Astrosecond: .498 seconds
Breem: ~8.2 minutes
Joor: ~1 hour
Deca-cycle: ~3 weeks
Nano-klik: ~1 second
Orn: 13 days
Solar-cycle: 93 hours (Cybertronian day)
Orbital-cycle: 24 solar-cycles/93 days (Cybertronian month)
Stellar-cycle: 20 orbital-cycles/480 days(Cybertronian year)
Chapter 5:
Red Fluffy Blanket
They'd fallen into a routine of such—Rumble noticed with gleeful delight. His sparkling sister had been with them for only half of an orn and their unit had begun to show a similar pattern each solar-cycle. It would start with them rising that morning, where they'd begin the cycle by shaking off their recharge and going to get energon. Resonate would socialize with a few 'Cons that happened to develop a soft spot for the odd little femmeling that fit in the palm of their servo before returning to their quarters where Soundwave had taken to working so that he could watch over Resonate.
And while his step-creator knew she could be trusted in their care while he worked, it was obvious a part of him wasn't ready for that yet. It was kind of… adorable—and he didn't think that often!
And because he, his brother, and their brother-in-arms step most of the day doing nothing when not out on missions, they now spent it entertaining Resonate with toys that Starscream surprisingly gave them.
(The Trine leader had huffed slightly as he'd handed them off, saying something along the lines of: "Best way to keep her out of the way." It was a lie, he'd thought snickering, but Rumble wasn't gonna hold it against him, especially considering Seekers were known for their care of the young, no matter the type of sparkling.
He certainly didn't miss the way Starscream's optics lightened when Resonate had whirled curiously at the sight of so many playthings, the only toy she had upon arrival was a beaten-up cyber-cat figurine.)
When it came to mid-cycle, they would have their lunch, where Resonate tended to fall asleep mid-drink so Soundwave had taken to cradling her to hold the sippy-cup (Shockwave made it; Resonate had blinked at the object when she'd first seen it before nibbling on it in confusion. The look on her face-plate when Energon had come out was amusing).
Because sparklings required more recharge than final frames and younglings, the mid-cycle nap Resonate typically fell into was perfect timing. Soundwave would set her on their now shared berth, where Ravage would leap onto it and curl around the napping sparkling.
She'd recharge for several joors before awakening and then Frenzy and he would take her around the base—while Resonate tried walking most of the time, her frame couldn't yet support her walking for much more than a breem and she'd be forced to crawl onwards. She often got frustrated about it and they'd have to distract her before the tears appeared.
They carried her from there to the next locations, ranging from the rec-room, the main deck, and other random places to help get her familiar with the base. The rec-room and main deck seemed to be her favorite place as most bots she'd become familiar with tended to hover around those areas for both work and relaxing.
It had surprised the twins when Megatron had become fond of her, often sitting the tiny femmeling on his broad shoulder as he explained things—nothing about the war, no, in was about their carrier. It had left them flabbergasted momentarily because while Megatron hadn't known LightChaser for as long as the Prime had, he still knew plenty.
They hadn't known he'd thought so highly of the femme—but they couldn't deny most tended to find LightChaser an easy bot to be around, her entire demeanour practically drew bots in. Sometimes that also meant unwanted attention, as annoying as it was—Ravage warded away most, they were often intimated by the large cyber-panther that LightChaser took with her almost everywhere when she stepped outside by herself.
(She wasn't stupid—she'd noticed the undesirable attention not to long after reaching her final frame. She did have a naturally gorgeous, well-proportioned frame, so it was obvious she'd get some stares. It was something that she inherited from her Creator, surprisingly enough.)
But, as Rumble watched on fondly as Megatron told Resonate about how their carrier often fretted and patched them up an uncountable amount of times after Pit fights, he found himself coming to a decision. His digits could almost feel the red material that he kept in his subspace, not having taken it out since his adopted carrier's offlining. He didn't have the spark.
He vented, the blanket had been a gift from LightChaser on his and his brother's birthday the first stellar-cycle they'd been with her. Frenzy had gotten a matching blue one but he'd long since outgrown his. He'd gotten their carrier to give it to a family friend who'd recently had their own sparkling.
He found himself wanting to pull the blanket out and throw it over his sister's frame for her to curl up in like he'd done so many times before as a younger younging. He wanted to scoff as the brief thought of not getting his final frame for another fifty stellar-cycles annoyed him. He was ready damnit!
He shook that thought off quickly as Resonate yawned and he heard the quiet chuckle from Megatron. Frenzy was the one to approach and take her from their leader's servos. His brother murmured something about sparkling's needing their recharge, to which Resonate reached up and whacked his face plate in a half-sparked gesture. Frenzy snickered.
The trio returned to their berthroom, Soundwave glancing at them as they entered. He nodded, sending a burst of affection to them before turning back to his computer. Resonate softly purred in response, Frenzy rumbled in response to her as he put her on the berth she and Soundwave shared.
His digits twitched again. Perhaps it was time to give his own blanket away.
With that thought Rumble approached the berth, his brother looking up at him questioningly as he did, but Rumble paid him no attention as he tugged the soft material from his subspace and draped it over their sister.
Orange optics blinked sleepily up at him as she snuggled, cocooned, into it, cooing softly. He rumbled in return.