Ep 2 - I'd Get Sober For This (Rou/Pyro/Airlia)

[Deleted]

Time: Week 3, Day 5
Location: Pyro's Dirt Fort

The groundbridge irised open onto the baked, thirsty landscape. Grasshoppers the size of mice jumped and flew away with the buzz of paper wings. Stepping through the oval of light, Roulette grimaced at the nasty presence of the insects. For once she had a legit reason to be visiting without having to call in a favor. But damned if she remembered why stepping foot on the planet had been a good idea.

Her quarters had just started to feel comfortable once more. The new presence of the cassette didn't catch her by surprise when she turned and found the swan watching her with beady optics. That didn't mean the first cycles with the bird hadn't been...trying. There was plenty Roulette could have done better but in hindsight, that could always be said. It wasn't like she was made for a companion. Her frame barely had the room to accept the docking partner.

As for the coding...

"I'll think on it..." had been the decision after entirely too much thought. Roulette was, at the moment, entirely thought out. As was her nature, when confronted with too much, she had started to grow waspish in the ship and yearning for an out. Which was possibly why Shockwave was having her oversee a shipment promised to Pyro.

Behind her, the Vehicons trooped out into the lazy heat, carrying their own weight. Roulette wasn't offering to help and had her own mind on the cassette waddling along with her. They weren't dock compatible yet, as rushing into it after repairs on both of their frames was foolish. Roulette wasn't sure what to think on it and craved to talk to someone about the decision but had no one to turn to. Soundwave didn't speak in a conventional sense and the only other one with a cassette on the ship was....

She paused mid-step, momentarily distracted by the memory of a touch. Ah no, she couldn't be asking that one for advice. Things were awkward enough. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms and eyed the ugly landscape with a small frown.

"...I had forgotten how awful this place looked...it gets flatter every time I see it."

[Deleted]

Thus far, Earth has not impressed the avian cassette, though it could be said she hasn’t seen much of it to have a good sample size. Landing had decimated the area she had arrived in initially, not to mention most of the surrounding foliage catching on fire. But the flat terrain, complete with some sort of hopping organisms and dust certainly do not do it for her. She is going to need a proper wash upon returning to the warship, there is no doubt of it.

She is not so distracted by the scenery as to walk into the back of Roulette’s legs when the femme pauses, lifting her head higher to eyeball her with dim little optics. There’s no telling just what Roulette’s thinking, though the betting is good that is has something to do with the upset caused by her own arrival and attempts to attach herself as a cassette should. For all Airlia can function autonomously, much as she has the last several eons of the War, she prefers to have a Master to look upon, and protect. The femme on the other hand has never really been one for such… closeness. Not even when her sister was alive.

At least Roulette hadn’t requested that she remain behind on the ship for this errand. They will find some manner of common ground, it will just take time, and work. And perhaps discrete discussion with the other cassettes on what they are expected to be these days. Things may have changed and she needs to catch up and ask for less.

Attention turns to their surroundings, and the Vehicons and their load once more. “Query: recipient of delivery?”

[Deleted]

((OOC: Mun refrains from making a "we're taking the Hobbits to Isenguard" joke))

"We are delivering supplies to Pyrotech. He's running the compound out here in the middle of dirt country." If anything, she felt like the landscape had gotten flatter and more plain while she had been gone. That didn't seem possible as changes on the planet were usually gradual. Notwithstanding volcanoes and tectonic movements. Maybe this area was just that ugly...

"You're not going to wig out over the dust, are you?" She cast the cassette a side glance. The swan was many things, and most of them was fussy. The planet wasn't like Cybertron, which had been dirty at times in its own right. Mostly industrialization and chemical run off. But this planet had living particles in the very atmosphere. It took nothing for a small blip of dust to settle in place before a colony of mold sprouted. Spores, microorganisms, tiny insects just choked the air. If she had to actually breathe in the atmosphere, Roulette was fairly certain she'd be dead thrice over.

"It's a little bit of a clip over to the actual compound. You might as well hitch a ride in me." Without waiting for the swan's yes or no, Roulette folded down into alt mode and flung the driver's side door open. The rest of the drones had assembled into a fairly compact squad, awaiting her to lead them to the base. All they needed was for the swan to get in and cooperate.

[Deleted]

Not the best elaboration, since the swan cassette currently does not know this Pyrotech, but it will have to do. This is not the place for a drawn out conversation, even if she was the sort to indulge in a lot of banter. She will presumably meet this mech running whatever manner of compound is stuck out here in this horridly dusty landscape shortly, and she can form an opinion of him then.

Fussy or not, that side-eye earns Roulette the slightest disdainful ruffle of delicate armor plates, and a flat look in return. Just because Airlia does not like getting filthy does not mean she will not perform necessary duties because of such filth. It just means that when they return to the ship there shall be much in the way of preening and cleaning and poking the sometimes stubborn femme to the washracks to get properly clean. Someone has to make sure that they are decent!

While walking such a distance is unappealing, there’s no denying that a cassette of her size and shape cramming herself into the driver’s door of a vehicle is just weird looking. Dignity and poise demands that she squish herself in there as neatly as possible, without giving the impression that she acknowledges the weird, even while stretching her long neck out to see out the passenger side, and shifts a wing so as to not bump into the transformed femme’s horn. Just a swan stuffed into a car, nothing to see here. Getting out is going to be a worse exercise in deliberately not acknowledging that it’s dumb looking. Poise.

[Deleted]

It took a great deal of self control that Roulette normally didn't possess not to laugh at the swan. This was beyond ridiculous and the fact that she hadn't thought about the awkward fit of the two was a little embarrassing. At least for the cassette. Roulette had zero dignity to uphold at this point. Any reputation points she had were burned to dust after the series of events involving wayward Autobots and a Decepticon leader. What did she care that a swan didn't exactly fit behind the steering wheel?

"Buckle up," she chimed far too sweetly to be a sensible suggestion. At this point she was just verbally poking at the poor mini. But it was either go quiet and let Airlia stew in her embarrassed quiet or try and make light of things. After all, looking silly wasn't exactly the worst thing in the known galaxy.

After the swan made herself comfortable and every metal "feather" was tucked inside, Roulette shut the door and took off with far more acceleration than exactly necessary. She got exactly twenty feet before she had to slow it way down to accommodate the ruts in the road. Damn could she give her left foot for a decent road to just go full out on. Just for the sake of feeling the friction of the road and the wind caressing over her frame. Here she was more likely to feel the millions of insects splatting on her bumper. Ugh.

[Pyrotech]

Pyrotech didn't know what was more surprising.

The fact that he had come back to his base and found everything in absolutely perfect working order; not a stumble or a hitch. In fact, it was better than he'd left it- Ghost Wind had worked hard, and it showed in the clean set of pipes, in the restructured venting and conduit...

Or the fact that Roulette was coming here to meet him.

Probably the latter; she hadn't been impressed with the rugged landscape the first time.

Well that wasn't all that surprised him. Yes, they'd met, they'd spoken, and he honestly had thought they were getting along fairly well. He found her interesting, she had found him- well... he wasn't entirely sure. Hopeful, yes, but not entirely sure. It had been a long time since he'd found himself with pleasant company that wasn't entirely based around work. Someone who simply asked a question, offered up a bit of conversation off the clock, and then actually offered up a little something that meant that they would have to cross paths again.

The datapad was still tucked away in that compartment. He'd read poetry. So far, he was of the belief that human poets were not on any sort of par with Cybertronian ones. In fact, they were rather tepid bits of literature. There was a certain rustic feel to it though that he could see why Roulette might find it charming or fascinating. Something baseline in the emotions- a bit heavy handed, perhaps, but still rather raw and interesting in a rather primitive way.

The architect brushed off a bit of dirt that had settled onto his gleaming plating. He'd managed to get a few things from his travels recently; the one most appreciated at the moment was this little scrap of polishing cloth. He scrubbed at one of the spots on the chrome on his forearm. Once he was satisfied he tucked that away in a compartment.

True to his ways, he turned and eyed the two dark mechs waiting behind him. The two Vehicons saluted; a touch of fingers to their sigils. Pyrotech nodded.

"I will go and see to escorting her back in," he told them. "Keep an eye on things here."

"Yes sir," they replied in unison.

Bill and Ted were good about that at least. They behaved as troops should.

With that, the red mech turned to head out into the dry washes and brush. Sage clattered against his plating, sending up that sharp, herbal smell as he strode along. He was careful to use the rocks as much as possible and leave very little of a trail as he headed towards the winding, rutted road that cut through the Oregon wilderness.

[Deleted]

The quip to ‘buckle up’ is met with the clamping of beak upon the closest seat belt, not enough to damage but certainly enough to get across her point before she curls her neck back on itself for the drive. She remembers Roulette’s driving style, and with the uneven terrain visible before them she’d rather not arrive damaged from a jostling all over the limited room of the femme’s cabin. She’s going to make a poor enough impression as it is to this Pyrotech that they are meeting.

It’s with the utmost stoicism that she suffers that twenty feet of Roulette’s madness when it comes to flinging herself down what could only passingly be called a road. She is not the sort of cassette to indulge in whining or noisy complaint, even if she’s fairly certain she was rattled about less during the latest crash landing that brought her to this rock of a planet. Rather, as soon as the ride settles enough to not jar her struts out, she can focus on the view out the windshield, keeping an optic out for both the mech they are to be meeting, and any enemy incursions.

[Deleted]

"I hate this slagging place." Their progress to the base was incredibly slow. The femme was half convinced that the road had gotten worse while she had been away. By no means was she a low slung speed machine, but the ruts were large enough to nearly reach the underside as she slowly wheeled over the grooves. It would have been easier to just walk the rest of the way but the Eradicons couldn't just carry their loads by hands. Or they couldn't be trusted not to destroy them on the way. The drones were sturdy and work savvy but they were also more accident prone than Roulette was.

Half of her attention was split between griping at the road and worrying over the cassette in her seats. It was weird having her there. The presence wasn't unwanted by any means but Roulette always expected her sister to just be around the cassette. Airlia's presence amplified the loss and revealed that gaping hole that Roulette normally just ignored. Clearing her vox, the femme broke the awkward silence between the two.

"Airlia...do you still do that thing to mechs?" It had amused her and her sister to no end that the cassette was incredibly protective of their virtue. Shadow had had no virtue to tarnish and Roulette could have cared less about her own. But any time a mech had his creeping hand under their gambling table, the swan had been waiting in the confined space, ready to chomp down on the offending digits.

[Pyrotech]

The road truly had gotten worse - it was no imagination of Roulette's. In this area of rock and thin soil, rainstorms played havoc with any vehicular route. Immediately after a storm swept over, the heavy deluge turned any sort of roadway into a muddy, sticky mess that formed deep ruts and threatened to mire you or tear your tires off the rim.

When they dried, it was even more unpleasant. Every rut bounced Roulette's front end up and as that came down, the rear axle did the same. Probably a good thing she wasn't even remotely close to human; the motion was enough to leave your tailbone aching for weeks.

The red mech had learned how to navigate this terrain though. He didn't like it, not in the slightest. In fact, his preferences were in human cites. Hide in plain sight; the Autobots didn't dare touch you there, and his vehicular mode could move with audacity through the streets. All he had to do was flick his lights and they parted for him, scrambling to pull to the sides of the road and get out of his way. Sometimes Pyrotech did it for mere amusement. Nowhere to go, nothing urgent to do, but he just liked to see them get out of his way.

It felt good to exercise at least that amount of control over the native species.

Vermin should scamper away from bright lights, he thought to himself, as he skirted some of the deeper ridges of dried mud. One of these days, perhaps we will be able to finally stop sulking around...

The architect knew it wasn't a practical thought. As much as he disliked -no, loathed- the humans, he understood the need for a low profile. They were not helpless, humans. No sense in having them realize that Cybertronians were here. Like most species they fought amongst themselves constantly until a common enemy appeared, and then they banded together to protect themselves. Could they wipe them out? Most likely, yes, but it would be an utter waste of resources and time when they could just mine what they needed from Earth, strip what was needed, and move on with the humans never being the wiser.

His attention was drawn back to the landscape around him, and the faint swirl of dust rising not too distant. Ah, there - she was close.

His comm sent out a careful ping, a light and polite touch on the airwaves, a pleasant and proper greeting before he spoke.

::"Roulette,":: he murmured. ::"A pleasure, as always. I apologize, the road is in need of maintenance again, but things have come up lately."::

A pause. ::"It will smooth out a bit farther up,":: he assured her, as the red vehicle crested the last dip in front of her and the two Cybertronians had visual contact. The Peugeot came to a stop off to one side of the road. His engine purred to an inaudible idle as he turned his nose towards her and dipped his hood in greeting.

[Deleted]

Rather idly she contemplated the nearly audible sloshing of her fuel tank against the see-saw motion of Roulette’s tires over the ruts in the road, the femme’s grumbling enough to cover both of their discomfort. It was fortuitous though, that for a towers created piece of art she had a rather stiff constitution. It would be entirely shameful to get sick from something as benign as a bumpy car ride.

Roulette’s question was a welcome interruption from queasy thoughts. Though not particularly pointed, there were lots of things she did way back when to mechs who were getting a little too fresh with her Master. Bitten digits could be the least of someone’s worries if the swan took serious offense to their conduct.

“Clarification: thing? Airlia: will continue to protect Roulette from unsuitable mechs.” And femmes, though those usually had the sense not to be quite so handsy.

Movement and color atop the oncoming hill caught her attention, head swivelling back to peer more pointedly out the windshield. That must be the Pyrotech they were meeting, and from Roulette’s choice of topic, the swan would bet that he was going to be one of those mech who needed reminders on proper decorum around a lady.

[Deleted]

There was a pleasurable thrum with hearing Pyro's voice welcoming her. Maybe it was because he actually was welcoming her and looking forward to her company in the most genuine way. There was no perceived strings attached, no ulterior motives, no backhanded platitudes waiting to stick her like a barb. It was...it was so nice. So much so that Roulette had a frisson of contentment that bled out into her field like a gentle heat bloom.

::That's alright. I don't mind a rough road. Been riding those my whole life. That's what good shock absorbers are for.:: She liked to think that didn't sound weird or whiny. It was hard to tell sometimes, when she just blurted out the first thing that ran across her processor. Some mechs had that ability with her. They'd pull the worst out of her and botch up any control she had over her stupid inner thoughts.

Splitting her attention between the two, Roulette took her metaphorical eyes off of the road and focused on Airlia for a moment. The drone wasn't exactly enjoying the ride. For several reasons, one of which had to be bruised dignity. Unfortunately, Roulette wasn't exactly a roomie creature. She didn't have extra space to stash the cassette unless the creature got reconfigured to fit her alt better. Which would be a labor on both their parts. This was the best they could deal with for now.

"That's Pyro," she murmured quietly. Not that anyone was there to eavesdrop. The drones certainly didn't care. "And you're to be nice. He's probably one of the few friends I have on this planet. He's nice."

ARuuuuuuuuuugh, tell me I didn't just sound like my sister just now!

[Pyrotech]

Roulette's words filtered through the interior of the Peugeot. Inside the cabin, the dashboard and seats were glossy and clean. His interior filters must have been working constantly overtime to keep it like that.

::Ah,:: he replied, and his voice carried empathy for her comment. ::At least this is just a road. It has a rather distinct end to it.::

He understood; being Shockwave's proxy didn't leave her much time for her own devices. Even he had heard those rumors that trickled down. He never repeated them; no, he had sense. Meeting Shockwave on that beach when he'd found that pod had been utterly shocking to the mech. Of all the mechs he'd expected to stride from that portal that had never been one of them. Not on some filthy beach on Earth.

Not that he would mention it to Roulette (it was obvious to him she was not happy with her station) but he personally enjoyed the company of the scientist. It was one of those rare moments where he could simply find himself listening and feeling like he was back on Cybertron, among those he considered his peers. There had been discussions then about places and things that were long gone; amazing ideas that had been passed as casually as the elegant containers of high-grade.

::How have you been?:: he asked politely, as the vehicle shifted over his tires. The gleaming ladder on the bars of the fire-car lifted slightly. ::Busy, I assume? I was surprised to hear from you with all the projects going on. You are well, I hope?::

[Deleted]

Oh, she would just bet that he was ‘nice’. Nice and just waiting for the right moment to put his hands all over Roulette! Call her untrusting, but any mech that gives Roulette’s field the warm smooshies like that could only be trouble. Friends were permitted, and encouraged as Roulette was a social creature, and required companionship beyond what her cassette could provide. Airlia offers all she can, but her sense of humor and perspective on things often does not align well with her Master’s. Friends, however, don’t make a femme bleed warmth into her field like that.

It was a recipe for Roulette to hurt herself by. Injury to her Master, physical or emotional, could not be tolerated. She would be keeping a very close optic on the Pyrotech.

“Statement: Airlia will exhibit behavior in accordance with situation. Airlia will be nice as Pyrotech deserves.”

[Deleted]

This encounter...had the makings for getting awkward. And Roulette was really just engineering the chaos by mixing two elements that likely weren't going to mesh well. For some reason, the swan cassette was so in love with her heightened sense of self worth that she would find anyone unworthy of her partner's company. Purely because anyone worthy of her presence had to be nothing short of perfection.

Roulette hated to break it to her, but she was the least likely to fit those standards. In fact, of all the mecha in the ship, likely the classiest to fit the picky standards would be Pyro himself. But the cassette would only see him as a threat to Roulette's delicate nature. Even if it was a stupid lie. There was nothing delicate about the femme! Stupid cassettes.

"What do you think he's going to do? Throw me across his desk and ravish me?"

Although the quip did have some merit to it. Alas, she didn't think his desk could withstand the stress. And a lurking cassette always killed the mood...

Roulette may have hit the brakes a little harder than necessary when confronted with a large pothole. But she'd scraped her undercarriage before on the ground and, while not the most painful thing ever, was worth avoiding when one could. Which was just as well, as the ruts in the road could actually eat tires at this point. But after the rough patch, true to Pyro's words, the road started to even out somewhat. Behind her, the drones were having a time of their own trying to navigate and not jostle their cargo. Sleek, sporty designs were always great in theory. Until one was forced to spend time off road.

::As well as I can be. I just needed some time to...:: Oh, why was admitting she had a cassette awkward? Possibly because it was strange and new having one? ::I have a cassette now. She just arrived planet side and I wanted her to get the lay of the land without having to worry about anyone trying to dissect her.::

Ah yes, that was super cheerful! Go her. Of course, the threat was quite real. If MECH didn't get their hands on the cassette, then Shockwave would if he got a chance. Not that she thought he would but one never knew with him.

[Pyrotech]

There was a short pause. Pyrotech took a polite moment to mull over Roulette's comment.

A cassette? Well that was an interesting turn of events, and an uncommon one. Usually one bonded up like that with another mech for very specific reasons. It was a gain in one direction and a loss of a bit of privacy in another. Pyrotech had to admit that he'd never ponder offering himself up to that sort of thing.

The architect simply preferred his private time.

You were able to get so much more done when it was quiet.

:: A cassette? :: he echoed. :: Well that is a surprising and interesting turn of events. That is something you absolutely would need time to readjust yourself with. At least I am assuming that. Forgive me if I'm wrong. ::

He glanced around the dry, stony landscape around them and then eyed the car approaching him. Greenflies droned in the shadows cast by his tires, the bugs circling lazily in the lack of air current.

With a rather casual push, the Peugeot nudged off of the landscape. Pyrotech transformed, the red mech stretching out in the sunshine. It gleamed off every bit of chrome, highlighting the metallic deep red of his finish.

:: I'm afraid I've had minimal contact with cassettes over the eons. That said, it sounds as if you have a story to tell, :: he chuckled.

:: Also, no, no reason to worry. No dissections will occur at my base. That sort of thing takes too much cleaning afterwards. ::

There was a surprisingly warm bit of humor in that reply. He seemed to be offering it as a light response; he knew that she probably wasn't kidding. Taking something apart to see how it ticked was a very Shockwave moment. Which sort of made his architectural programming sigh a little - far easier to take things apart then put them back together correctly.

He'd never say that to Roulette though. It was obvious she feared the mech. Her comments were brash, even humorous, but they had an edge to them that Pyrotech heard every single time. Today was no exception. He had to wonder if this cassette was for Shockwave...

Or because of him.

The mech frowned slightly and then his expression smoothed again. :: Well, you certainly picked a rather drab bit of land for her to get the lay of, :: he admitted.