#ship: Optimus Prime/June Darby

[yuki2sksksk]

June is me. (I gave up on colouring the last two panels) (the chokehold this ship had on me when I was younger as well as June and Ratchet)

[aggressivedaikons]

tbh I think the main reason I really dislike (specifically TFP) MegOp is the fact that people seem to REALLY infantilize optimus in those dynamics, and it’s worse with Orion x Megatronus. Like. He’s a full grown man. OP is depressed and has a lot to deal with. Orion is a a lot snarkier and confident character, just pretty introverted. You see how he behaves in Transformers: Exodus and Orion is just a massive book nerd who has a small group of close friends he hangs out with and goes to the bar with.

All the shipart I see for Optimus is primarily MegOp, and not all, but a lot of it makes optimus all 🥺🥺😳😳🫢🫢 uwu deredere sub ahh (ESPECIALLY ORION PAX). And like. I’m okay with that, it just is a little annoying when that’s half the content the TFP fan base seems to put out and that’s not what I want. (You go like that, just let me complain chill if you don’t like this opinion block me?? Duh) . That’s why I really prefer OptiRatch for my m/m tfp ships. They are both treated like grown men, and optimus (usually) is just a little softer than he is around others with Ratchet and I think that’s honestly PERFECT. Especially from an aro/ace perspective where I headcanon everyone as such why can’t they just be platonically in love and go to eachother for affection??? Aligned cybertronians are canonically asexual to begin with.

Anyways what I’m getting at is the reason I like OpLita and JuneOp is because:

OpLita - Let’s optimus be the one lesser in charge because he has someone who is fiercely protective of him in the form of his wife. Bonus points for being mostly canon and like bro I love them together they compliment each other’s personalities perfectly.

JuneOp - Ok one of my two tf rare pairs I have feel so dissapointed that there isn’t enough content for. Hear me out, they’re platonic partners in more of a QPR than anything else in an alterous relationship because they are both overworked and stressed parents who end up coparenting team prime. Optimus just needs someone who can relate to the struggle of other’s life being in the his hands and someone he can basically complain to. June’s husban left and she just needs someone to at least fill the emotional void it left, and it’s already confirmed that she had a bit of a thing for him lmao.

anywyas thanks for coming to my Ted talk about optimus getting bitches tyvm

[gelu-the-babosa-multiversal]

Live PRIME reaction after Megatron is shrunk by one of Shockwave's experiments. Luckey for team Prime, June offered her services to take care of the now human-size warlord.

Jack is screaming in the background with an axe in his hands...

[witchofthesouls]

I love that piece because it could be a mom teasing her son over the handsome man of teacher/guard/boss/librarian/coach/insert-whatever-main-influence-of-the-placejust to see her child get flustered since eww mom!, or she really did have a little flirtatious moment, or both.

i still cant believe june darby set her sights on optimus prime himself. go big or go home, i guess

[pipermca]

Feedback Fest 2024

In honour of International Fanworks Day (today! February 15) I am posting some fic recommendations that I've made in the past. (I am super swamped at work and can't write up any new recs, but I previously rec'd these over on my main blog over the past few years. I'm collecting them together again here on my writing blog!)

These ten rec's are in no particular order, and all are in the Transformers fandom (with some crossovers). Ratings and pairings (if relevant) are noted.

(I also had to split this list into two parts because I waxed too poetic about these fics. See my reblog for the next part. 🙂)

Frivolities by @neveralarch (G, Megatron & Starscream). Summary: “My correct form of address is in my ID tag,” snapped Starscream. “Use it or lose your tongue.” My comments: I love this story. I love it so much I’ve recommended it to people who would ordinarily never read Transformers fanfic, simply because I think they’d appreciate what the author is doing. They took canon and fanon, and from it alchemized a story of dysphoria and wanting to be seen and acknowledged in a way the character wants, and wrapped it up in a tidy package that hits like a truck, and have I mentioned I love this story! (makes fists) Read it!

Working Through It by @trinarysuns (M, Skywarp/Thundercracker/Marissa Faireborn). Summary: “TC,” Skywarp says, “I’m, like, ninety percent sure that humans don’t have interface cables.” Thundercracker squawks and almost knocks him over trying to get the script out of his hands. My comments: I can’t say enough about this story. I love it and it pushed so many buttons for me. Not even smutty buttons, just interaction buttons: humans interacting with giant alien robots, old loves reuniting, logitical issues of interspecies getting it on… Tumblr deleted my review of this story, (SIGH) so I reposted my review on DW here. It says a lot more about this fic!

The Soft Rush of Black Static by Monstrosibee (NR, Bluestreak/Prowl). Summary: Prowl doesn’t know a lot of bots on this newly salvaged Cybertron, and he definitely doesn’t know the bot intruding on his construction site. My comments: While this fic is essentially a fix-it fic for a story from the Aligned continuity, it just destroyed me. You can read the basics of what happened between Bluestreak and Prowl on TFWiki (at the end of Chapter 7 of The Covenant of Primus) but it was devastating to actually read how upset Prowl was by what happened. This short little fix-it brought all those emotions back and then healed them. I loved this.

Someone You Might Have Been by @astolat (T, Megatron/Optimus Prime.) Summary: I didn’t love him because he wasn’t you. My comments: I'm rec'ing this because it's just pure "this is exactly what I want to read!" for me. This is a delightful mashup of the Shattered Glass universe and G1, in which the Optimus Primes from each universe get (temporarily) swapped. It’s an amazingly heartwrenching MegOP story.

Crash Site by Slyboots (G, Breakdown/Knock Out). Summary: June Darby does not believe in aliens, or in haunted highways, or in government conspiracies, or in any other small-town folklore. The new mechanics in town are uncanny, all the same. My comments: I am a sucker for Transformers: Prime fics, and one of the (it's canon! suck it Hasbro) ships from the show that I love is Knock Out/Breakdown. But besides that, I just love the vibe of this story. You can feel Knock Out and Breakdown in it, even if June doesn’t really see them, except out of the corner of her eye. And I am SO HERE for the idea that the two of them got some lovely downtime together before the events in TFP.

[secretrose100]

Space, Stars and other Oddities (8747 words) by Confused_NPC Chapters: 5/? Fandom: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime, The Transformers (IDW Generation One) Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Starscream/Original Cybertronian Character(s) Characters: Optimus Prime, Starscream (Transformers), Megatron (Transformers), Ratchet (Transformers), Bumblebee (Transformers), Arcee (Transformers), Bulkhead (Transformers), Wheeljack (Transformers), Smokescreen (Transformers), Soundwave (Transformers), Shockwave (Transformers), Knock Out (Transformers), Breakdown (Transformers), Airachnid (Transformers), Dreadwing (Transformers), Miko Nakadai, Rafael "Raf" Esquivel, Jack Darby, June Darby, William Fowler, Predaking (Transformers), Original Cybertronian Character(s), Sparklings (Transformers), Overlord (Transformers), Skywarp (Transformers), Thundercracker (Transformers), Pharma (Transformers) Additional Tags: Canon Related, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Original Character(s), Transformer Sparklings, Past Relationship(s), Past Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Developing Relationship, Slow Burn, Redemption, Starscream Redemption (Transformers), Explicit Sexual Content, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Oral Sex, Fluff and Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Smut, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Character Death, Supernatural Elements, Sticky Sexual Interfacing (Transformers), Valve Fingering (Transformers), Valve Oral (Transformers) Summary:

Starscream recently left the ranks of the Decepticons. After his betrayal from Airachnid and his failure to join the Autobots, Starscream found himself as a rogue. He lived within the remnants of the Harbinger beginning to scrape by with the small fragments of energon he was able to collect. Today though….Today was different. Starscream awoke to the sounds of Spaceship engines. He sat upright in his berth as he ran outside and saw a ship landing near the Harbinger. He sees a strange bot exit the ship. Is he a new ally? A new enemy? Either way, Starscream's destiny is about to change.

[autobotdecepticonpeacekeeper]

*cracks knuckles* I gotchu, homies.

I've got a couple playlists for my TF/Human ships, though some songs are AU/fic specific, so I'll just grab the general songs and edit it later to include the actual playlists.

(also don't come at me about some of the ships, I know they're bad, but I've seen what some of y'all ship so we're all pots and kettles here)

Sick and Twisted Affair by My Darkest Days (Miko Nakadai/Megatron)

Bad Romance by Lady Gaga (Miko Nakadai/Megatron)

If I Never Knew You by Jon Secada & Shanice (June Darby/Optimus Prime)

The Day I Fall In Love by John Ingram & Dolly Parton (June Darby/Optimus Prime)

Back to Life by Hailee Steinfeld (Carlie Watson/Bumblebee) (an obvious one, but it should be said.

A couple more general ones that could fit a TF/Human relationship are

Until Eternity by Blackbriar

Immortal by Reinaeiry

Left Behind by Reinaeiry

When The Day Met The Night by Panic! at the Disco

Hope you enjoy these, and I definitely want to see what other songs people have for other TF/Human ships.

Do you know if anyone has made playlists for general Cybertronian / Human relationships? I've tried finding one on Spotiy but no luck.

I haven't tried looking for any myself, so I couldn't say. I do personally have a few different TF playlists, including a ship playlist, but that one is for all my big ships. I could see about putting such a playlist together. I'm not sure if you mean general as in "songs that could be applied to a variety of ships that fall in line with the theme" or "songs that do fit specific ships but could be used for general inspiration". Though I would imagine one could fit with the other.

Songs that I have picked for interspecies ships though:

Somewhere Out There from An American Tail (Seaspray/Alana)

Honeybee by Steam Powered Giraffe (Charlie Watson/Bumblebee)

Modern Woman by Billy Joel (Thundercracker/Marissa Fairebourn)

Livin' La Vida Loca by Ricky Martin (Powerglide/Astoria Carlton-Ritz)

Rock You Like a Hurricane by Scorpion (Skywarp/Rock n Roll)

The World Is Not Enough by Garbage (Swindle/Madeline Pynch)

Uptown Girl by Billy Joel (Tracks/Raoul)

I do always think that "She thinks my tractor's sexy" song would be a funny addition. Not sure who it'd fit for (resident cowgirl Charlene?), but I would snicker knowingly.

If anyone has ship songs or songs that have The Vibes, feel free to send them and I can put together a playlist for the event! Otherwise, it'll probably be mostly rock music, considering my tastes, hahah!

(Edited to include the Tracks/Raoul song)

[melishade]

Wartime Liena Ultra Magnus, Smokescreen, and Wheeljack Arrive in Paradis

Previous Episode of the War Timeline

Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus argue while Smokescreen is trying to be a mediator.

(Besides that, it would still take a while for them to even arrive on the AOT world. And when they get there it's a mess.)

So! Wheeljack and Smokescreen have managed to gather the Iacon relics (except for the Star Saber. That's still stuck in the mountain.) However, they've still been struggling on figuring out where the hell the Autobots and Decepticons. Smokescreen thinks that maybe they could build a spacebridge. It would be a wider range. Wheeljack has an even better idea: find and use the Decepticon spacebridge. He heard from Bulkhead that they had a spacebridge battle before he arrived the first time and that they used it a second time to go to Cybertron. They could hack into that and form a wider range to figure out where they all went.

Smokescreen also suggests that Wheeljack send an SOS out to get some more help from other Cybertronians, which makes Wheeljack...a little sullen. He not sure if an SOS would reach anyone. And the Autobots....who knows how many were left. Smokescreen still has that optimism in him and says that the Autobots need all the help they can get. And the chance to help Optimus Prime end the war once and for all would be the greatest honor. It also means that all of their loses wouldn't be in vain. Wheeljack sees that hint of sadness in Smokescreen's optics and remembers that he suffered from the war too. He tells him to stop idolizing before working and sending out an SOS to space. Hopefully someone friendly would come across it.

It takes a while, almost a month actually, but Wheeljack and Smokescreen do manage to get a response. It was Autobot, and they've asked to meet. Wheeljack and Smokescreen arrive at the coordinates, and Wheeljack watches in shock as the Iron Will lands in front of them, and grimaces in anger as Ultra Magnus comes out of the ship. Magnus looks surprised to see Wheeljack, but he quickly regains his composure, but still looks a little tense. Smokescreen quickly interrupts and says that he's excited to meet him, but Ultra Magnus still defaults to the Autobot handbook of showing respect. Wheeljack says to not do that and the tension gets worse.

Smokescreen quickly follows protocol and explains the situation. The Autobots are missing, and so are the Decepticons. They've been trying to find out where they are, but they can't find out where they went. They thought about using the Decepticon spacebridge, but they checked the initial place the Autobots found it and saw it had been relocated. They need to find it and hack into it.

Ultra Magnus agrees to help, and the next few weeks are rather...tense. Smokescreen just sees how tense both Wreckers are. There's always some disagreement. They just can't seem to work together and he doesn't know why. Smokescreen does talk to Ultra Magnus and despite his strict exterior, he actually gives really good advice and support. Hell, they even manage to find the Decepticon spacebridge hiding behind Earth's moon and been working on hacking into it to figure out where they went. But there was still something wrong. Smokescreen ends up talking to Agent Fowler and June Darby over it and they're not too sure either. But Fowler doesn't want to have infighting at such a pivotal moment. They need to air out their grievances.

Magnus and Wheeljack are practically forced into a room together to talk things out, and at first it doesn't go well. There's definitely a lot of hostility between the two. About fighting style, commanding styles, not following orders. Then it devolves into something deeper. How Wheeljack was breaking protocol in the first place in order to save his comrades, and how Magnus was just trying to save his life because he couldn't lose any more Wreckers on his watch. They were his comrades! His responsibility! He couldn't lose any more friends! Wheeljack reminds Magnus that the Autobot handbook doesn't always work in the war. Things are unpredictable. And Magnus retorts by saying that the rules provide stability when things get out of control. Smokescreen, Fowler, and June realize that both Autobots care deeply about their comrades and winning this war. It was just that experience had been different teachers to both of them.

There's ultimately a better understanding between them and they do start to get along, but they still have the occasional disagreement. Even so, the three Autobots are making multiple contingency plans for when they find the rest of them. They psyche themselves up to prepare for the worst. Magnus and Wheeljack train Smokescreen, and their bond becomes stronger. And with all of their resources, they finally found a match of where the energy signature went and bridge over there, and literally see everything going to shit.

(So there's still a lot of stuff in between the three Autobots arriving and the shit going on in the AOT world I still need to address for later. But for now, this is what I have.)

[cf8wrk4u-us]

@gelu-the-babosa-multiversal

Sorry, my head was full of rescue bots at the time.

So I guess that the first person I'll talk about is Jack Darby. The teen has always had to be the responsible one in the team, also the one given a sort of Chosen One status in the narrative of TFP. Feeling he has to live up to what others expect of him. What could get him akumatized is if he sees his friends or family hurt, like his mom, Arcee, or even Optimus. Hawkmoth would then give him the power to protect those he loves by being able to deliver devastating blows to the Decepticons. Similar to Riposte or Oni-Chan. I can see him being dressed like a knight or again if we can make them boys a warrior type Autobot.

Next is Miko, who always wants to be in the middle of the action. Always wants to prove that she's is just as strong and capable as the bots. Something that is a problem for the others as she often rushes into danger without any regard for her safety or how it effects the team as she "gets in the way". What could get her Akumatized is that while trying to play with her guitar in the hideout she messes with some critical equipment or like before she rushes into another mission, almost gets herself killed, and is then band by the Autobots from the base. Her powers could allow her to create spundblast from the strings of her guitar. She have a punk rock look as her villian costume or be a Cybertronian with a pink and black paint job. Maybe a cassette player with her own minicon "roadies".

Then we have Raf, the kid is always doing his best to be helpful and has been a big asset being already familiar with Cybertronian tech. But like the others I can see him getting Akumatized if he thinks he's not doing enough for the team, given how young and small he is. Or if because of how alone he feels at home, he gets triggered if he feels like that outside the base. Like if everyone forgot his birthday maybe? But I can see his Akuma power being related to tech. Like if he wants to fight the Decepticons he be like Lady WiFi or Prime Queen, going into the Decepticons database and sabatoging them from within. Or if he felt neglected he trap everyone in a "perfect" dimension for a birthday party like Bubbler or Pixelator. His costume be something futuristic or techno, or he could be a minibot.

June is next and I can see her being Akumatized if she felt she needed to protect her love ones or she felt that Jack wasn't listening to her medical advice in recovering. Her power could be to a "nurse" and trap people in a hospital for rest and protection. I can see her having an old fashion candy stripe nurse uniform or if she were a bot being an ambulance type medical.

Now onto Agent Fowler. He's a man all about protecting his country, its citizens, and the world. He respects the bots but they drove him crazy over how they always nearly get caught and don't seem to listen to him. What could cause his Akumatization could be if the Bots again almost get caught and they brushed him off or if the Decepticons attacked, almost hurting civilians or people he cared about like June. So he has a desire to do their job better. I can see his powers being similar to Darkblade or Malediktator, able to make commands and force people to follow them. Even turning them into his "soldiers". His costume would be of a American general or an old fashioned uniform from the American Revolutionary War. Or if he were made into a bot, he be a large commander type similar to Ultra Magnus. And his "soldiers" looking similar to drones except their more blue, red, and white like the American flag.

(Extra Note: Despite any time the Akumatized humans manage to hurt the Decepticons or damage their ship, once the Akumatized victim is de-evilized all the damage done is repaired unfortunately 😅)

Ok, how about a MLB x TFP crossover?? Any idea of how the Akuma forms of the human character would be??

If you don't know anything about Miraculous, be happy to reply to this ask with that answer lol

hi. It's been so long but I'm finally out on vacation yeeeeepeeeeee

Getting this ask, my thoughts swirled with crazy ideas for costumes or forms that the Akumatized Burns could have.

Like making Charlie have robocop armor, giving Kade a ripp off superman costume or be completely gold to show off how important he is, give Dani a reflective form or an evil version of her costume with her having different color skin, Graham just be his beast form, and Cody...I wouldn't know where to start 😅

Maybe his former Rescue Boy costume that looks eviler or with reverse colors, sor of like an SG situation.

But you know what, even be cooler?

If the Burns were given bot forms when Akumatized!

Charlie is a police enforcer bot that is equipped with capture nets and collapsible cages.

(Chase had a bit of a crush on him and was willing to follow along....but ultimately put on house arrest for finally trying to stand up to the chief)

Kade is a muscle car/fire truck bot that uses his strength and power to become the "perfect" rescue bot, but could easily turn into a bully and beat the other bots into submission.

Dani is a helicopter bot who uses her "searchlight" as her Akuma power, forcing anyone under its glow to reveal the "ugliest secrets" they have.

Graham would be a beastformer, who bipedal mode looks like his beast version while his animal form is more lion or bear looking.

Cody would be a minibot of some kind, his Akuma abilities ranging from using an army of drones to freeze people into a "picture perfect" way or use chips that he has the controller to so people "act" in the best way possible. The Akumatized version of Cody reasoning that brainwashing isn't bad as long as he dosent force people to do bad things, just encourage them to act "peaceful". Kind of like the Collector from TOH.

(Extra info for this crossover, that instead of Gabriel, it's Morocco who sends out the Akumas, wanting the miraculous in order to extend his life and make himself immortal)

[seytazen]

“June?” Optimus asked in an uncharacteristically small voice. She turned to him. Base was empty and she had merely dropped by to pick up a textbook Jack had left behind. He was at work, Miko was on patrol with Bulkhead for the evening, and Raf was at a family function. She had gotten out of a meeting with Bill earlier on, but he took the back way out. Ratchet seemed to have retired for the night and the other autobots were no where to be seen.

Optimus himself was doing some monitor work. He was decoding the Iacon Database, or at least that’s what he had claimed when June inquired upon arriving. He had been at it every time she had been to base since his return from the Nemesis. The large mech shifted, turning around and walking over the the catwalk. He rested the ends of his digits around the railing of the cat walk. “I was wanting to ask you a question. I had spoken to Jack earlier on… he encouraged me to turn to you. Please tell me if I am over-stepping, but I was curious about a human concept. I have heard bits and pieces of it from Agent Fowler, but it seems to be a sore spot with him… Could you tell me about divorce?”

She blinked slowly in surprise, staring up at the Prime. The look in his optics were a little surreal. They shifted back and forth, cycling softly on her form. Apprehension. She gave him a small smile. She didn’t mind.

“Oh, well… it’s a very straightforward concept. It is the end of a marriage,” she replied. “Human get married when they love each other, but if they stop loving each other for some reason, then they get divorced.”

He glanced downwards. “Is it commonplace on this planet? For such a deep relationship to fail?” He asked, his voice quiet and almost meek. She sat down on the couch, the textbook could wait.

“Well, yes. The rate of divorce in the United States is falling, but right now, one in every two marriages end in divorce. I assume you wanted to ask me because you heard about Jack’s dad?” She asked softly, crossing her leg over her knee and leaning back.

He gave a small hum of confirmation, his expression going a little unreadable. “We share many similarities, as a species but also many differences. The concept of such a thing is foreign in my culture,” he said softly. “Why did your divorce happen?”

June sighed softly. “We wanted different things. I went to school to become a nurse, and he majored in business. We didn’t communicate very well. We were young, dumb, and in love and we got married too soon. Neither of us saw the warning signs because love blinds you. I had Jack right after I graduated college, he supported us the best he could,” she shook her head, the memories filling her with melancholy. “We started fighting. He was always too tired to help me care for Jack because he was trying to start a business, he wanted me to stay home with him too, and he was always out with his friends on the weekends. I wanted to go back to work and for him to help me be a parent. We stopped being intimate with each other, stopped listening to each other, and eventually- I couldn’t truthfully say that I loved him anymore, so we filed for divorced when Jack was about 6 years old.” She turned her eyes back to the mech that stood over her. His optics cycled again, a small frown weighing his expression down.

“That sounds so very painful…I’m sorry that happened,” he murmured sadly.

“Well, yeah…” June chuckled softly. “But it was really for the best. Sometimes, things just don’t work out the way you want them to… but you gotta make do sometimes. It’s what it is to be human,” the nurse hummed softly.

“Do you ever regret it because of the… collateral damage?” He asked softly.

“Sometimes, but I know it was better this way,” she replied with a small shrug. “I wasn’t happy, and our disagreements were harmful to Jack. I wish he had a father figure and yes, the idea of finding love again is laughable to me now, but I’ve made my peace with it... Jack was raised well and he’s 17, he’ll be off on his own soon to go to college. Sure, the initial situation was very painful. It was difficult, having full custody of Jack and trying to pay for everything, but eventually we adjusted. Child support came in. Maybe the empty nest will push me to meet someone and find love again, but I’m content either way,” she replied. “The collateral damage can be healed.”

The mech hummed again as an acknowledgement. “Love is very highly valued in my culture. My life, as it stands right now is longer than most of your written history as a civilization. Courtship was common, but it was taken very seriously.” He furrowed his brow as his frown deepened. “Of course, human marriage is a ceremony that is symbolic and unites you in the eyes of the law so you may form a family unit one day. It is not so simple for us…”

“I was always curious what that would be like on your planet,” she mused, encouraging him to continue.

He glanced over at her. “It is called a spark bond. It is a sacred bond between a Conjux or Amica Endurae. It is a very intimate and very permanent ritual. When we find someone that we wish to share our life with either romantically or platonically, we merge our sparks together to forge a link between them. It causes us to experience the other’s thoughts, emotions, and sensations like pain and pleasure at all times. With practice, you learn to how to control what slips through the bond, and how to mute it so it is not distracting, but it is always there and always will be.”

June frowned, “that sounds beautiful, but what happens if you fall out of love? What happens if you choose the wrong person to bond with?” She asked him, softly. He shook his helm.

“The only way to undo a bond is to break it. There are only a few ways. It involves grave injury or death itself. If your conjux is harmed, often fatally, then the bond becomes weak and it can snap when a spark flickers or gutters. It is like when a human patient flatlines. If your conjux dies, every part of their spark dissipates into the electromagnetic field of whatever is near upon their demise. Every part, including the piece they left behind in whoever’s spark they merged with. This shatters the link they made.” He paused looking down at June. He hesitated in continuing, but June gave him a small smile of encouragement. “There is one more way. It is the rarest and there are a mere handful of cases of a bond being severed by the sheer force. Emotion is directly tied to how our sparks fluctuate. Love is a very fiery and intense emotion. It makes a spark literally burn hotter. When you bond like this, two sparks burning at their hottest makes a very strong bond. The link is like two metal chain links however… emotions like despotic anger, betrayal, jealousy, and disgust can make a spark burn just as hot or hotter than love if you harbor enough of it. Sometimes, if the circumstances are correct, you can have a wave of these emotion that are big and strong enough to get the temperature high enough. And if you direct that kind of intense, fiery emotion into that link? It’s just like putting it back in a forge. If you follow that kind of passionate heat with icy emotions like hatred, contempt, and disownment… those kinds of extremes are enough to shatter a bond.

“No matter how it happens, a severed bond leaves the other in excruciating physical agony along with the emotional turmoil and grief caused by whatever circumstance lead them there. Often, the amount of pain leads to the other spark half extinguishing itself. If you survive the bond snapping, then it turns to a battle will, for a healing spark is a fragile one. If you lose the will to live in your grief for too long, then your spark can go out and you die. If you manage to heal your broken spark, then it leaves you weaker and with a physical part of your spark missing as a scar. You’re very lifeforce is diminished, and it leaves you with life long health problems such as a diminished self-repair system, chronic fatigue, depression, and chronic phantom spark pain…” He trailed off, a servo drifting to his chest and pressing over the armor that covered his chamber. His optics cycled restlessly as he stared off into space. “To answer your question, June, you make sure this person is the right one. You wait until you are certain. But if you truly fall out of romantic interest with your bonded, then you becomes Amicas. Platonic mates. You figure it out, you go to therapy, you give each other space, you pay attention to what you each need and you find a way.

“Our species also does not have many of the issues that lead to divorce on Earth. Infidelity, dissatisfaction, and lack of intimacy is not typically an issue because we are not truly a monogamous society. It is socially acceptable to find romantic interest in more than one person, weather it be another simply caught your interest, or if you found intimacy to be lacking. If you are not meant to be then or if a lack of commitment bothers you, courting rituals fail, and you move on. If you find a rise in conflict, there was a way to understand each other without you ever having to say anything because your bond gives you a direct line into what your partner is feeling and thinking, unfiltered. Domestic violence? You hit your conjux, and it’s just like hitting yourself just as hard. That’s why it wasn’t common.”

June nodded slowly, still staring in awe. It was almost unfathomable to her. It really took ‘death do us part’ to an entire new level. She watched him carefully, noticing him rub the front of his chest softly. “So…did something happen while you were being held prisoner…?” She asked gently.

He paused, going entirely too still while his optics shifted to look her in the eyes. His shoulders dipped silently. “I’m not entirely sure…” he whispered, his optics focusing on the ground again. The small creases in the soft metal that made up his face deepened. It sent a sympathy rolling through June. He looked so remorseful.

“Do… you want to talk about it?” She asked shifting her position slightly, grabbing a throw pillow and setting it on her lap as she drew her legs closer to her, folding them under her and leaning on the arm of the sofa. “Because I’ve got time.”

He hummed faintly not looking up.

“Start wherever you want to,” June replied, holding the pillow closer and running her fingers through the soft and smooth fabric. “I’ve put together that you’ve gone through something like that… who was it?”

He hesitated. She knew he wanted to turn away, to not answer, but he stayed where he was. “The mech I started a war with...”

June did her best to not appear shocked. She must have failed because he gave a small chuckle. “I know, it must be surprising to you. He appears to be a monster on the surface. It must be a stark difference. It’s hard for people to remember he wasn’t always Megatron. He used to be Megatronus, and make no mistake, they were very different people,” he murmured a gentle smile spreading a crossing his face. “He used to be passionate and nostalgic. He was inspiring and motivated. Driven to do anything he put his mind to. He was intelligent, and… gentle… and he had this way with words. He wrote the most beautiful poetry for me…”

June chuckled softly. “Poetry… that’s sweet,” she murmured. “…what happened to end it?”

His smile fell slowly as he continued in a whisper, his expression softening for a moment before his face fell back into melancholy. “Looking back he was angrier in those days…I was the final straw when I spoke over him at the Senate and betrayed him by accepting the Matrix of Leadership. That was the first time he had ever hit me. I was too sparkbroken to defend myself. He was shouting at me, and then the pain washed over me and I woke up days later in a hospital… I reached out for him but all I found was cold emptiness…” he murmured. “June… which one do you mourn for more..? What you lost or what you caused by being discontent?”

June hummed faintly. “It took time, but now? Neither. I don’t regret either of them. What about you?” She asked softly. “Do you regret voicing your grievances because of who you lost, or what voicing those grievances caused?”

Optimus thought about it, exventing softly. “I was always aware it wasn’t my fault, but I still use to regret it. I used regret that entire day. Sometimes I would think about what could have been if it had been different. All of the things I would’ve had if I had done something different… A loving conjux, a home, a career… maybe even a child…” he sighed, cycling his optics again.

“You’re right it isn’t your fault,” June replied softly. “Something tells me that you could have done a million different things, but he still would have taken you for granted. I’m sorry that happened to you…” she replied. “But if you only used to regret it, what about now?”

He sighed, leaning on the catwalk lightly, bringing a hand to his audio, scratching behind it as he thought. “After he’s shown me first hand what he would have done had he gotten to start over…? Now he just makes me angry…” he said softly. “I don’t know another cybertronian who’s gone through anything like this… How long am I allowed to stay angry…?” He asked his voice wavering faintly.

June bit her lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “As long as you want… just remember that being angry doesn’t change anything and that you have people who are here for you. Think you can do that?”

Optimus slowly nodded. “I believe I can, yes… one more thing June?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you…”

“You’re most welcome.”

[writing-ro]

TF Rarepairing Fest Day 5: Falling Leaves

Not much to say for this prompt, it's short, sweet, and I just love the idea that OP goes to Griffin Rock to relax, so of course he'd bring June with him if they're dating. Enjoy!

Rarepair: June Darby/Optimus Prime

Also on: [AO3] [FFN]

~~~

June had never really experiences a “postcard perfect” fall.

Growing up in Nevada, the temperatures didn’t really lend themselves to leaves slowly changing to vibrant reds, yellows and oranges before falling to the ground. And when visiting family out of state, it was always either summer and the trees were green and lush, or it was Thanksgiving or Christmas and the leaves had already fallen off. 

So, when Optimus suggested a picnic date on Griffin Rock, June had to fight to maintain composure. Once they had crossed the groundbridge, made their pleasantries to the Burns and the Rescue Bots, and headed out onto the forest, however, she was grinning as widely as Raf had when the Bots had taken the kids to an Arctic snow day. 

Once far enough from town to avoid detection, Optimus transformed and the pair walked among the trees, June taking delight in the snap and crunch of them under her feet, and even dancing through a shower of leaves when a gust of wind knocked them down. 

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Optimus said after she had done that, smiling his sweet smile at her. 

“I’ve always loved fall, or at least the idea of it.” She tilted her head back to look up at him, a hand at the back of her head to keep her hat on. “This is the first time I’ve gotten to properly experience it, and it’s better than I’d dreamed.”

“Then no matter what else happens today, I accomplished my goal.” He knelt down and reached for her, brushing his curled knuckles against her side. “All I want is to make you happy, June.”

June leaned against his digits, nuzzling against the top one. “You do, Optimus. Very much so.” She beckoned him to lean down, and pecked a kiss to his lip plates when he was close enough. “There is no place I’d rather be, nor anyone I’d rather be with, than right here with you.” 

“I feel the same.” Optimus returned the kiss the best he could, then stood up. “Come, it’s not much further.”

They had their picnic on a lovely outlook with a gorgeous view of the island and the ocean, only heading down when the sun started to sink to the horizon. As they made their way down the mountain, however, they heard some loud noises and, after sharing a look, went to investigate. 

What they found was the Rescue Bots and the Burns in a clearing, with the largest leaf pile June had ever seen. It went up almost to Optimus’s waist, and as they approached, Blades dropped more on top, while the bottom was shaped a bit by Bolder before they turned back to their root modes. 

“Optimus Prime, sir!” Heatwave said, giving a salute that Optimus quickly dismissed. “And Ms. June.” He nodded to where she was sitting on Optimus’s shoulder. 

“What are you all up to?” she asked, looking around. 

“Cody told us it’s human tradition to jump into piles of fallen leaves,” Chase explained. “So we gathered all the raked leaves on Griffin Rock to make our own.”

“Except the piles still in yards,” Blades added. “We made sure to leave those alone.”

“I think you mean ‘leaf’ those alone,” Graham said, laughing while Kade groaned at the pun. 

“We made a human sized pile too, so we can jump together,” Cody said, pointing to a much smaller, though still large, pile that was off to the side. “You wanna join us?”

“I’m not sure if we should…” Optimus glanced at June for her response. 

“I’ll do it if you will.” She leaned in to whisper into his audial. “And if you do it, I’ll scrub away all the leaf dirt once we’re home.”

Optimus managed to keep his engine rev quiet, but June could feel his plating warm under her. “Alright. I will join you.” He set June on the ground and joined the Rescue Bots at their pile, while June joined the Burns family, linking hands with Cody and Dani. 

“On the count of ‘jump’,” Charlie said. “One. Two. Three. Jump!”

The explosion of leaves could be seen from town, though luckily the peals of joyful laughter didn’t carry quite so far.

[adalhied-prime]

June/Optimus (for the drabble meme)

[ Ship Scenario Memes (Accepting) ]

Fake dating/married: This actually happens not long after June officially meets the ‘Bots. A man who does deliveries for the hospital has been hitting on June almost every time they cross paths, and he’s making her very uncomfortable. She ends up bringing this up while visiting the base (away from Jack’s hearing), and Optimus offers his assistance in the matter. Using his holoavatar, he pretends to be June’s boyfriend, in the hopes that the creeper will back off. 

Since the only person who really needs to be convinced is the delivery guy, things don’t change too much between the two at first. Optimus would take June to work and later pick her up a couple nights a week, they’d share small kisses on the cheek, and they come up with a backstory to tell June’s coworkers when they notice the attractive. Then one night, Optimus lets June vent about a rough week before taking her home, and next thing they know, they’re spending a couple hours a night just talking, either in the hospital parking lot, or outside the Darby house. And the affections seem to become easier and a bit more romantic. Optimus starts kissing the back of June’s hand, and sends her a bouquet of flowers to her nursing station. June picks up a book in the store because she thinks Optimus would like it, and leans into his side more often.

The delivery guy eventually backs off, but June and Optimus find they don’t want this to end and, after some discussion, decide to make their relationship official.

Bodyswap: Well, to say this is awkward is an understatement. A simple swap between species or gender would be odd enough, both at once being caused by a cybertronian relic is almost overkill. Optimus quickly calls for a leave of absence from the hospital, and stays at base to avoid anything that could cause an incident for June. June, on the other hand, can’t hide out in base for however long it takes to switch them back, so she gets a crash course in fighting, which she ends up being surprisingly good at it, if using a quite different style than Optimus’s. She’s not good enough to take on Megatron, but they luckily don’t have to fight him in that time. Optimus ends up spending most of his time helping Ratchet debug the computer systems and decrypt the Iacon database, as well as figuring out how to switch back. Optimus also has to deal with a period while in June’s body. He gains much personal respect for June and other human females. 

Telepathy: It’s a very odd, and not entirely welcome development. Both Optimus and June have high-stress jobs, and sometimes the only way to cope is to rant in their heads, which could be distracting for the other. That aside, when the other is feeling down, they will try be send encouraging thoughts to them. And the occasional naughty ones, as couples do.

OH NO only one bed at the hotel: Well, OP can’t exactly fit in a human hotel, and a cybertronian one would have plenty of room for June, but where the fun in that? AU where Optimus got turned human by whatever macguffen you want. He, of course, does the noble thing and sleeps on the floor, even at June’s insistence that they can share the bed like reasonable adults.

Accidental time-travel: They travel back to before the War and Optimus has to decide if he wants to warn Orion Pax of what’s to come or not. They do visit Alpha Trion, and he leaves some clues for past!Optimus to find to help lessen the War’s devastation, if not stop it.

Sexpollen/fuck or die/aliens made them do it: So, apparently cybertronian interface nanites act as an aphrodisiac in humans if breathed in. Who knew. Luckily, the outbreak happened while the children were at school and the team out scouting and Ratchet was able to contain it quickly. But that still left June to be taken care of, and Optimus volunteered to do so. Even using his holo, he tried to go slowly and gently, but June hadn’t been with a man since Jack’s dad, and she could tell it had been a while for Optimus too, so she quickly convinces him to let loose for the few hours they have. Afterwards, both are quite embarrassed and no one mentions it, but both do wonder how much of it was the nanites, and how much was something more.  

Dark!fic: June is a great ally to the Autobots, always listening and taking thorough notes when Ratchet teaches her about cybertronian medical science, and of course June promises to never reveal the information to someone who doesn’t know of their existence. So when she emails her notes out through an encrypted email, she’s obviously sending them to someone who does know. And Silas is very appreciative of the files, which greatly advanced Project Chimera’s progress beyond what could have been accomplished on their own.

June was telling the truth that it had just been her and Jack since his dad left. She just didn’t tell anyone that she had just been reunited with him. It was short, only a twenty minute van ride before she had to be knocked out, but it was enough to Silas to reaffirm to her that yes, he still loved her, and he was doing everything to make a better world for her and Jack, one where they could live as  royalty if they wished. He assured her she would be perfectly safe throughout the night, that his own men were ready to kill Airachnid if Jack couldn’t reach her, and that the Autobot would assist if she got free. And then he laid the plan for her help when Arcee did. 

Silas encouraged June to integrate herself into the bot’s lives, to learn everything she could about the Autobots. When June noticed Optimus seemed to have taken a liking to her, he pushed her to take advantage of it, for a leader in love is often a distracted leader. And when the time came, he would give the signal, and she would open the groundbridge, and when the children protested the deaths of the ‘Bots, she assured them it was for a better future, where they would all be happy. She felt a twinge of remorse when Optimus’s optics, filled with shock and betrayal, landed on her as he fell to Silas piloting Nemesis, but she pushed it down, confident in the knowledge this was the right thing, for her and her love.

It’s too bad she both overestimated Silas’s feelings for her, and underestimated the anger that could fill up a twelve year old when you murder the people he considers family right in front of him.

Their first kiss: It was an impulse, truly. June had been helping Ratchet give Optimus a check up, and they were just finishing up when they heard a crash in the main atrium and Ratchet went to investigate, leaving June to finish unhooking Optimus from the medical apparatus. The last one was on Optimus’s helm, so he lifted her up to get it. Then, as he started lowering her down, she kissed his faceplate, just off from his lips. He froze, and she turned away embarrassed, but he gently turned her back to him and carefully gave her a proper kiss in return. It was lucky they’d already unhooked the scanner, otherwise Ratchet would have gotten some odd readings that would have raised a few questions the two weren’t quite able to answer yet.

Meeting the parents: The closest thing Optimus had to a parent was Alpha Trion, who has been in the least MIA for millennia. Still, Optimus does show June holopics of him, and tells her stories, and if Alpha happened to leave a message about June in the Star Saber, well, Optimus isn’t going to say anything.

June’s mom and stepdad live in Boulder City, and first meet Optimus through a holoavatar. Gloria and Thomas Darby are ecstatic that their girl has a man in her life again, especially one as gentlemanly and handsome as Optimus. Even after finding out the truth, they fully support the couple, since after all, they were a mixed-race couple in the 70s, what’s an alien-human relationship to them?

Moving in together: This doesn’t happen until after the destruction of Outpost Omega One, and the subsequent fight against the Decepticons. Given her and Jack’s relationship with the ‘Bots, it was easy to get them quarters in the new base. Even with that, June often spends her nights in Optimus’s room. A sturdy scaffold was set up to hold a bedroom set and kitchenette, as well as a bathroom plumbed in. It’s a fairly easy transition to cohabitation, each of them understanding when the other needs company and when they need quiet. Most nights, she goes to sleep resting on Optimus’s (newly expanded) chestplate, listening to his sparkbeat. She has a much harder time falling asleep after the team returns to Cybertron.

Marriage and children: Take your choice of Human OP/Cybertronian June/Technorganic babies for this prompt! They have a sweet ceremony, getting it as close to just close friends and family as they can (Optimus is a dignitary after all, some bureaucrats are gonna find their way in). 

For children, they have anywhere between one and three. Roselight/Rose Alina is their oldest, who looks like a younger version of June as a human/holo, but with her father’s ears. As a cybertronian, she’s a seeker like her mother but with her father’s helm shape, and colored rosey-red with green and yellow highlights. She would be very interested in medicine, and want to be a nurse/medic when she grew up.

Their second child would be Mayflower/May, who is the opposite of Rose in appearance and temperment. She looks like Optimus as a bot and human, but has her mother’s skin tone, and her colors as a bot are green and white, with some red and blue accents. She turns into a truck, and is very much a fighter. She’d spend a lot of time with “Auntie” Miko and her Wrecker “Uncles”, and is always ready to defend her sibs, especially her brother.

Their third child would be a son, who, after some debate, they decide to name Megatronus/Michael. He looks just like Optimus as a human, and as a bot, he’s a seeker, but has a heavier build and Optimus’s colors. In a way though, this makes the weight of his name worse, as he knows what Megatron was, and doesn’t want that to come down on him. He’s very shy, does all he can to never lose his temper, and while he learns to fight with his sisters and is skilled, he is the most hesitent to use his abilities, always looking for a peaceful solution. 

A crossover of my choice: Inspired by skype convos with @crazyfanatic97, crossover with Five Night’s At Freddy’s, where Jack’s father was William Afton, who took their second son Michael with him when they divorced. Optimus and June get together, but drama and plot emerge when William tries to come back into their lives to get his hands on Jack for nefarious purposes. Possible appearances of Springtrap and other animatronics might also occur.

An AU of my choice: Post-Apocalypse AU, June is leading a band of women and children who just recently lost all the men to their “protectors” after refusing to hand over their “gifted” children. Optimus and Team Prime land on this version of Earth and June’s group is the first they come across. They make a deal to help each other, Optimus and the ‘Bots providing protection for the band, while June and the others of the band help the bots retrieve the cybertronian artifacts that drew the ‘Bots and ‘Cons to Earth. And along the way, between all the fighting, running the band, training the gifted children and whatnot, they happen to fall in love.

If you like, another trope/scenario of your choice: Soulmates AU where June and the kids are actually reincarnated cybertronians and find out their romantic and platonic soulmates are among the bots and cons. June would be reunited with her Platonic Ratchet, her Sparkmate Optimus, and their daughter Roselight after a relic is found that converts the humans back to their proper forms (though still allowing them to change back, like pretenders). (I am working on this AU, but the main focus of the fic is more on Miko/Megatron, so June/OP is more a background ship. but shush, my meme.)

[gelu-the-babosa-multiversal]

For a Spider!Jack AU, what if a portal opened up and another version of Jack came through. Only he was from a reverse AU were the Cybertronians are humans and the humans characters are Cybertronians, including Jack.

He's a Cybertronian superhero who goes by the name Spider-Bot.

What's the other bots reaction to him?

They would be surprised for short, but this would not matter as much as when they are informed that in the Spider-Bot universe there is no war! And this:

Arcee: Well, at least your mom doesn't flirt with your Optimus.

Spider-Bot: ...

Spider-Jack: S-she doesn't right!!

Spider-Bot: ... There married...

Miko: Hey, just like in our universe!

Spider-Jack [internally screaming]: ...Prime!!!!!

Optimus [transforms and rolls out]: ...

~ sometime later~

June [on the phone]: Jack, honey! I can explain!

Spider-Jack [in the middle of a panic attack]: Ok ok fine! But you now have a new child to take care of...

In the end, I want to think that Spider-Bot is adopted by the main universe OP and June.

[akitaauthority]

Jack: *heavy breathing* di-did you- did- DID YoU FUCK MY MOm OPTIMUS PRIME!?

Optimus: *takes calm sip of energon and smiles*

Jack: *HAS A S C E N D E D TO A NEW LEVEL OF WHAT THE FUCK* OPTIMUSPRIMEDIDYOUFUCKMYMOM-

Optimus: *turns and walks off*

Jack: OPTIMUS-

[akira-akahoshi]

Rodimus turn into a human

Honestly he’d be a pretty boy™️ like square jaw, dimples and curly (maybe red?) hair. He’d attract quite a bit of attention if he were to walk around in public with the human allies, like what happened when taken to the town park that one time!

It’s the good attention, you know? Appearance-wise, he has a fit and lean build, legs for days and everybody notices the thighs and perky butt. (Personally I’m a thigh person... and a Booty person... and tiddies... I’m sorry)

Meanwhile the autobots are just sitting in the parking lot in vehicular form and has a rather irritated air about them with all the humans ‘bothering’ poor Rodimus, who doesn’t really mind making new friends. He’s completely oblivious to the flirting and innuendos that are said to him. The kids at this stage are starting to regret bringing him out.

It takes a couple of guy to put their hands on Rodimus’ ass, hips and thighs for things to go down; Drift has enough, alarms going off, lights going on and off, pretty soon after, Bee, Bulkhead and Arcee were following with making a ruckus like something set off their alarm. The humans (kids, parents and Rodimus) all took that as a sign to leave now.

Rodimus didn’t know what happened exactly but since then not one autobot met him out on his own unless one of them was with him. The poor fool might get ‘deflowered’ (as June Darby and Charlie Burns said) in his human body.

..... it wasn’t until later did they figure out what deflower meant that they REALLY got protective.