The Diego Diaries: Celebration (dd7 337) (I never thought I'd get this done. My carpel tunnel made my fingers feel like they were on someone else's hand.)
=0=Later on in the evening
"I'm hungry."
"Suck it up, Ironhide."
He glanced at Ratchet who was lounging in the chair next to him. "Fragger. I AM IRONHIDE! I AM HUNGRY!"
That wasn't well received at all.
Ravel grinned at the big goof. "We have a breem, Ironhide. I will personally fix a big plate for you."
Everyone grinned at Ravel, then glanced at Ironhide.
Ironhide smirked at Ratchet. "I see you didn't take after him- … OW!"
Ratchet smiled at Ironhide. "Serves you right, slagger." He glanced at his little frowning ada. "Don't humor him."
"Really, Ratchet," Ravel sniffed before Chromia hugged him tightly.
Sitting around the room shooting the slag, the usual suspects chuckled. They were part of the panorama of the train wreck called Ironhide v Ratchet. It was fortunate that they had put together three huge apartments to make this one given all things being equal. The door opened and more arrived with food and drinks as outside the darkness deepened even more.
As they did Ratchet glanced at Prime who was having a chuckle with his father and Venture. "Hey, Optimus."
Prime glanced at Ratchet. "You rang?"
"I did. Tell me about boy's night out. Are you still going clubbin' or is that too mundane for someone just back from the Matrix?" Ratchet asked.
Ravel frowned.
Chromia hugged him again.
Prime glanced around the room, then at Ratchet. "I would think it would still be on but I am not the boss of this thing."
Everyone glanced at Ironhide.
He frowned. "I'm not either but I'll do the duty if needed. I AM IRONHIDE! I DO DUTIES!"
Snickers abounded.
"Sun is the boss of this," Hardie said. "You were the ring leader of this goat rodeo, right?"
Sun shrugged then grinned. "Sure."
Huge laughter and much 'I'm coming' and 'me, toos' burst out from all corners.
Shadow and Zenith glanced at each other but they didn't say a word. Obviously, they didn't get out much.
"Where and when?" someone asked from near the door.
Prime glanced at Sun who glanced at the door. "Tomorrow? 1800 on the TMC?"
"Coming."
"Will do."
"Gotta change shift but I'm coming."
"Well, that's just … what will the neighbors think?" Alor asked with a grin. "After all, I can still see your brighter aura."
Everyone nodded. They all could.
"I'm proposing a science experiment. How about Prime ties one on, hard and fast. Then we can watch if his aura dims from it. How's that? We can give the data to Sunspot for the Science Fair." Ratchet beamed them all a thousand watt smile.
He got buried in slag.
=0=Up there
He walked up the steps to the communications tower of Fortress Maximus. Even as he started Festival, he would end it. He was the designated 'bell ringer' from the first time. He reached the panel then unlocked it. Beyond him, the colony spread out like diamonds on velvet. The skies were still clear and the night was cold. He stared at the moon, Phobos as it traveled on its way, then looked at the panel. Counting down the seconds, he pressed the button and the siren rolled out releasing those who fasted from their devotion.
All across the colony the sound rolled onward, signaling the end of the Festival to everyone. Humans in habitats heard it, some of them finally eating something in solidarity with their neighbors, bots everywhere in clubs, homes and bars cheered, then many left for a restaurant or food truck, all of which were out in force. It was a happy time in the community and on Cybertron who received the signal via the News Net and IntraCom. Earth would receive it via the MCA.
Meanwhile …
Ravel walked over to Ironhide with a plate mounded in food and a beer bottle in hand. He handed it to Ironhide. "There, Ironhide. Enjoy."
Ratchet watched his ada walk to the line with a smirk on his face. "I'm not sure I approve of your snark, Ada. I liked you better when you were a shrinking violet."
Ravel took his place, then glanced at Ratchet. "I'm no shrinking violet."
He got a standing ovation from the punters.
Ratchet smirked at his ada who was grinning with a pleased expression in spite of himself. He glanced at Ironhide. "Don't get used to that, slagger."
"I AM IRONHIDE! I'M USED TO THIS!"
Huge derision and laughter greeted that.
Sun grinned at Ratchet as he made his way back with a heaped plate and two beers. He sat. "What's this about you going camping with the Squad this weekend?"
Ratchet smiled. "We are. I reserved a spot in the Valles Campground #17. There's a huge mini-con camp next to us. I predict sport and much punting about 2400 joors on the TMC."
"You can't go with me," Jack said as Flint nodded.
"Since you're all having a BOY'S night out, we decided to take our greatness on the road. Frag you in advance," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
"Ah, don't do me that way," Jack said with a chuckle. "Who gets the kids?"
"Why, you do, Jack," Ratchet said with much batting of his optical ridges. That went over like a lead balloon, then Ratchet glanced at Hard Drive. "Did you ever close the books on Ironhide in Caste Court, Hardie? I might have been too drunk to remember."
"You were sober, slagger and yeah, I finished my detail. I, IRONHIDE FINISHED MY SENTENCE! I ALSO TOOK ONE FOR YOU, SLAGGER! You never said a word on my behalf," Ironhide said as he frowned at Prime.
Optimus who had been given a huge plate and beer from his own Ada grinned at Ironhide. "I was indisposed."
"You were high," Ratchet said. "There. I helped."
Everyone snickered.
"So what do you plan to do at your camp out, Ada?" Springer said as he glanced at Ironhide. "See? I just changed the subject and saved your aft. You're leaving me all your stuff."
"Dill pickles and jalapeno cheese. Sounds like a deal," Ratchet said to Springer.
"Frag," Springer said. "I thought you might have stuff."
"I never had stuff," Drift said as he sipped his beer. His plate was heaping as was Springer's. "Hard to keep stuff in a crate at the dump."
Springer frowned at Drift.
"At least you had a crate," Ratchet said. "I had to sleep on a love seat that was too short for me all my life in the corner of the gerbil cage where we lived. If I lay on my back I could see the upstairs neighbors through the crack in the ceiling."
"At least you had a cage," Drift said.
"We probably robbed both of you," Sideswipe said with a grin. "I think we lived behind a dumpster at the Blaster Bar until we were old and tall enough to reach door knobs to rob places and move up to a crappy apartment in the projects."
"Sounds like me. I lived in a dumpster behind The Camo Club in Slaughter City. I picked through the scraps they dumped on my head when they closed up. I think to this day they didn't know an entire family was living in their garbage can."
"I used to steal cars so I had a place to live," another mech said. "Given I had to ditch them every two orns or so, it meant I got five new 'houses' every decaorn."
Ironhide stared at the mechs who were bullshitting him and wondered as he did who was telling the truth and who wasn't.
Springer glanced at him, then the others. "Frag all of you. I lived over a store on a commercial boulevard."
"Ah." -everyone there
Drift watched Springer with a big grin on his handsome face. He never learned and never would.
Springer glanced at him, then frowned. "You started this, slagger."
"Did I?" Drift asked innocently.
"Poor stories. How about you tell us yours, Hardie?" Ratchet said. "However, if they make me cry, then don't."
Hardie grinned at Ratchet, then considered his past. "I was parked in a warehouse when I wasn't doing something and plugged into a computer board. They didn't know we were sentient and so they would treat us like equipment."
It was silent a moment.
"Must of felt good to shoot them then," Sandstorm said.
"It did," Hardie said with a grin.
"Given that we're all telling the truth for once, how about all of the criminals in the room raise your servos," Ratchet said.
It was silent a moment, then most of the room raised their servos. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker raised both.
Ratchet snickered. "Well, if I ever get locked out of my house, I know who to call."
Huge laughter and agreement greeted that.
Lights flashed past the window outside as Seekers took to the air to show their happiness at the end of the fasting. They would be flying madly for a few joors before weariness and sobriety brought them to their home terraces. Commerce would begin at 0800 joors between the Empire and everyone. Things would roll forward and in four orns the schools would begin again and life would go back to normal.
For tonight, there was family, friends, the clubs and happiness. A dangerous mission ended well, the Prime spoke to the Pantheon, fasting had ended and Simfur returned to itself through the grace of The One. All was actually pretty well all around.
Who knew?
=0=TBC 7-25-2020