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He's not counting it as a win the next sol, when he has to sit and listen to them negotiate Optimus's courtship contract. It's long and dreadfully boring, and he's close to falling into recharge.
He doesn't even know why he's here, except for possibly to be pointed at and used as an example why it is perfectly fine to wait a vorn before 'facing. Him explaining that it is a personal choice and not a reason to go into the stupidly insane rules for courtship. He'd never want to deal with official courting.
He has the wait period so that the femmes that want to just brag about bagging him stay away. He has no interest in that kind of relationship with anyone.
He's not chaste because it's some goal of his. He just knows that his relationships are better and more meaningful when he waits a bit before fragging his partner. He doesn't want it to be just about the overloads. Ever. Bots are with him because they like him. Not his glossa and spark.
Well, he hopes it's partly because of those things. Elita-1 had certainly claimed he was one of the best frags she'd ever had.
He holds Sari in his lap, wanting to take a nap. He can't believe that he got called out of his berth early just to attend this. Even if he had a full night's recharge, he'd be falling over from boredom. Bumblebee is snoring on the floor, and he's certain the only reason that the minibot isn't recharging on the desk is because it is taken up with various datapads filled with contract information.
Sari is also recharging, one of the other reasons he's not taking a stasis nap himself. He doesn't want her to fall off his lap.
Primus, it has been a long time since he had to fake attentiveness like this. Which is ridiculous. He really shouldn't even be here.
Optimus is ridiculously enthralled by it all. He actually seems to care about this slag, which is more than anyone else in the room can claim. Even Cliff seems a bit bored by it all, and Cliff's cousins are half in recharge on the desk. Ratchet keeps prodding the pads and grumbling to himself. His default attitude.
He jumps bit when he realizes he fell into recharge, waking up Sari in his lap. She blinks, looking shaken, then looks up at him. Sitting up, she yawns, and nuzzles against his chest, murmuring softly, "Anything interesting?"
He shakes his head, "Fell into recharge, onlined quickly. Nothing has happened, since they're still negotiating. I just wish they'd hurry up."
She sighs softly, "Do we even have to be here, Optimus?" She reaches over, poking the truckbot, "I have work to do. We all do. You can do this here with Cliffjumper, and I can work as the secretary or whatever outside. It will make life easier, and everyone can do what they should be doing."
"No. It's important that we have many witnesses to show that we were serious and proper in our courtship negotiations." Optimus flushes like a virgin, which he is, "And to show that we are not trying to obtain time alone for illicit purposes."
Sentinel snorts, "No one thinks you're trying to frag in secret, Optimus."
The Magnus blushes scarlet, "It is still-"
He stands up, "You can have..." he looks around and points, "Ratchet do this. He's online enough to pay attention, and knows what is going on. We can also have one of Cliffjumper's cousins stay as well. That way it doesn't look bad or whatever it is you're trying to prove." He doesn't care. He just wants to leave so he can do whatever the frag he needs to do this sol.
It certainly isn't to sit in this room and do nothing.
Optimus sighs at him, "You disappoint me, Sentinel. I would have thought that you of all bots would understand how important this is."
Sentinel just stares at him. "I'm not contributing anything by being here." He turns away, "If you absolutely need us here, you can contact us again, but I suspect you'll find that you don't need the audience to hammer out your details."
"Sentine-"
He closes the door, holding Sari, and kisses her on the head, "You going to take over being secretarybot for this sol, then?"
She yawns, stretching, "Yeah. I can do that. It'll be good practice, and show Cliffjumper I can do it. I won't be surprised if more come out of the office in a bit, though."
He nods, expecting the same, "I'll leave you here, then." He sets her in the chair, kissing her on the facemask, "See you at lunch?"
"Sure. We can share a cube in the cafeteria downstairs. Make the other bots jealous of us." She pats his servo and waves at him as he leaves. His own office is a short distance away, but it feels like mechanomiles from her. Sentinel feels like a huge sap for even thinking that, but it's true. He wants to be closer to Sari.
All the time.
He misses her terribly. She is only going to be gone for a decacycle, but it feels like a decavorn. He knows she's going to be going to have her onlining sol without him; spending her time with her creator.
If he could, he'd be right there with her.
But he can't, since he does have work to do. Work that he can't focus on because he knows that Sari won't be next to him to eat a tiny amount of whipped energon he makes her and the special plate of crystals he had made before remembering she is gone.
He sighs softly, tapping the plate. He doesn't care for them, really, but he knows she loves them. He wishes she was back already
"You're a lovesick glitch," Cliff says to him, leaning against the door to his office, keeping it open with his frame. "I haven't seen that look on your faceplates before."
Sentinel scowls at him, "You're one to talk. I heard you went to the World's End last night, just to please Optimus. You should have asked me first before trying that-Optimus prefers small energon shops."
Cliff shrugs, "He seemed to like it fine last night. We had a good time, and he even let me jump schedule a bit and kiss him. Bot's got a hot mouth."
He makes a face, having never been the least bit interested in Optimus or his prostibot model lips. "I didn't need to know that."
Cliff snorts, "It wasn't like we used glossa or anything, Sent. It was a very chaste kiss." The mech rolls his optics, "I think he would have offlined from shock if I had tried to deepen it."
"I think he would, too." Optimus was always far too chaste about these things. "So why are you even here, anyway? Don't you have your own office you should be at? Or, since it is lunch, why aren't you harassing the Magnus?
"Optimus is out with Bumblebee and Ratchet right now. Supposed to be meeting up with Bulkhead for a cube someplace. I wasn't invited." Cliffjumper looks irritated by that. "Fraggin' glitches said they wanted team bonding time. Any other team, that'd mean they were off rubbin' sparks, but slag if I know what this team considers bonding time."
Knowing Optimus, they were probably out gossiping about their lovers-or soon to be lovers. He can imagine how well Bumblebee's side of that conversation is going. 'So then, he whipped me until there was energon everywhere and he did this thing with the handle of the whip and my valve and it was awesome.'
He keeps from shuddering in disgust. He had to deal with Bumblebee coming in and explaining it to him. He didn't care nor want to know about what goes on with that minibot and Perceptor. He didn't need to know about the valve, how it was installed, or why Perceptor likes it.
He pats the desk, "Well, sit down. We can have lunch together. I have an entire cube of whipped energon you can have. I don't know if you want the crystals, though. They're too sweet for me." Sari loves sweet things, so he goes out of his way to get them for her.
Cliff nods, sitting on the desk and taking the cube from him, "Not really a fan of crystals."
"But you are a fan of my energon." That was expected. Cliff had always come to him for fuel. He wasn't surprised by that at all.
The minibot sips from the cube of whipped energon with a soft, pleased sound. "Frag yeah, I am. Bot would have to be glitched not to enjoy this, Sent. You make a fragging good cube." The bot pauses, and wrinkles his faceplates. "Cube of energon. I have no idea how well you might serve as an energon cube."
He smiles, "Well, I'm glad you like it." He doesn't mind giving it to Cliffjumper, since the mech will never demand he constantly make it like some other bots. Sari didn't even ask him to keep making the whipped energon, he did it on his own. He loves that she doesn't just expect him to do things for her.
Cliffjumper nods at him, "I am kinda surprised that you never work in your family's shop, though. Sure, they're jerks, but you seem to love making this stuff. You could do it there."
He shakes his head, "No. They never even acknowledged me other than to hate me. I was Magnus," and will be again, but he knows Cliffjumper won't agree with that now that he's dating Optimus, "and they have nothing but ridicule. Even more now that they insulted Sari. They can go rust for all I care."
The minibot shrugs, "Sure. Whatever. But you know I've seen you with them. They're afts, but you're not much better when you're alone with them. You may not rub their faces in your success anymore, but you did back then. Not a great way to get your family to reconcile with you."
Sentinel admits he'd made . . . mistakes in the past, but their current treatment of him and Sari was unjustified.
"Just shut your mouth and drink your energon."
Cliffjumper gives him an amused smile, and sips on the whipped energon.
Sentinel only keeps from pacing through long practice of being told to stand still when he was younger. He wants to rush to the space bridge, but he knows it will not help Sari get back any faster. She is coming home, and bringing her creator with her.
He really just wants to see her.
When she steps out, he rushes to her, picking her up and spinning around. She laughs loudly, kissing him when he brings her in for a hug. Kissing back, he holds her tightly, never wanting to let go of her again.
There's a cough, and Sentinel looks down to find a . . strange looking bot even smaller than Sari. A mech, he supposes. Sari shifts and ends up perched on his shoulder, leaning against his helm, "So, dad, this is Sentinel. We're dating. Sentinel, this is my dad."
The little mech lifts a servo, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Sari has said many wonderful things about you." The bot sounds very old and frail, and Sentinel clasps his servo lightly. She'd said something about a bot suit. Her father must be . . . inside.
How disturbing.
But it could be far worse. At least Sari's creator could easily be thought of as just another scooterbot. One that is easily seen as Sari's creator, from their size. He's glad that the mech is safe. There won't be any trouble with random bots trying to squish him.
He shakes the little mech's servo carefully, "It is a pleasure to meet you." He smiles, "She has said many wonderful things about you, but that isn't surprising since you're her father. She is a wonderful femme."
"Oh, yes." The mech smiles, "She is a wonderful daughter. My pride and joy." He looks around, "So, this is Cybertron? It's a lovely planet. Very different." He turns his attention back to Sentinel, "Sari suggested that I come up with a new name for myself, but I admit that I am very easily distracted and I forget things. I think we should just stick with Isaac for safety."
Sari sighs, "Dad's not good with secret identities."
He smiles, "Well, since you," he taps Sari on the nose lightly, "are named Sari, which is not a traditional bot name, I'm sure that Isaac is fine. Just say that it is normal on your planet, and it will be accepted."
Sari kisses him, "If you say so."
He smiles, "Well, it is true. You won't need to worry about it." He looks down at Isaac, "Is there anything in particular that you wanted to do? Or were you planning on just wandering around with Sari?"
"Oh, a little of this and that." The mech toddles along beside them, until Sentinel holds down a servo.
"Would you like me to carry you? It's normal for larger bots to carry smaller ones if they do not mind it."
Sari pats his shoulder, "C'mon up, dad. He's good at being a truck. I mean, we could probably ride inside him, like we did in Optimus, but the view is better up here."
Isaac looks up at them, then nods. "Yes, I can see how that would be a good idea. I won't fall will I? I don't know how I'd do if I fall from such a height. It wouldn't be safe."
He gently picks the mech up, setting him next to Sari, "I have magnetized armor, so you don't need to worry about falling. Just stay still, and you should be just fine."
Sari grins at him, dente flashing - he hadn't even realized how much he missed her enthusiastic smiles before this - and says, "See, dad? It is fine. Sentinel will make sure nothing happens."
Her father shifts on his other shoulder, and replies, "Yes, I see. This is far more comfortable than being strapped to Megatron's chest was. I am not so certain I would be as comfortable if I was not in this armor, though."
Sari giggles, "I don't think the magnetization would really work if you weren't, dad."
Sentinel blinks. Megatron's chest? He isn't sure if he should ask.
Sari presses a kiss to his helmet, "We can't really go out to fuel, since dad can't drink energon or eat any crystals, or I'd suggest doing that. How does touring a crystal garden sound?"
He nods, "I am certainly not the least bit opposed to it. What do you think, Isaac?"
The mech nods, "Sari was telling me how pretty it all is. I'd like to see one."
He carries them to the nearest garden-it takes a full breem to walk there, but it's not that far away. He pays the entry fee for the three of them and steps inside with them still perched on his shoulders. "I don't believe I've taken Sari to this garden before."
She looks around, "I don't remember it." Sari slips off of his shoulder and paces over to a patch of crystals. "These are the kind meant for sparklings to nibble on."
He sets Isaac down, and the mech walks over to her, touching the crystals. "Fascinating." The mech rubs little fingers over one, "How do they taste, Sari?"
She snaps a little off, and eats it. She shrugs, "Kinda sweet, but not that great. Better than sparkling energon, though."
"Anything is better than sparkling energon," Sentinel says softly. "It tastes fine to sparklings, but not to adult bots. Then it is pretty much flavorless and doesn't have the right nutrients."
"Ah. Well, children do tend to prefer their food to be rather bland. Or slightly sweet." Isaac smiles at Sari, "You went through a phase when you were young where you only wanted to eat cereal at every meal. I had a very difficult time convincing you that spaghetti-o's were cereal made out of noodles."
Sari makes a strange face, "I don't remember that."
He shrugs, "You were very young. So very small then." Her father looks up at her, "You're so much taller now."
She laughs softly, "Well, yeah. Of course I am. If I was really young, I would have to be."
Isaac pats her side, "Yes, yes, I know. But you also know what I mean. You're so grown up now." The mech glances over at him, "And going to be married from what Optimus said. You... exchanged crystals?" It is so clear that Isaac doesn't really understand, but is trying to.
He nods, "Yes. It is normally one of the steps to a bonding. It won't be anytime soon, though."
"No?" Isaac looks . . . sorrowful, the corners of his mouth turning down. "Is there any chance that you'll bond while this old man still has a chance of seeing it?"
Sari makes a strange sound, "Dad. Don't. . don't talk like that. Look, I already . . I told you he wants to wait. That it's gonna be a vorn or so. Don't . . don't try to pressure him." She draws her father into her arms and whispers something he can barely hear, "It'll be okay, dad. I know you wanted to see me get married some day, but . . it's not gonna happen. I'm sorry."
Now he feels absolutely terrible. He hadn't actually had it sink in how short an organic's life is. Isaac sounds so old, and he was told by Optimus the mech is only sixty stellar cycles old. So young, but older for organics. He doesn't want the mech to never see his daughter get bonded, but he likes waiting a vorn.
But there are times where he has been thinking about breaking that rule just to be with her. He is falling for her hard and fast, and he doesn't know what to do. He felt like this with Elita-1, but there was no feeling of a need to rush with her. While with Sari... it feels like they aren't going fast enough.
Like he'll run out of time before being done.
Isaac smiles at Sari and rubs her back, "Well, an old man can be hopeful, can't he? I've still got plenty of years left in me. Maybe you'll see me break an old-age record and I'll get to see you bond after all." He kisses her cheek, "Now, let's go look at the rest of this garden, hm? I can see some very interesting crystals over there."
He starts wandering over to a patch of-Sentinel blanches-red cora, which is roped off. "No." He tugs Isaac away. "It would be terrible to go look at that."
Isaac looks at him, confused expression plastered on his face, "Is there any reason why?"
He doesn't want to explain this. Not to his femme's creator. it was hard enough explaining it to her. Sari steps in to save him, placing a servo on her creator's shoulder, "I don't know if it will work on you, but it is an aphrodisiac for robots, dad. It's just better not to go near it."
Isaac nods, "Oh. Well, what about those?" The mech points at a different set of crystals, these are various types of spiraled ones. "Are those safe to look at?"
"Yes." Sari leads him over, placing a servo on the pedestal in front of the arrangement, and a hologram of the crystals pops up, along with a brief description of them. Her fingers . . . shift into the hacking arrangement for a moment, twitching across the pedestal, and then the description is showing in several languages rather than default Cybertronian. "There. Now you can read about the crystals if you want, dad."
Isaac looks delighted, "Thank you, Sari."
He really wishes she wouldn't hack things like that, but it is better than having to explain what is on the description. The thing is so full of information, it would take forever to read out loud.
Isaac seems happy, though. Looking over the description, and optics lighting up in delight.
Sari moves over to him, reaching up so he'll lean down. When he's level with her, she kisses him gently. "I missed you."
He smiles, spark fluttering happily, "I missed you, too."
"I thought about you while I was gone." She traces a servo over his lips, "Thought about kissing you a lot. And about other things." Her servo rests on his sparkplates. He feels his spark pulse in response, hot under his plating.
"I thought about you as well." Thought about her soft organic frame, and how nice it might feel to press his spark against it some sol.
She kisses him again, fingers touching his face. "We'll have time alone soon. Dad is only visiting for this and next sol. I want him to see everything he can."
He rubs her back, "Perfectly understandable. This will give me time to get to know him." As well as you can know someone in only two sols. It is barely enough time for anything, but he's willing to make the effort.
She kisses him, "Good. I was thinking that, too."
And then he could have time with his femme alone, so he can explore her frame with his fingers, and maybe have her revving a bit for him. It won't lead to anything, but he does enjoy intimate touches and he really likes playing with his femme's armor. Especially her soft skirt armor, which bends in ways that armor really should not.
Her father coughs and smiles at them, "If the lovebirds are done, I'd like to see the 'maze' they have listed on the sign there."
He nods, holding out his servo. "Would you like me to carry you?"
The mech nods, walking over. "That sounds fine." Sentinel scoops them both up, placing them safely on his shoulder, and walks to the maze. Isaac makes an interested sound as they get closer, "How difficult is it to go through it?"
He shrugs cautiously, making sure they don't fall off, "Not too bad. We can get through fairly easily. We can even do the old standby of putting your servo to the left wall and following that."
"No. I'd rather just enjoy it." Isaac smiles and leans back, gazing at the crystal walls. The ones in this maze are a hazy sort of pink color, and it's possible to see a bit through them, which makes for interesting maze navigation, as they catch glimpses of other bots wandering around within the maze. Of course, there are several ladders that can be climbed if a bot is truly lost, to either ask for help or see the correct path out of the maze. They won't need one, though.
He follows their directions, going left or right at their call. When they get to the center after about three breems, he smiles. "And here we are."
It isn't as nice as the Primus altar in the lovers's maze, but it has a nice set of crystals just growing in a lovely pattern. He sets them down, and Sari looks around, "Nice." She walks over to one, touching it, "Is this... ember crystal?"
He looks over at it, "I don't know. It looks like it could be either ember or ice. I'm amazed there isn't any coloring to show which one."
Most ember and ice crystals are chemically tweaked after harvesting them to remove their color. Few are naturally light like these are. It must take remarkable skill to keep them in good condition, especially with so many bots coming to visit at various times of the sol. Sari rubs the crystal a bit harder, and it glows faintly under her touch. They're very reactive crystals when they're still linked to their central group.
She gasps happily, and smiles. "They're lovely."
He nods, "They are." He wants to pick her up and hold her, but realizes that won't be the best idea. She's having fun poking around. Granted, not as much as Isaac seems to be, the mech touching lots of other crystals. And, thankfully, staying away from the roped off corner.
That roped off corner is filled with various crystals that are expensive, but are lovely on display. There are less bots here to touch them, unlike they would be out in the main area. Some bots just don't respect roped off areas.
Sari being one of them-she's slipped over to poke one of those crystals too. It makes an ominous pinging sound and lights start flashing around them. Sentinel sighs, "You set off the alarm."
Sari looks around, "Why is there an alarm on crystals? It's not like I can just pick them up and walk away with them."
"But you could damage them. Or steal a clipping to root in your own garden."
She crosses her arms, "Why is that a bad thing? You'd think they'd want it to grow more. Sure, damaging is bad, but growing more certainly isn't."
He sighs, picking her up, "They need a specialized sort of garden to grow. Clipping it to grow for yourself could easily damage them irreparably. You shouldn't go around touching them like that."
She huffs, "I wasn't going to hurt them."
"You might unintentionally, Sari. It takes a skilled crystal gardener to keep them alive and developing at a normal rate. Especially when they're grown in patches like that with multiple types of crystals."
She huffs again, "Spoilsport. I just wanted to touch them. Crystals like that make my servos tingly sometimes. It's kinda cool."
He gives her an odd look, and takes her servos in his, "Tingly? Like how?"
She makes a face, "You know. Tingly." She wiggles her fingers, "Tingly."
He rubs her little servos, "Good or bad tingly?"
She shrugs, "More of a neutral one? I don't know. It isn't bad."
He kisses her fingers, frowning, "It could be your EM field reacting to them, and it could be bad, even if you don't think so. We may need Ratchet to check on it."
"Ugh. No doctor visits while dad is here." She sticks her glossa out at him. "We can have you panic about nothing later, when he's back home. For now, just chill." Sari lounges against him, head lolling back, "The sky is pretty today, dad. You can see both moons even though it's not dark yet."
Her father looks up and gasps, "Oh, my. That is remarkable."
He knows that earth only had one moon, and it had confused him at first. He's been on other planets, but most had an even number of moons or none at all. It seemed odd to him to only have just the single. He's used to it now, though.
Sari nods, "Yeah, they're really quite pretty. There are moon base one and two. Not very imaginative, but we just call our moon, moon, so that doesn't really matter."
"Do bots live on them?" Isaac asks, his optics wide.
Sentinel frowns, "No. No one lives on the moon bases. They are used for research sometimes, though. There are usually a few bots performing experiments up there." He doesn't think there are more than a dozen right now, though. "And we have a few weaponized defenses on them, in case of attack on Cybertron."
Isaac nods, looking interested, "Fascinating. Do you think I could possibly go to visit them?"
He shakes his head, "I can't even visit them, and I'm second in command of the Autobots. Optimus possibly could, but it is better if he stays on Cybertron. If we arranged it in enough time in advance we could, but even then it is sketchy." And the time in advance would be long after Isaac is offline from old age.
"I bet Percy could get us permission to go for a visit," Sari says enthusiastically. "He owes us for the whole restaurant incident, and for hooking him up with Bee." She pokes at Sentinel's chest. "I wanna go see the moon bases too. I bet Cybertron looks really pretty from them."
He can't resist her when she looks at him like that, with her optics eager and her expression so hopeful. "If Perceptor can find a way for us to go next sol, we can."
She beams at him, "That's great! We'll have to ask him!"
He nods, "I'll send a text to him, and see if he's willing. You go talk to your father, and keep him out of trouble?"
She nods, slipping out of his arms, and heading over. "Can do."
He watches her, sighing softly. He wishes she'd always stay on Cybertron, but understands why she doesn't. He composes the text and sends it off. /Perceptor, Sari wants to take her Creator to one of the moon bases, do you think you could arrange for that? Possibly through Cosmos?/
The response comes in less than a klik, /I would be happy to escort the three of you to Moon Base One. I am overseeing an experiment there and really should visit soon. I can take you with me this trip. Tomorrow./
Sentinel turns to his femme, who is trying to get her creator away from a batch of fuzzy crystals that explode defensive colored dust if you get too close to them. "Perceptor has offered to take us there tomorrow."
Sari tugs Isaac away with difficulty, "Sounds great."
He nods, sending another text, /We can do that, then. We'll meet you at your lab in the morning./ He turns to Sari, picking Isaac up, "Didn't you read the sign? It will explode."
"Well, yes. That's why I was doing that. It sounds so interesting."
He shudders, "It is behind the rope so that you don't do that. The dust gets in your joints and is almost impossible to clean out. Not to mention how it damages your cooling systems. If it is really bad, your fans will rust."
"Ah," the mech raises a servo and waggles a finger at him, "but you forget that I am not a bot. If it gets into my armor, I will simply remove it and clean it manually. I am quite good at cleaning robotic systems."
"Then I ask that you not get it in Sari's systems." He carries them both far, far away from the dust crystals. He wants no part in that. Even if Sari finds the colored clouds of dust amusing. Right up until she started overheating when the dust had clogged a major fan. Rusting, offlined Cybertronian shell was a good fertilizer for dust crystals.
He doesn't even know what it would do to an organic, but he imagines it can't be good. Sari told him about lungs and things. How it is harder to replace an organic's internal components than a bot's. He'd hate for a visit here to be the reason Isaac offlined from poor health from something a normal medic would just fix by replacement parts.
But enough worrying for now. He has a femme to fuel and an organic to . . . hm. He wonders what Isaac will be fueling on while he is here. Sentinel doubts that energon or crystals will do.
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