TFP: Youngling
Ch.35~ Miko and Sides
"Sides!" I called as I hopped out of Bulk's passenger seat.
"Miko!" he cheered as I ran up the stairs.
"You have got to check this out!" I exclaimed, pulling out my phone to show him a video.
He leaned down to look at the small screen as the music video played, I could see him light up moving his shoulders as he watched. My one of my friends back home sent me a cool video of an idol from home. The beat was just so Sideswipe. The video ended he pulled back; Bulkhead walked over lightly punching his arm.
"You really liking all the music here." Bulk stated, he nodded.
"Yeah, it's so different from the stuff we had." He replied, Bulk laughed nodding.
"What was your music like back home?" I asked, he pulled out a datapad.
"Lucky for you I have a track or two on this old thing." He chimed, he began to work it, it looked worn like it was patched together.
"How is that thing even still working?" Bulk teased poking it.
"Hey, I may not be the best at fixing stuff but I can put this thing back together." Sides countered elbowing Bulk.
"How'd it get so beat up?" I asked as he worked on the clearly barely working device.
"This little show off you used to take photos like you do in battle." Bulk explained rubbing Sides helm playfully.
"Hey, mind the audials!" he whined, he rubbed his horns.
"Sorry." Bulk apologized. "Show her one of the photos you snapped, some of them are pretty funny."
"Oh, I got a good one." He cheered, he tapped at it then pointed it to me.
It was clearly a battle, Sunstreaker was in the background fighting with some bot with Sides holding the camera at himself putting another bot in a headlock. I could see what looked like blaster fire around them, clearly taken in a battle. It was so cool!
"I have Slipstream in a headlock, that feme was like the feme version of Starscream. Always fun to throw her down a few pegs." Sides elaborated.
"Show the one you got of Whirl." Bulk encouraged.
Sides worked on the datapad again before turning back to me. This time there was a bot who looked nothing like the ones I'd seen. His helm was like a drone or something and he had claws for hands. He was firing two big guns up at a large figure looming above. Sides was in the corner pointing at the mech with a smirk.
"Wow, he looks cool!" I exclaimed; I saw Bulk grimace a bit. "Bulk."
"Come on Bulk, don't get so down, Whirl was a mech of two things violence and hijinks." Sides reminded; Bulk chuckled at that. "See Miko on time good ol' Whirl here decided he was bored so he just went to a Decepticon base a shot the place up. Old-mech Ironhide had to drag him away kicking and screaming. Give that mech anything resembling a weapon and he would go out into battle."
"Wow, he sounds awesome!" I cheered; Sides nodded.
"Yep, he always volunteered to test new weapons, well until he blew up our barracks that one time." Sides mused.
"Why they thought it was okay to give him a grenade launcher with a multi-shot function I will never understand." Bulk added, Sides snickered.
"Old-mech Ironhide ripped a new one into the science mechs for that one."
"Yeah, Chromia had to drag him away."
"Chromia?" I quizzed.
"It was the old mech bond-mate, she was a field-medic, tough feme with a no scrap attitude." Sides explained.
"She was the feme they called when the Old-mech and Ratch got into spats. Those two fought like pit, guess it makes sense." Bulk added.
"Why?" I probed.
"They're brothers, they and Chromia knew each other since they were younglings. Eons of experience breaking up their fights." Bulk answered, Sides nodded.
"Had a tender side too, she was like a uh.. oh mother-hen. After bad battles she tended to us Wreckers, she had a Carrier's touch." Sides continued, I nodded.
"Yep, quite the feme that one." Bulk stated, Sides nodded.
"Bulkhead ready for patrol," Arcee stated walking into the main room.
"Coming, be back soon Miko." Bulk chimed and raced off with Arcee the two driving off.
"So, no Raf or Jack today?" Sides asked, leaning against the railing.
"Jack's at work, Raf and Bee went somewhere to play with RC cars," I answered. "Well show me that song, I need to hear what music on Cybertron was like."
"On it!" he chimed working at the datapad again. "Got it, ready for it?"
"Born ready." I replied, he nodded and hit play.
The music came on, seemed like electronica, should have expected that. Then a voice came in, it was deep and rich, I smiled closing my eyes. Not my usual taste but it had a good rhythm I can get behind that. I opened one eye to see Sides was bopping his head with a smile on his face. Soon the song came to an end, he turned to me flashing a wide grin.
"So, what'd you think?" he asked, I leaned on the back of the couch.
"Good beat and rhythm not my usual genre though, that singer had some pipes though," I answered, he tilted his helm.
"Pipes?" he quizzed.
"Earth slang, it means he had a good voice." I explained, he went 'oh' nodding his helm.
"Yep, that's actually our Carrier, recorded that during a party he sang at." He explained, wait that was Jazz?!
"That was Jazz!" I exclaimed, he nodded.
"Yep, he loved parties, he and his friend Blaster used to perform at them a lot. Blaster handled the music and Carrer would sing, they made a good duo on stage." He elaborated, I nodded.
"Wow, that's so cool," I affirmed, he nodded.
"Miko! Sides!" Star cheered; I saw her running into the room.
"Done helping Ratch?" Sides quizzed.
"Carrier said I needed to take a break, what you two doing?" she replied.
"Sharing tunes," I stated, she lights up.
"I was looking on that Youtube thing, I found this cool genre of music." She chimed, I nodded as she pulled out her datapad.
"What's it called sis?" Sides inquired, she hopped onto her box seat.
"Electro-swing." She answered, must be a new genre. "Here listen to this."
(Later)
"How come I've never heard of this genre before!" I exclaimed after what must be the fifteenth song.
"Man, it's got me ready to party!" Sides added, Star smirked proudly.
"How did you stumble on this?" I questioned.
"I was listening to Friend like Me from Aladin, I saw people doing covers and ended up finding this genre after a few videos in," she explained.
"Aladin? Which one was that?" Sides quizzed.
"The one with the genie, the one that did all the voices." Star reminded he put a fist to his palm.
"Right, Sunny was obsessed with that genie guy's design for like a week." Sides added, Star nodded. "Jack said the actor for him was a comedian, and that I should check it out."
"Want me to check Youtube?" Star asked, I quickly shook my helm.
"Nope Ratch will kill us if you watch those." I insisted, she tilted her helm confused.
"But he's from a cartoon." She stated in confusion.
"Comedians are more adult-oriented," I explained, she nodded her helm. "Hey before I head here Saturday, I'll rent some new movies for us to watch, how does that sound?"
"Yay!" Star cheered; Sides rubbed her helm.
"So, anything else interesting you've found on this youtube thing?" Sides asked, she nodded.
"Look at this." She chimed.
She turned to the screen to us and I saw the Badger Song, of course, she was finding memes. I snickered as I watched Sides look on in complete confusion. He kept looking at Star who was just smiling her helm bobbing to the little diddy. It finished and he pulled back looking completely lost.
"I have no idea what I just saw." He admitted, I snickered.
"I like it." Star chimed, of course she did.
"It's called a meme Sides; they don't have to make sense," I informed.
"Meme?"
"It's like a joke that get's really popular, most don't really make any sort of sense."
"Maybe if I knew what a badger was, I'd get it."
"Star look up Leroy Jenkins."
"How do you spell that?"
I spelled it out for her and turned it back I pointed to the video and she pressed play. Sides looked in watching it, just as I thought when the guy scream out Leroy Jenkins Sides burst out laughing. Maybe I should spend a bit just educating Sides on memes.
"Okay, I like that." He snickered; I nodded my head.
"Is this a video game?" Star asked pointing to the video.
"Yep, it's called World of Warcraft, it's a fantasy game," I explained, she nodded.
"Weren't you reading a fantasy book, sis?" Sides quizzed, she nodded eagerly.
"Uhuh, it's called Lord of the Rings, Raf told me after I read the books, he'd bring in the movies." She cheered.
"Earth has so many different types of entertainment." Sides stated, Star nodded.
"Yeah, I told Sire when he has time, he should try to read Earth books, I have a list for him," Star admitted, I could see him liking history books.
"That's great of you sis." Sides chimed rubbing Star's helm.
"You're always so cute." I cooed, she giggled.
"Of course she is, my little sister is the cutest in the galaxy." Sides added, pulling Star into a hug.
"Sides," Star whined as Sides fawned over her.
"Sides, Optimus wants us to meet up with him to check on something," Sunstreaker called, I didn't even hear him come in.
"Aww, fine. Sorry sis, Miko I'll be back later." Sides whined, he set Star down and he and Sunstreaker transformed driving off.
"You and Sides have been hanging out a lot recently," Star stated, I nodded leaning against the railing.
"Yeah, he's fun to hang out with, besides Bulk's been busy lately. Was going to invite him to see a concert with me and Bulk." I explained, she grinned up at me.
"He'd love that, Sides really likes Earth." Star chimed, I smirked.
"So what do you want to do?" I asked, she hopped up on her crates.
"Can we watch more Pokemon?" she quizzed, I really should have known how much she'd love that show.
"Sure, but we're watching it in Japanese, the English version is painful to watch," I replied, she nodded propping her chin on the railing.
"Okay!" she cheered, I giggled she was so cute.
(Sideswipe's POV)
"We're back!" I called as we entered the main room.
"Sunny, Sides!" Star cheered as we transformed.
I smiled as she raced over and hugged my pedes a minute before doing the same to Sunny. Pulling back, she grabbed our servos pulling us toward the human area. Miko was leaning over the back of the couch with a grin.
"So what you two been up to?" I asked, Miko pointed to the TV.
"Been watching Pokemon, Star is obsessed," Miko answered.
"But they're so cute!" Star whined, I snickered.
Sunny leaned over looking at the TV, guess he was looking at the art. I scooped up Star as Sunny pulled back pulling out his drawing tablet. I leaned over to see him trying to draw one of the creatures from the show. I smirked, Sunny really has been liking the art here. Glad to see him so inspired.
"Wow, you can draw anything!" Star chimed, Sunny smiled a bit.
"Thank you, Star, the art here is interesting." Sunny replied, I elbowed him playfully.
"Always so humble bro." I teased, he elbowed me back.
"Miko, isn't it a bit late for you to still be here?" Sunny quizzed.
"Wow, how's it so late already." She stated confused.
"Time flies when you're having fun, right?" Star chimed, Miko chuckled nodding.
"Guess you're right Star." She chimed, she turned to look down the hall. "Weird Ratch hasn't come over yet."
"Sides take Miko home and comm Bulk, I'll take Star and check on Ratchet." Sunny stated, I nodded handing him Star.
"Alright Miko, let's hit the road," I called.
She scrambled to grab her stuff, I walked over to the bottom of the steps and transformed popping open a door for her. She headed down the steps and quickly hopped into my open door, once she was seated and buckled I shut the door driving off.
"Think Ratch's okay?" Miko quizzed as I drove out of the base.
"He probably just got into the zone with his work, Sunny will snap him out of it." I soothed, she nodded.
"Probably right, just everyone seems tense lately." She muttered leaning her cheek against my window.
"Yeah… Optimus thinks the Con's are up to something, something big…" I admitted, she nodded.
"Star probably knows something up too." She stated.
"Sis is too smart for her own good sometimes," I replied, Miko chuckled.
"She's grown a lot." Miko mused.
"Yeah, thanks for always playing with her."
"No problem, she's like a little sister to me."
"What does that make me?"
"Hmm, brother I can get into trouble with."
"Hahaha, not too much or Bulk will take me out, you're like his kid ya know."
"Hehehe, scared of Bulk are you?"
"He was a Wrecker for a reason ya know."
"Hey there's a concert for a band I like coming, wanna come with me?"
"Pending a mission, I'll be there, gotta see what human concerts are like."
"I'll show you how I conquer mosh pits."
"Not sure what that means but I'll watch."
I finally pulled up to her place, she grabbed her bag opening my door and hopped out. She leaned an arm over my hood leaning in with a smirk on her face.
"I'll show you how badass I can be." She chimed, I snickered.
"Can't wait," I replied, she patted my hood pulling back.
"Don't forget to comm Bulk, don't make my robo-papa worry." She reminded.
"I won't!" I called as she headed into the house.
Quickly I pulled away heading back towards the base, I think if Miko had been a Cybertronian she'd been a Wrecker. I don't doubt she'll grown into a badass human. Maybe she'll join the military or something, maybe not she's not the order-taking kind. A Wrecker through and through.
'Hey Bulk, I drove Miko home for ya.' I commed.
'Thanks Sides, heading back to base now, we scored a bit of energon.' He replied.
'Nice, meet ya back at base then.' I chimed.
At least we scored some energon, that will lift everyone's spirits a bit.