Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

[Hewwo! Iz tiz da perfum store?]

Arcee stopped what she was doing at the moment, as the message bubble popped up on the holographic screen.

“Guess this bot is not good at grammar.” – She thought as she put down the package and typed on the on–screen keyboard.

[Hello there! This is Energonix Perfume Store! What can I help you with?]

The response was quick.

[Yay! Hi! I’m Wildbreak! Do u hav da gwed perfum botto?]

Judging by this literary tone, the pale pink femme guessed the one who was now chatting with her was a sparkling, who was maybe still in elementary school. What a cutie! She grinned as she typed her response. Curiosity started taking over her processor, though she already guessed the reason for Wildbreak to contact her.

Today was the Veneration of Carriers on Cybertron. Since the early morning, Arcee and her colleagues had been busy selling and advising many customers, mostly sires, from many castes, on how to choose the most suitable perfume, as a special present, for their partners on this solar cycle.

[Hello there, Wildbreak! I’m Arcee! We have a lot of red perfume bottles. Do you remember or know accurately the name of the perfume bottle you want to buy?]

This time, it took little Wildbreak a bit longer to reply. Arcee turned her helm as she heard a mech cross by.

– Hey Bee! Can you help me put this package in the storage?

– Sure! But what do you have there?

The yellow mech excitedly threw one of his restarleus over her neck as his curious optics fixed on the screen. Arcee stared at the message bubble indicating that it was still being typed, as an ellipsis animation was shown.

– A sparkling. I guess he wants to buy something for his carrier.

– Well well, seems like this little one learned much from his sire I guess!

Bumblebee chuckled. At that moment, the responsive message bubble popped up. It was a picture of a seemingly empty red perfume bottle in the trash bin. Then immediately, the next message bubble followed up with an explanation.

[I foun tiz emptee botto in da trash! My mama luv tiz perfum! He said it smeld gud on his frame!]

The picture was a bit blurry so Arcee had to zoom in and squint her optics.

– It’s the Seductive Scarlet! – Bumblebee shouted cheerfully as he started lecturing – Look at the shape of the bottle! Also, this is the currently most wanted perfume! You know, we already sold like, 100 bottles, just this morning! Even though this product belongs to the luxury segment.

– Can you please bring the package to the storage first? – Arcee glared at him, as she felt a little mean at his overenthusiastic explanation.

– Yes madam! – The energetic yellow mech jokingly saluted Arcee before leaving with the package in his restarleuses. Arcee pouted as she returned to the online conversation.

[This is the Seductive Scarlet. Of course our store has this perfume! Do you want us to ship a bottle to you?]

A response immediately popped up.

[No no no! I want tiz as a supraiz for mama :’0 Can I com tu ur store to take it? I dun’t hav a bank account so I will bring mah savin shanix!]

[Sure! But do you know our address?]

Arcee was worried. She did not want a sparkling to get lost. But then she felt relieved as Wildbreak answered.

[Dun’t worri :D My haus iz near ur store! I’ll com by afternun XD]

– He’s so cute! Hey, if you are worried, I will patrol around the store to make sure our little customer won’t go astray!

Bumblebee suddenly showed up behind Arcee, which startled her. But she was not angry at him, because of what he had said.

– Good idea! So as soon as you see the sparkling, take him to our stor…

– Hey Arcee, a new message.

It was Windblade who was saying and pointing her index digit at the holographic screen. Arcee turned her helm back and clicked on the newest message, hence opening a new chatting frame.

[Hi there, is this the famous perfume store in the centre of Iacon?]

The literary tone of this message was more mature, so Arcee carefully typed out the most proper answer.

[Greetings! Yes, we are the Energonix Perfume Store! How can we help you?]

[Yes, we are looking for a suitable perfume for our mother! Can you give us some advice?]

As soon as the responsive message bubble popped up in the chatting frame, many others immediately followed up profusely and nonstop.

[We mean]

[Uhm…]

[Our mother has a red paint job :3 Very beautiful <3]

[He was born on the first solar cycle of the summer. He is 340 vorns old this vorn. He likes the colour red most, white is his second favourite.]

[Do you have any suitable perfume for him? Based on my description of him?]

[Hey :D We heard that there’s a very popular red perfume at the moment :?]

[No! Do not listen to him! Can you tell us about every option you have?]

[Our mother is a seeker. We need a perfume which has the longest–lasting scent.]

[Do not listen to him too! Just tell us about everything you have. We need to discuss.]

[Please tell us if you have any red perfume left :( I think that one will suit him most :D]

[Not just red. It must have the most significant scent. Our mother is an elegant mech. We want the most refined perfume for him.]

[No no no. Just tell us about all the options and prices!]

Then there was complete silence as no more message bubbles popped up. Arcee glanced at Windblade, whose optics were looking at Bumblebee, who was returning the confused gaze to Arcee. The three of them decided to make a quick inference based on all the new message bubbles they had just received. As they were done analysing all the words and making guesses on the literary tone, they came up with one final and agreeable conclusion.

There were three sparklings.

The one who begged them not to listen to the other two must have been the careful eldest one.

The one who used emojis in their message could be the chaotic middle youngling.

The one who described a lot about their carrier was definitely the nerdy youngest one.

They referred to themselves as “we” and used “our” to call their carrier, so the most logical explanation was that they were spark–splitting. The seemingly youngest one said their carrier was a seeker, so it could be possible that they were spark–splitting triplets, because seeker carriers often gave birth to triplets, who later would form a trine. They were definitely fliers too, unless their sire was a grounder.

After a moment of peace, during which Windblade commented that the reason could be because they had been discussing or fighting each other, a message bubble finally popped up on the screen.

[Sorry for the enthusiasm of my younger spark–splittings. Our designations are Slipstream, Sunstorm and Starnight, respectively. We are looking for a suitable gift for our mother on this special solar cycle.]

Arcee waited for a moment to make sure that they did not have anything else to say, as she did not want to interrupt them, and then the pale pink femme answered them.

[It’s alright! My designation is Arcee, and I will help you select the most suitable gift for your dear carrier, based on your description of him, don’t worry! But I need to ask one more question so I can advise you more thoroughly!]

She sent the message and the triplets answered immediately. This time seemed like they decided to take turns typing the response.

[Sure ;) What’s your question Ms. Arcee?]

[What budget do you have at the moment, Slipstream, Sunstorm and Starnight?]

This time the answer came more slowly as the ellipsis animation danced.

– I guess they are discussing! Well, let's say that some sparklings don’t have much…

Bumblebee chimed in certainty, but then as the answered message popped up on the screen, his optics widened bewilderedly.

– Saving shanix?

[We have 5.000.000 saving shanix. Is this enough for a luxurious perfume?]

– Well, seems like uncle Bee here had judged a bot by their platings huh? – Windblade teasingly tapped on the shoulder of the still shocking yellow bot – Let me see: A seeker with red platings, his age is 340 vorns old which makes him coincidentally be my cohort, which means he is a rather young mech. His most favourite colour is red. So in my opinion, the Seductive Scarlet, which costs 2.500.000 shanix, really fits the demands of those sparklings, but also did not cost all of their saving.

The femme seeker crossed her restarleuses confidently. Arcee smiled at her.

– Good idea, Windblade! Let me tell them!

[We have the Seductive Scarlet! A luxurious perfume, famous for its long–lasting and fascinating scent. The design of the bottle is also majestic with a regal red!]

– Wait Arcee don’t send that!

Unfortunately, at that very precise moment, Arcee pressed the sending key and the reply was sent. The more unfortunate was the fast responsive message from the triplets.

[Sounds like a good recommendation! We will come to your store this evening to check it out!]

Cliffjumper sighed.

– I’m about to tell you guys that we only have one bottle left of the Seductive Scarlet!

– What?!?

The pale pink femme and the yellow mech both shouted and turned their faceplate at the red one, which startled the poor mech, while Windblade placed a servo on her faceplate and sighed. But then it was Bumblebee who frowned confusedly.

– Hold up, Cliff, how long have you been there and… known about this?

– I was wrapping the gift for our customers but I also caught up on a bit of Arcee’s online conversation. That’s why I know we’re gonna have two sides confronting each other for one perfume bottle this evening.

Cliffjumper shrugged as he suggested.

– I think you should tell them that there are none of Seductive Scarlet bottles left! I mean, tell all of them, so that we don’t have to deal with a war.

– But I don’t want to crush their hope! – Arcee sighed – The hope that I lit up, oh Primus!

At that moment, Windblade held her servo on her audial as she received a comm–link. Three bots were looking at her curiously as the femme seeker nodded and hummed. Once she ended the comm–link, she clasped her servos as she turned to the rest of her colleagues with a bright faceplate.

– Good news! Our manager said that there would be a new package of Seductive Scarlet. But the bad news: It may take a solar cycle to arrive at our store. However…

Windblade looked at the anticipated faceplates and widened optics of her colleagues, like those cyber-chicks that were waiting for the cluck from their mother cyber-hen. Hence she could not suppress her laugh:

– Dear Primus! Look at all of you! Alright, good news again: If I support the delivery team in transferring the package, it may arrive sooner, but it will still be at the end of the solar cycle. So… My only request is: Can you guys buy time for me?

– All clear, commander!

The three bots saluted Windblade as they promised her that they would take care of the sparklings.

***

As soon as the chronometer signalled that the noon break time had ended, and the first breem of the afternoon had arrived, Arcee, Bumblebee and Cliffjumper stood up from their seats as they got ready for the afternoon shift.

– Well, I will go out to patrol for the sparklings! – Bumblebee stretched his frame – Don’t want those little ones to get los…

– Hello!

– Hello there!

– Hey!

– Hi.

Those ringing sounds suddenly and coincidentally came up at the same time, which made Bumblebee jolt during his stretching. The yellow mech immediately turned his helm to the reception counter. However, he did not see anyone. Bumblebee walked to the reception counter and looked around, yet he still did not see any bots who likely had made the recent sounds.

– Down here please!

“Damn right! How can my processor be so stupid!” – The yellow mech mentally scolded himself then lowered his helm. Hence, he could see five sparklings standing in two lines: one mechling with deep–blue plating and red faceplate, who was a grounder, stood on his left, while four others stood on his right.

The four sparklings consisted of three little seekers who were triplets and a slightly taller shuttle. Based on the order of their positions in the line, Bumblebee thought the biggest one was, unbelievably, the youngest, as he could see the shuttle was the only one timidly chewing on a big energon lollipop and standing at the end of the line. The eldest one who stood at the first of the line was a femmling with red and purple plating, the middle one was a mechling who had red and orange plating, the third mechling possessed red and dark blue plating, and the youngest one, a femmling, had a thin layer of white plating that was still in development over her meshes.

– Hello there! Can I know your designations again, little ones? – Bumblebee gleefully waved his servo – Just to make sure though!

– I’m Wildbreak!

The little grounder stood on his left shouted loudly as if he wanted to assert dominance over the other fours. Yet Bumblebee felt pity for the mechling as he could see how the eldest seeker on the right line rolled her optics. She then slightly bowed toward the older mech and her younger spark–splittings all imitated her moves, only the youngest shuttle did it more clumsily.

– My designation is Slipstream! – The little femmling seeker said as she politely gestured to three sparklings behind her – This second one is Sunstorm, behind him is Starnight. The one who stands at the end is our youngest sister: Snowy.

– Alright, hello there, I’m Bumblebee and I will be accompanying you today, Wildbreak, Slipstream, Sunstorm, Starnight and Snowy! – Bumblebee walked out of the reception and knelt – I heard you guys wanted to buy something for the Veneration of Carriers?

– Yeah! The Seju… – Wildbreak clumsily replied as he tried to remember the name of the perfume, which was understandable to Bumblebee, given his assumption that Wildbreak might be only in his first grade of elementary school.

– The Seductive Scarlet! We come for it! – Sunstorm aggressively proclaimed, and the other three spark–splittings of his nodded their helms. Bumblebee looked at them scrutinisingly. His guess about their ages was that the triplets might be in the last grade of elementary school while the youngest might not even attend kindergarten yet.

– So, where is it? – Starnight pushed up his visor. – We need to take a venting test to see if it will be suitable for our mother.

– Oh, I have a sample here! – The yellow mech took off a small vial from the mini–shelf on the reception table. – Let me spray it for you.

He reminded himself that he must buy time for Windblade until she came back with the delivered package of the Seductive Scarlet.

– Oh… This is…

Slipstream shuttered and widened her optics in awe as she vented in the odour. Yet before she could make a comment, Wildbreak interrupted her with applause, which caused her a wince.

– It smells so good! No wonder mama likes it!

– I never smelled this scent on our mother’s frame, but I totally give it a great really big ten out of ten! – Sunstorm cheered.

– What do you think, Starnight? I think the scent seems to suit him. – Slipstream turned her helm toward her second–younger brother.

– I think it certainly matches his delicate personality, and elegant beauty. – Starnight rested his chin on his servo contemplatively. Bumblebee could not help but think how this little one had such a big–processor helm on his small shoulder pads.

But the triplets did not come to their conclusion yet, as they all turned their helms to their youngest sister, the shuttle. The sparkling looked at her older spark–splittings with glinted optics as she bobbed her helm and cutely hummed as the lollipop was still in her derma. Once the permission of the youngest had been given, all the flier spark–splittings twitched their wings happily, as if they were celebrating the passing vote.

Bumblebee could not suppress his chuckle at this comical voting scene and he noticed that Wildbreak also found it funny, as the mechling laughed with two servos over his derma.

– The council all agreed! – Slipstream solemnly declared like an exemplary leader – Our decision settles on the Seductive Scarlet!

– And I choose just like them! – Wildbreak also happily insisted.

Unfortunately, this dragged the yellow mech into an awkward situation. He must buy the time for Windblade. Bumblebee waved his servo clumsily as his remaining servo pointed to the shelf and the display counter:

– Happy to serve you, my little customers, however… – He tried to find a persuasive reason – At the moment, we have sold all the available bottles in the display counter.

Bumblebee placed one servo on his audial and pretended to make a comm–link to his colleague to fool the sparklings, which made him feel a bit of guilt. Once he finished making that fake comm–link, he looked back at the awaited sparklings who looked at him anticipatingly.

– So… Well… Can you guys take a quick look at other perfumes for me? While Miss Arcee goes to the storage so that she can check if there are any bottles of Seductive Scarlet left? I mean, in case she tells me that we are running out of Seductive Scarlet at the moment, you guys can find a proper replacement for your presents?

All the small faceplates were sulky immediately and Bumblebee had to quickly justify.

– You know, Seductive Scarlet is one of the best–selling products in our store!

– Fine, we will wait and try out other perfumes. – Slipstream placed her servos on the hip as she turned to her younger brothers and complained – See, Sunstorm! I told you to come to the store in the morning! Now it may be too late!

– Not my fault! – Sunstorm argued – It’s Snowy…

– Hey! Are you forgetting something? – Starnight hit his older brother’s helm.

– Ouch! – The red and orange seeker caressed his helm yet once he was about to bicker back, he met the innocent optics from the youngest shuttle. It surprised Bumblebee that the angry little seeker immediately calmed down as he murmured:

– Never blame small Snowy. And it was my fault that I did not feed her on time!

– Good! – Slipstream tapped his helm, as at the same time she looked at Snowy and soothed the youngest sparkling – Don’t cry! It’s all right!

Bumblebee secretly glanced at Wildbreak to find out that the little grounder was also interested in the dynamic between the flier spark–splittings.

– Hey, did you say Arcee? – Wildbreak suddenly questioned loudly – Is she the one who chatted with me?

– Yeah! She is the one who is responsible for answering customers’ online messages in this store! – Bumblebee explained.

– Then how about you? What is your function in this store?

It was Slipstream who asked and crossed his restarleuses. The yellow mech felt like the small femmling was judging him with such mean optics, which terrified him a little. But he also realised telling the sparklings about this store and its employees could be a good distracting tactic. Bumblebee smiled brightly:

– So, there’s Arcee, a pale pink cheery femme whose mission is answering all the calls and messages! Then there's me, Bumblebee, but you can call me Bee, and my mission is greeting the customers as well as guiding them around the store! I have an older brother, his designation is Cliffjumper, he’s red and he’s the strongest one in this store…

– I know! I know!

Wildbreak raised and waved his restarleuses as if he wanted to say, so Bumblebee stopped.

– His job is to move the heavy packages, right?

Bee’s optics widened. How could this little mechling know?

– Yeah… – The yellow mech grinned as he asked back, out of curiosity – How do you know, Wildbreak? Did you know or meet him before?

– No way! But my papa is super strong too, he works as a dock worker. He's the biggest and strongest mech!

Wildbreak told as his restarleuses swung excitedly. But then it was Starnight who put a sudden end to his excitement by starting to be academic.

– It is impossible to say that a loading worker mech has the biggest frame, or the strongest physical strength. If you do not count the Combiners, then it is the Titans who have the biggest frame on our planet. The Guardians are second to the Titans, in terms of size. The third biggest race on Cybertron is the Shuttlecrafts.

– Our father is a shuttlecraft! – Sunstorm shouted proudly – He is surely bigger than your papa!

– Hey! My papa used to be a part of a Combiner! Menasor! You know about that big scary Combiner, Menasor?

Wildbreak did not give in as he confidently said. Yet it was the knowledgeable Starnight who dispirited him:

– Menasor is not even the strongest Combiner at the moment. – The red and dark–blue sparkling confidently stated – He is not even as strong as the new rookie Superion and I am certain that he is far weaker than Devastator. And you said your papa used to be a part of Menasor, which means that currently he is not.

Wildbreak began to show his nervousness at the counterargument, but he still did not give up as he snapped back:

– But he can still throw down! Heck yeah! My papa can swing fists and hammer and smash anyone who messes with him! What about your shuttlecraft father? Is he tough too, or just a wimpy shuttlecraft?

It was Slipstream who gasped and yelled immediately:

– Our father is a scientist! He may be a pacifist and does not fight much but he is bigger and he has a photon rifle! Your papa doesn’t have a chance if he fights alone.

– Hey hey calm down…

Bumblebee tried to cool the atmosphere off. Although he felt like an argument could be a great distracting factor, as, at the moment, the sparklings were busy bickering and seemed to forget about their initial purpose, Bee also sensed that this conversational quarrel could potentially turn into a physical fight. He was sure Wildbreak alone was nothing compared to three older seekers.

– Yeah! You guys always talked about sires! How about your carriers? Today it’s the Veneration of Carriers!

– Cliffjumper! You’re not helping with this!

Bumblebee shouted and desperately hugged his helm as his older brother did nothing but only utter an “Oops” and then ran away with the packages in his restarleuses. Of course, Cliffjumper's super useful suggestion had driven the argument to a different route, which was the same bad as the first one, or worse.

– My mama’s a medic! – Wildbreak crossed his tiny restarleuses as he proudly declared – He's gorgeous, like the best mech ever! Plus, he’s super fast and a total champ with ten gold medals! And his red paint? Top–notch! Papa always said he loves mama’s red paint job too! Mama’s the best!

The little grounder did not lie. If he were asked which was the happiest couple he had ever known, he would proudly tell them about his papa and mama, all the time. He remembered papa’s lost right optic, a result of his extreme fight with uncle Motormaster, papa’s eldest brother. The fight had not cost only an optic, but also a relationship: His papa had been cast out and no longer a part of Menasor, as uncle Motormaster announced so.

Wildbreak recalled how he had cried for solar cycles as he caressed papa’s wound, which had been gently and carefully fixed by the servos and the love of mama. However, whenever he asked his creators the full story, they seemed to avoid the topic. So one solar cycle, the little grounder had sneakily gone to his two other uncles and one aunt to ask them, as he was still too scared of uncle Motormaster to ask him. He still remembered how his oldest uncle disowned his papa.

His two uncles and one aunt did not tell him the whole story either, but they did tell him the reason for the fight: Uncle Motormaster had said and tried to do an inappropriate thing to mama, and papa had done the right deeds to protect mama. They said that, and eventually, they admitted that though their eldest brother forbade them, they would always secretly support papa, their youngest brother, and mama, their sweet in–laws, if they could.

They even thanked his mama for successfully dragging papa out of not only the toxic and unfair treatment, but also the imprisonment of mind that uncle Motormaster had forced upon all of them.

Thus, for the grounder sparkling, his mama was the best mech he had ever known. And he would not let anyone play him down.

Slipstream looked at Sunstorm, who glanced at Starnight, who shot his gaze back at Slipstream. The three seekers seemed to share one protocol in their processors and they already had their shared rebuttal.

 – Our mother is a seeker… – Slipstream began – …the fastest seeker of the sky of Cybertron. No one can surpass him in a race!

– He is the most attractive seeker! – Sunstorm followed up – Many grounders and fliers admitted it after they met him!

– Mother is the current air commander of Cybertron’s elite high guard. – Starnight continued the speech – He just returned to work after giving birth to Snowy, and he is still able to catch up with the abundant workflow. His soldiers always hold a deep respect for him. Not only is he a skilful fighter, but he is also an excellent scientist, even an elite scientist like my father recognises his talent. If not for his military career, he could have become an elite scientist too.

The triplets synchronously crossed their restarleuses and slightly lifted their faceplates as they shot Wildbreak a smug gaze and simultaneously spoke:

– And our father loves him so much! He has always been the one who supports our father’s dream to become an elite scientist!

It was the thing that they were most proud of their mother. Mother was born into a higher caste than father: Mother was the talented seeker who had been assigned for greater purposes and a further career. Father, however, was just a meek shuttlecraft, who seemed to follow every stereotype this society forced on him, hence he became a transporter. But in the end, it was mother who protected father from every stereotype in this society.

Despite being a shuttlecraft, their father never gave in. He had worked hard but studied even harder. He had enrolled in an academy and became the poorest student in the science class of the academy at that time, but also the brightest student. His only weakness was his meekness, hence he had been bullied and humiliated by many students for a long time, without any resistance.

Until their mother came.

Their mother had noticed the strangely gentle giant and hard–working shuttlecraft from the science class. At first, mother, like everybody else, also teased father, but at the same time, he was the only one who was mentally impressed by their father’s restless efforts. Thus, the seeker, the elite student from the military class of the academy, started to befriend the shuttlecraft.

Mother had supported father during their entire time studying together, as he not only encouraged him, but also fought back and protected him from every doubt and denial that every other student threw at him. Their relationship and affection slowly grew through time, until they became an inseparable couple.

Now, not only their father, but also their uncles and many other bots admitted that their mother was the fiercest protector. So they would not let their mother down. The seeker triplets were proud to be mother’s sparklings and inherited his fierceness.

Bumblebee could perceive how Wildbreak was so angry to the point that tears were about to burst from his optics. The small grounder knew he could not be an opponent to the three older seekers. The yellow mech knelt next to the sparkling grounder as he was going to soothe the little one.

– B–127! What are you doing during your shift?

Unfortunately, he did not have the chance to do that.

The scold not only scared Bee but also startled the sparklings. Starnight had to turn to his youngest sister to calm her from crying. As Bumblebee lifted his faceplate, he was not surprised to see his solemn manager, Sentinel.

– Look, sir, there’s a quarrel between these sparklings and I’m trying to settle them to peace! – The yellow mech clumsily explained – Also, I changed my designation, sir. Now I’m Bumblebee!

– Your designation on your calling card is still B–127 so stop being ridiculous and daring to oppose me! – Sentinel harshly criticised the other mech then turned to the sparklings with an annoyed look on his faceplate – What do you want? If you do not come to buy anything, then leave immediately! This store is not your kindergarten and my employee is not your sitter!

– Hey! I come to buy a gift for my mama! – Wildbreak wiped away tears on his optics as he boldly stated – And I want to buy Sedutiv Scaret!

– We do too! We come to buy Seductive Scarlet for our mother! – The seeker triplets also declared seriously and synchronically.

– Sir, about that! – Bee was about to drag Sentinel away and tell his manager about the situation and his plan, but the other had reacted faster.

– The Seductive Scarlet? We only have one bottle left! B–127, stop fooling around and sell that one damn left bottle to whomever you decide to sell to!

Sentinel warned his employee then hurriedly left as soon as he received a comm–link, leaving Bumblebee alone with the now bewildered sparklings.

– Hey! Has Arcee comm–linked you back, Mister Bumblebee? – It was Slipstream who slightly tapped on the plating of his stabilising servo and asked.

– Yeah! It’s been a while! – Sunstorm yelled. – We need to go home early! Our mother does not allow us to be outside for too long! He will detain us again!

– If she has not, why do you not contact her? – Starnight suspiciously glanced at him. – Are you trying to hide something from us?

The doubtful gazes from the seeker triplets made Bumblebee feel uneasy, so he looked at Wildbreak. Unfortunately, it was not better.

– Bee… Who’s that mech? And is that true? – Wildbreak murmured as he looked anxiously. – I gotta head home early too! I wanna throw a surprise party for mama before it gets dark...

– What? No… – Bumblebee laughed and tried to continue distracting by lying, though he felt guilty in doing so – Sentinel is my manager, yeah! But it doesn’t mean he is right! He rarely checks the storage and probably he just gues…

– Here is your Primus–damned last bottle of Seductive Scarlet! – Sentinel suddenly reappeared and firmly placed the vial on the counter – I warned you, once again, B–127, stop playing around. I just checked the storage!

Bumblebee’s derma was agape as he looked at his manager. Sentinel, however, paid no mind to the shocking yellow mech as he just rolled his optics and left, after leaving one last warning. Bee bit his derma, he was sure that he was in a dead end now.

– Hey… Well… – Cliffjumper surprisingly came back and this time, he was not being annoyed like earlier – How about uncle Bee splitting the perfume from this one big bottle into two smaller… Well not too small you know! Two smaller bottles?

Bumblebee looked at his brother with glinting optics filled with gratitude. He would definitely withdraw whatever scolding he saved for Cliffjumper later, due to his improper suggestion earlier.

– Are you kidding me? – Slipstream placed servos on her hip as the sparkling dared to glare at the red mech in front of her – Our mother deserves the best, I emphasise, the best gift on this planet!

– Yeah! He deserves a whole perfume present! Not a split gift! – Sunstorm added in.

– Splitting the perfume liquid is a good solution. We may accept that if only we buy it for ourselves or somebody else. But this is our mother. He is the greatest carrier, and the greatest one deserves a perfect present. – Starnight pushed up his visor.

Cliffjumper and Bumblebee did not even have time to turn their faceplates to Wildbreak, as the little grounder already snapped back:

– So does my mama! He totally deserves a whole perfume gift too! He's the best ever! He deserves the perfect present for today!

– Our mother’s greatness had been honoured by many figures. – Starnight reasoned solemnly – Therefore, he is greater.

– Not to me! – Wildbreak crossed his restarleuses confidently – To me, my mama’s the best! You can't change my mind! The best carrier deserves the best gift!

The little grounder stuck his glossa out at the three seekers as a provocation.

– I don’t care who your mother is! I don’t know him, and I won’t ever recognise him! My mama's way cooler than him, for sure!

This bold declaration from Wildbreak had successfully enraged the seeker triplets. Sunstorm immediately shouted back:

– You dare? How can a lowly medic be compared to an elite military commander? If not for our mother’s job, this planet would be doomed! Yeah! Totally doomed! All the bots will be doomed, including your mama!

– You act like he's the only mech that can protect this planet!

– Yeah! Because he is the greatest!

– Nah! There are way more talented seekers who can replace your mother!

– How dare you! Then there are more elite and excellent medics who can replace your mama!

– Liar! My mama’s the best medic!

– Woah woah woah!

Bumblebee had to hold the backs of the necks of the two angry sparklings as soon as he saw they were going to engage in a fight. Sparklings might not develop their own weapons or have transformation ability yet at this age, but a physical fight by fists and punches was still a hurtful one. The yellow mech also did not want any fight to break out, hence putting all the sparklings in trouble.

– Alright alright kiddos! – Cliffjumper said as he helped his younger brother stop the two sparklings from fighting – I’ll be honest: We only have one bottle of Seductive Scarlet left! But good news is a new package of Seductive Scarlet may arrive at our store at the end of the solar cycle! So why don’t we wait for the…

– I do not think that is going to happen, Mister Cliffjumper, right?

Starnight crossed his restarleuses as he solemnly looked at the red mech, which made Cliffjumper feel like this sparkling was even more mature than him. He awkwardly nodded.

– On our way to this store, from Vos, we noticed there was an incident which caused a traffic jam. All the transporting vehicles are stuck and an officer said that all the transporting containers would not be able to arrive in Iacon until midnight.

As the dark–blue sparkling saw how both Cliffjumper and Bumblebee dropped their jaws, he sighed and pinched his forehelm.

– Yes, we already knew how to transform. Only Snowy is still too small so we had to carry her with a blanket.

As if Primus wanted to tantalise them, at that precise moment, Bumblebee received the comm–link from Windblade, who told him exactly what Starnight had just said. The yellow mech ended the call and looked at Cliffjumper, then at the sparklings, with awkward optics.

– Do not worry, Mister Bumblebee and Mister Cliffjumper! – Slipstream spoke – Just tell us the price of the perfume bottle. We brought all the allowances we have, and we are sure that the bottle is not too expensive!

The femmling then implicitly glared at Wildbreak.

– Well, not for us. But maybe for him.

This was a critical strike at the deep–blue mechling, as he was immediately triggered and shouted back:

– Hey! I brought all of saving shanix I have too! I can buy that bottle too!

– Oh yeah? – Sunstorm sneered before turning his faceplate to Cliffjumper and Bumblebee – How much is a bottle of Seductive Scarlet?

Bumblebee glanced at his older brother, and Cliffjumper quickly understood the assignment: They would set the highest price on this last perfume bottle. In this way, they could successfully persuade those sparklings to give up and choose another perfume as the gift.

Yet, before they could implement the plan, Sentinel came and violently pulled Cliffjumper away.

– The price of a Seductive Scarlet bottle is 2.500.000 shanix! – The manager mech shouted then turned to Cliffjumper, who was being dragged by him, to scold the poor mech – Don’t you dare join with your brother too! Many customers are waiting for us out there, and all of you are focusing on a bunch of sparklings? You too, B–127! Be quick, sell to any of them!

– I’ve got 2.500.000 shanix! That’s all my savings from six months! I didn’t have any snacks! I’ve been a street crier for six months! My intake’s still hurt! Please! This is the perfume my mama loves and I don’t wanna let him down!

Wildbreak shrieked and Bee’s spark fluttered as he saw how the tear started to dampen the faceplate of the small grounder. He could not deny the fact that once he heard about the backgrounds of the sparklings, he had already decided that he would sell the last bottle to Wildbreak, out of pity, and at the same time, trying to persuade the flier sparklings to choose another perfume.

– Hey… So… – Bumblebee placed his servos on Slipstream’s shoulders – You see, Wildbreak had been working so hard to get just enough shanix to buy this perfume as a gift for his mama. So… Why don’t you give it to him? I will show you more perfume options, because you see… He isn’t as wealthy as you and earning shanix has been difficult for him.

– Are you saying that we did not have to work to save our shanix? – Slipstream’s faceplate twisted into a wave of anger. – You are being stereotypical! Just like all the bots who bullied our father which our mother hates!

This indignation and declaration did scare Bee a bit, and he started to be anxious as her younger triplet brothers started to support her.

– We also had to work! – Sunstorm yelled – We worked as the cleaners! In the offices of the Cybertron high guard! All solar cycle long and every solar cycle in one year! Our joints are still weary!

– We are from higher caste does not mean our creators indulge us. – Starnight glared at him – We also have to work if we want to earn shanix. We never receive shanix out of nowhere. We have 5.000.000 shanix and we are happy to buy this perfume bottle with all 5.000.000 shanix we have. You can keep your change.

– So, just grab a pricier perfume!– Wildbreak shouted as he pointed at the fliers sparklings – Why are you fighting me over a perfume bottle? You're just trying to push me around, you rich snobs!

– We rich snobs want the greatest and most suitable gift for our mother! – Slipstream snapped back – How can that be wrong? You are using your lowly status to attract pity from others! That is more wrong!

– No! I've got enough shanix! I ain't trying to be a sob story! I just want the best for my mama! – Wildbreak screeched. – He totally loves this perfume! Like seriously loves it! I wanna get him the best stuff!

Bumblebee tried to calm down the sparklings, but it was no use. Some customers started to look at the scenario and whispered, which was bad. The yellow mech sighed as he decided that he must be stricter and sadly, crueller: He would decide that he would not sell this bottle to any of them. Of course Bee felt bad, but for him, this was the best solution he could come up with at the moment.

His spark sank as he imagined how the sparklings would detest him.

But when the yellow mech was about to firmly tell the sparklings about his final decision, a gentle rumbling sound was vocalised. It was not too loud, but intense enough to draw all the attention from the quarrelling sparklings to the one who made it. Bumblebee’s optics widened in surprise.

It was Snowy. Bee mentally blamed himself for focusing too much on the squabble of the older sparklings, thus accidentally ignoring her presence. The small shuttle had withdrawn the lollipop from her derma and now she was vocalising with her edentulous derma opened wide. As she noticed how all of her older spark–splittings as well as the grounder mechling were now looking at her, she started to speak.

More accurately, Snowy was chirping in Cybertronian shuttlecraft binary language as she was not old enough to know and learn common Cybertronix yet. She started speaking to her older sister and brothers. Bumblebee could not understand what she was saying, he could only stare in awe because the seeker triplets were so silent and calm when they listened to their youngest sister.

– But Snowy, that perfume really suits mother! You did agree earlier! – Slipstream pleaded.

– Yeah! Do you see the really cool red design of that bottle? – Sunstorm excitedly said.

– Snowy, we also want the best for our mother. Every sparkling does. It is not wrong. – Starnight explained.

However, to both Bumblebee and Wildbreak’s surprise, Snowy blew raspberry at her older spark–splittings then continued talking. As she talked, her older spark–splittings widened their optics as if they were enlightened. They even secretly turned their helms and looked at Wildbreak. The little grounder was doubtful about those looks, but a mature mech like Bumblebee could perceive how none of those gazes carried hate or blame.

After she had finished talking to the seeker triplets, who were now all sighing, the small shuttle waddled to Wildbreak. The grounder sparkling immediately put on his defence as he understood that although the shuttle was younger, her size was still slightly bigger.

But Snowy only caressed the top of his helm, as if she wanted to soothe him. Then the youngest sparkling turned to Bumblebee and pointed her index digit to the perfume bottle, as she started talking. Bee did not understand a word, but he understood what she wanted to say: She wanted Wildbreak to have that perfume bottle. The yellow mech, however, turned his helm to the seeker triplets for confirmation.

– We give it to him! – Slipstream crossed her restarleuses as she pouted. – Our mother did not teach us to be mean.

– Snowy said Wildbreak could have it! – Sunstorm huffed.

– We will look for another option. – Starnight explained – Snowy said mother’s second favourite colour is white, so we will look for a white perfume design.

– And her persuasion is persuasive! – The seeker triplets synchronously stated.

– That… That… – Bumblebee murmured, eventually clapped his servos and cheered – That’s wonderful! Hey Cliff! Can you walk these little fliers to the other counters and give them some recommendations?

– Sure! – The just returning red mech quickly walked to the flier spark–splittings and instructed them to follow him. – Come! We have a lot of options for you!

Though the triplets still had long faceplates, they did not look at Wildbreak with hateful optics. They just seemed to be a little upset about their acquiescence. Starnight waved at Snowy and called her in a monotonous voice:

– Come on Snowy. We need to choose a suitable gift for our mother and come home before solset.

The small shuttle nodded her helm as she stopped caressing Wildbreak’s helm and waddled to her older spark–splittings, as she put the lollipop back to her derma. However, before the escort was out of sight, Wildbreak shouted:

– Hey! Sorry for calling you guys rich snobs!

The seeker triplets stopped and exchanged looks with each other, before turning their gazes to Snowy. Then they turned to Wildbreak.

– I apologise for assuming that you are using your poverty to draw pity from other bots. – Slipstream spoke in a serious manner.

– You can have that! For the happiness of your mama! – Sunstorm declared.

– We are not certain if Seductive Scarlet will suit our mother. This is the first time he using perfume. So we will look for other safer options. – Starnight explained.

Then after the final goodbye wave from Snowy, the flier sparklings turned their heels and followed Cliffjumper.

Now there were Bumblebee and Wildbreak and the Seductive Scarlet perfume bottle on the counter.

– Bee, what… What did that shuttle sparkling just say?

Wildbreak turned to the yellow mech and questioned as he wiped the tears on his faceplate. His voice still had hints of sobbing, but it did sound merrier.

– I don’t know, seems like neither of us understands the binary language! – Bumblebee jokingly replied to the little grounder and helped him clean the damp tears on his faceplate. – But good news is, the perfume bottle is yours now!

– Yeah! – Wildbreak smiled as he followed Bumblebee to the checkout. – You know what, Bee?

– Yes, Wildbreak? – The yellow mech curiously looked at him.

– I… I thought those flier sparklings would be like those stuck–up rich snobs. – The little grounder muttered – I mean… I still can't stand their cockiness, but they ended up kinder than any rich snobs I’ve met!

He then lifted his faceplate and grinned at Bumblebee.

– Their mom's not as awesome as my mama, but I think he taught them good!

– Yeah! – Bumblebee smiled – Apples don’t fall far from the tree!

***

As Wildbreak carefully cradled the sophisticated small paper bag that contained the Seductive Scarlet perfume bottle, his faceplate was full of happiness and cheerfulness. The merriness from the sparkling was easy to spread, as Bumblebee felt how he unknowingly smiled at the little joyful grounder.

– Come, little one! Let me take you home! – The yellow mech walked to the sparkling and offered as he held out his servo.

– It’s okay! I can get home on my own! – Wildbreak declared – Mama said I’m grown up now! I can handle things on my own! Plus, I think your manager will be mad if you're not around!

– It’s alright! – Bee walked the little grounder to the entrance as he assured the sparkling – Guarantee that my little customer comes home safely is also my mission! So…

He winked at Wildbreak.

– Can you help me this time? So I can get my promotion?

– Of course! – The sparkling’s optics glinted as he cheered – Let’s go!

***

As Wildbreak sat in the dashing yellow Cybertronian car, Bumblebee chatted with him through the radio system.

– So, you told the seeker triplets that your mama really loves this perfume. Can I ask why? Like, is there any reason behind this? Does he love the scent? Or because its aesthetic fits him, or both?

– He loves both! But actually…

Wildbreak grinned.

– He loves it because it’s the first Veneration of Carriers gift my papa gave him!

***

– Are you sure you want to spend all 5.000.000 shanix you have? – Cliffjumper tried to persuade – What will your creators think?

– Well, sure that our father will tell us that we are being lavish! – Sunstorm replied.

– But our mother allows us to spend the shanix the way we want. – Slipstream followed up.

– He said that as long as it is the shanix that we earned on our own, then it is our right to decide what to do with it. – Starnight spoke - As long as we see that a correct buying decision.

Cliffjumper looked at Snowy, who just looked at him with a gaze which he guessed was an agreement to all the things the seeker triplets had said. So the red mech gave in and started giving them some options.

– This is Passionate Purple, its price is 4.500.000 shanix.

– This is Organised Orange, it costs 4.200.000 shanix.

– This is Nirvana Night, the price is 4.100.000 shanix.

Cliffjumper enthusiastically introduced and tested all the perfume samples that he believed met the needs of the flier sparklings. Yet they were still contemplative and seemed not to approve of any recommendations he had for them. The red mech mentally prayed to Primus that the flier sparklings would not suddenly change their minds and make a fuss to demand the Seductive Scarlet.

Primus must have heard his wish, because Slipstream’s optics glinted as she pointed behind him.

– Mister, how about that?

– Oh, that? – Cliffjumper turned his helm toward the direction that the femmling was pointing – That’s the Warish White. It’s a bit expensive for you guys, I’m afraid. You guys can’t afford it! I swear!

– Stop being dramatic and just tell us the price, Mister Cliffjumper! – Sunstorm said with an unamused faceplate and crossed his restarleuses.

The red mech was sure that the aura of those sparklings could discourage him. He surrendered.

– The price of Warish White is 8.000.000 shanix. – He had to be honest, because there was a security camera installed on the wall next to the white perfume bottle, and it was focusing on him. He mentally cursed Sentinel. Unfortunately, the sample of Warish White had run out, so Cliffjumper had to climb up the stairs to get the white perfume bottle from the tall counter.

– It looks… simple? But also regal? What in the creation of Primus is this? – Starnight caressed his chin as he observed the perfume bottle in awe. His eldest sister, older brother and youngest sister also witnessed the strange mixing beauties of the bottle, as their optics all widened. Suddenly, they returned to being the simple and cute sparklings again. The scene made Cliffjumper could not hold his laugh out loud.

– Yeah! Warish White is notable for its humbly majestic aesthetic. – The red mech started lecturing, though he could not believe he was lecturing – But it’s expensive not just because of the aesthetic. It’s expensive because of its unique scent. Here, let me give you a try!

Cliffjumper tried to spray as least as he could, as he did not want to waste the perfume. As the scent had faded in the air and the four sparklings vented in, at first, they were not so persuaded.

– I do not smell anything! – Sunstorm shouted.

– I think he is right because I do the same. – Slipstream placed her restarleuses on her hip – Though, well, I can feel how my processor is becoming lighter…

– Wait, I think… – Starnight turned to his brother and sisters – I think this is the suitable perfume for him.

– Really? – Sunstorm jolted.

– Do you remember the conversation mother had with father yesterday afternoon? – Starnight questioned.

– Yeah, he told father that recently there are so many works to do, and it makes his helm ache! – Slipstream replied, then her optics widened in realisation – Wait, and this perfume, do you feel more relaxed as you vent in its scent?

– Yeah! – Sunstorm and Starnight simultaneously responded. Slipstream turned to Snowy, who also nodded her helm rapidly. The eldest femmling seeker turned to Cliffjumper and looked at him with joyful optics.

– We will buy this! – Slipstream happily announced, and her younger spark–splittings all cheered at her words. Cliffjumper, however, did not immediately accept the request.

– Hold up right there! Bee comm– linked me and told me that you guys only have 5.000.000 shanix. That’s not enough!

– Well, actually, we did not bring all of our savings. – Slipstream clarified – We still had 5.000.000 shanix at home.

– Can we sign something? Something like… a contract? Yeah, a contract! – Sunstorm asked excitedly.

– By signing a contract, we promise that we will finish the payment within one or three solar cycles. We can even have one of us fly back to our home in Vos to get the remaining shanix then return immediately. This is up to you and your store to decide. We just need to buy the perfume now.

Starnight suggested, but Cliffjumper was hesitant. The store did have an instalment payment policy, but he was not sure if those sparklings could understand the complicated policy and contract. He was about to drag them somewhere away from the range of the security camera, where he could tell them that they could purchase the perfume bottle without making a contract, as he trusted them with paying enough shanix later.

Fortunately, Windblade appeared at that moment like a deus ex machina. She had returned to the store for a while and had eavesdropped on the conversation between the sparklings and the red mech. The femme seeker crossed her restarleuses as she declared:

– Just sell the bottle to them, Cliff. I will get the remaining amount when I drop them off at their house.

– Sounds like a good idea! – Slipstream turned to Windblade – Miss…

– My designation is Windblade! – The femme seeker held out her servo, and all four sparklings grabbed her digits then shook them, as a way of greeting.

– Alright! Deal has been sealed! – Cliffjumper cheered as he followed the femme seeker and the flier sparklings to the checkout.

***

As the flier sparklings all settled in the cockpit of the Cybertronian jet, Windblade talked to them through the radio system.

– I heard that you want to buy this perfume to help your mother relax?

– Yes! – Slipstream replied – He said he had a helm–ache due to the overloaded work.

– You are all so considerate! – Windblade applauded the sparklings, which made all of them feel flattered. The femme seeker then asked one last question.

– Just curious. What did Snowy say to you that made you give the Seductive Scarlet to Wildbreak?

There was a long silence, which made Windblade feel guilty and overnosy for asking the question. However, at the moment she was about to tell them that she withdrew the words, Slipstream replied:

– Actually our mother never used perfume before. He already has his unique sweet scent radiating from his frame. Like, he was born with that!

– We chose the Seductive Scarlet because we thought this perfume would match him! – Sunstorm followed up – But Snowy said that mother had already had his own scent, he does not need a perfume!

– Especially when we rethought and analysed, Snowy was right: The scent of Seductive Scarlet might smell excellent, but it would accidentally surpass the pure scent which mother already had and has always been proud of, which might make him disappointed. – Starnight explained.

– Also, Snowy said that our mother, a mech from the elite caste, had been kind to our father, a mech from the lowly caste… – Slipstream murmured.

– So we were disappointing him by fighting over a perfume bottle with a poorer mechling! – Sunstorm said.

Eventually, the seeker triplets said in unison.

– In the end, Wildbreak stated that his mama really loves that perfume, which meant his mama had probably used it before and has always loved it. So it made sense that he needed that perfume more than we did.

– Oh, that’s actually logical! – Windblade said with a laugh.

– We were still sulky afterwards just because we hate the feeling of defeat! – Sunstorm clarified as he pouted.

– Hey, she does not even ask us about that! – Slipstream hit on Sunstorm’s helm – You cry before we are hurt. That is so unnecessary!

– Hey! Just in case she had known because Mister Bee told her! – Sunstorm yelled and hugged his helm. – Mother had taught us to always be precautious, remember?

Windblade could not suppress her chuckle at the overly honest sparklings, but she did find that a good thing: They had been well taught to be veracious.

– Speaking of mother’s teaching… – Starnight contemplated – I think Wildbreak had been taught well by his mama, do you guys think not?

To the femme Cybertronian jet's surprise, the flier spark–splittings all agreed.

– Yeah! – Sunstorm put his restarleuses to place them behind his helm and lay backwards – I mean, most of the sparklings or adult bots from the lower caste we have met always acted so… humbly! Toward us! Once they knew about our mother’s occupation or our caste! That’s boring!

– True! – Slipstream hummed and commented – Until that little grounder. Oh Primus, he fought back extremely! He acted so fiercely to protect that perfume bottle. I think his mama taught him well!

The seeker triplets then nodded synchronically.

– He has warrior spirit, no doubt!

Snowy giggled in her baby voice, as she also agreed to that statement.

***

Arcee was closing the store after bidding farewell to the last customer leaving. The pale pink femme was a bit sad and regretted not being able to be a part of the distracting plan. She swore she would force her colleagues to tell her the whole interesting story tomorrow. She did not want to miss it.

Arcee was about to change the text on the hologram screen, from OPENING to CLOSING. Yet suddenly at that very moment, she saw two sparklings run to her. Both of them looked really hurried and distressed.

– Please wait!

– We want to buy a perfume!

Chapter Text

– Let me recount it… One… Two… Three… Yes, 300.000 shanix jourly salary of yours this jour. Thank you for your hard work, Octans and Delphinus!

– Thank you, Miss Elita–1! – The blue and gray mechling received the coin bag from the fuchsia–pink femme. He then turned his helm to his younger sister, who was playing with a shovel.

– Let’s go, Delphi! We’re going to be late! – He called.

– Yeah yeah I’m right here! – The red and blue femmling ran to her older brother and the two sparklings left as they waved to Elita–1.

– Goodbye, Miss Elita!

– Bye bye, Miss Elita! Don’t tell our dad!

– I won’t, Delphi!

The fuchsia–pink femme smiled as she reassured the femmling. During their first jour working in this mine section, she had been worried and sometimes nearly told their sire, who turned out to be one of her employees, about the situation. But the sparklings had begged her, and Elita–1 must admit: She was not an opponent to those cute sparkle optics.

Vivid sky–blue optics that Octans got from his carrier.

Bright amber optics that Delphinus got from her sire.

So she gave in and allowed them to help her with the chores in the office and forbade them from entering the mine. Delphinus was stubborn at first, as she demanded to work “just like my dad does every solar cycle”, but thankfully Octans was more thoughtful as he advised and persuaded his younger sister. In the end, Octans was tasked with helping Elita with the paperwork, while Delphinus was told to help around, but mostly cleaning and reorganising things in the office.

Elita must admit, though they were young, they had done their jobs well. Maybe not for Delphinus, who was always a hyperactive one, as she had messed up the office room during some first solar cycles, claiming that the way she cleaned the room. But Octans was a good brother, as always, and had patiently instructed his sister to tidy up the room more properly.

Elita could not help but try to see their creators through them. It surprised her that both sparklings inherited both the good and not–so–good aspects from their creators. The eldest Octans seemed to have Orion’s patience but also D–16’s quick temper, while Delphinus, the younger one, took after the overcreativity from Orion, but somehow also D–16’s tidiness. Strangely, both of them had two contrasting characteristics programmed in them, but those aspects harmoniously mixed.

After all, they were Orion Pax and D–16’s sparklings.

***

Orion Pax came to the 16^th mining section on a rainy afternoon, when the atmosphere was dull and the sky was dyed with a boring and lifeless grey colour. The red and blue mech smiled and waved excitedly at the miners when Elita–1 introduced him. The rainy solar cycle was dreary, yet his smile was brighter than the sol.

Orion Pax was the new teacher at the mining section, as his university had tasked him with eradicating the illiteracy of the miners. All the miners and their current manager, Elita–1, had thought that this young mech was just like every previous bot from the Iacon pedagogical university: They came here to teach, just for one purpose, which was completing their obligatory internship, so that they could graduate.

Elita did not want to generalise, but all the intern teachers who had come here often did their jobs terribly. They never focused much on teaching, some did not even come to the scheduled classes and the mine. But at the end of the internship term, the fuchsia–pink femme still had to stamp an excellent qualified mark on their fake result report.

Those bots were from the higher caste, and Elita, as well as other lowly miners, knew they would be in trouble if they dared to make it difficult for those sloppy interns. They knew their positions, their low caste in this society.

They had thought Orion Pax was also one of those interns, hence they decided not to put any hope in him.

And they were wrong.

Orion Pax not only went to every literacy class to teach just like how he had scheduled by himself, but also organised many study sessions for the miners in the mine. Orion Pax was always ready to answer any questions about the lessons, as he was also patient enough to reteach and explain any difficult homework.

The way the well–polished red and blue mech did not mind his plating getting dirty and sat down with the miners on the ground, to teach them how to properly write an essay, had truly moved everyone, even the doubtful Elita–1.

But there was one miner who never attended any literacy classes, nor joined in the study sessions. The gray and black mech whose designation was D–16.

D–16 was an orphan. Nobody knew who his creators were, they only knew he had been left on the stairs of an orphanage in Iacon. They called him D, D from dirt, because of the thin layer of dirt that coated the plating of the shrieking newborn sparkling.

Not many miners knew about D’s past, the time he grew up in the orphanage. Even those who were close to him, including Elita–1, could only know that only when D began to work in this 16^th mining section, the gray and black mech claimed that his life finally thrived a bit. He even changed his designation to D–16 to celebrate this important milestone.

Yet it seemed like D–16 did not change much. Elita–1 guessed he still put on the coat of taciturnity, the thing he had always worn since his sparklinghood in the orphanage. The fuchsia–pink femme never asked, because she was not a nosy one. Also, the gray and black mech had always been the most productive one, as he seemed to be a “less speak, just do” type.

A completely contrasting image compared to their newest intern teacher, Orion Pax. The miners always admired how Orion could keep the smile on his derma and radiate a positive and encouraging aura.

The red and blue mech was considerate enough to keep up with every learning progress of every miner. He was knowledgeable enough to teach and answer every question asked by the miners. He was enthusiastic enough to stay up late and carefully prepare every lecture he would teach on the next solar cycle. Maybe sometimes he was frenzied and talkative and made some bots winched, but after all, he was a kind mech.

Many miners, mechs and femmes, even dreamed of being Orion’s Conjunx Endura. However, as soon as they knew his background: a mech from a middle caste, sparkling of a famous professor, who was likely pursued by many bots from the same or higher castes, they immediately gave up.

Orion Pax was like a huge star of hope that brightened up this dull mine, but they knew he should not and would never belong to this place. Their only unrealistic dream was that Orion would become their official literacy teacher: He did not have to always be here, just come here often. That was enough for them.

Unbeknownst to them, Orion Pax’s vivid sky–blue optics had always secretly set on that one trivial miner, the only one who never came to any literacy classes, or sat at any study sessions to discuss the homework. He was curious about that gray and black mech.

Unlike anyone else, Orion noticed that although D–16 seemed to keep working during the study session, the red and blue mech could catch a short moment when the gray and black mech stopped when the studying group laughed out loud at some interesting knowledge they had just learned. Orion Pax could glance and know that sometimes during his speech, D–16 stopped what he was doing, to listen to the teaching.

Then, as if he perceived that he had been caught, D–16 would immediately return to his work, and Orion had to suppress the grin at that scene.

D–16 was like a mole that was trying to hide away from the light of the surface.

One time, when Orion was standing on the podium and teaching in the small classroom, his optics caught a familiar figure who stealthily stood outside, near the window, as if to eavesdrop on the lecture. The first question that popped up in the processor of the red and blue mech was: How long had D–16 been doing this, but he did not notice?

Then, once the gray and black mech found out Orion was staring at him, he ran away.

Orion Pax decided that he would be the one who made the move.

***

– Hey, are you writing those poems?

Orion sat down and picked up one data pad. D–16, although he was working, stopped immediately and rapidly grabbed the data pad from Orion’s servo, much to the red and blue mech’s confusion. D–16 felt like his processor had just played a rollercoaster of anxiety and panic.

– Yeah! Yeah… But they’re not poems. I mean, yes! Yes, they’re supposed to? Yeah they’re supposed to be poems but they’re not good enough to be called so.

D–16 could not hide his clumsiness as he answered. He expected Orion to frown, after the violent snatch he had just done to take back the data pad. Yet to his surprise, the red and blue mech just grinned and his vivid sky–blue optics glinted with excitement and fondness.

– I think they are good enough to be called poems! I like the way you get creative with using figurative words to express your ideas! You just need to learn more about the format of a poem and the rhyme of words. I promise that it will not only upgrade your poems but also help you write more easily! And I can help you with that!

 Orion enthusiastically explained and offered a chance to study, but D–16 was hesitant.

The truth was, D–16 never wanted to study properly. Not that he hated studying and being more academic, the gray and black mech just did not find any purpose in studying in his life. He was an orphan who did not know who his creators were, where his family was, or if he had any online relatives, to impress. His time in the orphanage was difficult, and he guessed that those times had cruelly drained his will to strive further.

Now he was a miner with a basic salary, enough for him to have a just stable life, and D–16 felt this was fine for him. He never thought of studying to become an intellectual, as he never dreamed of climbing to a higher caste.

For him, the higher the caste was, the more extreme the fight he would engage in to secure his position. It was exhausting, so he enjoyed his current peaceful life.

But D–16 also could not deny the offer from Orion Pax. Oh Primus, it would be a big lie if he said that he, unlike some miners, did not have any feelings toward the intern teacher Orion Pax. Dear Primus, the gray and black mech was confident and proud enough to declare that all the affections he had toward Orion Pax could easily surpass any feelings of any other miners.

Hence, it was the reason he kept himself from interacting with the red and blue mech. Orion Pax, what a beautiful designation. The first time D–16 saw Elita–1 introduce the new intern teacher, he swore that no matter how many times he had seen the sol set at the end of the solar cycle when he climbed up from the mine, for him, Orion Pax was the brightest star whose brightness could shame the sol. Every moment he secretly glanced at the red and blue mech, his spark was ablaze. Every astro–kilick he heard the clarion voice of Orion Pax, it sounded like the sweetest symphony his audials ever caught.

D–16 loved Orion Pax. Thus, he must keep himself as far away as possible from Orion Pax.

He was afraid that during those classes, those studying sessions, the affection in his ablaze spark could not die down, but cruelly, grow more intensely. Innocent affection might unavoidably develop into selfish obsession. No, he could not do that. Orion Pax was like a pretty cyber–canary that did not belong to this mine.

Orion Pax belonged to the vivid blue sky above the surface.

Yet to Orion’s demanding, especially the pleading that glinted in those vivid sky–blue optics, D–16 still accepted the offer. The red and blue mech was so happy that he had hold D–16’s servos, the dirty and rough servos of a lowly miner, as he promised that he would help D–16 become the best poet on Cybertron. The gray and black mech could only awkwardly smile.

D–16 swore to himself that he would keep his processor as lucid as possible during the studying time he had with Orion Pax.

But love was always an uncontrollable and unpredictable emotion. It would always stealthily come and slowly imbue the processor with its presence, unknowingly.

D–16 did not realise how Orion intentionally rested his helm on the shoulder pads of the gray and black mech, when they were alone together. He thought Orion would do the same with every other miner. D–16 did not realise how purposely Orion let himself sit relaxedly in the lap of the gray and black mech. He thought Orion would do the same with every other miner. D–16 did not realise how Orion had deliberately rearranged his schedule, so that he could have more private times with the gray and black mech. He thought Orion had done the same with some particular miners.

D–16 did not realise how he had automatically reciprocated those actions, those affections. The unaware rivalry and selfishness had sneakily woven through his passionately blazing spark. The gray and black mech did not want any other miners to reciprocate as much as he had done to Orion.

The other miners glanced at each other, and not even Elita–1 was exceptional from those implicit exchanging glances. They felt so helpless, but at the same time so funny at the circumstance D–16 was facing.

D–16 started to learn how to properly write a poem. He started to write more. A lot of poems, about many things.

But most of them were about a certain red and blue mech.

Every poetic word written out carried every spectrum of an indefinable affection.

***

When the gray and black mech realised, it was unfortunately already the end of the internship term. Six jours had passed. It was time for Orion Pax to return to his university and report his internship’s achievements to the university council. Though the red and blue mech had promised the miners that he would try to apply as the official teacher of the mining section, the miners knew clearly that it would not happen and they should not hope.

Orion Pax belonged to the bright surface above, the higher caste. He would become the Conjunx Endura of a more important figure with a high position in this society.

D–16 watched Orion standing on the stage and giving a speech. All the genuine thanks he sent to all the miners who had helped him during his time here. The gray and black mech stood from afar, the data pad that had all the love poems he had written, he clutched in his servo. Those love poems that he was supposed to give to Orion as farewell gifts. D–16 wanted to get angry at Orion, for all the time they had spent together, all the intimate touches they had exchanged, all the loving gazes they had fixed on each other. But his processor was still working logically, as he knew, he could not blame Orion.

He was the one who should be blamed here. He had stupidly let these affections grow like vines and entangle his processor. Now he was facing the consequences. The gray and black mech would face it alone. He would not let those vines reach Orion and chained him down.

D–16 left during the middle of the speech. He tossed the data pad in his room then came to the mine to continue his work, alone, as usual.

He did not realise that Orion had noticed his leaving.

***

– Pax? I thought you…

– Oh, I just want to say one last goodbye to you before my departure.

The red and blue mech sat on the floor of his room and looked at him worriedly.

– You left, during my speech. What’s wrong, Dee?

The gray and black mech wanted to lie. He wanted to get angry and harshly shooed Orion away. He wanted Orion to vanish out of his sight, before the affection grew stronger, before the vines successfully crushed his ablaze spark as its thorn pierced through the last fragment of consciousness. Then the vines would reach Orion to chain him down, and Orion Pax would forever be the canary in this mine. His canary.

But D–16 could not do that. He could not do that to the one he loved, the mech that made his spark ablaze. He vented in deeply then vented out as he tried to answer solemnly:

– I just suddenly remembered that I had forgotten to clean up my mining section. It would be dangerous, you know, mining stuff sometimes can explode.

– Oh… – Orion just tilted his helm, his faceplate did not show any doubts at the lie.

– I think this is enough for a goodbye though. You should go, before the last metro to the surface.

D–16 urged Orion, just for him to receive the nonchalant answers.

– The last metro had run one breem ago. I will not catch up with it after all! The next metro is tomorrow. So…

The red and blue mech gave D–16 the data pad, which the gray and black mech realised was the data pad he had carelessly tossed on the floor.

– Read for me! – Orion said as the excitement glinted in his vivid sky–blue optics – All those poems! I want to see how far you have improved!

Once again, D–16 could not refuse. He just could not refuse any requests from Orion Pax. So he sat down next to the red and blue mech and grabbed the data pad, as he started reading loudly. When he finished the first poem, he could feel how Orion’s helm had rested on his shoulder pad, as always. When he finished the tenth poem, he could feel how he had unconsciously let Orion rest in his lap, as the red and blue mech silently listened to him.

D–16 continued reading all the poems. But he could not finish reading all the poems.

When Orion’s derma met his, D–16 could feel the gentleness and shyness of the kiss. He could taste the mild sweetness of Orion Pax. The purity of a derma that did not have to drink strong raw energon to stay up all night long. The aroma of a glossa that had never tasted the bitterness of the red energon cigarette. Those flavours that he had never had a chance to taste in his unpleasant life.

Orion Pax was perfect.

D–16 swore to himself, to Primus, that tonight he would caress his beloved Orion Pax with all the delicacy that a crude mech like him had. He could feel the comfortable warmth of Orion’s frame as he pressed the red and blue mech against the cold floor. As they pulled away to adjust their hyperventilation, D–16 could see in those vivid sky–blue optics a foggy sky clouded by lust.

And love.

That night, they lost their first time to each other.

That night, they passionately embraced each other, as they freely let their sparks be exposed to each other.

That night, they let their affection harmoniously orchestrate the movements of their frames.

That night was the sweetest and wildest dream. Just like some poems D–16 had written during his fantasy.

As D–16 let Orion Pax rest on his chasis, as they were hyperventilating and their frames were still overheated, the gray and black mech could hear himself murmuring sorrowfully.

– Did you regret doing this?

And he was not surprised as Orion’s helm was rubbing against his chasis as the red and blue mech hummed, tiredly but contentedly.

– No, never in my life.

***

When D–16 woke up the next morning, he felt cold and empty. All the warmth yesterday had vanished, along with the presence of Orion Pax in this room. He was lying on the floor, on his back, as his bright amber optics stared at the ceiling. If not for the bright lights of the sol indicating that it was already late in the morning, D–16 could have just lain there with all the nostalgia about last night.

It was the first time he was late for work, even Elita–1 was surprised by that. It was the first time he was less productive than usual, and most of his colleagues were shocked by that. D–16 could not focus on not only every digging movement, but also the transformation. His response to the command was less swift. The miners were worried for him, so the gray and black mech had to make up an excuse to end his shift earlier than usual.

As he locked himself in his room, D–16 could not think clearly. The image of Orion Pax still lingered in his processor, like a beautiful dream. The crystal–clear voice. The cheerful faceplate. The intimate touches. The warmth of the frame. The sweetness of the derma. The gray and black mech hugged his helm as he desperately fought against those selfish desires. He tried to shake them off, out of his processor. He tried to eliminate all the traces of the colours red and blue.

It was just a night. Eventually, Orion Pax had chosen to leave, and it was not his fault. It was D–16’s fault for having been delusional and hopeful.

If there was one thing the gray and black mech had ever been proud of himself since his sparklinghood, it was his ability to overcome things quickly and easily. On the next solar cycle, he returned to the mine in the early morning and continued his work efficiently, being the “less speak, just do” D–16 as usual. Many miners whispered behind his back, but D–16 paid no mind.

Though his spark still fluttered a little whenever someone mentioned Orion Pax.

One jour passed peacefully.

***

It was an afternoon when D–16 came to the meeting room later than anyone else. Elita–1 had tasked him with a difficult but important job in the mine, as he was the only one she could trust. As he stepped into the room, there were already a lot of miners in there, and the space was crowded. It had been the middle of the speech of whoever was speaking in the room right now. D–16 rolled his optics wearily and was about to leave.

Until he heard that sound. That clarion voice.

– As I promised, I had tried my best to persuade my sire, Professor Alpha Trion! And yes, he finally allowed me to work as the official teacher in this mining section! Thank you for being so supportive during my internship, and I hope that we can work with each other in the long run!

Orion Pax. It was unmistakably Orion Pax. The spark within his chamber blazed intensely as the gray and black mech tried to squeeze himself through the crowd, to get to the front line, so that he could see those red and blue colours again.

So that he could see Orion Pax again.

The miners, surprisingly, let him do that without a complaint. They even politely stood aside to form a wide enough path for him. D–16 could only mutter “thank you” quickly to them as he continued to walk hurriedly. Finally, he could make it to the front line, and the reality had not fooled him.

Orion Pax was standing there, with an older mech that he was sure that Alpha Trion, the sire of the red and blue mech. He wanted to call Orion loudly, he wanted to rush onto the stage and hug his beloved Orion. But fortunately, his processor was still well–adjusted and sent many protocols to prevent him from doing such sentimental actions.

It was at that precise moment, Orion’s vivid sky–blue optics met D–16’s bright amber optics. The alluring blue made the gray and black mech freeze and lose his mind for a moment. But then he quickly woke up from his daydream as he noticed how Elita–1 was glaring at him, with such a disappointed attitude. D–16 realised how Alpha Trion was also looking at him, though his gaze was not as accusing as Elita's, but the old mech was certainly mentally judging him.

Most importantly, Orion Pax just giggled as he stood on the tip of his pedes and whispered something on Alpha Trion’s audials. The old mech just nodded, then returned his gaze to D–16, this time the optics seemed less judging.

– The miner whose designation is D–16, please follow me to the office.

The old mech spoke solemnly, then politely bid farewell to all the miners as he left with his youngling. Elita–1 followed them, after gesturing an “I am watching you” signal at him, her maya–blue optics still filled with anger.

The circumstance stunned D–16 and he stood there, frozen in stupefaction. The gray and black mech then quickly turned to his colleagues, as he was sure that they had known something, had heard something while he was not here.

– We don’t know, mate! Professor Alpha Trion didn’t mention you during his speech!

– Yeah, Orion Pax didn’t either! We’re just like you: realised that you had messed up, right?

Though their faceplate were jesting, their answers were genuine. D–16 could not do anything else but lightly scold them then dashed out of the room, as he headed to the office. His processor was full of anxiety and questions. Elita–1 was angry at him, which meant he definitely had done something bad, really bad. Professor Alpha Trion also scrutinised him, and Orion Pax had mysteriously whispered something to his sire. He tried to think, then that thought popped up in his processor as he harked back to that night.

The last night Orion Pax had spent with him.

He could not believe or expect the red and blue mech told that with Alpha Trion.

Primus probably wanted to doom him.

D–16 vented in deeply then vented out a long sigh and tried to keep his composure, as he slid his ID card to open the door of the office. Professor Alpha Trion, Elita–1 and of course, Orion Pax had already been there and they were waiting for him. Elita still looked infuriated, Alpha Trion was calm and Orion Pax perked up as soon as he saw the gray and black mech.

– Please have a seat.

The old mech gestured toward the chair in front of him, and D–16 obeyed the request as he sat down opposite with the three other bots. The gray and black mech was about to ask them about the reason, but Orion had already taken that chance as he happily announced:

– D! You’re going to be a sire! We’re going to be the creators! It’s a mech sparkling!

Oh.

Oh Primus.

Now D–16 understood why Elita–1 looked like that, and Professor Alpha Trion shot him that gaze. Then again, before he could say something, it was Alpha Trion who placed a data pad on the table and pushed it toward him.

– You are the sire of my future grand–youngling. I can assure you: My youngling did not do that with anyone else, but you only. The pre–form in my youngling’s forge has developed for one jour. Also, here is the CNA report, in case you still do not believe this.

– No! Alpha Trion, sir! He will never!

Elita–1 clumsily ensured, and she was right. D–16 remembered and he was certain that they had carelessly sparkbonded, in their passionately intoxicated interface, which inevitably resulted in Orion’s being sparked. And he was confident enough to believe that Orion would never do that with anyone else but him.

The fuchsia–pink femme then glared at the gray and black mech:

– Look what you have done! I never thought you were the one who did this. An exemplary mech like you!

– Miss Elita, please calm down! – Orion spoke then confidently clarified – It is I who made the first move! And I…

He turned to D–16 with such a gentle and loving look as he declared.

– I love him. I want to be his Conjunx Endura. No matter the difference in our castes!

– But I’m just a miner, Orion! You can’t bury your future like tha…

– I love you, as you are, D! And I’m trustful that you can bring happiness to me, as I will do the same to you, my lovely miner.

D–16 could not refuse Orion Pax. He never could. How could he dismay Orion Pax? He was just a miner, but Orion was right. He did remember, as the clear light of the sol, during their intimate times before, he had sworn to himself that if he could, somehow and selfishly, have Orion as his Conjunx Endura, he would always give the red and blue mech the best things. Because he felt guilty for dragging Orion down from the higher caste, to be with him, a lowly miner.

But more than that, because he loved Orion Pax.

Who would not wish the best for their dearest Conjunx Endura?

He would make Orion Pax the happiest mech on this planet, even if he was just a miner.

Their Conjunx Rictus had been then held in a small witnessing hall. D–16 remembered how, on that important solar cycle, he had found out Orion Pax was also an orphan. The guests on his side were mainly his colleagues from the mine, while the guests on Orion’s side were just some closest friends of the red and blue mech. Professor Alpha Trion was not only the adoptive sire, but also the bystander for their Conjunx Rictus.

– Well, I guess we have so much in common now, don’t we?

Orion winked and D–16 could not resist but pulled his Conjunx in his restarleuses, and they officially sealed their bond with a kiss.

Nine jours after their Conjunx Rictus, their sparkling was born. A healthy mechling whose designation was Octans.

Five vorns later, their second sparkling was born. A robust femmling whose designation was Delphinus.

***

– Hi! Our store isn’t closed yet, please come in!

Arcee shouted cheerily to assure the two running sparklings. She was glad that her grouchy manager had come home earlier, thus it would not be a problem if she closed the store later than usual. The pale pink femme was also happy that she finally got a chance to serve two little customers, which she could not do earlier and her colleagues had stolen the spotlight.

– Hi! We want to buy a perfume bottle please!

The mechling tried to talk as he hyperventilated. His younger sister, Arcee guessed so, also vented heavily but she was more cheerful.

– A very, very, very fragrant one, please!

– Of course! – Arcee clasped her servos – Please come in and have a seat! Seems like you two need two cups of energon!

As the two sparklings sat on the sofa and gulped the energon cup, Arcee asked them their designations, after introducing herself.

– My designation is Octans! – The older mechling replied calmly.

– And I’m Delphinus! – The younger femmling said cheerily as she pointed her thumb at herself.

– It’s nice to meet you two, Octans and Delphinus! – Arcee warmly spoke – Let me make a guess, you two came here today for a gift for your carrier?

– Yeah! – The red and blue femmling happily shouted and beamed as she talked – He’s the best mech we ever known! I won’t change my mind!

– Well, she’s right! We love our mom so much and want the best for him! – The gray and blue mechling supported his sister's declaration.

Arcee hearkened back to the earlier event which Bumblebee had told her. She mentally thanked Primus that these two sparklings had come to the store at this late time. If they had come earlier, and maybe also aimed for the Seductive Scarlet, there would have been an unavoidable huge fight between a first–grade elementary grounder sparkling, three final–grade elementary seeker sparklings, and…

The pale pink femme looked at the two little newcomers, as she tried to guess their age.

Octans must be a final–grade elementary student, just like the three seekers. Delphinus looked a lot younger, so she assumed the femmling still went to kindergarten, but on the next vorn, she would be a first–grade elementary pupil. Both of them were grounders, as she could not find any wings on their frames.

If they had come to the store in the evening, the staff of this store would have had to deal with the fight of seven sparklings: a first–grade elementary grounder, a final–grade elementary grounder, a pre-elementary grounder and three final–grade elementary seekers. That would be such a scene and they would probably undergo a more severe chastisement from manager Sentinel.

But she also thought that one big little shuttle sparkling could find a way to pacify the fight.

– So, have you decided yet, or do you need some recommendations? – Arcee asked the sparklings after a brief moment of imagining a what–if scenario.

Octans and Delphinus started becoming contemplative. The pale pink femme was certain that they had not decided yet, so she gently suggested:

– If you don’t have your own decision yet, then please let me introduce you to some options! Do you agree?

– Yeah! – Delphinus perked up – Our mom never used perfume before, so we also don’t know which one can suit him best!

– That’s important information! – Arcee encouraged, as she knew that giving confidence to sparklings was a good way to make the conversation less awkward – Do you have any more descriptions of him? That will be useful for me to narrow the search range for a suitable perfume bottle!

– Really? Then… – Octans pondered as he carefully spoke – Our mom is a mech with red and blue platings. He… Well… He has a gentle but zippy faceplate. He is not really tall and huge, but when he embraces us, we can recall how he gently and tightly held us in our recharging, when we were the newborn sparklings.

He recalled those poems that his dad wrote about his mom. Those sappy lines of the poem, in his opinion, but he could not deny the fact that his dad was an excellent poet. Dad could describe mom by poetic words only, but when he and his younger sister read them, they could see the vivid image of their mom in their processor.

Dad was so talented that he could portray mom through the written words, more lively and beautifully than any drawing strokes.

– So he has a soft and zeal beauty? – Arcee concluded.

– Yeah… Just like a very bright star! – Octans happily replied.

– Then a perfume with a mild scent may suit him! – Arcee suggested – Do you have any other information?

– Yes! Yes! – Delphinus squeaked, and Arcee could not help but think about the cyber–dolphin she had seen in the aquarium yesterday – He’s super kind! Do you know that our dad’s a miner, and our mom’s a teacher, and dad’s from a lower caste than mom, but mom still sparkbonded with dad? Mom didn’t care about other bots’ comments about this too! Mom’s so brave and kind!

Intercaste relationship, the thing that might have been forbidden by the former conservative government in the past, but now, as Cybertron was being directed by a more progressive governing system, this type of relationship had long been more acceptable. Although the social stereotypes still remained and could not be got rid of then and there, Arcee was glad that finally, bots could bond without being punished severely by laws.

– Yes, your mom is surely a brave and determined one to ignore all the bad words from the meanies! – The pale pink femme grinned – Now, can you two wait for me? While I go and get the perfumes? Because I think that’s enough information I need!

– Sure! We’ll wait here! – Delphinus happily replied.

– But please be quick! We don’t want to bother you at this late breem. – Octans worriedly said.

– Don’t worry! My boss has already come home since one breem ago! – Arcee shouted back to reassure the sparkling. – Just wait for me there!

When the pale pink femme was out of their sight, the two sparklings could not help but feel a bit bored and lonely, as there was no one else in the store aside from them at the moment.

– Hey, how do you know about mom and dad’s love story? – Octans interrogated his younger sister – Did you secretly read his poems?

– So what? – Delphinus stuck out her glossa at her older brother – You say as if you don’t do that too!

– Hey! Because mom said I can!

– Then mom said I can too!

– Never saw that happen.

– You didn’t see that doesn’t mean it never happened!

In the end, they had to agree to a truce, because neither of them wanted the other to snitch to dad. Octans could never understand why dad always wanted to hide his poems, those that were written at home, from them. They could sit with mom and dad and discuss the newest poem, which was written by dad, that got published on Cybertron’s Daily News. They recalled how mom praised dad a lot, which caused dad’s overconfidence.

They remembered how they complained about that and mom just laughed and rubbed their helms, as he said that those were the compliments dad deserved, after many vorns restlessly practising and improving his writing. They did not agree, as for them, those published poems were not that excellent, some were even overrated.

They liked those poems that dad wrote in his personal data pad more. Those poems which dad wrote about mom, described mom’s beauty, admired mom’s characteristics and confessed how he loved mom so much.

They felt how the words in those poems carried more genuine feelings and affections. Those poems were definitely one of the reasons why mom loved and wanted to bond with dad. And had the two of them.

Mom said dad was shy, hence he did not want to show them those poems which he considered “awkwardly cheesy”. But mom did not think so. Mom was just like them, as he secretly loved those poems more. So they had made a deal: Mom had allowed them to read those “cheesy” poems, in secret. The only condition was not getting caught by dad, because in that case, mom said that he could not save them.

Octans and Delphinus were proud of themselves that they were so excellently stealthy, thus they had never been caught by dad. They wanted to continue this somewhat illegal act, because they loved those cheesy poems.

They started to think about mom and the possible perfume that could suit him.

Mom was the teacher for the miners. He was enthusiastic, considerate and inquisitive. Many miners loved and respected him. They harked back to those conversations of the miners, about their mom. None of them, not any mechs nor femmes, had spoken badly about mom. The only thing they had ever complained about mom was the way he could be too inquisitive sometimes and decide everything by himself, without asking everyone.

But in the end, the miners all loved and expressed how they were grateful to have mom in the mine. Delphinus remembered that Miss Elita–1 had told them about how most of the miners had been severely illiterate before mom came. Then their mom became the intern teacher and did his best, with great care, as he taught and took care of everyone’s studying progression. The result was incredible: By the end of mom’s internship, most of the miners knew how to write a basic appliance.

To her, mom was superb and kind, and she wanted to be just like him.

Octans remembered how everyone was also happy at the bond between mom and dad. Most of them would tell him about the Conjunx Rictus of mom and dad, how they had been there and blessed and wished the couple with the best. However, some of them even teased dad that they were jealous of him and if dad did not bring only the best and happiness to mom, they would find a way to steal mom away. The mechling hated those jokes. To him, they were impolite. But mom and his younger sister only laughed at those jokes.

After all, mom was so kind and easy–going. Octans could not understand why, and sometimes he was sad that he did not take after his mom’s easygoingness.

– Hi! Sorry for making you wait for too long! – Arcee spoke loudly as she came back – I collected all the possible options. I will spray them out for you, for testing purposes!

– Yay! – Delphinus perked up – We’ll be covered in fragrance!

– Well, that definitely gives us away though… The gift will be less surprised… – Octans commented – But a test will be better!

– It’s okay, I have a substance that can clean the smell lingering on your frames! You can keep the secret to the end!

Arcee winked at Octans, and she was glad to see how the mechling was content.

– So first… – The pale pink femme said as she picked up a vial while placing the rest on the table – It’s the Jiggy Jordy.

She sprayed the vial with light blue liquid, and the two sparklings tried to smell.

– Woah! I feel like my processor is dancing! – Delphinus laughed. – It makes me want to leap around!

– It smells good, but…

Octans commented, as the memory started taking over his processor.

Mom was an energetic mech. When Octans was younger, he thought mom could never be drained, or tired, as he saw how mom would always be ready to do everything, and if there were not any interesting things, he would create them. Mom always had weird but entertaining ideas for his lecturing, his way of teaching, and always tried his best to make them come true. Dad said mom was like a cyber–bunny, always hopping around restlessly.

Until mom gave birth to his younger sister, he finally understood that bot could still eventually be drained, no matter what. It was how Primus built them, and no one could be exceptional. For the first time, Octans saw mom spending almost all of his time in a solar cycle lying in the recharging chamber. Those only rare moments when he got out of his chamber were during eating time and whenever little Delphinus needed to be spark–fed. Dad was worried a lot, as he always kept himself nearby to support mom.

Mom also cried a lot during this time, as he hugged dad and whined, and dad could only silently pat on his back to calm him. Mom even worried too much that he was not doing his duty, as a carrier, properly. He feared that he was abandoning both Octans and the newly born sparkling Delphinus, due to his health situation. The blue and gray mechling recalled how mom sometimes called him, but for nothing more than an embrace. Mom hugged him tightly and sobbingly whispered many apologies.

But Octans never got angry at his mom, as he learned how to soothe mom, from dad. He understood that mom was just like many other bots, who would get tired sometimes and needed a long rest. And despite lying in the recharging chamber all solar cycle, mom would still call for Octans and excitedly ask him about his solar cycle, gently comfort him whenever he was sad and patiently listen to all of his stories.

– No, I don’t think this will suit my mom. – Octans said. Mom was not the one who could always be energetic, and that was fine. Octans knew that even when he rested, mom would still manage to find a way to take care of everyone.

– Alright! – Arcee swiftly changed the vial – Then how about this one! It’s called Courageous Cobalt, by the way!

She took the vial, which contained a slightly darker shade of blue liquid, and sprayed it lightly in the air, so that they could examine the smell.

– It has such a mildly significant and stable smell… – Octans contemplated – Mom can wear this all solar cycle, and the smell can still linger on his frame. Its smell can also help him become more notable.

– Yeah! I think it is…

Delphinus was about to agree and decide to choose this perfume bottle as the gift for their mom, but then something halted the protocol in her processor. Even Octans was surprised at how his younger sister could be so suddenly silent and meditative. Arcee seemed to understand the mind of a sparkling, so she did not interfere.

The pale pink femme said that the name of the perfume was Courageous Cobalt. Delphinus thought of her mom. Of course he was courageous. He was the bravest mech she had ever known. Mom had ignored and trampled on all the bad words and mean sentences that many haughty bots threw at him, once they knew that he had bonded to a lowly miner like dad. To their indignation, mom even lifted his helm high and proudly, as he said that he would never regret bonding with dad.

Mom was also so brave when it came to protecting the miners and the lowly bots from the imperious one from higher castes. Delphinus remembered how Miss Elita–1 had to spend her own shanix to pay the salary for the miners, because the director of the mine did not transfer the salary on time. When mom knew about that, he had gone to that mean director and threatened him.

Delphinus did not know what he had used to threaten that director, but seven solar cycles later, not only Miss Elita–1 but also all the miners had received the salary as well as the bonus that they were supposed to have last vorn. To Delphinus, mom was a fearlessly heroic figure.

But then she found out mom was not as fearless as she thought. Yet the femmling was not disappointed.

It was also last vorn, dad encountered an unexpected accident in the mine. The tunnel where he was working suddenly collapsed, and he was buried under layers of stone, dirt and mud. Fortunately, he was rescued later, thanks to many restless efforts from the other miners and the rescuers. Delphinus recalled how mom, her brother and she had hugged dad so tightly and cried once he was resuscitated by the medics.

The red and blue femmling reminisced about those solar cycles when dad’s status remained unknown, mom was so hopeless, so frightened, thus resulted in many nightmares he suffered at night.

For the first time, Delphinus saw how mom was no longer the bold and firm mech she once admired.

Many miners had come to their home to report on dad’s status, as well as offer their condolences. Yet during the most seemingly hopeless solar cycles, some rescuers had come and told mom to prepare for the worst situation. Delphinus had seen how mom fell to his knees. The femmling rushed to him to prevent him from falling on the floor. The red and blue femmling was sad at that time, knowing that they might never see dad again. And most importantly, she learned how mom could not always be brave.

Yet she had not blamed him and never would she blame him for that. Delphinus had learned a lesson from that solar cycle: Not even the most courageous figure could handle the fear of losing their beloved.

Delphinus remembered how she and Octans started recharging next to mom’s chamber, so that they could immediately soothe him whenever he was woken up at night, by an awful nightmare. The red and blue femmling recalled how three of them had hugged each other for a very long moment, as they not only calmed the others, but also prayed to Primus that dad would be safe, dad would soon return to them.

– No… I don’t think this suits mom! – Delphinus shook her helm profusely – I don’t think so!

– Alright, let me see what other options you two can have! – Arcee smiled sweetly as she turned to the remained vials on the table and scrutinised. This time, she seemed to think and analyse more carefully.

The pale pink femme then picked up a small vial. The liquid in the vial had the deepest shade of blue.

– This is Selfless Sapphire! – Arcee excitedly presented the vial to the sparklings, though she also hesitated – It has a very nice fragrance, I can guarantee! But somehow it’s not welcomed by everyone. Many customers told me that its scent doesn’t leave a significant impression. Do you want to try?

Selfless. Selfless was synonymous with kind. The two sparklings widened their optics in realisation.

– Yes! Can I smell its scent please? – Delphinus pleaded eagerly.

– I feel like this is the one! – Octans declared firmly.

– Alright alright! – Arcee grinned as she could not suppress the laugh at the enthusiastic sparklings – Here you go!

The pale pink femme then pressed her index digit on the cap of the vial. As the two sparklings vented in deeply, they immediately knew.

Mom was kind. He was always kind. No matter what hindrances he faced, no matter what circumstances he underwent, mom remained kind. Octans and Delphinus always admired him for this. And not only did they, dad, the miners, and many other bots, also recognise mom for his kindness.

An unceasing and unbounded kindness.

Kindness drove mom to determinedly persuade granddad so that he could become the official teacher for the miners, though this job earned him not much shanix, though he was excellent enough to get a job with a better salary. Mom chose to be the teacher, the guide for the bots from the lower caste.

Kindness made mom not hesitate to stay in a basic rented room in the humble dormitory of the miners. He was always ready to teach the miners during their free time in the mine, as he did not mind that his polished platings could be tainted by the dirt of the mine and sat down with the miners. He could stay in the mine for a whole solar cycle until all the miners finally understood the lesson thoroughly.

Kindness that fueled mom, so that he could be so energetic. He was always ready to come to every single one of the miners, just to make sure that their studying progress was improving gradually, and if they showed signs of relinquishment, he would encourage them. He was willing to stay up late at night to prepare interesting but also understandable lectures, so that his students would not be bored during the classes.

Kindness that helped mom see the best in each figure. He saw how Miss Elita–1 could be an encouraging figure to the miners, if only she was not treated unfairly by the awful director, which resulted in her constant anger. He saw how Mister Jazz could be an inspiring musician, if only he was not criticised by the superiors, sometimes his colleagues, for wasting time on writing “crappy music”. And many more lowly bots whom mom saw the good core under the corroded plating.

Kindness strengthened the unbroken will in mom’s spark, so that he would fearlessly fight for the lowly bots from the inferior caste. Kindness ignited mom’s determination to keep teaching and guiding those humble bots, to help them understand that they were the indispensable gears of a bigger machine.

Octans and Delphinus knew that their dad loved everything about their mom, but it was the ablaze kindness in mom’s spark that dad admired and adored most.

Through the kind lens, mom had seen how dad could have been someone better, if not for all the mental and physical abuses he had suffered in the past, in the poor orphanage where he once lived. Through the optics of kindness, mom had silently observed dad, thus he could find out those poems, to know how dad could be an excellent poet if he had been encouraged and supported by someone.

With the kindness charged in his spark, mom had been the one who reached dad first and slowly but steadily dragged him out of the coat of taciturnity, which he had draped from his frame to hide from other bots for many vorns. Mom had arranged his own schedule, so that he could have time for dad, to teach, and to chat. Mom never thought of dad as a bitter mech. For him, that was a quiet mech whose spark could care about the others, if not for the trauma he had gone through.

Hence, he wanted to save that mech from the pain, and heal the wound in his fluttering spark.

Mom never regarded dad as a lowly bot from a lower caste, who tried to stupidly love someone who was out of his league. Mom saw an honest gray and black mech who would try his best to make his beloved one happy. Mom never minded dad’s job as a miner, because for him, every bot on this planet was irreplaceable and bots should not be defined by what jobs they did.

Kindness was the shield that blocked every mean word, every vile sentence, from those who were callous, those who dared to be sceptical about mom’s bonding with dad. Kindness emboldened mom’s decision to stand against anyone who tried to put him down, to talk down his kindness. They saw the kindness that blazed in his spark as something unnecessary, excessive and unimpressive.

They said the absurd kindness had led mom to the wrong turn, had been the factor that led to the false decision he made, had generated stupid protocol in his processor which he chose to blindly follow. They said that mom could not be a greater, more significant figure, just for being kind.

But mom never paid them just an ounce of the attention he had.

Their mom adamantly kept the kindness burned in his spark, to become the guide for his thoughts and actions.

No matter what, kindness was the thing that never faded.

And it quietly made mom the greatest figure, not just for them, but also for dad. For the miners. For many other lowly bots.

– We choose this Selfless Sapphire, please. – Octans pointed at the small vial on Arcee’s servo – This is the one!

– Yeah! – Delphinus yelled cheerily – I don’t care what the others said! This is a wonderful scent!

– Thank you! – Arcee grinned, then checked the vial in her servo – The product code is P–0F52BA, please follow me to the checkout so that I can let you know the price!

– Yeah! – The two sparklings cheered simultaneously and ran after the pale pink femme. Arcee could notice that on their way to the checkout, Octans and Delphinus kept looking around the store with widened optics. It seemed like everything here was so luxurious and glittering, thus the two sparklings were stunned in amazement.

Which made her wonder if this was their first time entering a high–end store.

After having carefully wrapped a whole Selfless Sapphire perfume bottle with a beautiful layer of wrapping paper, then put it in a small paper bag, Arcee handed the gift to the sparklings. Delphinus jumped excitedly as she wanted to keep the gift, but Octans was quicker as he took the paper bag and then carefully stored it in his subspace.

– Hey! I want to keep that! I want to! – Delphinus placed her servos on her hip and thudded the floor with one of her pedes.

– No! Remember that one time you broke the old vase of Miss Elita–1? – Octans argued – So no, you can’t keep this!

– But Miss Elita–1 said that the vase was old and she no longer needed it. – The femmling crossed her restarleuses and pouted.

– Well, I’ll let you be the one who gives the gift to mom, deal? – The mechling had to compromise.

– Okay that’s fine! – Delphinus perked up a little, and Octans sighed.

– Let’s go! I will accompany you two back to your house! – Arcee suggested as she picked up her ID card – After I lock the store.

– Oh, it’s alright! – The mechling turned her offer down immediately – We can go home on ourselves!

– Yeah! Dad always told us not to bother other bots! – The femmling explained.

– But your mom is a kind mech. – Arcee knelt to close the gap between her and the sparklings – I may never meet him, but I want to be like him, so that, you know, I can help him spread the kindness. Don’t think that you’re bothering me, just think that I want to genuinely help you two! It’s already late now, and it’s really dangerous for two sparklings to go home on their own at this time!

The pale pink femme smiled as she saw how the sparklings contemplated. After a moment, they agreed, to Arcee’s relief.

– Thank you for taking us home, Miss Arcee!

***

– Hey! That was a huge amount of shanix you two had spent! How did you get that?

Arcee, in her alt–mode, talked to the two sparklings through the radio system.

– We have worked for jours! – Delphinus happily shared the story – Miss Elita–1 paid us!

– I did the paperwork, while she did the cleaning. – Octans explained – We teamworked!

– That’s so cool! – The pale pink femme cheered – I’m sure that your mom will be so proud of you two!

Under the vibrant sky of the sol–set, two excited sparklings were yelling joyously as they let the breeze brush their faceplates. The pale pink sports motorcycle dashed onto the highway, to an old dormitory located in the suburban area of Iacon.

Arcee finally had her own story to tell.