Author's Note: I'm sorry I've taken so long to update! Things got busy, and I ran out of ideas for a while! But I hope this chapter will have been worth the wait. :)

First, thanks to Jak Cooper the Lombax for your request! I hope you like my take on Truth or Dare!

And, as a side note about "Shout-Out," if you listen to the radio stations 'Pirate Radio' and 'Space Jams' in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Talwyn really does give a shout-out to Ratchet :)

I hope you all enjoy! :) Thank you all SO MUCH for the support!

Word Chain

"Upgrade."

"Endeavor."

"R.Y.N.O."

"Obsolescence."

"Enter."

"Requisite."

"Clank, can you pick normal words for once?"

"I believe the game would end much faster if I did, Ratchet."

"Fine, fine. Uhhh...What's 'requisite' end with? E? Ah...Endanger."

"Relevant."

"Temperature."

"Elevate."

"...Endless."

"...Sarcasm."

"Well! We've been playing this, what, a half hour?"

"Is there something else you suggest we do while we wait?"

"...No. Modern."

"Neophyte."

"I don't even know what that means!"

Quite Certain

"Ratchet," Clank said from the back of the scooter-like vehicle, eyeing it wearily, "are you quite certain this is functioning properly?"

"No, no I'm not." Ratchet tapped a few of the controls, and the scooter started up and hovered in place below them. "But I am 'quite certain' I want to try it!"

Clank sighed as the Lombax grinned at him over his shoulder, but it said something about their friendship that instead of getting off, the little robot simply grabbed hold of the seat for dear life.

Spring Cleaning

The moment Ratchet and Clank stepped into the attic, they were greeted by a wall of overflowing boxes. They were precariously stacked, some nearly reaching the short ceiling.

Ratchet's ears had fallen back, pupils growing small in horror at the sight, while Clank merely dusted his hands together and stepped forward, quietly humming a little tune.

"I will start with the right side," Clank suggested. When Ratchet didn't respond, he looked behind himself. "Ratchet?"

The Lombax was laying sprawled out on the floor in dramatic defeat. "No way," Ratchet said. "We're not doing this. Have you seen how many boxes there are?"

Clank opened one of said boxes, waving the dust away. "Yes. I understand it is quite intimidating. However, we will complete the job one box at a time."

Clank smiled, and Ratchet sat up with a sigh. "As corny as you phrased that...All right. Let's do it."

Shout-Out

Ratchet let out a light sigh, turning the dial up on the radio as he started Aphelion and lifted off from the Outpost. It was left on the Space Jams radio station, and Ratchet immediately felt more relaxed. He enjoyed Pirate Radio as well, (when the DJs weren't yelling about spilling grog on switchboards or singing shanties,) but lately, he felt a bit too high-strung to listen to rock, and preferred the soft jazz music.

Asteroids and moons and planets flew by, the dark sky a mixture of orange and blue in the distance. He had been completely awestruck the first time he left Veldin, he remembered. Outer space had been nothing like he'd dreamed of.

Clank had been with him then- after they had just met.

Ratchet was brought back out of his thoughts by the DJ's level, smooth voice as the song ended. "We got a dedication from a foxy young thing named Talwyn," he said. Ratchet's ears peaked in interest. "'Ratchet, please be careful and come home soon,'" the DJ read. "Well, Ratchet, you heard the lady. Here's your groove."

A large grin broke out on his face. He heard Aphelion let out a quiet laugh, which made his ears grow warm.

"Friend of yours?"

Ratchet jumped as Alister's face suddenly came on the screen.

"What? You listen to Space Jams?" Ratchet asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Kaden was more for the rock stations, though." He smiled. "So, Talwyn, huh?"

"She's my friend, like you said," Ratchet responded, looking straight in front of him.

"Hmmm."

Ratchet narrowed his eyes and peeked at the screen, studying Alister's face.

"He is in denial," Aphelion said.

Alister, face completely deadpanned, answered in agreement, "Yep."

"Whoa, no, no, no. Do not even start, Aphelion."

"But you are so perfect for each other!" Aphelion insisted.

"Quit encouraging him."

"All right, all right, I won't press the matter," Alister said, his amused tone making Ratchet grind his teeth. "But, remind me to tell you some stories about your parents. I'm sure you'll enjoy hearing how they met."

Ratchet's expression softened. "I'd like that a lot," he said sincerely.

Alister chuckled. "Kaden's first date didn't go quite like he planned. You can learn a thing or two from his blunders." Before Ratchet could reply, Alister's face disappeared from the screen, and the transmission ended.

As much as he looked forward to the stories, Ratchet felt a mixture of annoyance and amusement at the General's interest in his love life, and wondered if it were similar to what a child would feel towards their parents.

Truth or Dare

Ratchet subconsciously spun the empty soda bottle on the table, Clank reading a book beside him as they waited out the commercial break. After a couple of spins, the bottle came to a stop facing his friend. Ratchet snorted. "Truth or dare, Clank," he said. He'd meant it as a joke, but Clank responded.

"Ratchet, I doubt there are many truths you do not know about me already," he said, not bothering to look up from his book.

"Fine then. A dare?"

Clank looked at the expectant Lombax over the top of the book, and with a good-natured sigh set it aside. "I will take a truth."

"Okay. Let's see..." It wasn't long before Ratchet realized how right Clank had been; he couldn't think of a single truth to ask him that he didn't already know. "You're boring, Clank," he teased.

Clank's optics subtly lowered in a glare.

"Wait, I got one. Have you ever wanted to be an organic? I mean, I know you have a Zoni soul and all, but...What about your body?"

Clank's eyes softened, and he nodded. "Yes, I have desired to experience things as an organic. It must be quite extraordinary to feel and sense as much as they do."

Ratchet shrugged. "I dunno, you seem to sense plenty." He paused. "And you're apparently ticklish."

Clank let out a little giggle. "Yes, however...my senses are restricted compared to those of an organic." Ratchet wasn't so sure about that, but Clank continued before he could respond, turning the bottle so it faced him. "I believe it is your turn."

"Truth."

Clank asked the obvious question: "Have you ever wished to be a robot?"

Ratchet pondered this for a moment, thinking back to his experience with the Biobliterator exhibit in the Intergalactic Museum of History. "Hm...Sure, but maybe just for a day. I'm pretty content being a 'squishy,'" he said, wrinkling his nose and mimicking a certain crazed doctor. He sat back and clapped his hands together as an idea struck him. "One of us should've gone with a dare. We could've prank called Nefarious!"

Clank shook his head. "Hee hee! That is terrible, Ratchet."

"Maybe so, but you did laugh." Ratchet grinned. "And the game's not over yet!"

Limits

"Kay?"

Kaden straightened at Meredith's voice, looking at her over the hovercar. "Huh?"

"...Do you think you could teach me a bit about mechanics?"

Kaden chuckled. "Why the sudden interest?"

"If I am going to learn piloting, I think some tips from a 'master mechanic' might come in handy."

Kaden smiled, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. "I'm flattered, but...I'm not so sure I'm the one to ask..."

"What do you mean?"

"Knowing something and teaching something are two different things."

Meredith lowered her eyelids subtly, the way she did when she was teasing him. "How about you pretend you're on one of your nerdy ramblings about your latest project?"

Kaden narrowed his eyes, but pat the hovercar, gesturing for her to come over.

Meredith eagerly leaned over the hovercar beside Kaden, peering in as he began to explain the different parts. He paused, however, waving his oil-stained, gloved hands at her. "Better be careful, wearing white and all," he warned.

She glanced down at her blouse, and shrugged. "I have others," she said. "Can you imagine how much you'd miss in life if you let something as silly as getting your shirt dirty hold you back from something?"

He blinked, then a grin broke out on his face. He nudged her elbow with his, a gesture of approval he usually reserved for her and Alister, and looked back into the hovercar. "Well, this is the ion thruster. You wanna be careful with these. If you..."

Opinion

Starship Phoenix II

Polaris Galaxy

Qwark's voice was low and foreignly solemn as he said, "Ratchet, I need your opinion on something."

Ratchet looked at Qwark curiously, leaning over to look at the computer screen. "What is it?"

"For my blog background, should I go with aqua blue, or sunset red? Ooh! Maybe mint green?"

Ratchet resisted the urge to face palm. Of course it wouldn't be about protecting the defense centers, or Zurgo, or anything important right now. "How's the Markazia Defense Center?" he asked, ignoring Qwark's question.

Qwark waved him off. "Fine, fine. But seriously, which one? I'm pretty sure the aqua blue matches my eyes." He leaned in by the screen, batting his eyes at the Lombax and gesturing back and forth between the computer and his face.

Ratchet pinched the bridge of his nose and promptly turned to walk away.

"What?" Qwark asked after him, straightening. When Ratchet made no sign of responding, he shrugged, about to return to his 'work,' when a little robot caught his eye. "Oh, Clank! While you're here, which color do you like best? Aqua blue, sunset red..."