Ep 1.5 It's On Again (Pyrotech and Roulette/closed)

[Pyrotech]

The architect eyed her wink and then he laughed. It rolled out of the curve of his gleaming chest. He reached for another data pad and handed it to her- this one had skittered under the big stone brick he called a desk.

Well, hmm. Challenging a regular to drinking was rather foolhardy. Pyrotech hadn't spent much time in bars back home; he preferred to drink as a way to smooth out a social situation that might help his career. Not for the sake of getting plastered, and certainly he had never found hanging off of an Autobot. Or hanging one.

Yet.

Something to look forward to.

"Oh, it is the best," the red mech agreed in a conspiratoral tone, and he too sat back and rested his hands on his thighs, casual and comfortable. The doors behind his shoulders swung forward on their hinges; his accent was softer, less formal.

"It's completely underestimated," Pyrotech replied even as he stretched back onto his feet and then settled back down in his desk chair. It rolled a bit across the smooth floor under his weight; he absentmindedly set a toe down to hold it in place. "It takes skill to use it to your advantage without a heavy hand. You'll scare off your quarry too soon, and there's no enjoyment in that."

"I do believe it is much as an art as dancing, and a far more useful skill in the end. Here, don't worry about those. Just leave them there. I'll pick them up later."

Pyrotech looked down at the datapad he'd hung onto. "This seems like an incredibly promising schematic," he said to her. "I am absolutely free to meet whenever he wishes. I hope that resolves mostly what you've come to negotiate for. Although I am curious what he was offering."

A glance around. "Supplies would be useful. Better crew, as well."

[Deleted]

But, mess on floor. I can't-oh grief, I've been hanging around Shockwave for too long. His ocd methods are leeching into me.

She carefully placed the tidy pile of datapads she'd already gathered and placed them on the desk. With one last look at the mess still spread out on the floor, she smoothly pushed herself to her feet and found the bench once more. This time she was going to sit on her hands! Although, how much more stuff could be on the desk for her to knock off?

"Ah, he told me what the offer was and I...hm, hold on." Roulette tilted her head and tried to think back to the former conversation. Shockwave had blathered on and on, something about a printer? Did that sound right? Wait, no, yes! He'd offered some sort of 3-D printer for construction. "Right, that. He's offering a printing unit to aid the construction thing you got going on. That doesn't sound exciting, I know. But it's Shockwave. He's hung up on details. There will probably be just about everything programmed into the program and more than a few things you didn't want or need."

Like all of the work on her datapad. Just when she got through the endless list of menial tasks, he somehow sneaked more on there. And she'd changed the locks on the damnable thing more than a few times! It was vexing that she couldn't keep him out of one, tiny aspect in her life. And kind of creepy. No, it was mostly creepy.

[Pyrotech]

There were quite a few things Roulette could knock off the desk. Random tools; a loose stylus or two; a cup that held shards of red and blue glass and rivets, jumbled together like a kalidiscope. Tools holding down a few more datapads. Hand scrawled notes on a few tablets.

The architect had perfectly neat handwriting; the sort a law student would have been proud of.

Pyrotech waited patiently as Roulette attempted to recall what the offer on the table was. To be honest - he didn't care what was offered. It was more of a familiarity, a handshake Shockwave could have offered the mech a backflipping robot poodle (without batteries) in return and Pyrotech would have taken it with gracious thanks. What was more delightful to him was the fact that there was anything being offered at all.

"A printer?" he echoed. "No, no, it's quite exciting, thank you. I've been a bit short on supplies lately. Besides, attention to the details is often a lost art, and-"

He glanced down at the slab of smoothed stone in front of him.

Could it print a...?

"Well then," Pyrotech said suddenly before he leaned back into his chair with an air of finality. "I don't need to hear more, that's more than generous. When you return, absolutely tell Commander Shockwave that I look forward to working on this project for him, and will be there whenever he requests it of me."

[Deleted]

The cup of glass pieces caught her attention and without preamble, she reached for it. Whether he stopped her or not, she was curious as to why a mech would keep something so useless on their desk. That suggested a certain amount of attachment, didn't it? Admittedly, Roulette had never owned or needed a desk. And Shockwave wasn't a good example as anything stable would be considered useful counter space in his regard. That, and there was zero personalization with Shockwave.

But if she'd had a desk, she would keep items on it that were useful as well and something she was fond of. As the shards were just that, shards, she doubted they had a use outside of their dubious presence. It was an interesting little puzzle in the midst of his blueprints and datapads. She could ask him, but she actually wanted to see if he volunteered the information freely. Confessing a fondness for them meant an attachment. If she had to badger for what the glass meant, that could be construed as embarrassment.

Or they could just be useless glass.

"So soon? You don't want to make him sweat a little bit? I mean, he's impatient anyway but you could try bargaining for more." She teasingly grinned. Perhaps she was serious and perhaps she wasn't. Though, really, she wasn't trying to get the mech in trouble with the big Lump.

[Pyrotech]

A carefully discerning look gleamed deep within the architect's red optics. Pyrotech watched Roulette's fingers reaching across his desk. He didn't stop her or chide her for her curiosity over the cup, nor did he leap up and snap at her to not touch anything. If anything, all he did was lean slightly forward and regard her from under the shadowed brim of his helm, gaze focused on her fingers as she picked it up.

The contents of the cup rattled in her hands, a light chime of shards settling against each other. It was a jumble of pieces layered halfway up inside of the cup. They glittered in the overhead lighting; curves and shards of red and blue, lined in some places with silver reflective material.

"Stylus holder," the sleek red mech offered, even though she'd not asked any question of the sort pertaining to it. "I find that putting something in the bottom to secure them upright makes it easier to pick out the different ones."

A smile touched on the corner of his mouth. "I like my things functional and pretty," he chuckled, and then realized he was still looking at Roulette. Immediately, he caught himself, doors shifting and quirking up behind him, the gesture apologetic.

"Ahem, as for other things, I don't think it would be possible for anyone to make Commander Shockwave... ah- sweat a bit," he replied carefully.

"That said," he murmured, indicating the rock walls with a flourish of hand. "I think my bargaining capabilities are at their absolute lowest right now, I'm afraid. I'm fine with the offer, it's better than anything I've had in quite a while."

The mech leaned back in his chair. "So, are you going to be the liason for our communications?" he asked.

[Deleted]

She was careful, in only the way someone working in a lab full of hazardous materials could be. She didn't jostle the contents of the cup more than necessary or stick her fingers over the rim. Not because she felt Pyrotech had a cup full of corrosive acid just casually sitting on his desk, like you do. No, it was more habit that stayed her curiosity to a simple peek into the cup.

She just resisted the urge to poke through the stylus'. Seen one and you'd seen them all. Unfortunately, if she put the cup down, she was going to have to find something to keep her hands occupied. Which was another, annoying, conditioned response of being in a lab more often than not. She felt like she should be doing something as, when Shockwave was around, there was always something to do. This being out and about was supposed to be relaxing! It was turning out to be anything but.

Ugh, maybe I should start carrying around a deck to shuffle and deal when I'm nervous. I think I have a pair of dice on me. Oh, but wouldn't that look insane? Oh yeah, no, don't mind me dude. Just rattling these crystal dice around because I can't keep my hands to myself.

She realized she was staring at him, who was staring at her. She hadn't said that last part out loud had she?! Given the awkward posture and averting gaze, she was going to say the embarrassment was wholly on Pyrotech's side. Thankfully.

So, he thinks I'm pretty. She felt herself giving in to a wry, half-smile and sat up straighter. It wasn't often she got compliments! At least, useful ones. The only type one could garner in the lab was tedious at best. She was starting to forget what it was like to be a desirable femme that could charm a mech out of his credits.

I wonder... A small part of her inside rubbed its claw hands together and cackled evilly. It had been awhile since she'd had a challenge.

"Well," she looked away to the side, one finger slowly circling the rim of the cup in thought. Her vox pitched just a little normal than usual, barely noticeable. Except... "If you're pleased with my services, then I imagine he'll keep me on as a liaison. You can imagine my excitement at getting out of the lab and meeting new colleges."

Alright, alright. Don't lay it on too thick. You'll spook the prey.

With a pretty smile, she leaned forward to place his cup on the desk, back where it belonged.

[Pyrotech]

As Roulette moved them, the shards made that soft 'chink' noise again as they shifted. They caught the overhead light and shone, warm red to cool blue, violet hues where they settled over each other. The outer metal was smooth in her grip; burnished perfectly to a low, warm sheen.

The ladder on Pyrotech's shoulder quirked upwards slightly. He shifted his weight in the chair but seemingly couldn't pull his gaze away from where it was drawn to the femme's gesture; that light, delicate circle of Roulette's fingertip tracing around the edge of the cup.

Pyrotech caught the touch of her voice as it rose, drawing up into a lilt and tease. He tried not to watch as she leaned back, straightened up, and there was the tiniest flicker from his field, as if he'd finally lost that smooth, oh so proper, polite protocol. the mech focused on her; drawn entirely in to the curves her sleek black armor, that oh-so-light smile on her lips as she teased the rim of her glass.

The architect's doors smoothed back; he seemed to be making a valiant attempt at continuing to treat this moment like every other part of the business transaction.

He cleared his vocalizer with a soft noise and sat quickly back, setting his hands onto the arms of his nice desk chair. His dark fingers curled around them as he gathered himself back into proper places that didn't involve escorting Roulette to chat quietly about the inner workings of the Decepticons out on a lonely stretch of beach.

After that, a long, pleasant drive to the places he'd found bearable among what passed for human civilization; bridges lit by tiny, gleaming lights over deep dark rivers, where cold water swirled and frothed against the concrete and steel foundations.

"Ah, of course," he murmured, echoed by another miniscule spike in his field, as if he was unsure if he should say anything of the sort. "You've been an excellent liaison so far. I'll make sure to tell your Commander that."

"However, I know someone in the position you are in has to be incredibly busy with all your assignments..."

Pyrotech trailed off as she set the container back on his desk. "Aren't you?" he asked carefully.

[Deleted]

This...is too easy. Roulette almost felt bad for the mech. Either he was painfully lonely, or he was painfully romantic. Either of the options made Roulette just shake her head internally. She'd never show such a gesture to his face, but wow, how...hm. Being a fairly non-romantic creature, she found the tiniest flicks in his field very telling and stupidly adorable.

Alright, don't be leading a mech on to a field mine. Keep this up and you'll just distract the poor mech from his work. And given the post, I don't think he needs more bad news coming his way.

"Shockwave would have me working through my recharge cycles if he could," she said, laughing at the tail end of the sentence. It was true, of course. However, give the mad mech was credit, he realized he couldn't make everyone work the grueling hours he tasked himself with. "I seem to find myself free time when I can. It's all how you can work it."

She kept her field light, playful but not overly so. She wasn't trying to con the mech into something but she didn't actually want to turn him off either. He was rather pleasant to be around and looked like he could actually string one intelligent thought with another. A far step above the Vehicons she spent the majority of her time with.

[Pyrotech]

Pyrotech resettled himself in his chair a tad. The wheels grumbled along the stone floor, curling up a tiny trail of dust. He seemed to gather his composure back to him and hurriedly so, as if he realized that she might find his behavior uncouth.

Really, it was his own fault. He'd been set down in places that involved his only decent company being the finish work on the walls. His projects did exactly what he wanted them to, no fuss, no mess. Those were a constant he could control. Architecture didn't mouth off at you, or attempt to hide mistakes. It was straightforward and blatant.

The red mech approved of straightforward. Well, when it came to projects. Not so much about other things.

"Ah, I'm sure he would," he said with a quick laugh. It rumbled up from his gleaming chest, but it was warm, friendly, and understanding. "Well, if you decide you simply have some time to chat sometime in the future- ah, you know where to find me."

He glanced around the underground office with a slight, pained shift of his doors.

"It's not like I'm not going anywhere else for a while," he admitted. "Regardless, as much as I've enjoyed pleasant company, I suppose I should let you go."

He rose from his chair and then absentmindedly dusted off his hands. "I'll escort you back to the Ground Bridge point, if you wish. If you'd rather not, that's perfectly all right as well, I can send one of the Vehicons with you. Just to be on the safe side. The Autobots haven't been in our area at all, but-- we are close to the Arizona border. Closer than I'd like, actually, but this was the most qualified area that had everything I needed to work with under the circumstances."

[Deleted]

The femme decided she actually did like Pyrotech. Which was a dangerous thing to admit to oneself. Ties to another mech, no matter how tenuous, could get someone like her killed. Decepticons didn't make friends for a reason and Roulette was no different. But, she found she couldn't dislike the mech for his self-effacing ways.

She followed his lead and stood, still silent for the moment while he talked. Her thoughts barely on his words and more on her own private musings. She was aware, however, enough to catch the pained tilt of his doors at the state of his trappings. So he did feel some modicum of shame for being stuck out in the sticks. Couldn't say she blamed him there. The planet was downright irksome and to be stuck on its surface, in the ass end of nowhere, was entirely cruel.

"You seem to think you'll have free time. Now that Shockwave is aware of you, there will be no escaping his attention. Especially if you're as good as is suspected. He'll have you doing all sorts of menial tasks. That mech never runs out of tasks and ideas." She smiled, partly torn between the painful truth and a joke. "I would enjoy an escort back, thank you. I don't have much luck when I'm down here."

[Pyrotech]

Pyrotech finished dusting off his hands and settled them on his hips. It was a casual, comfortable gesture, his dark fingers curling around the glossy red plates.

"It would be my pleasure, then," he told her, his words falling back into that formal sort of pattern. His accent drifted easily across the space between himself and Roulette. "It would sort of put a damper on this entire day if you didn't make it back safely. Can't be too careful these days; even though I know for a fact the Autobots haven't found this place, there's enough of the fools around."

The was a dry, light huff of distaste.

The red mech glanced around the room that they were standing in. "I like to keep busy on good projects," he admitted to her as he turned, motioning for her to follow him. The door slid aside and then whirred shut after their heels as he paced back up the hewed stone passage.

"I'm rather looking forward to a lack of free time," he said after a moment, his footsteps crunching softly on the dry earth. The lights set into the walls sent blue shadows among her black finish; soft dust motes shimmered in the LED tones. "I'm willing to admit that I would be content if it became a long-term project."

The ladder on his shoulder clattered as it caught the edge of the wall. Pyrotech had been so deep in thought that he'd absentmindedly come too close to it.

He was looking forward to it. If- and it was a big if, of course - if he could get noticed a bit for a job well done among the ranking, it might very well be a path out of this rut. Perhaps his failures in Alaska and Australia would be overlooked, set aside; well, not that it was his fault as much as it was the fault of others. If he could move forward, easy enough to dispose of the last remaining tie to those debacles.

"Not much luck?" he queried once they finally got outside again. Overhead the sun was bright, but the end of the gully they stood threw shadows that allowed optics to adjust comfortably once more. "Ah, this goes back to the lizard and the Autobot yes?"

[Deleted]

She flicked her optics at him when he clattered against the wall but opted out for teasing him. This time. However, there was a certain brightness to her optics and a warm flare of her field that suggested she was just containing the mirth for his sake. With a grin, she looked straight ahead, gaze moving from one interest to the next with pinpoint accuracy that good targeting could give.

"Got it in one. Every time I put my feet on this planet, something horrible happens. And I'm not exaggerating." She held both of her hands up and started listing while tapping her pointer finger to her other hand and each digit thereon. "I didn't land here. I wrecked a ship that wasn't even mine. A fragging Autobot arrived first and a flyer at that. Snappy bastard just oozing charm. After that, I was sent out to the swamp and met another Autobot and got a lizard stuck in my chassis. I went to the DMZ and got trashed, woke up in Shockwave's quarters after threatening to run away with a Bot. Wait a minute." She stopped dead in mid-stride.

"Maybe the planet isn't the problem. Maybe it's the fragging Autobots." She hadn't thought of that. Maybe they really were to blame for her woes! "Yeah, I think I'm on to something here. They really are the root of all of my evils. How do you like that?" She placed her hands on her hips and pouted a moment before realizing she was probably holding him up from whatever it was architects did in their free time.

[Pyrotech]

Pyrotech stopped when she did and glanced over at her with a slight lift of a browplate.

Then he laughed.

"Aren't they always the problem," he agreed. "Autobots, I mean. Even over the planet, which I have to admit is rather a vile place most of the time."

He waited a moment longer and then stepped forward again, to head back the way the way she'd been lead into the base. Around them, the rift in the stones rose overhead, the rocks bright with sunshine. The red mech ambled forward, keeping his pace steady and slow, allowing her to choose their speed. He didn't seem to be fretting about the time, or his lack of it. Maybe he was grateful to get away for a few moments from work.

The architect looked around them at the landscape, and started to head back towards the road. "I'm sorry to hear that every single time you've set foot on it it's come back and made itself unpleasant. I can relate- well, not to the wrecking a ship that was not mine, that's an unfortunate turn of events, but I hear it happens a lot here. That whole crashing into the planet, I mean. On a regular basis."

A shake of his head. "I at times wonder if backwater planets have some odd beacon buried in a volcano somewhere that encourages crash landings."

He grinned a little and his doors flicked in amusement. "I hope not. But you've had a rather rough go if it, it sounds. Autobots aren't the most stable of mechs. Or at least if you're going to run off with one, make sure you get him to sign insurance papers. Then kill him and make it look like an accident, and be independently wealthy."

He smiled. "That might work out rather nicely. And yes, I rather like that train of thought."

"A flier, hmm?" he said thoughtfully after a moment. "I didn't know they had many of those here. Haven't seen any since Australia."

[Deleted]

"Why do you think that is, exactly?" She questioned while following him. The slow pace was a bit of a relief. She wasn't exactly the most graceful of femmes on the uneven terrain. Her wedged heels really hindered more than they helped. "Beacon idea aside, I think there is something about this planet...maybe the electromagnetic field. I don't know."

She could ask Shockwave, of course. But having to endure a long, rambling, spark-suffocatingly detailed answer wasn't appealing. She'd rather find out for herself or just let the answer remain a mystery. As with most instances with the one-opticed mech.

ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT HIM AGAIN? ARUGH. How the hell did the mech do it? He managed to dominate her every stupid thought with his stupid presence. It would have been better if she were infatuated with him. But she wasn't. Her day to day life was so tied in with the mech that she actually had trouble defining herself without him. The realization made her misstep and stumbled over a rock, nearly sending her down to her knee.

"Fragging rocks." She mumbled to herself, mentally trying to catch up with the conversation. "Ah, if I was going to elope with a Bot, it'd be the one that nearly shanked me. He and I have unsettled business."

Too unsettled, unfortunately. She owed him for rescuing her. She sure as slag didn't owe Mister Break-I-like-to-light-shit-on-fire-down. Fragging idiot.

[Pyrotech]

Pyrotech glanced over at Roulette.

"You know, it's an interesting question," the red mech replied thoughtfully. He was careful to pick his way around the rocks and the worst of the terrain. It was obvious he'd spent a long, long time in backcountry places. "I never would have considered the electromagnetic field, that's not a bad theory."

He rubbed his chin, his doors lifting. The chrome touches on his finish gleamed brightly in the sunshine.

"I think more likely might be the fact that a lot of backup systems and sensors look for a quick energy scan. This planet does have energy sources that can be modified for us to subsist on for a while. That's not the same as the energon mines of course, but if you're desperate-"

He wrinkled his lip in distaste.

Pyrotech had been that desperate several times on Earth. His assignments had left him very little support from the other Decepticon forces. He understood; jobs needed to be done and there was a distinct lack of follow through that pained him about many operations.

"You'll survive," he said. "I suppose that's all that's important, and a reason why the planet seems to draw us in. It's something to ponder. Your thoughts are valid - perhaps it is just enough of a field that a mostly offlined ship with the occupants in stasis touches on and calculates the best chance of survival."

As she stumbled though, he smoothly stepped back until he was beside her. Pyrotech let her gather herself; he didn't reach into Roulette's personal space or grab her. Instead, he merely offered his forearm out - her choice entirely to use his assistance or not.

"Well, shanking an Autobot does rather sound as if it would be an interesting method to start a relationship," he chuckled. "I take it the one you're speaking of stabbing so nicely isn't another flier, then?"