The Diego Diaries: Ease on down the road … (dd6 386)
-0-At the club
Some of them were dancing while the others were sitting at tables and booths drinking and chatting, laughing and telling lies. Springer and Drift who were leaning on the bar looked around the huge room where most of his family and friends were making noise and flinging themselves around. They didn't see it like that. Cybertronian dancing was as wild as one would expect. They saw normal fun and the humans saw hilarity.
Like right now.
Someone had leaked the evening plans and thus, several segways filled with local humans were parked nearby watching the fun as it unfolded in all its inglorious glory. Springer glanced at Drift. "Those humans are taking videos of the progress."
"They did last time. Ada told me," Drift said with a chuckle. "Shall we show them our stuff?"
"Do you think they can handle it?" Springer asked with a grin. He glanced at the humans, then downed his drink. "There. I think I'm drunk enough. Let's go show them."
Drift laughed as they walked to the crowded dance floor, then flung themselves into the bounding, bouncing hilarity that was called Cybertronian dancing. It would make amazing video.
Ratchet sat in a booth knocking them back. Ironhide sat beside him with his third beer and a bowl of snacks. He was already on his way to oblivion, something that Raptor and Hardie were feeding, the slaggers. Ratchet leaned forward. "You really want him over energized?"
They grinned together. "Uh-huh," both of them said.
"He's the cutest drunk," Raptor said.
"You have to carry him," Ratchet said as he ate from his own bowl of snacks, a collection of Oreos, 'peanuts' and 'pretzels'. Even though Docker, Ravel and Corr weren't here, he had the rest of his Squad and just about everyone else he knew along for the ride.
This could be fun.
Maybe.
"Got ya," Raptor said with a laugh. "I have to stay sober to do that. No fun here."
"I hear ya," Hardie said as he watched Prime knocking them back. Prowl was watching him with concern even as he downed his own drinks. He would find himself floating in the ozone before he knew it so he wouldn't be any help soon. Prime was a big mech. He'd need allies.
To move him around.
Glancing around, he spotted who he needed. :Hercy, Kup, Springer, and Drift, check in:
They pinged him.
:I'm staying sober and so is Raptor. I'm going to need you to do the same. Ironhide is already halfway there. Prime is heading that way and so is Prowl. I'm going to need heavy lifters:
They pinged back agreement from somewhere around the room or in the dance mob. He doubted that any of them were happy to be the 'heavy lifter' but it was necessary. Hardie sat back with a grin. "I have a team. Drink away."
Ratchet laughed, then looked at Ironhide. He was staring at Ratchet's bowl, then reached for it. Taking an Oreo in both servos, he smiled. "I love Oreos. Don't you, Appa?"
Hardie grinned, then leaned forward. "I do. Care to share?"
Ironhide stared at him through a haze so it took a moment to gather his scattered wits. He looked at the half empty bowl, then all three of his Appa Hard Drives. "Uh, you want one?" he asked as he held one Oreo out, one that already had a bite out of it.
"Not really. Go ahead, infant," Hardie said with a chuckle.
Ironhide smiled. "THANKS! YOU'RE THE BEST APPA EVER!" he burbled, then stuffed cookies into his mouth.
Ratchet watched him, then Hard Drive and Raptor. "You did what you could."
Hardie and Raptor laughed. "We did."
The room was filled with all manner of bots, some of them young and some elders. The biggest group in the room were the members of the Squad and their bonds. Lucien sat with Laslo who were chatting together with Proteus, Hobbes and Edict. Madura was dancing in the mob and it didn't look like he had a partner. It didn't matter. You could dance by yourself or with five others. The point was to dance.
Darts could be had along with billiards, Cybertronian virtual reality games, several games of chance that were popular in the club scene on Cybertron in the orn as well as card games. There was a lot of drinking and eating, the bar food here being a big feature for crowds. The band was loud, the atmosphere exciting and the peace maintained thus far. The sound of horse hooves could be heard as Ratchet looked over Ironhide's shoulder toward the big open doors. Outside on the street, a police horse patrol passed by. Things were in servo.
Turning back, Ratchet grinned at Ironhide. "Wanna dance, big boy?"
Ironhide who had just emptied his bowl and Ratchet's glanced at him with a big ass grin. "I AM IRONHIDE! I DO STUFF!" With that, he slid on his backside toward the dance floor, scooting along the booth as he did. He slid, then fell hard to the floor. Sitting back up on his aft, he glanced upward. "Ratchet. Where are you, slagger?"
Hard Drive and Raptor who were glancing downward along with a slightly tipsy Ratchet grinned. "That infant can't hold his high grade. Where did we go wrong?"
"I have no idea. I told you we should never have let Alie and 'Jack raise him. You do remember that, right?" Raptor said with a grin as he followed his father out of the booth.
Both of them stared down at Ironhide with grins, then Hardie nodded. "I remember that," he said as he gripped one of Ironhide's arms. "You noticed that I agreed with you at the time."
"I did," Raptor said as they heaved the big mech up. He swayed from side to side, then flung his arms around his Appa Hardie.
"APPA! YOU ARE THE GREATEST MECH! I, IRONHIDE SAY SO!"
Loudly.
Prime paused his third drink, then glanced at Ironhide. "I think Ironhide is drunk." He looked at Prowl who was lounging against him with a drink in his servo. "Are you?"
"Who, me?" Prowl asked.
Jetta, Elita, Magnus, and Arcee grinned as they looked from one to the other. Then Jetta leaned forward. "Tell Osimus, Prowl. We won't tell."
Prowl frowned at Jetta. "His name isn't Osimus. You must be drunk. As for me … I'm not drunk." He glanced up at Prime with adoring optics. "Right, Optopus?"
Prime stared at Prowl a moment, then nodded. "You are not drunk. Much."
Prowl glanced at the others with a smug expression. "Ha, ha. Nice try."
"I thought so," Jetta said with a chuckle. "Someone at this table better stay sober or we're never going to get you home when you fall on your face."
Prowl frowned. "Are you insinuating that Otomass and I can't hold our high grade?" He downed his drink, then set the glass on the table next to the other two that were empty. "Watch this, slaggers," he said as he slid out to stand. As he stood, he stepped on his own foot, then fell forward on his face.
Optimus who was staring at the bottom of his empty glass with a slight frown of wonderment didn't notice until he turned to speak to Prowl. "Prowl. Where did you go?"
"Check the floor, Optimus," Jetta said with a grin. Prowl was there trying to work out the order of his limbs so he could get up. No one noticed him down there but the humans who were filming madly nearby.
Prime slid over, then stared downward. "Prowl … what are you doing down there?"
Jetta and Magnus slid out, then helped Prowl up. They helped him sit, then took his drink glasses away. "Both of you are drunk already," Jetta said as they both sat.
"You are," Magnus said with a frown. "Do you think this is wise? You're going to be on the news if you let this get too far out of hand."
"Do you think so?" Prime asked with a slight grin. "I do not know if I really like that but it happens. I am Prime, you know."
"He's Prime. DON'T YOU EVER FORGET IT!" Prowl said as he sat up straighter in his seat.
Ratchet in the next booth turned in his seat, then peered over the booth. "Prowler! You're drunk. You need a fix yet or are you going to make a spectacle of yourself?"
"You don't think I can hold my booze?" Prowl asked with gathering offense. "BARTENDER! BRING ME ANOTHER TWO OF WHATEVER THIS IS!"
"I think its time to go," Magnus said as he shoved at Jetta. The two slid out followed by Elita and Arcee.
Magnus took Prowl by the arm and dragged him out. Prime was easier because he still had contact with his legs. "Come on, boys. Time to go outside and take the air."
Prime giggled. "Take it where, Deion?" he asked.
They gathered the two and began to head for the open doors nearby. The rest of the group watching them leave gathered up to go. Ratchet watched as Hardie and Raptor dragged Ironhide out, then steered him forward. Hardie glanced at Ratchet who watched them with a big grin. "You need help, Ratchet?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Nope," Ratchet said as he slid out, fell on his face, then staggered up. "WAIT FOR ME, SLAGGERS! ROAD TRIP!" He then weaved his way to the door. Joining the migration of their Squad and everyone else, they made it outside for a confab and change of venue meeting. It would be hilarious.
-0-A diner in Caminus
They flooded in, finding seats and booths around the big diner, The Bent Spoon. They were noisy, happy, mellow, and amused. Lucien and Hobbes along with Proteus and their bonds found a seat near Prime and Ratchet. Leaning over the back of their booth, Madura grinned at Ratchet. "Are you drunk yet?" he asked happily.
"Yep," Ratchet said. "I fell on my face at wherever that was a moment ago."
"You have the cure, right?" Madura asked with a chuckle.
"I do," Ratchet said. "When I reach a certain level, the cure floods me. I thought about that when I was still responsible."
"You're that kind of mech, Ratchet," Madura said as the waiters came. He sat down again, ordered food, then grinned as he looked around. "This is the most fun I've ever had. What do you think, Lucien?"
He looked around the room, then smirked faintly at Madura. "As me when we end up in jail."
Huge laughter erupted. Madura grinned at him. "Been there, done that."
After a bit of wild discussion, several votes in which Ironhide, Prime, Ratchet, and Laslo voted for everything posed, they decided to go to Club Cybertron after they ate. It seemed like a good idea at the time, though Springer and Drift stared at each other a moment with dread.
Hamburgers and fries would never taste so good again.
-0-On a train to The City
They leaned against the walls, sat on the benches, hung onto each other, and told jokes, lies and stories. The stops came and went as they reached Metro #1. Stepping and falling out, they headed toward the steps to go upward. Ratchet waited as everyone streamed by. After a moment, the crowd thinned. As the crowd thinned, the train doors closed and it began to pull out again. Staring at Ratchet with a sappy grin, Ironhide went with it.
Ratchet stared at the train, then the tail end of the group going upward. He stared at the tracks, the steps upward, the tracks … then he hollered. "HEY! YOU FORGOT SOMEONE!" With that, Ratchet stumbled forward and fell off the platform onto the tracks. He lay there a moment, then sat up. Shaking his helm, he gripped the platform, then clambered upward. Rolling over onto his back, he felt himself floating in a fog. As he did, another train slid into the station buzzing past to go to a trunk line that led out of town. He missed getting hit by seconds.
-0-At Club Cybertron
Prime stood in the doorway watching the hoo-haw at the bar and the lounge inside. Grinning at Prowl who he was helping hold up, he rapped his bond on the helm gently. "Wanna dance?" he asked sweetly.
Prowl looked up at the three Primes staring down at him. He smiled. "Sure," he said.
Prime gripped Prowl, then stumbled into the lounge and the big dance floor beyond. He would dance to his own beat, swaying in place as he held Prowl in his arms. Prowl's feet never touched the floor.
-0-At Metro #1
Ratchet stared at a face staring down, a blurred face.
"Ada?" the face asked.
Ratchet reached up his servos, pawing at the air. "Ironhide … you look younger … you slagger, you..."
Drift laughed. "I think he needs the cure. Where's Atar?"
They looked around, then a train came. As it flashed past, they noticed Ironhide leaning against the window, his big servos pressed against the glass of the coach. He was grinning like a drunk as he disappeared into the darkness down tunnel. They watched him go, then glanced at each other. "Frag," both of them said at the same time.
-0-TBC 6-16-18 edited 6-25-18
NOTES:
Guest chapter 381 . 4h ago
I'm glad we had an introspective chapter with ratchet. That's always great. Drift and springer always have such great moments in the story. As well
Hugs
Santee spinner
ME: I like mixing up the mood. Fun, then drama, then deep thoughts, then Orion, then mayhem, them … HUGS! :D:D:D I like to write dialog for guys because that sort of chat that Springer and Drift share reminds me of my uncles and dad. All of them were hilarious. :D
Guest chapter 380 . 5h ago
Poor core! He can't touch your break. This chapter had me crying. Sigh! I hope things work out. All of these others they deserve the best in life! All of them!
ME: I don't think you can go through this without problems. They will do their best and with their wild aft son looking after them, they should be safe. All of them deserve it. :D:D HUGS!