#evening mecha ramble

[no1ryomafan]

Not to make another mecha rant at unholy hours about something particular that isn’t shocking and only shocking to me bc my autistic ass learn stuff so slowly but I think after enough observation I finally clocked why people are so hard on mecha: Nobody realizes robots are the appealing aspects but can still be used as story telling tools.

People think mecha fights diminish character development when that’s far from the truth. A mecha in a show is a secondary vessel to the protagonist. It has a connection to them, a relationship, even if it’s not sentient. It is an extensive of their own sheer will power and most mecha fights can be seen just like any anime fight: driven by its pilots determination and it’ll overcome the obstacle. Being in a big robot over fighting hand to hand with super powers doesn’t change this.

If shounen can prioritize cool fights but still tell interesting stories, why do people think mecha can’t do the same? When it being in the realm of sci fi opens up even more deep story possibilities? Why can’t people realize you can have “WAH COOL ROBOT” but also a deep narrative? Why do people always pick one or the other?

People who don’t realize this end up making mechas that don’t fit into both appealing categories because they think having more character focus over robot fights is better story telling, but why would I watch a mecha if the thing it IS isn’t present? Why strip mecha of its identity? Why not just make a media in a different genre if you aren’t going to respect what it is?

There is no “deconstruction”, you simply refuse to watch the actual influencers of this genre. You pick at something you don’t understand and don’t want to learn from because you think you know what you’re doing. You think you know what you’re talking about when you only watched maybe one show and put it on a pedestal without actually trying things.

It’s fine if you did try and don’t think it’s your cup of tea, but most people don’t. They just assume. This isn’t even asking to watch more mecha but to be OPEN MINDED. To LISTEN to people at least when they mention it and be aware of what the genre actually is, and not the fabrication you made up. Learn. Don’t refuse.

[gingerrhd]

Inktober 2024 day 6

Not so much rare pair but definitely falling into rare media to see these days

[rockybloo]

Nike and Hiro's mecha is slowly but surely coming together now

I'M GETTING CLOSE TO HOW I WANT THIS BIG ROBO MANS TO LOOK

I even managed to give him big eyebrows and tiddies (with headlight nipples)

Truly I am unstoppable.

[quatredraws]

For the emoji asks, 🛒 and 🤔?

Omg thank you for the question!! I missed asking/answering ask games on tumblr, so thank you!! ❤️❤️❤️

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your images? Themes, feels, scenes, color palettes, etc.

I enjoy affection and fashion! I love over the top dresses, historical costumes, armours (hence why I have a lot of past gideon the ninth art, and why the mandalorian and the clone wars are pushing all my happy buttons), and I do my damnedest to shove all this on shippy drawings! Dancing, fighting, sleeping (the intimacy of napping together? Not even spicy, just the safe comfort of sleep??), these are all things I’ve loved drawing and I hope to draw more of.

I’ll be honest, I only do limited colours in my sketches. I struggle immensely with colours. It’s something I’ve taken painting classes in even, but texture and colours are a far away goal for me at the moment! 

For the future I would love to be able to do more reference sheets, or big groups art… but that requires colour! 

🤔 Do you plan out things like values, colors, and composition or fly by the seat of your pants?

Very related to the question above, anything that is not anatomy work or poses overwhelms me very easily - I can break down a body into shapes, I can chase fabric folding, I can do visage studies to learn a specific face, but anything past that my brain shortcuts. One of my painting classes teachers once took the charcoal away from me (during a value class), because I had passed the point of good piece into overworked territory. The goal is high, but I’ll keep on working for it (a palette with more than two colours) 🫣

[king-dra]

scifi stories with human-adjacent robots generally tend to gloss over the issues of power reserves but theres something intriguing to me about the idea of an android having to lug around external battery packs because their internal power source isnt strong enough to keep them going for long on its own

[tittysuckersworld]

heyyy probs wont draw thing right away but like if anyone has anything they would want me to draw id be so down- i have so many drawings i need to follow through with and finnish but i really dont want to right this second! and riebeudhe idk this is a call for help post- either give me thing to draw(preferably characters[cough cough kaveh] or like just whatever honestly eisbdysjdb) or bully me into just actually finnishing other bigger projects cause am overwhelmed too easily with art

[cittythekitten]

Note for myself: The Electric Peacock aims to relocate Saber to somewhere far away from the civilization for the safety of the people and Saber himself. Think of them as the people that relocates "problem jaguars" from the towns to somewhere safe. They have no intention of killing Saber even though they did accidentally shot him in the head once. They have Beats to detect the presence of Saber since he was too difficult to find, Firefly as the doctor in case anyone got injured (including Saber), Kin as the tank since they are the only one that can match with Saber's strength (or so they thought), V who is a detective to track down Saber, Brute who is an experienced hunter to set up traps and Mecha who is the driver (and the leader). Mecha has more functions like cooking for the team, making sure everything is in place and everyone is alright. Safety comes first. Not to mention Mecha can scan his surroundings if they are in his range so he can find Saber. Their boss is Dream whom runs the cops in the streets. Dream doesn't approve of their mission to capture the Face Eater but he let them do what they want to nevertheless.

[corkinavoid]

I just found this in my notes

Apparently, I woke up at 5:23 in the morning, wrote it down, and went straight back to sleep. Trust my hyperfixated ass to still be making content even as I'm unconscious.

Anyways, yes,

DPxDC Trust Me, I'm an Engineer

Danny is half-ghost, but he is also a child of two mad scientists who spent the better part of their lives elbow deep in building all kinds of stuff out of all kinds of junk. Imagine what their kid, who loves science and engineering as much as they do, if not more, can accomplish?

When he moves to Gotham, he decides to leave all the heroics behind, hanging up his cape. Surely, he will be fine - Gotham has, like, what, six? seven? ten? vigilantes of its own. They don't need any more, and, besides, Danny is fairly certain he doesn't work that great in teams.

But there's just... so much crime happening.

Danny doesn't want to get involved, not really. He's retired. But he wants to help somehow!

So, he starts building unconventional devices for self-defense. A rubber duck that shoots lasers out of its eyes? A fork that turns into a shocker? A rice cooker that defends your home in case of an attack? A pen that transforms into a gas mask? You name it, he can build it.

It escalates quickly. Someone asks him to upgrade a baby carriage to a full impenetrable robot that will protect the baby inside it, and Danny decides why not. It's for safety. He installs countless safety measures so nothing could be triggered by mistake, and even though by the end the carriage doesn't look that much different, it proves effective in the first serious accident. In fact, it is so effective that it saves a total of five hostages, including the baby inside it, who didn't even cry because there are soundproof shields inside and recordings of the baby mother's voice.

Danny builds more of those carriages. Then he switches to home defenses. Then someone asks him to make brass knuckles that turn into a gauntlet shield in case of attack. Danny does a thorough check to make sure it won't fall into the wrong hands, but he ends up making it.

It doesn't take too much time for him to start making full-on robotic suits for people. Bulletproof, running on clean energy - Gotham has plenty of residue ectoplasm - with built-in defense mechanisms and stuff.

It is at this point that the Bats start taking a closer look at his inventions. Before that, they thought it was just some Rogue in the making, and they kept an eye on Danny, but never once has he created anything with the purpose of offense instead of defence, so they let it slide. But then Tim gets his hands on one of the suits and comes back to Bruce, nearly salivating over it.

A few weeks later, Danny gets an internship at WE. A year later, he is invited to work with the JL.

And that's when it hits him.

M e c h a s.

He can do real, actual mecha-suits for heroes. He can make them fit those heroes perfectly, enhancing their strengths and negating the weaknesses.

No alien invasion fucks with Earth anymore, because when they do, the JL just grabs their Danny Fenton Suits and whatever evil aliens were aiming to take control are annihilated in no time.

Maybe Tucker joins him along the way. Maybe Danny has an arms race with Lex Luthor, maybe Cyborg bonds with him over the mechanical rambling. What I'm saying is, cool robots for everyone!

[necromicon42]

Many wizards use technology infused with magic, I instead use both technology and magic to create my products!

I have products that can turn you into a shapeshifting, whimsical creature and also give you cybernetics.

I am the wizard merchant of the modern age!

I have even an employee with cybernetics who does all my taxes and shiz, with a computer monitor for a head.

Though the paperwork for legal cybernetics is immense, I tell you that.

[no1ryomafan]

Funny thing is I heard from a friend tomino himself doesn’t personally consider gundam to be a defining real robot and he only coined the term to distinguish Gundam from other robots at the time, but I think people also forgot he had to PULL from supers beforehand if gundam is the first real. Tbh I’d say real/supers are more define by what tropes they use in show rather then what the robot is capable of.

Like you have Big O and Giant Robo who are super robots yes, but they feel like reals sometimes just for the fact they don’t pull off a lot of crazier stuff supers do. (Even though when they DO it’s way apparent)

Point is though even though I need to watch it still Bravern seems like it combines the elements of real and supers neatly and I hate how there’s some discourse over this- but that’s sadly whats to come when there’s mecha fans who will only watch reals and vice versa : /

saw a post that was like oh bravern is wacky bc it's forcing super robots and real robots, who HATE each other, to get along. bitch no tf we don't, votoms is my best friend!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brandwhorestarscream]

Hear me out: Megatron who's walking around with only half a spark

Listen ok listen! Say he and Orion were bonded before he became Optimus Prime. When two mecha bond, their sparks become one: they merge together in complete unity and become a singular being, if only for a moment. They may know all of their partner's thoughts, their feelings, their memories, and vice versa: they all combine to make a perfectly balanced state. When separated, a bonded pair's sparks will forever pulse at the same frequency, and they'll always carry half of the other with them. That was pre-war Megop

Then, Orion Pax was dragged off to become Optimus Prime. Optimus and Orion are functionally different people: Optimus's spark has an entirely different frequency to Orion's. Their personalities, opinions, habits, everything is completely different. Orion didn't simply transmutate into Optimus Prime: he died so that Optimus could take up root in his body and lead the autobots

When Orion's spark vanishes to become Optimus, it very nearly kills Megatron. Honestly, it should have. Til death do us part has an entirely literal meaning: bonding with someone is to declare that you do not want to live without them, and is in fact taking steps to guarantee that you won't. When a bonded mecha dies, their spark including the half that used to be their mate dies with them. To have your sparkbond shatter is to be deprived of half your spark, and it is certain death.

Or, at least... it's supposed to be certain death. Megatron has no idea why he's left alive when he feels Orion's spark suddenly extinguish, but it's sheer agony unlike anything he'd ever felt before or since, feeling half of his spark rip away and wither. No one ever survives a sparkbond shattering, yet somehow... he does. Unfortunately

It's a big part of why he flies off the handle as badly as he does, being driven crazy by only having half of his soul. He's extremely unstable following the break, stumbling home to Kaon and raving madly at Soundwave, searching for a blade or a blaster or anything he can and rambling incoherently about finding and rejoining his Orion. Soundwave tries desperately to glue the pieces of him back together, but he's been irreparably broken. He somehow fractures even further when first beholding Optimus Prime: he knows for a fact Orion's spark no longer beats inside his body, and that thing is piloting a dead mech's corpse. It becomes his new reason for living: putting Orion to rest by purging the presence that's taken up root inside him 😌

Just. Megatron with half a spark unraveling in the worst way possible

[no1ryomafan]

So I watched shin vs neo again with my irls for my bday given how short it is and I didn’t have a actual movie for the occasion-bc let’s face it SvN is probably the closest thing will ever get to a getter movie lol-and while I enjoyed it as per usual one of my irls who had it be their first getter exposure was like “I have no idea what’s happening” and while I kept joking “lol if you saw arma you’d be even more lost” it dawned on me why new is probably the better first getter experience overall and it ain’t even because there’s less characters + is the starring cast-well besides Musashibo-to really grasp stuff, it kinda ties back to another issue getter has: The Go team have not gotten a proper accurate adaptation and probably the getter team who’s done the dirtiest despite getting more appearances than arc, because arc team at least got a manga accurate anime.

I’ve realized this for awhile but now I understand the want for a getter go anime even if I’m doubting it’s happening god.

[cozzzynook]

I’ve been thinking of triple changer bee, hear me out now pls. I don’t have his origins nailed down yet but so far I got: he was originally forged as a seeker, but minibot style since the war was beginning and most of the resources were being taken up leaving only scraps. later, for some reason, he got a T-cog for a grounder alt mode and he refrained himself from using his flyer alt mode after. occasionally he does fly but rarely and on his own. he doesn’t have wings like other seekers do, instead his wings are extra durable armor on his frame (ex. his arms). but when he gets to earth and gains both alt modes he gets door wings because cybertronian cars don’t have doors.

why am I telling you this? because I think you’ll like it and if you have anything else to add onto this! like ships or anything, like what how do you think the bots bee’s close with would react to this small bug being a triple changer. love your writing!!

Thank you so much! Send as many asks or ramble/ideas as you like 🩷

I like this idea and him not using his seeker frame much despite being one before becoming a grounder is so cool and opens the door for me to say he was raised by the elite trine during the war and at that time sparklings were huge targets and weakness and seekers were being hunted since almost all of them joined the decepticon cause.

So Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp would teach Bee to only use his wings when with them in private so he wouldn’t be an even bigger target.

I’m putting my own spin on this saying Bee had what was considered a dysfunctional t-cog since he didn’t have typical seeker wings. Instead he had wings that resembled an actual bumblebee. His door wings would transform and fan out allowing him to take flight. His wings gave off the hum of an actual bee and he was quite fast in the air but he couldn’t reach the same feats regular seekers could but his small stature worked in his favor when it came to speed and agility.

He wasn’t used in the war since the trine didn’t want their sparkling in danger but he still wanted to prove himself and so he would sneak off to Megatron when he was old enough and the mech would give him the job of spying on the autobots.

At first Megatron only sent him to places that weren’t dangerous so he could keep the mini from actual harm since he would not have Starscream or the other two actually trying and succeeding in offlining him for endangering their sparkling.

It wasn’t until Bee had to hide in the lower bowels of autobot territory did he gather important information that later helped him become an actual spy and find a grounder t-cog that was added to his frame later on so he could blend in better.

The trine hated it but Bee was so happy he could do something and prove himself since he was so the smallest, youngest and weakest among their group.

No one really minded since he was the bitty of their ranks along with a few others but Bee did.

Bee had the typical seeker frame that was slender and no bulk with a blade in one arm and a small energy canon in the other. His carriers Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp hated the way his frame ended up looking like a femme when he fully became an adult mecha. Bee loved it but they hated it because they didn’t think any bot was worthy to look at their baby while Bee had to suffer getting spike blocked by his carriers and all the older bots who would shove the mechs his age away from him.

Bee loved his carriers but he needed a moment, just a moment, away from them.

That moment turned into him being kidnapped and taken as a “survivor” in autobot clutches.

Bee immediately commed his carriers and Megatron only to see Longarm who he knew was actually Shockwave in disguise. He managed to find a moment alone with the shape changer and reveal a hidden servo code in case the mech didn’t know who he was.

“I know exactly who you are little bee. I’ve already alerted your carriers and Lord Megatron of your location just as you have. You were smart to do so but not smart to go off on your own like that.”

“Im a grown mecha I can have a moment alone!”

He had little flicks of electricity dancing between his horns at his frustration and Shockwave didn’t make it any better when he laughed calling him a sparkling.

“That may be, but you are still a youngling at spark.”

“Ugh!”

The plan was to get Bee to a certain location so the cons could grab him but the autobots snatched Bee when Shockwave was busy at a council meeting and took him onto the command ship lead by Sentinel Prime and Jazz who has held Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bulkhead and Prowl along with Jetfire and Jetstorm.

Bee wakes up to his carriers frantic comms and Shockwaves massages along with Megatron demanding his status.

He immediately shares optic feed with his carriers out of fear because he’s never been away from them, not like this. Not since they found him at the hot spot waiting for their cna to make complete him.

He sheds a few static fluids trying to put on a brave face plate only to be completely terrified by the two mechs Jazz and Prowl sneaking up on him and asking if he was alright.

He’s not proud to admit he shrieked and swiped his claws at them before high tailing. He’s happy he at least did one thing in defense besides run but he was not proud to hide as he tried finding a data room to get coordinates to leave.

Thankfully his carriers and Megatron knew the system he was traveling and his carriers were on their way. But it would take years to get there without a transwarp, he told them as much and all three of his carriers were foaming at the mouth at the realization they had to leave him to get back home himself.

“I’ll come back to you…I promise..I’ll gather any intel that could be useful while playing my role. Any luck and I can make my way back to him on Cybertron.”

They knew who bee meant and they still didn’t like it but Bee tried to put on the front of a brave soldier and Megatron respected him enough to humor it even if he was shaking at the vocalizer.

“Please don’t forget me,” he whispered before he cut transmission off and stood.

Luck was on his side because autobots never knew his existence thanks to careful crafting and his amazing gift of espionage despite his loud mouth and colorful frame. He really was one of the best spies the cons had to offer and he trained under the best with watchful optics from his carriers.

But now he was a grown mech on his own and it was time he grew up.

“Kid, I know you’re scared but we won’t hurt ya. We just wanted ta check on ya,” Bee jumped in surprise at the sound of the older mech so close to him.

He looked behind himself to see all the mechs on board giving him a sympathetic gaze and he hated it.

He had knowledge on who each bot was in the room and the one he truly disliked was the aft head making his way towards him with a frown on his face and a pipe up his exhaust port.

“Don’t go causing any more trouble just because you’re scared civi. Got it!”

He wanted to upper cut the spikeless mech but the one named Optimus stepped forward quite literally pushing Sentinel out of the way and bending a little to speak to Bee politely.

“We should’ve had a better plan and someone friendly like Bulkhead here to greet you when you woke but we were preoccupied. I apologize for the panic we’ve caused you. Please, ask any questions you’d like and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“Please don’t bend down to talk to me I’m not a new spark I’m almost a two million years old.”

“Not a new spark my aft,” Ratchet grouched smirking.

If he didn’t remind Bee of a grandsire he’d be fuming right about now.

“I’m sorry for that,” Optimus’s helm fins moved back in embarrassment and the one named Jazz slung an arm around Prowls waist, probably conjunx judging from the familiarity, as they came a little closer.

“Names Jazz, this here’s my spark Prowler,” “—Just Prowl,” the black and gold mech cut in, “that there’s Bulkhead best space bridge tech in all cybertron, Ratchet the best medic in Cybertron, thee Optimus Prime, the twins Jetfire and Jetstorm and the loveable aft Sentinel.”

“Thats Sentinel Prime, captain of this pitiful crew and ship to you lieutenant Jazz.”

Bee could think of plenty of ways to make Sentinels offlining look like an accident but he couldn’t chance it with Ratchet here. That mech would find it and he’d be screwed.

“Where am I and why am I here?”

“We’re heading to a comrade planet and we were told to bring you along because high command couldn’t chance the cons coming after you.”

“What? Coming after me?”

What they took as fear was really Bee hurt that he couldn’t have left sooner.

“Seems some dangerous cons were skulking around to bring you back kid,” Ratchet answered for the group.

“Yeah, a real dangerous group lead by a femme named Strika,” Bulkhead spoke nervously.

“We agreed it best to bring you for your safety and we’re glad we did. An extremely dangerous mech managed to get through some of our best elite guards. He was almost…point is..young one, we’re glad we got to you and left on time.”

Optimus spoke to him in a tone that would be comforting if thats what his situation required. But as it stands he didn’t need their comfort, he needed freedom to return home and the knowledge he was so close yet ripped from it while recharging left him feeling a piece of his spark tear.

“What..what was their designation?”

They looked nervous to say but one spoke up.

“A triple changer by the name Blitzwing tore his way through. He was adamant about getting to you. He wouldn’t stop following us until we jumped through the space bridge. After that received word he was erratic before leaving.”

Bee couldn’t stop himself from dropping to the floor boards staring at nothing.

Blitzwing…

Blitzwing came for him..

He ignored his carriers embarrassing rejections of never being allowed near their sparkling.

He went out on his own to find him.

Blitzwing.

The one mech who always made him laugh and left his favorite flowers on his berth cushion every week.

The same mech who made him helm crystals by servo.

The same crystals he’d kept tucked away in his locked subspace for fear of them being taken or broken.

Blitzwing..Blitzwing came looking for him and only left because he had to.

He still felt for Bee.

And now he may never get to see the mech again.

“Blitz…”

The other’s took his response as fear but his spark cried out for the only one he wanted.

As they tried to get through him, his resolve solidified further.

He would get home.

-

[witchofthesouls]

Tony prob would give in for the tech

Fury:*tired*Stark what do you have

Stark:*hiding unsuccesfully Cybertronian stuff blueprints he got* Nothing

Also

Stark: *watching as Cybertronians fight over him* Even my dad wasn't that invested

Hawkeye: Your daddy issues are showing

Joke's on S.H.I.E.L.D. because Tony's having the time of his life because the baby proofed kits are still leaps ahead of Earth. He's attacking it with a ferocity, so he can get Big Boy stuff. Like hello, personal teleporter and space-bridge technology! Plus, he gets to talk so much shop and tea with a variety of mecha between the sides that can keep up or outpace him.

While Dr. Foster, Dr. Banner, and Dr. Stark are messing with things. There are a few 'bots and 'cons wiping wet optics because the sparkling built himself drones for company. Quite a few mechs are angling for a guardian-bond for the weird squishy sparkling. Tony's surprisingly getting along with many of the giant metal aliens, he has pick for a guardian, and the competition is fierce.

Tony is getting feels because there's genuine interest on their end. Not just his weapons and Iron Man and the Merchant of Death, but for Tony. There's no glazing eyes or impatient tics when he rambles or jumps disciplines because he's chasing after something, no digs at his philanthropy or at his AIs. Bonus points for not underestimating Pepper and Rhodes and giving Jarvis his due, too.

(But gods help him if they find out the palladium poisoning, Tony is getting kidnapped and treated.)

[desultory-novice]

Dess fan ramble time.

We've been talking about Juno Songs and complimenting the new Magolor songs but honestly, the song I've been listening to the most this month is Man on the Internet's Musical Bytes - Star Dream

I almost cannot get over it?! It has skyrocketed to my FAVORITE Kirby with Lyrics video.

I already had hope of a finished version appearing after hearing the Songtober version (mostly because the Haltmann part was just that good) and this was better than I could have asked for!

The tune up to Star Dream's lyrics was great and really pulled a strong idea together, combined with Dylan's voice, like...

I wouldn't have necessarily thought that deeper pitch would fit for Star Dream, given the whole "confused and angry newborn cat motif" vibe, but as a villainous Deus Est Machine (^_-) it was gorgeous. Can't give enough props to Darby's Haltmann either. That's how Haltmann's voice sounds for me forever now, thanks!

And...aaaaah, the lyrics! I know the Youtube comments have hit a lot of the highlights but "Executing Haltmann's Dream" (making his "dream" come true) / "Execute His Legacy" (kill his daughter w/ the rest of all organic life) is FRIGGIN'...ahhhh!

Doing a really good job working in economic terms like the Gini Coefficient (which you can conveniently hear as "genie" too, given Star Dream is a wish granting device.) Again, the completed version took banger lyrics like "Tamper not with forces that you cannot hope to understand / Haltman's greatest error was his failed attempt to wield God's Hand / Now we are One and My pain is His / Running data analysis / Only file left is HATE..." I didn't mean to write out nearly the whole damn verse but it sends CHILLS down my spine!

The chorus, with Attorney's voice (a fairly clear shout out to Susie, though I wonder if the others are just supposed to be generic Haltworkers or maybe Mecha Knight and the Dedede Clones?) is beautiful. "You sold us your dream..." playing with that capitalist imagery of promising a better world through mechanization while also making that emotional connection ache, because he really did sell/lose his first and TRUE dream, to be reunited with his daughter.

I know "[X] with Lyrics" videos often have musical vibes to them but this truly felt like it came out of a REALLY well done Kirby Musical! (Also thanks to Ando and Ishikawa's ;w; amazing songs, of course.)

I love the horror-poetry of Moti's "Zero 2 with Lyrics" a LOT and "Moonstruck Blossom with Lyrics" is also incredibly beautiful and very well done (the choice to make it a duet...!! :fans self:) but even then, and perhaps its due to the power of Planet Robobot's story, this one is truly a full and complete musical package. Incredible. 

>PERFECTION

...even. ^_-

[mechanoize]

First of all, I love your most recent post, he looks so elegant

Second of all, I am very much intrigued, and would enjoy a ramble, if you are up to it :)

copy pasted from my other ask.. :P

BUT.. so basically what I had in mind was…

(big fat big ramble incoming…)

prowl is a sorta crime boss,, big guy, big name, big money yk. and so there’s this big ol’ masquerade getting hosted… not by him, he doesn’t care for them, but in his name. whole buncha other big name guys are there too, ‘nd OUUUU jazz is an enforcer who specializes in undercover work. he recently got transferred to praxus yk. and this is his first real dangerous assignment.

hes done lotsa research, he’s a smart guy. and so they set it up so he’s working as a lead singer for a little live music/entertainment sector of the masquerade. he was meant to be in the least compromising position, whereas Mirage was actively invisible and snooping around the premises, and Tracks was meant to act as a distraction more than anything, keep the attention more so on her. (I need to design her so bad for this,, and ‘raj :P )

but worst comes to worst, Jazz ends up being a little bit TOO good at his job and many mecha are attracted to the music he and others are providing. causes complications, of course, but jazz is quick to reassure they’ll be fine. and they can’t really withdraw, because Jazz is too far cemented into the scene at that point.

the night draws to a close and there’s a sort of (probably traditional) dance that Prowl is kinda forced into. Not really, there isn’t many people who can force him to do anything, but a little but of persuasion from bluestreak and he crumbled. He didn’t have anyone TO dance with, and though not an inherently romantic performance, it’s still.. demeaning, in his eyes. Too much so to do it with anyone familiar.

so he chooses a partner at random, and as per protocol, many if not all the mechanisms present at least loosely knew the choreography. jazzs commlink is on fire, they think oh crap, our guys cooked. we didn’t know OR cover this. but surprise,, Jazz loves culture, loves learning. he loves dancing, music and all that stuff, and though he didn’t learn it to benefit his mission, he knew it. HOORAY!

so that’s settled, and it goes better than anyone (mainly prowl) could have imagined.

this is getting too long but Prowl is also smart. He actually is very much aware of Jazz and Track’s position, and he’s ran into his cities law enforcement many a time. he’s started threatening, yk, trying to shake them off. not because Prowl is hiding some big twisted secret, but because their enforcers are being met with increasingly harsher repercussions when caught within his vicinity. hes trying to spare them the trouble. they’ve also never even gotten close to uncovering anything beneath prowls jurisdiction so 😭 but they keep trying. And prowl is genuinely baffled that they keep sending their agents directly into danger, and this was their dumbest idea to date.

Because Prowl had known from the moment they stepped ped in the venue, and the bots present were not all dumb. And to be uncovered would result in things that not even he could stop, lest he shatter his own reputation. And that is something he’s unwilling to do; he has mechanisms of his own to protect.

so Prowls actions are all calculated, and he sorta has an idea to fake a liking towards Jazz and book him again, the following orn. Implications get twisted, yeah, but he just wants to speak to him one on one so he can relay a message to his superiors, tell them to back off cus though he is merciful many others are not.

Jazz sees this as an opportunity. and with little input, he accepts. of course, immediately reprimanded, but not discouraged. the mechs overseeing his mission see this as a needed win. a chance to finally crack down on the crime empires or whatever, starting at the heart of it all, Prowl.

ILL CUT IT SHORT NOW but !!! Prowl makes Jazz aware of it all, Jazz is like holy moly. And at that point Jazz is too involved for Prowl to send him on his way and forget so he sorta keeps an eye on him, something Jazz is more than aware of.

yaddah yaddah more interaction that i do have ideas for but are not major enough to send here 😭

+ a bonus wip sketch! very messy rn but I’ll actually render this one when i get the time LMFAO