The Diego Diaries: Cybertron and Stuff: DATE NIGHT! (dd6 652)
NOTE: I posted 650 onto 651 accidentally. Go and read 651 before this if you haven't. :D:D:D
=0=On the corner of Metro #1 and #3
Ratchet waited with Ironhide for Prowl and Prime to show up. A horn honked so he looked down. Olivia Bowers was on a segway with her fat book bag, her computer bag and a big smile. :HI!: she called upward.
"Hi, Olivia," Ratchet said as he knelt down to talk. "You look cheery. I heard your beginner's classes are huge."
She laughed. :I have over 650 students in all. I can't do this justice with more so I'm going to be teaching another human to do this as well, Pastor Millie, and have them take the beginners pretty soon. Heatout is very pleased:
"I can imagine," Ratchet said with a grin. "Are you heading for home?"
:The Tower. We're having a dinner meeting with the Ladies Auxiliary board. We're getting requests to start separate affiliates in the local habitats. We're going to iron it out so we can all contribute together: she said. :Where are you two going?:
"We're waiting for the Messiah and his mother to get here so we can do the town," Ratchet said as Olivia laughed loudly.
So did Ironhide.
:That sounds like another epic event is going to shape up. Shall I alert the Watch?: Olivia asked.
"I think they already know," Ratchet replied with a brilliant smile. "Take care crossing the street here."
She nodded, then waved as she gunned it and headed toward the entry door behind the massive building that led upward to the Family habitat.
They watched her go, then Ironhide shook his helm. "She turned out good."
"She did. She's a real asset and so apparently is Joe," Ratchet said as Prime and Prowl walked out of the lobby of their building, crossed at the light … of course … then joined them. "Took you long enough. Apparently, putting on your face takes a while," Ratchet said to Prowl.
He sniffed. "At least I put one on."
Huge laughter greeted that as they turned together to walk to the Metro nearby. As they did, they officially entered the internal grid map that Springer and Drift maintained on duty. All of the 'problem children' were on it from time to time when things looked like they might get exciting. They were riding along the highway with the usual suspects toward the Consulate but at no time until the they went home tonight would any of the four be off their radar.
=0=Everyone else
"Ratchet is a cad not to invite us," Alor said as he sat with Halo on his lap. She was gnawing on Alie's thumb like someone else did once upon a time. Two cows were standing in front of Blackjack hoping something would fall on the floor from the cold plate that he was eating.
Scout sat on the arm of his chair taking his share of the grub as two anxious cows watched below.
"Are you going to give them a bite, too? Look at their little cowie faces," Alor said.
"I am. They're both slagging fine cows but this is chow for me and Scout. Right, infant?" Blackjack asked his smiling son.
"I like this, Atar," Scout said with a sweet child voice.
His big old pa melted around the edges at the sound of it as a tiny version of Ironhide took a carrot from him and began to chew on it. As he did, Blackjack 'accidentally' dropped one each to the cows.
=0=Elsewhere
"Ratchet is a slagger not to invite us along," Delphi said as he helped Hero with her backpack. She was going to be sleeping with them … 'how about we recharge together, Amma? It'll be like camping' …
Hardie looked down at her as he was putting a tiny piece of cake on a small plate. She was smiling up at him with shining optics and he was a goner. "I think that's genius, little femme. I can't wait."
Hero smiled brilliantly. "I CAN'T EITHER, APPA! WHEN YOU FALL ASLEEP FIRST YOU CAN WHISTLE!"
Hard Drive stifled a guffaw. :I can see that the family tradition is still alive and well:
:I think so, too: Delphi said as he put three plates on the table.
Putting Hero on her booster seat, the two sat down. They stared at the little femme fussing with her napkin. She settled it on her lap, then looked at them with a smile. Picking up her fork, she took a tiny bite, then looked at both of them. "Well, how was your orn today, Amma and Appa?"
It was wondrous.
=0=Elsewhere
They walked into Club Hoyle looking like the baddest ass motorcycle gang in the galaxy. Steiner, Flint, Sun, 'Jack, Lissie and a mech named Carbide walked to a table to sit. They ordered their drinks, bar food and decks of cards, then sat back to enjoy themselves at poker.
"I suppose you want chips?" Lissie asked all of them as she stood.
"I would," Sun said with a grin.
"Got it," Lissie said as she walked to the dispenser and drew on her account, that of Flint's, then started one for the others. The boxes of Oreos that she brought back to the table were passed among the punters.
Sun took a cookie out and looked at it. "These are chips?"
"They are. I like them. You can eat your winnings," Flint said with a chuckle. "Whenever we play poker with Ironhide, he gets slag faced and eats all the chips. So does Prime."
Sitting nearby listening to the commentary, Rockwell and his friends played their own game.
:So the Great Leader of The People gets drunk? That's a new one on me: Rockwell said to the others.
:I don't know. I remember Sentinel getting slag faced a lot. I would, too, if I were a Prime: a big mech said as he anted up.
Rockwell stared at him. :There's no comparison between Optimus Prime and Sentinel:
The big mech smirked slightly. :You never saw Sentinel drunk:
The game would roll on.
=0=Elsewhere
"How about this one, baby?"
"I like that one, Amma," Prowler said as he pointed to a garnish for his tiny sandwich.
Turbine put a tiny pickle on the sandwich that Prowler had designed with Amma and Appa's help. Each of them were having one along with soup. A tiny bowl of soup with two big ones was already on the table. Finishing Prowler's sammie, Turbine grinned down at the tiny Prowl look-alike smiling up at him. "Do you want it cut?"
"Four. I wanna do it four," Prowler said, then smiled brilliantly. He stood on the floor with his teddy bear and watched as Amma Toe-Toe explained his sandwich.
"I think we need to cut it into four little ones," Raptor said as he held the plate it would sit on.
Turbine glanced down. "Four?"
Prowler smiled then held up four tiny fat digits. "Four, Amma," he said in his sweet baby voice.
Two big warriors felt their insides melt as they carefully cut the tiny sandwich into four pieces, then Raptor put them on the plate just so. All of them would eat their sandwiches and soup, share a dessert, then gather on the couch to watch Robots In Disguise and explain once more to the little honeypot that the orange and white Autobot was just another guy named Ratchet and not his ada.
It would be glorious.
=0=Elsewhere
"This one is fun, Orion. Try it on," Trooper said as they sat on the floor in the costume room of the children's theater trying things on with him. They would watch him then tell them stories wearing the oddest things and were mesmerized.
"I LOVE THIS, AMMA! I DOIN' THIS THING!" Orion slipped the top on, one that was made to look like a radio. Apparently, there was a short play that was famous in children's theater that had a part for one.
He picked out a hat and put it on. Then Amma Scout picked out some fins for his tiny peds because they were in the box.
Appa Trooper stood up, backed up, then knelt. He took a number of snaps with his camera of Orion standing proudly in his outlandish garb. They would play for a while, laughing loudly and enjoying the guileless confidence of the happy little imp before they would go up to the apartment, order in pizza and root beer, then watch cartoons.
It would be interactive and deeply hilarious.
=0=Elsewhere
"How do you like your eggs, Praxus?" Arcee asked as she stood by the stove. She was going to fix breakfast for dinner, the meal she was best at.
Sitting on the couch beside a bemused Ultra Magnus, Praxus smiled. "Good."
Arcee laughed. "Okay," she said as she began to rustle up the simple but tasty meal she often made when both of them were too busy or lazy to order in.
Praxus smiled at her, then upward at Magnus. He grinned down at the kindly, sweet tempered, quiet little mech holding a teddy bear. "You like her?" he asked as he pointed to Arcee.
"I do," Magnus replied. "Do you?"
"I do. She nice. I love her, Arcee." Praxus smiled at him, then Arcee. "You like him, Arcee?" he asked.
Arcee grinned at him as she worked. "I do. Do you?"
Praxus nodded. "I do. I love him. Magnus. You named Magnus?" he asked as he looked up at his big brother-in-law, though he didn't know that at the moment.
"I am," Magnus said. "I used to be named Deion."
"Deion?" Praxus asked. "I like Deion. Why they call you Magnus?"
Magnus thought a moment to a time he could only remember in bits and pieces. "I don't know."
Praxus stared at him, then nodded. "Okay," he said.
It would go like that. I would be wonderful.
=0=At the homestead
"How are you doing, Sunny? Do you need help?" Fireball asked as he paused by the door to the berth room where Sunspot lived and so did the other three little mechs when they came over. Nothing was changed from when Bos, Co-D and Reflector lived here but their continuous presence.
Sunspot looked up from the desk where he was finishing his daily journal for school. "I'm almost done."
"Good," Fireball said with a grin. "We're going to watch teevee until dinner gets here. Come to the living room when you get done. Okay?"
"I'm coming," Sunspot said as he double downed on the journal.
Fireball walked back to the living room to sit. He pulled Cousin into his lap. "Too bad the others couldn't come. We could have teams. I get Sunspot on my team."
A knock on the door was heard so Quasar opened it. Delivery was made of food boxes, then the youngling mechs left with a laugh and a wave. Quasar looked down the hallway. "Sunspot! Dinner is here!"
"Coming!" a muffled voice called out as footfalls could be heard running their way.
They gathered around the table and began to unpack their choices. Two big pizzas, a big order of frosted brownies, some stuffed sandwiches which were Cybertronian home grown favorites, several kinds of drinks and candy. They got to order what they wanted and they did their youth proud.
Loading up, they gathered in the living room to watch a movie and talk. It would be a totally amazing thing to do, this, the first time they were left to do anything on their own.
=0=Gambian
They walked up out of the station, they followed Prowl and Prime. There was a new 'steak house' in town and it was the shit, or so Prowl said.
But not with those words, of course.
They walked three blocks, then entered a very swank restaurant. They were given a booth, settled in, ordered food and drinks, then sat back to watch the funny folks and unwind.
"The big boys and Sunny are home alone?" Prowl asked as they received their drinks.
"If living in an apartment next to your ammas and appas, your great ammas and appas along with Alie and Blackjack across the hall is being alone, then yeah." Ratchet chuckled. "They're going to have their training wheels on for a long time yet."
"This is good," Optimus said. "It happens sooner or later."
"Later. Much later," Ironhide said as he sipped his beer.
"I'd like to call a short meeting," Ratchet said as the three glanced at him. "We need a designated sober mech here and I nominate Ironhide. All in favor of him raise your right servo." Three did. "You have to stay sober, Ironhide."
"What?" Ironhide began.
"Democracy. Get used to it, slagger. You snooze, you lose," Ratchet said. "I think I'll have a double next."
It would be interesting the number of mechs who turned to look when Optimus laughed out loud. Apparently, it wasn't a thing seen to often among The People.
Food came and they stared at it a moment before digging in. The 'vegetables' were all Cybertronian but the rest was human-like. Steaks as big as truck tires, baked potatoes and bread in baskets materialized before them and they stared at it with amazement.
"Well, I don't expect to be hungry for about a month," Ratchet said as he picked up his fork and knife.
Prowl stared at his, then Ratchet's. "Mine's bigger."
Ratchet snorted as did Prime and Ironhide. "I can see its going to be one of those nights. Better be ready to call for back up, Osimus."
Optimus grinned at Prowl who frowned at Ratchet. "Better start. Yours is bigger."
Prowl glanced at him, then the steak. "It is, isn't it," he said with smug satisfaction.
Ratchet grinned at him. It was going to be one of those kind of nights.
Hallelujah.
=0=TBC 5-4-19