#chewing words

[steamingstewchunks]

Kids being kids, I'm downright positive that at one point the tfp trio had debates about who was the "best" in terms of their friends. It happens a lot, conversations get out of hand, and all of a sudden Miko is pummeling Jack with a pillow to "defend Bulkhead and wheeljacks honor",

What's to say the bots don't over hear these conversations?

In bits and pieces of course, because I need thise guys egos to inflate and deflate at rather rapid paces.

"I'm not bulkheads human friend!" (Estimated accurate quote from the show), the kids recognize them as friends but also guardians. It's like having a favorite uncle. When babysitting their obligated to take care of you but of course you gravitate towards what your familiar with, or, who received you best, and so, there's words like "Bumblebee likes Raf more than you Miko", and "Arcee isn't that much of a dunebasher," and conveniently, the mentioned would only hear the first part not the "she's more for high speed riding in the canals! Fast and smooth!"

Ratchet gears the bulk of those conversations, and within feeding myself (maybe you guys, y'all can have some too,) I'm down to say he gets a little bit salty that he's rarely mentioned in them. He does recognize it as his own fault though, one cannot subtly threat people and get away with it in the first meeting.

"they could go squish." (Jeffery combs, one of the few voices I can recognize thanks to ratchet, you beast), I'd like to think he regrets how he's acted towards them within their first meeting, but is, understandably to the kids, constantly busy. Gently brushing off their attempts at bonding purely since it's always at inconvenient times! He would like nothing more than to talk and teach the trio about cybertronian history (as evident in their school projects) and other things regarding his own experiences, hell maybe even be the "cool grandpa" thing they keep mentioning. He has no clue what a grandpa is, but it seems to be positive.

Even better, the reason any of them can hear the bits and pieces they do is cuz of how powerful their own audials are, the kids haven't gotten a complete look at how enhanced their senses are, outside of smell and taste to be fair, and so their hushed whispers when they remember Ratchet is pretty close aren't enough.

Back on track, away from Ratchet sadly, I genuinely think all the bots love the kids, and with what they hear they might be devastated to assume the bots like their respective humans more than the other, even going so far as to find them downright annoying.

Ex;

"yeah, I don't think Bulkhead really likes me as much as you. We don't talk too much and it gets quiet really easily." Raf responds, lounging on the couch legs curled in to hold his laptop up comfortably, typing away.

From the hall before what the kids call the "living room", certain audials pick it up, leaving turbulent thoughts as Bulkhead, simply walking from the wash racks to his room, raised his optical ridges in surprise.

Does Raf... Think he doesn't like him? At all? I mean, sure, the two don't actually have much to talk about, with different interests, but he Loved speaking with the boy about the different Biomes on earth learning about the surrounding deserts and forests that, thanks to Raf, he regards it all with a new light upon seeing the way the ecosystems work and balance each other out! It was awesome! Had he done something wrong? "Quiet really easily", is that something against human customs? Or at least where he comes from? Was he exuding annoyance towards Raf?? DO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE EM FIELDS JUST.... IN A DIFFERENT WAY???!?

End ex,

There's lots to deal with, including the nuances of conversation, the fact that cybertronians have vastly different social cues and linguistic tones and everything, and I doubt the bots had much contact with other humans outside of Agent Fowler and any official he brought with them, and they where always straight forward with everything.

Meaning the way that the kids speak, children civilians, would be lost in them for a while. Of course casual conversation isn't completely off the table, it just takes a few repeated words and explained definitions, but like regular conversations, especially overheard conversations, can be taken out of context with the wrong ideas, and all that Jazz.

Tldr; I want to see those Bots "make it up" to the kids by hanging out with them more.

This is also applicable with smokescreen, wheeljack, and Ultra Magnus. Less so with Magnus since he's probably heavily limiting his own contact with the kids.

[steamingstewchunks]

Had a thought

The bots don't like it when Sari isn't at base.

As in, when Isaac comes to take her back after the nannying, their so.... What's it, empty?

At home, it's clean, it's quiet, they can do the stuff they wanna do as well as the things they've been accidently putting off, like reports, and paintings, and practicing a new pose or a new track in the game that just dropped.

But it's too quiet. It's too clean. Their all waiting for Sari to come back, especially after Bumblebee started taking videos and pictures of their time together. Something like a clip of Sari laughing will slowly have all the bots trickling into his space to watch, commentary of all kinds about one video, but content sad silence in the other.

Bulkheads usually the first one to join, walking into his space at the first video and plopping down next to Bee to paint and watch, mostly watch, the paint on his pallette has nearly dried out by now. Prowls next, quiet, oh so very quiet as he just... Appears really, right next to Bumblebee, not touching, but his presence is felt as he watches, pretending to meditate when really he's just gotten used to doing his yoga and practiced with a little baby trying to copy him.

Ratchets next. He's standing by the doorway though, nodding to those who noticed but not making any moves to get closer until Optimus catches him and thus, sees their all watching the clips and looking at the photos. He ends up sitting near bulkhead, who's covered in that specific yellow and red. He's doing his reports, but he stops, since his audials are straining to hear the videos. Ratchet finally joins them when Optimus pipes up about what happened before a video, something about her throwing an orange at him,

"I gave it to her." He sits himself behind Bee, in a way, still choosing to stand but resting comfortably.

Just missing their baby is all.

[steamingstewchunks]

I don't make the rules, Sari has that "strange baby beauty", and sometimes gives people uncanny valley.

She's staring at someone in the grocery store, and at first like, "aha awwww, hi there sweety, you shopping with your dad?" And that's when she looks weirder.

Her eyes catch the florescent lights in a way that the onlooker can visibly watch as they seem to get redder and her pupils visibly widen as she smiles.

Her smiles still cute, but there's something... Unreal about it.

My love for "cybertronians are not humans thus look too human" or don't look human enough shines here but I think it's like,,, one of the main reasons Sumdac didn't have many opportunities to socialize Sari with other infants/babies.

Too many parents got spooked or babies didn't like her.

[steamingstewchunks]

There is absolutely no fucking way that the bots didn't ship lift the first few days of taking care of Sari.

And it's (mostly) by accident anyways

(stop looking at Prowl, Sari wanted the little toys and he saw no reason why she couldn't have them, no matter what Ratchet says)

I'm talking like, small stuff, ratchet walking out of the store with a milk jug and not realizing that all he did was scan the items and didn't pay for them, or Bumblebee giving Sari a little lollipop as a treat while stocking up their baby corner with more blankets and pillows, forgetting that technically, you have to pay for everything you get in this store.

Optimus goes to get formula one time and finally realizes that Shanix is not a valid form of currency on Earth. The store owner let him take it though, talking about how it's not fair to keep something so important under such lock and key.

"thanks," glancing at the name tag "Rafael."

"no problem!"

[steamingstewchunks]

Don't leave Sari with Ultra Magnus.

It's a feeling to him, not a thought. Not as he can see the way his Magnus, his commander, his leader, stretch out a palm in such a way the seemed so final but so....

Foreboding. Like she was being taken away, instead of being held gently by someone who cares.

(he does... He should care about her.)

Sari was sitting in her little corner, a new one, now that they didn't have to stay in the Ark anymore, being tended too by prowl and bulkhead, sunlight beaming down into them from the window they built it next to, who In turn do stare between him and Ultra Magnus.

For once in his functioning, he couldn't decide if what his leader said was an order.

"I would like to hold the Sparkling, Optimus."

"bwuh- uh, yes sir, you will be able to hold her, sir, but human infants," lying is easy, lying is easy, say something, "they have a lot of rules to follow when handling them."

A white lie works too.

"Surely not, all I would need would be the pillows and mesh contraption," he points his head towards prowl, who wasn't in holoform like Bulkhead, who had the dipped mesh contraption they've had since the beginning. "I know organic young have rules to follow when handling, but it is not nearly as rigid as you imagine. I won't have her long."

The old mechs smile doesn't reach his eyes, it's spread a little too wide.

prowl, I need a distraction. The mentioned starts to sniff around just a little just after the private comm, and cringes. Almost perfectly.

"bulkhead," he stands, letting his vents clear the "smell" from his olfactories," she needs a diaper change."

"oh, sorry Ultra Magnus, maybe some other time?" Optimus smiles at his commander, keenly examining him for any sort of reason, again, why he felt the need to say no. Why it was so scary to see his servo reach towards Prowl.

Almost like magic, Sari starts to cry, with the toy in her hand dropping to the floor.

"and it's almost nap time too!" Bulkhead cradles her, heading into the changing room connected to the baby corner. Unaware of the ruse the other two where putting up.

"oh well, heh. Maybe some other time." Ultra Magnus let his servo fall, but seemed to search the two. "I have business to get back to on the Steelhaven, and you," he stares pointedly at Optimus, "still need to fill out those incident reports about the decepticon attacks."

"aah, yup, yes sir, Magnus sir...!" He saluted, a toothy smile making it's way across his faceplates, dermas splitting so awkwardly he could feel prowls despair without needing to dig into his field.

"at ease soldier." The Magnus says, almost stalking out of the room.

"Optimus." He turns to look at Prowl, "what. Was that."

[steamingstewchunks]

I feel like Bumblebee would get babu Sari a little bee onesie

So they could match

Oh yes he does, he so so does it, makes sure the others can see how she makes the little grabby hands for it.

It's a competition to see which one of their colors/themes she likes the best when they all go out together so she has "interact with the outside world" time.

Each and every time, they hit up a clothing store, never to get anything for themselves no, they can just make any outfit they want with their holoforms, it's all for SARI, and DOMINANCE within their group.

Who is the favorite? whos colors does she love the most? Who gets her the best stuff?

It's as one does when a baby chooses something uniquely you, I know me and my family flaunt the superiority when the baby chooses one of us over the other (lesser) choice, ((the not me choice)), so within the store, Bumblebee is the most obvious. I mean, he's already got the yellow, she already loves yellow, so automatically he's got majority points! She just needs the stripes!

Queue a very young looking boy(teen? Man? Eh, the cashier doesn't care) slamming his hands down on the counter talking about "every bumblebee or bee related piece of clothing you got", staring at them like they don't get paid fifteen dollars an hour.

Meanwhile prowls trying looking at the golden bracelets, and maybe that tacky little onesie that says "mamas gurl" in gold letters on the back, but it's main color is... Pink. Pink and gold. Even in his holoform he doesn't think he can pull that off without looking like Patricia. She rocked the pink and gold jewelry like it made her queen of the world. He put the onesie back, no way was she going to have Sari resemble Patricia of all people. Maybe they can get matching bows, Sari likes to mess with the one on her collar when walking around.

She picks out a little black bow and ties it to one of her pigtails. Prowl will take it off when they need to pay for it. It matches with the glasses they share.

Bulkhead is just as obvious as Bee, but less so with the competition part. He goes, surprisingly enough, with what she already has in her closet. Hes trying to make complete outfits, he likes to match his own with Saris, little green shoes with a yellow dress and green jacket? He's wearing a yellow undershirt and shorts, a green letterman Jacket, and a pair of sneakers cuz they are comfy and basic and versatile. No, Bee, he won't wear Crocs, fundamentally, they're not as versatile as he needs sports mode be damned

Ratchet is really good at it, necessities like bibs and socks, they have his colors. I haven't really noticed but on non gendered stuff for babies, red and white are actually very common colors. So long as the red is an accent and not a main color. (And not Elmo.) He doesn't brag about how much she really really loves the doctor toy set he got her a few weeks ago, he does grin smugly at Optimus when his thing is set aside for a few moments to play doctor with grandpa Ratchet though.

The prime, well, Optimus doesn't know how to go about it. The one thing they've got in the whole "favorite" category would have to be the red little truck that she loves to carry around everywhere. He made it, actually. The kid in their favorite store, Miko, was making something at the counter one day, needles thread, little beads and stuffing, the whole shebang.

He would have asked about it if Sari wasn't cranky-- nap time was something nobody tried to put off when it came to it So instead, he set her down with Ratchet a block or two away, asked if he could watch her while he.... Investigated something.

"sure kid, I'm not doing much here anyways, might take the stasis nap with her."

Holoform active, Optimus speeds back to the shop, worried that maybe she wasn't there or he missed it or-

"What are you doing back here? Need something else, Ori?" It takes him an embarrassingly long time (and a bit of money(little sweets are going to be in the candy jar for MONTHS)) for him to muster up the courage to ask about it.

He comes back to a snoozing Ratchet and Sleepy Sari, just sitting near them as he fiddles with the soft, hopefully well made plush in his hands. It wasn't good, not by a long shot, his holoforms digits had plenty of holes in them from how much he'd accidentally poked himself, luckily covered by bright neon and patterned bandages. Hesitantly, he placed the plushie next to Sari, just nervous and worried, in a way, that she just wouldn't like it.

Nothing can compare to how relieved he felt when her little eyes opened, tiny slivers of red and white seeing what he made, and latching on immediately, holding onto it the same way she would hold him while being carried.

Each and every time he saw her with the toy truck, which lasted way, wayy longer than most others, his spark sang with joy.

The fact that it looked like his alt-mode was simply a plus, to her loving something he made so soso much, and he kept on learning to sew. For when it might finally tear, or break.

[steamingstewchunks]

Hey guys look at

Look at my little meme!!

Look it's soundwave and Megatron fawning over little kitty bitty Sariii!!

Ignore what's on the right that's for later.

[steamingstewchunks]

Each of the bots think the other has Sari. Everyone's doing their own thing, out and about or doin their little hobby, having fun and thinking that she's okay, and their friends are okay, and this is a well deserved break.

The groceries are in the car seat, and wreck-gar has a 5 month old to walk around Detroit with.