Acid Rain headcanon

insecwrites:

The Acid that rains down on Cybertron is damaging to Cybertronians, yes? It bites away at their paint or paint nanites, and when it gets under the armour it can de-grease the important greasy bits and damage any silicone or rubber wires.
It destroys tires, damages fragile sensory components, eliminates nanites, and it probably does unspeakable things to the energon in a mech’s frame.

What does this mean for the Cybertronian buildings? 

Obviously, they are built to resist these acid rains. Windows and wall materials are capable of withstanding acid. But it would mean that any and all decoration would peel or slough off.

Imagine looking at a Cybertronian city on the horizon, when acid rain begins falling. And slowly but surely, all the colours of the buildings drain away, leaving only a gleaming grey surface.
After an acid storm the cities are quiet, as everyone waits for the acid to drain and for the disposables to get rid of any lingering pools.

I imagine that there are nooks and crannies built into every structure. Small sheltered places were nanites can bunch together and survive the onslaught of rain. After it has been dry and unclouded for long enough, the colour spreads back out over the city and all of its buildings.
And in the Dead End, where the buildings do not have nanite shelters, or even any nanites to speak of – the acid rain washes away the graffiti. Creating a new blank slate for streetmecha to paint.

Thanks to @harutemu for the excellent idea that I couldn’t help but add to a little bit.

thesoundlessvoid:

Random headcanon time!

For the purpose of this blog and the mun’s other blogs, lets talk about Cybertronian/similar reproduction: 

There are four base ways in which robot “babies” come into the world. They are as follows:

  • Well Emergence. These ‘bots, as stated, emerge directly from the Well of All Sparks. These mechanicals are important for genetic diversity, and crawl out of the well as young blank slates. This has, historically, been most common. Considered very pure in their connection to Primus, especially in post-war times.
  • Budded/Carried. These mechs have at least two contributing genetic creators, but sometimes more. Two or more bots spark merge to create a new life, which is then carried by whichever mech is “most compatible” for the carrying process. At the end of the carry is the emergence, where the spark separates from its carrier and must be placed within a protoform. The protoform will then form into the frame type that the new sparkling is coded for. This method became more common as the Well began to drastically slow it’s production and the idea of siring genetic legacies became popular.
  • Cold constructs. Considered extremely taboo. Cold constructed mechanicals are pre-built, pre-coded “adults”, who are given a spark. Cold constructs can suffer a myriad of mental issues, most commonly, a dissatisfaction with their frame type if it differs from the one their spark is truly coded for. Many times, no one knows where the sparks of cold constructs come from. 
  • Hot Spotters. At times, the Well will suddenly produce a high multitude of independent viable sparks without bodies. Most notable instance was at the conclusion of the war and the rebirth of Cybertron with the loss of Optimus Prime. These sparks look for specific areas called “hot spots” to bury themselves in, and the spark uses the resources in the planet directly to form a frame. This allows a huge number of sparklets to grow at once without putting a strain on existing mechs physically. Unlike any other sparklet form, Hot Spotters activate semi-wild. They instinctively pack together, but are very quick to warm up to adults and begin learning how to be somewhat civil little children. 

It is not impossible for budded sparklets to be separated from their carriers early. Sparklets (occasionally called Sparkles) taken from their carriers are immediately placed within a protoform, and the protoform placed within a canopic decanter, which then was filled with a very highly supportive and high energy energon slush. This method is useful in instances where the species is in danger of becoming extinct of mechanicals who would be parents are too often put in dangerous situations to be affected by a carry. The soft-sided sacs could be placed in a singular area to be heavily defended while the parents could still perform their duties.  

** feel free to reblog or adopt this headcanon if you like it. many, many people have had similar notions to these, I just wanted to have them all written down in one place.

Cybertronian Vocab List For Beginners

strawberrieninja:

I was making my friend a “cheat sheet” of Cybertronian vocabulary and…things got way out of hand. Maybe it can benefit someone here too? It’s not an all-inclusive list and some parts are probably inaccurate or just my personal opinion. I tried to keep it open to interpretation, because honestly that’s my favourite thing about the TF fandom. Seeing all different takes on Cybertronian biology and culture is the best!

Welcome to the fandom, here’s your information brochure:

–  aft –  butts

–  audial, audio receptor – ear

–  berth, recharge slab – bed, a place to recharge

–  bond – marry. Involves  "spark merging" and possibly a ceremony, or at least personal vows of devotion.

–  cables – muscles. Sometimes refers to an interface cable.

–  calipers – (look up a diagram) a channel of internal “muscles” inside of intakes and valves.

–  chassis – main body, torso

–  CPU – attention span, memory capacity

– coolant – runs through fuel lines (or something?) to reduce overheating. –  cooling fans activate when flustered, like blushing. Used to expel excess heat from the frame and moderate internal temperature.

–  circuits/circuitry – circulatory or cardiovascular system

–  communication link (“comm link” or “comm”) – wireless communications system in which mechs choose a specific radio frequency and use it like a phone line. Can be privately or inclusively broadcasted.

–  cord – a cable with a jack at the end, used for interfacing.

–  digit – finger

–  dentae –  teeth

–  derma, dermal plating – skin, outer armor

–  electromagnetic field (EM field) – (definitely research this, its cool stuff!) An aura. Simply put, it’s the charged particles (electrons) surrounding an object which conducts electricity. When different EM fields come into contact, they slightly alter each other, causing interference of sorts. Using your imagination, you can presume Cybertronians use fields to communicate. Different levels, intensities, amount of charge etc are likely associated with different moods and emotions. EM fields likely expand and contract depending on social and emotional situations. They are essentially someone’s “bubble.” One can feel disturbances in the air around them if another mech brushes against or stands in their field. In a way they are like whiskers, judging spacial awareness and reading energy currents/air currents. It’s fun to make them into a method of emotional communication akin to body language.

–  engine – will rev when excited. Can also growl when angry, sputter when exasperated, etc.

–  frag – v. or n. (opposite of “defragment”) Crude word for “interface.” Also an interjection.

–  frame – whole body

–  frame type – overall shape and style of the Cybertronian’s model. Examples include jet, race car, truck, helicopter, etc

–  fuel pump –  Pumps fuel throughout the body the same way a heart circulates blood.

–  glossa – tongue

–  helm – head

– host/carrier – a frame type which relies on a symbiotic relationship to other mechs (i.e, Soundwave and Blaster).

–  intake, fuel intake – throat

–  interface – v. Two or more mechanisms connecting either physically or mentally, in a manner that is generally perceived to be sexual. (Depends on personal interpretation!)

There are 3 main categories for interfacing, “sticky,”  "plug n’ play,“ and “tactile”.

Sticky interface uses concepts analogous to human anatomy (spike, valve, fluids)

Plug n’ play focuses on a cord/port connection, along with the transfer of energy, files, emotions, and memories.

Tactile interface focuses on physical (and sometimes electrical) touch

Personal suggestion: combine all three!

Colloquial terms for interface include: jack in, plug in, link up, fileshare.

–  interface housing – an area of the body (your choice!) that houses interface equipment, be it cables/ports or spikes/valves). Generally the equipment is kept safe behind separate panels (one for spike/cord, one for valve/port)

–  olfactory sensors, chemoreceptors/chemosensors – sense of smell. Detects chemical stimuli in the environment.

–  optics/optical sensors – eyes

–  offline – unconscious, asleep. Sometimes means “dead.” (I don’t use it that way).

–  online  – conscious, awake, alive.

–  oral cavity, oral component – mouth

–  oral lubricant – saliva

–  overheating – body becomes uncomfortably warm, possibly to a harmful degree. Causes of overheating include embarrassment, anger, arousal, etc

–  overload – the climax of interfacing (orgasm), achieved by excessive electrical charge within the frame. May involve shorted circuits, being knocked offline, systems crashing, blacking out, temporarily shutting down, rebooting in some form.

–  panel, interface panel, interface hatch/manual hatch – the panel behind which lies the interface equipment. May be automatically or manually operated (or both!)

–  pede – foot, leg

–  port – receptive end for an interface cable.

–  processor – brain

–  recharge  – sleep

–  sealed/factory sealed – Essentially a virgin. One who retains the protective seals over their interface equipment they were constructed with. Most will agree that seals should be medically removed, but some mechs romanticize “breaking their lover’s seals.”

–  sensory input modules – nerves (things that relay information to the processor)

–  slag – basically “shit”.

–  spark – heart/soul/lifeforce. Located in the chest.

–  spark merging – a profusely intimate act in which mechs open their chest compartments, revealing their sparks, and press together until the sparks resonate at the same frequency, pulse in synchronicity, etc. Likely this leads to overloading. Generally spark merging is an act reserved for bonded mechs, as it involves one to expose themselves to absolute vulnerability.

–  spike – phallus component utilized in sexual interface. Upon arousal, spikes will “come online” by heating up, extending from interface housing, stiffen by means of magnetism or hydraulics (probably?), and likely will self-lubricate. Connecting to a valve forms a circuit between mechs and energy can be shared in a feedback loop. Thrusting in-and-out movements stimulate internal tactile and electrical sensors, accumulating electrical charge.  

– struts/spinal struts – back

–  symbiote/symbiont – a mech smaller than a mini which lives on or inside its designated host/carrier mech. (i.e., the cassetticons)

–  valve – interface equipment resembling a vagina. Internal components include calipers, a ceiling node, various tactile sensory nodes, various electrical nodes. Outer components include a rim and at least one external node resembling a clitoris. Valves will “come online” and start to heat and self-lubricate upon arousal.

–  ventilation – breathing

When in doubt, look up car/plane diagrams, read other people’s fanfiction, or make stuff up! 8D Alien robots, yeah!!

Accents and Dialects

therisingdarkness:

Between the six major polities–those being Iacon, Praxus, Kaon, Vos, Tarn, and Crystal City–there exist several dialects native to the mecha who inhabit them. Each one is uniquely devised to reflect the culture, history, and social structure of the polity it represents.

Iacon

  • As the political hub and capital of Cybertron, the language is based on governmental patois.
  • Conversation revolves around the verbal structure of an open debate, treatise graphing, or Senate hearings.
  • Quick, clipped, and unerringly polite, even when it’s not meant to be.
  • Body mods, paint details, and personal decor imply rank, faction, caste, and political lean–it is an important abstract to the language as a whole; rarely will you find an Iaconian without one or more mods.
  • Body language is reserved almost to the point on nonexistence; likewise, EMF has no place in public spaces.
  • The language has few contractions and is always short and to-the-point among the middle- and lower-class.

Praxus

  • A lilting language, expressing exuberance and joy.
  • Colorful and overly descriptive, it is a mixing of many cultures, including its own, and thus will fluctuate from sector to sector.
  • Unlike Iaconian dialect, Praxian involves excessive movement and EMF patterns, and many citizens are Chirolingual; physical touch is highly important and used to convey deep emotion.
  • Facial expressions and motor noises–chirring, chirping, purrs, growls, and chuffing–are used intermittently with the spoken word.
  • Singing, though not essential, is also considered part of the local dialect.

Kaon

  • Brash and loud, the Kaonite dialect is less refined than the others and is considered ‘barbaric’.
  • Graphic use of glyphs to illustrate ideas and desires, as opposed to lengthy descriptions.
  • A deep, guttural language originating from vocal synthesizers attached to the engines, as opposed to vocoders, which filter air.
  • Excessive use of violent or wild gestures, as well as body language–flaring and tightening plating, shifting kibble, etc.
  • Tone is often grating, or rough, due to constant abuse of vocoders, but always passionate and exceptionally proud.
  • Similar to Praxus, motor noises are also common markers of the language.

Vos

  • As the City of the Seekers, Vosnian vernacular is heavily dependent on having a certain frametype.
  • Gestures play an enormous role as an integral part of the spoken language; without wings, or the knowledge of how to interpret their movements, one cannot ever properly converse in the language.
  • A political language, though not necessarily to the degree of Iaconian; it draws more heavily from Primal Vernacular than Basic.
  • Verbose, and yet articulate, the language is woven together with soft tones and a cultured, rich accent that belies a simmering passion below the surface.
  • A sly, secretive language preferred for making deals and negotiating contracts.

Tarn

  • As a militaristic polity, the language reflects the rigid social structure of Tarn in its harsh, orderly composition.
  • Posture alone is worth half the language; plating is always pulled tight, and facial expressions are very neutral.
  • Binary and code intersperse the spoken language, but EMF pulses are rarely utilized in day-to-day conversation.
  • Relies heavily on data emissions.
  • Flat and cold tones with few contractions.
  • The language is heavily dependent on status and military rank, which regulate how members of the different castes are to speak to one another; each caste holds a different ‘rank’, and the lower the caste, the less mecha permitted to speak to you. 
  • Only the lowest castes rejected the strict and ordered speech, thus interring themselves in the slums where they would oft go ignored.

Crystal City

  • As the foremost scientific community on Cybertron, the language of Crystal City revolves heavily around binary, code, equations, and glyphs.
  • The language is complex, but entirely factual; some might say insufferable.
  • The tone is cultured, but very matter-of-fact and sometimes even described as cold or harsh.
  • Enunciation is key to everything, and few words have less than four syllables.

As always, there are differences between the castes themselves. The higher the caste, the more strictly one adhered to the chosen vernacular; lower castes often had their own languages, which were bastardized versions of the ‘higher’ language.