Prowl continues to be a berk

[koilungfish]

14/5/07 - Rosters and Radios

         "Hey, Prowl, you done hogging Teletran-1?" Blaster asked.
         Prowl glanced at him over his shoulder. "No," was all he said.
         "Aww, come on!" Jazz added. "You've had your head in the screen since sun-up!"
         "I am consolidating a library of vital statistics," Prowl said, "which will enable me to construct a more efficient duty rotation system."
         "Meanin' your axling around with the duty roster," Jazz said. Behind them, seated at the command console, Optimus Prime paused in his work to look at them momentarily, but said nothing. "Like you ain't changed it three times since spring anyhow."
         "We have an operational efficiency problem," Prowl protested, turning in his seat to look at them with the cold crossness Jazz had come to associate with a Prowl disturbed from something he was enjoying. "Our patrols are never in the right area at the right time -"
         "- because we're patrolling Oregon, Washington and half of Idaho, and nowhere else 'cept for a bit of New York state," Jazz interrupted. "We ain't got nowhere near full coverage, and we ain't got the manpower or the horsepower to do it."
         "That’s what I'm trying to rectify," Prowl said, sounding exasperated, which made Jazz believe the battle was not yet a losing one.
         "Let me guess, we're going to be getting longer patrols with fewer people on them," Blaster said, "'cause that's what usually happens."
         "If need be, yes," Prowl replied, trying to turn back to his work, but Jazz had no intention of letting him off anything other than Teletran-1's main console. It wouldn't have been a problem if the Ark's internal wiring wasn't so wrecked they could only get access to the outside world from here on the bridge.
         "An' I bet we ain't gonna see your shiny bumper out on patrol any time soon," Jazz needled. "'cause Vector Sigma knows you ain't been on patrol once since we set up!"
         "Your facts are in error," Prowl stated, not looking at them.
         Jazz glanced over his shoulder and noticed Prime appeared to have started up a new project on a sub-screen, at which he was studying very industriously. "I ain't seen you go further than Portland 'cept on roll out."
         "Someone with executive powers needs to be in or close to the base at all times, and since you're working with Sunstreaker's patrol group and Ironhide insists on going on any sudden call-out Optimus has to deal with, I simply have to remain within fifty miles of the Ark at all times."
         "Sheer coincidence," Blaster said with subdued sarcasm.
         "Who would you rather leave in charge? Ratchet? Skids? Grimlock?"
         "Sooner Grimlock than you," Blaster said, not looking Prowl in the face.
         "Don't you have some enemy transmissions to monitor?" Prowl asked, trying not to show he was offended and not succeeding. "I notice from your work statistics that you're not spending a great deal of time doing your duties."
         "I can't," Blaster said. "I can't get no signal in here. Too much volcano. Only way I can do my job is when you ain't using my workstation."
         "This is not your workstation!" Prowl said harshly, turning around again. "This is the main console of Teletran-1 and it's used by everyone for everything."
         "Well, we ain't used it today because you won't shift your aft out of that chair," Jazz complained, shrugging.
         Prowl looked at him through cold and narrowed optics. "Haven't you got a patrol to run?"
         "Been and come back already," Jazz replied. "An' let me tell you, I ain't built for driving across two hundred miles of scrubland. You gave me Hound's route by mistake!"
         "Sorry," Prowl said flatly. "It was an accident."
         Jazz tried not to seethe. "Oh yeah? Just like that 'accident' where you gave Sunstreaker the same dentin' patrol route after he bumped into you in the corridor?"
         "Hound was elsewhere, and Trailbreaker uses too much fuel to do a two hundred mile route," Prowl said, as if it were all perfectly obvious.
         "Hey, wasn't Ratchet complaining about having to pull rocks out of Sunstreaker's underside after that one?" Blaster said.
         "Yup," Jazz said, on cue. "He said he was going to have a word with someone about putting sports cars with low ground clearance on rough terrain patrol routes. I wonder who he was talkin' 'bout."
         Prowl glared at them icily. "I suppose I shouldn't expect more than insinuation from you two."
         "And I guess I can't expect to do my job," Blaster griped, tapping his foot. "Man, I can't pick up nothing in here."
         "Then go outside," Prowl said, back in his isn't-it-perfectly-obvious tone.
         "You see a hundred-foot antennae sticking outta my head?" Blaster asked.
         "Blaster, you have a four thousand mile radio range," Prowl said. He'd have difficulty getting more condescending.
         "Yeah, and the 'con base has an interstellar transceiver that's jamming me outta everything east of Iowa!" Blaster protested. "I need the Ark's big transmitter to reach New York!"
         "Use your remote signaling hookup," Prowl said tersely. "It's what it's there for."
         "I can't," Blaster said, voice utterly without humour. "Too much volcano."
         "And how long has this been a problem?" Prowl sighed.
         "Since I came back on-line," Blaster said, starting to sound irate.
         "Hey, Red Alert's been saying the same thing since he woke up," Jazz quickly interrupted, before Blaster could lose his cool. "And ain't we been having the 'hex of a time keeping in contact with the New York base? Heck, we even lost contact with Cosmos a few times, and he was hovering right over us."
         "Are you just here to remind me we have a problem with radio transmissions due to the electromagnetic interruptions caused by the volcano?" Prowl asked. "Or can you actually suggest a solution?"
         "Build a dentin' radio tower?" Blaster suggested, visibly irate now.
         "Blaster, how many times -" Prowl started.
         "'Cause the humans don't want us building nothing," Jazz interrupted, mostly because he could say it in a third of the words Prowl was going to use.
         "Dents!" Blaster cursed. "How the 'hex are we supposed to protect them if we can't even set up a decent receiver? Man, I tried standing on top of the volcano and I still can't get the BBC -"
         "Pardon?" Prowl said, cold as an Iacon winter.
         "Err..." Blaster mumbled.
         "Well..." Jazz failed.
         "Let me guess," Prowl overrode them. "You just want to use Teletran-1 to pick up radio broadcasts from beyond the Decepticon jamming zone?"
         "But it's John Peel!" they both protested at once.
         "That's-"
         Before Prowl could say what he thought, they were interrupted by the sound of Optimus Prime trying not to laugh. "Prowl," the commander said, rising from his seat, "I think you've been working on the new roster for too long. Perhaps you should take a break."
         "But, sir-" Prowl protested.
         "It can wait," Prime shushed as he walked over. "Let Blaster and Jazz listen to their radio show." He fixed them with a dry look. "Just as long as you don't play it where I can hear it."
         Blaster whooped, Jazz gave the big boss a thumbs-up, and the two of them pounced on Prowl with intent to drag him from his seat.
         "Whoa," Blaster said, getting a look at the screen, and the damning little data table sitting in the centre of it.
         "Dude, harsh!" Jazz added, looking disapprovingly at Prowl.
         Optimus Prime leaned over to look as well. "Prowl," he said, quiet tones filled with deep disapproval, "I don't think it's appropriate to allot Autobots patrols based on whether or not you like their attitudes."

Comments

[raisedbymoogles.livejournal.com]

It's official, Prowl's lost it.

*GIPs*

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

Koi!Prowl = vaguely nutsy!Prowl = fun!Prowl.

Re: *GIPs*

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

But does Koi!Prowl = OOC!Prowl? Because if so, I need to stop writing him that way.

Re: *GIPs*

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I have no idea, really. I just enjoy reading about him from you more than I usually enjoy reading about Prowl.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

Either that or I've lost any grip I had on his characterisation. I keep trying to write cartoonverse Prowl, but always seem to end up tipping into comicverse Prowl, which is bad.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

You've got Jazz's voice in there perfectly. And I have an odd thing for liking your Prowl when he gets...vaguely creepy, kinda unAutoboty.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

I waver over Jazz rather. His way of speaking is hard to replicate without slipping into some massacre of apostrophes.

I'm really not sure I like my Prowl. I think he's OOC.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

He's more interesting this way, that's all I know. And Jazz...Jazz speaks Ghetto.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

Interesting does not necessarily mean in character, which bothers me. I am not very knowledgeable on the specifics of Ghetto.

... wait a moment. Your icon is "All Your Base" in Latin.

[lunatron.livejournal.com]

Point for remembering that Red Alert's not bad at communications.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

Well, he wouldn't be. And given how sensitive he is to sound and smoke, and what the inside of a volcano is like ... poor guy.

[ladyrazorsharp.livejournal.com]

Well Prowl didn't get much characterization in the show, but from everything I've ever read, he's not Mr. Friendly--and you've got that spot on. Of all the Autobots, he doesn't seem to be a team player but he's good at what he does. I think 'bots like Blaster and Jazz just derive great pleasure from goading him, and most of the time he won't let himself be goaded, so the game is just that much more fun for them.

But it looks like he's been caught being a little heavy-handed, doesn't it? I'm sure Prime will have to have a stern talk with Prowl...Would Prowl be so petty? Or is it in his nature to try and teach those who he felt weren't working to capacity a lesson? He might have overstepped his bounds with that one.

However, he is being his usual logical efficient self, and that is very, very Prowl. ^_^

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

True, true, he was rather under-represented. Then again, a lot of the Season 1 Big Cars get that as well. He doesn't seem to be much of a social animal, but I think I took it a bit too far here. On the one hand, some 'bots probably would enjoy goading him, but on the other hand, even comicverse Jazz, who was out and out screaming at him in Crisis of Command, respected him as an Autobot and as a soldier.

Yes, he is being a bit heavy-handed and rather petty. Prime wouldn't put up with that sort of behaviour. Possibly it was a 'joke' rota that he'd drawn up to make himself feel better. Possibly not.

[twilit-wanderer.livejournal.com]

I'm not entirely sure I like your Prowl. He's really great, up until a point, and then he's a little too crazy. I've not ever had the opportunity to read the original comics, though, so I'm not sure how much I can say without sounding like a complete moron. Ah, well.

It's just, as heavily logic-based as he is (and, hey, the justifications you write him using all do make their own amount of sense, even when completely insane, heh), as well as being as high in the chain-of-command as he is, (and as far as I know/have seen/have been told, so it's entirely possible I'm way off here, potentially shooting for taking over after Prime), he's a little too... I don't know. Vindictive, maybe.

...I'm not sure this is saying what I want it to. hrm.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

I don't like him either. I can't find a single point about him that I can sympathise with - which means I'm writing him badly. I shall have to try at him from a different angle, perhaps.

Prowl's logic seems to end up justifying what he wants how he wants it, rather than taking a wider, more common-sense view of things. Grimlock did indeed accuse Prowl of being unable to see the 'big picture' in the comics, but I think I've written him looking at a locket miniature here ... Possibly I need to write him away from Jazz.

Yes, I've written him too vindictive. Will try better next time.

[twilit-wanderer.livejournal.com]

He does seem to be at his worst when dealing with Jazz, doesn't he? It makes sense to me that Prowl'd find Jazz annoying, considering their vastly different personalities, but I think it comes out a little too strongly. *shrug*

I thought he wasn't nearly as 'off' in the one where he was speaking with Trailbreaker, at any rate.

[rusty-chevy.livejournal.com]

"Massacre of apostophes." I like that. I'll have to remember it, since I'm always afraid I get a little carried away when I'm writing Jazz. FWIW, I think you nailed him and Blaster both.

As for Prowl, I think he does come across here as being too harsh, for cartoon Prowl. Of course, the 'toon didn't give us a lot to go on, but he always struck me as being fairly mild-mannered, and more likely to bury his irritation than let on to others that he was pissed off at them. While he might plan some payback as he's doing here, I think he might keep it a bit more under wraps, and probably aim more for annoying or mildly humiliating his target, rather than causing physical damage to them.

... So there are my two cents. Hope they're of some use. :)

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

Thanks! A lot of accents - Jazz, Rattrap, Blaster, Ironhide - get written out so thickly that you can't read a blasted word of them. This is not a good thing. One thing about writing Blaster and Jazz is that you have to remember that although they both speak slangish, they use different slang.

Agreed, he's gone too far here. I will try and tone him down next time.

[sapphirebreeze.livejournal.com]

I can't judge how in-character or out-of-character Prowl is, since, as others have mentioned, he isn't very well represented in-show. I will say, however, that the idea of solving manning problems with longer shifts and less people is one that usually occurs to bean-counters and budgeters, not those with actual relevant experience. Those who are actually out there with the troops, the sailors, the whatevers tend to know from experience that this becomes a recipe for more and greater mistakes (people get tired and bored, start paying less attention, are simply unable to pay more attention due to exhaustion, and so forth).

Certainly, the most "efficient" way to handle watches is to get everyone on a set schedule that they know and are familiar with, and not dick with it. Changing rotations every few weeks or months increases the odds of someone not realizing they're up next and showing up late for something. This all has nothing to do with whether or not you made Prowl too much of an ass... just observations on the subject of watch rotation.

Specific comments:

Jazz glanced over his shoulder and noticed Prime appeared to have started up a new project on a sub-screen, at which he was studying very industriously.

I quite like the not-so-subtle, "I am so not getting involved here," move by Prime.

"Build a dentin' radio tower?" Blaster suggested, visibly irate now.
"Blaster, how many times -" Prowl started.
"'Cause the humans don't want us building nothing," Jazz interrupted, mostly because he could say it in a third of the words Prowl was going to use

I would suggest human contractors as solution (as humans always like making more money, and if it's humans building it, it gives the government more ability to peek in and make sure nothing screwy's being done), but that begs the question of how they'd pay them.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

Possibly I need to sit down with my G1 DVDs and bask in Prowlness ... hmm. I haven't watched S1/S2 in a year or more. DVD time! :D

You're right about the shifts and the schedule changes. Prowl really should know better than to do that.

Either he's not getting involved or he's curious enough to look up Prowl's patrol logs.

And indeed whether they'd be allowed to have a huge radio-antenna, human-built or not.

[You know, for someone who hates to be bugged for feedback, you sure give me an awful lot ;D Thanks!]

[sapphirebreeze.livejournal.com]

[You know, for someone who hates to be bugged for feedback, you sure give me an awful lot ;D Thanks!]

I just... I give feedback like I'd like to get feedback, but I also give it in my own time, y'know? I know you've heard me say that I personally wouldn't mind getting simple things like, "Good/bad/indifferent," since I'm typically lucky if I get three responses at all for a ficbic. :/ But I'm going to respond with whatever much I have to say about a piece, which is sometimes a little, and sometimes a lot.

I don't like to be bugged for feedback for a number of reasons. One, I think I usually give plenty enough on my own. If I'm having a minimal-feedback moment, that's still all I had to say on the matter and bugging me doesn't help. If I'm putting off reading because I'm doing other things, I don't like to be rushed.

And... to be honest, there's the jealousy factor. Koi, the very least of your writings here gets more responses than anything I ever have to write (well, except for the latest Starscream/Dreadmoon thing you wrote, which seemed unusually unpopular for your work). And while I know I shouldn't sulk, part of me can't help but think, "With as many responses as the fish typically gets, and they're still begging for more? How much is enough?!" This is bad and petty of me (and should, I suppose, be taken to mean I have a long, long way to go), but it's still there.

[ladyrazorsharp.livejournal.com]

he's curious enough to look up Prowl's patrol logs.

That's what I thought, too...

[aragem.livejournal.com]

I take it you aren't a Prowl X Jazz fan, which is cool. I get tired of reading fics pairing them off. Sometimes opposits just DON'T attract.

[koilungfish.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not. Possibly my dislike of the pairing is bleeding over here. My Prowl is OOC, but he seems to be worst when he's talking to Jazz. Possibly the key to writing better Prowl is to get rid of Jazz.

[aragem.livejournal.com]

They are polar opposites. Jazz is laid back, cool, very likable, and no doubt popular aboard the Ark.

Whereas Prowl is rigid, strict, by the book (in most cases), cold, and I can hear him being accused of having a pipe up his tailpipe.

They could cancel each other out.