cyberformed IC Inbox

[eugenesis]

"This is Scorponok. Leave a message, as I am busy at the moment. If you want to see the infant, send me a text before you enter. Don't you dare knock and wake her up."

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[eugenesis]

[Thankfully, Scorponok's meaty hands prepared him for turning into a monkey, but this body is smaller than his own, and it's too low to the ground in root mode. He sits on the floor and answers the call on his comm with little fumbling.]

Apparently. You're that beastformer Optimus? [Just to make sure, after all. Some mechs cannot be trusted with a toddler.] How's Aura? Did you feed her yet? Have you let her out to play?

[maximalize]

Yes. You may simply call me Primal to avoid any roundabout confusion.

[he watches aura watching him. primal has the distinct feeling she's about to do something that might be quite loud, based on his experience with human children.]

She is quite alright, though disturbed as I am. Quite perceptive to notice the change! I have not let her out or fed her as I do not know how to do so or where the appropriate equipment for that is. I will not move. If you could come back...

[eugenesis]

She's almost two years old! She needs to run around and exercise!

[Aura whines and is just about ready to cry. Father is scaring her and she has no way to leave the playroom.]

Ugh, I'm proud that she can tell something is wrong, but she's too young to understand the explanation. Don't try to pick her up!

[He turns off his communicator, transforms into a monkey, and...well, he's seen apes run. It's only 4 limbs, not 8, and there's more swinging involved. His fists and legs hit the ground loudly and clumsily until he reaches his room.]

[maximalize]

When someone who knows how to keep her safe is present, yes.

[despite the fussing, scorpinok is not breaking his indomitable wall of chill. primal wouldn't bemoan a parent being concerned for their child.]

I have not and will not go near her. [he replies placidly, remaining where he is as promised. primal doesn't even wince at the clumsy use of his own body-- it isn't unlike how he was when he was young.] What is her name?

[eugenesis]

[Scorponok stomps into the room and turns to his daughter, who is eying his stranger with suspicion. Oh, the agony! He cannot scoop up his child in his arms when she needs her dear papa the most!]

Aura Froudine. [She jerks in shock. This stranger knows just what to call her!]

"Aura" is the family name. Now, get her something to eat and open the door. She knows where to go if she's scared.

[maximalize]

[with a pleasant expression that's definitely out of place on scorpinok's face:] You will need to tell me where her food is and how to give it to her. I'm afraid I've never been in this room, nor have I ever fed someone of her species.

[he does, at least, go to open the door.]

Come on, Aura. I know it's confusing but it's alright.

[eugenesis]

I have snacks here, but meals are in the side kitchen. This way.

[He walks out of the room and waits for Aura to follow them. She hangs back, and her eyes dart from Scorponok, then Primal, then repeats.]

...Bathroom, Aura? [Primal's voice is soft and sing-songy. Aura hums in response and sits down.]

...I have some gummies in the second drawer lure her out with those.

[maximalize]

[he follows, though slowly. scorpinok is quite a bit taller and heaver than primal's own comparatively lithe frame. he doesn't want to be too loud or break anything.

behind his own back (is that really how bad his paint is?) primal smiles a little, enjoying the novelty. he'd always liked helping the human tribe with their own offspring when they could afford to.]

Understood.

[he has questions, but does as he's told before anything else. primal very carefully holds them out to scorpinok in his big meaty hands.]

[eugenesis]

[Scorponok grips the bag of gummies in his tight hand, pinches a corner with his smaller fingers, and rips off the top. Aura Froudine's head shoots up at the sound.]

Fruit gummies! Let's go out and have some, my little experiment~!

[The bug toddler stands and waddles up to the door, then pauses at the threshold. Such a tough decision, take the snacks, or stay away from the monkey.

She decides that sugar trumps all and sticks her fingers into the bag to pull out a gummy shaped like an apple.]

Good girl. [He pats her on the head.] Let's head to the training hall.

[maximalize]

[primal obediently follows during all this, watching with genuine interest and finding the disassociation of watching himself do it interesting as well. it hurts his head a bit, but not entirely in a bad way.]

The training hall?

[eugenesis]

That's the safest place for her to practice her physical abilities. The mats protect her. She must not learn to fear pain if she fails.

[The future super solider toddles behind them, chewing on the candy with her mandibles.]

[maximalize]

I see. I am honoured to be brought along for your routine together.

[primal has no real thoughts on child rearing, but that seems to check out. if she cries out any time she falls over then she won't learn to pick herself up. best to do it protected.]

Will I need to do anything, or just be present to ease her?

[eugenesis]

You're one of the few mechs that have said any of this was an honor. Too many of us are unnerved by small organics.

[And the fact that Scorponok was obsessed over babies, and his tendency to store them in his chest cavity, and Aura's connections to a member of the Galactic Council.]

Just let her run around. If she runs to you, engage with her.

[maximalize]

I spent centuries amongst them.

[he neglects to mention why or how, but doesn't think scorpinok would be extremely interested. primal is also lucky in that he hasn't quite seen evidence of any of the... weird part of it.

then again, he has endless patience. he can put up with a lot.] As you wish. I'll keep this in mind if she wishes to seek my... body out in the future. When we are able to return to normal.

[he hopes they are. this body is too big, and he liked his own.]

[eugenesis]

Did you? Where you open about your being a mechanical being, or was your disguise that good?

[They tromp their way into the training hall, and the child following them recognizes her play area. She runs inside to grab a stretch band from the pile of exercise equipment and play with it.]

We'd better return to normal. And before the end of the week. This body is extremely inconvenient for my day-to-day.

[maximalize]

We were open to a select few, but our disguises were enough to pass, mostly. We could not afford to be too open with them.

[of course, they did eventually come to be a part of amaru's tribe and family generations ago, but primal doesn't see fit to allude to them more than he already has. a very, very old habit of not wanting to risk anything slipping to their enemies.]

Hmm. [it's a slightly amused huff.] I do apologise, but I can see the height difference.

[eugenesis]

Organics are too hostile towards us, but look at how most of the ship treats my sweet daughter. [Who is going to be spoiled rotten once she can talk.]

I worry that your arms may not be enough to carry her and throw her around as she likes. Small children need that sort of experience to develop their sense of balance. What will happen if she's delayed?

[His previous genius baby...will no longer be number 1.]

[maximalize]

They are hostile to her? [he asks, genuinely surprised. primal can't say he really pays much attention to everything on the ship, and scorpinok's antics are amongst those.] I am stronger than you might think, Scorponok. If this is to be a permanent change, then we can easily work out an alternative.

[eugenesis]

They call her horrible things. How she's an insult to life, that she's gross and should not have been created. [He clutches at his chest with a hand, where the Spark that is now owned by Mama Baba resides.] Some even suggested that we kill her when we first met!

[How could they? Not just because she was a baby, but she was a new lifeform developed via genetic engineering!]

[maximalize]

How terrible, [he says evenly, snorting in a way that would make his true feelings on this (quite put out) very clear, if he was in his own body. primal isn't one for complaining, but he can't say he cares too much for how his beastformer language doesn't translate well.] perhaps for the best that it was you who found her, then.

[eugenesis]

[Scorponok's body naturally adds haughtiness and sarcasm to everything he sways. You can take the smug, monologuing villain out of his body, but you cannot remove the smugness and tendency to monologue out of his body. Aura found it sweet and fatherly.]

It was. Now she'll have a normal childhood.

[maximalize]

As much as possible...

[he crouches down then, to get closer to her level. primal actually would like to see the child.]

Hello, Aura. I am not your father, I'm afraid, but I'm doing my best to help look after you.

[eugenesis]

[Aura Froudine looks away from the exercise equipment that she has decided are toys to stare at the face of her father. Her large red eyes are wide as she tries to figure out what's wrong with her father, who's wearing an strange expression. But, he is her father, and she reaches out with a small hand to grab his face.]

She likes doing that. [Getting her hands everywhere.]