Long Patrol - Tumblr Posts

May have dropped all my other projects to focus on Rose Eyes because best badger, even if a touch unhinged in her first book. Also, backgrounds? Never heard of them.

Made the mistake of pulling out Long Patrol to look something up real quick, ended up getting absorbed in just reading the first few chapters because even all these years later it's still very well written.

Chapter 1: The Wintering

(note: this isn’t so much a review or a read-along as it will be me approaching this like its a high school assignment to analyze, because I am just that lame. Will probably go in order of the story as I reread it.)

“Jazz was going to throttle Ricochet when he got back to civilization.” This is a strong opening sentence as it sets up the character name of Jazz, gives him a clear goal, and tells us where he currently is in his world. 

So now we have the word hoarfrost mentioned. This tells us that in this world the temperature still drops as it does in our world, but has a gray-ish tint to it unlike the pure white that we would expect from the snow and frost that comes with cold weather in our world. This could be symbolize of how the world we are about to enter is like our world but perhaps with more of a darkness to it, such as other great works have used the change of weather to indicate the turmoil of a setting or a character itself. In this case, our “Jazz”.

We also have weak light filtering through the crystal trees around him. This is also a symbol of the character, Jazz’s, struggle and hope of survival here. The light represents survival and the fact that it is so weak at the moment represents Jazz’s fading hope of getting out. We can further prove this by the fact that the narration seems to be in third person from Jazz’s viewpoint.

Now we get some more information about the world and therefore Jazz’s situation. The planet gets acid storms, or snow in this case. This can lead us to conclude that the temperatures can reach at least -85 C (the freezing point of HCl). This adds a further danger to Jazz as he cannot stop for too long or form a hole in the snow to hide in as we would. This also solidifies the story as the man vs nature type plot.

It also tells a lot about the character that the first phone call we see him making in story is to yell at Ricochet instead of calling for help. This can tell us how much family may mean to him that his call is to him. 

Now there is some confusion as it is clear that Ricochet could not get the energon that the family needs, so Jazz went. But from the fact that he crashed, we are forced to assume that he was not able to get the energon back to his family since we could assume then that would mean that Jazz would be back home and we would not have a story. Unless Alitex is another city Jazz was delivering to for reasons unknown to us. We know that it must have been after dropping off any supplies as later on Jazz complains of only having rations to eat.

The fact that Jazz’s ship crashed and was rendered useless by the acid storm can tell us that these acid storms are either very rare or only occur in the winter, since otherwise one would think the plane would survive.

We also get a description of how a mech would freeze to death compared to a human with the body able to reroute power to the core and how falling asleep would be dangerous. We later see how this damage is still significant as Jazz is unable to feed himself or properly stay awake at first.

His rescuer growls and seems to react negatively to Jazz trying to rev his own engine in response to the other. This reaction may be due to either worry that Jazz will tire himself more by doing this or that the rescuer thinks that Jazz is trying to pull away at this moment.

Thus we end the analysis of chapter one.

Chapter 3: Just Call 911

Okay, onwards and upwards to chapter 3. I am writing this because I can’t sleep, so if it is a bit worse than usual I apologize.

We start with Prowl waking and then waking Jazz by accident. We also see him purring at Jazz as if to apologize and reassure him. We then get a preview of how Prowl probably sees their days going in general. “Get up, feed Jazz, tuck him in, and then patrol as Jazz rests.” 

Interesting that Jazz still questions why Prowl still takes care of him, but other than wondering doesn’t offer any new theories as to why. We also see that the apparent emptiness of the room does have some interesting reasoning. Since the higher functions are off, there is no danger of cabin fever and hence no reason to have anything to make the room more entertaining. 

We also see that Prowl left most of Jazz’s things alone, keeping only the blanket to cover Jazz and left the broken heater. This means that either Prowl was able to recognize it was broken and should be left behind or Prowl didn’t know what it was and just didn’t care to take it since it was not a blanket or in Jazz’s subspace it was not deemed important.

Jazz again brings up how ill-prepared the advertised “survival equipment” was. I have a feeling the company would just say that of course they thought no one would be flying around during this time since its time for everyone to sleep. The small amount in the way of equipment also lends evidence that the acid storms are probably rare since there is nothing to help with acid in the equipment. I also wonder if there is any planet wide SOS comm number since Jazz still hasn’t tried anyone on his comms except for his brother earlier. The equipment doesn’t have any communication device nor did Jazz mention calling anyone on the plane and cities keep to themselves as I have mentioned before. So it may be that Jazz had no emergency number to call as he was too far away to reach any enforcer number he could know. 

Jazz pushes a button near the dispenser to pop open a computer leading me to wonder why have the extra step? Why not just have the computer out all of the time? Narrative-wise, this is the first day that Jazz can be called fully conscious and he finds it right away so why have it hidden behind a button? The button just brings up a computer with more buttons one of which calls the command. Could it be that the enforcers during the long patrol would keep getting curious and then call when there wasn’t an emergency just because “shiny button” leading them to hide it in an out of sight out of mind type deal? 

We also now know that Prowl did not call for help for Jazz. Instead Jazz had to do that himself. Prowl found Jazz half-frozen, but must have thought that he could take care of it. (I chose to believe that had Jazz been physically injured or if he had gotten any worse at any time Prowl would have called command for help.)

How would calls work anyway with the long patrol enforcers? Would they just use door wing code to explain the basics in simple terms? Are the people on the other end forced to just guess? Though Jazz links up via data cable so maybe it is that Prowl is recording everything, as I suspected before, then its up to command to sort it out if something goes amiss. If one of the enforcers got injured in the field and couldn’t make it back are they just screwed? Is that why its volunteers?

I find it odd that Jazz found Smokescreen’s offer to stay with them for the winter to be “generous”. Wouldn’t it be assumed or did Jazz believe that they would just then be like “Okay, have a nice winter” and Jazz would just have to stay there. Does Jazz think that normally he would be charged to stay there or that they would give him the energon to sleep the rest of the winter? Or is it because Jazz is not a Praxian he doesn’t think that the Praxian enforcers owe him anything as he is not a citizen?

We also see that though the long patrol having half-feral enforcers is known to the public, the compensations for accidental injuries by enforcers is unofficial. Why? Wouldn’t it be expected for the half-feral police to attack anyone entering the city while it sleeps? Wouldn’t that be expected? 

We also get to know more about Prowl the person though Smokescreen now. We see that his actions toward Jazz are neither something expected by someone on long patrol toward a non-hostile mech nor something expected from a normal Prowl. We see that right away Smokescreen puts this together quickly to arrive at the conclusion that subconsciously Prowl has decided that he likes/loves Jazz and is responding as though Jazz was already his mate. Smokescreen decides to have a bit of fun with his trying to play wing man for Prowl. Though I also have to wonder what the other buttons on the console are for now.

Ricochet is going to have the oddest assortment of messages when he wakes up. I wonder if he’ll actually listen to them all in order or just hear the first one and completely flip out without hearing the rest.

We see Prowl acknowledge that the console is still open so Jazz didn’t feel the need to close it back up after the call. Maybe he was wondering how Prowl would react? See if there was still enough processes going to put together that Jazz had to be the one to use it and what that meant? Prowl’s only reaction seems to be amusement that it is open and to close it again for some reason. Is this amusement that Jazz is well enough to explore or does the console pop open sometimes? It is a communicator so one would assume it works both ways. Maybe Prowl has to check in regularly as well to Smokescreen or at least dump the data at a certain time so the command has records of what occurred that winter? Though Prowl doesn’t question that the fact its open means someone was trying to call him.

We also see Jazz talking to Prowl. I wonder if this is just Jazz wanting someone to talk to or if he feels he owes it to Prowl to explain? Probably a combination of the two.

We see that even now that Jazz is fully healed and able to be up and about that Prowl still wants to find Jazz himself. Could this be a Praxian affection thing then or is it just a Prowl/control thing as I theorized before? Prowl is also much more affectionate to Jazz now. Probably because Prowl can see that Jazz is awake enough to understand at this point, or he was doing it to unconscious/out of it Jazz. Prowl does seem surprised when Jazz returns the gesture so maybe he did give Jazz goodnight touches (I don’t know how to word that better) and this is just the first time Jazz is able to recall them. And yes, Jazz has a problem.

Till next time.

Now I kinda want an AU wherein Prowl is forced to call for help for Jazz right away so we get to see a half feral Prowl being taken to the station. Probably still letting only doctors near Jazz and growling the entire time.

Chapter 6: To Finally Meet You

So Jazz gets to experience being a bit of a local celebrity as everyone wants to get to know the person who Prowl’s subconscious is so fond of. I guess that Smokescreen went around the base telling everyone about Prowl’s possible future boyfriend. Jazz is a bit guarded with the answers though, maybe because he figures prowl and him will get embarrassed by what happened? Or, you know, just privacy. We see the privacy thing again when Blowout and the captain brush off questions about Prowl later.

Jazz also gets worn out rather fast, which makes sense since it hasn’t been that long since he crashed. Then he had pretty much no one to talk to for awhile, and having to leave Prowl like that would leave anyone kinda tired.

I wonder a bit about the empty room for him. Is it just that they power the building so the rooms are usually wasted or is having extra rooms a precaution in case someone is found?

And man, Prowl must be dirty as heck since this is the first time Jazz has a washroom that he can see and made no mention of Prowl cleaning up. I imagine that right after the long patrol they take all the enforcers out and just jet clean them with a hose at first before they get a proper shower.

Poor Jazz feeling bad about leaving and thinking of just going into hibernation now. I wonder if he did the enforcers would just leave him in the hab? I actually wonder why Jazz has to ask and they didn’t just offer right away. Maybe they don’t have any on them? Or they want to question Jazz some more and give him time to adjust first. Also wondering if you can enter late, is there a danger of waking up from hibernation early? What would you really do at that point?

 I wonder why Smokescreen went to get Jazz instead of just comming him? Why move Jazz? Doesn’t that make it easier for Prowl to find them rather than having Jazz in one of what I assume to be many identical rooms. 

So, they are prepared for a long patrol coming back and know it means something bad. I wonder if there was ever a long patrol who hated someone at the station and his long patrol brain decided to come back and take care of it?

So did Prowl somehow track the moving vehicle they came in, or is he still able to logic out even with his brain mostly shut off that the station was the most obvious place to take Jazz? That seems to be Jazz’s theory as well at least. I wonder if Prowl would be able to answer the question when he wakes up or if it will be nothing but a vague feeling. And the chief says this morning so its still the same day Jazz came in, meaning that either they were already very close to the station or Prowl made some great time.

I guess that no one put the mate thing together until Smokescreen told people because earlier Jazz said he didn’t want to talk about that part. I wonder if Jazz had spoken up earlier about how Prowl fully acted around Jazz someone would have put it together to be on the lookout for Prowl coming around? Or would someone gone out to find Prowl right away and met him halfway?

I also wonder from what he is saying if some mechs signed up for long patrol then got the happy news that they were in love because instead of staying in their territory they went into the city to find the person they liked and protect them instead. Or is it because Prowl met Jazz during the long patrol that caused the problems, but if they met before the patrol it wouldn’t be an issue? The directives being overridden by mates is part of the staff meeting and Barricade later figures it out right away by what Prowl says so it can’t be that uncommon. The fact that Barricade brings up if he was ugly when talking to Prowl, how awkward would that be? You go into this state, go through all this, wake up and then decide to pass on the person.

I’m surprised that they let Jazz come up with all of the plan. Then again he has known the long patrol Prowl the longest and has the most experience in this particular area.

The scene of Prowl and Jazz in the courtyard was really cute and beautiful to imagine. I’m such a sucker for the whole “person takes off their coat to give it to the one they care about” trope.

Odd that Prowl just lets Jazz lead him places now instead of trying to drag Jazz off somewhere, but I guess to Prowl as long as Jazz is around he can be calm.

Props to Jazz for having such a good plan and follow through. The rest of the Prowl/Jazz segment, I really don’t have much else to say but how cute I find it. Gives me all the warm fuzzies.

Funny that Jazz looks over Prowl kinda the same way that Prowl did after ‘getting’ Jazz back from Smokescreen and the others last chapter. It’s kind of sad that Jazz is still worried that though this part of Prowl likes him, the awake Prowl could still reject him.

And then we get Prowl’s first word, proving that he could at least fully remember how Jazz introduced himself when they first met even if the rest is muddled.  

I like that Prowl guesses right away what place Jazz means. I assume that means Prowl grabs a bit there along with the other enforcers a lot. And that Jazz interrupts before Prowl can apologize because Jazz thought Prowl did nothing to apologize for.

I suppose that there must be really deep elements of bonding if even when his higher brain functions were down, Prowl knew the proper movements to propose to Jazz. And what a story to tell the future creations this will be!

I wonder then if when taken off patrol the long patrol and station patrol just kinda switch places? Were Prowl and Jazz together waiting for everyone to wake up? Did Prowl take over station duties? Did they get to go on fake “mini” dates in the station? Or were they put into hibernation right away as to not have to worry about it?

So is Jazz just going to vacation in Praxius for awhile? Did he have to move from the station to a hotel once it opened? I assume that if he is taking a vacation, Ricochet is paying for it.

And that’s the end. I really loved this story and found myself going back to read it a lot, so I decided to do this. Thanks to the author WandersUnderStarlight for the story and the reviews of my reviews. I am really glad that you liked them!

Till next time!