The Diego Diaries: Aftermath of Bliss (dd7 50)
=0=At The Residence
They sat contented in their chairs and couches as the group began to disperse. Even though most of the Watch there were off duty for now, nearly all of them followed Springer and Drift out the door to wander around the colony. They were going to go on 'walk about' so everyone joined them including Chromia with Maelstrom and Partition with Lancer. The door closed behind them. Most of those left now were family.
Prime sat in his chair watching the crowd disperse. He was feeling no pain though he wasn't drunk per se. That was Ironhide's job as his right servo-go to mech. He sat in his chair drowsing with a sleeping Halo in his arms. Around the room infants were laying in the arms of ammas, appas and big kids, all of them sawing logs. All nine of the titanic kids had finally showed up after spending the evening in the company of their family and frame.
Genesis glanced at Ratchet who was sitting across from his ada, Ravel, who was still a bit put out at his earlier impertinence. "What do you want to do with the babies, Ada?" he asked sweetly. He held a sleeping Spirit in his arms
"They can stay here," Prowl said. "They're mine anyway." He smirked with triumph at Ratchet, then led the way to the corridor that would take them to berth rooms near his suite where he could attend to them if they needed him.
The girls would be in Sojie and Solus's berths he decided and the littlest mechs would join Kaon in the middle of a large berth in a spare berth room where they would lay in a little array of cuteness. Older kids including Sunspot would sleep in their own rooms. Prowl walked to the corridor followed by big kids who were bringing all of the younger ones along but Rambler. He walked along yawning behind them. He was the only one still mobile.
Miler and Venture tucked Prima into his carry bag fixing to go home themselves. Vos Tower wasn't that far away but they would take a cab to avoid the sidewalks which were filled with revelers still.
Blackjack picked up Scout's carrier, said he'd add Robby the Bruce to his herd for the night and made his farewells with a slightly tipsy Alor. Lissie, Sun and Jack would go with them along with Delphi, Flint, STU-RT and Hardie to make sure they made it the several floors down where they lived, then go to their own homes sans Lissie and Steiner.
They lived in Bern and were the only ones who weren't in the same building as Ratchet and Ironhide. Blackjack the Elder and Ironhide the Elder followed Delphi and Turbine out. They were soon followed by Raptor and Turbine. Kestrel and Tagg were last to go. The door closed behind all of them.
Ratchet who was slouching in a chair waved at them as they began to leave including the twins and Blue who would meet everyone at the Diner in the morning for breakfast and to retrieve the kids. Everyone kept going until it was Prime and Ironhide who slouched in chairs and Ratchet, too. His own genitors had left after fussing with Prowl about cleaning up. It was amazingly quiet all at once.
"What a buncha loud mouths," Ratchet said once his genitors were gone. He glanced at Prime who was slouched in his chair dozing slightly as the room became silent. "You alive?"
"Barely," Prime said with a grin. "You?"
"I'm waiting for the results of the autopsy," Ratchet replied. They both laughed loudly.
Ironhide stirred, glanced around, then fell asleep again.
Ratchet grinned. "What did They tell you and who were They? If I can ask … my ada took his fists home with him."
Prowl walked back in followed by no one. The big kids were staying over 'in case you need help'. He didn't but he loved the big kids. They were his, too, he'd decided some time before. That included the two tiny exact copy versions of their genitors … Swan and Teatro. They were his, too. He sat, then glanced at Prime. "You need a fix." He stared pointedly at Ratchet. "Fix him."
"And lose the sweet vibe? His own special essence?" Ratchet asked. He glanced at Prime. "You want the cure, Uncle Otis?"
Prime grinned. "Nope."
Ratchet stared at Prowl with triumph. "HA!"
"Be nice to me. You're sitting on my couch." Prowl grinned. "And what a fine couch it is."
"I'm thinking, Prowler, that it'd be nice to just leave this one," Ratchet said jerking his thumb toward a fully recharging Ironhide, "right there."
The three of them looked at Ironhide who was helm back, mouth agape, sawing logs as the humans put it. He was cute and helpless at the same time.
"I think he looks like Orion," Prime said with a grin. Then he giggled slightly.
Ratchet and Prowl stared at Prime, then grinned. "I can see that."
"Did you hear about the time we first went camping in the Valles?" -Prime
"Nope." -Ratchet and Prowl lying
"We were setting up camp and when we did Orion was stuffing rocks up his nose assembly. I asked Ironhide if he took after him. I think my dear old friend was slightly scandalized." Prime grinned at Ironhide who was sliding slightly toward the floor as he dug down into recharge.
Ratchet and Prowl grinned at each other, then Ratchet leaned slightly forward to look at Prime. Yes, he was just on the hair of being clinically drunk, Our Uncle Otis. Fortunately, he couldn't be hit by a car in his living room. "Prime, what makes you scandalized?" Ratchet asked.
Prowl took his servo protectively. "You don't have to answer that."
"I do not mind, Prowl," he said sweetly. "I think I am scandalized when things are so obvious that no one can see them."
Ratchet and Prowl stared at him, then nodded. "Go on." -both of themselves
"Like how hard it is for Ironhide to open pickle jars. Did you ever notice that?" Optimus asked.
Ratchet snickered. "He's learned to fear the pickle. Did I ever tell you about the time he picked up a can of lemon frosting, took it home and lathered up a dill pickle with it? He took a big bite, then hopped all over the room."
"Was it good?" Prime asked, too inebriated to catch the full array of nuances.
"Uh ..." Ratchet glanced at Prowl. "You got any dill pickles and lemons?"
"If I did I wouldn't tell you," Prowl said as he pulled Prime's arm and servo closer to him.
Because he did, Optimus slid over and landed on top of Prowl. After a moment of fuddling around, he was able to sit back up. He stared down at Prowl. "Sorry, little buddy," he said sweetly.
Prowl sat back up. "That's alright, Only One. Nothing like having a housing tower fall on me. Don't think anything of it."
Prime grinned, then looked at Ironhide. He glanced at Ratchet. "That mech is a true friend," he said.
"Oh-oh. Here we go," Ratchet said with a brilliant smile. "Tell me more, Optimus."
"He doesn't have to say slag," Prowl said with a frown at Ratchet.
"I do not mind, Prowl. Ironhide is a good friend, a brother to me. I do not have a brother," he said glancing at Prowl earnestly. "Nor a sister." It seemed that he appeared mystified by the news.
"I noticed that," Prowl said with a grin.
A tipsy Optimus was an adorable Optimus.
"But I do have great genitors. They taught me all the good things, the things that make you happy and kind. My genitors and the others … my appas and ammas … they were the best I know," Optimus said. "It was different this time."
"The spirit walk?" Ratchet asked.
Prime nodded. "It wasn't about us as a people this time. It was about me. I got to see things I haven't thought about in vorns. My family. I got to sit with my appas and ammas. We talked. It was places I visited and things I did."
"They were celebrating you then," Prowl said.
Prime nodded. "It was very strange. I always seek wisdom and guidance for everyone. It was not to be this time."
"Well, maybe its time to do that, Optimus, to celebrate you and your life," Ratchet said.
Prime glanced at him, then shrugged with a grin. "I was separated, grew up, liked sports, worked at menial labor, had the best genitors and family ever, became a rebel, was made Prime, shot my gun a lot of times, then retired to this place." He grinned again. "I sort of see this as my future assisted living place."
Ratchet laughed. "You and me. We can sit in the rec room and braid yarn."
Prowl smirked at Ratchet, then glanced upward at Optimus. "You were then the focus of Their attention and They celebrated you. Its about time. You need and deserve all the praise that can be had. I, Prowl, have spoken."
Prime chuckled. "You did, little buddy," he said as he leaned down to kiss Prowl. Unfortunately, his famed vaunted reflexes were under water so he kept going, fell on Prowl, then rolled off onto the floor to land on his back. He sighed, then grinned. "I am on the floor." Then he chuckled.
Prowl who was sitting back up the second time in less than minutes stared down at him. "We're going to need a crane to lift him. Give him the cure, minion."
"He said no. I think he likes just letting go," Ratchet said as he leaned over to see Prime. "You like just letting it hang out do you, Optimus?"
Prime grinned, then nodded. "I see you."
Ratchet laughed, then sat back. "Well, that settles it. I guess he's recharging on the floor."
"What about you?" Prowl asked as he moved to lie down on the couch.
"I couldn't move without major aerial support," Ratchet said. "I'm just as comfortable as frag."
"Then stay there. I have the kid alarms routed to me." Prowl glanced at Ironhide who was leaning over to eventually at some point fall to the ground when the weight to gravity ratio slammed in. "What about Sleeping Beauty there?"
Ratchet glanced at Ironhide who was one butt check off the chair and the other one soon to follow. His arms were splayed out over the arms and he was mouth agape as he recharged. "What a magnificent bastard," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "He's going nowhere unless you have a hot air balloon in your subspace."
Prowl snickered as he made himself comfortable. "You never know. Good night, Loon."
"Good night, Miss Priss."
With that, Prowl called down the lights and remotely set things to order security wise. Then everyone there fell into a deep, deep recharge.
=0=On the streets
Things were in hand even with the crowds out and about. There was a music festival with local performers at the City Center in Terra playing on a band stand in the middle of town. Thousands would be there to dance and listen. Food trucks were everywhere and there was a brisk business going on.
Patrol mechs and femmes from the Watch were riding horses all over the place. They were even riding rounds past the habitats which were going great guns with their own break of fast and parties. Most of those who were out were looking for fun, clubs, restaurants and events to attend.
Some weren't.
Haro-n and two of his friends, Chivet and Brisk were standing on the corner of Eighth and D in Retriarius. Club were blaring, food smells were enticing and they were on the town. Friends of Sio and that migration, they shared jail time with Ratchet, Prowl and Alor when a fight broke out and everyone was arrested from a brawl at Club Cybertron started by Haro-n's uncle, Mistermaster. Now they were heading for a dance club where a lot of individuals from all castes congregated together to hook up and get laid.
Walking across the street, they weaved their way through the crowds, food trucks and all the rest to enter The Crystal Ball, a big club with a bar, restaurant and dance floor that was one of the biggest on world. It was owned by a mixed caste family who were large, Stanixian and tightly woven. Some of them were even relatives of Cliffjumper and Buzzie by the way of a very convoluted relationship that when bonded ended a sort of Hatfield and McCoy feud of such long standing that no one could remember what started it.
Like that.
It was beautiful, filled with crystal features and mirrors and was swinging nearly every night of the decaorn. They would have been gazillionaires on Cybertron with the club.
If they were allowed to have it.
Which they weren't.
Not back then.
Now?
Oh, yeah.
The three walked inside and stood by the door that lead from the huge bar to the lounge and then the giant dance floor where some of the best and most famous club bands played on a rotating basis including Jazz and his. Beyond that was a huge restaurant which was filled with diners breaking fast in the fast lane.
Haro-n walked inside to go to a table at the edge of the dancing, sat with his friends, then ordered drinks. The water took their order, then flew onward to deliver. As the three sat, four others joined them, the remaining free members of their merry band.
They would order drinks, too.
=0=TBC 7-30-19 7-31-19