The Diego Diaries: Bond(age) 4 (dd6 374)
-0-In front of The Fortress at 1053 hours on the TMC
Some humans were already there, the cordoned off space where they would stand and the walkway back to the small area their vehicles would be parked was cleared ahead of time. A single Watch mech was placed there to make sure all was well as the humans drove in, parked and got out. Sciences and Earth 1 were gathering along with the Hu-An who were coming. More humans would be coming, the Family and N.E.S.T., as well as the guests from the Consulate and Earth2.
It was sunny, about -50 degrees and calm. Mechs and femmes, elders, infants, children, Seekers, and all manner of bot were in the crowd. Apparently, the couple had a lot of friends. The courtyard was empty and ready for the family to gather. The steps were swept and it would be there that everyone would stand in the wide gateway to do this thing.
In the Central Labor Hall, two huge rooms were getting ready for parties which could last anywhere from a while to several days. Food groaned on the tables, drinks were available in ice coolers or bars which would be tended by friends rotating in and out. The dance floors were shiny and ready while tables and couches were everywhere around the rest of the room. A band stand was nearby where one of the local groups, Shriek, would play. In the other room nearby, the same thing was available with a different band who played more sedate music. Blue had thought of everything.
Parked out back was a fire engine which would take both Lancer and Partition around the city on a chivery with the sirens blaring before dropping them off. What Blue hadn't told anyone was that Ratchet, Ironhide, Laslo, and Lucien would be going along for the ride as well.
Blue had thought of everything.
-0-Inside The Fortress
They sat or stood around a conference room and into the Ops Center, those family that fit. Others and their adjunct family members were in the rec room waiting for the fun to begin. Standing by the doorway nearly shaking with nerves, Partition waited. Lancer with her arms around his waist watched him with a smirk. "You aren't having regrets are you?" she asked.
He glanced down, then tightened his grip around her. "Never."
Ratchet and Ironhide walked in with 15 kids and a dog. Cousin was in Lumi's hold as they paused by the two. "You look terrible," Ratchet said to Partition.
"I think I'm going to pass out," Partition said. "I was told the crowd is big out there."
"It is. You two have a lot of friends and some of them are here for the free beer," Ratchet replied.
"OLD MECH! YOU CAN GET FREE BEER EVERYWHERE!" Ironhide said with a big grin.
Huge laughter greeted that as they walked past the pair to the conference room. The big kids who were holding the littlest kids stayed with the pair, chatting about this and that thing and the parties ahead. Ironhide wandered into the room behind Ratchet who bee lined for Prowl. He sat down next to that relaxed slagger, then grinned. "Are we on for tomorrow? An inquiring Squad wants to know."
"We are," Prowl said. "Apparently, there are going to be extra hangers-on who want to steel our thunder."
"Thunder? I just thought that was gas," Ratchet said with a brilliant smile.
Prowl gazed at him coolly. "You are a savage."
"You both are," Raptor said as he glanced down table. "When does this goat rodeo start? I want to dance."
Prime rose, then glanced at the wall clock. "Now would be good. What is the crowd like outside?"
Prowl consulted his datapad which was keeping a running check via 'Little Bessie', a small low orbit satellite that worked the ground game on world for Teletraan. "It's approaching 22,000."
"Does it look like its slowing down?" Prime asked as everyone rose to go.
"It does. Anyone past 1100 hours is shit out of luck," Prowl said with a smug grin.
"Ah, Prowler … you savage, you," Ratchet said as he slapped the back of Prowl's helm.
Prowl rose with a frown. "Move it, scow."
"Like this?" Ratchet asked as he swished his aft back and forth out the door.
Raptor laughed. "You will never win, Prowl. Don't you know by now? Ratchet has no shame."
Prowl smirked at Raptor. "And deny him his chance to be an aft? You know he wants it," he said as he followed a grinning Prime toward the door.
"Something tells me that you do, too," Alor said as he laughed. They wandered out, gathered up Lancer and Partition, Lucien, a very excited Inweld and Morius along with a quivering Laslo, then headed toward the door and courtyard beyond.
-0-The Courtyard
The sky overhead was blue and the sun was bright. It threw much shorter shadows around them as the sun magically made its way to straight overhead. No wind, cold but not terrible, it was a good day to do this. The families divided into their component parts. Miler, Venture and Prowl with their kids joined the nine big smiling titanic kids as proxy family to Ratchet and Ironhide's clan because of Bluestreak's bond to the twins.
Everyone looked at each other. Then some mechs and femmes came into the courtyard from the crowd outside to gather around Lucien and Laslo. Laslo smiled at the entire Squad and their families, then turned toward Ironhide and Ratchet. "I hope you don't mind. I knew we'd look silly with our tiny family so I invited the Squad and all theirs to stand with us. I hope you don't mind. They're like family to me."
Ratchet laughed, then glanced at Prime who was grinning with amusement. "It'll make the bonding pictures look more balanced. The more, the merrier."
Prime grinned. "Sure," he said. The relief on one side of the courtyard was intense and the happiness even more so as Prime turned to them. "Are we ready?"
Everyone nodded including a terrified Partition and a terribly amused Lancer. Standing with Jetta, Magnus and Maelstrom, the entire femme squad waited to be called for her along with everyone else. The rest of the adult siblings, Springer, Drift, the twins, Bluestreak along with Hercy, Kup and the other geezers that were like family were waiting with them as well. It would be incredibly crowded on the steps outside. Prime laughed aloud, then turned to walk out. The moment the crowd saw him they roared their approval.
-0-Leonora and the human contingent
They had worked overnight to arrange the filming. Whether it saw the light of day was unclear but it would be captured. They were working with IntraComm as usual utilizing the colonial cameras, the satellite 'Little Bessie' for overhead views, camera crews from IntraComm as well as their own Galaxy Pictures crews to cover it all. Leonora, a full partner in the company now and its affiliates because she was loved, trusted, respected, and friends with nearly everyone everywhere was producing this event. Whatever she wanted to do, the company did. What started out as a production assistant job had taken a great turn for her.
She filmed the humans arriving, climbing out of vehicles, laughing and chatting together as they walked to the enclosure in the front. She filmed some of them pausing to talk to bots they knew, joining the Hu-An with whom many were close friends along with those from other habitats. The color of their suits identified their location as they mingled together, waiting for the event to start. The last few humans had arrived, soldiers, civilians and families all when Optimus Prime stepped into the gateway and out to the platform that led to the few steps down to the ground. The crowd roared and he grinned. It was beautiful.
-0-Inside
"You remember what to do?" Ratchet asked Partition as everyone watched both him and Lancer.
"I do," Partition said.
"Take a deep breath and let it out slowly. It'll calm ya," Ratchet said with a grin.
Partition stared at him, then Lancer. "We don't breathe air."
"Oh. I forgot," Ratchet said as the crowd laughed loudly.
Just then, Prime began. Everyone got silent everywhere. "There are some things linked to being Prime that are wonderful and personally fulfilling. Conducting bondings is one of them. Today, we join two Houses together. It is a sacred moment and a gloriously happy one. Welcome to the moment when Lancer of Praxus, daughter of Ironhide of Praxus and Ratchet of Iacon bonds with Partition of Iacon, son of Lucien of Capital City and Laslo of Iacon. It is my honor to ask the questions that have to be asked in front of the community that will be their home. When they have been asked and answered, then they will be considered bonded with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities as any similar adult. As Prime, I am honored to do so." He turned to the group behind him. "I need Lancer of Praxus and her genitors, Ironhide of Praxus and Ratchet of Iacon."
They both stepped forward from inside the courtyard with Lancer who continued down to stand on the top step, trailed by family who filled in the background. She turned to smile at them with enormous happiness. They smiled back. This was a light moment for all of them, helping this great femme make her way. She smiled at them and Prime. Prime smiled back then turned again. "I need Partition of Iacon along with their genitors, Lucien of Capital City and Laslo of Iacon."
The three stepped forward with a delighted Laslo, a surprisingly proud and smiling Lucien and the large group of the Squad, their families and friends, stopping beside Prime as Partition continued toward Lancer, his face filled with rapture as he looked at her. They joined servos and waited.
Prime smiled slightly. "And now the questions. Lancer, are you prepared to bond with Partition and have no other before you?"
"Yes," she said.
"Partition, are you prepared to bond with Lancer and have no other before you?"
Partition nodded. He stared at Lancer a moment, then whispered, "yes."
"Ironhide, as proxy genitor for Lancer do you promise to be responsible for her, to assist them both if they need you and to stand by their sparklings as guardian if such need comes?"
"Yes," Ironhide said for the sixth time in his life. This was getting a lot easier with each passing event. It was a great orn in his spark at this moment. His little girl was getting bonded.
SNIFFLE!
"Lucien," Prime said turning to his former nemesis. "As genitor granted proxy status in the legal and cultural format of Praxus, do you promise to be responsible for Partition, to assist him if they both need you and to stand by their sparklings as guardian if such need comes?"
"Yes," Lucien said.
"Do you, Laslo, promise the same?" Prime asked.
Laslo nodded. "Yes," he whispered as he squeezed Lucien's servo.
"Ratchet, as bond to Ironhide what do you say?"
Ratchet who was standing with the entire group of his family around him opposite of Lucien and Laslo who had the same, stepped closer and nodded. "Yes, I agree."
"Ironhide and Lucien as principle Praxian genitors by birthright and proxy have agreed to protect this bond and to step in when the need arises. That is their responsibility to you and your family, including the extension by bond to Lucien and Laslo of the actions I will now ask you to decide. Now you have to do so. Do you give freely genitor rights to both Lucien and Ironhide?"
Partition and Lancer looked at each other. This part was weird for Partition but he didn't care. He wanted this more than any limitations by some ancient law, so he grinned and nodded to her. He knew it would mean they had to publicly acknowledge the right of either Lucien or Ironhide to step in including Laslo and Ratchet to separate and control them if something should arise that endangered any of them or their sparklings.
Lancer nodded. "Yes."
Partition held almost in thrall by her, nodded. "Yes."
Huge and thunderous applause greeted that as the crowd weighed in. The family who had acquired Silverbow in the midst of the beginning where everyone came forward laughed loudly and joined them. Lucien looked almost impossibly happy as he stood with his arms around Laslo. So did all the others, former hard afts all as they stood with the bonding party together.
As the hoo-haw subsided a bit, Prime closed the ceremony. "This is a Primus blessed event, witnessed by all and freely agreed upon. This is now a public record that Partition of Iacon and Lancer of Praxus are a bond, that they are adult in the eyes of the community and that a new family is born today. Congratulations," he concluded stepping forward to hug Lancer before the entire family group surged almost as one. It would be a howling good time for a moment or two.
That is, it would be until the siren sounded nearby.
-0-TBC 6-3-18 edited 7-7-18