Festival Challenge - Day 11 - Entry 2 (Part 1)
Title: The Festival of Renewal (Or: Meet the Family)
Universe: Alternate Universe
Rating: T
Characters: Prowl, Jazz, Ricochet, Original Characters
Warnings: mentions of past abuse, mentions of violence, mild cybertronian swearing, threats
Additional Content Advisory: religious themes
Prompts: Invitation, Maslenitsa (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslenitsa)
Notes: I took the festival and adapted it quite a bit for this challenge, as well as taking a great many bits of canon that I liked and running them through my blender. Something from just about every TF canon will show up here, along with a healthy dose of my own headcanon.
I'm also using the dating system which has one vorn (year) broken down into ten meta-cycles (months), which are then broken down into fifty solar cycles (days) and each vorn is labeled using the Prime who was in charge at the time. (so a date goes like this: day.month.year or 01.07.144O--the first cycle of the seventh meta-cycle of the 144th vorn of Optimus)
This story is set pre-Optimus and uses his immediate predecessor as Zeta Prime (as established in War For Cybertron) rather than Sentinel for a change of pace.
Prowl started curiously at the invitation in his hand. It was pressed into a sheet of silver--expensive and impractical, but traditional--and written in neat calligraphy. The whole thing was quite elegant--the sort of thing his creators would send out for a gallery showing--but completely unexpected.
Prowl of Praxus,
You are cordially invited to attend the Festival of Renewal in the City of Yuss from 41.02.33Z until 01.03.33Z. As an invited guest, you will receive accommodations for no fewer than ten solar cycles at the Fusion Estate with all fuel and amenities included. Should you request, transport will be arranged for you from Iacon Military Base and Training Academy to the City of Yuss at no cost to yourself.
Please respond to this invitation by contacting Lieutenant Jazz, Special Operations Division, Elite Guard of Iacon
Rather than stew in his confusion, Prowl decided it was best to simply do as requested and contact Jazz. Surely his betrothed could shed some light on the subject.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz's smile was brilliant as Prowl stepped into the private lounge that the Special Operations officers had been given. The visored mech was the only occupant of the room currently, which was a relief. Neither of them would have to endure the good-natured teasing of Jazz's team--or worse, one of their brothers.
"Hey, cybertiger." THe shorter mech stood up from his table and crossed the room to pull the Praxian into a hug.
Prowl responded by hugging Jazz back, then leaning down to press a kiss to the other mech's lips. "Hello yourself."
"What brings you out of Tactical and down here to the gritty part of town?" The operations agent moved his hands down to take the tactician's, then pulled the other mech toward his vacated table. "You miss me?"
"Of course I did, but that wasn't the only reason." The taller mech sat down next to his lover, then reached into his subspace and pulled out the invitation. He set it on the table in front of the saboteur. "What do you know about this?"
Jazz took a moment to read the text and then hung his head. "Frag me, he actually did it."
"Who did what, Jazz?"
"Ricochet. He's been threatening to invite you home for me, since I haven't introduced you to the family yet."
Prowl quirked a brow ridge at the other black and white mech. "And what, precisely, is his justification for such an action?"
"He thinks I'm being stupid." The smaller mech shrugged one shoulder. "You know how brothers are."
"Are you being stupid?" The Praxian gave the other mech a soft smile to show that he was teasing.
"I don't... Maybe?" Jazz frowned. "I just... You're so classy and cultured and in Yuss, we're really not. I didn't want you to get there and then think less of me."
"Jazz, do you judge me based on Streetstar's actions?"
"No way! You're you and he's a punk!"
"And Ricochet is a short-tempered aft, but I have yet to judge you based on his actions." Prowl wrapped an arm around his betrothed's shoulders. "I fell in love with you, and I will be bonding to you, not your family and certainly not to the rest of Yuss. Whatever flaws that you perceive them to have will not change that."
"So you're going to come to the festival, then?" Jazz's tone was resigned.
"If I don't, your twin will never leave you alone."
"Thanks for taking one for the team." The visored mech looked up and gave his lover a weak smile.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The shuttle they were taking to Yuss was larger and much more well-appointed than Prowl had been expecting. He had thought they were taking a standard military transport the way he always did when he was returning to Praxus, but instead he had climbed into a luxury liner on par with something from the Towers.
"I know it's a little overboard, sorry." Jazz sounded truly embarrassed as Prowl settled tentatively into a plushly padded seat. "My creators are convinced we don't have anything nice here at the base and so they overcompensate."
"It's fine, Jazz." Prowl smiled at his partner as he relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable seat. "Though it seems extravagant to hire a shuttle like this when we could have taken the base transport at no cost."
"Oh they didn't rent it. This belongs to my carrier." The saboteur looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. "And the pilot is one of the farm hands during the working season."
"Oh." The tactician blinked, trying to recall any information that Jazz or Ricochet had given him that would indicate this level of wealth. "I thought your family were energon farmers?"
"They are. They're the most successful energon farmers on the planet."
"They're..." The pieces clicked together in Prowl's processor and he stared at his betrothed. "Why didn't you tell me you were part of the Smolder lineage?"
"Because a lot of people hear that and then they only see our money. I wanted you to see me. I'm not," Jazz flopped down next to Prowl and waved his hand at the interior of the shuttle, "This."
"Indeed, you are not." The Praxian reached out and took the Yussite's hand. "You are Jazz and anyone who would define you only by your family's wealth is a fool."
"You two are disgustingly cute." Ricochet stepped into the passenger compartment and sat down as far from his twin as he could in the small space. "Remind me why I intervened on Jazz's behalf for this?"
"Because you're an aft," Jazz replied seriously.
Prowl smirked and settled in for the flight, long used to the way the twins bickered and able to tune it out easily.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Ricochet was the first off the shuttle, claiming he couldn't stand to see Prowl and Jazz continue to be cute with each other for any longer. When Prowl started to follow right away, Jazz put a restraining hand in the center of the other mech's chest and stopped him.
"Give him a minute," the saboteur said. "He doesn't like anyone seeing our carrier fussing over him."
"Fussing?" Prowl gave his partner a quizzical look.
"Fussing," The smaller mech repeated with a nod. "You'll see what I mean."
"Surely it's not as bad as Ricochet pretends."
Jazz stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "Oh, lover, sometimes she's worse. It's proportionate to the amount of time we've been gone."
"And how long has it been since your last visit?" For the first time since receiving Ricochet's invitation, Prowl felt the first trickle of nervousness creep into his processor.
"For me, not so long. Rico hasn't been back since last vorn sometime. She'll be giving him a really hard time today."
"But not you?"
"Oh no, she'll definitely be fussing over me--and you. She'll be over the moons when she sees I've finally brought you home."
"You realize that delaying our meeting has likely made her 'fussing' more intense than it otherwise would have been?" The tactician kept his tone even, hoping that Jazz was too worried about being embarrassed by his carrier to pick up that he was nervous.
"Hey, I haven't met your parents, either!" The saboteur crossed his arms and frowned.
"A situation I will be rectifying sooner rather than later." Prowl stood and held a hand out to Jazz. "Come. Ricochet may not want us there, but I doubt you want your carrier coming in here after us."
"Pit no. That would be worse!" The smaller mech took the taller mech's hand and stood. "Did you mean that about meeting your family?"
"I did. We will discuss it further later." The Praxian smiled and then led his partner toward the door.
"Hey, cybertiger?"
"Yes, Jazz?"
"You don't have to be nervous, you know. They're going to love you."
"I certainly hope so."
"Oh, there he is!" Any reply Jazz would have made was prevented by Ricochet's exclamation. The darker colored twin grabbed his arm and hauled Prowl out of the shuttle and into the fading light of the landing station platform. "Carrier, this is Jazz's intended, Prowl."
"Ricochet! You could have let your brother introduce him! He is bonding to Jazz and not you, after all" A slender femme with the same white and black color scheme as Jazz chastised the riflemech. Then she turned to the tactician with a smile. "Aren't you a handsome mech. And Praxian. We don't see many of your frametype around Yuss at all."
"No ma'am, I imagine not. It would be quite a long trip, and expensive on the income most artists receive." Prowl fell back on the manners his own carrier had instilled in him during his youth, unsure of how he should respond to the forwardness of Jazz's carrier's statement.
"Carrier, behave!" Jazz stepped abruptly in front of Prowl, hands on his hips. "You're embarrassing me!"
"Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with appreciating a fine looking mech, which your Prowl certainly is." The femme's bright smile didn't falter. "Why didn't you tell me you'd made such a catch?"
"Because it wasn't important!" The saboteur sighed. "Prowl, this is my carrier Harvester. Carrier, my betrothed, Commander Prowl of the Elite Guard."
"Oh, an officer!" Harvester stepped around the visored mech and pulled Prowl into a hug. The tactician stiffened and his wings flared in alarm at the unexpected action, but she didn't seem to notice. "Jazz, your sire will be so pleased!"
Jazz and Ricochet both frowned, an action that made Prowl feel slightly better about being manhandled. The saboteur tapped his carrier on the shoulder. "He doesn't like to be touched by strangers."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The femme stepped away abruptly. "You must think I'm a complete aft. I'm just so excited to meet you finally."
Prowl lowered his wings slowly, forcing himself to relax for politeness' sake. Jazz looked angry, and he didn't want to start a family squabble by accident. "There was no harm done."
"Jazz, I'm sorry." Harvester turned back to the saboteur. "I don't know if it's the stress of the celebration or if I'm just too excited about everything. You know I'm not usually like this."
"Ha!" Ricochet and Jazz disagreed in unison.
"All right, I'm like this, but I'm not usually so bad. Forgive me?"
"I forgive you," Jazz replied. "I just need you to tone it down, all right? Prowl doesn't get all touchy-feely with bots."
"I'll do my best." The femme gave them a weak smile. "Maybe we should head back to the farm now. I'm sure there's still a lot of setting up to do."
"Sounds good," The saboteur agreed.
"Not that we'll get any setting up done until everyone's met Prowl," Ricochet added.
"Maybe not," Harvester replied, shifting from her posture of embarrassment and perking back up happily. "But your sire needs a break and I'm sure your cousins want one."
Ricochet allowed his carrier to put an arm around his shoulders and lead him away from the landing pad. The gunner's posture indicated that he wasn't as unhappy as he was acting, however, and Prowl shook his head at Jazz's twin. "Are you as glad to be home as he is?"
"I really am." Jazz wrapped an arm around Prowl's waist and snuggled against his side. "And I'm really, really glad you came, even though I still think they're going to embarrass us both the whole trip."
The tactician wrapped an arm around his partner in turn. "I don't believe it will be as terrible as you think. Your carrier is much like you."
"Yeah, that personality is definitely spark coded," the saboteur agreed. "Come on, cybertiger. We better go get caught up with them. Don't want to miss the ground transport and have to walk through town."
"Why not? I was led to believe that Yuss was a very small community."
"It is, but I know everyone."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Prowl, who regularly attended public events with Zeta Prime and had trained with Guardian Prime before that, stared up at the huge mech that was Jazz's sire and felt like a minibot. The mech was easily four times his own size, before he took into account the farming equipment attached to his frame.
Prowl found himself at a loss for words, and blinked up at the mech like a newspark.
"Sire, this is Commander Prowl, the mech I'm bonding to." The grin in Jazz's voice was clear and would have set Prowl at ease almost any other time. "Prowl, my sire Torrent."
"A pleasure to finally meet you, sir." The tactician was grateful that his manners were practically an automatic response, or he might not have gotten over his shock at the sheer size of Jazz's sire in order to reply.
"So, you think you're good enough to bond to my youngest sparkling." Torrent's voice was a deep rumble that matched his size, and his statement was enough to rattle him out of his stupor.
Prowl frowned at the huge mech. "Whether you or I think I am good enough for Jazz is irrelevant. He believes that I am good enough for him, and his opinion is the only one that matters."
Torrent frowned back for a moment and Jazz tensed at Prowl's side. Then the farmer's face split into a wide smile. "I like a mech who'll tell me off to my face. That takes titanium manifolds! I approve, Jazz. I approve."
The large mech clapped one hand over the top of Jazz's head in an affectionate gesture and laughed. Then he turned to Ricochet and held his arms out wide.
Jazz turned Prowl away with a smile as his twin protested his sire's attention. "That was great, cybertiger. How'd you know how to handle him?"
"I simply... reacted. I was offended when he implied that your opinion on our bonding didn't matter."
"Aw, lover, you don't have to be offended on my account. I've been telling him off since I reached my maturity." Jazz leaned up and kissed his intended. "But it's nice to know that you would do it, if you needed to."
"And this will not cause friction between you and your sire?" In hindsight, Prowl did not want to cause problems with his partner's family.
"No way. Sa meant it when he said he liked having people stand up to him. He gets a lot of fawning and bowing and scraping, since he's so big."
"I imagine." The Praxian allowed himself to relax against his partner. "Before I embarrass myself later, Jazz, what does 'sa' mean?"
"Aw, that." The visored mech laughed. "When I was a newspark, I couldn't say 'sire' to save my life. I always called him 'sa' and it just stuck. Rico does it too, sometimes."
"Your legacy of nicknames began early, then."
"You know it, cybertiger. "
"Jazz, Prowl!" Harvester called. When they looked at the femme--who was dwarfed standing next to her partner--she waved them closer. "Come inside! We're going to have punch and hear some of cousin Lightwave's news!"
"And just like that, you're part of the family." Jazz took Prowl's hand, laced his fingers with the tactician's and led his partner toward the door of the family estate.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"So, what do you think, lover?" Jazz cuddled up against Prowl's side with a contented purr of his engine.
"What do I think of what?" Prowl wrapped his free hand around his partner's waist and stroked the transformation seam there.
"All of this. The ranch, my family, Yuss."
"I think your sire will rip out my spark and feed it to me if I ever hurt you, the energon ranch is much larger than I was expecting and I haven't seen enough of Yuss to have an opinion beyond 'easily defensible.' I hope that means things are going well."
"Things are going very well." Jazz smiled at the Praxian and pressed a kiss to his cheek plate. "The Festival of Renewal starts tomorrow, so I'll take you around town and show you the sights then. Next cycle we'll visit my carrier's sister and her bitlet. After that, it's all a big party and energon and all sorts of treats that'll make the medics flip their cranial cases."
"I see why you never miss this holiday already," Prowl replied dryly.
"Yep!"
"You will, I hope, forgive me if I must make a strategic retreat from time to time."
"You and big crowds don't mix, I know. It's fine." The visored mech kissed his partner again. "You won't be the only bot who has to hide out for a bit. It'll be fine."
"That's good." The tactician smiled and turned to kiss the other mech properly on the lips.
Jazz's smile widened at the action. "Love you, cybertiger."
"I love you, too, Jazz."
"We should power down now, though. The solar cycle starts early out here on the energon farm."
"How early?"
"Rico and I got to recharge late at basic training."
"Nothing I can't handle then." Prowl smiled and kissed his partner again. "Rest well, Jazz."
"G'nite, Prowl."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz had not been exaggerating when he had said he knew everyone in Yuss. As they toured the town, he greeted every mechanism they met by name, inquired about families or businesses and cooed happily over the newly framed sparklings--while committing their names to his databanks, Prowl was sure--that had not yet been born the last time he was home. The visored mech was clearly enjoying every moment of the interaction, and the tactician was surprised to realize that the enjoyment was infectious.
Like his partner, Prowl found himself filing away names and chatting with strangers about the goings-on in the small town. He let himself be dragged into some of the games the sparklings played--typically a simulated combat game where they threw balls of sticky minerals at each other.
After a few rounds, he and Jazz were covered in a rainbow of colors and mineral adhesive, but they were having as much fun as the sparklings, and Prowl didn't regret a moment.
As the cycle wore on, they met fewer new faces and instead explored the notable sights in the town.
"Yuss has a temple to Unicron?" Prowl blinked at the small, unassuming building in surprise.
"Sure do. It even has a pretty respectable cult to go with it. Yuss never did stop honoring the old traditions, because without death and chaos, the energon doesn't grow."
"I had not considered that. Unicron worship is a very taboo idea in Praxus."
"That probably has more to do with being so close to Polyhex and the fanatics there more than anything else. Originally, I mean." Jazz grinned at his partner. "Ever been inside a Unicron temple before?"
"I have not." Prowl was prepared for Jazz to grab his hand based on the question alone, and he allowed the shorter mech to drag him toward the door.
"Now's the perfect time. You'll like the High Priest. He's logical and tactically minded like you." Jazz opened the door to the temple and stepped inside as if he belonged there. Prowl followed, curiosity overriding the deeply ingrained distrust most Praxians had of Unicron Cultists.
Inside, soft lights shone on some of the most intricate mosaics the tactician had ever seen. Depicted on the walls in opaque tile and sparkling crystal was the history of their people, as understood from mechanisms on the opposite side of the story. "Jazz, this is beautiful!"
"I thought you might like it." The saboteur smiled. "There's more as we go further in. Wait til you see the battle scenes!"
Prowl shifted his grip in Jazz's hand to a more comfortable clasp--affectionate, but much more difficult to use as a handle if the saboteur wanted to drag him off somewhere else before he was done looking--and allowed his partner to lead him further inside. He was struck, again, by the beauty of the mosaics and surprised by how comfortable the temple felt.
According to everything he had been taught, the temple should have felt dark and ominous at best. Instead it was peaceful and soothing, and not unlike the Primus temple his creators attended.
"The priests of this temple belong to the Order of Survival," Jazz told him as they walked through the display. "They believe that things like war and sickness and natural disasters are the key to our growth as a people, because the survivors make us stronger."
Prowl paused before a depiction of the Fall. He studied the image, seeing both sorrow at how the Fallen had been cast out and hope because the exiled mech was walking away under his own power. He nodded thoughtfully. "I can understand that point of view. It is what we teach the recruits, after all: what does not deactivate you will only make you stronger."
"Jazz helped us assemble that mosaic," an unfamiliar voice said. "When he was young, he said it was his favorite story."
Prowl glanced at his partner briefly before turning to the newcomer, a tall purple mech with dramatic horns sweeping up from his helm and wearing a simple priest's robe. "His favorite?"
"Because the Fallen was given a chance to make something new of himself, rather than simply being destroyed by his siblings. Jazz claimed it was a sign of love." The purple mech bowed slightly. "I am Cyclonus, high priest of this temple."
"Commander Prowl, of the Elite Guard." The Praxian returned the bow. "And Jazz's intended."
"So, you've lived long enough to find a partner." Cyclonus turned an amused smile toward Jazz. "It seems that I've lost the betting pool, then."
"The last thing you lot have been betting on was when I'd find a partner," the saboteur replied, smiling back with equal amusement. "How long it would be before I blew myself up, sure, but not on settling down."
"Because you will never 'settle down' even once you've bonded. I would guess that is part of your partner's attraction." The priest's smile stayed fixed, indicating that he was pleased to see Jazz even as he teased. "You have my congratulations, both of you. May there be no obstacle in life you cannot overcome."
"Thanks!" Jazz beamed. "Means a lot to have your blessing, Cyc."
"Please don't call me that." The purple mech's slightly exasperated reply sounded as resigned as Prowl was to his own set of Jazz-given nicknames.
"Cyclonus and the rest of the order used to watch out for me when I was young," the visored mech told his partner. "Rico and I wandered in here one day while Sa was shopping, and then they couldn't get rid of me."
"Jazz was a joy and a learning experience in one. Sparklings, I believe, may be the truest test of our survival ability of all." Cyclonus extended a hand toward the mosaics. "May I show you more of his work? We receive many compliments on Jazz's depiction of the First Prime."
Jazz ducked his head in embarrassment as Prowl nodded. "I would like that. I had no idea he was an artist."
"It's just a hobby," the visored mech protested as Cyclonus led them further into the temple.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"I heard Jazz took you to see the temples today," Torrent said as the family sat down to their evening fuel. "What'd you think?"
Prowl thanked Jazz's cousin Lightwave as he set a plate of deep blue gelled energon cakes in front of him before replying. "Despite my surprise at seeing a temple to Unicron here, I found the experience quite enjoyable. They both contain art that rivals the professional galleries in Praxus and Iacon, and High Priest Cyclonus was an engaging conversationalist."
"Does he always talk like this? I don't think that was even Cybertronian. " One of Jazz's other cousins, a mech named Combine, asked bluntly.
"This is casual," Ricochet said, blocking an angry reply from Jazz. "You should hear him when his full tactical suite is running."
"Don't be an aft, Combine," Lightwave added. "Prowl talks how he talks same as everyone. Don't make him any different."
"Now, don't you two start," Harvester interjected. "I won't have rudeness or fighting at this table, especially not during festival. Now, I want to try Lightwave's new festival cake recipe and hear about Prowl's day."
"Don't worry, Prowl," Ricochet added. "They're always like that. Keep talking, I wanna hear how much Cyclonus embarrassed Jazz while you were there."
"I think he was more embarrassed by me seeing his art than by anything the priest said," Prowl told his partner's twin. Judging by the rest of the family's reaction to Combine, continuing on as normal seemed best--though he hoped nothing had happened that would cause trouble with Jazz.
"Jazz has got art in the temple?" Lightwave paused in serving his cakes. "Our Jazz?"
"Several beautiful mosaics." Prowl smiled as Jazz slid down in his seat. "He's very talented."
"I'll be," Torrent grinned. "My little demolition mech is an artist too. Should'a sent you to school in Praxus, after all."
"Wouldn't have met Prowl in Praxus," the saboteur mumbled. "Wouldn't have to kill him in his recharge now, either."
"Don't be silly, Jazz." Harvester beamed at her creation. "All those mosaics are wonderful, and you should be proud of them."
"Indeed, you should." Prowl smiled softly at his partner. "Though perhaps you should not let my creators see them. They would likely want one for their gallery."
"Not helping," Jazz hissed.
"I'm not trying to." The tactician's smile turned into a smirk for a moment. The he picked up one of Lightwave's energon cakes and took a bite. "These are wonderful! What did you put in them?"
"You really like them?" Jazz's cousin beamed as he took his place at the table. "I flavored them with chalcanthite, instead of the traditional pure copper. I'm hoping they're enough to win the festival competition."
Harvester took a bite from one of her cakes and smiled happily. "From where I'm sitting, you have the best chance in town."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
AFter they returned to their room for the night, Jazz sat down next to the window and fell silent.
"Jazz, I apologize if I embarrassed you tonight." Prowl frowned at his lover's back, hoping he could figure out what was wrong. He didn't like seeing his bright, happy partner brought low. "I had only intended to be playful."
"I noticed you changed the subject when it was really getting to me." Jazz shrugged one shoulder. "It's nothing. I'll be fine in the morning."
"It is not 'nothing.' You are clearly upset." The tactician decided to risk Jazz's potential wrath and laid a hand on the other mech's back. Jazz flinched, but didn't reply. "Please, tell me what is wrong. If I've hurt you--"
"Primus, no! It's not that." The visored mech shot up from his slump and turned to stare at his partner. "You didn't do anything that you and Blaster haven't done a million times before, and it didn't hurt any more now than it did then. I just..."
"You just what?"
"I just didn't want them to know about the art. It was like this little secret part of me that Rico didn't get to have."
"And even now that they know, Ricochet still won't have that part of you." Prowl moved close enough to pull the visored mech into a hug. "Your art belongs to you, and your parents could not force Ricochet to share it if he even wanted to."
"Don't say things that make sense when I'm trying to mope."
"Then stop moping when I'm being sensible."
Jazz sighed and leaned his head against Prowl's shoulder. "Thanks, Prowl. I know it was a stupid thing to be upset over, but I couldn't help it. It was that one thing I never had to share, since he never wanted to hang out for story time."
"And now you can share on your own terms. Though I might have given your secret away more delicately if I had know it was a secret."
"I should've mentioned that, yeah." The visored mech nuzzled against his partner's plating, making himself more comfortable. "Are you upset that I didn't tell you before? "
"I can be, if you like." Prowl hugged the shorter mech more tightly. "But no, I am not. I was actually very happy to learn something new about you."
"And the fact that it's something I'll have in common with your parents is just glaze on the energon goody, right?"
"The kind with the iron flakes that Fix-It swears will do nothing but clog my filters."
"That's the best kind." Prowl felt Jazz grin against his plating. "We should see if anyone in town has treats like that in the morning."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Universe: Alternate Universe
Rating: T
Characters: Prowl, Jazz, Ricochet, Original Characters
Warnings: mentions of past abuse, mentions of violence, mild cybertronian swearing, threats
Additional Content Advisory: religious themes
Prompts: Invitation, Maslenitsa (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslenitsa)
Notes: I took the festival and adapted it quite a bit for this challenge, as well as taking a great many bits of canon that I liked and running them through my blender. Something from just about every TF canon will show up here, along with a healthy dose of my own headcanon.
I'm also using the dating system which has one vorn (year) broken down into ten meta-cycles (months), which are then broken down into fifty solar cycles (days) and each vorn is labeled using the Prime who was in charge at the time. (so a date goes like this: day.month.year or 01.07.144O--the first cycle of the seventh meta-cycle of the 144th vorn of Optimus)
This story is set pre-Optimus and uses his immediate predecessor as Zeta Prime (as established in War For Cybertron) rather than Sentinel for a change of pace.
Prowl started curiously at the invitation in his hand. It was pressed into a sheet of silver--expensive and impractical, but traditional--and written in neat calligraphy. The whole thing was quite elegant--the sort of thing his creators would send out for a gallery showing--but completely unexpected.
Prowl of Praxus,
You are cordially invited to attend the Festival of Renewal in the City of Yuss from 41.02.33Z until 01.03.33Z. As an invited guest, you will receive accommodations for no fewer than ten solar cycles at the Fusion Estate with all fuel and amenities included. Should you request, transport will be arranged for you from Iacon Military Base and Training Academy to the City of Yuss at no cost to yourself.
Please respond to this invitation by contacting Lieutenant Jazz, Special Operations Division, Elite Guard of Iacon
Rather than stew in his confusion, Prowl decided it was best to simply do as requested and contact Jazz. Surely his betrothed could shed some light on the subject.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz's smile was brilliant as Prowl stepped into the private lounge that the Special Operations officers had been given. The visored mech was the only occupant of the room currently, which was a relief. Neither of them would have to endure the good-natured teasing of Jazz's team--or worse, one of their brothers.
"Hey, cybertiger." THe shorter mech stood up from his table and crossed the room to pull the Praxian into a hug.
Prowl responded by hugging Jazz back, then leaning down to press a kiss to the other mech's lips. "Hello yourself."
"What brings you out of Tactical and down here to the gritty part of town?" The operations agent moved his hands down to take the tactician's, then pulled the other mech toward his vacated table. "You miss me?"
"Of course I did, but that wasn't the only reason." The taller mech sat down next to his lover, then reached into his subspace and pulled out the invitation. He set it on the table in front of the saboteur. "What do you know about this?"
Jazz took a moment to read the text and then hung his head. "Frag me, he actually did it."
"Who did what, Jazz?"
"Ricochet. He's been threatening to invite you home for me, since I haven't introduced you to the family yet."
Prowl quirked a brow ridge at the other black and white mech. "And what, precisely, is his justification for such an action?"
"He thinks I'm being stupid." The smaller mech shrugged one shoulder. "You know how brothers are."
"Are you being stupid?" The Praxian gave the other mech a soft smile to show that he was teasing.
"I don't... Maybe?" Jazz frowned. "I just... You're so classy and cultured and in Yuss, we're really not. I didn't want you to get there and then think less of me."
"Jazz, do you judge me based on Streetstar's actions?"
"No way! You're you and he's a punk!"
"And Ricochet is a short-tempered aft, but I have yet to judge you based on his actions." Prowl wrapped an arm around his betrothed's shoulders. "I fell in love with you, and I will be bonding to you, not your family and certainly not to the rest of Yuss. Whatever flaws that you perceive them to have will not change that."
"So you're going to come to the festival, then?" Jazz's tone was resigned.
"If I don't, your twin will never leave you alone."
"Thanks for taking one for the team." The visored mech looked up and gave his lover a weak smile.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The shuttle they were taking to Yuss was larger and much more well-appointed than Prowl had been expecting. He had thought they were taking a standard military transport the way he always did when he was returning to Praxus, but instead he had climbed into a luxury liner on par with something from the Towers.
"I know it's a little overboard, sorry." Jazz sounded truly embarrassed as Prowl settled tentatively into a plushly padded seat. "My creators are convinced we don't have anything nice here at the base and so they overcompensate."
"It's fine, Jazz." Prowl smiled at his partner as he relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable seat. "Though it seems extravagant to hire a shuttle like this when we could have taken the base transport at no cost."
"Oh they didn't rent it. This belongs to my carrier." The saboteur looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. "And the pilot is one of the farm hands during the working season."
"Oh." The tactician blinked, trying to recall any information that Jazz or Ricochet had given him that would indicate this level of wealth. "I thought your family were energon farmers?"
"They are. They're the most successful energon farmers on the planet."
"They're..." The pieces clicked together in Prowl's processor and he stared at his betrothed. "Why didn't you tell me you were part of the Smolder lineage?"
"Because a lot of people hear that and then they only see our money. I wanted you to see me. I'm not," Jazz flopped down next to Prowl and waved his hand at the interior of the shuttle, "This."
"Indeed, you are not." The Praxian reached out and took the Yussite's hand. "You are Jazz and anyone who would define you only by your family's wealth is a fool."
"You two are disgustingly cute." Ricochet stepped into the passenger compartment and sat down as far from his twin as he could in the small space. "Remind me why I intervened on Jazz's behalf for this?"
"Because you're an aft," Jazz replied seriously.
Prowl smirked and settled in for the flight, long used to the way the twins bickered and able to tune it out easily.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Ricochet was the first off the shuttle, claiming he couldn't stand to see Prowl and Jazz continue to be cute with each other for any longer. When Prowl started to follow right away, Jazz put a restraining hand in the center of the other mech's chest and stopped him.
"Give him a minute," the saboteur said. "He doesn't like anyone seeing our carrier fussing over him."
"Fussing?" Prowl gave his partner a quizzical look.
"Fussing," The smaller mech repeated with a nod. "You'll see what I mean."
"Surely it's not as bad as Ricochet pretends."
Jazz stared at him for a moment, before bursting into laughter. "Oh, lover, sometimes she's worse. It's proportionate to the amount of time we've been gone."
"And how long has it been since your last visit?" For the first time since receiving Ricochet's invitation, Prowl felt the first trickle of nervousness creep into his processor.
"For me, not so long. Rico hasn't been back since last vorn sometime. She'll be giving him a really hard time today."
"But not you?"
"Oh no, she'll definitely be fussing over me--and you. She'll be over the moons when she sees I've finally brought you home."
"You realize that delaying our meeting has likely made her 'fussing' more intense than it otherwise would have been?" The tactician kept his tone even, hoping that Jazz was too worried about being embarrassed by his carrier to pick up that he was nervous.
"Hey, I haven't met your parents, either!" The saboteur crossed his arms and frowned.
"A situation I will be rectifying sooner rather than later." Prowl stood and held a hand out to Jazz. "Come. Ricochet may not want us there, but I doubt you want your carrier coming in here after us."
"Pit no. That would be worse!" The smaller mech took the taller mech's hand and stood. "Did you mean that about meeting your family?"
"I did. We will discuss it further later." The Praxian smiled and then led his partner toward the door.
"Hey, cybertiger?"
"Yes, Jazz?"
"You don't have to be nervous, you know. They're going to love you."
"I certainly hope so."
"Oh, there he is!" Any reply Jazz would have made was prevented by Ricochet's exclamation. The darker colored twin grabbed his arm and hauled Prowl out of the shuttle and into the fading light of the landing station platform. "Carrier, this is Jazz's intended, Prowl."
"Ricochet! You could have let your brother introduce him! He is bonding to Jazz and not you, after all" A slender femme with the same white and black color scheme as Jazz chastised the riflemech. Then she turned to the tactician with a smile. "Aren't you a handsome mech. And Praxian. We don't see many of your frametype around Yuss at all."
"No ma'am, I imagine not. It would be quite a long trip, and expensive on the income most artists receive." Prowl fell back on the manners his own carrier had instilled in him during his youth, unsure of how he should respond to the forwardness of Jazz's carrier's statement.
"Carrier, behave!" Jazz stepped abruptly in front of Prowl, hands on his hips. "You're embarrassing me!"
"Don't be silly. There's nothing wrong with appreciating a fine looking mech, which your Prowl certainly is." The femme's bright smile didn't falter. "Why didn't you tell me you'd made such a catch?"
"Because it wasn't important!" The saboteur sighed. "Prowl, this is my carrier Harvester. Carrier, my betrothed, Commander Prowl of the Elite Guard."
"Oh, an officer!" Harvester stepped around the visored mech and pulled Prowl into a hug. The tactician stiffened and his wings flared in alarm at the unexpected action, but she didn't seem to notice. "Jazz, your sire will be so pleased!"
Jazz and Ricochet both frowned, an action that made Prowl feel slightly better about being manhandled. The saboteur tapped his carrier on the shoulder. "He doesn't like to be touched by strangers."
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" The femme stepped away abruptly. "You must think I'm a complete aft. I'm just so excited to meet you finally."
Prowl lowered his wings slowly, forcing himself to relax for politeness' sake. Jazz looked angry, and he didn't want to start a family squabble by accident. "There was no harm done."
"Jazz, I'm sorry." Harvester turned back to the saboteur. "I don't know if it's the stress of the celebration or if I'm just too excited about everything. You know I'm not usually like this."
"Ha!" Ricochet and Jazz disagreed in unison.
"All right, I'm like this, but I'm not usually so bad. Forgive me?"
"I forgive you," Jazz replied. "I just need you to tone it down, all right? Prowl doesn't get all touchy-feely with bots."
"I'll do my best." The femme gave them a weak smile. "Maybe we should head back to the farm now. I'm sure there's still a lot of setting up to do."
"Sounds good," The saboteur agreed.
"Not that we'll get any setting up done until everyone's met Prowl," Ricochet added.
"Maybe not," Harvester replied, shifting from her posture of embarrassment and perking back up happily. "But your sire needs a break and I'm sure your cousins want one."
Ricochet allowed his carrier to put an arm around his shoulders and lead him away from the landing pad. The gunner's posture indicated that he wasn't as unhappy as he was acting, however, and Prowl shook his head at Jazz's twin. "Are you as glad to be home as he is?"
"I really am." Jazz wrapped an arm around Prowl's waist and snuggled against his side. "And I'm really, really glad you came, even though I still think they're going to embarrass us both the whole trip."
The tactician wrapped an arm around his partner in turn. "I don't believe it will be as terrible as you think. Your carrier is much like you."
"Yeah, that personality is definitely spark coded," the saboteur agreed. "Come on, cybertiger. We better go get caught up with them. Don't want to miss the ground transport and have to walk through town."
"Why not? I was led to believe that Yuss was a very small community."
"It is, but I know everyone."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Prowl, who regularly attended public events with Zeta Prime and had trained with Guardian Prime before that, stared up at the huge mech that was Jazz's sire and felt like a minibot. The mech was easily four times his own size, before he took into account the farming equipment attached to his frame.
Prowl found himself at a loss for words, and blinked up at the mech like a newspark.
"Sire, this is Commander Prowl, the mech I'm bonding to." The grin in Jazz's voice was clear and would have set Prowl at ease almost any other time. "Prowl, my sire Torrent."
"A pleasure to finally meet you, sir." The tactician was grateful that his manners were practically an automatic response, or he might not have gotten over his shock at the sheer size of Jazz's sire in order to reply.
"So, you think you're good enough to bond to my youngest sparkling." Torrent's voice was a deep rumble that matched his size, and his statement was enough to rattle him out of his stupor.
Prowl frowned at the huge mech. "Whether you or I think I am good enough for Jazz is irrelevant. He believes that I am good enough for him, and his opinion is the only one that matters."
Torrent frowned back for a moment and Jazz tensed at Prowl's side. Then the farmer's face split into a wide smile. "I like a mech who'll tell me off to my face. That takes titanium manifolds! I approve, Jazz. I approve."
The large mech clapped one hand over the top of Jazz's head in an affectionate gesture and laughed. Then he turned to Ricochet and held his arms out wide.
Jazz turned Prowl away with a smile as his twin protested his sire's attention. "That was great, cybertiger. How'd you know how to handle him?"
"I simply... reacted. I was offended when he implied that your opinion on our bonding didn't matter."
"Aw, lover, you don't have to be offended on my account. I've been telling him off since I reached my maturity." Jazz leaned up and kissed his intended. "But it's nice to know that you would do it, if you needed to."
"And this will not cause friction between you and your sire?" In hindsight, Prowl did not want to cause problems with his partner's family.
"No way. Sa meant it when he said he liked having people stand up to him. He gets a lot of fawning and bowing and scraping, since he's so big."
"I imagine." The Praxian allowed himself to relax against his partner. "Before I embarrass myself later, Jazz, what does 'sa' mean?"
"Aw, that." The visored mech laughed. "When I was a newspark, I couldn't say 'sire' to save my life. I always called him 'sa' and it just stuck. Rico does it too, sometimes."
"Your legacy of nicknames began early, then."
"You know it, cybertiger. "
"Jazz, Prowl!" Harvester called. When they looked at the femme--who was dwarfed standing next to her partner--she waved them closer. "Come inside! We're going to have punch and hear some of cousin Lightwave's news!"
"And just like that, you're part of the family." Jazz took Prowl's hand, laced his fingers with the tactician's and led his partner toward the door of the family estate.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"So, what do you think, lover?" Jazz cuddled up against Prowl's side with a contented purr of his engine.
"What do I think of what?" Prowl wrapped his free hand around his partner's waist and stroked the transformation seam there.
"All of this. The ranch, my family, Yuss."
"I think your sire will rip out my spark and feed it to me if I ever hurt you, the energon ranch is much larger than I was expecting and I haven't seen enough of Yuss to have an opinion beyond 'easily defensible.' I hope that means things are going well."
"Things are going very well." Jazz smiled at the Praxian and pressed a kiss to his cheek plate. "The Festival of Renewal starts tomorrow, so I'll take you around town and show you the sights then. Next cycle we'll visit my carrier's sister and her bitlet. After that, it's all a big party and energon and all sorts of treats that'll make the medics flip their cranial cases."
"I see why you never miss this holiday already," Prowl replied dryly.
"Yep!"
"You will, I hope, forgive me if I must make a strategic retreat from time to time."
"You and big crowds don't mix, I know. It's fine." The visored mech kissed his partner again. "You won't be the only bot who has to hide out for a bit. It'll be fine."
"That's good." The tactician smiled and turned to kiss the other mech properly on the lips.
Jazz's smile widened at the action. "Love you, cybertiger."
"I love you, too, Jazz."
"We should power down now, though. The solar cycle starts early out here on the energon farm."
"How early?"
"Rico and I got to recharge late at basic training."
"Nothing I can't handle then." Prowl smiled and kissed his partner again. "Rest well, Jazz."
"G'nite, Prowl."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz had not been exaggerating when he had said he knew everyone in Yuss. As they toured the town, he greeted every mechanism they met by name, inquired about families or businesses and cooed happily over the newly framed sparklings--while committing their names to his databanks, Prowl was sure--that had not yet been born the last time he was home. The visored mech was clearly enjoying every moment of the interaction, and the tactician was surprised to realize that the enjoyment was infectious.
Like his partner, Prowl found himself filing away names and chatting with strangers about the goings-on in the small town. He let himself be dragged into some of the games the sparklings played--typically a simulated combat game where they threw balls of sticky minerals at each other.
After a few rounds, he and Jazz were covered in a rainbow of colors and mineral adhesive, but they were having as much fun as the sparklings, and Prowl didn't regret a moment.
As the cycle wore on, they met fewer new faces and instead explored the notable sights in the town.
"Yuss has a temple to Unicron?" Prowl blinked at the small, unassuming building in surprise.
"Sure do. It even has a pretty respectable cult to go with it. Yuss never did stop honoring the old traditions, because without death and chaos, the energon doesn't grow."
"I had not considered that. Unicron worship is a very taboo idea in Praxus."
"That probably has more to do with being so close to Polyhex and the fanatics there more than anything else. Originally, I mean." Jazz grinned at his partner. "Ever been inside a Unicron temple before?"
"I have not." Prowl was prepared for Jazz to grab his hand based on the question alone, and he allowed the shorter mech to drag him toward the door.
"Now's the perfect time. You'll like the High Priest. He's logical and tactically minded like you." Jazz opened the door to the temple and stepped inside as if he belonged there. Prowl followed, curiosity overriding the deeply ingrained distrust most Praxians had of Unicron Cultists.
Inside, soft lights shone on some of the most intricate mosaics the tactician had ever seen. Depicted on the walls in opaque tile and sparkling crystal was the history of their people, as understood from mechanisms on the opposite side of the story. "Jazz, this is beautiful!"
"I thought you might like it." The saboteur smiled. "There's more as we go further in. Wait til you see the battle scenes!"
Prowl shifted his grip in Jazz's hand to a more comfortable clasp--affectionate, but much more difficult to use as a handle if the saboteur wanted to drag him off somewhere else before he was done looking--and allowed his partner to lead him further inside. He was struck, again, by the beauty of the mosaics and surprised by how comfortable the temple felt.
According to everything he had been taught, the temple should have felt dark and ominous at best. Instead it was peaceful and soothing, and not unlike the Primus temple his creators attended.
"The priests of this temple belong to the Order of Survival," Jazz told him as they walked through the display. "They believe that things like war and sickness and natural disasters are the key to our growth as a people, because the survivors make us stronger."
Prowl paused before a depiction of the Fall. He studied the image, seeing both sorrow at how the Fallen had been cast out and hope because the exiled mech was walking away under his own power. He nodded thoughtfully. "I can understand that point of view. It is what we teach the recruits, after all: what does not deactivate you will only make you stronger."
"Jazz helped us assemble that mosaic," an unfamiliar voice said. "When he was young, he said it was his favorite story."
Prowl glanced at his partner briefly before turning to the newcomer, a tall purple mech with dramatic horns sweeping up from his helm and wearing a simple priest's robe. "His favorite?"
"Because the Fallen was given a chance to make something new of himself, rather than simply being destroyed by his siblings. Jazz claimed it was a sign of love." The purple mech bowed slightly. "I am Cyclonus, high priest of this temple."
"Commander Prowl, of the Elite Guard." The Praxian returned the bow. "And Jazz's intended."
"So, you've lived long enough to find a partner." Cyclonus turned an amused smile toward Jazz. "It seems that I've lost the betting pool, then."
"The last thing you lot have been betting on was when I'd find a partner," the saboteur replied, smiling back with equal amusement. "How long it would be before I blew myself up, sure, but not on settling down."
"Because you will never 'settle down' even once you've bonded. I would guess that is part of your partner's attraction." The priest's smile stayed fixed, indicating that he was pleased to see Jazz even as he teased. "You have my congratulations, both of you. May there be no obstacle in life you cannot overcome."
"Thanks!" Jazz beamed. "Means a lot to have your blessing, Cyc."
"Please don't call me that." The purple mech's slightly exasperated reply sounded as resigned as Prowl was to his own set of Jazz-given nicknames.
"Cyclonus and the rest of the order used to watch out for me when I was young," the visored mech told his partner. "Rico and I wandered in here one day while Sa was shopping, and then they couldn't get rid of me."
"Jazz was a joy and a learning experience in one. Sparklings, I believe, may be the truest test of our survival ability of all." Cyclonus extended a hand toward the mosaics. "May I show you more of his work? We receive many compliments on Jazz's depiction of the First Prime."
Jazz ducked his head in embarrassment as Prowl nodded. "I would like that. I had no idea he was an artist."
"It's just a hobby," the visored mech protested as Cyclonus led them further into the temple.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
"I heard Jazz took you to see the temples today," Torrent said as the family sat down to their evening fuel. "What'd you think?"
Prowl thanked Jazz's cousin Lightwave as he set a plate of deep blue gelled energon cakes in front of him before replying. "Despite my surprise at seeing a temple to Unicron here, I found the experience quite enjoyable. They both contain art that rivals the professional galleries in Praxus and Iacon, and High Priest Cyclonus was an engaging conversationalist."
"Does he always talk like this? I don't think that was even Cybertronian. " One of Jazz's other cousins, a mech named Combine, asked bluntly.
"This is casual," Ricochet said, blocking an angry reply from Jazz. "You should hear him when his full tactical suite is running."
"Don't be an aft, Combine," Lightwave added. "Prowl talks how he talks same as everyone. Don't make him any different."
"Now, don't you two start," Harvester interjected. "I won't have rudeness or fighting at this table, especially not during festival. Now, I want to try Lightwave's new festival cake recipe and hear about Prowl's day."
"Don't worry, Prowl," Ricochet added. "They're always like that. Keep talking, I wanna hear how much Cyclonus embarrassed Jazz while you were there."
"I think he was more embarrassed by me seeing his art than by anything the priest said," Prowl told his partner's twin. Judging by the rest of the family's reaction to Combine, continuing on as normal seemed best--though he hoped nothing had happened that would cause trouble with Jazz.
"Jazz has got art in the temple?" Lightwave paused in serving his cakes. "Our Jazz?"
"Several beautiful mosaics." Prowl smiled as Jazz slid down in his seat. "He's very talented."
"I'll be," Torrent grinned. "My little demolition mech is an artist too. Should'a sent you to school in Praxus, after all."
"Wouldn't have met Prowl in Praxus," the saboteur mumbled. "Wouldn't have to kill him in his recharge now, either."
"Don't be silly, Jazz." Harvester beamed at her creation. "All those mosaics are wonderful, and you should be proud of them."
"Indeed, you should." Prowl smiled softly at his partner. "Though perhaps you should not let my creators see them. They would likely want one for their gallery."
"Not helping," Jazz hissed.
"I'm not trying to." The tactician's smile turned into a smirk for a moment. The he picked up one of Lightwave's energon cakes and took a bite. "These are wonderful! What did you put in them?"
"You really like them?" Jazz's cousin beamed as he took his place at the table. "I flavored them with chalcanthite, instead of the traditional pure copper. I'm hoping they're enough to win the festival competition."
Harvester took a bite from one of her cakes and smiled happily. "From where I'm sitting, you have the best chance in town."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
AFter they returned to their room for the night, Jazz sat down next to the window and fell silent.
"Jazz, I apologize if I embarrassed you tonight." Prowl frowned at his lover's back, hoping he could figure out what was wrong. He didn't like seeing his bright, happy partner brought low. "I had only intended to be playful."
"I noticed you changed the subject when it was really getting to me." Jazz shrugged one shoulder. "It's nothing. I'll be fine in the morning."
"It is not 'nothing.' You are clearly upset." The tactician decided to risk Jazz's potential wrath and laid a hand on the other mech's back. Jazz flinched, but didn't reply. "Please, tell me what is wrong. If I've hurt you--"
"Primus, no! It's not that." The visored mech shot up from his slump and turned to stare at his partner. "You didn't do anything that you and Blaster haven't done a million times before, and it didn't hurt any more now than it did then. I just..."
"You just what?"
"I just didn't want them to know about the art. It was like this little secret part of me that Rico didn't get to have."
"And even now that they know, Ricochet still won't have that part of you." Prowl moved close enough to pull the visored mech into a hug. "Your art belongs to you, and your parents could not force Ricochet to share it if he even wanted to."
"Don't say things that make sense when I'm trying to mope."
"Then stop moping when I'm being sensible."
Jazz sighed and leaned his head against Prowl's shoulder. "Thanks, Prowl. I know it was a stupid thing to be upset over, but I couldn't help it. It was that one thing I never had to share, since he never wanted to hang out for story time."
"And now you can share on your own terms. Though I might have given your secret away more delicately if I had know it was a secret."
"I should've mentioned that, yeah." The visored mech nuzzled against his partner's plating, making himself more comfortable. "Are you upset that I didn't tell you before? "
"I can be, if you like." Prowl hugged the shorter mech more tightly. "But no, I am not. I was actually very happy to learn something new about you."
"And the fact that it's something I'll have in common with your parents is just glaze on the energon goody, right?"
"The kind with the iron flakes that Fix-It swears will do nothing but clog my filters."
"That's the best kind." Prowl felt Jazz grin against his plating. "We should see if anyone in town has treats like that in the morning."
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-