#two sides asks

[flipping-the-coin]

Ratchet! Why are you so mean to Orion? He’s been in a bad place.

𝔉𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔦𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔖𝔱𝔢𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡: ℜ𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔱

ℭ𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔩 ℑ𝔞𝔠𝔬𝔫 -

ℭ𝔶𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔦𝔞𝔫 ℭ𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔠𝔦𝔩 ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯𝔰 -

𝔊𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔇𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 -

Mean? You consider my actions merely mean? No, I am well aware that what I have been doing has long since stepped beyond that line into the realms of outright cruelty. However, I have no remorse in that regard. Orion Pax is not the only mech with personal issues and he never will be.

I have treated Orion with no more cruelty than he did Optimus. We fought a war because of HIS lover. We DIED so that he might have his Primus forsaken happy ending. We lost EVERYTHING because Orion Pax saw fit to be selfish when the rest of us could not afford to. My Prime spent every waking moment in absolute agony because of Orion and STILL offered his life to restore our world. I think it is only fair that some of that pain is returned to its originator… especially since Pax will live the rest of his days with all that he wanted while those of us who fought so hard will endure in silence, missing pieces of ourselves and suffering for Orion and Megatron's benefit. If I had my way, Megatron would be executed and Orion Pax would pay his penance in the Primacy serving under them. Perhaps then he would understand the concept of sacrifice.

We gave all we had to the cause, my Prime especially so. There was not a mech more loyal to our purpose than Optimus, and Orion, despite his claims of fighting for a better future, punished my Prime for that loyalty. Orion claims to fear Optimus, he says he is terrified of him because my Prime kept him 'locked away' while ignoring his pleas for mercy. But that leads me to wonder, why be afraid of someone who fought for our world if you are not an enemy of our people? Why would Orion struggle so bitterly to stop our efforts to end the threat Megatron posed if Orion did not truly care for our world, and rather just for his own personal gain? I spent vorns listening to my former friend rattle on and on about how freedom was a right all sentient beings were entitled to. Almost all of my time as a CMO I endured the long ramblings Orion fell into regarding the cruelty of the caste system. Do you have any idea how many speeches I listened to him recite on the subject? How many times I endured his constant prattling even as he abused his rank to pamper his precious gladiator?

He's a hypocrite, and I intend to remind him of it for the remainder of my functioning. He claims Optimus was the monster, and yet was it not because Orion was too selfish to take the Matrix that so many were hurt? He says Optimus was his jailer, hurting him by fighting for the cause ORION stood for. Despite the fact that Optimus stood for Orion's values, did Pax not torture him for it anyway? He's a selfish little glitch who never grew up enough to learn what it means to live for more than just himself.

How a mech like Optimus came from a glitch like Orion is beyond me. From what I see, my Prime may not have always been totally innocent, but at least he was consistent. He kept to his morals and he learned from his mistakes, always striving to be better and to meet the standards of his station and the Autobots. Even if he was wrong in his decisions as Orion claims, he still held himself to a higher standard and worked for a greater good that Orion abandoned long ago. The hatred and distain Pax bears toward the one who was forged from him sickens me. How can he despise the one HE created? Orion made Optimus, he made the war, and HE made the monster Megatron became. Do not mistake my words as sympathy or an excuse for the Primus forsaken slagger that dares to pollute Cybertron with his presence, but I will not lie and say that Megatron was not influenced. All of this death and pain could have been resolved long ago if Orion Pax were willing to see anything beyond his own desires for half a klik and make rational choices.

Optimus's will forbids that any harm come to Orion Pax or Megatron by extension. I honor that wish by never drawing energon. I know my Prime is far more merciful than I am. He has always been that way so long as I can remember. And so with that in mind, I will see justice dealt on his behalf.

I will do whatever it takes to ensure my Prime's legacy is honored and that he is happy. If that means Orion must suffer, then so be it. I hold no remorse.

𝔓𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔖𝔱𝔢𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 - ℜ𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔱

[flipping-the-coin]

For Megatron and Orion, do either of you have any quirks that get on each other’s nerves?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Oh, this is a rather personal inquiry. I did not expect anyone to have questions about my relationship with my Conjunx, but I do not mind answering such things. Megatronus and I are quite open about our grievances with each other, so there is nothing I can share that he does not already know. Once I arrive back home, I will pass this inquiry to him, so that he may answer as well. 

At the forefront of my processor: Megatronus, for some unknown reason, refuses to stop moving my things around. I am uncertain why he has taken it upon himself to torture me by reorganizing my paints and datapads so incessantly. I know where I put my things, and I expect my things to be where I put them. Does he not understand how many pieces of calligraphy have been ruined because he thought best to reorganize my paints? I have practically begged him to stop, but to no avail. I do not understand it. 

Megatronus has also a deep grudge against Ratchet that he simply refuses to let go of. He has never liked Ratchet. I understand some of his anger towards him now; Ratchet has been quite the glitch towards me lately, and Megatronus has always been overprotective of me. But this runs deeper than that. Megatronus views Ratchet as a threat to both me physically and his claim on me.  He cannot get it out of his helm this idea that Ratchet is so callous towards me because he is jealous he cannot have me and that one cycle he will try to kill me over it. I have not been able to ease the discontent in his spark, no matter how much I have tried. 

My Conjunx also tends to become angry or defensive rather quickly. This is not an issue I face with him, personally (he is always exceptionally patient and gentle with me), but rather how he reacts to others. This has been a source of irritation between us since the beginning. He is especially defensive over our relationship and his political views. He is not as bad as he used to be, however. In the past, he was prone to lashing out with violence first. Now, violence is his last resort. I am extremely proud of him for that.  

The only other thing I can think of that irritates me is how often Megatronus leaves the berth during our recharge cycles. I think it’s leftover coding from the war. He patrols and tidies the whole hab and sometimes the yard as well. He can’t settle until he goes through his process, which I understand, but I still often come online alone. Without him beside me, I struggle to keep warm, and I admit that I do not always feel safe enough to recharge when I am not wrapped up with him. I have to wait for him to return to me to fall back into recharge. He knows it bothers me, so he sometimes brings me a snack to make up for my discomfort. 

Please do not misunderstand me, I could not ask for a better Conjunx. He is attentive to my needs, vulnerable with me about his emotions, and is the most romantic mech I have ever met. He has his flaws, as all mechs do, and is a bit rough around the edges, but that is partially what makes him so attractive to me. Thank you for your inquiry. It has been my pleasure answering it. 

Head Archivist: Orion Pax

My apologies, Anonymous One, for the wait. I take full responsibility for the delay in this response. Orion gave me this inquiry of yours several cycles ago, and I fully admit that its existence slipped from my processor. I admit that I was more focused on “attending to his needs” than I was with thinking about how he annoys me. It’s nothing personal, “attending his needs” is simply a more pleasant endeavor. 

Since you asked, however: Yes, there are things Orion does that gets under my plating from time to time. I make it no secret that he can be an insufferable little glitch when he wants to be. 

The first thing that comes to my processor is how finicky the mech can be about everything. He is not one who cares about style, but he does for textures, both visual and tactile. Every piece of furniture I wish to purchase has to pass the Pax look and touch test to see if it is worthy. This is partially why we have so little furniture and decor in our hab. Orion is just… particular. This also flows into his fuel choices, brands of paints, datapads, his rocks, even the sorts of crystals he prefers.

He is especially fond of sweets, which isn’t a problem on its own. The problem is when he loses track of how much he is consuming, and fuels himself on sweets until he makes himself sick. It’s a mess I don’t enjoy cleaning up. He has little self-control when it comes to his favorite fuels; including intoxicants. Although, I can’t say that I become annoyed when he overindulges in high grade. We always have a fantastic time together when he decides he wants to drink.

Orion also becomes overfocused on certain things he is doing, which leads him to forget miniscule things.  For example; when he is deep in research mode, he often wanders the hab with his face buried in whatever datapad he’s engrossed in. He will forget to close the refrigerant unit, leave lids off of fuels, forget to turn off faucets… any number of small, yet necessary tasks. He simply becomes so focused that I am not certain he even realizes what he is doing outside of his primary task. 

He is also insufferably stubborn in some areas; fighting battles that do not need to be fought. My reputation, for example, is exactly where I expect it to be given my role in our planet’s destruction, yet he insists on fighting for my acceptance in society. He seems to have a knack for refusing to let go of lost causes. Another example is his ‘friendship’ with that slagging medic. 

I don’t know what it will take for Orion to realize that Ratchet is not his friend. They may have been close in the past, but now that medic is nothing more than a walking explosive. His ‘medical care,’ if it can even be called that anymore, is nothing more than physical and emotional torment, yet Orion always excuses it away as if that is normal behavior for friends. Ratchet has done nothing but betray him since the war started, and Orion refuses to see that and listen to reason. It's the most frustrating thing about him, if I’m being completely honest. 

-Megatron

[flipping-the-coin]

Orion, what are the archives like? Are there any restrictions in your workplace because of your past?

From the desk of 

Head Archivist: Orion Pax

Hall of Records

East Trion Square

Iacon

What are the Archives like? Well… in my own personal opinion, they are one of the most relaxing and welcoming places in the whole city. Unlike other government facilities, the Archives are open to all citizens of Cybertron, without needing a reservation. We are located at East Trion Square, directly across from the medical center. Please feel free to visit us if you are able! We strive to have a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for all who visit and choose to work for us. 

Inside the main entrance is a large, open space with many areas with comfortable furnishings meant for all frame sizes; meant to encourage citizens to quietly socialize, study or research. Private rooms are also available for those needing more discretion or quiet, for a small fee. For guaranteed availability, please reserve these rooms in advance. We also offer workshops and educational opportunities for citizens to learn new skills with qualified instructors.

It is highly recommended to ask for the assistance of one of the Archivists to find data related to the topics you are interested in delving into, as our halls are quite extensive. It is extremely easy to become lost if you are unfamiliar with the layout of the building, but you are also free to roam and browse at your leisure. Do not hesitate to ping your location if you become lost. An archivist will come fetch you as soon as possible. We do provide maps!

We house data on every subject you can imagine. Unfortunately, the Council has declared that some data is restricted or forbidden to be shared, so topics relating to Decepticons, certain medical, scientific, historical, political and religious areas of interest are unfortunately off limits. We are working diligently to rectify this per repeated appeals to the Council. It is my personal mission as Head Archivist to make nearly all of these records available for study by all citizens. 

As for your secondary inquiry; I used to have restrictions, when I was first re-hired. Because of my instability and my “concerning” relationship with my Conjunx, I was highly monitored and limited in which data I was allowed to work with. The other Archivists were distrustful, especially when I required Megatronus’ assistance to maintain stability whilst I worked. They used to call him my ‘emotional support warlord.’ 

Over time, however, trust formed and both Megatronus and I gained the support of my fellow Archivists. It quickly became apparent that I was much more highly qualified than my peers when it came to decrypting and restoring pre-war data after a large cache was retrieved from war-time ruins. I was the only one able to fully decrypt the data to its original state. 

I soon became the Archivist sought specifically for handling ancient data sources, and this somewhat elevated my position. I was trusted with much more than I was before, simply because I was the only one qualified enough to process it. 

However, once I became Head Archivist, everything was made available to me. They can certainly try to keep me out of certain data they do not want me to see, but it will cross my processor eventually. There is not a scrap of data anywhere on this planet I cannot access if I want it. That is one of the perks of my position. 

I have put tremendous effort into making the Hall of Records a better place than it was before the war. If Alpha Trion could see the changes I’ve made, I am certain he would blow a gasket! But I am still proud of what the Archives have become. I’ve made a lot of changes that I know my mentor would not have approved of. But I hope the Archives can be an example of the sort of world that Megatronus and I envisioned and are still hoping to see achieved. 

Head Archivist:

Orion Pax

[flipping-the-coin]

Megatron, what are the biggest differences on Cybertron now that the war is over?? Do you think its better or worse than before the war?

Excellent questions, Anonymous one, though complicated to express in such a short space. Cybertron certainly isn’t worse than it was before the war. There are some aspects that are much better, and others that seem to be more of the same oppressive slag as before.

I’ll start with the good, for once. I do not often speak on the positives of our post-war Cybertronian society. Before the war, a mech like me never could have dreamed of owning a hab in the upper levels of Iacon, and he also never could have bonded into a hab here, either. I appreciate that in modern Iacon, this is possible. Relationships like Orion’s and mine are no longer a punishable offense. Mechs are no longer tossed to the Pit as punishments for crimes. The Hall of Records is largely open to the public now, though you can thank Orion for that. Building codes are stricter, and habs in general seem to be of a higher quality for all than they were before.

There is some room for upward social mobility, if someone gets lucky. That is better than before, but still not ideal. I don’t imagine that Orion and I would have been able to live where we do had he not been granted his position. For everyone else who lives in the Lower Levels… things are less optimal. Here is more of the same slag from before, where we start to see the truth, that the caste system still functions, it just takes a new form. Upper Iacon often siphons power from the lower levels to use in their celebrations or memorial openings, not caring that those living below their pedes are made to sacrifice for it. Sparklings have less access to educational facilities down there, and end up funneled into hard occupations. The mechs down there are sold less refined fuels for a higher cost. Law enforcement is harsher on lower lever citizens; it’s all the same old caste slag.

The government is still corrupt. Orion has caught them changing and forging military records on more than several occasions; always to make their Autobots look better than they really were and to make the Decepticons look worse. Many in the Council hold prejudice against those they are supposed to speak for. They spend far too much on frivolous memorabilia to beautify their city instead of caring for their citizens. Same old slag, different cycle. I don’t know why Orion puts so much faith in that Medic when he was part of the same slagging broken system from before.

Now, for what is worse. The New Iaconian culture is becoming dominant not due to natural influence, but due to political ones. For example, most Cybertronian states have their own cultures, many of those cultures are now mostly extinct. Those who have returned to their homes find themselves being unable to register their cultural bondings without performing new Iaconian rites. You can’t even register old ones. Even with Orion constantly complaining about these issues with property, bonding and even sparkling adoptions, the Council sees fit to retain their new standards, thus silently wiping out many lingering pieces of what made old Cybertron so beautiful.

There is far more surveillance performed on citizens now. It is subtle, usually, but I notice that there is nowhere I can go where I am not being watched in some way. Old Cybertron was like this too, of course, but back then at least, one could dart down an alley to be free of optics in the sky. Now? Everywhere is monitored. The only privacy most mechs have is inside their habs. But coming from personal experience; I don’t think that is even sacred enough to keep them from watching you if they want to.

These are, perhaps more personal, worse for ‘Megatron’ specifically issues. I fully recognize why I just do not like it. Everything I do is seen as suspicious activity. Whether it is taking donations to the lower levels or purchasing an innocent gift for Orion, it is always seen as me going ‘outside my routine.’ I am not afforded any privacy whatsoever. They know everything about my life, from my fuel preferences, to my hobbies, to my interfacing habits, and there isn’t a Primus forsaken thing I can do about it.

The biggest differences between now and then are more difficult to pinpoint. There are no more death matches for entertainment. Civilians are allowed access to historical records now. There are no restrictions on relationships anymore. Things of this nature. Though, I am uncertain if I can say that things here are better than before. For some, they are better. For others, its the same old slag.

-Megatron

[flipping-the-coin]

Orion, what are some of the things you miss most about Kaon?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Thank you for your inquiry! It is not often I am asked to speak about my time in my second home. I urge all who read this document to set aside whatever prewar and wartime propaganda that has been fed to you regarding the people and culture of Kaon, as the stereotypes of Kaon are largely based in misunderstandings and prejudice. I became fond of Kaon long before I ever met my Conjunx, when I stumbled upon a collection of Kaoni graffiti that was posted to a forum on the datanet. Graffiti was largely nonexistent in Iacon back then; I had never seen artistic expression presented this way before and was fascinated by how beautiful it was. It inspired me to attempt to learn to draw myself, for a time, however I was quickly reminded of my function as an archivist and not an artist, and thus dropped that as a pursuit, but my interest in Kaon remained, and was acceptable per Alpha Trion to pursue as a specialty interest.

Megatronus later took me to visit many of the artistic works I remembered after we became friends. There was one, in particular, that we used to visit often that depicted the Pits Arena, with a depiction of fallen Gladiators covered in energon with only one standing, looking up towards the sky. Above it was written, 'Save our City.' Megatronus told me that it was one of the oldest murals in Kaon, created when the Arenas were first constructed, in protest of their function. He told me that it had been removed several times, but it was always recreated within a decacycle of its destruction.

Eventually, I stumbled upon the speeches and poetry of Megatronus online.  (I am well aware that everyone knows how that turned out in the end, but I would like to specifically speak on our early correspondences for just a klik.) I am afraid that my early attempts at truly understanding what Megatronus was saying were obscured by my lack of understanding of his dialect. He was quite patient in educating me on Kaoni glyph usage, and I become enthralled by the way that the mechs of Kaon use metaphor in their common language; a direct opposite to Iaconian standards that prefer direct, clinical glyphs to convey meaning.

Kaoni speech is simply different. Many metaphors obscure what is being said to those who do not understand the dialect, this was especially true for the Gladiator caste of Kaon. For example, in Iacon, spark merges are simply referred to as spark merges. If one were to wish to ask for one, They would use the glyphs directly referring to merging their sparks; "I wish to merge sparks with you." It is direct and clear. However, in Kaon, if one were to express this desire, they would use much different glyphs such as "I wish to taste your spark." or "I would give my spark to you." I found this sort of poetic glyph usage to be quite beautiful, and I do miss the dialect in my audials. Hardly anyone speaks Kaoni here.

Everything in Kaon was warm: the climate, the people, the fuels…. It was much less rigid than Iacon, and I found myself enjoying how little they cared about one’s caste or status. I enjoyed the informal nature of social gatherings, where boisterous laughter and jovial banter was common. The high grade wasn’t as refined, but there were many Kaoni specific beverages that simply were divine that have been lost, as well as many recipes that I am devastated that I never took the time to process and archive myself. 

There were many places of great beauty in Kaon, if one knew where to find them. Megatronus often took me to a particular abandoned mine shaft that had one particular branch that led to the most exquisite naturally formed crystal garden I have ever laid my optics upon. They glowed marvelously in the most exquisite shades of soft greens, blues, pinks and purples and created spires that twisted and merged into each other and the ceiling above them… I loved it there so much that that is where Megatronus and I performed our Rites and gave our sparks to each other. They were one of Kaon’s best kept secrets, and I will never reveal where they are located. I am unaware of whether they remain accessible in modern times. 

I stress again that Kaon was so much more than the propaganda would have one believe. This merely scratches the surface of the things I miss of the Kaon of old. I am afraid I would keep you all cycle if I went over everything. Kaon was special to me. It felt more like home to me than Iacon ever has.

Head Archivist,

Orion Pax

[flipping-the-coin]

Bumblebee, how are you holding up? You lost your Sire, found out you had a second one, and got your first Sire back all in a pretty small timeframe. How have you handled that?

I want to make something very clear here. I did not gain another Sire. Orion Pax has not done a fragging thing for me my entire life. The only thing he gives a frag about is Megatron, and he’s shown me that over and over again. If I’m being honest, I really don’t want anything to do with him. He’s a selfish glitch and he’s gross. I mostly deal with him by not dealing with him. 

That being said, Optimus was… Complicated. I didn’t understand why it had to be this way. It felt sudden and rash to me for him to just… give himself up like that. It felt like he just abandoned us all when we could have found some other way. I was stuck on this idea that if he’d just… given us some more time, we could have figured something out. 

I spent a lot of time thinking about it when I was doing my ambassadorial work on Earth. I was angry at him for a long time, you know? I had so many questions and things I just didn’t understand. Why would he leave me so suddenly? Didn’t he know how much I needed him? Why didn’t he tell any of us the truth? Why did he think Orion Pax could be a substitute for him? Why did he have to die while that selfish aft gets to live out his happily ever after? 

But being on Earth, watching my friends, Raf, Jack and Miko grow old and die… I started to kind of get it, at least some of it. Watching them grow old, their bodies slowly start to fail and the life slowly sinking out of their eyes, it reminded me a lot of Optimus towards the end of the war. 

I guess I just didn’t notice how bad he was at the end, because there was just so much going on, and he always was… different.  I can’t remember there ever being a time when Optimus wasn’t in pain in some way or another. It became routine, and in that, I failed to notice when his own frame began to fail him. 

Optimus started to practically fall apart after I killed Megatron. He was lost to his pain more often than he was really with us. He was… dying. Slowly. Right before our optics and only Smokescreen really seemed to notice how bad it was. He tried to tell us. Anyway, seeing the kids go… It helped me understand that Optimus was ready to die, and had been for probably a long time. 

He waited for the right time, when his death would mean something. He pushed through more pain than anyone can imagine so that he could use his life to restore our home, and that is a noble act. My anger faded into respect after I finally understood. It was hard. I still missed him, but that feeling kind of faded over time. 

Honestly, it was easier back on Earth. Cybertron has his image plastered everywhere. You can’t get away from it. But on Earth, Optimus wasn’t… everywhere. In fact, after just a vorn or so, mentions of him by the humans had largely stopped at all, because all who knew him had simply died. Coming home… it was quite the shock to see him just… everywhere. That's been the hardest part, I think. It's easy to not notice what’s missing when you aren’t being reminded all the time of its absence. 

And now, Optimus is back! I won’t lie and say that I’m not happy about it. I am. But now I miss him even more. He’s right there, but scheduling and politics stand in the way of us spending any meaningful time with each other. I still have questions left unanswered. But I also finally have hope that things will get better now. Hopefully my Sire can finally fix some of the problems going on here. I just hope he finds time for me too while he’s doing it.

[flipping-the-coin]

Orion, as an archivist can you tell me more about the practice of mechs getting engraved and its history? Is it usually really significant or do some do it just for fun?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Thank you for your inquiry! Engraving as a practice is deeply embedded into Cybertronian cultures all around the planet. It traces all the way back to the original Thirteen Primes themselves. Legends say that Prima would have his failures engraved into his frame, so that he would forever remember them, and not make the same mistakes. Of course, there really is no way to verify most tales from so far back in history, but this Legend is generally agreed upon by scholars to likely be true. 

In Early Cybertronian civilizations, the practice initially began in mimicry of the Prime, and was adopted by warriors to similarly commemorate their failures. It then was adopted by anyone who owed a debt to show their sincerity in repayment. However, before long the practice exploded into popularity, and was used to signify all manner of things, from clan membership to profession to bondings. 

Each culture has its own manner of engraving styles and customs. For example, Iaconian engravings tend to utilize glyphs directly, usually a phrase or saying that carries meaning in a pristine and legible font, whereas in Kaon, engravings tend to utilize pictographs to represent ideas rather than words. Vos in particular has a rather unique cultural style that is almost a perfect blending of Iaconian and Kaoni, utilizing both intricate glyph usage and certain pictographic designs. 

It is common all across Cybertron to see engravings down the arms, on chest plating and on the shoulders and adorning kibble.  It is less common, but not rare, to see engravings down the helm as well, but almost never on the face. There are unfortunate, negative stigmas attached to those who engrave their faceplates.  However, in places like Praxus or Vos, where many mechs of similar frame types tend to congregate, you will commonly see placements of engravings on the doorwings, or wings, respectively. Of course, these were both relatively wealthy city-states before the war, and thus their engravings tended to be rather delicate and beautifully crafted. 

The only outliers to these general observations belong to government and Primacy engravings. These do not change depending on culture, they are the same across the planet. Law enforcement, for example, wears the same symbol in Vos as they do in Tarn. While originating in Iacon, both Primacy and government engravings are pictographic in nature. Before the war, they were mandatory for all government and Primacy employees, but in modern times, one can apply for an exemption and opt to wear a magnetic insignia instead, as I do when I am working. 

There are only two types of engravings that are commonly performed: surface level, and plating.  A surface level engraving only removes the outer paint layer, and heals over relatively quickly, usually withing a deca-cycle or two. Plating engravings are etched into the metal plating itself. These engravings tend to last from three to five stellar cycles before the nanites can fill them in naturally. These forms of engraving are nearly painless. More uncommon are protoform engravings. Engravings on the protoform are permanent and incredibly painful. Healing will help, but the sting of a protoform engraving lingers eternally. Protoform engravings are often done to express deeply held convictions, regrets or promises, though some also get them for love. 

Engravings are most commonly done by professionals, as there is some level of risk involved in plating and protoform engravings. An unskilled engraver, or one who is careless, may cause damage to the frame that can result in painful scarring that must be seen to by a qualified medic to be repaired via injections of liquid protoform to the injured site. If the protoform is damaged in an engraving, the resulting scarring is often permanent. Seeking a qualified, careful engraver is essential for those seeking protoform engravings. 

Engravings are also used to show a great deal of social information. Many wear them purely for decorative purposes, but those tend to be in locations such as the lower back, outer thigh plating, hips and servos. These locations signify that the engravings are purely decorative, and can be used to broadcast special interests or hobbies to others. Beyond the decorative scope, they are used to express certain milestones or life pathways, such as becoming an apprentice, passing into adulthood, or even engaging in bonding rites. 

Nearly every guild or subculture has its own usage for engravings to share information easily to those who understand the meanings of the symbols or glyphs used. For example, the gladiators of Kaon used this particular pictograph that can be either painted or engraved to denote one has membership or close ties to them:

However, the gladiators from Tarn have a completely different symbol in line with their own culture. The only symbol shared amongst all gladiators across Cybertron is the symbol of the Champion, which is a crescent shape. 

To summarize: engraving has a deep and rich history for all Cybertronian cultures; a tradition as old as life itself on our planet. It is used to express concepts that hold significant meaning, and also can be simply a fun expression of joy. They allow Cybertronians to announce aspects of themselves without uttering a single glyph, both significant and miniscule. They function almost as an entire form of communication themselves for those who can read their meanings. Thank you again for your inquiry, I hope my explanation is satisfactory. It has been a pleasure answering it for you.

[flipping-the-coin]

Loving the story so far! I have a question for Megatron, when did you first realize you were in love with Orion?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Apologies for using my conjunx’s stationary. It was what was closest to me when this question came through. I admit that your question caught me off guard. I am told I am ‘unapproachable.’ I will be truthful with you; I know the exact moment I realized that I had feelings for Orion.  

Orion and I had been friends for quite some time, and he was really starting to come out of his shell when he was in Kaon. He was nearly fluent in the dialect, and we often frequented bars together. He smiled a lot then, and laughed openly at jokes that most from Iacon would be offended to hear. After he’d had some high grade his biolights would glow brighter than normal, and when he laughed they would flicker in intensity. This is when I first noticed my attractions to him; in a dingy bar after too much to drink. 

I did not act on that attraction. I instead chose to bury it deep. Not only was it illegal to pursue those above my caste, but Orion Pax was doubly off limits. Alpha Trion had power, and Orion was his sparkling and his protégé. I convinced myself that acting upon such an attraction for a fling simply wasn’t worth the trouble of dealing with Alpha Trion’s political influence. I told myself that Orion Pax was off limits and forced myself to stop thinking about it. 

But Orion dropped hints that he wanted more, that I did my best to step around without crushing his confidence in pursuing things he wanted, and our friendship continued to deepen the more time he spent in Kaon. Others began rumors that there was something between us due to how close we became, and still I kept it buried. 

But the exact moment that it hit me was one cycle after we had had bit too much high grade. He’d missed the last transport back to Iacon and we stumbled back to my quarters, hanging off each other like fools. When we got there, Orion grabbed me by the seams in my neck and kissed me like he would go offline if he didn’t. This wasn’t the moment that it hit me. I was still in firm denial at this point. 

It was my reaction to what Orion said after that kiss that made me finally realize that I was helm over pede in love with the mech.  I will paraphrase; this memory is too important to me to share all of the intimate details, but Orion essentially told me that he had never wanted anyone to touch him the way he wanted me to touch him. I was the only one he trusted and wanted to ask such a thing of. 

I realized that the idea of continuing to refuse Orion what he obviously wanted twisted my spark much more viciously than my fear of whatever Alpha Trion or law enforcement could do in response. I gave Orion what he asked for, and things spiraled relatively quickly between us from there. 

I hope this satisfies your curiosity, anonymous one.

-Megatron