DigitalDuelist (CJ)

even people exempt because we are unhireable/cannot work in a traditional environment

"Mr. Kaiba, that angle is very-"

Luckily, he's found just the girl. A ruthless insect controller with something of a heroic streak. Someone principled and intelligent enough to lead the Marche whilst still vicious enough to crush its opposition. The only issue is securing her loyalty and endearing his daughter to her so that she won't be cast aside once this new cape is in charge.

And so Marquis calls upon the finest confidence, social skills, and dating coaches on the east coast, as well as the best rated personal style consultants and designers money can buy. All with a single goal... Helping his daughter rizz up one (1) girl.

the way people crouch and do little bounces/bows to say hello, i’m friendly! the way they punch as a substitute for pointing or waving hello. the slow pulling out of weapon as a threat, quickly removing armor to show you are peaceful. sticking little signs in the ground and writing messages. the way people‘s avatars go still when they are thinking, or laughing so much their hands came off the keyboard. square eye contact. jumping, spinning, bobbing your head to music. punching your friend jokingly.

half of it is human perception but the other half is ways of communication we created ourselves, because people just are like that. they express themselves.

He was just about to make his first stroke when a plank fell over spooking the multi-colored lizard. Who predictably fell apart—except his arm fell off too! Bulkhead blinked at the stub of his shoulder, then rightfully yelled!

Arms weren’t supposed to fall off!!!!!

(Why didn’t it hurt?)

—————————————

Sari was starting to get bossy in a way that reminded him of Admiral Chinface, even if he knew why. The two had been chasing down every neon blur well into the night as she was determined to meet the Speedrunner again. Bumblebee had to fight down the faint jealousy over her wanting badly to meet the non-cybertronian speedster. He wasn’t like Bossbot or grumpy Ratchet, he preferred living in now.

A larger part of him was repeatedly reminded of all his one hyper episodes over something he liked which Bulkhead patiently weathered. The scout was trying to emulate that same patience given Sari was totally a human sparkling.

Sparklings (even if he’s never seen one) should get excited over random stuff while they were still growing. He wouldn’t tell her to be serious.

Bumblebee wished she picked something easier to hyperfocus on though. Only fair, right?

.

.

.

At some point, a voice spoke out from above. “Is all this effort really for ol’ me?” Bumblebee nearly spun out yet managed to right himself enough to spot the familiar (if only from a picture) augmented cyber white tiger. They were laying across a the bottom of abillboard, gazing down at the two with a flicking tail.

“You can talk?!” Sari squealed from within his cabin, but grew confused when the scout kept his doors locked. Call it mildly petty—the scout was a little too nervous to let her out right now.

The Neon Speedrunner chuffed a laugh. “I wasn’t able to toy with Detroit these past fifty years by being lucky, young one.” They noted, gaze firmly on the form of Bumblebee alt mode. “Good to see the fall from re-entry was unable to dampen your spunk. Sooo…” The augmented white tiger leapt off the billboard and onto the street right in front of the two. “Wanna race?”

“Yes!/You’re serious?” Sari, then Bumblebee spoke at the same time though the scout firmly adjusted her seat back. He could speak for himself thank you very much. “I’m normally down for a race, but… you smoked Nanosec. He was faster than non-turbo me.” The scout didn’t bother hiding the bitterness within his vocolizer at subtly admitting they were faster.

They hummed, tilting their head at Bumblebee’s slight refusal. “I race for the thrill of going against someone not just the velocity. My rival’s hardly as fast as me, but he makes it interesting in making obstacles.” The Neon Speedrunner revealed all too casually. “You met him, or we’ll a mirage of him when that screechy Seeker came knocking around.”

“The fox thing?” Sari questioned, struggling a bit with Bumblebee’s seat.

A nod confirmed it followed by chuffing laugh. “Yup. He’s out of commission for however longer it takes to get back on his paws. Still…” In a blur, the augmented tiger placed a paw on one of the scout’s alt’s doors. “If you are that worried about not keeping pace, I hardly mind leveling the playing field between us.” A white energy transferred over as his engine revved.

Bumblebee felt—energized, but not overwhelmed by the foreign energy. As if it was complimenting his frame rather than just brute-force upgrading it. This felt more controlled than the turbo boosters ended up being.

Well, how could he saw no now?

——————————————

Trace ended up falling asleep again in his office, though he slept better than he had in weeks at a familiar weight curled around his neck. Link wasn’t quite at the Kudamon stage yet the two would work that out in the morning.

—

A section for partners. Not all transferred abilities are straightforward or immediately beneficial. Ratchet swore up a storm over the impossibility of Bulkhead’s situation, arm in tact yet somehow disconnected without issue.

Meanwhile, Runnermon decides on a race to test his new partner. An energize on the house.

Poor Ratchet is gonna be dealing with a lot of mishaps. Especially when Team Prime steadily begins to find their partners so to speak. It would be hilarious if he ends up with Jellymon or MarineAngemon.