The Diego Diaries: Bandage (dd6 376)
-0-At the parties
The band played on, loudly and with gusto. The bands that were playing were famous on Cybertron and they were famous here. They were making new music and there was talk of sending a USO-type tour of musicians to Cybertron with them headlining. There was even talk of Jazz pulling his old band together, something that was highly receptive to the bar scene crowd from back in the orn. As it was, the noise was loud and the beer flowed.
Ratchet after taking a tour of the ceiling tiles of both rooms found himself sitting in the midst of mechs from the Wreckers and the army who were laughing and telling ribald jokes. He grinned as he ate his third plate of food and sipped his third beer. Springer who sat next to him grinned at Ratchet. "Hey, Ma. How ya doing? Is tomorrow night still on?"
"Absolutely," Ratchet said as he clinked his beer with half a dozen half drunk slaggers across the table. "What kind of squaddie would I be if I let the Squad down?"
"Someone who wouldn't have to make bail, I would think," Drift said as he sat down again with another plate and two beers. He gave one to Springer, then grinned at Ratchet. "You do know that we have to go wherever you and Prowl go. Boss's orders."
"I know. I also know that I saw the film the soldiers took of you when you went on a bender with Prime. You do remember that, or do you?" Ratchet asked.
"Uh, sort of," Springer said.
"Prime jumped his horse and landed on his aft. That was worth the price of admission," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "You boys set the bar. We just have to jump it now."
"Why do I feel like there's going to be traction somehow involved here?" Drift asked.
"Experience?" Springer replied with a grin.
Across the room, Prime, Ironhide, Raptor who was getting there, Blackjack who was assigned to make sure Raptor 'got there' without bumping his helm on the door, Hard Drive who was cuddling with Delphi, Alor who was haranguing someone about something, and Gee-Gee were filling the couches along the wall. Everyone was seriously happy but Blackjack who nursed his soft drink with ill grace.
"Look at that." Ratchet said nodding to the group. "'Jack has to stay sober."
The mechs glanced at them, then Ratchet with grins. "Tell us funny stories about them. Raptor is hilarious," a big mech said.
"Hm," Ratchet said as he thought a moment. "Raptor is a joker but he's deadly serious about a lot of things, too. He likes a neat munition. No one can sneak up on him. Sober, anyway. He's got stealth tech out the wazoo as the humans say. It's all illegal tech he acquired and made me install, the slagger. He's a mech of distinct tastes. He likes cows, his old mech, dancing … did you see him dance? That mech can dance anyone here under the table. He likes hiking around the outback of the beyond. He can find anything that's lost no matter how small, and he cheats at cards."
"He does?" Springer asked with surprise. Everyone else looked surprised as well.
"Didn't you notice?" Ratchet asked with a smile. "Slagger cheats at cards. He can count them, he has tech to scan them … he's good at gambling because he cheats. Just ask the management of the Belagio in Vegas."
"That rat," Springer said with a grin. "What a slagger. Even Smokescreen can't beat him."
"Yeah, well … don't tell him I told you," Ratchet said as he began to eat again.
"HEY!" Half the room paused as they turned to see Springer waving his arm. "APPA RAPTOR! COME HERE A MOMENT!"
Ratchet glanced at Springer, then grinned. "If I were sober, I'd bend a wrench over your helm. You traitor, you."
Springer grinned and pulled a chair for Raptor who weaved over with a half finished beer and a donut. He sat heavily. "GRANDSON! GRANDSONS! I, RAPTOR OF PRAXUS AM HERE! WHAT MIGHTY DEED MUST I DO TO PROVE TO YOU THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE HALF THE MECH I AM ON MY WORST ORN!?"
HUGE laughter and applause greeted that as Springer smirked at Ratchet, then his appa. "I was wondering how you managed to win at gambling like you do."
Raptor put his bottle down and held up his huge servos. "See these? These are divine. They're inspired. WHY, THE PANTHEON GAVE THEM TO ME PERSONALLY SO THAT I MIGHT PREVAIL IN ALL ARENAS! I, RAPTOR AM A GAMBLER'S GAMBLER!"
"And you cheat," Drift interjected with a grin.
"And I cheat," Raptor replied with a grin. He glanced at Ratchet. "Thanks, slagger."
"Don't mention it. Maybe when we all sober up we won't remember," Ratchet said as he sipped his beer.
"We can but hope. Sure comes in handy in Vegas. Now Blackjack … there's a son any mech would be proud of," he said as he glanced across the way at his boy. He waggled his fingers and Blackjack grumpily waggled them back. "He's big, powerful, handsome as slag, a slagging fine atar, an even better appa … he fights like a demon and he's good to his troops. He learned that from me by the way," Raptor said as he glanced at the troops sitting around him hanging on his every word. Lon, Bezel and Inweld looked like they might have vapor lock at any moment. "WHY, YOU'D NEVER FIND A BETTER SON IN ALL THE UNIVERSE THAN MY BLACKJACK! I NAMED HIM AFTER A RELATIVE! I FORGET WHICH ONE!"
"Blackjack?" Ratchet suggested.
"Oh, right. That one," he said with a grin. "Where was I? Oh yeah … BLACKJACK IS A SLAGGING FINE MECH! HE ALSO OWNS A COW WHICH MAKES HIM PERFECT!"
Across the way, everyone was watching Raptor embarrass his son. Blackjack looked a bit smaller in stature in his chair as he tried to make himself disappear into the wall. Turbine grinned. "Your atar is feeling it."
"He can't hold his liquor like me," Blackjack said as he glowered at his ada.
"Is that it," Turbine said with a grin, then glanced back at the table across the way.
"YOU KNOW WHO ELSE IS PERFECT!? MY IRONHIDE, THAT'S WHO! HE'S PERFECT AND I NAMED HIM AFTER ANOTHER RELATIVE! I TOLD BLACKJACK TO NAME HIM AFTER SOMEONE!"
"Ironhide?" Ratchet asked with a grin.
"That's right. Old Ironhide. He was a slagger's slagger. The most fair and hard aft uncle a mech could ever have," Raptor said as he took a donut off Drift's plate and began to eat it.
Drift grinned. "There's another uncle somewhere?"
"Which one?" Raptor asked as his gin soaked train of thought derailed again.
"There's Steiner, Trooper's brother. Maybe Trooper. Or Scout. Isn't Blackjack the Elder your ada's brother and Ironhide the Other his son? Is that right?" Ratchet asked as he mused over the line.
"I don't know. They just lived in … somewhere over there," Raptor said pointing in the direction of left. Everyone snickered. He snickered, then hugged Ratchet. "I'd stick around and tell ya family secrets and stuff but my boy over there … look at him, handsome slagger … he isn't embarrassed enough." He rose, then bowed. "I HAVE A COW! HIS NAME IS PUDDING! I HAVE THE BEST COW ON MARS! REMEMBER THAT!" he said as he winked, then walked back to the group across the way.
They watched him go, then Springer glanced at Ratchet. "That family is gold. No, they're platinum. They're … they're … words fail me."
"They never fail Raptor. He knows ten ways to Sunday how to wear down a recruit and embarrass a family member. He's a genuine dude as the humans say," Ratchet replied.
There would be no argument around the table.
-0-Dancing in the middle of the hoo-haw
Lancer and Partition swayed together, the beat being as irrelevant to them as it was to Prime and Prowl. The party was a total blast. All their friends were there to enjoy. It was amazing looking around how many of those here were friends of his now, too. He knew that Lancer was respected and well liked, so he knew they would come in droves. What surprised him were the Watch officers, Home Guardsmen and others he was beginning to meet and know who came for him, too. It was affirming in a way he would never be able to articulate. So he didn't. He swayed with Lancer and enjoyed himself. Nearby, jitterbugging in the classic Cybertronian manner, Maelstrom and Chromia flung themselves around. They were as competitive and striving on the dance floor as they were everywhere else. It was hilarious.
Prime leaned against Prowl nearby as they sat with their peds up. They had rescheduled the meetings in the afternoon with humans around an 'emergency'. The food and drink were too good, the company too much fun to leave and the occasion a victory for the light. Partition had found his way. Ratchet and Ironhide had another son-in-law and the world was looking a bit brighter than it had before.
Finally.
"Raptor really knows how to break someone's bearings," Prowl said with a snicker as he sipped his beer.
Prime grinned. "He is a masterful manager of individuals. He is also one of the funniest mechs I ever met."
Prowl nodded. "Your genitors are good dancers," he said as the two of them watched Kestrel and Tagg dancing together on the edge of the 'dance scrum'. They were big, graceful and delightful to watch. Kes was having a great time. "School for them is winding up for the session. They have a couple of decaorns off before it starts again."
Prime nodded. "Maybe we can take them somewhere."
"How about Earth?" Prowl asked.
Prime glanced at him, then shrugged. "Diego, certainly. They enjoyed it when they were there for the Settle wedding. Maybe we can go again for a picnic or something. There are a lot of islands in the Pacific Ocean that have no populations."
"That sounds good. Swimming, sunning … relaxing … what's that, anyway?" Prowl asked.
"I have no idea," Prime said with a grin.
At a table nearby, a lot of tiny kids stood on the top eating munchies and watching the dancing. Now and again, they would dance themselves, mostly intense staring with the odd jerk of an arm and bouncing in place. It was the universal dance of children who felt music down into their souls. They were with their ammas and appas who had come here to show the flag after leaving the more sedate party in the other room.
"Appa, can you dance?" Hero asked Appa Ratchet.
"I can," Appa said with a grin. He stood, picked up Hero, then walked to the crowd. He began to dance with her in his arms. Before he barely started, the rest would be making their way to the dance floor with their ammas and appas along with an uncle and auntie or two. The kids who were pretty good dancers themselves from school lessons would have a glorious time.
-0-Nearby
"Amma, this is so fun," Reflector said as he sat in his amma's lap. He was eating something and grinning at the other kids as they chased around, played, or sat and talked to the adults. "I'm glad we came here."
"So am I," his amma said with a grin. "We're family, too. We get to come to the fun stuff like everyone else in the family."
Reflector leaned into his amma, then grinned. "I'm glad," he said with spark felt emotion.
"Me, too," she replied.
Nearby in the cordoned off area for humans, several hundred humans were availing themselves of the hilarity. There was a room inside the area for them that was a small habitat box. Inside, there were facilities, food sent over by the Resort earlier and plenty to drink. It could hold all of them in an emergency and half of them comfortably. Those who were watching and chatting with bots outside of it were watched by those inside who were dining, laughing and talking together inside. Among them were several humans from Earth2.
Owen Harris sipped good beer and ate stellar food. The Resort was a miracle of organization. They were intensely hooked into the bot's world. Hamilton Brown and Mark Jameson sat with him, the two enjoying themselves immensely. Kyle Davis was chatting with someone about business opportunities here and everyone else was partying. He watched Monica and Zak Hadden nearby as they sat with friends from all the habitats.
There were Hu-An outside for some time, but they then left to work. They had chatted with Zak and Monica, then nodded to everyone else before leaving. It was intriguing how the networks were building but some part of him, the part that had to control all things was still simmering about the Haddens being invited without his knowledge. He shifted in his chair, then joined Jameson and Brown as they discussed the sights out in the huge room. It was fun, loud and if it were humans, any place on Earth one could possibly be.
That was the part that was oddest for him. How same and how different it was. The party would crawl onward and last for two orns. Partiers would come and go, then come back again. That in itself was different. But it was a small thing overall.
-0-TBC 6-4-18 edited 7-7-18
NOTES!
kattenbelletje chapter 375 . 10h ago
ROFL. I'm glad nothing bad happened. It would be just their luck. I love the firetruck.
ME: I remember a friend married a fireman and was driven around our town in her nightgown on her wedding night by the fire department. Chivering someone is a big deal where I lived. That cliff hanger wrote itself. LOL! :D
kattenbelletje chapter 374 . 11h ago
OMG The siren?! WTF. They have no sense of timing.
I love how short and simple the questions and speech are. I went to a wedding once and the useless speech about the families and how they met and about the historical building were kind of boring and too long.
Why was Ratchet asked to agree as bond to Ironhide, but Laslo wasn't asked to agree as bond to Lucien?
ME: They don't, do they? Inferno is such a great character. :D I love short, sweet weddings. I cringe when I think about speeches and stuff. There would be no way a guy like Springer would get mushy with Drift to that degree. He's got a sweet thing with Drift and they talk to each other that way to a degree, but they would never do that. Partition apologizing to everyone was enough at the dinner.
Laslo didn't have to do it because Partition is their son. Ratchet and Ironhide are proxy or adoptive parents. I wanted to show a difference there but forgot to write that into the segment. LOL! You a have eagle eyes. I'll have a human ask so someone can explain it. HUGS!
-0-
Fancyspinner chapter 362 . 11h ago
Awwww! I love that Cliffjumper has a baby girl! Buzzy is wonderful Isn't love an amazing thing?!
ME: I love that he does, too. He needed a girl. Buzzy is a big sweet guy. He reminds me of a cousin of mine and his spouse. That sweet. :D
OOO, I cannot wait to be able to be woken up at 5AM by my cats! I will be with them again in less than a month. I hope to be able to sleep better.
ME: HUZZAH! I have two and they love to sit on me especially when I write. :D I love, love, love cats. :D I hope you get them and have all you need, fancy darling. There's nothing like pets to help everything get better. :D
Poor Omega Glad Silverbolt is with him.
ME: I had that come to me, what happened to Omega. Usually, they get off pretty light but this felt darker. Silverbolt is my favorite Aerialbot. He's the nicest and smartest. Omega did good. :D
Fancyspinner: I love all the babies. I can't wait to see what happens with the high casts. Morons! I wonder if families will be reunited? what will happen with prowls grand genitors? Will Wheeljack and some of the others get fam back? I miss migrations. can we have a look-see at one?
ME: I love the little kids. I can see them all so clearly. High castes are slow learners. Even with obliteration, never underestimate entitlement, even among humans. More families are coming. A few big migrations are coming with surprises. As for Wheeljack, that is on the list. I won't give too much away but I think a lot of potential for hope is still here.
-0-
Leoness chapter 375 . Jun 3
Oh, well played. Welllllllll played.
ME: I actually incorporated a couple of things that I saw at weddings I attended into this. :D:D:D
-0- Leoness chapter 374 . Jun 3
ACK! You can't leave it off THERE! (you wonderful evil author you)
ME: BWAHAHAHA! I actually wrote the next one because of you. :D:D:D