Prompt Fill - full set
Title: Win/Loss cost
Characters: Jazz, Beachcomber
Rating: Teen
T-Series: Generation 1
Summary:
Prompt # 1 Too much to drink.
Overcharged mechs were not an uncommon site in the Ark, Jazz knew.
But this mech? He didn’t know anyone - besides Prowl - who didn’t seek out the High Grade when it came out.
“Good morning, Beachcomber.”
The geologist gave an odd sound. “Not so loud, Jazz.”
“You’re not refueling?” Jazz had no problem grabbing an extra ration for mechs who couldn’t enter occupied rooms while their systems were hypersensitive.
“Too much charge running through my systems.” Beachcomber admitted.
Jazz smiled. “So, who won the drinking contest?” He asked, suspecting the answer from Beachcomber’s distressed field. Many mechs had tried matching the twin’s drink-for-drink high-grade sprees only to find they (systems, tanks, fuel lines, et cetera) couldn’t compete with the warriors.
“I did. Should have dropped out instead.” Beachcomber revealed more about his current status than he realized with that last bit.
“Want me to ask Prowl to rearrange the work schedule?” At this late date, so soon after a base-wide high-grade party, Jazz would probably need to fill in for any mechs that couldn’t drag themselves out of their rooms.
“No thanks - takes longer to recalibrate, if I wait it out.”
“M’kay. Let me know if your hangover gets any worse.”
Title: Family togetherness
Characters: Heatwave, Charlie Burns
Rating: K
T-Series: Rescue Bots
Prompt # 2 Setting: On a boat
“Why does Kade hate fishing?” Heatwave asked, casting his line into the water. “I had fun reeling in that metal shark.”
Charlie Burns stood next to the Rescue Bot Leader, his baited hook already in the water. “If I remember correctly neither you nor your team were excited to be here once fishing was explained.”
“That was before the shark.” Boulder was happy to give his own input.
Chase hefted his own fishing pole. “It is so good to have fishing equipment built for our size.”
Cody Burns snickered. “I don’t know. I liked see you guys struggle with poles way too small.” His bare foot dangled over the edge of the boat, just skimming the tops of the ocean swells.
“Doesn’t explain why Kade makes up excuse to avoid coming out to sea.” Heatwave refused to be deterred.
All lines bobbing, no fish nibbling the bait, Charlie sat in his chair. “Kade has trouble simply sitting and doing nothing. Patience has never been his strong suit.” Grey moustache twitched. “No one in my family enjoys waiting.”
“And fishing involves a lot of waiting.” Chase nodded as internal connections were made. “Do you think we can hook another shark?”
“No.”
Title: Best medicine
Characters: Isaac Sumdac, Sari Sumdac
Rating: K+
T-Series: Animated
Prompt # 3 Laughing until you cry
Sari Sumdac turned on the television. “Dad! Something’s wrong with the reception!”
Emerging from his lab, Isaac Sumdac glanced at the images playing on the screen.
“See?” Sari pointed at the black-and-white movie.
“It’s not broken, sweetie.” Isaac explained, sitting down in his comfortable chair to watch. “It’s supposed to be displayed like this.”
Grumbling to herself while secretly pleased her father was actually spending time with her instead of whatever invention he was working on downstairs, Sari said something about wanting more color in the old comedy.
As Stan Laural and Oliver Hardy continued their slapstick antics, Isaac laughed. Then, he started howling as the duo getting into even sticker situations. By the time the show finally ended, Mister Sumdac had tears streaming down his cheeks. “I keep forgetting just how funny those two clowns could be.”
“Yeah,” Sari snuggled in closer to her father, as he absentmindedly wrapped his arm around her. “Maybe old-black and white movies are okay.”
Title: Passing interview
Characters: Starscream, Onslaught
Rating: K
T-Series: Generation 1
Prompt # 4 “Only Two More To Go.”
Starscream looked over at his silent companions. “Only two more to go?” He groused, wondering when Decepticon recruiters had slacked off when determining which applicants were capable of being valuable fighters instead of simply untrained shock troops - foot soldiers without a mediocre level of experience cost more than they were worth, when they were ordered to the Nemesis.
“These two better be worth it.” The previous twenty didn’t look ready to survive even one orn battling the best enemy troops, let alone one vorn.
Thundercracker gave an unseen signal, and the next-to-last transfer soldier stepped up, saluted Starscream. “Onslaught reporting as ordered.”
The Decepticon Air-commander let the mech hold his poise for several long breems. Finally, “so, your records say you’re a gestalt leader.” Starscream pointedly looked around. “Where’s your team?”
“Already gone through the inspection and general approval.” Onslaught smirked when Starscream couldn’t keep a look of dismay cross his features. “Yep. Those idiots are mine - and we are more capable than expected.”
“Very well. Welcome to The Nemesis.” After Onslaught walked past, Starscream glared at the mechs by his side. “You could have warned me.” He whined.
“Now, where would the fun be in that?” Skywarp asked, snickering.
Title: Learning by experience
Characters: Hook, unnamed
Rating: Teens
T-Series: Generation 1
Prompt # 5 “I’m sorry, I didn’t listen.”
“Next time someone shouts ‘duck’ you duck!” Hook pulled shrapnel from the wounded soldier, ignoring the fact his yanking was causing more injury to the incapacitated Decepticon. “There’s a reason we - and they - keep an optic on that mech during battle, even when fully focused on removing other irritating mechanoids.”
Unable to wince, the con wilted under Hook’s not-so-tender mercies. “I’m sorry!” He wailed. “I didn’t listen.”
“Oh, you don’t know the meaning of ‘sorry’.” Hook finished digging out every broken metal shard that didn’t belong to the wounded soldier underneath him. “’Sorry’ involves being repentant and never doing it again - slaggers like you are all alike: saying sorry just to avoid getting in trouble, but going right back to doing the same habits that got you caught in the first place.”
Still leaking energon - through lines nicked by Hook and injuries received during the battle - the soldier wished a different medic was fixing him. And that he’d listened when everyone suggested waiting for someone else, letting the jagged edges of foreign material work deeper into vital systems, instead of finding this mech.
“Stupid Seeker, shouldn’t even have survived his first battle - from now on pay attention to your surroundings!”
Title: Absentminded
Characters: Charlie Burns, Chase
Rating: K
T-Series: Rescue Bots
Prompt # 6 “Don’t Stop.”
“Chief Burns.”
“Go ahead, Chase.”
“There seems to be an abnormal amount of unfinished machines in this vicinity.”
“That’s Professor Kettleburn for you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Kettleburns will start one project, and before it’s complete, he finds something else to build or fiddle with.”
“I see … Does this Professor Kettleburn ever go back and finish an earlier design?”
“Sometimes. Usually when he’s suffering from insomnia, or is lacking inspiration.”
“All these half-built machine parts are cluttering up his yard. Are you sure we cannot give him a ticket for littering?”
“That yard is his private property. We do nothing.”
Characters: Jazz, Beachcomber
Rating: Teen
T-Series: Generation 1
Summary:
Prompt # 1 Too much to drink.
Overcharged mechs were not an uncommon site in the Ark, Jazz knew.
But this mech? He didn’t know anyone - besides Prowl - who didn’t seek out the High Grade when it came out.
“Good morning, Beachcomber.”
The geologist gave an odd sound. “Not so loud, Jazz.”
“You’re not refueling?” Jazz had no problem grabbing an extra ration for mechs who couldn’t enter occupied rooms while their systems were hypersensitive.
“Too much charge running through my systems.” Beachcomber admitted.
Jazz smiled. “So, who won the drinking contest?” He asked, suspecting the answer from Beachcomber’s distressed field. Many mechs had tried matching the twin’s drink-for-drink high-grade sprees only to find they (systems, tanks, fuel lines, et cetera) couldn’t compete with the warriors.
“I did. Should have dropped out instead.” Beachcomber revealed more about his current status than he realized with that last bit.
“Want me to ask Prowl to rearrange the work schedule?” At this late date, so soon after a base-wide high-grade party, Jazz would probably need to fill in for any mechs that couldn’t drag themselves out of their rooms.
“No thanks - takes longer to recalibrate, if I wait it out.”
“M’kay. Let me know if your hangover gets any worse.”
Title: Family togetherness
Characters: Heatwave, Charlie Burns
Rating: K
T-Series: Rescue Bots
Prompt # 2 Setting: On a boat
“Why does Kade hate fishing?” Heatwave asked, casting his line into the water. “I had fun reeling in that metal shark.”
Charlie Burns stood next to the Rescue Bot Leader, his baited hook already in the water. “If I remember correctly neither you nor your team were excited to be here once fishing was explained.”
“That was before the shark.” Boulder was happy to give his own input.
Chase hefted his own fishing pole. “It is so good to have fishing equipment built for our size.”
Cody Burns snickered. “I don’t know. I liked see you guys struggle with poles way too small.” His bare foot dangled over the edge of the boat, just skimming the tops of the ocean swells.
“Doesn’t explain why Kade makes up excuse to avoid coming out to sea.” Heatwave refused to be deterred.
All lines bobbing, no fish nibbling the bait, Charlie sat in his chair. “Kade has trouble simply sitting and doing nothing. Patience has never been his strong suit.” Grey moustache twitched. “No one in my family enjoys waiting.”
“And fishing involves a lot of waiting.” Chase nodded as internal connections were made. “Do you think we can hook another shark?”
“No.”
Title: Best medicine
Characters: Isaac Sumdac, Sari Sumdac
Rating: K+
T-Series: Animated
Prompt # 3 Laughing until you cry
Sari Sumdac turned on the television. “Dad! Something’s wrong with the reception!”
Emerging from his lab, Isaac Sumdac glanced at the images playing on the screen.
“See?” Sari pointed at the black-and-white movie.
“It’s not broken, sweetie.” Isaac explained, sitting down in his comfortable chair to watch. “It’s supposed to be displayed like this.”
Grumbling to herself while secretly pleased her father was actually spending time with her instead of whatever invention he was working on downstairs, Sari said something about wanting more color in the old comedy.
As Stan Laural and Oliver Hardy continued their slapstick antics, Isaac laughed. Then, he started howling as the duo getting into even sticker situations. By the time the show finally ended, Mister Sumdac had tears streaming down his cheeks. “I keep forgetting just how funny those two clowns could be.”
“Yeah,” Sari snuggled in closer to her father, as he absentmindedly wrapped his arm around her. “Maybe old-black and white movies are okay.”
Title: Passing interview
Characters: Starscream, Onslaught
Rating: K
T-Series: Generation 1
Prompt # 4 “Only Two More To Go.”
Starscream looked over at his silent companions. “Only two more to go?” He groused, wondering when Decepticon recruiters had slacked off when determining which applicants were capable of being valuable fighters instead of simply untrained shock troops - foot soldiers without a mediocre level of experience cost more than they were worth, when they were ordered to the Nemesis.
“These two better be worth it.” The previous twenty didn’t look ready to survive even one orn battling the best enemy troops, let alone one vorn.
Thundercracker gave an unseen signal, and the next-to-last transfer soldier stepped up, saluted Starscream. “Onslaught reporting as ordered.”
The Decepticon Air-commander let the mech hold his poise for several long breems. Finally, “so, your records say you’re a gestalt leader.” Starscream pointedly looked around. “Where’s your team?”
“Already gone through the inspection and general approval.” Onslaught smirked when Starscream couldn’t keep a look of dismay cross his features. “Yep. Those idiots are mine - and we are more capable than expected.”
“Very well. Welcome to The Nemesis.” After Onslaught walked past, Starscream glared at the mechs by his side. “You could have warned me.” He whined.
“Now, where would the fun be in that?” Skywarp asked, snickering.
Title: Learning by experience
Characters: Hook, unnamed
Rating: Teens
T-Series: Generation 1
Prompt # 5 “I’m sorry, I didn’t listen.”
“Next time someone shouts ‘duck’ you duck!” Hook pulled shrapnel from the wounded soldier, ignoring the fact his yanking was causing more injury to the incapacitated Decepticon. “There’s a reason we - and they - keep an optic on that mech during battle, even when fully focused on removing other irritating mechanoids.”
Unable to wince, the con wilted under Hook’s not-so-tender mercies. “I’m sorry!” He wailed. “I didn’t listen.”
“Oh, you don’t know the meaning of ‘sorry’.” Hook finished digging out every broken metal shard that didn’t belong to the wounded soldier underneath him. “’Sorry’ involves being repentant and never doing it again - slaggers like you are all alike: saying sorry just to avoid getting in trouble, but going right back to doing the same habits that got you caught in the first place.”
Still leaking energon - through lines nicked by Hook and injuries received during the battle - the soldier wished a different medic was fixing him. And that he’d listened when everyone suggested waiting for someone else, letting the jagged edges of foreign material work deeper into vital systems, instead of finding this mech.
“Stupid Seeker, shouldn’t even have survived his first battle - from now on pay attention to your surroundings!”
Title: Absentminded
Characters: Charlie Burns, Chase
Rating: K
T-Series: Rescue Bots
Prompt # 6 “Don’t Stop.”
“Chief Burns.”
“Go ahead, Chase.”
“There seems to be an abnormal amount of unfinished machines in this vicinity.”
“That’s Professor Kettleburn for you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Kettleburns will start one project, and before it’s complete, he finds something else to build or fiddle with.”
“I see … Does this Professor Kettleburn ever go back and finish an earlier design?”
“Sometimes. Usually when he’s suffering from insomnia, or is lacking inspiration.”
“All these half-built machine parts are cluttering up his yard. Are you sure we cannot give him a ticket for littering?”
“That yard is his private property. We do nothing.”