Life is still worth living...LIFE IS STILL WORTH LIVING...!

RULES: Pick a 5-8 letter word and give an excerpt from your manuscript that begins with each letter. When you’re finished, tag some friends and give them the same word or a word of your choosing.

Tagged by @novafire-is-thinking, for the word APERTURE. Thank you, Nova, for giving me an excuse to crack open the dusty document that is the [Secret Sparkling Project]. (It has a title; I just have not shared it yet, hence the placeholder.) I figured since you shared some TF with me that I should take the opportunity to revisit my old TF fics and share them with you. "Under My Wings," "Tripled Threats," and [Secret Sparkling Project]—as well as a secret, lovely crackfic dear to my heart—have been hibernating for a few years while I explored other projects and honed my craft. I do intend to return to writing for Transformers in the future, but I needed to let these stories rest for a time. Reading what little there is of [Secret Sparkling Project] now, however...oh, it makes me so pleased to see that such a strong story pulses in it. I forgot how much I adored writing in Prime in Disguise Bumblebee's voice. I look forward to sharing the story in full someday. ~ A - (This is truly...one of my favorite parts of this WIP so far...so I'm sharing a good chunk of it.) (I could technically cheat and use this for both A and P, but fiiiiine I'll find another passage for P. Just for you, Nova.)

At the dismissive title, Bumblebee’s jaw twitched. He knew better than to talk back to one of the Primes, but—as Arcee would say—frag that protocol, how he wanted to snap.

Paying no heed to Bumblebee’s glower, Micronus turned away. His optics gleamed a dangerous green; then, a beam shot forth from them, targeting the other Prime in their midst. While the Bee Team stared, Optimus rose into the air, his entire frame crackling with mystical energy. Lifted above them all, Optimus let out a cry of pain.

That jarring, alien noise jostled Bumblebee’s memory banks.

Not even the apogee of Luna-1 could rival the reach of Optimus’ pain tolerance, Ratchet said, dryly. He never cries out idly. His disposition simply won’t permit him to.

“Stop!” Bumblebee shouted. “You’re tearing him apart!”

P - (Hehehehe sorry 'Bee, so sorry, get wrecked) “Please power down,” he told his wide awake sparkling. Towards the sky, he added weakly, “Oh, Primus, please make her power down.” E - (You would think I'd have a sentence starting with the word "Energon" somewhere in this story, but apparently, not yet.) “Even were you to somehow climb out, dear rival, I’d only deposit you back in. I’ll be staying to make certain of your demise.” R - (It wouldn't be a RiD15 fic if we didn't have metaphysical Optimus, now would it)

“Rather...occupy your mind and focus with the present service that you should.”

Bumblebee took a deep breath. “Okay.” Like a mist, Optimus faded from sight.

T - (WOW LOOK AT THAT, IT'S THIS FAMOUS QUOTE)

“Thank Primus,” Fixit breathed, “she’s finally in recharge.” He shook a wrench at Denny. “If you rouse her, by the Allspark, the lieutenant will be very displeased. I recommend stepping lightly.”

Denny gave a mock salute. “Aye aye, light stepping ahoy.”

U - (I had a FAR DIFFERENT, MUCH MORE INTERESTING passage that started with U, but that involved MAJOR SPOILERS so nope nobody gets to read that :) Too bad!) Ugh, his spark felt so...burdened. Like the Energon hadn’t been refined before it went in, and now the contaminants were clogging every passage, weighing him down. R - (If anyone else is able to read this in Will Friedle's Bumblebee voice then you get bonus points and please tell me because I'd like to hear about it!)

“Resurrected?” Strongarm stared.

“The Mega whatsit?” Grimlock scratched his head.

“The point is,” Bumblebee said curtly, “my voicebox was injured, and I wanted my voice back; that’s why Ratchet did everything in his power to salvage it. It would have been a different situation entirely if I’d been forged without a voicebox and Ratchet tried to implant one in me. And, even if my voicebox had been injured like normal, if I said I didn’t want a vocoder, that would have been my choice.” He sighed. “Look. She doesn’t need to be ‘fixed.’ She’s not ‘broken.’ That’s what I need you all to remember.”

E - (This last passage is actually from "Under My Wings" because I couldn't find another E sentence in [Secret Sparkling Project]. Guess I need to write about Energon more. But this passage still fits with the RiD theme, I promise! I still remember that, years ago, I wrote this sentence into "Under My Wings" because Bumblebee says it to his team in RiD, and I always headcanoned that he inherited the phrase "Throttle back" from a certain feisty little two-wheeler he knew.) (It also wouldn't be a Prime in Disguise Bumblebee fic of mine if I didn't mention Arcee, so you know, it all works out.)

“Easy, ’Gate,” Arcee muttered. “Throttle back.”