The former engineer

wreckerxjack:

chosenmonarch liked your post:starter call for mutuals

“Okay so don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve been reading this datapad instead of listening to you for the last ten minutes. Can I get a recap?” He was joking, of course, he’d only missed the last few words.

“…” Starscream starred with the flattest of expression he could’ve mustered. “I don’t know if I want to be mad or exasperated.” He then fell into silence and walked up to Wheeljack and stared at him for a moment. Then he attempted to snatch the datapad from the other mech to then throw it over his shoulder.

“Oops! Oh my bad! Hope that wasn’t important.”

“That’s a situation most people find themselves in while talking to me lately.”

He made a desperate grab for the datapad as Starscream took it. It was nothing too terribly vital, but it did hold minor sentimental value. Not that he’d let Starscream know that.

wreckerxjack:

“So, um. You see, it’s not my fault. Someone put the lubricant for these pieces next to the glue! I was distracted while working on this one and, well…”

That someone happened to be Wheeljack himself, but he figured that was a nugget of information best saved for later.

Oh, Ratchet knew it was Wheeljack. He never was vauge about anyone who messed with his lab materials unless he was trying to keep the blame off of himself. Ratchet leveled a glare at the other mech, crossing his arms over his chassis before he pointed at a medberth. There was no need for words, here.

Wheeljack recognized that look, and knew he’d owe the medic an apology and an explanation at some point. He didn’t have the time to fully think up an explanation as to how it possibly made sense that this could have happened at the moment, but an apology was easy enough.

wreckerxjack:

Wheeljack was not used to his efforts being so casually ignored… or missed entirely. This posed an entirely new challenge. “Oh, this and that. Getting parts for a project, keeping an eye out for handsome mechs, avoiding bridge duty back at base. Well, two out of three isn’t bad.”

“Wait… ‘Handsome mechs’? Like who, exactly?” High Tide didn’t understand (and don’t understand) how a Wrecker’s mind function, but he really try to do. As he himself said ‘it’s never too late to start something new’.

“You don’t deal with mechs flirting with you much, do you?” Wheeljack asked with a huff. 

However, the conversation wasn’t a total loss. He’d at least confirmed his suspicions that he’d never met the other mech, albeit in the most roundabout Wheeljack-like way imaginable.

“Kup Minor. Just call me Kup- I don’t think I was the one who trained your group of wreckers but they used my techniques..”

“And I’d think twice about the death threats- I’ve knocked more mechs out of sorts then you ever will.” The elder crossed his arms his golden shaded optics flickered drastically agsinst his teal colored hide,

Kup, huh? The Wrecker had heard that name before. It was the name of the mech Wheeljack had been hoping would take over his unit instead of Ultra Magnus. It had been some time since he’d thought of those days.

“Right. Any way we can verify that? Nobody here knows you by anything other than your reputation, pal.”

wreckerxjack:

So that’s how it was going to be. Time to default to Wheeljack 101: When in doubt, flirt it out. “Better now that you’re here. What’s a big, strong mech like you doing on a fine day like this?”

High Tide raised an optic ridge obviously don’t understand what he want. “Well… Nothing special I’m just walking out of water a little. What ‘bout you?”

i swear i was following some of the people it says i’m not following...