The Diego Diaries: Ho-Ho-Ho (dd6 566)
-0-Gathering up
They walked into Ops Center to get their marching orders from Blondi and her gang. They were given or already carried their various hats. They grabbed a drink and bite as they waited. Outside, three horse drawn carriages waited to take Ironhide, Prime and Prowl along with Springer to the schools. Everyone else would go to a place without a slick whip, be met and do their part. It was actually a lot easier being a lesser Santa than the big kahuna. It would be faster.
"I think this looks good on me," Jack said as he sipped a drink with his elf hat on. He was going with Hardie and Sun was going with Delphi. First, they would visit the schools with their kids, then make their way around the vast colony until they gathered again here to eat and drink themselves stupid.
It was a winner.
Ratchet walked in with Ironhide, hugged everyone, got an update on his route from Generalissimo Blondi, then got a Danish and a cuppa. He walked to the table where everyone sat including Sun and Steiner who were laughing at Raptor who was trying to make his hat look good.
"Sad, infant," Sun said with a smile. "However, points for trying."
Raptor grinned. "I'll have you know someone somewhere in this colony will be glad to see me."
"Home schools," Turbine said as he sat next to the big lug. "You get the home schools. I get the religious ones, the little ones. If I get finished before you I'll join ya. Who's going with whom?" He leaned forward to catch his brother nearby. "Flint almost slipped by but I corralled him. He's coming with me."
"Lucky him. Sing a hymn for me," Raptor said with a snicker. He was feeling no pain already, though he had only one drink thus far.
"You need all the help you can get?" Hercy asked as he lounged nearby with Springer, Blackjack and Drift.
"Couldn't hurt," Raptor said with a snicker.
A rap brought them all to attention. Blondi grinned, then glanced at Prime and Prowl. "I see what you get out of this," she said to uproarious laughter.
"It works even in the berth, amirite?" Ratchet asked Prowl to his everlasting outrage.
Everyone in the room asked for Ratchet to be on their team before Prowl rapped the mad doctor's servo sharply.
"Ow! CASTE COURT!" Ratchet bellowed as he rubbed his servo.
Huge laughter and volunteers to execute the sentence afterward was met with caustic optics from The Winged One. Prime laughed out of reach of Prowl's swing.
"As I was saying … what was I saying?" Blondi asked as she consulted her data pad. "Oh yes," she said around the laughter, "we're going out now. The Central Labor Council has asked clubs, guilds and unions to help make deliveries. They have always done so and are glad to do so again. Just go to each spot on the list, then come back here when you finish. We have a spread and drinks for you when you come back and I want the group shot for the City album I'm making just like last year. Okay? Any questions?"
There were but none of them were relevant, polite or on point. They rose and began to walk out. Prime and Prowl reached the first wagon, entered with their small entourage, mostly genitors and a few hangers on riding horseback following. They began to move off, the horse's livery jingle belling along. Ironhide with Uncle Sun and Ty just because hopped in and left with Partition, Lancer and Moonracer following on horseback.
Springer climbed up with Drift wearing a jaunty green elf hat, then sat side-by-side inside. Kup and a few others were riding horses but a few punters climbed up to sit across from the pair. Springer waving his servo like Queen Elizabeth II smiled as they pulled out and began their journey toward Little Kid Land.
The others watched, then glanced at each other. "Frag this. We have to get there ourselves. I'm filing a complaint," Jetta said with a laugh as he walked to the curb with Elita. They transformed and took off to see to the hubs, armories and veteran's hangouts to ensure that the bachelors and others who might be overlooked got some Christmas Surprise cheer themselves joined at some point by little kids who were looking for a chance to 'do good' for The People. It would be a boozy and jolly several joors. The helpers would meet them there courtesy of Springer and Drift.
Everyone bugged out, heading this way and that as they left to give out some slagging Christmas cheer. Blondi and her femmes watched them go, then grinned. "How about kicking back and waiting for them here? Someone has to stay and troubleshoot any calls to the HQ," she said. They all grinned, nodded and walked back inside to put their dogs up, have a cold one and eat snacks.
Christmas Surprise was all right.
-0-Intermediate School
Springer and the Gang rolled up, then stopped. Two mechs In Charge Of Stuff met them on the sidewalk and walked inside together, heading to the giant lobby where a nice chair was waiting for him. He had drafted his entourage to assist and MIRACLES OF MIRACLES!, the big mechs handling the cargo had 'extra' elf hats for the boys. They put them on, groused about it even though they were secretly ecstatic, then gathered around to do their good deed for the vorn.
"I could use a foot stool here. Who volunteers?" Springer asked as he sprawled on his chair.
"That's your job, Drift," Sandstorm said as he peered into the giant boxes that held the gifts for each kid sorted out to class. Their names were listed on a handheld by the 'job czar' and it was an effortless thing to do this anymore. Good thing it was because there were thousands of kids to see with the growth of the colony.
Sounds of kids laughing could be heard, then classes of Level 6 kids began to arrive. They were on the last leg of the system toward graduation and they were big, some of them older than the program usually functioned for, those denied before on their way to getting the education they couldn't get anywhere else. They came in, then faced the big mechs grinning at them with amusement.
"Well, well. I don't recognize anyone in this group which is a benefit to your sense of law and order," Springer said with a grin.
The kids laughed and so did the masses of family members and school workers who came to watch. A laugh was heard near the back, then a mini-con femme peeked out. "Hello, Commander Springer and Commander Drift!" she said with her usual infectious sense of joyousness.
Everyone of the mechs grinned as Springer sat forward to see better. "Is that you, 2-Lip?" he asked with a smile.
"Yes! MERRY CHRISTMAS SURPRISE!" she said.
Standing nearby watching in a mob of more normal sized mechs and femmes, some of them older, Metrotitan watched 'his girl' flirt sweetly with Springer. Given that he housed the Watch in his own vast carcass, he didn't so much mind. He knew where he could find them later. 2-Lip was a sweet kid who talked sweetly to everyone. She was his and he was hers, totally and completely. Everyone knew that including her genitors who called them 'their son-in-law, the city'.
"The same to you. I see that mech of yours back there," Springer said to be ornery.
Everyone turned to spy Tyke, all 34 feet of him. He waggled his fingers in a wave as he grinned back.
2-Lip whose spirit animal was probably a butterfly smiled. "HE'S THE GREATEST ISN'T HE!?"
Everyone agreed and some even applauded.
Her family applauded loudest.
It was hilarious.
"I suppose you wonder why we came here on this momentous occasion?" Springer said for no good reason.
"PRESENTS!" -everyone including Tyke
Springer chuckled. "I see. I'm here to give you something from the colony-"
"PRESENTS!"
"...in appreciation for ..."
"PRESENTS!"
"... your hard work and ability to stay out of ..."
"PRESENTS! PRESENTS! PRESENTS!"
"... jail." Springer laughed. "Slaggers. By the way, the Watch Mentorship Program and the program for Watch trainees will be opening again after the new year. Check the Bulletin Board for the application forms. This is a hands on program open to all femmes and mechs in Level 6 who might want a career in law enforcement."
"THAT'S NICE! ANOTHER PRESENT!" -a gaggle of smartaleck boys in the back including Tyke
Springer grinned at them, then looked at his minions. "Bring it, boys."
They did.
The kids took it.
All was well in Intermediate School with the Level 6's.
-0-Sitting on a throne in Sparkling Day School
Prime grinned at the huge lobby filled with family and friends of the kids who came here. They were excited and expectant with many doing this for the first time.
There was the sound of laughter, then two lines of infants wandered in with their usual gaping wonder and cuteness. Some of them had service animals with them, mostly dogs and a tiny horse. They came to the X's on the floor, then halted, some of them bumping into each other. They glanced around, then spotted Santa Prime. The shock on their faces, the wonderment, the sound of their gasps of pure joy was hilarious as cameras flashed everywhere.
Prime leaned forward. "Well, well, look at y-"
They fogged forward rushing him, then trying to climb upward. They came at once, two different lines from three different classes of babies, all of them losing their shit at the sight of "HIM!" as someone referred to Santa Prime lately when he would talk about him with his big old pa, going over the tale and expectations, 'Orion'.
It took a while for the mob to be untangled, then while Prowl took videos and copious pictures, Prime's minions began to take gifts from shop stewards and other officials of the operation to hand to Optimus. A tiny femme walked up and smiled brilliantly. "YOU HIM!?"
Obviously, she'd been talking to Orion.
He grinned. "I am Santa Prime and I love you."
She smiled. "I love you, too." She smiled again. Then she hugged his ped as he handed her a gift. She sat down to open it necessitating her adoring Appa to pick her up and take her back to the line to the chuckles and applause of the masses watching.
More infants came, some posed with family members and Prime, then more came. Soon El stood before Prime. He remembered when the Matrix saved her and now she was bright, healthy and a child without worries or burdens. Her family had every angle covered with cameras as she walked up and stopped before Prime.
She smiled almost too widely, her tiny face shining with happiness. She patted his ped, then looked up. "Santa Prime, I been good."
"You have? I believe that's all you can do, El … be good," Optimus said as he leaned closer to her.
"You know me? You know me, El?" she asked with wondering surprise.
"I know and love all of you," Prime said with a grin.
"I does good. I helped my ada and atar. I cleaned my room. I take care of my dollies and toys. I gived some to my cousin. He's little," she said in her tiny mini mouse voice.
"Sharing is always a good thing, El. I am glad that you are healthy and happy," Optimus said as he caressed her tiny face. Her family was nearly swooning as they kept the cameras rolling.
"I does it more," she said with a smile.
Prime grinned, then handed her a gold bag. "I am glad, infant. Here is something from our people that shows how much we love you and what you do everyday."
She smiled and took it. She stood in her spot smiling at him hugging the bag to her tiny chassis like it was a gold bar. It was obvious that she didn't know to go back to her line so she stood with him and smiled. The room laughed and clapped for her as her ada picked her up. He smiled at Prime, then bowed low. Everyone around him did the same including some of the infants waiting. Then he walked back emotionally to wait for the others.
More came up, then some very familiar faces. Praxus came. "Santa Prime, I love you. Do you know I love you?" he asked as he took his present.
Prime grinned. "I think I do, infant," he said to the miniature medic standing before him. "All of you."
"You're good. I will tell my atar and ada. Do you want me to tell Uncle Otis?" he asked.
"Do. I think he would love to hear it," Prime said with a smile.
Prowl was running a camera moving here and there to get the best angles, almost like a special ops mech on mission. It was hilarious.
Praxus walked back, then Bleu, Olo who was so tiny and her giant genitors so proud of her, Mimi who was so tiny and so were her genitors who were proud of her, Kiko, Han who was sweet and nice to the great relief of his genitors watching nearby, a number of others came in a steady stream, then a new line joined them.
"WHAT MY DO, LO-LO!?" a voice said from back in the pack.
Group G had arrived on the scene.
-0-TBC 1-9-19 edited 1-17-19
Leoness: They do have them don't they? Between the debutantes in some of the habitats and the isolation, the party scene is amazing. Given that there are 17,000 participants requires a generalissimo grande to handle things. LOL! Hugs, darling Leoness. :D