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Tailgate, thinking about Cyclonus: Any tips on how to make someone like me?

Getaway: Try to make them laugh all the time.

Tailgate: Oh, wow! You’re actually helping me for once, and it’s even good advice!

Getaway: Yeah, the more they laugh, the more time they spend with their optics closed, so it’d be easier.

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14, 20, 11?

14 - Least favorite Autobot(s).

That’s a good question. For lack of a better answer, Getaway??? I really hated Hot Rod for a good minute there too (this was before I read MTMTE or LL). I can’t think of anyone I absolutely despise, it’s all kinda surface level how-dare-you, you know?

20 - A character you hate that no one else seems to.

Overlord. 

I’m really really really soft for Fort Max as well as the Wreckers so?? I absolutely despise Overlord for everything he’s done to Fort Max and Garrus 9. But everyone seems to really like him??? I dunno man, I just despise him with every fiber of my being.

11- Favorite ship(s).

Cygate, but that was obvious. 

Megop, dratchet, um?? Any of the canon Lost Light ships let’s be real here. I passingly ship rarepairs, like I’m usually not super into them but I’d be 100% down for writing them (send me an ask and I’ll guaranteed at least write 100 words for you). I do like Grimfire (Grimlock/Misfire) and Constructicons/Prowl though. (Prowl/Jazz??? Yes please.)

Ask me more!

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Tailgate: And that's when Getaway walked into my life!

Cyclonus: *offstage* ITS A TRAP

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I can't get to the rules because the link isn't working on mobile? But if this is something you don't do, feel free to just delete! I think I remember your rules though. Okay so how do you think MTMTE Rodimus, poly Cygate, Rung and Getaway would react to their human s/o being able to turn into a kitty whenever they want? I hope that's not too many characters but I put Getaway in there for you ;D

*Gasps!*  You know me so well!  Omfg!  

Rodimus:  

He’s actually not as shocked as you’d thought he’d be, but remember, their whole race is centered around transformation.  He just sees this as your ‘alt mode’.  

“Really?  Neat!  I didn’t know humans could do that!  Oh, not all humans?  Just you?  Huh.  Well that’s neat.  I always knew you were special, though.  *wink*”  

Asks you if this makes you a predacon or a maximal.  (You spend nearly the entire day pondering this.)

Likes to pet you when your in your ‘alt mode’.  Mostly just with the tip of his finger while you curl up on his desk as he doodles absentmindedly (he’s so worried about hurting you.  You’re already so much smaller than him!  Help!)

He gets so annoyed when you go running off around the ship as a cat and he can’t find you.  Please, s/o.  You’re going to get stepped on.  Get out of those vents, you don’t know what’s in there! (sorry, Skids)  S/o please, you’re killing him.

Would prefer if you don’t ride in his alt mode in cat form.  Nothing personal, but that interior is very hard to replace and those claws look rather… sharp.  You understand.

Tailgate/Cyconus:

Tailgate is surprisingly a bit suspicious at first, but only because his only experience with cats is Ravage and that’s enough to put anyone on edge.  But once he gets used to it, he’s totally enamored with your cat form.  Oh my gosh!  You are just the cutest!  

Cyclonus is proud that you posses such a unique a remarkable skill, but… why a cat, s/o?  Couldn’t you have chosen something larger and less easy to squish?  He worries.

Tailgate is able to get the most out of petting you because he’s about (or just a bit larger) than the size of an average human.  His favorite thing is when you sit on his shoulder as a cat since your relatively similar heights make it impossible for you to do so as a human.

Cyclonus tries to keep the petting to a minimum at first because you’re still a person and his s/o no matter what form you take, and he would never want to make you feel uncomfortable or awkward.  If you mention that it is definitely more than okay for him to rub your belly, well that’s another story.  Those sharp, pointy claws of his feel absolutely amazing as he ever so gently scratches you behind the ears.

You know never have to worry about missing anything during movie night.  You’re able to perch comfortably on top of Cyclonus’ helm as he holds Tailgate gently on his lap.  It’s an amazing system, and best of all you only need one seat.

Rung:

He asks you about a million questions when you first explain it to him (or at least he’ll wait to make sure you’re comfortable with answering first.  His curiosity can wait.)  He gets the biggest, warmest smile on his face when you show him for the first time.  

He advises you not to go running around the ship as a cat however, or at least not in any particularly crowded areas like Swerve’s.  You may be faster and more agile in this form, but all it would take is for Trailcutter to loose his balance, or for Fort Max not paying attention to where he was going and- oh it doesn’t even bear thinking about!

Whenever he’s feeling sad or lonely or stressed, you always curl up on his lap and purr to tell him everything’s alright.  The effect gently running his fingers through your soft fur has on him is positively therapeutic and he’s more grateful for your perception and your kindness than you will ever know.  (Maybe next time you stop for a shore leave visit, Rung will look into getting a therapy animal for his patients.)

His favorite thing is when you curl up over his spark for a little cat nap.  Rung never lets you sleep in his bed for fear of accidentally hurting you, but he’s perfectly happy to lie back and rest his eyes for a bit while you purr contentedly on his chest.

Just please whatever you do, please don’t jump up on his model display shelf.  Those are very rare you know.  He spent ages putting that last one together.  S/o!  S/o, no!  Get off the bookcase!  This has really gone on long enough!  You are not being funny!  And that is most definitely not a safe space to nap!  S/o!   

Getaway:

Oh my god, this boy is so impressed, you’ll never hear the end of it!  He showers you with compliments.  How you’re so clever to be able to do that!  How special and unique you are!  How adorable you look in this form!  How proud he is of you!  (You can’t tell if he really means it or if he’s just trying to boost your ego but either way it feels nice)

“Look!  Look, s/o!  We match!”  “*sigh*”

He’s the aft that’s always scooping you up in cat form to nuzzle you, or squeeze your paws, or rub your tummy.  You’d be offended, but he does this kind of thing when you’re a human as well, so at least he’s consistent.

Asks you all kinds of ridiculous questions that you just roll your eyes over.  “Hey, s/o, who do you think would win, you or Ravage?’  “Win what, exactly?  Like in a fight?  Or a popularity contest?  Or a game of Monopoly?  What?”  “Yes.”  “…”

“Who’s a good kitty?  Who’s a good little kitty widdy?”  “Not you, that’s for damn sure.”

You get the sense that he’s a little too eager for you to test your powers, but that could just be your paranoia talking.  It’s not like that prank where he had you break into Rodimus’ office was anything dangerous or anything.  He just wanted to see the inside of it for kicks….  Right?  

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for the fandom ask, how about Transformers?

Favourite Male Character: Megatron (specifically MTMTE)

Favourite Female Character: Nautica, tied with Beast Wars Blackarachnia

Least Favourite Character: GETAWAY.

Favourite Ship: Cygate

Favourite Friendship: Starscream and Windblade tied with Beast Wars Dinobot and Rattrap

Favourite quote:  “This conversation is ridiculous. You are ridiculous. Everything that’s happened in the last few days is intensely ridiculous. Six months into this shambles of a quest—six months!—and not a day goes by—not an hour—when I don’t have to stand back from this endless parade of nonsense and remind myself, by means of several blows to the head, that I am here of my own volition, and not as a result of some—some elaborate trap set by Optimus Prime. Why bother looking for the Knights of Cybertron? Why postpone my trial? I’ve already been convicted—and this is my punishment. You! This ship! This life!”

Worst Character Death:  Ravage.  Poor Ravage…

This made me so happy you have no idea Moment: Ultra Magnus finding Ten’s Minimus Ambus figure.

Saddest Moment:  Megatron and Ravage talking about Megatron’s defection to the Autobots.

Favourite Location: Swerve’s.

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I LIVE for Transformers holding hands okay

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Tailgate?

AWWW, my boy!!

First impression: Okay, so I got into mtmte by way of cyclonus+tailgate wiki binge, then thought this story sounded super interesting and went to read the comic, so I was thoroughly spoiled about facts in his True backstory, including waste disposal and being born two weeks before being buried. So at first I was mostly confused and uneasy about the lies he was telling, which lasted about until Hedonia, where I was able to fill in a lot of missing emotional context and completely melted.

Impression now: MY BOY. He’s so thoroughly sweet, but he’s also an absolute little shit when it suits him. He’s got a real natural knack for lying and manipulation when it suits him, which it doesn’t always, but sometimes it does. He’s so friendly and wants to be liked and to belong so badly, and he does a good job of smoothing past the anxiety a lot of the time, but when it shows through the cracks, he destroys me. He’s so ready to like people and trust them, and he’s patient with Cyclonus while Cyclonus is still struggling to adjust, even when Cyclonus mistreats him, he’s one of the group that was too willing to forgive Megatron, and he was the target of choice for Getaway in finding a sucker to manipulate into being killed. He has a real temper underneath the sweetness, and the part of the story where he’s still adjusting to his strength and Cyclonus is trying to protect, shelter, and teach him was something I loved reading. He’s a complicated person in so many ways, even though my overall perception is that he’s one of the sweetest sweethearts on board the ship. I love him and all the layers to his personality.

Favorite moment: Oh man. There are a lot of good ones. I’m torn between a few. There’s the scene in issue 47 where he and Cyclonus are running for a shuttle and he’s trying to ask Cyclonus if he’s ever heard of the four acts. There’s the part where he’s dying at the end of the tyrest arc. A shout-out to the point where they’re time-traveling, and he covers for Cyclonus while Cyclonus is overcome at seeing Cybertron intact again. But I’ve got a lot of affection for Hedonia, where Cyclonus pulls him aside to call out his bullshit, and Tailgate explains his real backstory, and almost starts crying because when he was lost he should have been found in a matter of days, but either nobody noticed he was gone or nobody cared. That moment hits me good. And then Cyclonus offers to teach him a song, and shares that he sings because he misses Cybertron, and it helps. That was the moment I fell for tailgate, and that was the moment when I fell for cygate :P OH. WAIT. And the moment when whirl asks if cyclonus is putting this off because it’s a height thing, and cyclonus is like ‘it is, in a way. he towers over me.’ DIVINE.

Idea for a story: Man, I’ve already told a lot of Tailgate stories, I’m not sure what territory I have left to cover XD I think I’d like to have another stab at writing a first time story for him and Cyclonus. My attempt… was my first transformers fic, so I was still finding voices and feeling out the characters. It was rushed, and the premise wasn’t exactly right. I can do better. I want to draw it out later in canon and I really want to linger over the emotions they’re both feeling and how close they’ve come to losing each other. And on Cyclonus’s end especially, I want to find a way to convey his emotions (tinged with regrets) over how long it took him to really appreciate everything about Tailgate and how grateful he is to have this now, and how much he feels he doesn’t deserve it. That’s a part of their dynamic I wish I’d figured out earlier, that Tailgate is willing to try going for the things he wants, whether or not he thinks he “deserves” them, but Cyclonus is prone to getting tangled up in the “deserving” part of things, and typically Tailgate or external events has to push him into moving past that.

Unpopular opinion: I always stumble on this one. Hmmm. I don’t know if this counts, but I’ve had trouble finding a prose version of Tailgate that I really click with. It seems like a lot of them land hard on the soft boy side of the scale, which I do like, but none of it feels quite… right? Part of it is that I like Tailgate best when the softness is tempered by Attitude, but that’s not just it, and I can’t articulate the rest. Is subby tailgate a popular opinion? Because if it is, it’s one I Strongly disagree with, he’s a bossy little man.

Favorite relationship: I mean……. Cyclonus :P That shouldn’t be a surprise. But I also adore the HELL out of cywhirlgate, and would be hard put to choose one over the other. I think they all balance each other beautifully. Cyclonus and Tailgate are amazing together, but as much as they love and appreciate each other, Tailgate can be very high-energy silly when he’s having fun, and Cyclonus is… not that thing. But Whirl is. And Tailgate is blunt and open about his emotions and Whirl has less room to dodge around the idea that someone might actually? like? him??? And Whirl and Cyclonus balance each other in different ways and both cut through the other one’s bullshit. But I’ve written plenty of content for them, I don’t need to keep noodling here :P

Favorite headcanon: Oh man. So, JRO confirmed that the four acts are a legit Thing. And like, we get a scene in the comic where Tailgate thinks through his history with Cyclonus and is trying to ask that hey, Cyclonus, um. Are we married? I DESPERATELY want more exploring the idea that what they had, it was like the robot version of ‘you’re terminally ill and just asked me to marry you in this vegas drive-through chapel, and… okay. I’ll do this.’ And then afterwards, it’s not clear how much Tailgate meant that and how much he remembers and whether he would have done the same thing if he wasn’t dying, and in Cyclonus’s eyes, they’re married, but he’s also not going to impose on Tailgate with that stuff, he’ll just discuss it never. I want to pick apart all those emotions in the context of Cyclonus being aware of the implications of what they did together and the conjunx ritus and in a certain sense, you could argue that yeah, they’re legit married.

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Honestly when it comes to depicting tragedy in gay and lesbian relationships it doesn’t get any better than mtmte and lost light. Chroedome, cyclonus and anode had their partners literally die, but they all had a happy ending where they were back together again. Cdrw and cygate had to face so many hardships in their relationships, be it getaway’s emotional manipulation, rewind’s desire to find his former partner or chromedome’s addiction to mnemosurgery, but their love could overpower all this. Even brainstorm got a happy ending after accepting that his crush was dead and he found happyness on the lost light and with perceptor. Love is the most powerful force in mtmte and lost light in this essay i will

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Things I either didn't expect in MTMTE/LL canon or expected and didn't happen:

I expected that Rewind 1.0 would die a lot later in the series, and originally I thought "well, I didn't directly see Overlord kill Rewind so Rewind 2.0 must die later on!"

Drift was actually far more hippy dippy than i anticipated, but my previous perception of Drift was influenced by one of the first posts i saw about mtmte Drift criticizing his fanon portrayal as too hippy dippy (which? Honestly? The more i think about it years down the line makes very little sense to me?) Who knows maybe I wasn't paying attention enough

Honestly I expected to see more of Megatron in LL than we did tbh

I expected the whole "Rung is Primus?!?" Thing to be more dramatic, with Rung like. Suddenly turning into something more, or acting far differently, or //something// idk. But he just... stayed the same guy we knew, just with the memories now.

Didn't expect the entire double lost light situation revealing Brainstorm as a double agent went... or well the entire situation (see below)

Fr I didn't expect the whole "there were two ships from the original quantum jump" thing and that THAT'S where we got Rewind 2.0 from

Really I hadn't expected Cygate to be canonically shipped that hard like w

Before reading the comics I knew about jack shit about Lug and Anode besides the whole "transgender lesbians in the comics!!!" posts i kept seeing, and fr that was a gift that I got to know these two more

A lot of the Dark Cybertron Crossover stuff I was just like "wait so THAT'S what that was referring to!"

Originally I had thought Getaway was always part of the crew until the Tailgate stuff (tbh a lot of the Tailgate and Getaway stuff was stuff i vaguely knew about but didn't know how it would go down)

I KNEW JACK SHIT ABOUT CEREBROS/FORT MAX/RED ALERT!!! omggggg it was so fun to see because I mean we saw me say "oh fort max and red alert should be shipped more often" and then y'all came to the askbox saying that not only are they canon but canonically speaking Red Max and Cerebros are in a polycule which now that I realize it i might've saw art somewhere along the line? But well that would've been a long time ago before i knew much about the comics

Drift left earlier and was gone for longer than I expected, and it was fucking cool to see him and Ratchet just roll up onto the battle scene already married and shit.

Before I only knew three things about Sunder: His creepy as hell appearance, his connection with Froid, and that he was an autobot that flipped shit. I hadn't known that he had a brother, that he was a mnemosurgeon, that he had killed previous to arriving on the Lost Light, and among other things.

Again, I didn't know a whole lot about Thunderclash other than him being a swell guy and Rodimus hating him. We saw how I just kept repeatedly expecting him to die because let's be real I feel like introducing a character by saying "oh yeah! And he's dying!" Makes you expect him to die

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Whirl: Oh, I talked to Tailgate today, and apparently, he and Cyclonus might break up.

Getaway: Oh, how awful!

Whirl: Getaway, you’re smiling.

Getaway: Am I? Hmm.

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Hot take but Cyclonus “I’ll Split This World Open And Tear Down The Sky Before I Allow [Tailgate] To Come To Even The Slightest Harm” of Tetrahex will probaby sing Hozier’s new song “NFWMB”(Nothing Fucks With My Baby) as a lullaby to Tailgate at least ONCE

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A list of ships that I like that came from MTMTE/LL (in no particular order, and some of them are just “I ship it” and not “they’re canon”):

Cygate

Lugnode

Nautiskids (or whatever this ship name is??? I just picked whatever felt best lol)

Tarnma

Pharatchet (but only as a disaster unrequited thing)

Getaway/Optimus (because if he’s going to get fucked by the narrative he might as well get fucked by a Prime too I’m fucking joking please don’t roast me for this it’s A JOKE STOP)

Whirl/Happiness

Rodimus/A locker

Characters that I like a lot more due to MTMTE/LL:

Pharma

Skids

Cyclonus

Tarn

Relationships between characters that aren’t strictly romantic or platonic but still activate my almonds and make me go BRRRRRR

Orion Pax + Damus/Glitch/Tarn (as well as the other outliers)

Megatron + Terminus (because Terminus is such a hhhh combination of good and well-meaning but manipulative and insidious as fuck)

Megatron + Ravage

I’m probably forgetting a lot but that’s all I can immediately think of offhand.

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I told my friend about mtmte and this is what she picked up from it:

Brainstorm is her favourite. She said he seems like the most sensible one, at which point I burst out laughing.

She explained that she meant that everyone else is off being incredibly “hrrduduh” whereas he’s just like “can I have my boyfriend back please”

“Is there a single straight character in this series?” “No”

I told her about Drift and she proceeded to mock him. “I’m sowwy. I didn’t meanw to commit all of those muwwders. Pwease forgive me.” (I’m so sorry Drift)

“Okay, so with Cyclonus and Tailgate, Cyclonus hated Tailgate at first, and Tailgate liked him.” “Enemies to lovers?” “Yep, kinda.” “Niiice.”

She hates Rodimus because of his name. She does think that Getaway Prime sounds stupider though. Apparently it sounds like a travel agency run by amazon.

On a similar note, she also found Rodimus’ djd funeral video very funny. He really just went “I want that twink obliterated.”

Her: Is Whirl your favourite because he’s the least problematic?

Me:

“Okay, so you know those Russian dolls? Where like you’ve got like, a big doll and inside it is a smaller doll and inside that is an even smaller doll?” “Yeah?” “That’s Ultra Magnus.”

She also thinks that Minimus’ name is stupid.

I showed her a picture of Brainstorm without his mask and she muttered something under her breath and told me he should keep the mask on.

“Okay, so then like. Getaway goes to the brig, and he grabs these two dudes from in there. One’s called Sunder, and he’s like a serial killer and also a mnemosurgeon and also addicted to it, but he doesn’t mind. And the other one is this really shitty therapist called Froid-” “Wait, Freud? Like Sigmund Freud?” “Yeah, he’s named after Freud.” “Always glad to see some Freud slander.”

Things of Brainstorm’s that she found funny: Being the worst double agent ever by repackaging information they already know and acting like it’s new information. Hanging from the ceiling because he can. Keeping a time machine in a briefcase. Building a meta gun that made Swerve realise he was in a comic book.

Me: And so then Atomizer was all like ‘Getaway, has anyone ever told you you’re an asshole? Also I’m kind of having moral trouble with all of this.’

Her: Getaway was just like, ’Yknow, if you’re having trouble with that, we have an excellent therapist on the ship! Completely neutral, no ulterior motive, he’s a great guy.’

“The therapist has an entry on the tumblr sexy man Wikipedia.” “…I could’ve gone my whole life without knowing that.”

She also found Skids’ name incredibly funny, at which point I started telling her about how when he first woke up, he thought his name was Scum, only before I finished the joke I was reminded of how Skids’ last words were “I’m scum, I’m scum,” and suddenly it was a lot less funny.

She thinks these robots all need a lot of therapy.

She thinks that Cygate need a lot more communication. I told her that she was very right.

“And so then Getaway chucks all of the Friends with Megatron and also Whirl club into the Rodpod-” “The what?” “Oh, it’s a spaceship that Rodimus has that looks like his face.” “…I hate Rodimus.”

I strongly disagree with that last point.

“Wait, so how does cutting Ambulon in half proove that Pharma is a better surgeon than Ratchet? Because surely Pharma wouldn’t be able to help Ambulon either.” “…I don’t know.”

“Are the authors of this like, okay?? Mentally???”

“Wait, yknow the therapist that has an entry on the tumblr sexyman Wikipedia? Is that Rung or Froid?” “Rung.” “Thank God.”

Her: The creators of the show when they started writing it: Robots aliens can go into cars. The creators of the show when they started writing this: the robots are addicted to drugs-

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I have a ship idea I've thought about before but I'm only dropping it on you guys if you ask nicely

[ringalingal1ng]

Lessons In Love, a Cygate Fic

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18904630

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: None

Summary:

“Whirl sneered. ‘Do you really think that someone like Cyclonus would want you?’ He scoffed. ‘Nobody wants someone’s leftovers or damaged goods. The sooner you get that through your naive little processor, the better.’”

An alternative to what happens in MTMTE 47.

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noooo.......

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still cant get over the scene in mtmte when tailgate skateboards past his shitty ex-boyfriend’s cell just to show off the fancy jewelry his current boyfriend gave him