The Diego Diaries: Cloudy (dd7 371)
=0=Earlier that same orn
He walked to the big bridge that operated in the warehouse district that managed transactions and shipping between Mars and everywhere else. There were a number of huge space bridges there that had nearly the same capacity as The Triggers but were dedicated to cargo transfer and the odd pedestrian for Cybertron as well as their warehouses on Earth. He entered the building, then walked to the controller by the whirling vortex of time, a device that would make his travel negligible.
Turbine had spent a number of joors moments before at the Temple in town praying the set of prayers that asked for a personal conference with the divine. There had only been silence at the Temple so he decided to take his case to the heart of sacred geography and make his petition at Simfur. A chat ensured a ride to the Plaza of Primus in Simfur, the area where the Temple district was located. He stepped out into the rigged lights and busy commerce of early evening Simfur, then walked through the square to the Temple nearby.
Turbine because of his clan's affiliation with the Guiding Hand didn't have as strong a tie to the Temple but everyone whatever their beliefs considered that space sacred and holy. There wasn't a division of access given your beliefs. All of Cybertron belonged to all Cybertronians, thus, there was no dissension or arguments over the sites. Everyone loved the Temple.
When he reached the steps he walked up, then into the huge building which had been restored at last and was open to The People to help them orn and night. Right now, it had the usual crowd including elders who liked to be there to sit and chat with friends in a beautiful atmosphere. He reached the steps, then paused to look at the Allspark and the Well, both of which had been placed here by the Pantheon and The One.
He'd been interviewed by the news along with the priests when that had happened during the Festival just past. He'd been just as surprised as everyone but perhaps in his spark, Turbine knew better than most the great love and kindness The Powers bore toward everyone.
"We've talked to the priests, Master Turbine and some of the others about the miracle at Simfur. We would like to get your take on this given that you're Elder Clan," Jacx had asked.
Turbine considered the question. "There are several features of this that you should take to spark," he had said. "First, the universe is very beautiful and filled with wonders, things we think might be impossible but aren't. Secondly, They're multiversal singularities, that is, They possess the ability to be all things to everyone and therefore can exist in anyplace and all places at the same time just like Primus Himself. Even as we exist in many dimensions living variations of this life, so are the relics. It's not out of the ability for The Powers to do this for our people because Their motivations are born in pure love. This is a miracle to us but just another possibility and happenstance to Them."
He stared at the relics and wondered like everyone else if they were the first or the copy. Or maybe both were the first existing in the same space in some unknowable manner. It could hurt the helm trying to figure it out. He walked down the steps toward the Well and Allspark, pausing before Them. It was then that he began to whisper the prayers of petition once more.
Elsewhere far and close …
"They seek to know things."
Prima nodded. "I see it. What is the message from our father?"
Solomus Prime listened a moment, then grinned. "They like the prayers. They sound like music."
Prima nodded. "It might be well to speak to this one."
"After the prayers, brother," Solomus said as he shuttered his optics to listen to the beautiful poems as Turbine spoke them. "After a moment."
=0=Later that night
He stood on the balcony staring at the city below. It was entrancing, the lights against the velvety darkness. The evening had been sweet with the sound of children. The life here with them was as warm and pleasant as could be. He'd played with them, read them stories, chatted with them about their orns and when they went to bed, he'd kissed them gently. Their optics shone with their love for him, something that was strange and powerful.
He'd truly been born seemingly with a mission. There was something always on his processor about a future event. He didn't know what it was but he knew it was there on the horizon just always out of view. Things had begun to heat up before he came to this place and the brotherhood with Megatron was strained, not broken.
Yet.
He heard Prowl working on the living room gathering toys, books and school bags together. The lights were low and they seemed to halo the winger as he moved about straightening things up. He was a very handsome mech, Orion thought again. Handsome, seemingly devoted and deeply in love with him. That part was weird. Although Orion wasn't given to emotional displays in settings that weren't familiar and comfortable to him, he wasn't without humor or desires. He just had an inborn sense of propriety and dignity like everyone in his family on both sides.
This place was his home. Prowl and the children were his family, the one he felt circumstances would never allow him to have. That he was the Prime of their people and empire was something he never in a million vorns dreamed of and was still struggling to come to terms with. He'd arrived at a state of grace here that he never expected to have and he was finding himself relaxing into it somewhat. Lying with Prowl in his arms at recharge didn't feel as odd. It oddly felt normal.
The lights began to go out inside the apartment as Orion turned to look. Prowl was standing in the light of one last lamp staring at him a moment. Then the light went out and he hesitated before walking to the suite for bed time.
Orion watched him, then turned back to look at the sky. Lights moved overhead counterpart to the stars, unfamiliar stars to him. He turned back to the door, then entered as it slid shut behind him. He walked to the hallway, then the suite where they slept. Prowl was already in bed so he walked over and lay down himself. It was quiet a moment.
"How do you feel, Orion?" Prowl asked.
Orion turned his helm to look at Prowl's perfect profile. "I am well, Prowl."
It was silent, then Prowl turned over, moving into Orion's arms. "I'm glad."
It was silent again as they both drifted slowly off to recharge.
=0=Simfur earlier that orn
The sound of his voice was softly reverberating through the room but no one there could understand what he was saying. The language Turbine used was a very old, nearly primitive form of Primal Vernacular, one so old that only the Elder Clan's most senior members could speak, read and write it. It was the one used before the birth of The People it was said, the one used privately among the Thirteen it was said.
As he prayed and petitioned. the mist hovering over the Well of Allsparks began to flow out of the placid blue liquid filling It. It covered the floor, spreading out like something overflowing its container. Those who were nearby reflecting privately or waiting for a priest's appointment watched the mist, entranced by the spectacle. They wouldn't see when Turbine left this dimension to enter another altogether. His body would still be there but his consciousness was in the Matrix.
=0=Elsewhere later that night
"That was the last one," Ironhide said as he walked into the berth room where Ratchet was sitting on his side of the big berth they shared. It was a warm room filled with images of family, interesting things gathered in a lifetime of travel and personal touches on display in a permanent place at last.
Ratchet grinned at him. "Why, Ironhide … I never knew you had it in ya."
Ironhide grinned. "Slagger. You have no idea what I can do."
Ratchet snickered as he lay back. "On the contrary, Ironhide. There's little I don't know about you. In all subjects. In all areas."
Ironhide stared at him, hoping that his reaction to the words was equal to the meaning that the big mech was giving them. Maybe. Ironhide sat down, then lay back. He called down the lights and it was silent for a moment. He turned his helm toward Ratchet. "So … how ya doing?"
Ratchet snickered inside his helm. "Pretty good. You?"
Ironhide shrugged. "Can't complain."
[Silence]
"I said, 'I can't complain'."
Ratchet glanced at the big handsome and oddly younger skewing mech of his many and various daydreams. A sense of personal restraint because of the age of the mech beside him was blown away by his curiosity to see how far he could push the semi stranger. "You can complain. I don't mind."
[Silence]
Ironhide considered that. "Well … I sort of have an itch."
"An itch."
[Grin] "Yep. I sort of hoped you could help me."
[Grin] "How so?"
"Well, its in a place I can't reach. I sort of hoped you could scratch it for me."
[Grin] "Where it it? I'm a doctor after all."
"I know." [Grin] "Put your servo on my chassis and I'll tell ya when you get there."
Ratchet guffawed in his helm, then turned onto his side. He put a big red servo on Ironhide's chassis. "Okay."
"Now go lower."
Ratchet did.
"Lower."
Ratchet did.
"You're getting warmer."
"So … your itch is on your codpiece?" Ratchet grinned. This lunk was just as obvious and 'suave' as his elder self was. That is, not at all.
[Grin] "Maybe."
[Grin] "Okay." Ratchet scratched, then lay back.
[Intense frown] "Frag. What did you use? Steel wool?"
"Aw. Did I hurt your little codpiece there?" Ratchet asked with a chuckle.
"I'll have you know … there's nothing little about that part."
They both grinned. Both of them knew it was true.
"Okay."
[Silence]
"Uh … given that we're a bond and have a few sprouts and all, I was thinking ..."
"Uh-huh," Ratchet replied with amusement.
"I was thinking … you know … given the circumstances and all … where we are and the like ..."
"You wanna frag, Ironhide?"
[Giant smile on cute pug face] "I wouldn't say no."
[Giant grin on ravishingly beautiful (to other Cybertronians) face] "I wouldn't either."
[Giant smile and a slight bit of gloating from a much younger ego than the adult version who was the atar of 54 kids, some of them his own who'd forgotten who he was sparring with, the poor dumb fragger] "I agree."
"You do?"
"Yep. On one condition."
"What?"
"I need a permission slip from your genitors."
[Pug face frowns. Deeply.]
[Ravishing face to another Cybertronian et el grins. Brightly.] "They live across the hall."
[Fuming silence for a moment from a pug face that wanted to get laid and thought it was in the bag.] "You don't think I will?"
"I don't know. Work for it, Ironhide. I don't want to be arrested for blowing the audials out of your helm given your tender years and all."
[Pug face takes a moment to digest that bit of startling news and makes up his mind audials be damned] "Alright." Ironhide rose from the berth to walk to the door where he paused. "Wait here." Then he left.
Ratchet who was watching him grinned. "I'm not going anywhere, slagger. I wouldn't miss this for the world."
=0=Across the hall
He rapped on the door and his ada let him in.
[Silence and nothing out of order for about ten minutes. Then big mech stepped out with a data pad in servo and a wondrous frown on his cute face. The door closes behind him.] Ironhide stared at it a moment, gathered his angst, then set out. He took the elevator to the ground floor and stepped out into the night.
Moments later …
:Ratchet:
:Alie?:
:Thanks for the comedy. Let me send you the film. Nighty-night:
Ratchet received a video, then played it …
"Ironhide. What are you doing here? Is anything wrong?"
"Uh, Ada ..." He walked in to see his father, Blackjack and nearly lost his nerve. Sitting down across from the two, he gathered his guts. "Uh, I was talking to Ratchet about the bond and all. We were discussing things and he asked me to do something."
Both nodded guessing nearly instantly why he was here. "Okay."
"I guess I'll just tell you."
"That would be good. Telling is always good and we're your genitors. We will always listen and help," Alor said as a raging conversation off line with Blackjack played between them.
"Uh," Ironhide said, then he gathered his guts. "I want to frag … I mean … I wanted to ... you know … with the bond and all ..."
"Frag," Blackjack offered around the howling laughter in his helm.
Ironhide nodded. "Ratchet said I needed a note from you two. Both of you."
They stared at him, then Blackjack reached toward a small end table and picked up a data wafer. He wrote on it, then handed it to Alor. Both of them gave their signatures, then handed it to Ironhide who was torn between his RAGING NEEDS and terminal embarrassment. He read it.
"Dear Ratchet, we give permission for our infant here to engage in interfacing between you if you wish it and give permission. We don't vouch for you know ... we figure you'll take care of it … you know … his virginity."
Ironhide glanced up sharply. "I'm not a virgin."
"You aren't?" Alor asked with fake shock.
Ironhide frowned then continued to read. He stared at the wafer, then them, then the wafer. He rose, nodded to his genitors, then left.
Alor and Blackjack stared at the door, then grinned. "Shall I make the calls or will you?"
"You thank Ratchet and I'll make the calls after I get through laughing," Blackjack said as the mirth he felt burst out of his chassis.
Meanwhile, across town at last …
Ironhide stood outside the door working up his nerve. Then he knocked. After a moment it opened. "Grandson. Come inside. Did you run away from home?"
"Uh, no, Appa," Ironhide said to Raptor. "I have to ask you for a favor." He entered and the door closed behind him.
The rest of the story on the data wafer would be laid bare in the servos of his Amma Turbine and his Appa Raptor …
"Ironhide has our permission but only if he gathers the signatures of the other interested familial parties to this 'affair', his ammas and appas, specifically Hard Drive, Delphi, Turbine and Raptor. I have spoken. -Blackjack.
"He has spoken." -Turbine
Ironhide would get them. The slagger.
=0=TBC 9-6-2020 edited
Note: I've been having a great time binge watching Lucifer on Netflix. What a sheer delight. :D:D:D