#bellumtenetur

[a-life-revised]

Onslaught might rumble her engines and squint as her visor comes off. She wrinkles her nasal ridge..huffing a few times. Then she stomps a pede.

Ah- she's.. upset about something.

He had a guess at what, but he didn't like to make assumptions.

"Did you also want a hug, Onslaught?"

[badassitron]

bellumtenetur reblogged your post!

They'd ended up pulled through a strange rift during a paid mission. Guarding some stupid scientist, while also picking apart some of their secrets for their own gain. And on arrival, its noticeable just how... SMALL everyone really is. So small that even Swindle would have felt tall. Was he somewhere here? Pulled through by some attached Miracle? Onslaught doesn't feel the cold emptiness to suggest he's gone. Just the usual wall. Brawl is poking around the room. Scraping to fit with his obvious cannon turret. Blastoff politely reading some of the posters. Tex on the other hand is now flipping a knife up and down his palm. Stretched over the back of Onslaught's shoulders with his double missile turrets to brace him. Onslaught glances at the tiny seat. And back to... B. " B was it-?" His voice a deep growl as he watches the smaller brightly colored mech," ... Commander Onslaught." Tone almost amused as he adds lightly," Gestalt Division. Unit Combaticons of the First Iaconian Defense Force." A pause. A low dark laugh," Newly arrived." The others around him echo his humor. Though Tex snickers, flicking the knife a little more pointedly.

Once the other settles into being more obviously threatening and superior, B... relaxes, oddly enough. This is familiar and normal. A bigger bot acting like you were a trivial little thing, like they could bust you up and nobody would blink? That's normal in Iacon!

...Well, it WAS normal in Iacon. Optimus is changing all that. Getting the miners' t-cogs back is changing all that, so maybe B should try being more assertive?... That one guy in the back has a knife. Assertive can wait, for now. Onslaught looks like he could smush B without a second thought, even if B managed to dodge the first step.

His little antennae twitch a bit, before folding back tight to his helm. "...are you part of the Elite Guard?" If they are, that's... that's not great. Because they're supposed to be banished up on the surface with D-16- ...Megatron, now. But B also doesn't want to assume things and piss off four angry soldier-bots. Maybe Optimus is setting up a new defense force outside of the guard. "Or- if you're newly arrived, did you just start? I just started, too! I used to do other stuff, but-"

And then B is shuffling through some datapads and cartridges, little chips and projectors for viewing data. He sets one down at the front of the Desk and it powers up, showing Optimus smiling awkwardly. The text on it reads 'WELCOME TO IACON'.

"Now I do this! What's a gestalt? ...Can I ask that? Is it super secret? I'm not gonna brag, but I'm kinda a big deal around here. Privvy to ALL the good stuff, so, uh, I'm definitely allowed to know. If you can tell me."

[symphonicdemise]

A bottle of fine high-grade will find uts way to Tarn via Drone courier. The tag attach is fine gilded Vellum and simply inscribed-

' For the Commander

From the Merchant '

Enjoy the Kaonite Whiskey Commander.

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting this. His digits stroke over the gilded tag for a moment.

The hint of a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. He stands and brings the bottle to his cabinet that holds a collection of various decanters and bottles. Different shades of pink liquid held within.

"What a kind gift, Swindle. I hope that's all this is, and not some ulterior motive." He hums aloud.

[unicronnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom]

@bellumtenetur replied...

" I think no one is gonna buy that one. Lil too on the nasal ridge there."

( ( THAT IS PRESUMING ALL HAVE NASAL RIDGES. AN ASSUMPTION THAT IS NOT UNIVERSALLY CANON. ) )

( r/tf FACTS ))

[cliff-and-the-kid]

A durable titanium tin with a cut red glass bull rearing on the front. Inside is an assortment of spicy Camian specialty crackers as well as Ruby gem sweets. Thank you for participating, and please come again for all of your mercantile needs~

Oh nice! Much obliged, and all that polite stuff.

The crackers aren't something he's had before, and will almost certainly dip in his energon ration to cut the spice. The sweet rubies Cliff is gonna go ahead and munch on while he's still stuck in the medbay. (Honestly, he's probably most pleased with the cool container, but goodies are goodies!)

[404-processor-not-found]

@bellumtenetur

:3c Chin Hands.

"Hi, Swindle."

[helicrazy]

@bellumtenetur​

Vortex will admit there are times when he makes a mistake or does something he didn’t mean to do which leads to a task going completely off the rails. This time however he really had no control over the situation. He merely stood too close to (what was supposed to be) an inactive space bridge, and the next thing he knows it turns on and he gets pulled into it with no warnings. Leaving him stranded on some other planet that wasn’t Cybertron or Earth. 

It could have happened to any of the other Combaticons really, he just so happened to be the lucky one of the bunch. On the plus side, where ever he landed seemed Cybertronian friendly as the locals simply looked in his direction when being teleported here, then carried on as if nothing happened. 

His rotors curiously twitch as he takes in his surroundings. Knowing that he must be far as both his comm line and gestalt bond were silent. Otherwise, it would be filled with a mixture of rage, concern, and confusion. And right now the silence is a little disturbing but he pushes that aside. They will look for him, no matter how far he is. He will reunite with them again. Soon. 

Hopefully. 

To distract himself he starts to saunter in a certain direction. Having no clue where he was going but anything was better than standing around waiting for Primus knows how long, and slowly losing his mind in the process. Better to interact with the people, find out where he is and figure out a plan from there. 

Surely these beings have heard of spaceships before. 

[apathetic-until-distracted]

:: Dead End. Did you know you accidentally sent me a link to 'Heat Death and how to End it All' monthly? I mean... Is this a hint or just a missile?:: Swindle had to admit the articles were interesting, if morbid and depressing. Very Dead End. :: And if not. Did I need to I dunno- I've got some books on similar topics?::

Oh- it's Swindle. His mood lifts for half a second at the thought that Swindle is checking up on him, before remembering that Swindle is trying to run from his gestalt, at which it plummets, again. They're both in the same boat, except Swindle is trying to find a way out and Deadend has already accepted that they're sinking without a single boat or life vest.

And neither of them fly, either. He'd say he was glad they were going down together, but..

::Hey, Swindle. I thought it might be an interesting read. Did you know the Universe is still expanding, but it's gonna snap back like a rubber band and crush everything inside, and then restart all over, again? How many times has it restarted? Do you think we've had this conversation, before?::

[biggest-ultra-mags]

" You can't arrest Me. All my goods and services are legal in this Quadrant. I've even got the paperwork for it."

"Well....Show me the paperwork then, Swindle. I'd love to see it." Now you have the ex-enforcer's attention. He kneels down more to Swindle's stature and waits, servo outstretched.

"Let's see it then, come on now."

[rxng]

@bellumtenetur

"That's-- that's not how it should be."

"Life has woes, and we need them, but war and bloodshed and hopelessness-- that's... that's not something that should be."

"We're a created species. Not evolved. Someone made us with intent. And I-- I can't imagine, as a parent, abiding by all that. When do you step in?"

"... do you step in?"

[a-life-revised]

" You made a promise to me, my liege. Will you honor it my lord?"

"Remind me of this promise." Megatron doesn't lounge so much as he sprawls, one leg angled out to the side and a datapad in his servo, helm resting on his other servo's knuckle.

"I'll honor it to the best of of my ability, yes, but remind me- what did you ask of me."

[badassitron]

Stare intensifies.

What is this?

Congratulations you've garnered the attention of the infamous Combaticons. How do you proceed?

> Challenge the biggest one to a fight

>Greet with caution/enthusiasm/rtc

>Flee that's some scary slag right there

B is not the type to challenge people to a fight instantly. Even now that he actually DOES have weapons. They might be super cool, but some stuff is embedded in a bot's psyche after cycles of having it drilled in.

Do not slag off someone bigger than you are. Do the opposite. Be nice. Or quiet, if nice isn't available.

Today, nice IS available! B smiles, maybe a little nervously, and begins to wheel and deal.

"Hi! Welcome to the Complaints Department. And the Compliments Department! And also the Directions Department, if you're feeling lost- I don't specialize in that last one, but I can always try! I know where like, most of the important stuff is in Iacon. Like the energon dispensary, and the old mines, and the new government building. ...Alright, we're already in the new government building, but I do know where it is! I'm B-127, but you can call me B if you want."

When does B cycle air? Unknown. "What's your name?"

[ghostlyvisage]

A dark iron box with gilded Vosnian Soprano birds embossed on it. Inside are Tar truffles with a vosnian wine syrup and a cherry bomb. Thank you for participating, and please visit again for all your Mercantile needs!

Well he is keeping the box and stashing the treats away for later, putting it with the energon dispenser he has in the main room and chittering happily.

He'll share the truffles, the cherry bomb is his though.

[a-life-revised]

Megatron chuffed softly, a little amused noise, and then leaned forward and nudged their forehelms together, optics squinting. "You've been good to her, despite everything between us. I'm.. I'm glad. I want to surround her with people that I know will be good for her." And then, in an attempt to return the humor, "If she was only around me, she might end up being a brat, and then where would we be?" He could not begin to word his relief, he gratefulness, but they were there, in his field, which he flared out like a heavy blanket over Swindle, larger servo lightly squeezing Swindle's over his chassis before letting go.

"As it is, do you have anything else she can chew on? If I wake up to her trying to chew on one of my datapads, again, I might lose my processor." Not that he would do anything about it- it's not like she understood.

"Do you remember the little teething cube you gave Elegy?"

Swindle blinks, helm cocked," Yea? The gold one. Soft, but satisfying for bitties. Plus it tastes good. An' its got valuable building material. Whataboutit?"

The merchant king shuffles his desk full of datapads.

Not quite looking at Megatron. Mostly? He's busy. On top of the datapads he's got 8 holoscreens full of ticking numbers. And two solid monitors with lines of names and data.

[ofvaporex]

Swindle presses his palm to the back of Ratchets shoulder as he talks to him. Going over the details of the academy and its attached training clinic. Shorter, but stout and angled to protect Ratchets broadside instinctually.

He won't say it aloud. But he counts Ratchet as...a friend.

His servo squeezes lightly before it drops.

Touch my muse.

He recognizes the posture even if he doesn't say it. That way of angling one's self to present themselves as a bigger target, protecting their companion as best they can.

But it's appreciated. He likes Swindle, even if their morals haven't always aligned. And when he speaks, he nods.

It's welcome, even if Swindle doesn't realize it.

[sparkmender]

{ @bellumtenetur // Swindle }

Whistles softly at Rung," Lookin' good crystalspark."

“Ah, you’re very generous, Swindle. Thank you.”

Still, both his field and biolights have taken on a tinge of sheepish pink. It’s nice to be noticed now and then.