100 Dinobots: Pet
Oh, heck, I'll stick this one up here, too, while I'm at it...
Prompt: Pet
Required Character(s): Grimlock
Other Featured Character(s): Optimus Prime
Rating: G/K
Warnings: A determined Tyro and an exasperated Peterbilt. They're always a fun pair, yes? Also, Extremely! Cute! Babies!
Genre: I don't know, really…Literally, fluff with a bit of bite, maybe?
Word Count (Not including this intro): 1,180
Notes: Much like Snarl, Grimlock, to me, is an extremely complex character with many intriguing facets to his personality to explore. Partly, this is why it's been difficult for me to write a story about him, as I have for each of the other Dinobots; it's hard to decide upon and then focus on just one aspect of him for storytelling purposes. But then, in thinking about him the other day, I realized that every one of the quirks and attributes that I have assigned to him over the years - and there are a lot of them - are pretty much all anchored in one, big, overriding quality: Protectiveness. I've kind of known this all along, but for some reason it just became really clear to me in an epiphany-like, message-from-God kind of way just the other day, and it's given a new lease on life to the story for him that I've been poking at off and on for, literally, a decade or so.
But in the meantime, this little thing came out. So, consider it a preview, of a sort, just a tiny little peek at one tiny little aspect of "my" Grimlock's character…
"You've always told us," Grimlock rumbled reasonably at Optimus Prime, "that we should protect this planet's lifeforms."
Optimus Prime sighed.
"The humans, yes," he answered wearily.
Grimlock snorted disgustedly.
"There are too many humans," he asserted. "They even say so themselves. They could use some thinning out. But this species," he said, gesturing meaningfully at the two small animals heedlessly cavorting on the floor, playfully snarling and wrestling with each other, "is endangered. Because of your precious humans."
"But Grimlock, you-"
"Bluestreak has cats," Grimlock interrupted, determinedly lifting his chin.
Optimus Prime sighed again.
"Yes. Cats," he said. "Small, domesticated cats. Those," he said, jabbing a finger at the orange-and-black balls of fluff on the floor of his office, "are Bengal tigers. They will eat Bluestreak's cats."
Grimlock shifted his stance, folding massive arms across massive chest. His expressive capability was greatly limited by the design of his face, but Optimus knew that he was being glared at. He'd certainly experienced Grimlock's displeasure often enough over the years to know, and displeasure was radiating almost visibly from the big Dinobot now.
"Good," Grimlock rumbled, so deeply that the rumble must have originated in his feet.
And Jazz, who'd been in Prime's office when Grimlock and his "charges" had unceremoniously arrived and who had been watching the ensuing discussion with vast amusement, suddenly snorted explosively and then slapped his hand over his mouth to conceal what was likely a massive grin. Optimus briefly speared the saboteur with a "you're not helping here" glare and then returned his attention to Grimlock.
"The point," he said calmly, trying to be patient with the Dinobot commander, "is that they don't belong here, Grimlock. I understand that they're too young to be away from their mother, and it's very commendable that you rescued them after that battle and are willing to take care of them now. But they should be in a zoo or-"
And that was as far as he got. Grimlock stepped menacingly toward him and then slammed both fists on Prime's desk with enough force that Prime was vaguely surprised that it wasn't smashed in two. Even the tigers stopped what they were doing for a moment, alarmed at the noise. And then Grimlock was leaning down toward him, his face suddenly inches from Prime's. And he was definitely glaring. Definitely.
"That's your solution to everything!" Grimlock growled at him fiercely. "Put it in a cage!" he further spat, derisively.
Prime blinked at him.
"That wasn't what I meant-" he tried to explain.
"Yes, it was," Grimlock asserted forcefully.
"No, it-" Prime began to respond before interrupting himself. "No," he said firmly. "No, I'm not having this argument with you again." He stood up then, walked around his desk, and regarded Grimlock eye-to-eye. "They're animals, Grimlock, not sentient beings. And they're potentially dangerous animals, given that we often have human guests here."
"'Not sentient beings,'" Grimlock echoed. "'Potentially dangerous animals.' Why does that sound familiar?"
"This isn't about you, Grimlock," Prime answered levelly, refusing to be baited.
"Maybe not," Grimlock eventually conceded. "But I did not rescue them so that they could spend their lives in cages with supposedly advanced primates gawking at them. Death would be better than that. They must be free."
Prime blinked again, at first surprised by Grimlock's vehemence. But upon further thought, considering the Dinobots' own history, he supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised. Grimlock took freedom very seriously, as seriously as he himself did, but for very different reasons. For Grimlock, freedom was a deeply personal issue, something to be fought for passionately, tooth and nail, not merely an idealistic ideological concept. Only Grimlock apparently, and empathetically, extended freedom to all creatures, not just to the sentient ones.
Suddenly, and very unwelcomely, Optimus Prime felt just slightly humbled.
"What are you proposing?" he asked quietly, resignedly, of Grimlock as he settled to lean back against his desk.
Grimlock shifted again, the rigidity of his posture softening now that Prime was apparently listening to him. For once.
"It's because of us that their mother was killed," he said. "It's our responsibility to care for them. So, they stay here," he said quietly but firmly, brooking no argument. "until they are able to survive on their own. Then we will take them back to India and release them." He paused, then added, "If they wish to be released."
Optimus Prime sighed and started to protest that, as animals, the tigers didn't, couldn't, have wishes, but he didn't get halfway through that particular sentence before Grimlock was starting to glare menacingly at him again. So he said instead, in defeat, "They stay in the Dinobots' quarters."
Grimlock snorted.
"I will make certain that they don't eat any human guests, if that's what you're worried about," he said sarcastically. "Or Bluestreak's cats, for that matter," he added grudgingly.
Optimus Prime nodded, choosing to ignore the sarcasm, but then he warned, "But if there are any…problems, then we'll have to find another home for them. Probably a zoo."
Grimlock stiffened but then quickly realized that, having won the argument at hand, he shouldn't push his luck.
"There will be no problems," he asserted confidently and firmly instead.
"I hope not," Optimus answered softly. He watched the two cavorting striped creatures for a long moment and found himself amused at their antics, their tireless energy. He murmured, mostly to himself, "They are…cute."
"They are warriors," Grimlock firmly, immediately, corrected him, his visor gleaming almost with pride. "Vicious predators. But…" he conceded after a moment with an almost-fond sigh, "they are…cute…at the moment, yes."
Optimus chuckled.
"Do they have names?" he asked, suddenly curious. "Or should we just refer to them as 'they' and 'them?'"
Grimlock hesitated for a moment and then answered, "One of them is male, the other female. We thought about naming the male 'Ravage'…" he said, and Optimus Prime chuckled again at that, but then Grimlock continued, "But in the end, Snarl named them Manyamana and Sundari. It's Sanskrit for 'proud one' and 'beautiful girl.'"
Prime nodded, thinking the names quite suitable.
"Very well," he said. Looking down intently at the two infant tigers, he added whimsically, "Manyamana, Sundari, welcome to Autobot Headquarters. Please behave yourselves."
The tiger cubs continued to wrestle, ignoring everything but each other, until Grimlock gently gathered them up into his arms. They snarled and yipped and scratched and squirmed mightily in protest, but he held them firmly and then, his battle won, he headed for the door of Prime's office without further words.
"What's next, Grimlock?" Optimus Prime quietly called out, curious despite himself, just as Grimlock was about to pass through the door. "Elephants?"
Grimlock paused, thinking about the question for a moment.
"Maybe," he rumbled, very seriously, just as the door slid shut behind him.
Once the door had fully closed behind the Dinobot, Jazz felt compelled to sing-song, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my
Optimus Prime sighed wearily, his shoulders slumping, and said, "Let's just hope he stops with tigers."
Kudos to whomever it was who postulated the idea of Bluestreak owning a cat (Or being owned by a cat, as the case may be. ;) ). I know I read it in a fanfic somewhere, but I don't remember what one. (No, wait! I've been told it's "Twostroke" by MariaShadow...and indeed it is. :) ) I just thought the idea was adorable and strangely believable…so I borrowed it. So, thank you, MariaShadow.
Now! Let the "My cat's bigger/prettier/smarter/stronger than your cat" war between Grimlock and Bluestreak commence… :)
Prompt: Pet
Required Character(s): Grimlock
Other Featured Character(s): Optimus Prime
Rating: G/K
Warnings: A determined Tyro and an exasperated Peterbilt. They're always a fun pair, yes? Also, Extremely! Cute! Babies!
Genre: I don't know, really…Literally, fluff with a bit of bite, maybe?
Word Count (Not including this intro): 1,180
Notes: Much like Snarl, Grimlock, to me, is an extremely complex character with many intriguing facets to his personality to explore. Partly, this is why it's been difficult for me to write a story about him, as I have for each of the other Dinobots; it's hard to decide upon and then focus on just one aspect of him for storytelling purposes. But then, in thinking about him the other day, I realized that every one of the quirks and attributes that I have assigned to him over the years - and there are a lot of them - are pretty much all anchored in one, big, overriding quality: Protectiveness. I've kind of known this all along, but for some reason it just became really clear to me in an epiphany-like, message-from-God kind of way just the other day, and it's given a new lease on life to the story for him that I've been poking at off and on for, literally, a decade or so.
But in the meantime, this little thing came out. So, consider it a preview, of a sort, just a tiny little peek at one tiny little aspect of "my" Grimlock's character…
"You've always told us," Grimlock rumbled reasonably at Optimus Prime, "that we should protect this planet's lifeforms."
Optimus Prime sighed.
"The humans, yes," he answered wearily.
Grimlock snorted disgustedly.
"There are too many humans," he asserted. "They even say so themselves. They could use some thinning out. But this species," he said, gesturing meaningfully at the two small animals heedlessly cavorting on the floor, playfully snarling and wrestling with each other, "is endangered. Because of your precious humans."
"But Grimlock, you-"
"Bluestreak has cats," Grimlock interrupted, determinedly lifting his chin.
Optimus Prime sighed again.
"Yes. Cats," he said. "Small, domesticated cats. Those," he said, jabbing a finger at the orange-and-black balls of fluff on the floor of his office, "are Bengal tigers. They will eat Bluestreak's cats."
Grimlock shifted his stance, folding massive arms across massive chest. His expressive capability was greatly limited by the design of his face, but Optimus knew that he was being glared at. He'd certainly experienced Grimlock's displeasure often enough over the years to know, and displeasure was radiating almost visibly from the big Dinobot now.
"Good," Grimlock rumbled, so deeply that the rumble must have originated in his feet.
And Jazz, who'd been in Prime's office when Grimlock and his "charges" had unceremoniously arrived and who had been watching the ensuing discussion with vast amusement, suddenly snorted explosively and then slapped his hand over his mouth to conceal what was likely a massive grin. Optimus briefly speared the saboteur with a "you're not helping here" glare and then returned his attention to Grimlock.
"The point," he said calmly, trying to be patient with the Dinobot commander, "is that they don't belong here, Grimlock. I understand that they're too young to be away from their mother, and it's very commendable that you rescued them after that battle and are willing to take care of them now. But they should be in a zoo or-"
And that was as far as he got. Grimlock stepped menacingly toward him and then slammed both fists on Prime's desk with enough force that Prime was vaguely surprised that it wasn't smashed in two. Even the tigers stopped what they were doing for a moment, alarmed at the noise. And then Grimlock was leaning down toward him, his face suddenly inches from Prime's. And he was definitely glaring. Definitely.
"That's your solution to everything!" Grimlock growled at him fiercely. "Put it in a cage!" he further spat, derisively.
Prime blinked at him.
"That wasn't what I meant-" he tried to explain.
"Yes, it was," Grimlock asserted forcefully.
"No, it-" Prime began to respond before interrupting himself. "No," he said firmly. "No, I'm not having this argument with you again." He stood up then, walked around his desk, and regarded Grimlock eye-to-eye. "They're animals, Grimlock, not sentient beings. And they're potentially dangerous animals, given that we often have human guests here."
"'Not sentient beings,'" Grimlock echoed. "'Potentially dangerous animals.' Why does that sound familiar?"
"This isn't about you, Grimlock," Prime answered levelly, refusing to be baited.
"Maybe not," Grimlock eventually conceded. "But I did not rescue them so that they could spend their lives in cages with supposedly advanced primates gawking at them. Death would be better than that. They must be free."
Prime blinked again, at first surprised by Grimlock's vehemence. But upon further thought, considering the Dinobots' own history, he supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised. Grimlock took freedom very seriously, as seriously as he himself did, but for very different reasons. For Grimlock, freedom was a deeply personal issue, something to be fought for passionately, tooth and nail, not merely an idealistic ideological concept. Only Grimlock apparently, and empathetically, extended freedom to all creatures, not just to the sentient ones.
Suddenly, and very unwelcomely, Optimus Prime felt just slightly humbled.
"What are you proposing?" he asked quietly, resignedly, of Grimlock as he settled to lean back against his desk.
Grimlock shifted again, the rigidity of his posture softening now that Prime was apparently listening to him. For once.
"It's because of us that their mother was killed," he said. "It's our responsibility to care for them. So, they stay here," he said quietly but firmly, brooking no argument. "until they are able to survive on their own. Then we will take them back to India and release them." He paused, then added, "If they wish to be released."
Optimus Prime sighed and started to protest that, as animals, the tigers didn't, couldn't, have wishes, but he didn't get halfway through that particular sentence before Grimlock was starting to glare menacingly at him again. So he said instead, in defeat, "They stay in the Dinobots' quarters."
Grimlock snorted.
"I will make certain that they don't eat any human guests, if that's what you're worried about," he said sarcastically. "Or Bluestreak's cats, for that matter," he added grudgingly.
Optimus Prime nodded, choosing to ignore the sarcasm, but then he warned, "But if there are any…problems, then we'll have to find another home for them. Probably a zoo."
Grimlock stiffened but then quickly realized that, having won the argument at hand, he shouldn't push his luck.
"There will be no problems," he asserted confidently and firmly instead.
"I hope not," Optimus answered softly. He watched the two cavorting striped creatures for a long moment and found himself amused at their antics, their tireless energy. He murmured, mostly to himself, "They are…cute."
"They are warriors," Grimlock firmly, immediately, corrected him, his visor gleaming almost with pride. "Vicious predators. But…" he conceded after a moment with an almost-fond sigh, "they are…cute…at the moment, yes."
Optimus chuckled.
"Do they have names?" he asked, suddenly curious. "Or should we just refer to them as 'they' and 'them?'"
Grimlock hesitated for a moment and then answered, "One of them is male, the other female. We thought about naming the male 'Ravage'…" he said, and Optimus Prime chuckled again at that, but then Grimlock continued, "But in the end, Snarl named them Manyamana and Sundari. It's Sanskrit for 'proud one' and 'beautiful girl.'"
Prime nodded, thinking the names quite suitable.
"Very well," he said. Looking down intently at the two infant tigers, he added whimsically, "Manyamana, Sundari, welcome to Autobot Headquarters. Please behave yourselves."
The tiger cubs continued to wrestle, ignoring everything but each other, until Grimlock gently gathered them up into his arms. They snarled and yipped and scratched and squirmed mightily in protest, but he held them firmly and then, his battle won, he headed for the door of Prime's office without further words.
"What's next, Grimlock?" Optimus Prime quietly called out, curious despite himself, just as Grimlock was about to pass through the door. "Elephants?"
Grimlock paused, thinking about the question for a moment.
"Maybe," he rumbled, very seriously, just as the door slid shut behind him.
Once the door had fully closed behind the Dinobot, Jazz felt compelled to sing-song, "Lions and tigers and bears, oh my
Optimus Prime sighed wearily, his shoulders slumping, and said, "Let's just hope he stops with tigers."
Kudos to whomever it was who postulated the idea of Bluestreak owning a cat (Or being owned by a cat, as the case may be. ;) ). I know I read it in a fanfic somewhere, but I don't remember what one. (No, wait! I've been told it's "Twostroke" by MariaShadow...and indeed it is. :) ) I just thought the idea was adorable and strangely believable…so I borrowed it. So, thank you, MariaShadow.
Now! Let the "My cat's bigger/prettier/smarter/stronger than your cat" war between Grimlock and Bluestreak commence… :)