If there was one thing Anima missed from her short life as Sparksong, it would be the ability to meet and talk to new people without having them hold back from being themselves when faced with her status of Prime.
Sure, there were a few mecha who hadn't cared, or at least knew how to compartmentalise enough to interact with here regardless of her position –Ironhide, Chief of Military Training at Iacon Academy and primary Weapons Specialist to the city's Primes for many megavorns, was one of the best examples; Inferno, a fresh-faced member of the Rescue Bot forces she had met by accident, was another, as were his friends Firestar and Heatwave–, but the exceptions were few and far between. It was one of the reasons she clung so steadily to the twins' company, and why she appreciated them so much; not only had they looked after her from day one, both on- and off-duty, but they'd actively sought her out and made sure she never felt lonely, or in need of a friend. They were really like the brothers she had never had, and even if she never found her Lord Protector, she would be quite happy to simply stay forever in the care and company of her best friends.
Well, she corrected herself somewhat sourly, that was if they managed to escape the saccharine tirades of the Sigma Three Youth Centre's director with their processors free of rust; she loved a good speech or lecture as much as your next bot, but was it really necessary for the mech to babble on and on about how wonderful was to have them visiting their humble institution?
"–and this hallway here to your left goes to the main park, though of course you wouldn't wish to be bothered by the little ones, they can get rather enthusiastic–", the mech ranted with the same plastic smile that seemed to have been slapped onto his face and hadn't faded for a klik in the last fifteen breems. It was starting to look a little creepy and a lot annoying.
"Actually", Jetstorm cut in smoothly, his tall Seeker frame probably rather overwhelming in the optics of the director, who was a few heads shorter than Anima and probably a low-altitude jet of some sort. Quickbeat –for that was the director's designation– shut up with an abrupt crackle of static that sounded vaguely like 'meep', but Jetstorm wasn't the kind of mech to call others on things like those, so he drove on as if he hadn't hear it. "Prime was hoping to be able to interact with the sparklings for a while, as long as they aren't busy with their lessons."
Quickbeat blinked, his light green and mauve wings flapping nervously for a moment. "I– Yes, of course, only–"
"We will be quiet, don't worry", Jetfire interrupted, shooting the fretting mech a grin that was really not as reassuring as the Seeker would have thought, and Anima held back the urge to burst out laughing. "We got the schematics of the place with the guards, so you can go back to your work. We'll let you know when we're over", he assured the smaller mech, patting his shoulder amicably.
"Well–" Quickbeat shot Anima such a confused, overwhelmed look that she could only shake her helm for a moment, lest she started cackling before she managed to get herself in check. When she was sure her vocalizer wouldn't fritz with held-back maniacal laughter, she smiled in Quickbeat's direction in what she hoped was not too relieved a way.
"It's quite alright, Quickbeat, Jetfire and Jetstorm can take me from here, and I would much rather it was a more discreet affair than it would turn out to be were the little ones to see you there with me."
"I... Well, if that's what you wish, my Prime, then by all means. Do contact me if you need anything at all", Quickbeat finally said, bowing his helm and canting his wings to Anima, and after a quick nod to her bodyguards, he walked with quick strides down the hallway and back to his office.
As soon as he disappeared around a corner, Jetfire exploded in laughter.
"Scrap, was that expression etched onto his faceplates or did he simply come out of the line like that?", he wheezed, pulling Anima near to support himself, and instantly relaxing her enough to laugh a bit, as well.
"I think it may have been the latter", she agreed, her wings fluttering in mirth, then shivering delicately as she sighed. "Primus, I thought he would never let us be. And where on Cybertron did he get it into his processors that I would come to a Youth Centre and not want to see the sparklings?", she exclaimed indignantly.
Jetstorm flicked a wing in a shrug, giving her that half-smile of his that always managed to lift her mood. "Does it matter? We can come and go for a good while now, and you can play target-lock-tag with as many hyperactive fledgelings as you can entice with your childish wiles."
"Ooh, low blow", Jetfire whistled, laughing again as Anima pulled one of his wings in retaliation.
"Shush it, you, and take me to the little ones before I decide to call Quickbeat again", she threatened, smirking at the fake look of horror that passed over Jetfire's face.
"As you wish, oh Evil Overlord of mine", he shuddered exaggeratedly, bowing so low his helm almost levelled with her knees.
And then, "Bet I can beat you both to the park", Jetstorm taunted, optics full of mirth, before taking off like a racer model down the corridor.
"Hey!" and "Cheating!" were Jetfire and Anima's simultaneous cries, shooting after Jetstorm's trail with laughing promises of payback as soon as they got him.
Jetstorm didn't win, in the end– none of them did, as just as they arrived to the doors leading outside, a small group of sparklings of varied sizes and ages intercepted them –or rather, were intercepted by them.
"Um, sir, what are you doing?", asked one of the older ones, a racer class youngling with grey plating and blue details that couldn't have been more than 24 orns old.
Jetstorm stopped immediately in a quick, graceful move that should have been impossible for someone his size, but those were Seekers for you. Jetfire and Anima were fast behind him, but came to a slower stop as Jetstorm sat back on his haunches to get a closer look to the sparklings.
"I was racing my friends to the park. A little inappropriate, I know, but it helps remind them I'm cooler than they are", he stage-whispered, causing a chorus of giggles to break out between the smaller fliers. Jetstorm smiled, his profile highlighted by the light that gleamed in from the wide windows embedded on the doors. "What's your designation, little one?"
"My name's Silverlight", the youngling declared proudly, wings splaying a few degrees. "I'm the eldest of my cadre."
"Oh, you have siblings, then? So do I", he said, discretely gesturing to Anima and Jetfire to approach with a subtle move of his wings. Jetfire allowed her to slip in first, and she flashed him a grateful smile before leaning down and turning it on the group.
"Hello, how do you do?", she greeted amicably, to which the sparklings returned a wave of 'fine, thank you's, peering curiously up at her.
"Sir, why are you and the other sir so similar while madam looks different?", piped a delicate-looking sparkling with sharp golden wings.
"Are you trinemates?", asked the smallest of them excitedly, red optics flickering from one to another.
"Dear me, not at all", Anima laughed gently, catching a glimpse of Jetfire's amused curl of the lips in her periphery. "They're my older brothers."
Jetfire nodded. "Jetstorm here and I are twins, but Sparksong was sparked many vorns after our creation."
Considering they were at least six times as old as she was, it wasn't exactly a lie.
"I'm the youngest too", the smaller sparkling –barely more than a newspark, really, all pedes and wings and uncontrollable energy– said to her cheerfully. "Silverlight's the oldest, then Bluestorm, Goldstar, and me."
"His name's Redline", explained helpfully the more quiet one of the lot, a youngling with a switched version of Silverlight's colours –Bluestorm, probably. "Goldstar is the pretty one over there", he added with a teasing smile.
"Am not, hush", Goldstar squeaked, hiding his face behind Silverlight's shoulder. The older sparkling only giggled, patting his helm sympathetically.
"Do you wanna play?", Redline asked, looking up at them with wide, hopeful eyes.
::Oh, that may be the pretty one, but this one's a charmer alright::, Jetfire whispered through their private link, and Anima briefly brushed amusement into his field in reply.
"We would love to", she told the fledgelings, smiling down at them sweetly. The little ones trilled, excited, and all but dragged the three of them the rest of the way down to the park, already discussing whether they'd play target-lock-tag or hide-and-seek first, which of the grown-ups would be the best option to chase, and how flying was not allowed 'cause even Silverlight was still too little to do it yet, so no cheating, okay?