prompt 2 response
Title: The Morning Routine
Universe: G1, Melodies of Life AU
Rating: G
Prompt: #2 The Cybertronian equivalent of cookies
Characters: Cosmos, Swoop
Content Advisory: a highly implausible Autobot kitchen and bakery, fluff
Notes: written for the July 19 round at tf_speedwriting.
Cosmos hummed happily to himself as he turned on the lights in his kitchen. He waved to the security camera, knowing that Red Alert would be on shift and watching, and made a note to be sure and have the security director's favorite blend ready when Red was off shift. Quickly, he crossed the room and began checking his ingredients, making sure he had enough for a fresh batch of treats for his teammates. While he took inventory--he would have to remember to ask Prowl to order in some more of the silica beads he used for a thickening agent--he sent a message to Swoop asking the Dinobot to come play delivery mech for him.
Once he had received Swoop's answering message--a very happy yes--he began pulling out ingredients. First was the liquid energon they all required for fuel. Then the sweetening agent, a simple chemical blend Wheeljack had created that had no nutritional value but tasted very good, and some nickel for a tart contrast. Then the last of his thickening agent and some oxidized copper flakes. Finally, he retrieved his mixing bowl, spoon and measuring scoops.
He still didn't understand why the humans didn't find alternate uses for the copper once it oxidized and became useless in their technology, but he was glad that they were willing enough to sell it to the Autobots. Everyone--especially Prowl--loved having the additive for their energon.
With steady hands, Cosmos began measuring out his ingredients. He put the thickener into his bowl first, then poured in the energon. He let the silica absorb some of the energon for a few seconds, then stirred them together. Once the energon had broken the silica down and the ingredients blended into a paste, he added the sweeter and stirred again. He let the mixture rest and turned to his block of nickel.
He didn't really like working with nickel but it was Tracks' sparkday and nickel was one of his favorites, so it was worth the extra effort today's treats would take.
The minibot reached for his grinder and began feeding the metal into it. The machine growled as it broke the metal down into small chips and Cosmos frowned. He would have to send the device in for repairs, something he was certain Wheeljack wouldn't have time for until next week at the earliest.
Once the nickel was ground down--and his poor tool smoking from the effort--Cosmos unplugged the grinder and took the container of chips back to his mixing bowl. He stirred as he dumped them in, making sure they were as evenly distributed as possible. Then the minbot let the mixture sit again, and pulled out a baking sheet.
He checked the teflon covering of the sheet and was pleased when the human-made substance still showed no signs of wear or corrosion. None of them had been sure that energon wouldn't do damage to the coating, but the manufacturer's promise seemed to be holding up. He turned on his oven and carried the baking sheet back to his mixing bowl.
"You Cosmos need help?" Swoop ducked through his small doorway and peered intently into the green mech's mixing bowl.
"Not with this, Swoop. But you can start on the morning rations if you like. Seeker grade for Prowl and Tracks, a double size mid-grade for Optimus, you and your brothers, and standard grade for everyone else."
"Okay." The Dinobot smiled and nodded. "Us put little sprinkles on top?"
"Copper in Prowl's, sulfur for everyone else. Ratchet has been complaining about mineral deficiencies for our self-repair systems again." Cosmos picked up his bowl and poured the contents onto the baking sheet.
"Us should put nickel in, then." Swoop opened the cabinet where the minibot stored the reusable energon cubes.
"It's in the cookies," the green mech replied. "And my grinder died this morning. Wheeljack will have to repair it before we can put nickel in anything else."
"Me Swoop take it to him Wheeljack after breakfast. Me not want go without self-repair."
Cosmos nodded. "Me either."
They worked in silence after that. Cosmos scooped the last of the treat mix out of the bowl and onto the pan. Then he spread it across the baking sheet in an even layer, making sure that no cookie would end up significantly thicker than any of the others. When he was satisfied with the distribution of the mixture, he reached for the bowl of copper flakes and sprinkled them on top. He set the bowl next to Swoop when he was finished, so that the Dinobot could add copper to Prowl's energon and then picked up the baking sheet.
Carefully, Cosmos carried it to the oven and put the cookies inside. Then he set a timer and returned to Swoop's side.
"When the cookies are done, we'll slice them and you can take those and Tracks' ration to his room for his sparkday."
"Can me Swoop have one while cookies am still warm?" The Dinobot asked earnestly.
Cosmos laughed. "Of course you can. You can have yours, then take Tracks his sparkday present."
Universe: G1, Melodies of Life AU
Rating: G
Prompt: #2 The Cybertronian equivalent of cookies
Characters: Cosmos, Swoop
Content Advisory: a highly implausible Autobot kitchen and bakery, fluff
Notes: written for the July 19 round at tf_speedwriting.
Cosmos hummed happily to himself as he turned on the lights in his kitchen. He waved to the security camera, knowing that Red Alert would be on shift and watching, and made a note to be sure and have the security director's favorite blend ready when Red was off shift. Quickly, he crossed the room and began checking his ingredients, making sure he had enough for a fresh batch of treats for his teammates. While he took inventory--he would have to remember to ask Prowl to order in some more of the silica beads he used for a thickening agent--he sent a message to Swoop asking the Dinobot to come play delivery mech for him.
Once he had received Swoop's answering message--a very happy yes--he began pulling out ingredients. First was the liquid energon they all required for fuel. Then the sweetening agent, a simple chemical blend Wheeljack had created that had no nutritional value but tasted very good, and some nickel for a tart contrast. Then the last of his thickening agent and some oxidized copper flakes. Finally, he retrieved his mixing bowl, spoon and measuring scoops.
He still didn't understand why the humans didn't find alternate uses for the copper once it oxidized and became useless in their technology, but he was glad that they were willing enough to sell it to the Autobots. Everyone--especially Prowl--loved having the additive for their energon.
With steady hands, Cosmos began measuring out his ingredients. He put the thickener into his bowl first, then poured in the energon. He let the silica absorb some of the energon for a few seconds, then stirred them together. Once the energon had broken the silica down and the ingredients blended into a paste, he added the sweeter and stirred again. He let the mixture rest and turned to his block of nickel.
He didn't really like working with nickel but it was Tracks' sparkday and nickel was one of his favorites, so it was worth the extra effort today's treats would take.
The minibot reached for his grinder and began feeding the metal into it. The machine growled as it broke the metal down into small chips and Cosmos frowned. He would have to send the device in for repairs, something he was certain Wheeljack wouldn't have time for until next week at the earliest.
Once the nickel was ground down--and his poor tool smoking from the effort--Cosmos unplugged the grinder and took the container of chips back to his mixing bowl. He stirred as he dumped them in, making sure they were as evenly distributed as possible. Then the minbot let the mixture sit again, and pulled out a baking sheet.
He checked the teflon covering of the sheet and was pleased when the human-made substance still showed no signs of wear or corrosion. None of them had been sure that energon wouldn't do damage to the coating, but the manufacturer's promise seemed to be holding up. He turned on his oven and carried the baking sheet back to his mixing bowl.
"You Cosmos need help?" Swoop ducked through his small doorway and peered intently into the green mech's mixing bowl.
"Not with this, Swoop. But you can start on the morning rations if you like. Seeker grade for Prowl and Tracks, a double size mid-grade for Optimus, you and your brothers, and standard grade for everyone else."
"Okay." The Dinobot smiled and nodded. "Us put little sprinkles on top?"
"Copper in Prowl's, sulfur for everyone else. Ratchet has been complaining about mineral deficiencies for our self-repair systems again." Cosmos picked up his bowl and poured the contents onto the baking sheet.
"Us should put nickel in, then." Swoop opened the cabinet where the minibot stored the reusable energon cubes.
"It's in the cookies," the green mech replied. "And my grinder died this morning. Wheeljack will have to repair it before we can put nickel in anything else."
"Me Swoop take it to him Wheeljack after breakfast. Me not want go without self-repair."
Cosmos nodded. "Me either."
They worked in silence after that. Cosmos scooped the last of the treat mix out of the bowl and onto the pan. Then he spread it across the baking sheet in an even layer, making sure that no cookie would end up significantly thicker than any of the others. When he was satisfied with the distribution of the mixture, he reached for the bowl of copper flakes and sprinkled them on top. He set the bowl next to Swoop when he was finished, so that the Dinobot could add copper to Prowl's energon and then picked up the baking sheet.
Carefully, Cosmos carried it to the oven and put the cookies inside. Then he set a timer and returned to Swoop's side.
"When the cookies are done, we'll slice them and you can take those and Tracks' ration to his room for his sparkday."
"Can me Swoop have one while cookies am still warm?" The Dinobot asked earnestly.
Cosmos laughed. "Of course you can. You can have yours, then take Tracks his sparkday present."