Wheeljack

G1/IDW fusion canon soup, Wheeljack rp/ask side blog penned by Steel!

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack

G1/IDW fusion canon soup, Wheeljack rp/ask side blog penned by Steel!

Perma Starter Call | About | Self Promo

[chillinrpmemes]

WHAT IS YOUR MUSE THINKING ABOUT MINE?

Put it in my inbox

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM CHARADE *  assorted dialogue from the 1963 film, adjust as necessary

hasn't it occurred to you that i'm having a tough time keeping my hands off you?

any minute now we could be assassinated.

do you know what's wrong with you?

you're blocking my view.

what do i have to do to satisfy you?

who put that there?

why do people have to tell lies?

how would you like a punch in the nose?

of course you won't be able to lie on your back for a while, but then you can lie from any position, can't you?

do we know each other?

i don't know. how would i know?

i already know an awful lot of people, and until one of them dies i couldn't possibly meet anyone else.

shakespeare never said that.

it's terrible. you just made it up.

what do you expect me to say?

it's a toss up.

oh, you should see your face.

what's the matter now?

i'm not hungry anymore.

quit stalling. i want some identification. now!

you can't prove it to me, can you?

don't change the subject.

i love you adam, alex, peter, brian, whatever your name is.

where were you at 3:30am?

obviously you're telling the truth, for why would you invent such a ridiculous story?

the man and woman are married.

i can see that.

here it comes, the fatherly talk.

that's your trouble. you're too old for me.

this is a ludicrous situation.

i can think of a dozen men who are just longing to use my shower.

what are you doing in here?

i'm having a nervous breakdown!

do you realize you've had three names in the past two days?

i don't even know who i'm talking to anymore!

we didn't steal it!

when did they pass such a silly law?

you know i'd tell you if i had it.

how do you shave in there?

what is it, some new american fad?

you're the kind of girl who'd have something like that.

would you like to see my passport?

wow, when you come on, you come on, don't you?

oh, that wasn't a proposal.

how are you doing?

don't tell me. you didn't know it was loaded.

i can't stand these things.

now we wait. with our mouths shut.

have you any idea what these things cost over here?

[name], i think i love you.

do you understand french?

why don't you shut up?

if you're trying to frighten me, you're doing a first rate job.

come on, eat your dinner.

will you put that thing away?

i've got something here.

you didn't have to chase me so hard.

is that all the gratitude i get for saving your hide?

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[cobalt-cougar]

"As long as Ratchet and Glitterbomb know that," Howlback says, "everything'll be fine. Everyone has access to care, especially little ones. Glit's astoundingly good at communicating certain necessities to Starscream, and...the rank and file medics know when to refer up the chain to Glit and Ratch."

She sighs. "Primus knows we've all been through 83 million shades of Hell...and we've all done terrible things. But here we are on Cybertron, and there are gardens and newsparks and schools that are open to all...there are people out there I can't forgive, but you're not one of them, and I know that if not for even the ones that I can't, we might not be here now."

[ingeniare]

"... That's true." Wheeljack concedes, helm fins flickering yellow a moment. "We all did a lotta slag, to make it to this point. But.... Ya know, everyone here on Cybertron's chosen peace, now, and I hear the colonies are comin' back, too. Only mechs that couldn't accept the fighting was over got packed off."

A brief pause. "You probably noticed I stuck around, even after the medics patched me up."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles a little, which is a weird sound, and rarely heard in the previous two million years. "Well, yeah. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't. Actually I'm glad that most of the Autobots did stay, once they realised we weren't actually going to do all of the stuff they were scared we would do because that was what their government used to do. We were afraid that a lot of them would go back and just start the war all over again from somewhere else. I'm sure that's what some of them still want to do, but there aren't enough of them."

She sighs. "Megatron had lost his mind and Starscream and Soundwave did what they had to do. But no matter what Megatron did on organic planets, he wasn't going to reinstitute the theocracy. Actually, the big problem with Megatron was that all he knew how to do was fight, not govern."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack's optics scrunch and his helm fins flicker blue, field alight in good humour at the giggle. Howlback's all right, he figures.

"... Ain't gonna lie, I'm still gonna miss the friends of mine who didn't stick around for peace." He admits. "And Optimus, too. But... Maybe the Emperor had the right of it, doing what he did. Any other way woulda dragged the war out for centuries more."

He wishes he had highgradebon hand. But Ratchet said that was the last thing his systems needed.

[cobalt-cougar]

"We all miss friends," Howlback says. "Maybe some of yours will apply to come back when they realise none of the things they were scared of have happened. As for Optimus..."

She sighs. "Optimus was one of the original members of the Conclave, when he was still Orion Pax. When he took the Primacy after Zeta did and didn't immediately shut down the Senate and change the laws, and took all of those people with him...he started the war, when he could have prevented it.

"Imagine: what would have happened if he had named Megatron Lord Protector, dissolved the Senate, and declared Functionism a heresy? Megatron would have bristled at theocracy, and demanded that everyone be allowed to participate in elections, and he and Optimus and Soundwave and Ravage and Magnus Ambus would have had shouting arguments about how to restructure the government...and there might still have been violence, but it wouldn't have lasted four million years. Megatron hadn't gone bad back then, and with a proper government, even if he had, we wouldn't have had permanent martial law to contend with and no way to unseat him."

She shakes her head. "From a Decepticon point of view, the war was very much his fault. If everyone who had been opposing the Senate had been able to stay united this world would look very different today."

[ingeniare]

"... Maybe." Wheeljack responds, and shrugs. "Here ain't half so bad, you know? Plenty of fuel, and no one gunning for you, or trying to stuff you in some prison cell." His helm fins flicker, blue to green and back again.

"I don't doubt it." He adds. "Only got my qualifications cause Percy pulled a few strings, and no one else wanted to work with the kinda volatile raw compounds I was suggesting." An amiable sort of half shrug.

"I know you Cons were all about dismantling the caste system, but.... Wasn't the Emperor some kinda noble before all this?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"So was Soundwave. But it didn't do them much good when they stepped out of line. Jets weren't supposed to be scientists, and music boxes were meant to be bartered between noble houses as trophy conjunxes--not fall in love and elope with 'the help'."

Howlback shrugs. "Soundwave's older brother was a Senator, before they replaced his head and his hands and sucked all the emotions out of his brain. The caste system was cruel to people at every level of society, only in differing ways."

[ingeniare]

"... Huh." Wheeljack says, after a beat. "I mean... Yeah. A lotta stuff was slagged up. Didja know they wanted to take Ratch's license away just cause he said he didn't wanna be the official Senate medic? That he had more important things to repair than dented pride?"

His helm fins flicker, yellow then blue. "Just... Guess I do get why some nobles went Con, if they couldn't do what they wanted otherwise."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I have never understood why Ratchet went Bot," Howlback says, and launches into a rant she has clearly ranted on many occasions.

"When my sister Ravage was sold to Senator Ratbat, he almost killed her. It was Ratchet who put her back together and removed her I/D chip, then put her in Deadlock and Gasket's safe keeping. My brother Glit was Ratchet's apprentice. Ratchet had to bribe Dominus Ambus to get him properly tested and freed, and even after that no journal would publish research he was credited in. When I worked for Prowl, I used to warn Ratchet when we were informed that people were going to go down to Rodion and tear the place up, so that his clinic would be prepared for the rush. The only person I've ever been madder at over Autobot service was Grimlock, and his reasons were better. I still didn't speak to him after he left until the day he agreed to spy for us."

She swallows. "Well, and also I was mad about Prowl. But I also kind of expected that because Tumbler couldn't have fucked up his head anymore if he'd skull-spiked him. Anyhow. Ratchet is lucky that Deadlock is still madly in love with him."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods along, readily enough. "... Makes sense." He temporized. "... Like I said. I'm glad all that stuff's over. And that we all got freedom now."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[cobalt-cougar]

"As long as Ratchet and Glitterbomb know that," Howlback says, "everything'll be fine. Everyone has access to care, especially little ones. Glit's astoundingly good at communicating certain necessities to Starscream, and...the rank and file medics know when to refer up the chain to Glit and Ratch."

She sighs. "Primus knows we've all been through 83 million shades of Hell...and we've all done terrible things. But here we are on Cybertron, and there are gardens and newsparks and schools that are open to all...there are people out there I can't forgive, but you're not one of them, and I know that if not for even the ones that I can't, we might not be here now."

[ingeniare]

"... That's true." Wheeljack concedes, helm fins flickering yellow a moment. "We all did a lotta slag, to make it to this point. But.... Ya know, everyone here on Cybertron's chosen peace, now, and I hear the colonies are comin' back, too. Only mechs that couldn't accept the fighting was over got packed off."

A brief pause. "You probably noticed I stuck around, even after the medics patched me up."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles a little, which is a weird sound, and rarely heard in the previous two million years. "Well, yeah. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't. Actually I'm glad that most of the Autobots did stay, once they realised we weren't actually going to do all of the stuff they were scared we would do because that was what their government used to do. We were afraid that a lot of them would go back and just start the war all over again from somewhere else. I'm sure that's what some of them still want to do, but there aren't enough of them."

She sighs. "Megatron had lost his mind and Starscream and Soundwave did what they had to do. But no matter what Megatron did on organic planets, he wasn't going to reinstitute the theocracy. Actually, the big problem with Megatron was that all he knew how to do was fight, not govern."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack's optics scrunch and his helm fins flicker blue, field alight in good humour at the giggle. Howlback's all right, he figures.

"... Ain't gonna lie, I'm still gonna miss the friends of mine who didn't stick around for peace." He admits. "And Optimus, too. But... Maybe the Emperor had the right of it, doing what he did. Any other way woulda dragged the war out for centuries more."

He wishes he had highgradebon hand. But Ratchet said that was the last thing his systems needed.

[cobalt-cougar]

"We all miss friends," Howlback says. "Maybe some of yours will apply to come back when they realise none of the things they were scared of have happened. As for Optimus..."

She sighs. "Optimus was one of the original members of the Conclave, when he was still Orion Pax. When he took the Primacy after Zeta did and didn't immediately shut down the Senate and change the laws, and took all of those people with him...he started the war, when he could have prevented it.

"Imagine: what would have happened if he had named Megatron Lord Protector, dissolved the Senate, and declared Functionism a heresy? Megatron would have bristled at theocracy, and demanded that everyone be allowed to participate in elections, and he and Optimus and Soundwave and Ravage and Magnus Ambus would have had shouting arguments about how to restructure the government...and there might still have been violence, but it wouldn't have lasted four million years. Megatron hadn't gone bad back then, and with a proper government, even if he had, we wouldn't have had permanent martial law to contend with and no way to unseat him."

She shakes her head. "From a Decepticon point of view, the war was very much his fault. If everyone who had been opposing the Senate had been able to stay united this world would look very different today."

[ingeniare]

"... Maybe." Wheeljack responds, and shrugs. "Here ain't half so bad, you know? Plenty of fuel, and no one gunning for you, or trying to stuff you in some prison cell." His helm fins flicker, blue to green and back again.

"I don't doubt it." He adds. "Only got my qualifications cause Percy pulled a few strings, and no one else wanted to work with the kinda volatile raw compounds I was suggesting." An amiable sort of half shrug.

"I know you Cons were all about dismantling the caste system, but.... Wasn't the Emperor some kinda noble before all this?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"So was Soundwave. But it didn't do them much good when they stepped out of line. Jets weren't supposed to be scientists, and music boxes were meant to be bartered between noble houses as trophy conjunxes--not fall in love and elope with 'the help'."

Howlback shrugs. "Soundwave's older brother was a Senator, before they replaced his head and his hands and sucked all the emotions out of his brain. The caste system was cruel to people at every level of society, only in differing ways."

[ingeniare]

"... Huh." Wheeljack says, after a beat. "I mean... Yeah. A lotta stuff was slagged up. Didja know they wanted to take Ratch's license away just cause he said he didn't wanna be the official Senate medic? That he had more important things to repair than dented pride?"

His helm fins flicker, yellow then blue. "Just... Guess I do get why some nobles went Con, if they couldn't do what they wanted otherwise."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[cobalt-cougar]

"As long as Ratchet and Glitterbomb know that," Howlback says, "everything'll be fine. Everyone has access to care, especially little ones. Glit's astoundingly good at communicating certain necessities to Starscream, and...the rank and file medics know when to refer up the chain to Glit and Ratch."

She sighs. "Primus knows we've all been through 83 million shades of Hell...and we've all done terrible things. But here we are on Cybertron, and there are gardens and newsparks and schools that are open to all...there are people out there I can't forgive, but you're not one of them, and I know that if not for even the ones that I can't, we might not be here now."

[ingeniare]

"... That's true." Wheeljack concedes, helm fins flickering yellow a moment. "We all did a lotta slag, to make it to this point. But.... Ya know, everyone here on Cybertron's chosen peace, now, and I hear the colonies are comin' back, too. Only mechs that couldn't accept the fighting was over got packed off."

A brief pause. "You probably noticed I stuck around, even after the medics patched me up."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles a little, which is a weird sound, and rarely heard in the previous two million years. "Well, yeah. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't. Actually I'm glad that most of the Autobots did stay, once they realised we weren't actually going to do all of the stuff they were scared we would do because that was what their government used to do. We were afraid that a lot of them would go back and just start the war all over again from somewhere else. I'm sure that's what some of them still want to do, but there aren't enough of them."

She sighs. "Megatron had lost his mind and Starscream and Soundwave did what they had to do. But no matter what Megatron did on organic planets, he wasn't going to reinstitute the theocracy. Actually, the big problem with Megatron was that all he knew how to do was fight, not govern."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack's optics scrunch and his helm fins flicker blue, field alight in good humour at the giggle. Howlback's all right, he figures.

"... Ain't gonna lie, I'm still gonna miss the friends of mine who didn't stick around for peace." He admits. "And Optimus, too. But... Maybe the Emperor had the right of it, doing what he did. Any other way woulda dragged the war out for centuries more."

He wishes he had highgradebon hand. But Ratchet said that was the last thing his systems needed.

[cobalt-cougar]

"We all miss friends," Howlback says. "Maybe some of yours will apply to come back when they realise none of the things they were scared of have happened. As for Optimus..."

She sighs. "Optimus was one of the original members of the Conclave, when he was still Orion Pax. When he took the Primacy after Zeta did and didn't immediately shut down the Senate and change the laws, and took all of those people with him...he started the war, when he could have prevented it.

"Imagine: what would have happened if he had named Megatron Lord Protector, dissolved the Senate, and declared Functionism a heresy? Megatron would have bristled at theocracy, and demanded that everyone be allowed to participate in elections, and he and Optimus and Soundwave and Ravage and Magnus Ambus would have had shouting arguments about how to restructure the government...and there might still have been violence, but it wouldn't have lasted four million years. Megatron hadn't gone bad back then, and with a proper government, even if he had, we wouldn't have had permanent martial law to contend with and no way to unseat him."

She shakes her head. "From a Decepticon point of view, the war was very much his fault. If everyone who had been opposing the Senate had been able to stay united this world would look very different today."

[ingeniare]

"... Maybe." Wheeljack responds, and shrugs. "Here ain't half so bad, you know? Plenty of fuel, and no one gunning for you, or trying to stuff you in some prison cell." His helm fins flicker, blue to green and back again.

"I don't doubt it." He adds. "Only got my qualifications cause Percy pulled a few strings, and no one else wanted to work with the kinda volatile raw compounds I was suggesting." An amiable sort of half shrug.

"I know you Cons were all about dismantling the caste system, but.... Wasn't the Emperor some kinda noble before all this?"

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[cobalt-cougar]

"As long as Ratchet and Glitterbomb know that," Howlback says, "everything'll be fine. Everyone has access to care, especially little ones. Glit's astoundingly good at communicating certain necessities to Starscream, and...the rank and file medics know when to refer up the chain to Glit and Ratch."

She sighs. "Primus knows we've all been through 83 million shades of Hell...and we've all done terrible things. But here we are on Cybertron, and there are gardens and newsparks and schools that are open to all...there are people out there I can't forgive, but you're not one of them, and I know that if not for even the ones that I can't, we might not be here now."

[ingeniare]

"... That's true." Wheeljack concedes, helm fins flickering yellow a moment. "We all did a lotta slag, to make it to this point. But.... Ya know, everyone here on Cybertron's chosen peace, now, and I hear the colonies are comin' back, too. Only mechs that couldn't accept the fighting was over got packed off."

A brief pause. "You probably noticed I stuck around, even after the medics patched me up."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles a little, which is a weird sound, and rarely heard in the previous two million years. "Well, yeah. You wouldn't be here if you hadn't. Actually I'm glad that most of the Autobots did stay, once they realised we weren't actually going to do all of the stuff they were scared we would do because that was what their government used to do. We were afraid that a lot of them would go back and just start the war all over again from somewhere else. I'm sure that's what some of them still want to do, but there aren't enough of them."

She sighs. "Megatron had lost his mind and Starscream and Soundwave did what they had to do. But no matter what Megatron did on organic planets, he wasn't going to reinstitute the theocracy. Actually, the big problem with Megatron was that all he knew how to do was fight, not govern."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack's optics scrunch and his helm fins flicker blue, field alight in good humour at the giggle. Howlback's all right, he figures.

"... Ain't gonna lie, I'm still gonna miss the friends of mine who didn't stick around for peace." He admits. "And Optimus, too. But... Maybe the Emperor had the right of it, doing what he did. Any other way woulda dragged the war out for centuries more."

He wishes he had highgradebon hand. But Ratchet said that was the last thing his systems needed.

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[cobalt-cougar]

"As long as Ratchet and Glitterbomb know that," Howlback says, "everything'll be fine. Everyone has access to care, especially little ones. Glit's astoundingly good at communicating certain necessities to Starscream, and...the rank and file medics know when to refer up the chain to Glit and Ratch."

She sighs. "Primus knows we've all been through 83 million shades of Hell...and we've all done terrible things. But here we are on Cybertron, and there are gardens and newsparks and schools that are open to all...there are people out there I can't forgive, but you're not one of them, and I know that if not for even the ones that I can't, we might not be here now."

[ingeniare]

"... That's true." Wheeljack concedes, helm fins flickering yellow a moment. "We all did a lotta slag, to make it to this point. But.... Ya know, everyone here on Cybertron's chosen peace, now, and I hear the colonies are comin' back, too. Only mechs that couldn't accept the fighting was over got packed off."

A brief pause. "You probably noticed I stuck around, even after the medics patched me up."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[cobalt-cougar]

"They are," Howlback agrees. "And Grim and me--we made 'em. Their sparks, anyway." She's ridiculously proud of them. Being lead enforcer for the Empire of Cybertron sometimes seems like something she barely does, could not do at all without Grimlock and Prowl, because she has so many newsparks'.

But she does it, somehow. And she's sorry they were ill-done-by by Shockwave, but glad that she didn't have to carry them--or let Grimlock do it, during the war years when he was pretending to be a mercenary who was sometimes an Autobot, and she wouldn't have been able to see them for years at a time.

"You and Shockwave did good work, too, I guess...at least in this case." She's smiling because she means it.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack just shrugs, but his field eases slightly. "I'm just glad you got them outta there, and they're with proper families now." He responds. ".... And... And if any of them develop issues or anything, I can always take a look if it ain't medically based."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback grins up at him. "Good, you. Don't be a stranger. We shouldn't ought to have to develop anomalies to get you to come and say hi." A flock of winged saurians fly overhead. She waves to her children. "Look at 'em go!"

[ingeniare]

"Course." Wheeljack's helm fins light a cheery blue, and his optics light as well. "Look at'em go." He agrees. "Buncha strong lil fliers. You know, I did promise to bring the bitlet pack goodies next time I came to see them."

His gaze follows the little ones. "Don't think there's ever been a gestalt of fliers before. They're pretty unique."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[cobalt-cougar]

"You're very welcome, but...it was Glit and Thundercracker that did most of the organising, because Glit knew about it but the old tyrant wouldn't allow him to stop it, and well...Glit and the seekers, you know how that goes."

Howlback offers him a hug, though of course she's much smaller than he is. She likes Wheeljack. Sometimes he's a certified idiot, but Vortex and Dead End are among her closest friends, too.

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack brightens, as do his helm fina, and he squidges her back in an enthusiastic hug. "Think I got the memo about that." He tells her.

Another pause. "And I get when ta keep my intake shut, promise."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[cobalt-cougar]

"I thought they were forged? Their sparks were naturally produced, even if most of us weren't allowed to remember producing them."

Howlback shrugs. "Doesn't matter, but i didn't think cold constructs grew. That's why my sibs and I looked like adults and were treated that way long before it was true."

She leans in a little.

"I wouldn't go informing other people of the hand you may or not have had in how they got their bitties. Some of them might take offence. I'm difficult to offend because I was built, but some of the people who weren't might not be."

Not much bothers Howlback; she's pissed off about the fact that her newsparks were taken by Shockwave, but she couldn't have carried them anyway. Ravage couldn't have, either. Grimlock and Soundwave could have, but...that's all long over and they have their offspring now.

"What Shockwave did was very much against Decepticon law. They didn't shoot you or anyone else who had to work for him because it wasn't your choice to do newspark experiments. But I wouldn't go reminding people that you were involved. I would rather not get complaints and have to arrest you, even though I know you would get a fair trial that would take that into consideration."

[ingeniare]

"... Yeah." Wheeljack agrees, optics scrunching in a wince. "Fair enough." He adds. "And... Yeah. I'd rather not get arrested. Don't even remember half of all that and I don't think I want to either."

A cycled vent, rubbing at his mask. "Glad ya got me and the little ones out of there. You and the Seeker teams you organized." He offers. "... I ever say thanks? Cause... Thanks."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[cobalt-cougar]

Howlback giggles. "Prowl is not the most parental figure in the world. Unless you're Viridian, who sits quietly across the table from him and lets him beat her at strategy games so she can learn to use her tac net that she wasn't supposed to have." She sighs. "It's just proof that they're really Grim's and mine. They look like a mini-Volcanicus."

[ingeniare]

Wheeljack nods, amiably. "... Never had bitlets of my own, but I suppose having younguns looking up to you's nice. Getting to shape the future and all that." He offers.

A pause, helm fins flickering an off colour grey green. "And I remember the dragonets a bit. I think. Probably. Shockwave didn't spec and build all of them all by himself."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[cobalt-cougar]

"Prowl desperately wants to forget the whole mess, because that's how he Deals With Things." Howlback shrugs. "The bitties are all fine. Several of mine--the ones Shockwave named in Urayagi, for some reason--figured out that they're a combiner. Do you know what it's like to have a combiner who is also five years old?"

After a moment, she laughs. "I kept telling them that is Viridian's tree and they need to get used to not being on it during the time when the tree was off limits. Cybertronian trees are tough, but when they're grown their combined form is going to be at least as big as this house."

[ingeniare]

".... Combiner?" Wheeljack blinks, then rallies. "... Wait. No. The dragonets.... Right?" He asks, and offers Howlback an apologetic look. "They're all doing good, so... That's good. And Prowl's back so he can help all of you with that whole pack of bitties."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[cobalt-cougar]

"No. I don't want that anywhere near my house. If Soundwave had wanted it, he would've left it in his front yard and just put a fence up around it," Howlback grumbles.

"I don't want that thing near my bitties. And his bitties and my bitties think we all live in the same house that just happens to be connected by a tiny bit of outdoors. They run in and out all the time and sometimes I have to do headcounts. Or ask Wave to do mindcounts." She thinks for a moment, then huffs. "Give it to Tara. It might have escaped from their lab in the first place. Only Tara wants slag like that. But make sure Tara knows, from me, that they can't bring it with them to come visit Prowl, and also to keep it the fuck away from Ostaros."

[ingeniare]

"... I'll hand it off to 'em." Wheeljack promises. "And pass along your warning." His helm fins flicker a placating light blue.

"How's Prowl and the bitties doing?" He adds.

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"

[cobalt-cougar]

"...please tell me you are not going to put that on tarnbay..."

[ingeniare]

".... I was kinda hoping Ratch'd take it. Or maybe Soundwave." Wheeljack responds. "They've both got nice secure storage."

[ingeniare]

"So, uh... Who wants a packaged up anomaly?"