhen I learned of this⊠competition, I knew it would be the chance I needed to gain an audience with the Prime. It doesnât matter whether or not I am a âknightâ. If I bring Sentinel his son and the head of the beast, heâll have to grant me a boon or look like a liar before his citizens.â
Orion gave the gray mech a long look. âItâs true that I donât care about receiving a boon, though I wonât speak for my allies.â
âI mean, I wouldnât turn it down, but Iâm fine without it,â Roller said with a shrug.
âSentinel doesnât have anything I want,â Jazz said. Cryptic.
âI am only here to ensure Orion Paxâs safety and Rodimus Primeâs rescue,â Prowl stated plainly.
Several sets of optics landed on Ratchet and he sighed. âThe only thing I care about is getting back to my work. I donât really want to have to chat with Sentinel long enough to ask for anything.â
The gray mech tilted his head. â⊠You are a very odd group.â
âWhat about you, stranger?â Orion asked. âYou have interest in receiving a boon from Sentinel Prime. What would you ask of him?â
âTo nullify the debts of his cold constructs and free them from their indentured servitude.â
âHow honorable,â Jazz murmured, elbowing Roller lightly in the side.
âA worthy endeavor,â Orion said with a nod. âIf you aided us in saving the prince, my team and I would be willing to allow you to take His Highness and the predaconâs head back to Sentinel Prime in Iacon.â
âTruly?â The strangerâs optics stayed pinned on Orion.
âYou have my word,â Orion swore. âMy only wish is that Rodimus Prime is returned safely home.â
The stranger sneered at that. âYou care so much for a Prime?â
âHe is just a boy,â Orion argued. âA boy who was stolen from the safety of his home and brought to the wilds. Whatever he may be, he does not deserve to die alone and afraid at the claws or fangs of a beast.â
â⊠Very well then. Will you tell me your name?â
âI am Orion Pax. Who are you, friend?â
âMy name is Megatron. And, temporary allies we may be, but I am not your friend.â
-
Megatron was an interesting character. Pestering from Jazz and Orion alike revealed that he was once a miner from Tarn who had his contract sold to the gladiatorial pits of Kaon, where he did well enough that he was eventually able to buy his own contract. From there, he traveled across Cybertron to see all the ways it failed its most vulnerable people. Heâd just happened to be in Iacon when first the predacon attacked and then the Prime announced his challenge.
Ratchet suspected that Orion Pax had taken the mechâs wordsâthe implication that he had no interest in friendshipâas a sort of challenge, because if ever there was a moment of silence on the winding path up the mountain, Pax would fill it with questions for their latest tag-along. Though Megatron was far from the only one questioned on their entire life story.
Ratchet had gotten to sidestep most questions about his past by simply stating that he was a medicâheâd helped various mechs in various places for his entire function, and that was the long and short of it.
As more time went on, thoughâor, as Orion asked more questions to their merry bandâRatchet kept getting this⊠feeling.
He did know Orion Pax. He still couldnât remember itâcouldnât remember âsaving his lifeââbut there was a recognition there. Perhaps not his face, perhaps not his build, perhaps not his voice, but his mannerisms struck a chord within Ratchet. He knew this mech, if only he could fragging remember howâŠ
He wasnât sure if heâd ever get a chance to unravel that particular mystery.
On their fifth day of travelâthree days after picking up Megatronâtheir crew finally encountered their quarry. Which was the nice way of saying a dragon dropped down on top of them.
It was a vicious thing, instantly hostile in how it lashed out with a great, taloned hand to bat Roller down the hill like he was little more than a toy. The beast towered over them, its head easily as big as Orion Paxâs entire body. It was heavily armored in dark plating, accents of gold and red and white peeking out underneath, a bold pop of color that screamed deadly.
When it roared, the sound was powerful enough that it nearly knocked Ratchet right off of his pedes.
âWe need to get out of here!â Prowl called out.
âYouâd have us flee!?â Megatron asked with a snarl.
âWe need a plan! We arenât prepared to face a dragon as we are now!â Prowl was rightâeven with their combined might, they didnât stand a chance against this beast. They needed the advantage of actually knowing what the hell they were doing.
âNo!â Megatron shouted, aiming his cannon at the dragonâs head. âWe fight!â
âMegatron, waitâ!â But Orionâs plea came too lateâMegatron had already fired.
The shot knocked the dragonâs head to the side, leaving a noticeable crack in its plating⊠but just that. A crack. The dragon let out another roar, and this one was accompanied by something like liquid lightning spewing from its wide maw. Megatron, who had stood directly in its path, had to lunge out of the way with a curse.
âIdiot!â Ratchet cried out on impulse. âBack off now before you get yourself and the rest of us fragging killed!â
And right around then, something very odd happened.
The dragon went stiff, snapping its jaws shut and looking around almost⊠almost frantically. Ratchet felt his spark stutter in its spin when those red optics finally landed on him. He was surprised at how⊠how aware they seemed. That wasnât the gaze of some mindless beast, but one of an intelligent creature. If anything, they reminded him more of a beastformer than a beastâŠ
His thoughts were cut short very abruptly as the dragon spread out its wings and lunged forward.
Welp. This is it, Ratchet thought to himself. Iâm about to die to a dragon I never even wanted to fight.
Claws the size of his arms met his plating⊠not to tear or gouge or flatten, but to grab.
A flap of massive wings and then the dragon was airborn⊠with Ratchet held tight in its claws. And the medic could only watch as the forest shrunk below him and soon faded into the distance.
â â â
CLOSING NOTES:
sentinel prime is so hard to write. how do you make a guy slimy as hell while also making him the kind of guy that millions of people would follow?
sentinel voice âSome of you may die, but itâs a sacrifice I am willing to make.â
iâm gonna be real, a lot of this chapter is just the d&d party getting together. whatâs everyoneâs classes.. orionâs a paladin, jazz is a rogue, megatron is a⊠barbarian? ratchetâs a cleric, roller is probably just a plain olâ fighter, and prowl. prowl. prowl what are you⊠he doesnât have any magic, but in my heart heâs a wizard (smart) or a warlock (tacnet faustian bargain). ooh maybe in this, heâs like a ranger or smthâŠ
roller should probably also be an enforcer, as in idw canon, but ummm⊠well donât think too hard about it. i just wanted to include roller <3 maybe heâs a small-time enough cop that he couldnât dodge the draft
anyways like n subscribe n all that shit. look forward to dratchrod next chapter (!!!)
We are so back!!! New chapter of The Universe May Not Care, But I Will thanks for the patience and support!! The first couple scenes of this chapter gave me so much trouble (aka I wrote like half a paragraph and went âI dont wanna do this rnâ) but itâs here!
Have you ever felt grateful for how the headcanon of Riza Hawkeye as a trans man seems to be popular across the Fullmetal Alchemist fandom? If so, did you know most of the art you've seen for it is made by one single guy? A guy who really wants to get his top surgery done and could use your help with that? ;)
I'm Dimitri, a 23 year old trans man from SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil. I've been living alone with my cat since late 2023, and currently I have a job that keeps me away from home 12 hours a day on top of sometimes doing commissions to supplement my income.
I've been drawing fanart for FMA, more specifically for Riza and Royai, for 8 years! On January 29, 2022, I posted a couple of doodles of a very self indulgent scenario of Riza as a trans man on twitter, and to my surprise it got a ton of attention(and some hate too lol). But it made me happy that a self indulgent AU I made to project my own experiences and wishes as a trans man onto my favorite character was so well received :)
This AU was born out of the wish to project onto my favorite character the life I wanted to live. Back then I felt very lost in life, being very dysphoric but with no prospect of getting to start HRT, much less being able to look into top surgery, projecting into Riza the life I wanted for myself(working towards being comfortable in your skin while being loved and supported through it by the people you care about) helped me a lot through it. So as you can imagine, it's a headcanon really personal to me that I hold dear to my heart. Which makes it really funny to me that the more I drew about it, the more popular it got. To the point of there being people who think it's simply a fandom-wide popular headcanon for Riza, not realizing that most, if not all, art for it is born from this one guy's unhinged dedication(me!!!)
Fast forward to 2026. I've been on HRT for 8 months after knowing I'm trans for about 8 years!!! Finally being able to start my transition after so long has made me very eager to start living my life as my authentic self, so I quickly started looking into getting top surgery, something that at this point you could say itâs my dream, as itâs a procedure that would give me back my life as someone whose dysphoria can be paralyzing at times. But the thing is, top surgery is expensive.
To give you some perspective: It's possible to get top surgery for free in Brazil through the government's trans healthcare program. But on top of there being a waitlist of around 2 years, you can't choose the professional who is performing your surgery(among some other bureaucracies).
This is going to be a life-changing surgery for me that is going to give me my life back, so I don't want to wait even more and feel uncertain about the results. Which is why I'm looking into paying for my surgery out-of-pocket. After researching for a while, I've decided on my surgeon. A renowned surgeon in the field who has performed this same surgery countless times, and has even taught surgeons who now perform it for the government's program how to do it in the first place! Which makes me feel confident about his skill and care.
So then I scheduled a consultation with him on April 22, 2026. After a few questions about my journey and clarifications about the surgery, the doctor gave me a price estimate for the procedure.
27(twenty-seven) thousand reais(approximately). This is roughly 20 months of minimum wage here in Brazil. (with roughly 4.000 reais needing to be paid beforehand to schedule a date for the surgery)đ
With all that being said!!!!!! Here are the conclusions:
27.000 reais is a looooot of money for someone who is paid in reais. But the conversion of BRL to USD, based on today's conversion rate, makes it around 5.500 USDâ Not so bad if you get paid in dollars, right? It's like a real life money hack ... wowza...
So I'd really appreciate the help of anyone who CAN and WANTS to help me over on Ko-fi. Any amount will help me A LOT, even if to take off the weight from other life expenses so I can focus on commissions! And as I have talked about before, I'm also offering a digital PDF Transmasc Riza zine! With all of the transmasc Riza art I've posted so far + unpublished/revamped illustrations and sketches + guest art/writing from my friends! With both SFW and NSFW sides ;) I plan to have it out by the end of May/beginning of June! I hope you look forward to it!!
PLUS, it's not much, but if you ever thought "damn, I wish this idiot would draw more of this thing he has already drawn or has talked about drawing before", on my ko-fi you can leave a request regarding that! (Do keep in mind it's a tip jar for supporting what I already do, so it's not guaranteed I'll get to draw it at all)
I sincerely thank you for reading until here! Every donation, commission request, purchase of the zine, and reblog would mean the absolute world to me! Thank you so much for all the love and support across all these years, and for staying around to be part of this very exciting stage of my life!
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