Anyone that knew Perceptor knew the mechling was shy and soft spoken—if he ever spoke at all, that is. Whenever he left the house, he'd always clung to either of his creator's legs or begged to be picked up.
This day was no exception, and Perceptor's mech creator had given in to his cute, high-pitched voice and picked him up as the family walked out of the house. His tiny black hands gripped tightly to his creator's shoulders that day, far tighter than before.
That morning while Perceptor had fuelled with his creators at the table (a pride the little being had since he no longer required assistance to hold his cube), he had been told they were going somewhere very special. 'Special' registered as 'new' to Perceptor, and 'new' had never suited him well. So after a bit of half-whines and bickering Perceptor tentatively agreed to go, earning a pat to the helm by his mech creator, and a kiss from his femme.
"Hey. Hey, Percy."
Perceptor was pried off the shoulders he was holding onto and forced to look at his mech creator's face. His femme creator tilted her head in and smiled that soothing smile at him.
"There's no need to be nervous, Percy. I'm sure you'll like this place."
Perceptor frowned at them. "Where're we goin'?'
The creators shared a glance, and Perceptor pouted sadly. Whenever they said they were going somewhere 'special' he ended up not liking the place. Except for the Science Museum, he really liked that place.
"It's a surprise." said his mech creator, "A good surprise. Now don't you worry."
Perceptor pronounced a short hum, before nodding and ultimately nestling his helm against his mech creator's shoulder. The rest of the walk to the 'special' place consisted of chatter from the creators, as Perceptor looked on behind them.
He wondered of this place. If it was like the museum, he'd definitely like it, he was sure. But… if not, he didn't know what to think, and that scared him. Was it a big? Or small? Would it be loud and noisy… he didn't like those types of places.
The little microscope sighed against shoulder plating. Now he wished they could have just stayed at home.
"Here we are," his femme creator chimed. Perceptor lifted his helm up and looked to see a squat, long building. His optics flickered to the colorful drawings painted on the windows, his audios perked to the muffled sounds he heard from inside.
"Where're we?" He asked, obviously cautious with the way he leaned into his creator, but the curiosity colored his voice.
His femme creator opened one of the double doors, allowing Perceptor and her mate in. The noise he had heard before echoed from down the hall. They sounded like voices, high enough for the sparkling to know there were other young ones like him here. At this point, his mech creator placed him on the ground, firm on his pedes. Perceptor, as predicted, scuttled back to hug the closest leg. Instead, his mech creator took one of Perceptor's hands and led him down the rest hallway.
"Daddy, I wanna go home. Why're we here?"
"Oh Percy," his femme creator sighed. She crossed to Perceptor's other side and bent to kiss his black, shiny helm. "You'll see. Just a few more steps."
And after those few more steps the family was looking through an open door. Perceptor looked inside with wide optics. There were many sparklings, like him, either on the floor with various objects which he thought were a plethora of toys, or spending their time at little tables. Perceptor, hand clutching at his mech creator's, looked up at the other two questioningly.
But a shrilled voice caught his attention and suddenly a green femme with perky wings came walking up to them, "Oh! Crosswire and Sheercut? Hi, I'm Skylight, the one you spoke to on the comm."
Perceptor habitually moved behind his creators, though his hand that was still in his mech creator's prevented him from completely hiding himself from the new femme's view. But he craned his head up to stare at her as they talked.
He was starting to get scared. He had yet to know what this place was, nor why they were here. Another bad 'special'. Finally, the mechling settled with looking back inside the room where the other children were playing. None of them looked scared. In fact, they all looked like they were having fun. When he noticed several of the sparklings catching sight of him, Perceptor went back behind his creator. Was this place supposed to be a fun place for him then?
"Percy?"
Perceptor's gaze snapped back. "Can we go home now?"
"No, not yet." His femme creator said. Somehow that soothing smile seemed less convincing. "Percy, this place is called a daycare. It's for sparklings just like you." Perceptor frowned, "Why?"
"Me and mom have to do something," his mech creator said, kneeling down to meet his creation at more of an optic level. "It'll be for a while, and we can't just leave you home alone, now can we?"
Perceptor stared at him, but shook his head.
"See? That'd be dangerous for you, but here you'll be safe, and you'll make some new friends here!" Perceptor blinked at the pat he received, "Okay? It'll be for few joors, and we'll came back soon to pick you up."
The reality of what was happening finally sank in. He was going to be staying here, with all these strangers… without his creators. They were leaving. Perceptor suddenly shook his helm and launched himself to be nestled tightly around his mech creator's neck, "No! Don' go! I don' wanchuo to."
He heard his femme creator and Skylight pass a quick phrase to each other before he was pried away from the neck and placed back down on his pedes. "Now c'mon Percy," his femme creator stated as his other stood back up. "Everyone here is nice. You'll like it here, I'm sure."
The two looked at each other when their creation's optics glistened with tears. "And after we pick you up, we can go to Stirrer's and get some cream. How's that sound?"
Well… he supposed that was something to look forward to. Perceptor looked down, a pede scuffing the floor, and dejectedly nodded.
"Atta mech, we'll be back soon. Promise."
Perceptor looked back to receive a kiss to his helm from his femme creator before both of them turned back into the hallway and left his line of sight. The mechling turned his helm to see Skylight walking up to him, all smiles and cheeriness. "Well, Perceptor, isn't it? Why don't we go and meet some of the other sparklings. I'm sure they're excited to meet you."
Skylight offered a hand and the mechling hesitantly took it. If he looked away, he could pretend it was his femme creator's servo. But it wasn't. He looked back to what direction they were heading, and his spark ceased upon itself when he realized they were walking up to a small group of mechs.
"Hey there!" Skylight greeted with a wave. The three mechs stopped what they were doing and looked up at them. Perceptor couldn't help but looked at the floor.
"This is Perceptor. Is it alright if he plays with you?"
With a beat of silence to pass, the group gave their approval and Skylight let go of Perceptor's hand and ushered him to sit down. He felt like, by the way the mech's had blandly said okay, that they weren't really in need of another to play with, and they just said that to make Skylight happy and go away. And just like that Skylight was gone to tend to the other sparklings.
He felt awkward and weird. Perceptor sat stiff as the others restarted their playing again. But even though he tried to pretend he wasn't there, he ended up observing them.
One of the three mechs was far smaller than even himself. His red paint job was more flamboyant than Perceptor's, as well as his personality. Even now, Perceptor could clearly connect the mech's brash behavior to the almost scary red horns decorating his helm as he bashed two figures together in some of battle, yelling out words to emphasis the two toys banging against each other.
Perceptor suddenly felt the need to stay away from him as much as possible. Instead he moved his gaze to the other two. They looked a lot alike, he immediately noticed, despite one being another shade of red and the other a bright yellow.
The red mechling made him feel more awkward then he deemed necessary since he was sitting right next to him whilst chewing on what he assumed was another figurine. Perceptor blinked when the red sparkling looked back at him and smiled… something close to a smile; his nibbling mouth was rather morphed at the moment since it was occupied with the toy.
Ew.
Despite not liking the scene he was getting, Perceptor tried to smile back. He even attempted to wave but before he could get his hand half way up to do so, the mechling shifted his attention to the yellow bot. Perceptor frowned, dropping his hand in his lap. Maybe it was just better if he just observed.
And observed he did, watching Red poke at Yellow's arm, earning his attention. Yellow and Red seemed to be good friends at least, Perceptor realized. How else would Yellow tolerate the now constant poke and prod to his frame? But finally Yellow swatted the hand away in annoyance.
"Stop pokin' me, Sides!"
"Mmh mpphpm."
Perceptor watched in awkward bemusement as 'Sides' and Yellow interacted, Yellow yelling and waving his own battle mech toy in Sides face as Sides merely smiled and laughed behind his little fighter still sticking out of his mouth.
But eventually the group had shifted away to play with something else, naturally leaving Perceptor behind. But Perceptor didn't mind at all. He didn't want to keep following them when he knew they really couldn't be friends like that. Instead, the window had caught Perceptor's attention, and he stood on the tip of his pedes to look through it. He hoped his creators were done doing whatever it was they had to do and pick him up for that cream.
He stared outside, perking when he saw a bot pass by, but deflating once more when he registered it to be someone not his creators. Where were they?
The mechling blinked when he felt something bump against his pede and looked down to see a little race car slowly rolling back.
"Hey!"
Perceptor looked up to see a blue mech waving at him. "Drive it back here!" he called. The little microscope looked at him with a raised optic ridge. He looked down, giving the mech a quick glance before picking the light blue car up. He could clearly see the similarities between the mech and little car. Quite interesting.
But when Perceptor had reached the mechling and shyly offered the car back, he huffed up at him, arms crossed. "I said drive. Why didn't you drive the car? You have to do that."
Perceptor's expression lifted in surprise. He didn't expect the mechling to get mad. "I'm—I'm sorry. I didn't know that…" he trailed off, feeling silly and foolish.
The other still on the floor made some noise Perceptor couldn't really register, and held out his hand. "How do you not know how to drive? It's—like, super normal!"
Perceptor dropped the car in his hand, blinking at his face. It was normal to drive? He certainly wouldn't know. He knew for a while now what his alt mode would be when he was old enough to transform, and he never realized until now common vehicle alts were. In fact, he realized now that the few bots he already met all had the same traits of some type of vehicle.
"I didn't know it was super normal," he replied. The blue and white sparkling laughed, placing his lookalike car on the floor, rolling it along.
"Well, it is."
"Oh."
"Hey, you can be the raf'ree and watch me race!"
The tiny microscope tilted his helm as the little car was moved across the floor, the mech moving it making engine noises with his mouth, whilst announcing how he was zooming past the rest of the racers down the track. Perceptor inwardly sighed. He didn't know what a raf'ree was or did besides watch the car as the blue mechling said, so he was subjected to simply standing and watching as the car was suddenly pushed ahead passed between two blocks.
"Yeah! Blurr wins again!"
"Blurr!" Both pairs of optics swiftly turned to see Skylight, a little, yellow bot next to her holding a picture. But the caretaker held a finger to her mouth, "Indoor voices, Blurr."
Blurr blinked, mouth agape, as if completely taken aback by this request, before crossing his arms, pouting and eventually nodding in agreement to. Skylight smiled and turned her attention back to the other small mechling.
Perceptor watched them for only a moment longer, then brought his one attentiveness back to Blurr. This… wasn't really fun. With Blurr's attention now completely focused on the race cars, Perceptor saw that he was no longer needed, or wanted, here. He slowly backed away until he felt it was safe to turn around and walk away.
Another eternity passed by for the mini microscope. He sat, dejected, in the corner of the room, finding some entertainment in simply watching the other sparklings play with the toys or each other. Where were his creators? He really wanted to go home. He'd give up going to Stirrer's to just leave now.
Light blue optics scanned the area. Same bots, same toys, same—
Perceptor blinked. He had never noticed that white mechling over by the blocks. He was alone, not even playing with the toys laid around them.
His spark fluttered. He looked so lonely over there, and Perceptor felt lonely as well. He had no friends at the moment… he wondered if that mechling had any.
Go play with him, his creators would say. But he was kind of scared he'd say back, he didn't want to. But—he actually kind of did. He didn't want to be lonely here. What if this wasn't the only time he'd be stuck here?
Perceptor perked his black helm up at that question. Not the only time. He'd be alone here for a lot longer that he'd thought, and no amount of visits to Stirrer's could make up for that!
Slowly, hesitantly, Perceptor moved his stubby limbs to stand up. He could do this, he could do this, just talk to him.
His pedes walked—step by step. It was only when he realized how silly he looked did he force himself to walk normally. But, all too soon, he found himself standing just behind the one-block high wall surrounding the other.
Red optics stared up at him.
"Hello," he managed to get out.
A huff; that was what Perceptor got in return. The microscope blinked. Did he do it wrong? Maybe he should have said it differently.
"Hello," he repeated, making his voice sound more firm than before. Red optics that had moved back down shot up, and stared once more. Percetor couldn't help but fidget in place.
"I-I'm Perceptor," he said before he could lose his wits. "What's your name?"
The other merely scrutinized him, red optics narrowed slightly as if he was trying to peer inside Perceptor, see what he was made of. "Drift," he finally stated. He blinked, shaking his helm then. "No, Deadlock."
It was Perceptor's turn to blink. Drift… and Deadlock? He had two names? "Which one do I say?"
Drift—or Deadlock—shrugged. "Whatever." Perceptor felt his helm decline. This mechling was blunt, border line rude with his tone. He didn't seem to like to talk, which as fine really; Perceptor didn't do much talking himself in public.
"I like—Drift. Can I call you that?"
Perceptor's scope twitched up at the deadpanned look he received. "Whatever," the white sparkling emphasized. Little black hands wrung, "Um… can… can I sit—with you?"
Drift shrugged. Perceptor didn't know of that was a no or a yes, but he didn't do anything that would actually send him away. So the red and black microscope easily set himself down on the other side of the block wall.
Silence was shared between them. Drift shifted on the floor as he tossed a block idly to the side. Perceptor merely watched as Drift did so. "What are you building?" He asked softly. "A wall?"
Drift shrugged, "I guess."
"You want help?"
Drift looked at him, and Perceptor was sure he saw some confusion on his face. Peceptor's shoulders swayed idly. "If you want, I mean."
Drift's optics went down to the block in his other hand. Suddenly, Perceptor found it tossed over the short wall and into his lap. He picked it up. His spark gave a light thump in its chamber. He was doing it, he was really doing it. Huh, trying to make friends wasn't actually all that bad.
But now was the matter of where to set the block. Blue optics scanned the spaced out blocks fielding Drift. His hand hovered over one of the blue blocks on the floor. He wondered if he should make the wall bigger. It seemed that was what Drift wanted to do, but had given up on the first layer.
But… if the wall got too big then he wouldn't be able to see Drift anymore, and then how could they be friends that way?
"Why don't we build something else?" Perceptor suggested. Drift blinked at him, then gazed at the blocks. It looked like he had no idea how to make anything else but walls. "Like what?" he asked.
The microscope hummed, tapping his chin. "Maybe….we can build—a house?"
"A house?"
Perceptor shrugged, "Yeah? Or… maybe a castle?"
Drift huffed thoughtfully at this, staring at the blocks. He surprised Perceptor when he then bent forward and gathered all the blocks within his arms, destroying the wall and dropping them back on the floor.
"Okay," he said, clapping his hands to get rid of the imaginary dust. Before Perceptor even got his block down, Drift had used four to make a square. He tilted his white helm, "Like that?"
Perceptor smiled. "Yeah I think so." The block he held was placed next to one of the others, and the two proceeded to complete the square before uprising the walls. The mechlings worked quietly together as they built their little house of blocks, but when it was half way finished, Drift spoke, "When do you leave?"
Perceptor looked up from gathering blocks that had been to his side, "Leave?"
Drift nodded. His hands stopped, still occupied by two blocks, which were forgotten for the moment. "Your creators. When are they coming to get you?"
"Oh." Perceptor hadn't thought about it. He couldn't exactly tell time yet, and he remembered his creators saying they'd be back in a couple joors. But he had no clue how much time had passed nor did he know when exactly they would return for him. "They said a couple joors," he finally replied.
"Okay," Drift replied, before going back to building. Perceptor had yet to restart. He didn't know where that question had suddenly come from but he felt the need to repeat it himself.
"Later," Drift had replied with another shrug that Perceptor had begun to assume was a habit for him. "He don't come 'til it's getting dark."
Perceptor hummed at this, but was now confused. "Why?" he asked. The microscope suddenly stiffened, feeling that he had pushed too far and his hands squirmed nervously on the block in his hand.
Drift's optics narrowed, "What the fra—" He suddenly whipped his helm around and Perceptor was quick to follow his gaze. They were both then looking at the caretaker flyer, her attention to another group of sparklings. Drift huffed and looked back at Perceptor. "Whadduo mean?"
Perceptor stared at him. What did he mean? Did he mean to ask why his parents were always late in picking him up? Maybe it was work. Before, Perceptor would either go to a family member's home or they come to his house to be watched over because his own creators needed to work. Maybe Drift couldn't do that? Pereptor rapidly shook his helm. "Never mind. I'm sorry."
"Perceptor, your creators are here."
The red and black sparkling perked up from observing the now completed block houses. Already? Perceptor looked at Drift, who had, in turn, stared back at him. Perceptor had never realized how fast a few joors had passed. Drift waved a hand, "Bye, Pe'ceptor."
Perceptor looked at him, surprised for some odd reason before nodding and waving back, "Bye, Drift."
The microscope stood from his spot and walked over to his creators, who had been waiting at the doorway with smiles on their faces. He didn't know what they were so happy about, probably something with work, but before he was signed out by the adults, he turned and found Drift still looking at him. This time, he smiled as he gave a firmer wave of goodbye his way.
"Did you have fun? Who was your friend?" His femme creator asked as they walked down the hallway. Perceptor clutched onto her hand. "Yes, he's Drift."
His mech creator nodded, happy his son got a chance to make a friend, "You seemed to have gotten along. Maybe you can back and see him?"
Perceptor turned his head, optics wide. Now that he thought about it… yeah, he wouldn't mind seeing Drift again. Out of all of them in the daycare, Drift was the one that he seemed to connect the most with. He was actually fun to play with.
"Yeah," Perceptor said, nodding, "I like that idea."