Rough version
Title: Unexpected arrivals
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Prowl, Bluestreak
Rating: Teens
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Whenever Prowl stepped into a room, silence - at the very least, an audible reduction in the noise level - quickly followed
Prompt #1 Silence
“Nice shooting out there, today!” Fireflight shouted, slugging the gunner in a congratulatory way.
“Thanks,” Bluestreak had gotten used to the jostling around after a successful battle. “You did pretty good yourself,” he shouted back.
The Aerialbot nodded. He opened his mouth to say something more, when Trailbreaker shoved his way between Sideswipe and Hound. “Primus, it’s so loud in here, I can barely think!” he yelled.
Bluestreak shrugged, helplessly. It wasn’t his fault the crowded recrational room and boisterous spirits made for audio-splitting decibel levels. “Blame Ratchet!” The Praxian hollered. “He brought out the good stuff.”
“Was just going to ask if you’d gotten some,” Fireflight spoke up, revealing two cubes of high-grade. He looked at Traibreaker’s servos. “Great minds think alike”
‘Think alike’ reached every audio as conversations abruptly stopped.
Trailbreaker twisted around. “Good evening, Prowl,” he greeted the late-comer, somewhat surprised to see him. Tonight. At a party. Here, where the high-grade was flowing freely. “We’re not interrupting your concentration, are we sir?”
Prowl walked towards the corner claimed by Bluestreak. The crowd cleared a path form him as he walked. “You may go back to whatever it was you were doing.” He spoke in a normal-sounding voice.
Slowly, conversations resumed. But there was no more shouting across the room to get someone’s attention.
“Hey, Prowl.” Bluestreak had relieved Fireflight and Trailbreaker of their excess cubes. “Ratchet’s compliments.”
The black-and-white Praxian enforcer accepted one of the cubes. “Two breems, then I can go back to my office.” His muttering wouldn’t have been heard before, lost in the noisy confusion. Two tables away, Sideswipe snorted.
“Jazz’s efforts?” The red mech after clearing his vents.
Prowl nodded, choosing to ignore Sideswipe’s temporary coughing fit.
“Mech, it ain’t fair-”
“I assure you, I know exactly what my presence does. I have no reason to impede the ongoing festivities but some mech,” here, a few individuals might have chosen to use air quotes as their human allies sometimes did, “insists I join in on the fun.” Prowl vented.
Bluestreak nudged him. “At least taste the high-grade.” Blue prompted.
Prowl examined the liquid contents. And then, instead of sipping the fuel, he drank the entire cube down before lowering the now empty container. “My mandatory two breems are over - if you’ll excuse me.” He left, and the remaining mechs began speaking loudly once again.
Title: Meet-n-Greet
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Sparkplug, Jazz
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Warnings/Content: none
Prompt #2 Scenario: a job interview
“A job interview?” Jazz asked. “What for? You already have the position. Have had the spot for a couple of years.”
Sparkplug Witwicky shook his head. “For some types of jobs, once you’re hired, it’s a given - but not in this line of work.” The door opened before he could reach for the handle.
A heavy-set man watched as Sparkplug got out of the car. “You Witwicky?”
“Yes sire.”
“How’d you afford a ride like that?”
“It’s not mine- ” Sparkplug started to say when the familiar sound of an Autobot transforming grew louder. “This is Autobot Jazz. He offered to give me a ride while my car’s in the shop.”
“You friends with the bots? God - you’re on the team.” The heavy-set man walked towards an awed, shell-shocked young man, (fresh out of high-school, if Jazz was gauging his apparent age right), “Kid? You Russel?”
Blue eyes swiveled towards the speaker. “Yes, sir.”
Jazz watched avidly as the man doing on-the-spot interviewing asked all the questions. “That your boss?”
“Mr. Pertti? Naw, he’s not the captain. But he is the ship’s first made - and one of his jobs is to make sure the Captain gets the right crew.” Sparkplug put on his orange- hard-hat, “I’ll see you when the job’s done.”
Title: Preperations
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Jazz, Tracks
Rating: K
Continuity: Generation 1
Prompt #2 Scenario: a job interview
“Tracks - got a moment?”
Tracks tossed back the last of his cube. “Now I am.” He stood up to follow Jazz.
“Sit back down.” Jazz ordered, grabbing a chair from a nearby table. “This’ll only take a moment.”
Tracks sat.
“You like it here on earth?”
He shrugged. “Earth’s okay - would rather be back on Cybertron.”
“You and most of the crew.” Jazz gave a sad smile. “Your opinion of the humans?”
“Don’t care for most of them.”
“Preferred task: answering stupid questions, or ferrying earth cargo around?”
“if hauling cargo gets me out of patrol … I’d rather listen to one of Prime’s lectures.”
“Wow, a glutton for punishment.” Jazz gave an aborted laugh. “Thanks for your help, Tracks.” He stood up.
“Wait, what was all this about?” Tracks stood up too.
“Trying to decide who gets the lovely job of driving Sparkplug around while his car is being fixed - Congratulations. It’s not you.”
Title: Old fears, old memories
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Ratchet, Wheeljack
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary: Ratchet can dream - he would rather not be able to.
Prompt # 3 Tell the story of a character’s earliest recollection
“We’re loosing him!”
“I need another pair of servos.”
Wailing. “Not Fretwork!” more wailing in grief.
“He’s lost too much energon!”
“Where’s Catscan?”
“Apprentice - weld those lines together.”
“More incoming wounded.”
Wailing. “Nonskid! He can’t be deactivated!” Anguished wailing
“I can’t do anything for this patent!”
“X-ray! We need your help.”
“Apprentice - find the leak and stop it!”
Wailing.
Always wailing.
“Ratchet.”
Hearing his name brought the medic out of uneasy recharge.
“Wheeljack.” Ratchet shook his head, trying to dislodge the last bits of memory that refused to settle down.
“You okay?” Wheeljack asked, concerned.
“I’m fine.” Ratchet stood up, ignoring the way it took time for his gyroscopes to readjust to the sudden movement.
“No, you’re not.” Wheeljack blocked the medic’s path. “Go get some recharge.”
“I told you, I’m fine.” Ratchet stopped trying to get around the blockade to check on his patients in the medbay.
“Fine? You’re slipping into recharge when nobody’s watching - go lay down.”
“Wheeljack,” Ratchet glared at the engineer, trying to force the other mech to see reason.
The engineer didn’t’ budge. “Go - way past time for you to defrag the processors.”
After considering his options of more pointless arguing (and being carried to the rechrage berth by Sideswipe - who was only nearby because he was visiting his injured twin-) Ratchet gave in and lay down on his berth. Almost immediately, he felt himself slipping into recharge.
Ratchet fought it every step of the way, dreading what came next.
Darkness.
“We’re loosing him!”
“Get Scalpel”
“More wounded inbound.”
Wailing.
“Apprentice - remove the shrapnel.”
“This one’s dead.”
Screams of denial. “Not my sparkling! NO!”
“Who’s in charge here?”
“Apprentice - get over here now!”
“There’s too much spilt energon.”
“I don’t have the right equipment.”
Wailing. Cries of anguish were everywhere.
Title: Scary Story Time
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Fireflight, Hound
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Hound is currently 'top dog' when it comes to telling scary stories - but that doesn't mean others aren't willing to try to surpase Hound's story-telling abilities.
Prompt #4 “Be afraid. Be very afraid. … ”
“Oh, can I tell the next scary story?” Fireflight raised his hand, nearly bouncing in place.
Hound laughed. “I haven’t even gotten the holographic fire going.”
“So?” Fireflight responded. “The night is perfect for telling scary stories.”
“It is.” Hound shook his head. “Shall I finish the supernatural tale I started last time?”
“Hey, everyone!” Sideswipe bellowed over the intercom. “Hound’s finishing up his story.”
Fireflight jumped up to avoid being trampled as everyone - or so it seemed - rushed outside and surrounded the tracker, eager for the next installment.
“Alright, where was I?” Hound asked, creating the illusions of a Cybertronian campfire over himself.
“Last time, the sparkles empty was about to bite Beta’s neck,” Fireflight recalled.
The visual-only bonfire flickered, and then the tale resumed.
No mech dared to breath while Hound spoke, weaving a fine web of suspense, terror, horror, and action as Beta was attacked (but not killed) by the sparkles empty and his feudal army of undead victims.
When a car backfired, Fireflight wasn’t the only one to jump up in fright, then laugh at his reaction to the unexpected noise.
Title: Mistaken Identity
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Fireflight, Aerialbots
Rating: K
Continuity: Generation 1
Warnings/Content: crack
Prompt #5 Soft touch
“Can we keep him.”
Silverbolt put down his infopad. “Where did you pick up the kitty?”
Slingshot looked up. “A cat?” He beheld the furry creature cradled in Fireflight’s arms. “Let me see.”
AirRaid vented. “This isn’t going to end well,” he predicted.
Skydive shoved him. “Isn’t that my line?”
“Silverbolt, can we keep him?” Fireflight carefully scratched - not too hard or too fast -o the tawny head.
“Where did you find him, Flight?” Silverbolt saw how small the feline looked, captured by Fireflight’s arms. It seemed much bigger than the domesticated house cats Carly once showed them.
“Trying to fight a bear - look at how scratched up he is.”
“A bear?” Skydive sounded doubtful. “He was fighting a bear?”
“Yep. A big o’ Mean black bear.” Fireflight nodded, never loosening his secure hold. The tawny furred creature stirred, trying to fit his head between the aerialbot’s fingers.
“Flight, we need to return the cat.” Silverbolt insisted, even as the rest of his team found new interest in the living creature.
“No way, Silverbolt!” Slighshot protested. “it’s almost big enough for us.”
An ashen-faced Carly ran by, gasping for breath.
“Carly? What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, winded. “On the news.” (huff, puff). “A flyer was seen,” (gasp, gasp), “picking up a wild cougar,” (huff, puff)
“Hey, Carly! Have you seen my new pet?” Fireflight turned, showing off the cat.
Carly gasped - but not for air.
Title: Better to Try, than to wait
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Trailbreaker, Sideswipe
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Sometimes, the only way to get off the very top, is to jump and pray for the best.
Prompt #6 Setting: A high, windy place
“How do we get down from here?”
“Normally, I’d suggest using my jet-pack,” Sideswipe trailed off as he looked down, down, down, deep into the dark crevice far below.
“The jet pack might enable one of us to reach the bottom intact, but not both of us.” Trailbreaker agreed, not needing to pear over the edge to see just how high up they were. “At least, it can’t get any worse.”
The previously clear blue sky started filling with dark rain clouds.
Sideswipe punched his stuck companion. “You just had to say it.” He complained.
“You were thinking it.”
“Was not - knew better than to jinx us.”
“Was too! Wait, what’s a jinx?”
Sideswipe shrugged. “Aside from a young comic kid with superpowers, I don’t know.”
“Odd name.”
“Tell me about it.”
Some silence while the two pondered the situation. “Any bright ideas on how to get down?” Trailbreaker asked, at last.
The wind started blowing. Hard. A few scattered droplets kissed the side of the building.
“Jumping off with my jet-pack redlining?”
“We’d still crash! And that’s a long way down.”
“With the wind blowing this hard, it might push us past the bottomless pit waiting for us.”
Any objections Trailbreaker had died in his throat as lighting flashed. The light sprinkling of precipitation threatened to become a nasty downpour and soon. “Die quick, or die slow. What a choice.”
He joined Sideswipe in the (inadequately sheltered) jutting landing on the pinnacle. “Ready when you are.”
Sideswipe pushed off, turning the jet rockets on, pushing them past the safety threshold.
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Prowl, Bluestreak
Rating: Teens
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Whenever Prowl stepped into a room, silence - at the very least, an audible reduction in the noise level - quickly followed
Prompt #1 Silence
“Nice shooting out there, today!” Fireflight shouted, slugging the gunner in a congratulatory way.
“Thanks,” Bluestreak had gotten used to the jostling around after a successful battle. “You did pretty good yourself,” he shouted back.
The Aerialbot nodded. He opened his mouth to say something more, when Trailbreaker shoved his way between Sideswipe and Hound. “Primus, it’s so loud in here, I can barely think!” he yelled.
Bluestreak shrugged, helplessly. It wasn’t his fault the crowded recrational room and boisterous spirits made for audio-splitting decibel levels. “Blame Ratchet!” The Praxian hollered. “He brought out the good stuff.”
“Was just going to ask if you’d gotten some,” Fireflight spoke up, revealing two cubes of high-grade. He looked at Traibreaker’s servos. “Great minds think alike”
‘Think alike’ reached every audio as conversations abruptly stopped.
Trailbreaker twisted around. “Good evening, Prowl,” he greeted the late-comer, somewhat surprised to see him. Tonight. At a party. Here, where the high-grade was flowing freely. “We’re not interrupting your concentration, are we sir?”
Prowl walked towards the corner claimed by Bluestreak. The crowd cleared a path form him as he walked. “You may go back to whatever it was you were doing.” He spoke in a normal-sounding voice.
Slowly, conversations resumed. But there was no more shouting across the room to get someone’s attention.
“Hey, Prowl.” Bluestreak had relieved Fireflight and Trailbreaker of their excess cubes. “Ratchet’s compliments.”
The black-and-white Praxian enforcer accepted one of the cubes. “Two breems, then I can go back to my office.” His muttering wouldn’t have been heard before, lost in the noisy confusion. Two tables away, Sideswipe snorted.
“Jazz’s efforts?” The red mech after clearing his vents.
Prowl nodded, choosing to ignore Sideswipe’s temporary coughing fit.
“Mech, it ain’t fair-”
“I assure you, I know exactly what my presence does. I have no reason to impede the ongoing festivities but some mech,” here, a few individuals might have chosen to use air quotes as their human allies sometimes did, “insists I join in on the fun.” Prowl vented.
Bluestreak nudged him. “At least taste the high-grade.” Blue prompted.
Prowl examined the liquid contents. And then, instead of sipping the fuel, he drank the entire cube down before lowering the now empty container. “My mandatory two breems are over - if you’ll excuse me.” He left, and the remaining mechs began speaking loudly once again.
Title: Meet-n-Greet
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Sparkplug, Jazz
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Warnings/Content: none
Prompt #2 Scenario: a job interview
“A job interview?” Jazz asked. “What for? You already have the position. Have had the spot for a couple of years.”
Sparkplug Witwicky shook his head. “For some types of jobs, once you’re hired, it’s a given - but not in this line of work.” The door opened before he could reach for the handle.
A heavy-set man watched as Sparkplug got out of the car. “You Witwicky?”
“Yes sire.”
“How’d you afford a ride like that?”
“It’s not mine- ” Sparkplug started to say when the familiar sound of an Autobot transforming grew louder. “This is Autobot Jazz. He offered to give me a ride while my car’s in the shop.”
“You friends with the bots? God - you’re on the team.” The heavy-set man walked towards an awed, shell-shocked young man, (fresh out of high-school, if Jazz was gauging his apparent age right), “Kid? You Russel?”
Blue eyes swiveled towards the speaker. “Yes, sir.”
Jazz watched avidly as the man doing on-the-spot interviewing asked all the questions. “That your boss?”
“Mr. Pertti? Naw, he’s not the captain. But he is the ship’s first made - and one of his jobs is to make sure the Captain gets the right crew.” Sparkplug put on his orange- hard-hat, “I’ll see you when the job’s done.”
Title: Preperations
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Jazz, Tracks
Rating: K
Continuity: Generation 1
Prompt #2 Scenario: a job interview
“Tracks - got a moment?”
Tracks tossed back the last of his cube. “Now I am.” He stood up to follow Jazz.
“Sit back down.” Jazz ordered, grabbing a chair from a nearby table. “This’ll only take a moment.”
Tracks sat.
“You like it here on earth?”
He shrugged. “Earth’s okay - would rather be back on Cybertron.”
“You and most of the crew.” Jazz gave a sad smile. “Your opinion of the humans?”
“Don’t care for most of them.”
“Preferred task: answering stupid questions, or ferrying earth cargo around?”
“if hauling cargo gets me out of patrol … I’d rather listen to one of Prime’s lectures.”
“Wow, a glutton for punishment.” Jazz gave an aborted laugh. “Thanks for your help, Tracks.” He stood up.
“Wait, what was all this about?” Tracks stood up too.
“Trying to decide who gets the lovely job of driving Sparkplug around while his car is being fixed - Congratulations. It’s not you.”
Title: Old fears, old memories
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Ratchet, Wheeljack
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary: Ratchet can dream - he would rather not be able to.
Prompt # 3 Tell the story of a character’s earliest recollection
“We’re loosing him!”
“I need another pair of servos.”
Wailing. “Not Fretwork!” more wailing in grief.
“He’s lost too much energon!”
“Where’s Catscan?”
“Apprentice - weld those lines together.”
“More incoming wounded.”
Wailing. “Nonskid! He can’t be deactivated!” Anguished wailing
“I can’t do anything for this patent!”
“X-ray! We need your help.”
“Apprentice - find the leak and stop it!”
Wailing.
Always wailing.
“Ratchet.”
Hearing his name brought the medic out of uneasy recharge.
“Wheeljack.” Ratchet shook his head, trying to dislodge the last bits of memory that refused to settle down.
“You okay?” Wheeljack asked, concerned.
“I’m fine.” Ratchet stood up, ignoring the way it took time for his gyroscopes to readjust to the sudden movement.
“No, you’re not.” Wheeljack blocked the medic’s path. “Go get some recharge.”
“I told you, I’m fine.” Ratchet stopped trying to get around the blockade to check on his patients in the medbay.
“Fine? You’re slipping into recharge when nobody’s watching - go lay down.”
“Wheeljack,” Ratchet glared at the engineer, trying to force the other mech to see reason.
The engineer didn’t’ budge. “Go - way past time for you to defrag the processors.”
After considering his options of more pointless arguing (and being carried to the rechrage berth by Sideswipe - who was only nearby because he was visiting his injured twin-) Ratchet gave in and lay down on his berth. Almost immediately, he felt himself slipping into recharge.
Ratchet fought it every step of the way, dreading what came next.
Darkness.
“We’re loosing him!”
“Get Scalpel”
“More wounded inbound.”
Wailing.
“Apprentice - remove the shrapnel.”
“This one’s dead.”
Screams of denial. “Not my sparkling! NO!”
“Who’s in charge here?”
“Apprentice - get over here now!”
“There’s too much spilt energon.”
“I don’t have the right equipment.”
Wailing. Cries of anguish were everywhere.
Title: Scary Story Time
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Fireflight, Hound
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Hound is currently 'top dog' when it comes to telling scary stories - but that doesn't mean others aren't willing to try to surpase Hound's story-telling abilities.
Prompt #4 “Be afraid. Be very afraid. … ”
“Oh, can I tell the next scary story?” Fireflight raised his hand, nearly bouncing in place.
Hound laughed. “I haven’t even gotten the holographic fire going.”
“So?” Fireflight responded. “The night is perfect for telling scary stories.”
“It is.” Hound shook his head. “Shall I finish the supernatural tale I started last time?”
“Hey, everyone!” Sideswipe bellowed over the intercom. “Hound’s finishing up his story.”
Fireflight jumped up to avoid being trampled as everyone - or so it seemed - rushed outside and surrounded the tracker, eager for the next installment.
“Alright, where was I?” Hound asked, creating the illusions of a Cybertronian campfire over himself.
“Last time, the sparkles empty was about to bite Beta’s neck,” Fireflight recalled.
The visual-only bonfire flickered, and then the tale resumed.
No mech dared to breath while Hound spoke, weaving a fine web of suspense, terror, horror, and action as Beta was attacked (but not killed) by the sparkles empty and his feudal army of undead victims.
When a car backfired, Fireflight wasn’t the only one to jump up in fright, then laugh at his reaction to the unexpected noise.
Title: Mistaken Identity
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Fireflight, Aerialbots
Rating: K
Continuity: Generation 1
Warnings/Content: crack
Prompt #5 Soft touch
“Can we keep him.”
Silverbolt put down his infopad. “Where did you pick up the kitty?”
Slingshot looked up. “A cat?” He beheld the furry creature cradled in Fireflight’s arms. “Let me see.”
AirRaid vented. “This isn’t going to end well,” he predicted.
Skydive shoved him. “Isn’t that my line?”
“Silverbolt, can we keep him?” Fireflight carefully scratched - not too hard or too fast -o the tawny head.
“Where did you find him, Flight?” Silverbolt saw how small the feline looked, captured by Fireflight’s arms. It seemed much bigger than the domesticated house cats Carly once showed them.
“Trying to fight a bear - look at how scratched up he is.”
“A bear?” Skydive sounded doubtful. “He was fighting a bear?”
“Yep. A big o’ Mean black bear.” Fireflight nodded, never loosening his secure hold. The tawny furred creature stirred, trying to fit his head between the aerialbot’s fingers.
“Flight, we need to return the cat.” Silverbolt insisted, even as the rest of his team found new interest in the living creature.
“No way, Silverbolt!” Slighshot protested. “it’s almost big enough for us.”
An ashen-faced Carly ran by, gasping for breath.
“Carly? What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, winded. “On the news.” (huff, puff). “A flyer was seen,” (gasp, gasp), “picking up a wild cougar,” (huff, puff)
“Hey, Carly! Have you seen my new pet?” Fireflight turned, showing off the cat.
Carly gasped - but not for air.
Title: Better to Try, than to wait
Author: Rose0mary
Characters: Trailbreaker, Sideswipe
Rating: K+
Continuity: Generation 1
Summary/Notes: Sometimes, the only way to get off the very top, is to jump and pray for the best.
Prompt #6 Setting: A high, windy place
“How do we get down from here?”
“Normally, I’d suggest using my jet-pack,” Sideswipe trailed off as he looked down, down, down, deep into the dark crevice far below.
“The jet pack might enable one of us to reach the bottom intact, but not both of us.” Trailbreaker agreed, not needing to pear over the edge to see just how high up they were. “At least, it can’t get any worse.”
The previously clear blue sky started filling with dark rain clouds.
Sideswipe punched his stuck companion. “You just had to say it.” He complained.
“You were thinking it.”
“Was not - knew better than to jinx us.”
“Was too! Wait, what’s a jinx?”
Sideswipe shrugged. “Aside from a young comic kid with superpowers, I don’t know.”
“Odd name.”
“Tell me about it.”
Some silence while the two pondered the situation. “Any bright ideas on how to get down?” Trailbreaker asked, at last.
The wind started blowing. Hard. A few scattered droplets kissed the side of the building.
“Jumping off with my jet-pack redlining?”
“We’d still crash! And that’s a long way down.”
“With the wind blowing this hard, it might push us past the bottomless pit waiting for us.”
Any objections Trailbreaker had died in his throat as lighting flashed. The light sprinkling of precipitation threatened to become a nasty downpour and soon. “Die quick, or die slow. What a choice.”
He joined Sideswipe in the (inadequately sheltered) jutting landing on the pinnacle. “Ready when you are.”
Sideswipe pushed off, turning the jet rockets on, pushing them past the safety threshold.