Fortresses are built better with friends
For two whole weeks... 14 straight days... an entire fortnight... I don't have to be me.
It's a weird thing to say, but it's true. Not only am I on leave from work, I have nothing to do. No arrangements to make. No houses to shift between. Neither journalistic duties nor responsibilities. stareyednight is still working, meaning I've long expanses in which I'm not thinking like a husband. LJ leaves tonight for a two-week interstate trip with her mother and so, for the first time since she was born, I'll have an honest-to-God break from being a father. All that has defined me since 2004 is, for 336 hours, absent.
Though I'll miss LJ like crazy, the resultant feeling of freedom is intoxicating.
And then there's my Transformers. They've been in storage since October of last year and the separation has been killing me. I've done a great job, since we moved in, of focusing on our immediate needs (bedrooms, kitchen, phone and internet, cable TV) while putting aside my slavering desire to display cool toys. My plan was simple: I'd spend my fortnight leave resurrecting the Fortress of Geekitude and I'd start by loading the shelves scraptracker bought, for my birthday, with 'bots and 'cons.
It's been the best birthday present I've ever given myself.
Whatever did we do before Ikea? I'd been struggling to decide what sort of shelving I wanted for my new TF display. stareyednight, my folks and I happened upon this layout while shopping for a kitchen table. It was perfect, so it came home with us (none of the tables did; a task for another time, that). My wife and I pieced these together over subsequent nights (given there was no hurry) and repetitive menial labour made for a nice change from the stories I've covered lately. Hammers really do fix everything!
People used to ask how often I dusted the TF shelves and how difficult it was. The answers were "as infrequently as possible" and "ridiculously". The old Transformers display was a real jigsaw puzzle. My entire collection fit on two shelves, yes, but only in a certain and precise configuration. So this Fortress of Geekitude had to be better (and much more user-friendly) than its predecessor. That meant no more jigsaw puzzle, no more complexity and, above all else, no more dusting.
Glass doors were the answer. doggypanter and I put them up on Monday afternoon (turns out hard work eases wrestling disappointment, too). I'm particularly proud of them because, for a change, I was the one to smooth out their bugs. I managed to get them properly aligned and ensure they were flush when closed. Handyman work is far from my forte, but I'm improving. doggypanter, meanwhile, anchored them to the wall and to each other, as they tended to pitch forward when opened.
The only thing left to do was bring home the 'bots. I was so excited about that. I packed my Transformers away in October, back when we first started trying to sell our old house. For almost six months, I soldiered on through unprecedented levels of personal pressure without a release valve. It might sound silly to some but my comic room is my essential "escape pod" (as LJ calls it) from the oft-depressing realities of daily journalism. Storing my treasured toys created stress of its own. Had they broken in transport or close quarters? Had I found all their accessories before we moved? Did I flip down Optimus Prime's oh-so-fragile smokestacks? Such thoughts made my brain itch.
On Tuesday, thebagbunny and I picked my TFs up from elizabethjessie, who'd been kind enough to babysit (protoform-sit?) for me. The drive home was a little scary (particularly the rattling/shaking noises as we rounded corners), but my friend was convinced everything would be fine. He was right: a flurry of gleeful unpacking proved my most beloved characters were hale, hearty and structurally sound. There were but two casualties (a sticker on Rodimus Prime's trailer, and someone of whom we'll speak later) so I danced around the house saying "ze babiez, ze babiez are back!" in a horrid German accent over and over again. I was happy - sue me.
We didn't have a lot of time before dinner plans kicked in, but thebagbunny and I made the best of those precious hours. I'd had a plan in my head for how I'd arrange the toys on the shelves so I sketched it out by placing a few key characters in their potential positions. Sometimes it worked, often it didn't. I quickly realised I'd need to abandon any thought of recreating the previous design. That wasn't an especially bad thing. New house, new start, new look. Perhaps by year of release, instead? thebagbunny used the old TF catalogues to guide me to certain mechs while I tried out that configuration. It wasn't bad, but lacked a little something. I needed to figure out what.
Dinner was great, though I'd be lying if I didn't say part of me was still mulling over display concepts. stareyednight wasn't feeling the best when we got home (her work is stressful, too) and so went to bed. Once I'd lulled her to sleep with cuddles, I bounced downstairs to keep playing. I figured I'd queue the Transformers: The Movie soundtrack up on my iPod and put in another hour before bed.
But I got excited.
As Stan Bush crooned and late evening turned to early morning, the plans in my head crystalised. All thoughts of sleep were erased by energy, euphoria and adrenalin. I had my 'bots back - sleep could wait until after playtime! No naps for this excited kiddie, no sir! Using the release catalogs as a basic structure, I riffed on classic comic story lines and my favourite cartoon episodes to pepper the arrangement with in-jokes and referential nods. By 3am, all of that - combined with space issues - had conspired to create... this!
stareyednight was pretty darn gobsmacked to find this waiting for her, downstairs, on Wednesday morning. I was heavily sleep-deprived but beaming with pride. I utterly adore this set-up, you guys.
The comic room is off to your left as you walk into our house, and the shelves are in the far-left corner of that room. It's eye-catching and interesting without overwhelming visitors. The glass makes it look... classy, like a "proper collection" instead of a bunch of toys. Having Cybertron/Primus on top is both a space concern and the first of the in-jokes (god at the top, the devil at the bottom) and, while the masks ain't G1, their presence means Peter Cullen speaks from my display at the press of a button.
One thing I'd wanted to keep from the old set-up was the "leaders in the middle, armies to the side" system (I call it my "movie poster look"). Having less width to work with, I decided to split both the Autobot and Decepticon crews between their different leaders (the Primes and the... uh... "Trons"). My original idea saw just Optimus, Rodimus, Megatron and Galvatron in the central column. Quickly, I realised this was a criminal waste of space. thebagbunny suggested bulking it out with the lieutenants, which became a big part of the late night work.
The Optimus shelf was a no-brainer. When Transformers first debuted in 1984, all the Autobot merchandising centred around Prime, Jazz, Prowl, Bumblebee and Spike (I still have the colouring books that prove this). They were the first "hero fantasy" offered up by Hasbro and, while not my favourite, it remains too iconic to ignore. Jazz's missile launcher is also on display for the very first time, just to give him a bit of heft and clout. To this day I can't decide which version of Prime (original or Powermaster) I prefer... thankfully, I'm not required to choose.
In my original concept, Hod Rod and Rodimus Prime shared their shelf with Primus as a sort of "messiah evolution" thing. thebagbunny and I had only just left the house when I realised that was the wrong move. The goal was to have a G1 display and, in robot mode, the big guy looks nothing like a G1 toy. He'd have to go... but who to replace him with? The answer lay in the past: I had photographed the 1986 movie crew together, and loved it, but never been able to display them together. So what the hell was stopping me now?
Everyone is there... save for Springer, who (a) threw off the balance, and (b) had a far more important place to be. Rodimus is up on a stand to give him some much-needed height and importance and, while I'd always choose to have Ultra Magnus front-and-centre, the mech himself almost certainly prefers to be off to one side. My third-party Arcee looks even more impressive in this company. I'm a little annoyed at the loss (likely years ago) of Wreck-Gar's axe, mind. Its absence kicked off a theme for the unpacking, to which we'll return shortly.
There was even less to think about with the Megatron shelf. Megs, Starscream and Soundwave - they are the Decepticons as far as most people are concerned. Frenzy (who is blue, dammit) was the other casualty of the move (his leg joint snapped) and that resulted in his promotion to the central shelf (he's safely tucked away in Soundwave's tape deck). Ravage was a last-minute addition based on two things: the classic story State Games and librarian_bot's masterful fanfic retelling of the G1 mythos. Also: yay, energon cubes!
Rodimus may have lost the back-up of his god, but there was no chance I'd free Galvatron from his personal demon. Unicron may be a re-working of a non-G1 product but he's designed to stand in for the toy Hasbro never made; that's good enough for me. His stance and hand placements are meant to suggest a "puppet master" hold over Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge... the strings which all three tried to sever, time and again, in the UK comics. Issues of scale aside, they make for a great set.
The Autobots, 1985 through 1986, kick off the left-hand set of shelves. Yes, my intent had been to start off with the 1984 crew but... well, you'll see in a minute why that changed. I'm especially happy with the placement of Blaster. Having him there, surrounded by the others, evokes everything from the Cybertron Seven to Auto-Bop and Blaster Blues. I had to have Hoist/Grapple and Red Alert/Inferno close together, too. Can't break up the happy couples, now, can I? Red's also next to Omega Supreme so that he'll feel safe.
Owning the original roster of the Wreckers is one of my (many) points of collecting pride. The Dinbots are cool, sure, but nothing beats "Wreck 'n Rule". This is, undoubtedly, where Springer belongs. The large space behind him is borne of optimism: surely, someday, Hasbro or e-Hobby will repurpose an existing G1 toy as Impactor (or, even better, Emirate Xaaron). The boys are surrounded by their UK-run co-stars, the "Sparkler Mini-bots", so as to allow for an IDW nod (Guzzle, represent!).
Please note, also, the plum spots given to Rewind, Tailgate, Skids and "Call me Death"... uh, sorry, Swerve. I can't imagine what might have prompted that.
They're followed by the Decepticons, 1985 through 1986/87. Organising these guys was something of a headache. Their years of release are clear enough but the order in which they debuted across the comics and cartoons muddies the waters somewhat. In the end, I went with what looked good. Carnivac is the odd 'con out. He couldn't fit on his chronological shelf, so I thought it best he join the other Mayhem Attack Squad members... who have nowhere else to go.
(Side note: Runabout and Runamuck still transform, even after all this time! No one's more surprised about that than me, especially given they popped open - without warning - around 2am. Troublemakers to the end, those two.)
Trypticon's ultra-dynamic pose is an accident of space considerations (his tail's too long to fit behind the glass). I've had a random G2 mech (who knew I owned any?) sub for Wipe-Out, and I think it works. Counterpunch is hiding in the background, appropriately, while Ratbat is surrounded by Soundwave's lesser-known minions (even Wingthing!). Sixshot, Snap-Trap and Predaking bring the lethality to this shelf. I've long had a soft spot for the "butcher of the bogs"; he's one of my favourite late-release Transformers.
Topping off the right-hand shelf is the crew of the Ark - the 1984 Autobots and Dinobots. Wow. That lot just scream "Transformers", don't they? They also illustrate one of the things I find most powerful about the original toy line: everyone's size, shape and style differs. That's because every mold has a different corporate origin, true, but they look like a race of beings - unique and individual - more than they do a homogenous toy range. I love that, and wish the newer assortments could match that feel.
Anyway: this shelf's thick with in-jokes (Cliffjumper next to both Mirage and Hound; Ratchet amongst with the Dinobots with Wheeljack off to one side; Ironhide and Bluestreak) and also features my fan-character, Proscenium, as realised by falcadore and newsy891. Gears is in a prominent spot because he was my very first Transformer (aww), while Snarl is in robot mode because he's always been my favourite Dinobot in terms of design (story-wise, no one beats Grimlock).
Beneath them stands the cause of the left-right orientation issues. My primary goal in all of this was to fit Fortress Maximus behind the glass. Someone's space had to be cut and, as stareyednight pointed out, cramping Omega Supreme was pointless. The Ark crew don't suffer for their loss and Grimlock gets to stand above "Forktongue Maxipuss"... everyone wins! This shelf also shows the influence Simon Furman had on my buying habits (hiya, Nightbeat and Highbrow!) and some tiny ideas of my own.
There really weren't all that many Decepticons in 1984/85, were there? This shelf is the barest of them all and that's not for any lack of completeness (though should I ever break down and finally buy the Deluxe Insecticons, there's room). This is also home of the soon-to-be-replaced Devastator. The poor guy's held together with Blu-tack and good intentions right now. He'll join my original Optimus and Jazz in bubble wrap as soon as I can track down the 2011 gift set re-release (no G1 Transformer is ever thrown away).
The final shelf fills me with story ideas. Thunderwing as a religious zealot obsessed with the Matrix. Ruckus as the Decepticon equivalent of Bumblebee - fiercely loyal and desperate to prove himself. Banzai-Tron as Thunderwing's "Iago", whispering secrets learned through his network of spy-drones. Krok watching all this and reporting to the metallikato master, Bludgeon, who wants to run through his rival and take leadership for himself. Wildfly circling them all, preaching doomsday because "Monstructor is coming". Dreadwing and Darkwing glumly agreeing.
I might have to write that fic, someday.
My next Transformers goal? Accessories. Wreck-Gar's missing axe caused me to pay closer attention to missing pieces (like Thundercracker's tail fins). They irk me. Given Hasbro's not producing any new items I want, I'm decided to spend my time/spare cash tarting up the 'bots and 'cons I love so dearly. I think they deserve the extra TLC after six months in boxes, don't you?
Having everything out on display feels... amazing, quite frankly. The dream house/dream job/dream wife/dream child combo only gets better with the addition of "dream Transformers collection". I remember school projects in which we were asked to design the house we wanted and mine always had some sort of Transformers room. Now it's real and I'm deliriously happy. I keep running down the stairs at random intervals just to look at it (which is, of course, the point). And I couldn't have done it without everyone's help - my thanks to each and every one of you.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF
It's a weird thing to say, but it's true. Not only am I on leave from work, I have nothing to do. No arrangements to make. No houses to shift between. Neither journalistic duties nor responsibilities. stareyednight is still working, meaning I've long expanses in which I'm not thinking like a husband. LJ leaves tonight for a two-week interstate trip with her mother and so, for the first time since she was born, I'll have an honest-to-God break from being a father. All that has defined me since 2004 is, for 336 hours, absent.
Though I'll miss LJ like crazy, the resultant feeling of freedom is intoxicating.
And then there's my Transformers. They've been in storage since October of last year and the separation has been killing me. I've done a great job, since we moved in, of focusing on our immediate needs (bedrooms, kitchen, phone and internet, cable TV) while putting aside my slavering desire to display cool toys. My plan was simple: I'd spend my fortnight leave resurrecting the Fortress of Geekitude and I'd start by loading the shelves scraptracker bought, for my birthday, with 'bots and 'cons.
It's been the best birthday present I've ever given myself.
Whatever did we do before Ikea? I'd been struggling to decide what sort of shelving I wanted for my new TF display. stareyednight, my folks and I happened upon this layout while shopping for a kitchen table. It was perfect, so it came home with us (none of the tables did; a task for another time, that). My wife and I pieced these together over subsequent nights (given there was no hurry) and repetitive menial labour made for a nice change from the stories I've covered lately. Hammers really do fix everything!
People used to ask how often I dusted the TF shelves and how difficult it was. The answers were "as infrequently as possible" and "ridiculously". The old Transformers display was a real jigsaw puzzle. My entire collection fit on two shelves, yes, but only in a certain and precise configuration. So this Fortress of Geekitude had to be better (and much more user-friendly) than its predecessor. That meant no more jigsaw puzzle, no more complexity and, above all else, no more dusting.
Glass doors were the answer. doggypanter and I put them up on Monday afternoon (turns out hard work eases wrestling disappointment, too). I'm particularly proud of them because, for a change, I was the one to smooth out their bugs. I managed to get them properly aligned and ensure they were flush when closed. Handyman work is far from my forte, but I'm improving. doggypanter, meanwhile, anchored them to the wall and to each other, as they tended to pitch forward when opened.
The only thing left to do was bring home the 'bots. I was so excited about that. I packed my Transformers away in October, back when we first started trying to sell our old house. For almost six months, I soldiered on through unprecedented levels of personal pressure without a release valve. It might sound silly to some but my comic room is my essential "escape pod" (as LJ calls it) from the oft-depressing realities of daily journalism. Storing my treasured toys created stress of its own. Had they broken in transport or close quarters? Had I found all their accessories before we moved? Did I flip down Optimus Prime's oh-so-fragile smokestacks? Such thoughts made my brain itch.
On Tuesday, thebagbunny and I picked my TFs up from elizabethjessie, who'd been kind enough to babysit (protoform-sit?) for me. The drive home was a little scary (particularly the rattling/shaking noises as we rounded corners), but my friend was convinced everything would be fine. He was right: a flurry of gleeful unpacking proved my most beloved characters were hale, hearty and structurally sound. There were but two casualties (a sticker on Rodimus Prime's trailer, and someone of whom we'll speak later) so I danced around the house saying "ze babiez, ze babiez are back!" in a horrid German accent over and over again. I was happy - sue me.
We didn't have a lot of time before dinner plans kicked in, but thebagbunny and I made the best of those precious hours. I'd had a plan in my head for how I'd arrange the toys on the shelves so I sketched it out by placing a few key characters in their potential positions. Sometimes it worked, often it didn't. I quickly realised I'd need to abandon any thought of recreating the previous design. That wasn't an especially bad thing. New house, new start, new look. Perhaps by year of release, instead? thebagbunny used the old TF catalogues to guide me to certain mechs while I tried out that configuration. It wasn't bad, but lacked a little something. I needed to figure out what.
Dinner was great, though I'd be lying if I didn't say part of me was still mulling over display concepts. stareyednight wasn't feeling the best when we got home (her work is stressful, too) and so went to bed. Once I'd lulled her to sleep with cuddles, I bounced downstairs to keep playing. I figured I'd queue the Transformers: The Movie soundtrack up on my iPod and put in another hour before bed.
But I got excited.
As Stan Bush crooned and late evening turned to early morning, the plans in my head crystalised. All thoughts of sleep were erased by energy, euphoria and adrenalin. I had my 'bots back - sleep could wait until after playtime! No naps for this excited kiddie, no sir! Using the release catalogs as a basic structure, I riffed on classic comic story lines and my favourite cartoon episodes to pepper the arrangement with in-jokes and referential nods. By 3am, all of that - combined with space issues - had conspired to create... this!
stareyednight was pretty darn gobsmacked to find this waiting for her, downstairs, on Wednesday morning. I was heavily sleep-deprived but beaming with pride. I utterly adore this set-up, you guys.
The comic room is off to your left as you walk into our house, and the shelves are in the far-left corner of that room. It's eye-catching and interesting without overwhelming visitors. The glass makes it look... classy, like a "proper collection" instead of a bunch of toys. Having Cybertron/Primus on top is both a space concern and the first of the in-jokes (god at the top, the devil at the bottom) and, while the masks ain't G1, their presence means Peter Cullen speaks from my display at the press of a button.
One thing I'd wanted to keep from the old set-up was the "leaders in the middle, armies to the side" system (I call it my "movie poster look"). Having less width to work with, I decided to split both the Autobot and Decepticon crews between their different leaders (the Primes and the... uh... "Trons"). My original idea saw just Optimus, Rodimus, Megatron and Galvatron in the central column. Quickly, I realised this was a criminal waste of space. thebagbunny suggested bulking it out with the lieutenants, which became a big part of the late night work.
The Optimus shelf was a no-brainer. When Transformers first debuted in 1984, all the Autobot merchandising centred around Prime, Jazz, Prowl, Bumblebee and Spike (I still have the colouring books that prove this). They were the first "hero fantasy" offered up by Hasbro and, while not my favourite, it remains too iconic to ignore. Jazz's missile launcher is also on display for the very first time, just to give him a bit of heft and clout. To this day I can't decide which version of Prime (original or Powermaster) I prefer... thankfully, I'm not required to choose.
In my original concept, Hod Rod and Rodimus Prime shared their shelf with Primus as a sort of "messiah evolution" thing. thebagbunny and I had only just left the house when I realised that was the wrong move. The goal was to have a G1 display and, in robot mode, the big guy looks nothing like a G1 toy. He'd have to go... but who to replace him with? The answer lay in the past: I had photographed the 1986 movie crew together, and loved it, but never been able to display them together. So what the hell was stopping me now?
Everyone is there... save for Springer, who (a) threw off the balance, and (b) had a far more important place to be. Rodimus is up on a stand to give him some much-needed height and importance and, while I'd always choose to have Ultra Magnus front-and-centre, the mech himself almost certainly prefers to be off to one side. My third-party Arcee looks even more impressive in this company. I'm a little annoyed at the loss (likely years ago) of Wreck-Gar's axe, mind. Its absence kicked off a theme for the unpacking, to which we'll return shortly.
There was even less to think about with the Megatron shelf. Megs, Starscream and Soundwave - they are the Decepticons as far as most people are concerned. Frenzy (who is blue, dammit) was the other casualty of the move (his leg joint snapped) and that resulted in his promotion to the central shelf (he's safely tucked away in Soundwave's tape deck). Ravage was a last-minute addition based on two things: the classic story State Games and librarian_bot's masterful fanfic retelling of the G1 mythos. Also: yay, energon cubes!
Rodimus may have lost the back-up of his god, but there was no chance I'd free Galvatron from his personal demon. Unicron may be a re-working of a non-G1 product but he's designed to stand in for the toy Hasbro never made; that's good enough for me. His stance and hand placements are meant to suggest a "puppet master" hold over Galvatron, Cyclonus and Scourge... the strings which all three tried to sever, time and again, in the UK comics. Issues of scale aside, they make for a great set.
The Autobots, 1985 through 1986, kick off the left-hand set of shelves. Yes, my intent had been to start off with the 1984 crew but... well, you'll see in a minute why that changed. I'm especially happy with the placement of Blaster. Having him there, surrounded by the others, evokes everything from the Cybertron Seven to Auto-Bop and Blaster Blues. I had to have Hoist/Grapple and Red Alert/Inferno close together, too. Can't break up the happy couples, now, can I? Red's also next to Omega Supreme so that he'll feel safe.
Owning the original roster of the Wreckers is one of my (many) points of collecting pride. The Dinbots are cool, sure, but nothing beats "Wreck 'n Rule". This is, undoubtedly, where Springer belongs. The large space behind him is borne of optimism: surely, someday, Hasbro or e-Hobby will repurpose an existing G1 toy as Impactor (or, even better, Emirate Xaaron). The boys are surrounded by their UK-run co-stars, the "Sparkler Mini-bots", so as to allow for an IDW nod (Guzzle, represent!).
Please note, also, the plum spots given to Rewind, Tailgate, Skids and "Call me Death"... uh, sorry, Swerve. I can't imagine what might have prompted that.
They're followed by the Decepticons, 1985 through 1986/87. Organising these guys was something of a headache. Their years of release are clear enough but the order in which they debuted across the comics and cartoons muddies the waters somewhat. In the end, I went with what looked good. Carnivac is the odd 'con out. He couldn't fit on his chronological shelf, so I thought it best he join the other Mayhem Attack Squad members... who have nowhere else to go.
(Side note: Runabout and Runamuck still transform, even after all this time! No one's more surprised about that than me, especially given they popped open - without warning - around 2am. Troublemakers to the end, those two.)
Trypticon's ultra-dynamic pose is an accident of space considerations (his tail's too long to fit behind the glass). I've had a random G2 mech (who knew I owned any?) sub for Wipe-Out, and I think it works. Counterpunch is hiding in the background, appropriately, while Ratbat is surrounded by Soundwave's lesser-known minions (even Wingthing!). Sixshot, Snap-Trap and Predaking bring the lethality to this shelf. I've long had a soft spot for the "butcher of the bogs"; he's one of my favourite late-release Transformers.
Topping off the right-hand shelf is the crew of the Ark - the 1984 Autobots and Dinobots. Wow. That lot just scream "Transformers", don't they? They also illustrate one of the things I find most powerful about the original toy line: everyone's size, shape and style differs. That's because every mold has a different corporate origin, true, but they look like a race of beings - unique and individual - more than they do a homogenous toy range. I love that, and wish the newer assortments could match that feel.
Anyway: this shelf's thick with in-jokes (Cliffjumper next to both Mirage and Hound; Ratchet amongst with the Dinobots with Wheeljack off to one side; Ironhide and Bluestreak) and also features my fan-character, Proscenium, as realised by falcadore and newsy891. Gears is in a prominent spot because he was my very first Transformer (aww), while Snarl is in robot mode because he's always been my favourite Dinobot in terms of design (story-wise, no one beats Grimlock).
Beneath them stands the cause of the left-right orientation issues. My primary goal in all of this was to fit Fortress Maximus behind the glass. Someone's space had to be cut and, as stareyednight pointed out, cramping Omega Supreme was pointless. The Ark crew don't suffer for their loss and Grimlock gets to stand above "Forktongue Maxipuss"... everyone wins! This shelf also shows the influence Simon Furman had on my buying habits (hiya, Nightbeat and Highbrow!) and some tiny ideas of my own.
There really weren't all that many Decepticons in 1984/85, were there? This shelf is the barest of them all and that's not for any lack of completeness (though should I ever break down and finally buy the Deluxe Insecticons, there's room). This is also home of the soon-to-be-replaced Devastator. The poor guy's held together with Blu-tack and good intentions right now. He'll join my original Optimus and Jazz in bubble wrap as soon as I can track down the 2011 gift set re-release (no G1 Transformer is ever thrown away).
The final shelf fills me with story ideas. Thunderwing as a religious zealot obsessed with the Matrix. Ruckus as the Decepticon equivalent of Bumblebee - fiercely loyal and desperate to prove himself. Banzai-Tron as Thunderwing's "Iago", whispering secrets learned through his network of spy-drones. Krok watching all this and reporting to the metallikato master, Bludgeon, who wants to run through his rival and take leadership for himself. Wildfly circling them all, preaching doomsday because "Monstructor is coming". Dreadwing and Darkwing glumly agreeing.
I might have to write that fic, someday.
My next Transformers goal? Accessories. Wreck-Gar's missing axe caused me to pay closer attention to missing pieces (like Thundercracker's tail fins). They irk me. Given Hasbro's not producing any new items I want, I'm decided to spend my time/spare cash tarting up the 'bots and 'cons I love so dearly. I think they deserve the extra TLC after six months in boxes, don't you?
Having everything out on display feels... amazing, quite frankly. The dream house/dream job/dream wife/dream child combo only gets better with the addition of "dream Transformers collection". I remember school projects in which we were asked to design the house we wanted and mine always had some sort of Transformers room. Now it's real and I'm deliriously happy. I keep running down the stairs at random intervals just to look at it (which is, of course, the point). And I couldn't have done it without everyone's help - my thanks to each and every one of you.
Greet the Fire as Your Friend,
SF